Author: Fireman Ed

  • Ed’s Random Number Generator

    8 above average PAX including myself braved the 35 degree somewhat breezy conditions to get a good workout.

    The workout went something like this:

    Warm-up: Mosey to the Rite Aid and do 25 side straddle hops, 10 Don Quixotes, 13 LBCs, 7 forward arm circles, 6 backward arm circles. Honey Do was remarking on my odd counts and asked if I had a random number generator to which the answer is yes.

    Exercise 1: Doras with 100 merkins, 200 jump squats and 300 two count flutter kicks while the partner runs around the Rite Aid.

    Exercise 2: Cross the street. Same partner. Partner 1 does 5 merkins, partner 2 bear crawls, Partner 1 catches up to partner 2 and they switch.

    Exercise 3: Go to the driest ground in RVA; otherwise known as Bodos’ backyard. Share 100 PLTs.

    Exercise 4: Using what little I know about the NFL combine (did you see that a 260 pound defensive lineman ran a 4.41?) I had the PAX try 3 attempts at the 40 yard or meter dash (Offshore and Garbage Plate appeared to be the fastest) and then try 3 attempts at the 60 yard or meter shuttle. Kubota did a Forrest Gump like over run on the first attempt (Stop Kubota Stop). Upchuck made a failed attempt at recasting the “Hi Roger” event from a couple months ago.

    We finished with 25 plank jacks, 30 American Hammers, 25 2 count mountain climbers and 25 side straddle hops.

    No announcements of note and the Fireman closed in prayer. It was good to see Splinter back in action.

  • Elevens with burpees equal goodness

    A dozen PAX including yours truly showed up at Heartbreak looking for a mild winter morning beat down and I think they got one.   Although the Fireman was the only one present at 5:23, the caravans came through.  The exercises went like this:

    Warm up – 25 side straddle hops, 10 Don Quixotes, 10 arm circles each direction and 20 Freddie Mercuries

    Exercise 1 – Partner carry around the 1/4 mile (aboot .4 kilometers) track.  At one point two people came sprinting past us.  I still don’t know if that was two of our PAX or the non F3ers who were using the track this morning.

    Exercise 2 – Run around Quiocassin Middle school and do sets of 10 merkins during the run.  I estimate we ended up doing ~80 merkins

    Exercise 3 – 100 PLTs total between 2 PAX

    Exercise 4 – Elevens starting with 10 burpees at the bottom of the hill by the parking lot up the hill 1 WWII and drop a burpee add a WWII until we get to 1 burpee and 10 WWIIs.  this one elicited a few groans and complaints after the fact.

    Exercise 5 – wall sits alternating with tricep dips

    Cool down with 30 American hammers, 30 3 count mountain climbers (which I barely 1,2,3 at the end of) and 40 side straddle hops.  Lastly, we did a Merkin ring of fire.

    No announcements and closed in prayer.

    Quiet group this morning.  Perhaps the fireman needs to liven it up a bit.  There was some mumble chatter about doing elevens with burpees so I used that as the title for today’s post.  Enjoy the 70 degree sunny day and do great things.

    Fireman

  • The Art of Naming FNGs

    We have 18 strong PAX including yours truly; that includes 3 FNGs which is awesome.  We went to work on a somewhat mild winter morning.

    Workout went something like this:

    Warm up:  16 Side straddle hops (in honor of the Bears score, poor Cody Parkey), 15 forward arm circles, 15 backward arm circles, 20 LBCs and 25 Freddie Mercuries

    First Exercise:  Mosey to the Rite Aid after figuring out how to best navigate the Ridge Road crossing.  Do 4 corners – start with 10 burpees, then next corner 10 burpees and 20 WWIIs, then 10 burpees, 20 WWIIs, 30 jump squats, and lastly 10 burpees, 20 WWIIs, 30 jump squats, and 40 2 count flutter kicks.

    Second exercise, reverse back the 4 corners with 40 2 count flutter kicks, 30 jump squats, 20 WWIIs and 10 burpees.  I sensed the FNGs were thinking “Wow these dudes are serious”.  After some planking activity we proceeded back to the front of Tuckahoe.

    Third Exercise:  Get a partner and split 100 Merkins on the bike rack, 200 step jumps and 300 2 count flutter kicks, one partner exercises while the other runs to the start of the teacher’s lot.

    Last exercise:  Handshake led the group with a merkin ring of fire.

    Announcement:  Olivander is handling Puppy Pile which is scheduled for 1/26.  Closed in prayer.

    Musings:  The Fireman was amazed at having 18 PAX and this was his first time picking names for FNGs and this morning we had 3 of them.  The first names went without too much trouble (Welcome Bernanke and Scrum) but on the 3rd name we got stuck on Dell and then Viral starting talking about a “dude” in the old Dell Commercial.  So I thought why not go with Dell dude which in hindsight sounds pretty lame.  The Dell “dude”‘s name is Steven by the way.  So there were lots of mumble chatter and laughter at the Fireman’s expense about how bad a name that was.  Well smarter minds prevailed and the 3rd FNG is Escobar.  Welcome Escobar!

     

  • Meters? This is America!!

    On a seasonably cold morning, 8 hardened athletes and yours truly showed up for a good workout.  And I think they got one!

    Warm up:  22 side-straddle hops (in honor of the Jets moral victory of scoring 22 points against the Texans last week, yes they lost but it was close), 12 forward arm circles, 12 reverse arm circles, 15 Don Quixotes and 20 Freddie Mercuries.

    First Exercise:  Run 1/4 of the track (which I deemed 100 meters to which Attila said Meters this is America!) so that changed to 100 yards then do 22 merkins, 1/4 of the track do 22 2 count mountain climbers, 1/4 of the track do 22 merkins and the last quarter do 22 2 count mountain climbers.

    Second Exercise:  Same as the first exercise but with 11 burpees at each quarter of the track.  this one elicited a few groans.

    Third Exercise:  Traverse the swamp to get to the jerkins bar.  Do three sets of eight hold at the top jerkins.  I don’t think everyone got the hold at the top part.  Oh well!

    Fourth Exercise:  PLTs – 100 between yourself and your partner

    Run around the track through the parking lot and do the 5th exercise which was groups of 3.  One will do a wall sit, the other do tricep dips on a bench and the third bear crawl about 40 feet and run a loop in the parking lot.  Switch and do each exercise 3 times.

    After this exercise we cooled down with 30 American hammers – 2 count and 30 2 count flutter kicks.

    We closed in prayer.

    Announcements:  HoneyDo mentioned the big weekend night race in March ( I believe it is at Pochontas State park).  He mentioned more information coming from a facebook page.  I mentioned Hardywood’s daughter doing a book singing tomorrow at 5:30?  at Crossroads café on Semmes Ave.

    Musings:  I enjoyed Qing Heartbreak for the first time and will look to do it again soon.  Perhaps I will introduce the metric system to more Americans (for instance I weigh 90 kg.) Bromance was questioning the need to do this on Christmas morning next week but Honeydo said he would be there so show up before presents are opened and justify the egg nog you will consume later.

    Fireman Ed

     

     

  • Big thanks to our Veterans

    On a beautiful Veterans Day morning, 12 freezing weather loving PAX and I made the sacred pilgrimage from Hoedown headquarters at Tuckahoe Elementary to Kanawha Recreation Association (KRA).

    Warm up (in front of three spectators):

    15 Side straddle hops, 10 helicopters (in honor of the Jets score against the mighty Buffalo Bills, one better than the Richmond Spiders), 10 Don Quixotes and 10 front and back arm circles

    First exercise:  For Veterans Day we did army crawls from the end of the school grounds to the flag pole and back.  I think I was one the last ones to finish which isn’t a good start.

    Mosey to KRA by doing what I call a Merkin run.  For some historical context, my first F3 a little over two years ago was at Mary with Flipper as Q.  At the end, he had us run together and drop and do 10 Merkins, etc.  So I decided with this Merkin contest and my unexplainable desire to be at KRA, why not honor the great Flipper?  So we did ~80 merkins on the way there.

    At KRA, we did a Dora with 100 Carolina Dry docks which I am told do not count as Merkins (sorry), 200 2 count mountain climbers and 300 flutter kicks.

    After that fun, I tried to do elevens with WWIIs and jump squats.  Unfortunately I grossly underestimated the time it takes to go up and down KRA’s parking lot so we stopped about 2/3 the week into it.

    We finished with the run and another ~80 merkins having to look out for cars which keeps things interesting when most of the PAX wear dark clothing.

    Concluded with announcements (1.  There is an event that is listed on the backblast that Handshake mentioned at Ruth and Ollies in Carytown this Thursday at 5:30.  Handshake I had trouble logging in to the app so if can pass along details that would be great.  2) Marv mentioned a Thanksgiving day football game for under 14s.  Details for this are also on backblast)  and prayer.

    Lastly I want to give thanks for all of our veterans.  They have done and continue to do a lot for our country.  When I take a step back and think about all of the freedoms we have (voting, religion, etc.) and the prosperity we have in America, I realize how lucky I am to be an American.   After Hoedown, I went to Tuckahoe Elementary for a Veterans Day assembly because my bro and law is a Marine and my younger daughter goes there.  It was a really cool ceremony.

     

     

     

  • No watch on CC’s Day

    12 mighty athletic specimens showed up on Columbus Day to honor the great explorer of the Bahamas.  For 10/8 the weather seemed a tad humid but that just means more sweat coming out.  The workout went like this:

    Warm up – 16 Don Quixotes – in honor of Denver’s points scored against the surprising Jets JETS JETS JETS!; 15 Helicopters, 20 Freddie Mercurys, 25 side straddle hops and 10 Merkins

    Headed over to Lindsay Court to which Upchuck scared me with a comment that the neighbors did not want us to use that street anymore (I scare easy).  Anyway, in honor of CC, we embarked on 1492s (year CC discovered the Bahamas).  First set was 14 burpees, run down to the bottom on Lindsay do 46 2 count flutter kicks, run up halfway do 46 more 2 count flutters.  Repeato with 14 merkins, 46 jump squats and 46 more jump squats

    Head to Third Church say hi to the fellow that is outside his truck at 5:45 a.m. and proceed with partner wheelbarrows followed by 5 Derkins, watch truck fellow leave, bear crawl with 5 merkins, bear crawl back 5 more merkins.  Fella with truck is back perhaps admiring the 12 studs.  Mosey over to horseshoe.  This is the first time I asked Slurpy for a time check.

    At horseshoe, get into groups of 3.  Partner 1 is doing a wall sit, Partner 2 is doing merkins, Partner 3 is running around the horseshoe.  Do this 3 times.  This is the second time I asked Slurpy for a time check.

    Next is 100 PLTs followed by another time check from Slurpy.

    We ended with a merkin ring of fire and my last time check from Slurpy.  I took the group out in prayer.

    Announcements:

    Fudd is handling his last Richmond Q at Dogpile this Saturday.  Fudd will be going west and adopting the Broncos as his new team.  You will be missed.

    Viral mentioned a tools event 11/10; go to Viral with details as I was not paying attention sorry Viral.

    Musings:  I enjoyed my third Q (Upchuck thought it was my first and that is why he came out).  We had a good group this morning and next time I will have a flag and watch.

     

  • Football season is almost upon us

    12 athletic behemoth PAX and the Fireman showed up to witness the Fireman’s second q on a low 70s humid morning.

    Even though I am a Jets fan, I am excited about football season coming upon us in 6 days for college and 10 for NFL.  Our exercise routine went a little something like this:

    Warm up:  In honor of Spinal Tap, 11 Don quixotes, 11 helicopters; then 20 Side Straddle hops, 20 Freddie Mercurys and 10 forward arm circles and 10 backward arm circles.

    First exercise:  Mosey to parking lot at corner of ridge and forest, partner one lunges with the partner 2 does 5 burpees, partner 2 catches up to partner 1 and they switch.  Probably ended up doing 35-45 burpees unless you are Splinter and Jack Sparrow whose strides are super long; they probably did 20-30 burpees.

    Second exercise:  Mosey to adjacent parking lot.  Bear crawl from one corner to the next corner, jog to next corner, 16 WWIIs, bear crawl to next corner, jog to next corner, 16 Merkins.  Repeato with backward crabwalks (or since I wasn’t clear on direction choose some form of crabwalk, do 32 LBCs and 32 jump squats).

    Third exercise:  Mosey around adjacent neighborhood with a friendly somewhat dark jog (SilverSpring road to Spottswood to forest, first right to intersection).  Year NFL founded was according to wiki: 1920.   Run to end of culdesac, 19 merkins, run backwards back, 19 more merkins.  Repeato with 20 2 count mountain climbers.  then repeat with partner wheelbarrows.

    Fourth exercise:  Mosey back to Tuckahoe and do 100 combined partner leg tosses

    Lastly:  Kubota took over with a merkin ring of fire (or Mary).

    Announcements:  Puppy pile went really well last Saturday.  Looking for a date in September with only limited conflicts.

    Labor Day convergence.  Admittedly, I missed the other announcements but I think there is a big race at forest Hill Park in October.

    I closed the group in prayer.

    General Musings:  I mentioned to the group to try to not make puppy pile on 9/29 because of the Penn State/Ohio State game to which the response was “Is the game in the morning?” and I said “no” but neglected to tell them I would be in Pennsylvania for the game so while I am tailgating and getting fat, by all means have puppy pile.

    Warmest Regards, the Fireman

     

  • Hoedown with the Fireman

    9 hardened veterans in total showed up at Hoedown this morning.  Thankfully the rain ended last night and the morning was actually not bad at 69 degrees and humid.

    The Fireman started things off promptly at 5:30 which seemed to surprise Garbage Plate and Bodos.

    The hoedown went a little something like this:

    Warm up:  20 Side Straddle hops, 20 Don Quixotes, 20 Arm Circles and 20 Mercans

    Mosey to one of the nearby parking lot on Forest asked the PAX the last time the Jets won a SuperBowl and the answer was 1969.  As a result we did 19 Carolina dry docks, 19 jump squats, 19 WWIIs and 69 2 count flutter kicks.  Then we did 19 LBCs, 19 burpees (elicited a few groans), 19 flutter kicks and 69 jump squats.  .

    Mosey to Lindsay Drive.  Asked Trivia question about Mets loss to Nats of 25-4 (2nd worst loss in Mets history).  In honor of the Mets 4 runs, I has the PAX do a 4 by 4 4 corner style. This consists of 4 merkins and 4 2 count mountain climbers at the top of Lindsey do down 2/3 the way to another 4 by 4 go across the road 4 by 4 to the top again 4 by 4.  Repeat to 4 8 by 8s and then 4 12 by 12s.

    Mosey to front of Tuckahoe for 100 PLTs (partner leg toss).  Then mosey to nearby parking lot for back and forth lunges followed by American hammers – 25, merkin ring of fire, HoneyDo led burpees and the last 15 side straddle hops.

    Numberama followed by names, etc. and a prayer at the end by the Fireman.

    Announcements:

    Puppy pile – 8/25

    CSOP (Completely stupid and utterly pointless) at Forest Hill – Viral I think you said 10/20 but correct me on that if needed

    Labor Day Convergence

    Three Lakes Park event

    I had a good time Q’ing for the first time.  Admittedly I did not sleep much as I kept playing scenarios and what ifs in my head.  Great job PAX and look forward to Qing again in the near future.