ARE YOU READY FOR A SWASHBUCKLING ADVENTURE?
Welcome To The PCR October Challenge 2022:
NINE PIECES OF EIGHT
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The Plymouth Coastal Runners (PCR) Time Trial (TT) is a ‘virtual’ time trial normally held on the first weekend of every month. A different route each month. It's virtual in the sense all routes are set up as Strava ‘segments’ so there is no set start time; you can go out whenever you like, on your own or with a group. Run, Walk, Crawl, everyone's invited, even the pets! Results are collected at the end to produce a leaderboard. For more info Click Here: TT Series
For October only, as part of the South West Coast Path (SWCP) Challenge, rather than just one weekend you have the whole of the month (1st-31st October) to run the set routes as many times as you want with your fastest result being used in the final leaderboard. However, for your time to be counted on the leaderboard, an entrance fee has been paid. In return for this you get a months worth of TTs, a medal to rival last years, PCR headwear and at least £££5 (as long as we get the numbers) split between SWCPA (50%), Alzheimer's Research UK (25%) and JDRF UK (25%).
THE STORY SO FAR...
Welcome to the Brethren Court, you are in the presence of the 9 Pirate Lords, who oversee the “Seven” Seas, well, from a Pirates perspective at least. Each has his or her own body of water; the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Indian Ocean, South China Sea, Adriatic Sea.
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At the first of these Courts, Davy Jones and the Pirate Lords plotted to bind the goddess Calypso to allow safe passage across the seas. But why?
Calypso according to Greek mythology (not this again, I hear you say!!!) was the daughter of Atlas and goddess of the seas. Along with the Aztec, other Greek and any other god/goddess not of Christian, Jewish or Muslim faith, she was seen as a heathen god. Calypso was beautiful, truly stunning, but loved and feared in equal proportion by sailors across the globe (pirate or not). She had the ability to take many forms (commonly a crab) and often described as harsh and as untameable as the sea. Despite this, legend states, Calypso fell in love with a great young sailor named, Davy Jones. She rewarded this love by putting Jones in control of the Dutchman, a ship with the singular role of ferrying the souls of those lost at sea to the underworld.
Jones agreed that to prove his love for Calypso, he'd only set foot on dry land once every 10years. He stuck to his word but on the occasions, he went ashore, Calypso was nowhere to be found, highlighting her resemblance to the sea as fickle and unpredictable. Years passed, and eventually the first Brethren Court met with Jones to plot the removal of Calypso's control of the seas by binding her into human form. Each of the nine Pirates had a “piece of eight”. Pieces of eight were actually silver Spanish dollars developed after a currency reform in 1497 worth eight reals. Unfortunately, at the original Brethren Court, the nine original pirate lords were skint and so the nine pieces of eight were not silver coins at all and were in fact whatever nine pieces of whatever junk each one happened to have in their pocket at the time…
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Calypso tricked one of the pirate lords into summoning a fourth Brethren Court and releasing her… She is now back to causing all kinds of mayhem across the seas and it is your challenge to find the nine lost pieces of eight in order to allow the Brethren Court to rebind her into her human form to allow safe passage across the seven seas once more…
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YOUR CHALLENGE:
This years PCR October Challenge will be three routes, figures of eight funnily enough, to complete at your leisure during the month as many times as you like. Each route will have three of the nine pieces of eight to find during it and report back. As usual there will be the leaderboard for each route and the points board to credit those banging out the miles during the month.
You still get the goodies as long as you complete one of the routes - It's about getting you out exploring... not beasting yourself to the n'th degree unless that's what you're in it for...
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
The event relies on Strava to record the time over the specific route segments. Therefore, after you have signed up for the event, if you don’t have an account on Strava you will need to create one. You can use a GPS watch or the free Strava app on a smartphone to record your run on adventures upon the routes set. Take part whenever you like, day or night. Run, Walk, Crawl. Whatever you fancy! The whole family, dogs and any other pets that you fancy taking out are all invited!
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Once you have finished, if you got the segment, you don't need to do anything else, if you didn't send the link to the usual email address and share your experience on the Facebook group if you like. Repeat as many times as you wish during the month.
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You may have guessed, marking these routes and expecting them to stay up for a whole month is not going to happen, everyone will receive printable paper maps and all the usual electronic mapping resources of a usual TT.
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For all routes and timings please start and stop your GPS in the set location, Strava will record your time for the segment. The set locations will ensure you get the segment.
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THE TREASURE... ARGHHHH!
Yet another wonder from PCR! It's BIG, It's BOLD and It GLOWS IN THE DARK! I hope to sort a social or two in November which will be the time to collect your bling. If for whatever reason you can't make it, you will be able to pick them up from me in Plymouth as per previous years. Now a few years ago we had a Zaini Hat... We've had a revamp all ready for the winter - Bruce designed it... Hope you like it!
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CHARITIES
As usual 50% of the profits will go to the SWCP and 25% to Alzheimer’s Research UK. The other 25% will go to JDRF UK, a children’s diabetic charity… Here’s Dave (One of our members) to explain why…
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The week before Christmas 2021 our then 3 year old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a life threatening life long condition meaning his pancreas had failed. He needs at least 4 injections of insulin a day, has his blood sugar levels constantly monitored and it is a daily battle that has affects every part of our lives. JDRF are the main charity for children with Type 1 funding pioneering research and have provided some early support including a "Rufus" bear with injection sites he can practice on when he's a little older.
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DISCLAIMER
This is a social event and not a race. It is your responsibility to look after your own safety, not the organiser or PCR. You complete the routes in your own time, any time between 1st and 31st October inclusive. There is no insurance, prizes etc... You do the routes at your own risk (be aware there could be muds, floods, cows, rabbit holes, dogs, other humans, horses, badgers, roads, cars etc along the way) and hopefully have a good time exploring the coastpath and surrounding area!
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For a TT attempt to be added to the leaderboard it must register as the segment on Strava. Attempts which do not register as a segment due to navigational or GPS errors will be added to the leaderboard but outside of the main results. Results must be emailed to: plymouthcoastalrunners@outlook.com
Have fun, be careful and considerate of other users of the paths! Please apply common sense regarding dogs on/off leads especially around livestock and shut gates behind you especially when animals are present! Feel free to share the event to get as many people as possible involved.
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By getting involved with our events you agree to adhere to the Countryside Code.
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READY TO SIGN UP?
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Yours
Captain Orange Beard
Kindly Supported By...
