Author: Bodo’s

  • One small step for the pax, one giant leap-year for mankind

    On this auspicious leap year day, 6 leaplings gathered for a bootcamp plus 2 joined for a walk. Here’s what happened:

    COP: 29 SSHs IC // 29 LBCs // 29 Ukrainian Soldiers // other exercises IC

    Burpee Run: Mosey the circumference of the school campus, at every 4th parked car perform 4 burpees.

    Leap of Faith: Modified lindsay at the picnic tables with 4 dips, run to the school front walk, 24 LBCs. Continue in increments of 4: 8/20, 12/16 and so on.

    Look Before you Leap: Partner up on the black top. Partners leap frog to the other side of the blacktop, each man performs 29 merkins. Leap frog back, 29 Squats. Leap frog back, 29 WW2s, leap frog back, 29 SSHs.

    Triple Check: P1: Wall sit, P2: American Hammers, P3: run to the fence and back.

    Mosey back to the flag, finish with 29 Freddie Mercuries IC.

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out

    NMS: The pax humored me with a Leap Year Themed workout. The morning was interjected with various Leap Year facts. These include:

    • The 1st Leap Year was instituted in 46 BC by Julius Ceasar. Any year divisible by 4 was a leap year.
    • Chances of having a bday on Feb 29: 1 in 1,461
    • Leap year proverbs: “Leap Year was Ne’er a good sheep year” (Scotland) “In leap year, women are erratic.” (Italy)
    • Leap Year Day is the only day that women were encouraged to propose to a man
    • People born on Feb 29 are called Leaplings or Leapers. The Honor Society of Leap Year Day babies includes more than 11K people.

  • Stay Thirsty My Friends

    14 of the Most Interesting Men in Westhoe converged for a Monday morning beatdown. Here’s what happened:

    COP in the first Third Church lot: Deadman hang // DQs // Imperial Walkers // Ukranian Soldiers // LBCs // Hand Release Merkins // a whole lot of Pickle Pounders. Mosey to Third middle lot

    Jump Rope Triple Check: P1: Jump Rope // P2: Plank Jacks // P3: Run the loop, Bernie Sanders the second half. Mosey back to TES dropoff loop.

    Elevens: Grab a place on the wall. 1 Mike Tyson on the wall, bearcrawl to the other side, 10 WW2s, lunge back. Keep going until 10 and 1. Mosey up to blacktop.

    Blacktop Sprints: Sprint to the other side of the blacktop and do 100 LBCs. Sprint back across and do 75 SSHs. Sprint back, 50 Merkins. Sprint back, 25 Burpees. Mosey back to the flag.

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out.

    NMS: Welcome FNG Dos Equis! Handshake was whiney that I named him so quickly, but when a good name is suggested, why waste time? Lots of shoulder work this morning, Pigskin take note for tomorrow. Thanks for letting me lead guys! SYITG.

  • Be the Pace Car

    6 bootcampers + 2 Walkers = a great 8 for 45 minutes of Mary. Here’s what went down:

    COP on the blacktop: Stretching, SSHs, DQs, Imperial Walkers, Copperhead Squats, Ukrainian Soldiers, LBCs, Hand release Merkins.

    Long Mosey to Reveille UMC back lot pavilion.

    Picnic Table Extravaganza:

    • Exercise 1: Ninnie Knockers. Sitting on a picnic table, leaning back on elbows, toes pointed to the floor so that entire body is a straight line. The “1” count is bring knees as close to your chest as you can, “2” is to extend with your toes pointing straight to the floor, “3 and 4” is repeat. In 4-count cadence. 20 IC.
    • Exerise 2: Wingnuts: Sitting on picnic table, feet under bench, leaned back to approx. 15 degrees with back and neck straight, fists touching in front of chest so that elbows point parallel with shoulders, rotate waist so that each elbow touches the table top. Complete in 4-count cadence. 20 IC.
    • Exercise 3: Marios: Double Box jumps on picnic tables … Jump to seat, jump to tabletop, walk down the other side. Turn around and do it back up the other side. 5 times total.
    • Exercise 4: Hail Marys: Partner up.. First man elbow planking on ground, second man with his legs on first back doing dips with his hands on picnic table. Each man performs 3 sets of 20.
    • Exercise 5: Coyote Uglys: Starting in a wheel barrow position with partner, start on the ground and step up to picnic table seat with your hands , complete 1 Merkin, step up to top of the table, 1 Merkin, step back down to the seat, 1 Merkin, step down to the ground, 1 Merkin. That completes 1 rep. Goal is 5 reps for each guy. No one could really do this. Hutton got the record with 4 total.
    • Exercise 6: Back to Wingnuts. x20 IC.

    DORA: new partner. 100 Merkins // 200 LBCs // 300 Squats. Partner runs to the end of the lot, Bernie Sanders back.

    Mosey back to the flag, stop halfway for 5 burpees

    COP at the flag: American Hammers, Freddie Mercuries.

    Namerama, Numberama, YHC took us out.

    Great work guys! SYITG.

  • Habits, Not Resolutions

    9 Friends of the Gloom converged at Mary for the 11th day of Christmas. No pipers piping were in sight. Instead, here’s what happened:

    COP on the blacktop. Stretching stuff

    Ye Old 100: perform a set of exercises, then run the 1/4 track.

    • 100 SSHs, run a lap
    • 90 2x Flutter Kicks, run a lap
    • 80 Squats, run a lap
    • 70 LBS. Run a lap
    • 60 2x Mtn Climbers, run a lap.
    • 50 WW2s, run a lap.
    • 40 Merkins, run a lap.
    • 30 2x American Hammers, run a lap.
    • 20 Jump Squats, NOJ style. run a lap.
    • 10 Burpees. run a lap.

    Upchuck was penalized 3 additional burpees for starting before the Q said go.

    Back to the flag: 3 additional burpees. Namerama, Numberama, YHC took us out.

    NMS: Great to welcome Silver Centrum from Roanoke today. Hope to see you more often now that you are up here for work. Great mumblechatter despite the running, including the usage of the phrase “scrotum juice.” Ask Upchuck for context.

    Lots of people make resolutions, but they really translate into change. Real personal change comes through tiny habits, the daily committment to life-giving routines that end up in change for the long haul. As Neitzsche wrote, it’s “The Long Obedience in the Same Direction” that counts. This is what F3 is about.

    SYITG.

  • Whence Comes the Light

    Since the neolithic dawn of humanity, men have seen the Winter Solstice as a moment of numinous significance in our collective journeys around the sun. Four men and two other men gathered in the deep dark of the day of the longest night to celebrate the diminution of the light and summon the sun to another year of radiance. This is how we celebrated the solstice together after some warming COP:

    The Death and Rebirth of the Sun. Elbow plank around a flickering candle, representing the deep fires of history that have warmed our souls through the dark winters of time. Upon the call of the Q, the Pax lept to their feet and ran 10 paces, performed 10 burpees, and ran back to the radiant center to elbow plank again. Next round: 20 paces / 20 jump squats. Third round: 30 paces/ 30 merkin. Fourth round: 40 paces, 40 monkey humpers. Fifth round: 50 paces, 50 LBCs. End this ritual with picklepounding round the candle, which made Swirly uncomfortable.

    The Extension and Diminution of Time. We performed with our bodies a physical representation of the the singular point which is December 21, at which time has collapsed into its thinnest span, and also upon which it begins its extenuation outward towards its fullest length. We began with 7 squats at each corner. Next round: 14 Merkins at each corner. Next round: 21 LBCs at each corner. Next round: 14 Carolina Dry Docks each corner. Final round: 7 Burpees each corner

    The Magical Properties of the Yule Log for Summoning the Coming Warmth: In our final excercise we summoned the magic of the yule log as told by the ancient Germanic tradition. In triple check fashion, P1 performed Lutenitent Dans, P2 performed American Hammers, while P3 carried the yule log to the pavillion and back.

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out with one final Sostice tradition. While gathered around the candle of hope, we cast any unwanted woes and vices from the year past into the flame, and invited renewal. Saab threw his knee pain into the fire, YHC threw in his negative attitude toward his teenagers, and Swirly resolved to not be so passive and to get in more fights.

  • Whispers in the Dark

    This morning brought 8 bootcampers and 2 walkers, one of whom recently returned from a muddy adventure down under. After some jolly greetings and mockery, the pack of 8 moseyed up to Commonwealth and Hanover.

    COP: Given that we were conducting the COP in the middle of a sleeping neighborhood, we were mindful of our volume. Have you ever led a COP in which everyone whispers? This is what we did, and it made Swirly very uncomfortable.

    Burpee Alley: Run the length of Hanover from Westmoreland to Shadwell and perform 3 burpees at every lamppost. Mosey across Grove to parking lot of Jenny Maragy realty.

    Wall to Wall: Partner up at Jenny Maragy’s lot. Round 1: P1 runs to wall and performs 10 2x Chicken Peckers, P2 Wall Sit with overhead press. 3x. // Round 2: P1 runs to wall and performs 10 Donkey Kicks, P2 wall sit with milking the cow (or yak). 3x. // Round 3: P1 runs to wall and performs 10 2-count dirty hookups, P2 Wall sit with toes/knees/hands in the air. 3x. Mosey east down Grove to Lock Lane. 

    Lock Lane: Occasional stoppages to pick up the six and conduct ab excercises. Stop at the First Pres Parking Lot.

    Merkin Plank Jax Routine: 1 Merkin, 4 Plank Jax. 2 Merkins, 8 plank Jax. All the way up to 5, back down again. Everyone was groaning like a wounded ox.

    Mosey back to the flag, stopping at various points for COP.

    Namerama, Numberama, YHC took us out after some wise words from TYA and some good advice about why never to poop in a box.

    SYITG

  • The Legend of the 240

    The Legend of the 240

    In 1974, the Swedish carmaker Volvo began to produce the legendary 240 model. The last 240 ever made was on May 5, 1993. Over the 20 years of production, 2.8 million units were built. The 240 remains the most reliable car ever built, with many of them still on the road running on their original drivetrain, a lot of them surpassing 500,000 miles. Many people know that the 240 is the safest car ever built, but did you know that the 240 is also incredibly fast? The standard 240 Turbo with a 2.1 liter engine could reach 62mph in 9 seconds, which matched the likes of Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and Porsche 944. By the end of the 1980s, the 240, otherwise known as “The Flying Brick,” had 6 wins out of 14 races in the European Touring Car Championship. Safe, fast, indestructible. The glories of this legendary car leads us all to inexorably exclaim, ALL HAIL THE 240!

    So it is no surprise that at some point the glorious 240 should participate in an F3 workout. Today was the day, as 12 Westhoes gathered in the gloom at Hoedown. After some some standard COP on the blacktop and some complaining about getting our backs wet (c’mon Oyster), we commenced with the first routine, the 1st and 10s. Run 10 yards, perform 1 burpee and 10 merkins. Run to the end of the blacktop. Run back, stop at the 20 yardline, perform 2 burpees and 9 merkins. And so on.

    Next was the main event after a mosey to the Third Church middle lot. There in the darkness sat the queen of the hour, the legendary 240. After dividing into 4 perfectly even groups of 3, we laid out the 4 stations. Group 1: SSHs. Group 2: WW2s. Group 3: Block Thrusters. Group 4: Push the Volvo around the circular lot, with one guy steering and the other 2 pushing. This proved to be more difficult than YHC anticipated, as the lot has more incline than we realized. 3 Rounds of 4 stations. We managed to get nearly through but audibled at 6:15 before the last group finished. Back to the flag for COT.

    Announcements: Pigskin’s last Q tomorrow at Heartbreak Ridge as a 70 year old! We’re really hoping Pigskin will stop being so lazy when he’s 71.

    THE LEGEND OF THE 240 ENDURES

  • PreBlast: Thanksgiving Day Convergence

    PreBlast: Thanksgiving Day Convergence

    Come out to Mary Munford on Thanksgiving Day at 6am for 60 minutes of beatdown, led by our very own Mudslide. Join us afterward for some 2nd F, coffee and maybe even something to eat. ** Let’s do be mindful of the fact that we are parking in an urban residential neighborhood and folks will be sleeping! ** SYITG

  • Exploding Batteries and Speed Bumps on 64

    7 regulars and 2 down rangers posted this morning at the most classic AO in Richmond, according to the site Q. Here’s what transpired.

    COP: Deadman hang / Helicopters / DQs/ Imperial Walkers / Ukranian Soldiers / APDs / LBCs / Hand release Merkins / Pickle Pounders / SSHs. Mosey to blacktop.

    7 of Diamonds (Handshake’s favorite): Run from corner to corner, 7 Jump squats // Next round: 14 Merkins each corner // 21 LBCs // 28 squats // 21 two count flutter kicks // 14 Merkins // 7 Burpees.

    Triple Check: P1 Dips // P2: Wall sit // P3: run to pull up bars, 3 pull ups, run back.

    COT: American Hammers IC, Up Downs for 1 minute.

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out.

    NMS: Some serious mumble chatter this morning, including some mockery and scorn, such that the out of towners were a bit amazed that the Q was able to hold his composure. YHC has learned the skills of composure and distress tolerance among the likes of Handshake and Upchuck.

    A great morning, so fun to work out with you guys, welcome Callahan and Stump Jumper!

  • That time Saab massaged Swirly’s feet

    3 fit men + 4 broke brigade brothers commenced 45 minutes of mary at 0530. After the foursome embarked on their little walk, the three of us engaged as follows:

    COP on the corner of Grove + Commonwealth

    Lindsay: 30 Dips at one set of tables, 10 Step ups at the other, and so on. Mosey to the field.

    Tree Run: run the tree line, peform 5 merkins at each tree. Next round: 5 LBCs. next round: 5 squats. Most to Tennis Courts

    Dora: 100 Jump Squats, 200 flutters, 300 SSHs. Mosey to pull up bars

    Climb and pull: 25 mountain climbers, 3 pull ups. repeat for 4 rounds. Back to the flag.

    End with up downs.

    NMS: Post COT conversation included lots of fond memories, hence the BB title.