Author: Faceplant

  • One Trick Pony

    YHC has been called a one trick pony when it comes leading a workout – while that is somewhat true, one trick on repeat builds strength. Another warning shot across the bow was sent and eight unsuspecting pull-up enthusiasts showed up for a surprisingly cool summer morning to improve on that MURPH time.

    It went down like this… no stretching no nothing just roll right into the first mile run down back behind pump house and around to the rusty cage. YHC has committed to mapping out another flatter route for next time. Upon arrival at the rusty cage all 8 mounted up to their respective pull-up or jerkin apparatus and the count began. The recommended breakdown was 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 merkins, and 15 air squats, that makes 100 total pullups, 200 total merkins, and 300 air squats. To keep pace each round was a minute long and if you finished early you get to take the balance of the minute as the rest, but somehow the countdown timer felt as if the minutes were getting shorter.

    After 20 rounds one mile run back up to the flag. Thanks to Flatline for bringing the flag. Back at the flag with minutes to spare some light stretching was in order to loosen up the arms after all those reps.

    The PAX did well this morning and YHC warned everyone that YHC made it a goal to do at least one MURPH a month for a whole year, so welcome to YHC’s adventure. YHC heard from the peanut gallery that the MURPH would be more fun with a soundtrack, so we’ll see how that goes for next time. Last time YHC led a music themed workout it was for a Christmas themed event and not going to lie, it was very challenging to find more than one Christmas song that had an up tempo that wasn’t jingle bells rock on repeat.

    Announcements: July 31st F3 Richmond Flying Squirrels Game – see preblast on Slack, July 17 party at Hitchhikers.

    YHC took us out.

  • Betting on the Rain

    Thirteen gambling men tried their luck at some hills this morning, some lost and some won. YHC bet on the weather cooperating, but a freak storm surprised YHC and washed away all the hard work done the night before in preparing the hill routes and marking them out with chalk. YHC adapted, improvised and overcame and the PAX willingly followed along.

    It went down like this, PAX met at the typical spot, YHC then asked everyone to pair up with someone of similar running abilities. Sabb lost a bet and got stuck with YHC. YHC had Q energy and couldn’t sleep the night before and was ready to run – sorry Sabbskie. After everyone paired up, YHC handed each team their very own dice. Moseyed on over to the bottom of Ridgeway Rd. each team rolls the dice and depending on the number it corresponded to a pre-determined (and washed away) number somewhere on the hill.

    Roll a 2 – short run to the big puddle that YHC pointed out (shortest hill)

    Roll a 1 – run to the top of Ridgeway with the Y intersection (medium hill)

    Roll a 3 or 4 – run almost all the way up Ridgeway to the dogleg left (worst and steepest hill)

    Roll a 5 or 6 – take the right fork off Ridgeway on up to Fairway View Rd T-intersection. (long hill, but less steep)

    Everyone runs back down then roll the dice again to find out the next hill to run. Repeat-o until time is up. The audience poll had everyone doing around 3-4 miles.

    Numbers and Names, then YHC took it out. Thank you to everyone for your kind words and prayers. YHC’s Mom successfully made it to the other side of surgery this afternoon and is happily eating hospital food and watching HGTV.

    See you in the gloom!

  • Surprise it’s a MURPH

    Surprise it’s a MURPH

    The drugs are finally kicking in as YHC starts to write this… YHC’s muscles are very soar… Also thanks for humoring YHC this morning gentlemen for a fine workout! YHC had done a preliminary warning shot across the bow on el Slacko but some of the less internet tech savvy non Slack users missed the warning and unfortunately showed up, sorry guys.

    Weather man said humid and humid it was, welcome to the summer folks.

    COP, well there really wasn’t a COP since we got right on it for our 1 mile run so we could finish all the rounds of the MURPH in time. Yes sir, I said MURPH, what would the eve of Memorial Day weekend be without a way to make those burger flipping and beer drinking arms soar and useless. 1 mile mosey around and down Pump House road and over to the Rusty Cage. YHC posted a phone with a timer that beeped every minute. each minute for 20 minutes do 5 pullups, 10 merkins, and 15 air squats, and for all those math enthusiasts that gives you 100 pullups, 200 merkins, and 300 air squats, that’s 600 total reps. The troops performed very well, so well a curious deer came over to sniff around Slippin Jimmy to see what all the hub-bub was about.

    The PAX knocked out all 20 rounds just in time for the 1 mile mosey back to the flag. Everyone made it in under 45 minutes, that’s nothing to sneeze at.

    Numbers, Names, announcements and YHC took us out in prayer followed by Hitchhiker with prayerful words for Slippin Jimmy’s family.

  • Not very lucky at card games

    YHC has never been lucky at cards, and YHC wanted the PAX to share in that lack of luck this morning. YHC was banking on it being a quiet Wdog morning but instead the numbers were high, and so were the spirits and YHC tempered those spirits with what came next.

    COP:

    YHC led the PAX in some light stretching

    stretch hands into the air, then touch your toes, then arm across chest and stretch, then do other arm, then helicopters, then Donny Q’s. All done at a very very slow pace.

    Then fun started, YHC pulled out a deck of cards and brief the PAX, the rules of the card game went like this –

    • Hearts = SSH
    • Diamonds = Merkins
    • Spades = WW2s
    • Clubs = Squats
    • Each face card had a different location written on it
      • Ace = Amphitheater
      • Kings = the Pump House
      • Queen = the Stage
      • Jack = the Flag
    • There were three jokers in the deck
      • Joker 1 = 45 burpees
      • Joker 2 = 20 dips @ the Rusty Cage
      • Joker 3 = 30 Pullups @ the Rusty Cage

    Using his magic skills Bodos shuffled the deck, Shiplap cut the deck and the PAX was off. YHC pulled a card from the top of the deck and did the exercise per the suit and the number of reps is the number on the card. When YHC pulled a face card the PAX would run to said location. As the PAX moved through the card deck it became apparent that YHC had overestimated the number of face cards relative to the distance of running, the PAX was not a fan so YHC made an audible on some of the running.

    The only other surprise was that when ‘the Stage’ card was drawn all of the following exercises would be done with Coupons!

    The PAX moved through the deck of cards moseying to spots and doing the exercises.

    Mosey back to the flag for the final round. Then for the last 30 seconds YHC led the PAX in YHC’s favorite, the have a nice day stretch.

    YHC took it out with a prayer for battle.

    Announcements: Tomato run Part II on April 24th, see the pre-blast for more info! Sign up for BRR too!

  • Twas the eve before the eve of Christmas

    Twas the eve before the eve of Christmas

    Seven pre-Christmas warriors joined YHC for what will not be an annual work out.

    At the request of Hitch YHC prepared a Christmas music playlist to accompany the workout. YHC is not a DJ and relied upon the Spotifiy gods to recommend holiday season themed workout tunes, and a mashup of obscure songs that make brief references to the Christmas season ensued.

    In writing this now YHC realizes that no disclaimer was given at the start as to YHC’s lack of professional training credentials. We started off with some light stretching, right leg over left leg and hold it, then left leg over right leg and hold it. Followed by a dead man hang and then on up to touch the sky and stand on tip toes. Next to get the heart rate going a few side straddle hops were added in.

    The PAX was good and stretched out at that point and we moseyed on over to the amphitheater with music in-tow. The first stop and exercise on the Christmas themed tour was 50 box jumps on the amphitheater steps.

    Next we moseyed on over to the shorter version of the rusty cage and did 50 jerkins. Then moseyed on over to pick up some holiday themed coupons and did 50 overhead presses. Left the coupons in the circle then on back to the rusty cage and did 50 knee raises. From there we did 50 lunges then jogged the rest of the way back to our coupons. Picking the coupons back up we did 50 squats to overhead presses with the coupons – always making sure the coupons touched the ground.

    The Christmas music was cheering our hearts and warming our blood and we continued on with the workout. We put away our coupons and moseyed on over to the Carillon bricks. Keeping with the theme of 50, we did 50 supermans, 50 WW2s, 50 flutter kicks, 50 side straddle hops, 50 mountain climbers, and the cheery on top was 50 burpees. With just enough time to spare we mosyed on back to the flag and wrapped things up.

    YHC was sure to put on the thickest of skin this morning as the PAX can be a tough bunch to DJ for, but everyone was in good spirits to hear some new holiday tunes… maybe one will make it to your Christmas sing-along this week!?! Who knows!

    YHC took everyone out sharing a story from a family tradition in YHC’s family of the oldest grandchild having to lead the family in grace for Christmas Eve dinner. YHC is the oldest grandchild so YHC has the distinct honor to say grace every Christmas Eve. On the first Christmas Eve that YHC was old enough to lead the charge, YHC didn’t actually know what to say, BUT YHC did know one prayer and that is the Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer.

    The Prayer is more of a prayer for battle and less so a blessing to kick off Christmas Eve dinner, so much to YHC’s family’s suprise when the following words came out of YHC’s mouth – it left the table with jaws open in confusion but everyone was ready to go to war.

    Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.” …and now let’s eat Christmas Eve Dinner!

    Prayers go out to Hitch and his unfortunate car break in this morning – we hope nothing was stolen! Thankfully they did not take the speaker else we would have been without our Christmas tunes!

  • Stretch Armstrong

    Five pre-turkey day warriors showed this morning for a hot potato, or should YHC say hot mashed potatoes – pun intended.

    Swirly took the first hot potato and lead us over to the carillon for some stretching. We started with the deadman hang – always a crowd favorite. Then we went into some more stretching, and some merkins. Swirly then moseyed us on over to love hill. Partner up, one partner is at the bottom making their way up alternating between polar bears, lunges, and broad jump burpees.

    Oyster then took the hot potato and we headed over to the amphitheater. Box jumps up the amphitheater with ascending merkins at each level. With each level added one more merkin. Then once we all got to the top we went over to the poles for 10 leg lifts each while the others waited at 6 inches.

    Hot Potato was handed off to YHC, went over to the circle for what YHC does not have a name for but hands on the curb and feet on the pavement and sideways walked around the circle.

    YHC then took the group back to the flag with a native american run, but stopped at the Carillon for 10 burpees. Back at the flag we ended how we started with some stretching, deadman hang to start then the ‘have a nice day stretch’ to finish it out.

    Names, numbers, and good conversation to end off the morning.

    Slipping Jimmy took us out with some thoughtful and thankful words.

  • Only dude that forgot a hat

    Only dude that forgot a hat

    YHC here, for a late but not forgotten BB. Yup, YHC was the only one that didn’t have a hat on what is so far the coldest morning of 2019 and 2020. It was a hot potato Q for a Wednesday morning W-Dog.

    Swirl-y started us out with some mosey-ing to the Carillon and much needed stretching. There were lots of creaks and groans as the cold seeped into our bones. Deadman hang, Donny-Q’s, right knee right elbow, left knee left elbow, some merkins and side straddle hops and a few other Swirly morning favorites and the crew was ready to begin.

    Hitch picked up the hot potato and we moseyed on over to the triangle for three laps. Lunges for one leg, run down the hill then bernie back up the hill. 20 side straddle hops at the bottom of the hill for each lap, and 20 merkins at the top of the hill for each lap. Good mumble chatter on the running portions.

    Shiplap got the potato next – can we call it a soft opening of a VQ for Ship? perhaps… Headed to the sunken field for a beat down. Partner up, timer runs to the end of the field and back, while other partner works through 100 merkins, 150 monkey humpers, 200 Carolina dry docks, and 250 LBCs. Thankfully YHC picked a visiting partner (Slim) that was a merkin machine. Thank you slim!

    With just a few minutes to spare YHC got the potato (AND the BB), and now you are stuck with YHC. Mosey-ed over to where it all began for 10x burpees, then a little bit of a merkin ring of fire, each one does 10x their favorite merkin while others wait in the front lean and rest position. Around the circle once then we balanced it out with another round of abs ring of fire. Hitch introduced us to something from Jackie Chan’s play book. Then mosey on back to the flag, but stopping at the circle for 10x more merkins on the curb, then with hands on the curb shuffled to the left around the circle. Up and mosey back to the flag.

    Numbers, names, and announcements.

    Don’t forget Thanksgiving morning and black Friday laps at Forest Hill Park. Let TYA know if you’re coming!

    Shakedown took us out with insightful words on being mindful.

  • Potatoes for Everyone!

    YHC met with two other spud loving PAX members for a cool morning in one of the City’s finest parks, with the best work out facilities. Oyster started us out precisely at 5:30 AM. We moseyed on over to the circle for the COP.

    Mix of merkins, Don Quixote’s, LBCs, side straddle hops, and more. YHC’s memory is failing but we did get in a good deal of merkins. Next Oyster moseyed us on over to the cage for a good ole’ fashion cage match. It went down like this: three rounds, three people, three exercises, timer runs to the fire hydrant and back, one does pull ups, and the other does inclined merkins. Repeato three times and then we were done.

    Next YHC after much cajoling was tossed the potato and off to the hill we headed. YHC may botch this explanation but it went down like this. Three people, three different exercises, the timer is at the bottom of the hill going through 100 burpees, 200 air squats, and 300 side straddle hops. Second person hangs out at the top of the hill doing a series of ab exercises, and the third person runs up to the top of the hill and changes place with the person at the top. We can call this one bringing down the person off the top of the mountain or just a plain old hill workout. To complicate it even more, the runner ran up to one higher tree along the hill each time. Confused, YHC is too, but we finished just a few minutes shy of the end time.

    Moseyed on back to the flag with a few merkins along the way back and finished out with a nice plank. YHC is probadly missing some things but the big data gods will be happy that YHC at least got the names right.

    Numbers and Names and Oyster took us out with some thoughtful words on considering others.

  • BLIMP Ride For One Plz

    BLIMP Ride For One Plz

    It was a quiet Monday morning in Forest Hill Park this morning. YHC posted with a fresh head full of ideas from the Exicon. It went down like this. After some brief stretching at the tennis court, the solo beatdown started.

    B.L.I.M.P.S. was on the menu today and it goes down like this:

    Six rounds, four corners each, with running between each corner. First round 10 Burpees at each corner, second round 20 lunges at each corner, third round 30 imperial walkers, fourth round 40 merkins, fifth round 50 plank jacks, and sixth round, 60 squats. That little routine took up the better part of the time, but there was a few minutes to spare before YHC’s carriage turned into a pumpkin…

    So ran on down to the bottom of the hill of ill repute, then ran back up stopping at each light pole for 10 merkins. Back up to the flag for some quiet reflection.

  • B.O.M.B.S. Over Batteau

    B.O.M.B.S. Over Batteau

    Two Hot Potato Warriors showed up this morning for a humidity filled 45 minutes of body conditioning. In typical Batteau fashion the hot potato was warming in the oven, and Double Mint put on his work gloves and picked it up.

    We started with a mosey on down to to top of the steps near the storage yard for some lite stretching. First order of business was side straddle hops, then Don Quixotes, russian solders, then a few other stretches that are escaping YHC.  

    YHC picked up the potato having just read the Exicon at the stop lights on the drive over, and had some ideas. Moseyed on down to the bottom of the hill of ill repute for a little modified B.O.M.B.S action. First person runs to the first light pole and back again, while the second person is churning through 100x Burpees, 100x Over-Head Claps, 100x Merkins, 100x Big Boy Situps – which became regular WW2s, and 100x Squats. Finishing all of this in record time YHC and Double Mint had to go back up the hill some how.

    Lunges up to the first light pole then 100 flutter kicks, mosey up to next light pole and 50 WW2s, mosey up to the next light pole and 50 LBCs. By that time it was getting close so mosey on back to the flag for a final bit of sweat.

    Freddie Mercury’s, Fudskies, and Wilsons, and that is a wrap.

    Moleskin: It was a good humid morning and YHC was very glad to have some company. Happy to hear the good news on Double Mint attaining his Black Belt in Taekwondo (correct me if I am getting that right). YHC barely has time to make dinner every night while Double Mint has been putting in the extra effort to attain this amazing accomplishment. Very impressive, so big congrats. I wish him well on his next adventure in Boxing!

    Bonus points to anyone who can name the type of boat in the picture!

    See you all in the Gloom.