September Training Camp 2024

Alasdair Fletcher | Sunday, September 22nd, 2024

Each September, Hareys new and old venture to the cooler climes of The North for a week of running, socialising, and organised fun. For many, this is a highlight of the year, and a rare opportunity to focus on running and getting to welcome newer team members. This year, we were off to Beverley to stay in a renovated friary with wall paintings from the 15th century, when Max Walk was in school. Returners were outnumbered by a fantastic contingent of freshers, with most of the group arriving on Sunday evening. Monday kicked off with a group run over the Beverley pasture, followed by an afternoon relaxing at the beach. Some particularly brave members of the group took a dip in the north sea, while others made financially inadvisable decisions in the arcade. After a particularly tasty dinner of pasta with broccoli, courgettes, ricotta, and garlic bread, we got into some team bonding with a game of Empires. Some came out with surprising facts, like Ellie being a professional Irish dancer, with others being entirely predictable, like Poppy being mates with BoJo. We hit the hay for an early night before a big session on Tuesday morning.

The plan was nx1min on, 1 min float over an undulating grass loop offering significantly more elevation change than a chlap. Everyone ran phenomenally, with a particularly impressive performance from Elliot not hurting his ankles running on unmowed grass. After taking sufficient care of our muscles (foam rolling, stretching, resistance banding), we bravely decided to venture into Beverley without our tour guide/chaperone/bodyguard, Connor. A short tour of the Minster and a much longer tour of Caffé Nero provided us with some perspective on the local culture. A delicious pasta bake made by this author and Choppy Craig McFeely (who fried an approximately infinite number of aubergines) was enjoyed by all before we explored the nightlife. POD enticed us to a local open mic, and despite initial reservations on the atmosphere, we got stuck in and were pleasantly surprised by the talent on display. What we were not prepared for was for tour guide/chaperone/bodyguard/local pop star Connor’s rendition of Particles, No Time to Die, and The Adults Are Talking on the piano with vocals. Unnamed members of the contingent were brought to tears.

We awoke not so early on Wednesday for easy running/gyming before reconvening for lunch to discuss plans for the second annual Hare and Hounds Sports Day. While a full recap of this event would not fit in this write-up, highlights of the day included a new world record in the egg toss, attempted manslaughter from Amir, and unique race walking technique from Sam. After finishing the events, we had a game of 7-a-side which went on for just about forever, and was decidedly unfriendly. Some afternoon rest and recovery preceded a traditional party evening, punctuated by Phil’s DJ set and an encore by our tour guide/chaperone/bodyguard/local pop star/wine connoisseur.

Thursday started on a low. In the words of Eliud Kipchoge, no human is limited, and we were going to have to prove him right. To quote a runner of a similar calibre (Beeston), this author looked pretty limited. Phil had assigned kilometre reps on the grass, and inspirationally we answered his calls with a lot of quality Ks. The afternoon was no easier on the stomach, with kilo challenges for all. Many had eyes bigger than their stomach, most notably Beeston who only finished 22 out of 52.6 of the necessary yorkshire puddings. There were some impressive performances, however, with Sam setting a new record for ice cream and Amir finishing his yoghurt in a plank position in 32 seconds. Everyone made sure to let their stomachs settle before we returned to the local pub for the pub quiz, with truly disappointing performances from all teams.

On Friday we said goodbye to POD and Grace and hello to Max and Tadolphus. Activities of the day included a long walk and another (much better) quiz from Angus this time. Between these two events, we were finally privileged to be introduced to freshers Elliot and Beth (you may know them as the strange people who have arranged a date to the minecraft movie in the big harey group chat). Angus’ quiz was dominated by Amir, Beeston, and myself, with the quizmaster providing excellent prizes.

Saturday (parkrun day) was our final full day. Parkrun did not disappoint with me being applauded by all 252 finishers, Beeston running like his 15 year old self, and Max Walk refusing to give his barcode because he hates the sport of running. Unfortunately, Beeston’s ankle ligaments have contagious properties, with Becca catching the bug, and finding herself halfway down a rabbit hole with an ankle twice the size of normal. Once Elliot had led group stretching after parkrun, we decided to try our hands at a new sport. Nick instructed us in pickle ball with the whole group picking it up so rapidly we scared the elderly fours who were playing on court one away. In an attempt to finish the remaining food, our final evening’s frivolities revolved around scotch bonnet chillies.

If this report gave you FOMO, get January 5th-12th locked in for our next training camp in Eastbourne.