Author: Dr Tryhard

  • RuckWood

    The dawn mists of Rockwood welcomed 7 ruckers and 2 walkers for an hour of Morning Wood. Mudslide set a brisk pace and seemingly covered every possible trail in the woods while 4 post-GTE HIM’s told war stories. A big welcome back to Speedo! Strong work everyone. Yours, DTH

  • Who doesn’t love a good skinny dip?!

    15 SOJ HIM’s including one FNG (who was EH’d over the weekend by GTE Cadre Flight Nurse) shook off the weekend soreness at NoToll with a slightly slower paced beatdown, as follows:

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey onto the BBall Court and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom, lots of groaning
    • The number 18 was utilized to honor the 18 RVA PAX who completed GTE #47

    Q-SCHOOL – Part 1:

    • Brief explanation and demonstration of how to call cadence, then FNG Will Myers was invited to Q some reps – which he did admirably (we didn’t know at the time he just got out of the Marine Corps 2 years ago)
    • AAR (After Action Report) was provided by the PAX

    Mosey out to Pay the Toll at the Bridge – questionably dead copperhead in the road – decided to just keep moseying – No Toll today…

    BUDDY LADDER:

    • Partner up in front of the bleachers, complete x10 Buddy WWII’s, P1 runs across field and back, P2 remains for Bleachers Step-ups, then partners complete x9 WWII’s, P2 runs & P1 remains, etc. down to 1.
    • ABC’s for the SIX
    • Circle up in Plank and review the F3 Mission, Credo, and 5CP’s
    • Mosey over to the pavilion

    Q-SCHOOL – Part 2:

    • DTH demonstrates calling x18 squats IC
    • BROMANCE invited to take the Q, and guided to lead the PAX in Merkins then in Arm Circles
    • AAR provided – he’s a natural and will do his VQ very soon!

    CATCH ME IF YOU CAN:

    • Partner up
    • P1 lunges, P2 does x5 Mericans then bear crawls to catch ip and switch
    • Circumnavigate the pavilion

    1/2 CAPTAIN THOR:

    • 1:4 of WWII and Am.Hammers
    • Reps up to 5:20

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 15
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  There were a good number of our GTE graduates in attendance today, all of us walking and moving a bit stiffly, but the reps got everyone limbered up OK. A big welcome to SKINNY DIP, who was EH’d by the GTE Cadre over the weekend. He’s a couple years out of the Marine Corps and spoke candidly that he hadn’t felt this brotherly camaraderie since being with his USMC brothers, and had been missing sorely. He had a great story of being a competitive swimmer and forgetting to tie his suit before leaping into a college pool in front of thousands of spectators – and having to get out of the pool totally naked, on film, etc. Well, we are honored to have you in our PAX and you did an AWESOME job on the QSchool challenge. Just do all the guys a favor and keep your suit on! 🙂 Bromance equally shined on calling cadence and plans to do his VQ in the next few weeks! SOJ is on FIRE and we’re not anywhere close to slowing down. LET’S GO!!! ~DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • Friday PM Machismo hosting a BYO firepit debrief for all the GTE guys to share war stories
    • Next Tuesday (5/14) all of SOJ invited to DTH’s house for a 2nd F patio party

    Prayer Requests:

    • Scram’s mom in hospice
    • Chaplain’s shoulder healing
    • NTB alone weekends this month
    • Doozy’s daughter travel safety

  • The GTE Ghost Haunts WestHo

    Nothing shakes a handsnake like the haunting groans of jorts-sporting ruckers handling huge wood. But by the size of his own tent party it was clear Handshake enjoyed every second of this morning’s SOJ/GTE Ghost Flag takeover. A new record was set as 25 HIM’s descended on First Watch, startling a few locals out of their shavasana meditation and tackling the latest GrowRuck Training regimen, as follows:

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey loop around the parking lot and circle up (more of a rectangle to fit the small space)
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom

    COP #1: 

    • Mosey over to the small park field
    • Circle Up with x12 Ruck-bearing SOJ studs alternating position with the ruckless WestHoians
    • RUCK CAROUSEL
    • Round 1 – Pass the rucks clockwise around the circle, each PAX completing an overhead press of the ruck before passing it to their neighbor
    • Round 2 – Sit down and rucks passed around the circle with each PAX completing a Sit&Press before passing the ruck – all encouraged to complete WWII’s while awaiting a ruck
    • Rucks put back on

    COP #2:

    • Mosey to the Church parking lot where our WestHo brothers were introduced to six of the finest logs in the land
    • Form up in groups of 4, each with a log
    • LUMBERJACK KILODORA
    • While stationary 2 partners hammer out 1000 reps, the other 2 partners shoulder carry the log around the parking lot and back to switch and continue reps
    • x100 Mericans
    • x200 Jump Squats
    • x300 Oblique LBC’s
    • x400 SSH’s

    COP #3:

    • Line up logs spaced out along center line
    • TRIPLE CHECK (same groups)
    • P1 – Standing Lunges
    • P2 – Monkey Humpers
    • P3 – Bear Crawl pushing log across narrow space and back 
    • This did not go as planned with the logs rolling too quickly on the pavement and nobody bear crawling
    • Return logs to trailer

    COP #4:

    • Mosey over to the church’s large brick patio and circle up in Plank
    • Drop to 6” and back up for declaration of each of these – F3 Mission, Credo, 5 Core Principles 
    • Remain in plank for 1:4 Escalator with shoulder taps and mericans – made it up to 4:16 before the Q called quits (50 pounds in the ruck makes these hard and it you can’t Q it, don’t do it!)
    • 1min to Stretch it all out

    COT:

    • Counterama # 25
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    #GTE47 💪 !!WHUA WHUA!! 🔥

    NMS:  Way to go fellas! Many thanks to the First Watch gang being good sports for the Takeover (tip of the cap to our Regional 1st F Q @EFHutton for posting the idea/challenge this month), and thanks to @Handshake giving up his Q. Also TClaps to the SOJ/GTE boys for showing up in numbers and putting out as always. There were hopeful doubts from @Kubota early on that SOJ wouldn’t have enough number to do the takeover, but there was never a doubt in YHC’s mind. In fact, we had a few guys who had originally HC’d unable to come last minute. YHC enjoyed bringing a little GTE training to the West End so more folks could enjoy a taste of what we’ve been doing to prepare for GrowRuck next weekend. Thank you ALL for your support! 💪🔥 Yours, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

  • Union Jack loves on Sandy

    Sunny and Seventy at The Crossing tonight, with 8 HIM’s eager to shake off the workday. Welcoming FNG “Ian” to the PAX, YHC decided a well rounded beatdown was in order. Here’s the synopsis:

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey to the grassy slope near the entrance and return to the flag via: Bear Crawl, Lunge, and Broad jump Burpees
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom
    • Fetch SANDY from the truck

    COP #1: 

    • PASS THE SANDY 
    • PAX circle up holding Peoples Chair
    • 60-lb sandbag passed shoulder to shoulder around the circle a couple times utilizing a sandbag hand-off technique that goes: shoulder to shoulder, back to back, unload. 

    COP #2:

    • OLD HUNDRED
    • PAX mosey around the church property, taking turns who’s shouldering Sandy, stopping at intervals to complete descending reps 100–>10
    • Exercises were: LBC’s, Rapid Alt Toe Touches, SSH’s, Freddie M’s, 60-sec plank (Reviewing F3 Mission, Credo, 5CP’s), Monkey Humpers, Incline Mericans, Dirty Hookups, Lunges, Burpees

    COP #3:

    • SANDY CARRIES
    • PAX circle up and complete variable core reps OYO while two PAX fireman carry the 60-lb sand bag between them running around the lot and back
    • Return Sandy to truck

    COP #4:

    • BLOCK WORK
    • Collect concrete wall blocks from pile and circle up to complete variable upper body reps

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 8
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • SEADOO took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Awesome work men – this was rapid fire with lots of reps and you guys CRUSHED it! Welcome to UNION JACK (Ian Read), a brother from our church (WEAG), who sports a lovely British accent and is super stoked for F3 to save him from the stress of work, 4 kids, and all the usual life hurdles we all face. Keep putting in the work fellas – and remember your presence is more for the man next to you than for yourself – and we WILL get stronger together! 💪 Yours, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • VQ WEEK April 22-27
    • GTE weekend May 3-5

    Prayer Requests:

    • Meatball – M has a new job adding a little stress, and his grandmother’s health is failing

  • 17 Days Remain

    A squad of six SOJ ruck maniacs took to the Stratford Hills for a few laps around the hood, and to assist YHC in shifting the GTE logs closer to the load & launch area. Only 17 days remain until GTE #47 and conversation abounded with log lifting strategies, footwear and sock tips, knot tying methods, and other useful preparedness knowledge. Knowing is half the battle. Let’s GO! 😎💪 ~DTH

    PRAYERS for our brothers suffering injuries and illnesses. 🙏👊

  • Gonna Make You Sweat

    13 SOJ gloom bangers circled up at Rockwood and were immediately inspired and vitalized by the groovy moves of their Q shaking hips to La Bouche’s “Be My Lover” – YES, it’s back to the 90’s night club for these lucky MC Hammer wannabe’s. Here’s why they kept singing “don’t hurt me”… 😎🎸🎤

    The THANG: 

    • Moseyrama lap around the lot and circle up in a grassy area for the Welcome & Disclaimer
    • A few stretching reps IC with A-ha’s “Take Me On”

    WHAT IS LOVE, by Haddaway

    • Squats to the beat
    • Burpees for every “Don’t Hurt Me” (total of x20 completed)
    • SSH’s for instrumental parts

    (Shake it out with a lap around the lot)

    I’M TOO SEXY, by Right Said Fred

    • Flutters to the beat
    • WWII’s for every “Too Sexy”
    • Crabwalk 360 degrees for “Catwalk”

    (Shake it out with a lap around the lot)

    BLUE, by Eiffel 65

    • Plank up for Shoulder Taps to the beat
    • Merican for every “Blue” (total of x30 mericans completed)

    DIRTY McDEUCE:

    • Mosey over to the grassy slope
    • x4 Sets separated by crossing the space, each set with x3 exercises (chest, legs, core), x12 reps for each exercise
    • Bear crawl up/down the hill to cross about 30 yards
    • Exercises: Merkins, Ball Dippers, & WWII’s

    PULLUP LADDER:

    • Mosey over to the Workout Station and partner up
    • P1 sets pace with descending Pullups while P2 Donkey Kicks on a tree – each partner descends from 7 pullups to 1

    WOODS RUN:

    • Run the paved trail, stopping for some lunge walking up a hill

    PARKING SPACE LADDER:

    • Bear crawl between 10 lines, increasing merican reps 1 to 10 at each line

    PLANK REVIEW:

    • Moseying back around the outside loop, stop to wait for the SIX curb planking
    • When all present, review the F3 Mission, Credo, and Core Principles 

    CAPTAIN THOR:

    • Mosey back down the middle lot to circle up in the grass
    • x1WW2 then x4 AmHam …escalate 2:8, 3:12, 4:16, 5:20…all the way to 10:40!!!

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 13 (plus a beast-mode shirtless State Farm)
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Nothin like adding reps to thumpin beats to drive muscle groups to exhaustion. Appreciate the PAX humoring YHC’s little 90’s night club flavor this morning. YHC noticed the various routines had a fair percentage of the PAX modifying, so we can assume they were sufficiently challenged. Also, we had a bold visitor “Donny” who YHC earlier noticed running the AO and called out an invite to join, but then didn’t see him again until he joined our COT. He’s given his HC for coming to R&R next Saturday! That said, it’s ALWAYS worth going out of our way to invite those solitary men you see making an effort at/near your AO – you never know what bringing them into your PAX might mean for their life! Let’s GO! Yours, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • 10 Mile Rucks! Tomorrow (Sun) at 4am from Dogpile, and 8pm from Timberwolf! 
    • VQ WEEK April 22-27
    • GTE weekend May 3-5

  • Lakeside Reflections

    10 Morning Wood ruckers burdened with over 400 pounds of steel and sand embraced a beautiful morning on the Rockwood back trails. Big Rig forgot his ruck and opted (like the warrior he is!) to carry all 60 pounds of Sandy for the 55 minute, 2.8 miles. Mudslide was kind enough to lead the PAX along a quaint lakeside trail and we enjoyed deep conversation and a purple orange sunrise over the misted lake. Many MANY reasons to be thankful. 🙏 Yours, DTH

  • Migraines Make Musical Memories

    At 04:59 a distress signal from Chaplain suffering a Migraine got the DTH gears churning for how to bring the Forge PAX a decent beatdown. But YHC needed help having woken up feeling bone weary after a 72hr whirlwind of other beatdowns. Inspired by the presence of Handshake, YHC looked back in the Q-annals and chose the first Forge beatdown of 2024 to replicate. So, YHC handed off the Q to a very energetic January 2024 virtual DTH, put on some slammin beatdown beats, and we got to work!

    The THANG: 

    LOVE HILL WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey to the bottom of Love Hill and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Variable IC Reps with a run half way up and down the hill between sets

    COP #1: 

    • BATTAN DEATH MARCH 
    • Line up at bottom of handicap ramp, Lunge walk length of ramp with last man doing x3 Burpees then running to front

    COP #2:

    • BAR BUDDY
    • Partner up and complete x3 Rounds of:
    • x10 Jerkins each
    • x10 Cliffhanger Mericans

    COP #3:

    • Mosey up to the school awning
    • Circle up in elbow plank to review the F3 Mission, Credo, and 5 Core Principles 
    • MUSICAL MARY – Complete a wide variety of core exercises to the beat of the music, including all 5 minutes of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

    COP #4:

    • Mosey around to the Amphitheater
    • BOX JUMP LINDSEY
    • Incline Mericans on the bottom step 30-25-20-15-10
    • Groiners at the top 10-15-20-25-30
    • Box Jump steps between
    • ABC’s for the SIX

    COP #5:

    • Begin to mosey BTTF
    • Stop for the ECHO CHAMBER
    • People’s Chair
    • Hoedowns IC
    • BTTW, Hip Slappers IC if you’ve got it
    • Milkers IC
    • Donkey Kick-Off’s (up to 20)

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 12
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • DTH took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:

    • Many thanks to January DTH for leading today. That level of beatdown would certainly not have happened without him taking the reins. YHC really needed the accountability after NTB’s smokefest ruck bootcamp at NoToll, yesterday mornings heavy-duty OTB ruck, and Meatball’s COP-fest at the Crossing last night. Also appreciate Handshake crossing the river, and TClaps to Snip posting twice in his first week! And now, YHC is going to go hibernate until Rockwood. Love you guys, DTH

    Prayer Requests

    • Chaplain – Migraine today
    • Handshake – niece Charlotte bone cancer 
    • Last Call – tough life at present, deep thx to PAX for the camaraderie and laughs
    • Bone Thugs – knee meniscus issues

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

  • Lovin’ on the Shaved Log

    With GTE#47 close to 3 weeks away 9 HIM’s beat the fartsack to wrap their arms around a shaved log and get a little better prepared for the unexpected. Here’s what we did:

    • 0530 Kickoff from The Forge location
    • Down Love Hill, Lunge a Bit, Bear Crawl one of Mt Chaplain’s hills, Ruck back up
    • Embark into the Hood to DTH’s house we go
    • Discover large shaved log and shoulder it out to the back yard
    • Brief review of log carry methodology and safety
    • Shoulder log for an uncomfortable loop around the property, trading places as needed
    • Leave the log and move out for 30+ min left of rucking
    • Hit the BIG hill on Stratford a couple times up/down, then complete two hilly neighborhood loops before heading back to Huguenot SH
    • Similar to the start – down Love Hill, Lunge a bit, BC up part of Mt Chaplain
    • Stop for some Mary – rucks off, in hands, for x15 Sit&Press OYO
    • Shoulder carry rucks in small loop BTTF
    • BTTF for COT (#9, Names, Announcements, Prayer)

  • 9 share the Hoebag

    The Growruck gang converged for another Rock&Ruck CSAUP with Sandy making an even 10 heavy weights for gloom glory. The PAX started with a wide loop detour around the AO to observe the Latina Market getting set up (oh goody, they’ve got a coffee truck!). Sandy was passed around the PAX like the good little hoebag she is, and there were a couple stops to stretch. Halfway through our time, the PAX were directed to remove their rucks and carry them in some other manner – baby cradle, over head, single shoulder, etc. Carrying both Sandy and an untethered ruck proved a formidable 100+ pound challenge. Photo shoot completed with single file rucks overhead. For the last half perimeter, State Farm suggested we restore rucks to our backs and army shuffle run to the end. Awesome challenge, enjoyable chatter, and decent warmup for the Big Rig slaughter fest to come. Welcome aboard to RODEO CLOWN who’s now registered for GYE#47, and MELVILLE is one step closer to registration! Love being with you guys! Yours, DTH