Author: Lab Rat

  • Redemption run with nobody to redeem

    10 strong young souls posted this morning for a Friday morning shakedown run.  Here’s what’s up:

    -Carillon Route:

    • 6 Milers:  Grove to Boulevard to….run whatever you want, you know what’s up.
    • 5 Milers:  Grove to Boulevard up the steps of the Carillon and return via Douglasdale over 195, then skirt Windsor Farms on Portland, finally making your way back to Grove and home to MMES.  GPS should have you at 5.25 miles, give or take.
    • 4 Milers follow same out route to the tennis courts, make a loop around courts and bring Shepard back to Cary, then choose your own route back to Grove and MMES.  4.25 miles CONFIRMED.

    NMS

    YHC was hoping that his two lost souls from last attempt (Copernicus and Back Bay) would be in the mix this morning so that YHC could guide them thru what has become Lab Rat’s favorite Friday morning route, but alas, the siren that is the fartsack sings a sweet song…especially when the temperature starts to dip.  Lab Rat was still determined to be the last man in on the 5 mile option today, picking up any wayward sheep along the way.  But what good is a shepard  when the flock is a bunch of Sheepdogs?  All present were a bunch of grizzled veterans that know the city and route better than the Q, so YHC ran with Upchuck and we battled to get in the highest word count.  In the end, Upchuck once again out-paced the Rat in the motor mouth category, an impressive feat to say the least.

    Word has it that the 4 milers had a great run, and the 6 milers did their own thing….which is perfectly cool with the Q, as long as all pax arrive back at the VSF in time for circles, which they did.  Well done!

    Announcements:

    • January 21st is the F3RVA CSAUP event, mark your calenders….preblast to come.
    • Long distance mountain run in early planning stages by Lab Rat and TYA for the week between Christmas and New Year.  If you are interested, please speak up to one of the above and we will try our best to accomodate travel and work plans.  This will be weather dependent on when we go.
    • Note to self:  Announements should be kept shorter to prevent pax from “drifting”.

    A great energy by the pax this morning, and great to see Aisle 5 and Lug Nut punching out some miles!  Also, thanks to Saab for the shock this morning!  I will remember that quote for a long time.

     

    Miley Lab Rat out.

     

  • (Tony) Horton Hears a Who

    11 Whos gathered in Whodaville for a beautiful if not drizzly spring morning.  Lab Rat planted a SF and promised the pax something a bit different, and delivered upon that promise.  The effectiveness of “different” will be determined in how the pax feels later on today.  Here is what went down:

    Warmup

    • Parking lot Tracers

    COP

    • SSH
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Arm Circles
    • Push-fest:  Werkins, Merkins, Diamond Merkins….50 total for merkin counters

    THANG

    Cardio/Plyo festival:  Exercises of various times and repetitions, all designed to get the heart rate up and the feet off the ground.  Exercises all stolen from the great Tony Horton’s P90X playbook, which included:  jump squats, runner squats, Heisman hold, circle (K) run/people’s chair sequence, jump tucks, ball dippers, frog squats (2 ways), line hops, puddle jumps, squat jacks, ode to Opus (Rock Star hops), Russian soldier, monster truck tires (they were invisible), hot foot, jump shots, and last but certainly not least….the halfback.

    2 MOM:  a whole lot of Freddie Mercury

    Paul Harvey (the rest of the story)

    Lab Rat has been sitting with this idea in his back pocket for a while….and he couldnt think of a time more fitting to pull it out than when wrapping up the merkin challenge.  Everybody is about sick of those by now, right?  YHC did throw a bone to the pax still playing catch up with the push-fest in the COP.  Speaking of which, sorry about the no gloves required statement at beginning, Lab Rat forgot that the b-ball courts are made of 40 grit.

    Although the workout load this morning could fall on the easier side of a normal workout, there was however the opportunity for the pax to really push the pace if so desired.  A positive note about it was that the pax was able to hold close together.  The bummer was mumblechatter was extremely low with Lab Rat on the Q…..and no TYA or Toga to antagonize him.  Definitely a repeat in some form or fashion though.  This would be a beautiful workout to do the day after a big upper body workout (aka any Swirly Q).

    YHC is happy, and knows that Yard Sale must be beaming about Chapstick’s continued postings.  That kid is en fuego!  14 years old and a regular pax member.  Well done, Chapstick, much respect.

    Also glad to see Neck Brace posting up.  Glad to have you this morning, glad to see you becoming a regular!

    YHC would also like to make note that Lab Rat relied heavily on a Weinke this morning.  Lab Rat HATES using a Weinke.

    Announcements

    • Tomato run is hereby moved to the Rutland neighborhood clubhouse.  Options for 3 to 6 miles available there (as well as the company of other pax).  Lab Rat will get with Wilson and DK to get proper updates made to e-services.
    • Third F round table discussion planned for Thursday morning 12/8/16 6:30 a.m. at the Rise and Shine Diner on Sliding Hill Rd.  Lab Rat believes that The Carpenter is heading that up.
    • Save the Month!  Rumor has it that there will be a CSAUP event at some arbitrary date in January that will include running from AO to AO (or hitching) to celebrate the badassery of F3RVA.  Do not see Circle K for details.
    • Thoughts, Prayers and Praises to Mrs. Emoji for her last round of chemo this week!  Well done, and much respect to her for enduring.  We look forward to the details of her awesome recovery in the near future.

    Lab Rat out

     

    p.s.  for those interested, there are 6 pax members referenced in this BB that did not post at DaVille this morning.  That’s bananas.

  • Preblast: Bear Creek race after party

    All,

    Just to ensure everybody is confident on the going’s on for this Sunday, here are the plans:

    After the race, we will be getting together for some food and beverages at a campsite on the grounds.  Lunch will be chicken bog, which is chicken, sausage, onions, and rice in one big pot.  I will also have beer, soda, water, as well as coffee, tea, and hot chocolate with hot water.  We will enjoy all these items around a campfire at one of the unoccupied camp sites.

    Lab Rat will handle the shopping and the cooking, and will also bring firewood.  The plan will be to start setting up shortly after personal completion, so that once all pax finish they can mosey on over to the site and commence festivities.

    What to bring?

    Although nothing really would be required, here are some items worth consideration:

    • chairs
    • cornhole or other entertainment
    • reusable cups/bowls/spoons/steins (paper/plastic ware will be provided)
    • change of clothes
    • desserts?  If you would like to bring something, let Lab Rat know the cost
    • a few bucks to split the cost (not sure of total amount yet, but should not be much)
    • family
    • Shovelflags

    Also, reminder that this is an open event and any family and friends are welcome. (runners and non-runners)

    Any further questions or requests, please sound off in the comments section.

    Lab Rat out.

  • One lonely Beastie I be

    Lab Rat took to the streets surrounding Atlee High School accompanied by a headlamp and his trusty Tron.  Unburdened by the pax, he felt free to roam around the neighborhoods, covering 5 miles at a brisk pace.  Conversations, albeit only internal, ran the gambit this morning as one could only imagine.

    Announcements:

    -Bear Creek Trail Run is Sunday.  Food and beverages will be provided by yours truly…bring a few extra bucks to split the tab.  There will be chicken bog, hot and cold beverages (including beer), and a camp fire.  Non-runners and family are welcome to join us!  Consider car pooling to this event….YHC is driving and will happily take anybody from the greater Hanover region.

     

    Lab Rat out.

  • Hurry up and get to the trees

    Eight stellar men ignored the wind forecast to make a loop around the trails.  Besides the gusty winds, the weather was beautiful, and those brave enough to roll out of the warm fartsacks were greeted with a stunning sunrise over the river.  Besides the weather, here is what else was on tap:

    Route:  Cross the wind-blown Nickle Bridge to pick up the relative calm of the Buttermilk trail.  Head to Reedy Creek with an optional lariat trail thrown in.  Under the rat tunnel to Forest Hill Loop, then back thru the tunnels.  Head back to Pump House the way we came (again, with optional lariat on the way home).  Individual mileages varied around + or – 7 miles.  Only exception was Saab, who decided to try out his new wheels and go for the Full Monty, coming back on North Bank for what YHC would guess was an even 10 miles for the day.

    NMS

    The talk du jour was definitely the common theme of this fall:  wardrobe.  Upchuck rolled out sporting tights that could only be described as “modest” compared to what some have worn in the past couple weeks.  They were bunched up at the ankle, and he was kind enough to wear running shorts over privacy areas.  You are a good man, Charlie Brown!  TYA pulled top honors in the fashion feaux pas world yet again by debuting his Highlighter colored compression socks.  They were so bright, they spooked a deer on Forest Hill.  Between Upchuck’s baggy tights and TYA’s socks, we were able to give Offshore a reprieve for the week regarding his duct tape pants.  There’s always next week, though.

    Upchuck was struggling a bit with the mumblechatter during the run this morning, as YHC was trying to engage him but found his pace waning while trying to talk and run at the same time (he is recovering from a cold).  Never fear though, as he quickly got his word count in for the day afterwards.  Rosie and Lola were

    engaged in a lengthy conversation as well, which YHC was not privy to, but seemed to run the majority of the morning. Another recurring topic that Offshore likes to bring up revolving around today’s politics and YHC’s doing his best to learn Spanish:  how would one translate into Spanish “Make America Great Again”?  Read to the end to see what Google has to say about that.

    Glad to have a great showing out there this morning!  The return of Helix was a welcome sight, and great to have Lola join us for his first F3 trail run.  Great run this morning, see ya’ll in the Gloom.

     

    Running related announcements:

    -Bear Creek 10 Miler December 4th (December 11th for Saab).

    -This Tuesday trail run this week on the AT, or biking opportunity on the Blue Ridge Parkway. See Lab Rat if you are not chained to the desk that day and would like to join us.

    -Willis River 35K in January.

    -Belmonte 25K/50K/50M in March.  Better start running.

     

    Hagamos grande a Estados Unidos de nuevo,

    Lab Rat

  • Pre-Blast: 11/22/16 Day Trip on the AT

    TYA and Lab Rat have planned a little trail run/hike on the Appalachian Trail for above date, leaving town after kids get on buses.  Planned trip is to Rockfish Gap, run 19 miles south then come home.  TYA would love to have a buffer of more pax members to prevent the need of wearing earbuds the whole trip (it’s cute he thinks that will work).

    Anybody interested that can take a day off work is welcome to join us.  The entire leg is 19 miles, but shorter out and back legs of any distance would be available as well.  Plan on leaving town around 8 and returning after a mandatory trip to Bodo’s in C-ville for a late lunch.

    Contact Lab Rat to reserve your seat:  804-263-3570

  • Religion, Politics, and Ultras

    3 men turned on the defrost this morning to make an early morning jaunt thru the James river trails system.  Weather was hovering at the freezing point and not a breath of wind for a seriously heavy frost, combining with the turning leaves and the steam coming off the river made a fairly tale setting for our run.  Here is what went down:

    Leave the parking lot and head down the hill.  1/3 of us run back up the hill to lock the car, then back down.  Head to Belle Isle the long way round, Return on Buttermilk.  All were up for the lariat, then back across the nickle bridge and back to the parking lot.  We headed down to see Bo-Bo to get the GPS watches to click over 7 miles.

    NMS

    There was talk of incorporating Forest Hill into the run, but comradarie won out over mileage, and the pax stuck together.  Conversation was lively and many taboo topics were hashed out over the course of the run and subsequent tea-a-teria afterwards.  YHC broke up the “tea party” at ET’s by having to be the only one to order coffee.  Leave it to Lab Rat to be odd man out.

    Gorgeous run with stellar men this morning.  A great morning to be in the River City and have killer running friends.

    Lab Rat out.

  • Bear Creek 10 Miler attendee list

    Since YHC has to cook for you kooks, it would be nice to have a head count of who is IN.  If you know of someone that is definitely signed up, feel free to add them:

    1. Lab Rat
    2. TYA
    3. BT
    4. Lockjaw
    5. Saab
    6. HoneyDo

    There are more, but YHC doesnt want to guess.  Also, if you still want to sign up and its closed, contact Lab Rat.  There is the infamous back door method (it’s a real thing).  Also note:  if you have family/non-pax coming, to run or otherwise, let me know for the head count.  This is an OPEN TO ALL event.

     

    https://www.raceit.com/Register/?event=38433

     

    Lab Rat IN

  • A Tip of the Hat to the Vets

    15 HIMs congregated under the street light this morning for a BANG start to the day.  Some were short on sleep after last night’s nail-biting, but posted up anyways.  Hopefully, Lab Rat could make the post worth their while:

    COP

    • SSH
    • Hillbillies
    • Don Quixotes
    • Merkins (cut short to stop the insanity)
    • Arm Circles
    • 8 count body builders

    THANG

    • Rusty Ninja:  Starting at tall end of rusty cage, each pax member does his best to get as far around the cage as possible using slide or hand over hand technique.  Once feet hit the ground by way of slipping or upon reaching the end (0 pax), Al Gore.  Upon completion, 20 plerkins, then 20 pull-ups (with or without assistance).
    • Modified Beast:  On Carillon field, perform 6 excersizes at each flag to the end, 6 on the way back, total of 36 of each:  1) Merkins 2) burpees/Dreya rolls 3) 2-count Freddie Mercury’s 4) 2-count flutter kicks (5 & 6 eliminated for time).
    • RESPECT to vets:  In the shadows of the Carillon and with the flags in the middle, each pax member states name and branch of friend/loved one that served.  All pax give RESPECT (and burpee) in honor of mentioned vet.
    • RESPECT to pax vets:  from plank, pax tried to think of all F3RVA members that have served.  Merkin and RESPECT for each pax name thrown out.  Names included:  Lab Rat, HoneyDo, Flashdance, Spotter, Protest, Tigger, Toucan, Grizzly, Gumbo, who am I missing?

    NMS

    So in light of how nasty of an election this was, and how strongly both sides felt regarding the other, YHC purposely steered way clear of any political themed workouts this morning.  Also to be avoided was a merkin-heavy workout, as they have been done in spades this month.  YHC tried to thow a little curve ball by calling them in COP, but abruptly terminating them early (me thinks there may have been applause).  Instead, we tried something a little different with some 8 count body builders.  Those are difficult to call cadence and perform at the same time!  Also new was the “rusty ninja”, which was as difficult as it sounds.  YHC definitely needs work on that skill.  After blowing arms and shoulders out at rusty cage, it was time to mix in some running.  YHC was delivering some shovelflags this morning, so he decided to make full use of them as markers in “the beast”.

    The standout hit of the morning, however was the circle of respect.  Emotions were definitely high as we each expressed RESPECT to friends and family that had at some point signed their name upon that line, which stated that he/she was willing to pay up to and including their life in defense of Country.  YHC knows that Veteran’s Day isnt until Friday, but he figures some poetic license could be given here.

    Also, if you are reading this and you served, please sound off in the comments so that we as a pax can give you the TClaps you deserve.

    Lab Rat out.

  • Ready for 8K

    YHC picked up Sassy and drug him out after a long hiatus, and we met Spit in the parking lot for a small group run on a crisp clear fall morning.

    Route:  out along the Atlee HS spur road, thru Honey Meadows etc. to Kings Charter.  Turn around at the playground for an out and back of 5.00 miles.

    NMS:  Sassy was given a free pass for a bit while training up for his 100 mile ultra in September.  Free pass is over, it’s time to start dragging his butt back out to some F3 workouts!  Great to catch up with him, he is very active in the running community, and it’s always interesting to hear the races he has done and what is on his calendar for the near future.

    Spit, on the other hand, seems to always be around.  Proof is in the pudding too, as he went about running the two of us in the ground.  All mile splits were fast this morning, and Spit let it go the last two miles leaving the two of us huffing in the dust.  He has been training up to 8K, and I know that he will have an awesome run on Saturday.  Cant wait to hear what is next for him after this….maybe a longer distance?  Only one man knows….

    To Spit and everyone else running this weekend (TYA, TSB, Circle K, Grabber, who else?), I hope that you have a great run!  Take it all in and trust in all the hard work that you have put in coming up to this.  Should be a glorious day for a run thru the city.

     

    Lab Rat out.