Drinking Club with a Running Problem

This Sunday morning I had to chug a cup of tomato juice and mint liquor for the misdemeanor of being "too enthusiastic" about running. This is a normal part of the closing ceremonies for the Gaborone Hash House Harriers, a professed "Drinking Group with a Running Problem." Every Sunday morning a different hasher sets a running and walking course, and different markings on the road steer runners down occasional false trails so that we all eventually end together at someone's house or an outdoor grill for a "bring and braai."

This morning's hash was comprised of many walkers and about 10 runners, most whom were white-haired South African men in short-shorts, and then me. An interesting surprise three miles into our run was the Gaborone Cricket Club bar, where we were commanded to stop and have a beer before running the next 3 miles. Towards the end of the run, the markings on the bush trails got a little unclear, and the "hare" who had set the course had to pull out a map, which was also later considered a misdemeanor.

When the walkers (ages ranging from 2 to 80) and runners finally convened at the house of "Cow Herd" (one of many Hash names), we circled up for the ceremony. When the category for misdemeanors came up, two hashers were called out for cutting short Baylor's 13km Pediatric AIDS Institute fun run yesterday. One of them then dared to point to me and say I had run the whole 13km. I argued that it wasn't a misdemeanor, but they fired back by saying it was overly-enthusiastic. The category then became the "Over-Unders", and the circle sang the hashers chant as we choked down our minty tomato punishment.

Here's me finishing the 13km charity fun run yesterday at 7am in 90 degree heat!