Week Eight: Friday Club

With Nic and Stu's wedding this weekend, Bails, Jimbo and Mac agreed that Hangover-Sunday was a no-go for a 17 mile run. Instead they decided that as the rest of the team were suffering with various injuries and excuses (Chris was tumbling down snow covered green-runs, Tom is still recovering from Knee-knack, Gemma picked up a Gingerbarnet-knack and was off for an emergency operation back at the hairdressers and Pat had been called up to the Wales Squad at the last minute to face the French, good luck with that mate) that they should complete the arduous run on Friday night.

With the mornings hangover firmly consigned to the memory thanks to a busy day's fundraising, Matt and James set off from Philosophy Towers with the wind on their backs and the sun in their faces. This quickly turned into sweat covered backs and red faces but for two minutes it all seemed perfect.

Sarah's ingenius idea was for the boys to circle the London Bridge to Vauxhall lap anti-clockwise and for her to do the same route clockwise, this would ensure they passed each other for a motivational high-five at least once before each member of the team left the route for a run home. Amazingly this ploy worked and the boys were lucky enough to avoid bumping into Miss B as she flew towards them twice. They were of course caught in her jetstream as she blazed on but the stinging palm they were left with reminded us of the famous Team Ellis spirit.

James turned off for home after one lap and made his way down the Old Kent Road, through New Cross, Lewisham, Lee, Hither Green and all stations to New Eltham. Matt on the other hand completed a second lap before scaling the mighty Tulse Hill. A gradient so daunting that Sir Edmund Hillary once remarked 'Blimey that's steep'.

Overal a good 17 mile run was had by all, with three guests hobbling into the church the next morning desperate for a sit down.