Week 8 Run 1 & Dracula

[AliHC]

Well this week I've been blessed with sun ☀️ sand ⛱️ a sea breeze 🌊 a great big hill ⛰️ and Dracula 🦇

I'm in Whitby for a couple of days visiting my 82 year old parents who are at the Folk Festival 🎶

I'm very happy to say that I managed to run (very slowly) non stop for 28 minutes along the harbour, through the cobbled streets and finished with a ridiculously steep run up 199 steps to be met at the top by Count Dracula 🦇

I wanted to recreate the Sylvester Stallon scene in ROCKY when he's running through the streets during his training session and finishes with great big victorious run up the steps and the music is playing the ROCKY theme tune🥊 But all I could manage was a lot of puffing and panting and sweating and the look of horror on my face at seeing Dracula in the grave yard ⚰️

Never a dull moment 👻

The photo is Whitby Abbey where Bram Stoker created his Character Dracula... The scenery is quite spectacular once you get to the top 😊

Have a good week everyone 😊

[Debston Graduate]

Fantastic! 199 steps - that's awesome, and you didn't even faint in terror / exhaustion when you saw Dracula waiting at the top! 😂

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Debston]

🤣 I could have kissed him!

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to AliHC]

Was he singing his favourite song ?

"Fangs for the Memory"?

[Irish-John Graduate]

Soooo....would it be fair to say you had a "bloody" good time? 😁

I've always wanted to go to Whitby, thanks for sharing the photo and your run there

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

Ah thank you! You should go if you ever get the chance. Go out-of-season and it's even better! X

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to AliHC]

Will do I saw the ruins first in a postcard in the '70s and can't believe I still haven't been there, it's an amazing location

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

The views are quite spectacular. There are so many places that are close by that are also worth a visit... Like Robin Hood's Bay x

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to AliHC]

You have sparked another memory

In the late sixties I was given a book of Robin Hood tales. One of them was when he and the Merry Men went to fight a ferocious Pirate at - presumably - that Bay

I loved that darn book, it "dissapeared" though one day and I have searched book forums, book stores, libraries etc for over twenty or thirty years now trying to identify the edition because it really was something.

Problem is - there are MILLIONS of books about Robin and his Boyz out there, and I've never met anyone who remembers a pirate battle. But - the search will continue

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

Look what I've found 😊

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The...

And this

robinhoodlegend.com/noble-f...

And this en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob...

Does any of this help? Xx

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to AliHC]

That looks like a very fun movie Ali, and will be watched

My kids will no doubt roll their eyes and say it's "another of Dad's weirdo movies"

("Quest for Fire" anyone? )

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

Just looked it up! Good call! 😂 Fantasy caveman action! 😆

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to AliHC]

While it is indeed "Fantasy" it adds interest when you know the makers really did want to make it as accurately as present day knowledge allows us to surmise "What it could have been like"

Desmond Morris was one of quite a few respected Anthropologists, Sociologists, Paleanthologists etc hired (and listened to) as Consultants.

Morris said the movie should be seen in the context of vast developments in human development being conflated to a few hours on the screen, but he had never been uneasy about being so identified with it

It's a long one, it's not exactly "comfortable" viewing - but neither is life for a lot of us

Give it a go

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

I will John! Thank you for putting me on to this one! I'll let you know what I think when I've watched it 🎥

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to AliHC]

Please do

[Twinkle9 Graduate]

Did Dracula make you run quicker 😉

Well done you

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Twinkle9]

I couldn't run any quicker even with Dracula behind me 😂

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to AliHC]

Can he 'Count' on that if needing a snack? 😂

( Ok - I'll stop it now

[Twinkle9 Graduate in reply to AliHC]

Bet you could if he was real and chasing you 😬

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Twinkle9]

tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OGC....

[Twinkle9 Graduate in reply to AliHC]

🤣🤣

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to Twinkle9]

It's hard to say. I love these speculative scenarios I t would depend on how unexpected his initial presence would be imho. The human psyche responds to shock generally in one of four ways ;

Fight, Flight, Freeze or Fall.

Personally I think if I bumped into Fangy McFangface I would fight like never before.

To control my bladder and other bodily functions

So that at least I would die with clean pants on 😬

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

🤣 He'd probably not want to take a bite out of me after seeing me staggering up those steps!

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to AliHC]

Lactic acid poisoning 😅😂🤣

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

😱😂😰🤢

[LeeU Graduate]

I love Whitby, kudos to you running up those steps to the abbey, I tried walking up it one time and that was bad enough, this was pre-running me and very unfit.

Please do keep in mind, Bram Stoker was going mad when he wrote Dracula, he had syphilis, doesn't mean you have to try to replicate that madness by doing those steps or something like it on a regular basis

[AliHC Graduate in reply to LeeU]

🤣 I did a little victory on-the-spot jog at the top! Then collapsed on top of one of the graves⚰️

[Puppy-love Graduate]

Well, you wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to run up a great big hill would you? I have this vision of you leaning on the Count while you do some stretches. Great photo and well done.

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Puppy-love]

I love a good hill 🤣

Felt like kissing the Count when I got to the top ❤️

[Jazzyrunner Graduate]

Fab running, well done! I’m sure Dracula was impressed 🧛🏻‍♂️👏🏻🏃🏼‍♀️

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Jazzyrunner]

I think I looked more scary than Dracula 😱 xx

[Doddery123 Graduate]

Blimey. Those steps are lethal. You are officially crackers! Well done.

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Doddery123]

They were a flipping nightmare! There's no way I would have said 8 weeks ago that I would even attempt that! 🤔

[Goslow Graduate]

Impressive!! Sounds like you had a great time! I'm on the same week as you but not on the same fitness level🙈 Well done you 🙌🙌🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Great picture.. have a good day x

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Goslow]

Thank you! Same fitness level or not... We're both doing it! The only difference is, I'm probably more stupid 🤣

Keep up with your fantastic efforts! Xx

[Goslow Graduate in reply to AliHC]

Lol 😂 and thank you x

[Ping-pong Graduate]

Lovely picture. I adore Whitby and folk music so that's my idea of a good trip. I can imagine you running up those steps triumphantly. The last time I walked up them my toddler son was stopping every few steps (he's 23 now, so quite some time ago!).

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Ping-pong]

Thank you! I love Whitby too! I went to the Fleece that evening and sang a few songs with my mum & dad 🎶❤️

[backintime Graduate]

Great photo, those steps sound like you would be pretty happy to get to the top even if dracula were there lol

[AliHC Graduate in reply to backintime]

I was bloody ecstatic 🤣

Never again though! 😆

[Hidden]

I love Whitby! I don't know why I love it so much, but I do. I think it's just a place of fond memories... I took my Australian in laws.. They loved it, so much history.. Cook and Joseph Banks.. My last name is Banks, their last name is Banks... How weird is that?

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I love Whitby too! Lots of fond childhood memories. My last name is Cook 😊

[madmother Graduate]

We were there in June. Well done you that is no easy run!!!! Greeted by Dracula...excellent! Xxx

[AliHC Graduate in reply to madmother]

No. It was NOT easy 😭

I've walked up it again this morning and I stood at the top and thought "how on earth did I do that!?" 🤔🙄😕😳😐

Hope I didn't dream it! 🤣😴

[Tasha99 Graduate]

Ah not far from me. Well done. Those steps are brutal 🤣

[AliHC Graduate in reply to Tasha99]

Too right 🤣 From here on it's plain sailing 😂 NOT 😳