Author: Fireman Ed

  • Dora Day

    8 marvelous athletes arrived on a seasonable morning to build that lean muscle mass. I was trying to think of a theme for the workout and I thought it is close to Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving is in honor of the Native Americans and Pilgrims, the Pilgrims were explorers and Dora is an explorer. Therefore, it must be Dora Day.

    COP: The usual: DQs, DMH, HRMs, FMs and ACs. Mosey to side of school.

    First Dora: 50 – Sit and Press, 100 – Bench Press, 150 – coupon squats, 200 – 2 count flutter kicks. Partner 2 is bear crawling across the side road and up the mini hill and running back down. Mosey to light post.

    Second Dora – 50 burpees (the crowd pleaser), 100 – Rows – 2 count, 150 – Curls, 200 – LBCs (no coupon). Partner 2 runs from one lamp post to the next. Mosey to home base.

    Third Abbreviated Dora – 50 Overhead presses, 100 Halos (these became challenging). Partner 2 runs from one part of the parking lot to the other. Oh crud we still have a few minutes left. Mosey to wall.

    Wall sits, 10 donkey kicks, wall sit, 15 donkey kicks. Finish with coupon American Hammers and stretching.

    Ruck this Friday at Tuckahoe Elementary 6:45 p.m. Collecting can goods. See Slack or Lockjaw for details.

    It was good to lead and good to talk to Pigskin and Fudd at Coffeeteria at Starbucks. Pray for those in Israel or the Gaza Strip and those suffering from health issues.

    Thanks for letting me lead.

    Fireman Ed

  • Four Corners

    On a nice warm late October morning, 8 of us got together near the beastly Pickelballers of Short Pump. In honor of Dean Smith, we went on a four corners themed workout. COP: DQs (without Attila), DMH, HRMs, MCs, FMs. mosey past football field to curbs.

    Curb crawls to 3 down to 1.

    Four Corners 1: 10 burpees, 20 WWIIs, 30 2 count Mountain climbers, 40 SSHs. Mosey to Bus loop.

    20 pole smokers OYO Mosey to basketball court.

    Four Corners 2: 10 burpees, 20 V ups, 30 plank jacks – 2 count, 40 jump squats. Mosey to other side of bus loop.

    Bear crawl to 3 to 1. Mosey to front of school.

    Four corners 3: 10 burpees, 20 WW1s, 30 carolina DDs , 40 LBCs (without Jville). Mosey to nearby parking lot.

    Four corners 4: 10 burpees, 20 heels to heaven, 30 squats, 40 2 count flutter kicks. Mosey to front of school.

    Quadruple check: Donkey kicks, wide grip merkins, American hammers, and run around loop. 3 times.

    Mosey with squats to home base pavilion. Elevens with derkins and dips.

    Finish with stretching because some of us are old. Coffeteria was good with a lot of discussion on the Middle East. Pray for peace and help to those you need it. Enjoy the warm weekend.

    Fireman Ed

  • 1620

    7 men met and they worked out with kettlebells. That’s what we do at the Circus. The theme was 16 for my daughter’s birthday and 20 for my years as a married man.

    COP: DQs, DMH, Merkins, MCs, add in a little Suzanne Somers since she passed (I did not make them do 76 of them thankfully), LBCs. Mosey for some 1620s.

    Sit and Press do 2 sets of 8 and 2 sets of 10. Mosey a bit.

    Then Bench press 16 and 20. Mosey and repeato the 16 and 20 with Lawnmowers pulls (which I called dumbbell rows – who calls them that?), Step ups 1 count, High pulls and Finish with 2 count flutter kicks with coupon.

    Mosey to bus loop. Line up. Pacer runs to end of bus loop and back. Others do burpees, bicep curls, overhead presses, swings, LBCs and coupon squats. SOS the second time with bear crawls and bernies as the pacer and the third time lunges and run back as pacer.

    Finish with prayer. Please pray for Whitesnake’s father n law as he grieves the loss of his M and goes through the pains of needing specialized care.

    Thanks for letting me lead and for finding a way for the Jets to beat the Eagles even without a decent QB.

    Fireman Ed

  • Good to be out of the fartsack

    6 regulars and a former regular (me) showed up to embark on an early workout. Temperatures were about perfect; the parking lot could use a bit of lighting but I digress.

    COP: DQs, DMHs, merkins, MCs, and ACs. There was a little complaining of the COP location (it was a little tighter than the normal spot). Mosey to main entrance (one that looks like it is for valet parking).

    1. Elevens with HRMs and WWIIs. Mosey to Pine tree road in SW Westham.

    2. Catch me if you cans starting with bear crawls and the other partner doing 10 jump squats. I should have made it more jump squats since the bear crawling intervals were a bit quick. After reaching Westham Drive, turn around and do lunges with the other partner doing 5 burpees. This was a little harder. Mosey to triangle park (Henrico’s smallest park – allegedly).

    3. Triple check with run to River and back, Carolina dry docks and 2 count flutter kicks. Mosey to home base.

    We finished with a couple stretches at home base. There is a collection of shoes – see backblast or Gypsy for details. A few of the West End AOs need a Q this week. FW supposedly only has one Q spot left this year. If no one signs up, it is a Fireman Ed disc golf Q.

    I appreciate having the ability and opportunity to lead. Pray for the situation in Israel and thanks for all that we have.

    Fireman Ed

  • Rodgers’ 23 season highlights

    6 regulars and one new possible regular got together to celebrate Aaron Rodgers’ epic 2023 season with the Jets. The theme was four (# of plays) and 8 (jersey number). COP: DQs, DMH, FMs, Merkins, MCs and ACs. Mosey to bus loop.

    While moseying to Pump road side of school, perform 4 sets of 8 overhead presses.

    Curb crawl to 4. Mosey to parking lot by main entrance to MG.

    4 corners – 8 burpees, 16 sit and press, 24 – squats and 32 swings.

    Mix in sets of 8 2 count rows while moseying to back of school.

    Dora with 100 bench presses, 150 bicep curls, 200 squats and 250 LBCs. For some reason, a couple folks who like to park in the back head to work ~6 a.m. I guess there is lots to be done.

    Rifle carry to first light post (I mistakenly called it farmer’s carry) and then triceps on the mosey to the second light post. Head to home base.

    Finished with American hammers, 2 count coupon flutters and stretching (can’t mess up our achilles).

    Prayers for Offshore’s older co-worker who is dealing with a fall and COVID and is at Henrico Doctor’s. Convergence at Crucible – see back blast for details. Happy to lead and hope is out there for Zach Wilson.

    Fireman Ed

  • They have baskets

    I was getting ready to introduce disc golf to the fine far West folks. I went to Costco and retrieved 3 boxes and had them set up for a mini course (hit the box would have been my backblast title). To my astonishment, I found 5 real disc golf baskets set up at the back of Short Pump Middle. Did they set them up for us? Well no boxes necessary. Although not everyone was on time, we had 10 PAX ready to go.

    COP: DQs, DMH, Merkins, MCs, LBCs and ACs. Is that Lighthouse and Homer? Mosey to hole 1.

    Hole 1: Throw, bear crawl, throw bear crawl until you get in the basket. 3 burpees for each shot.

    Hole 2: Throw, lunge, throw, lunge until you get it in the basket. 5 HRMs for each shot.

    Hole 3: Throw, throw, bunny hop, throw bunny hop until you get it in the basket. 7 wide grip merkins for each shot.

    Hole 4: Throw, throw, polar bear crawl, etc. 5 merkins per shot. Collect discs and mosey to front of school.

    Triple check with four exercises: Donkey kicks, derkins, heels to heaven run around loop. Chum shows up after a long run at SOJ. Mosey to bleachers on second field.

    Elevens with 2 count steps and diamond merkins (I like merkins). Mosey to home base.

    One set of PLTs, Carolina DDs, Freddie Mercuries and DQs/DMHs. Counterama.

    Events: Monday get together on Mcarthur road instead of Punisher. See Chum Bucket for details as he is not much of a Slacker. Pickelball tournament on 8/26. Labor Day convergence at Dogpile at 7 a.m. (so late for that group). Ended with prayers. Thanks God for the beautiful morning. It was good to see runners Johnsonville and Gypsy and future runner Blue Moon at coffeeteria.

    Fireman Ed (now we have Dalvin Cook – bet we still find a way to su%k).

  • I have the Q Ronnie.

    As 5 of us were waiting to get started at FW, a speedy Mazda comes roaring into the parking lot. Ronnie comes out and asks “Who is able to keep time for me?” After a moment of brief confusion, Fireman Ed, the PAX and their coupons got the ball rolling. COP: DQs, DMH, MCs, ACs and LBCs. Mosey to main church parking lot.

    First Exercise: Four corners – 10 Block burpees, 20 squats, 30 rows and 40 2 count flutters (with coupon). Mosey to home base.

    Second Exercise: Triple check with bench press, curls and run around the loop. Third set got pretty tough. Mosey to Cameron St.

    Third Exercise: Down the street 5 overhead presses per mailbox. Slight confusion with a fella leaving his house early (probably to go to one of those pricey gyms). Back up the street with 7 swings per mailbox. Back to home base.

    Tricep exercises – 3 sets – 1st 10 and the 2nd/3rd 15. American coupon hammers (this was a crowd favorite) and closed with DQs and DMH.

    Announcements: Get together at Mcarthurs on the North Side 6 p.m. on Monday. See backblast for details. Last time I went to McArthur’s I sang some bad karaoke. That was in the previous century. I had hair on my head back then.

    Pickelball tournament 8/26 at 6 a.m.

    Prayers for Fireman Ed who gets results from a medical test next week and for those who are struggling mentally or physically. And next time I will just let Ronnie Q:)

  • Beer and Breast Milk

    7 warriors gathered in the semi gloom to work with KBs. Here is how it went:

    COP: DQs, DMH, merkins, MCs, FMs, LBCs Mosey to side of school away from Pump Road.

    Catch me if you can with 3 burpees and walking with two KBs (yours and partners).

    Triple check with two people/exercises: Bear crawl and run back, sit and press 3X. Mosey to front parking lot with 2 sets of 25 bench presses on the way.

    Four corners with 10 burpees, 20 overhead presses, 30 coupon squats and 40 curls for the ladies. Mosey to bus loop.

    One the mosey do 4 sets of rows first 10 each arm, escalating by 5 to 25 per arm. Did a couple of coupon calf raises on route. At this point in the mosey I overhead an odd conversation about drinking beer is like having breast milk. It made so little sense to me and Attila thought it was a good backblast title so I went with it.

    At the bus loop lunge to the fire hydrant do 10 swings, walk to the other side do 15 swings, lunge another 200 feet do 20 swings and then walk to the starting point do 25 swings. Mosey to home base and add some tricep work because some ladies like triceps.

    Finished with American hammers and DMH.

    Prayers for Mr. Rogers and his son Lincoln and safe travels for Attila to visit his home state of Bama. There is a weekly gathering at Dunkin Donuts at Lauderdale and Broad Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Join them if you can.

    Thanks again for letting me lead.

    Fireman Ed

  • The Heat is On

    13 Pax of various ages (what other AO can boast attendance from a teenager and a septuagenarian) descended on the friendly confines of Short Pump North. Lighthouse came in running and warned us of the heat and man he was right.

    COP: DQs, DMH, Merkins, MCs, FMs, LBCs.

    Mosey with a merkin run. We run together (sort of) and then I call out 10 merkins. We went around to Short Pump Middle and did 40 merkins.

    Dora with 100 HRMs, 200 Squats and 300 monkey humpers. Run in a loop in front of the entrance. The monkey humpers got more challenging after the first 100. Mosey to newly paved basketball court (did they do that for us).

    Four corners: 10 burpees, 20 squats, 30 2 count mountain climbers and 40 2 count flutter kicks. It was noted that the temp on the asphalt was a bit high. Mosey to tennis court.

    Slight audible: A kid was practicing tennis with his mom so the suicides with an exercise was constrained to the first two courts. We still may have scared them. 1st one – 5 Carolina Dry docks then 10 CDDs. 2nd set – diamond merkins, 3rd set – wide grip merkins. Mosey to field next to main Gridiron field.

    1st set – partner wheelbarrows run back. 2nd set – bear crawl run back and 3rd set – lunge Bernie back. Mosey to bleachers.

    Elevens with derkins and 2 count step ups. I was asked whether my M wanted me to build my arms today. Fair question since we did lots of merkin exercises.

    Finished with American Hammers, Freddie Mercuries, Heels to Heaven and stretching.

    Convergence this Tuesday at 7 at Dogpile for those that are in town. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks for our democracy.

    Fireman Ed

  • The Circus PAX sure like to modify

    On a beautiful almost July morning, six regulars got together and did a little swinging. KB swinging that is. A few minutes before starting, I thought it was just going to be me, White Deer and Pigskin and I would be the baby at 50. But Lighthouse, Attila and Offshore came in to get the median age down to ~55. The exercises went like this:

    COP: DQs, DMH, Helicopters, Merkins, Plank Jacks and FMs. Mosey to back of school.

    Doras with 100 Sit and Press, 150 curls and 200 bench presses.

    Lindseys with squats and KB swings. Do a set move a few parking spaces and do a set and so on until we got back to home base. Mosey to the well-used bus loop.

    Overhead press, tricep pulls, rows, 2 count flutters, LBCs and run around the loop. There was a lot of modifying on this set of exercises. I had a hard time figuring out why there were so many modifications. I think I need to come up with a “List of Alternate ADA Compliant Exercises for my friends at the Circus.”

    Finished with a set of American Hammers and some stretching.

    Convergence at Dogpile at 7 a.m. on Tuesday 7/4. No announcements or prayer requests for today but lend a hand to a friend if they need help. Thanks for letting me lead.

    Fireman Ed