Thursday, October 23, 2008

Welcome to the Sydney 'Winter' Series...or should that be the Frostbite Series!! Last night's run was a strange reprise of the conditions at this location last year, when the chill had many competitors jogging in wooly shawls and clutching hot water bottles.

Despite these repeat shower squalls, and the invigorating 9 degrees, 150 die hard SSS addicts fronted for last nights excellent stretch out at Meadowbank. Steve Holloway cast a wide spread of controls, giving the 400 plus crew pause for thought. In fact there was lots of pausing and working the string, as competitors tried to get a meaningful loop working. How to take in #15, how to snare #3, and best of all, how to work the dastardly separation of #24 and #25??! Great puzzles in an enthralling course, that was well set with nice clear pot locations in a great runnable area.

As with all good courses, runners left in many directions, with perhaps a slight preference for an initial loop to the east (1,2,12,21,4 etc) before tackling the commuters on the station overbridge and a bit of puff on the western side. The lonely pot award would have to go to #27, although many runners did end up here (including the master of garden bed controls James 'Potting Mix' Lithgow) after being dragged too far west by the cunningly placed 9 and 29 and needing to justify the effort on the results sheet. I suspect this western trio were less popular than their eastern cousins though, and given the neat loop made by linking 30,10,17,19 and 7, can understand why numbers might have been shy out wider. Many would have seen the forlorn string at the #7 site, the control apparently whipped away in a wind gust! Those that know, looked for the yellow tape and plowed on, undeterred by the weather, and WHO's knot tying ability.

The course looked too wide for a 600, and so it proved, with Andrew 'The Day' Hill sprinting home for 530, a short half head from Glenn 'Street Theatre' Horrocks on 520. Not sure if Andy ripped the lot and late back, or if he foreswore the western 70 in a beautifully timed outing in the blue silks (Glenn, as we know, normally likes to visit all sites, so maybe it was all for both). Great running no matter, and well clear of the veteran speedster, and last weeks course king, Michael 'Make mine a Pint' Burton, who ran all but #7 in 52.10.

Other notable outings were from Garingal star Peter 'Paul & Mary' Annetts with 490, and the irrepressable Sue 'The Button On' Davis leading the mares with 440 beautiful sparkly points. Wendy 'Stevo' and Syb Boos 'Bus' held hands for 410, pipped on the line by Ted @420, but clear of the flying beard, Ron 'The Vegie Man' Junghans on 390 in the Legends category. Your correspondent managed a clean run for 430 and might just have placed in the absence of Warwick Selby 'It's use by Date'. A rare no-show from the Striders star.

Always nice to enjoy a bit of the open grassy running at Meadowbank and the unique sniff of mangroves - not to mention the constant action on the standard gauge for the train buffs - we will be back!

Next week we move up the road to Gannan Park at Ryde, where Glenn pulls on the course setters hat. This end of the Field of Mars Cemetery map takes in the open grounds of Macquarie Hospital, the 'Field' bushy bits and some new map additions to the west and south. Glenn is well remembered for a classic SSS puzzle at West Chatswood several years ago, and is certain to get the scoring pencils chewed and the members crowd talking here, as horses tackle race four in this classic series. Things are getting interesting on the leader boards, and numbers are growing, so expect to see some elbow work as the fancied nags attempt to race for clear air (and more dreaded mentions in the Pork Pie Guide!).

And for those that would like to stay on for a post race dinner/drink, and the habitual course review, the nearest looks like 'The Ranch' on Epping Road. A good place to listen up as Larry ruminates on 'what might have been' had he been wearing his orthotics! Join us.

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