投稿日: Feb 11, 2018 7:25:6 AM
New Year Hash 2018
Scribe:Damien
Hare: Cliffhanger
Date: January 14 2018
Start Time: 2:30
Start Location: Higashi-Zushi
Weaher: Fine
Run Type: A to B
Distance: Eagle 12km Turkey 7km
Hashers:around 20
For Months I was promising my friend that I would attend a hash, she had told me about it and I expressed interest but I was always delaying my decision.
Finally with her help I was invited to join Hiromi, (Hash name Take my Cherry) on the first hash run of the year with Hayama Hash House Harriers.
I was running late as usual and had to change in the bathroom of at the station in the 6 min interval I had between trains on the way to Higashi Zushi.
Luckily for me, Take My cherry was waiting with me with the backup crew who took my bag and jacket in the van. We hit the road almost immediately upon leaving the station and I was off.
As a Virgin Hash(er) I didn’t really know where I was going or what to look out for but my friend kindly pointed out the arrows and symbols and what they meant and I was learning as we ran. The first part of our run was quite residential running around neighborhoods of the local town, we then left the town a bit and headed up a hill this was the first time where I began to get into the run and could let go of any anxiety of getting lost or missing an arrow or sign. My friend behind me and me slightly ahead we climbed the hill, as we approached the tunnel at the top, it was under construction so I was slightly concerned but as is common on roads in Japan it’s only when you get to exactly where you need to make a decision that you see a turning or way forward. In this case for pedestrians the tunnel was open so we ran through and then met other hashers the other side who were a little confused as to which way to go. I realized I wasn’t going to work out the arrows all by myself so I relied a little on the group and followed others but even they were not sure which direction to go in.
I was fortunate that in July 2017 I had walked the Camino De Santiago an 811Kms walk from the French Pyrenees across northern Spain following yellow arrows along the way and in that process, I learned to trust the path and trust myself that the direction I am going in will lead to the next arrow and it usually did.
The same was true for the Hash, there were a few false turns but generally we followed the path, until it went across a bridge of water where the Koi fish were swimming leisurely below and I felt like I was in a Hayao Miyazaki animation. The path narrowed to a point where you could barely run it was so thin and you couldn’t pass another person along it then it broke from the water into more residential and went uphill left for the Eagles and more urban for the Turkeys. I went the Turkey route worried that I may be pushing my luck with the Eagles and within another 10 mins I and take my cherry went around the train tracks followed a road round the bend which lead to a Temple. Upon reflection as others joined us for more than generous refreshments and sandwiches prepared by Cliffhanger and Good On Top I realized there were actually 6 to 8 temples on that hash, not that I saw them all.
The Hash taught me to be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to what is going on along the path and in the environment. People like me and others who work in an office in a big city often spend too much time living in our heads and not in our body the Hash run brought me back into my body, and it was so much more fun to run with a bunch of like-minded people keen to stay fit, enjoy the weather and season we are in and run through a part of Japan, that I rarely have reason to visit.
After the run as others came in with gathered and drunk beers and formed a community and shared our experiences. The banter among the Hayama Hash House Harriers was lively honest and fun. A few other virgins attended too and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Thank you guys and girls for putting this on. It was a needed break and forced me to get out and enjoy the countryside and to get running.
If I have a chance to go again, I’ll be back on the trail.
Thanks,