Author: Snuff

  • People’s History of Bon Air

    9 amateur historians went bushwhacking deep into the history of Bon Air.

    Sightseeing included the old reservoir now filled in with silt, the stonework dam and waterfall including 2 tunnels under the railroad, the ruins of the pump house, the site of the old train station, and a track’s eye view of the Buford Rd bridge where part of the station used to be.

    Up through YHC’s backyard to the site of the Bon Air Hotel, and then hotfoot back to the flag where we picked up Doozy along the way.

    COT.

    Great to host Coonbait from downrange, and sorry Doozy but you were never going to find us deep in the jungle. Thanks to the PAX for doing some crazy bushwhacking, I swear there used to be a trail there somewhere. Don’t forget to tick check.

  • Ride the Lightning

    7 headbangers + 47 minutes of circle mosh to Metallica’s 1984 album Ride the Lightning. In an attempt to generate enough static electricity to summon even more lightning, mankillers in the middle of the field. COT laying on the pavement, rain gently falling from the sky.

    We were going to listen to the black album, but there were so many flashes and so much thunder from the oncoming storm that we had to pivot. Good times reminiscing about the old days when music was raw and cassettes needed rewinding. And after all that, the storm never came. Takeaway is: never wait on the rain. Ride the Lightning.

  • Everything that can go wrong

    Flights canceled, rebooked. 4:15a alarm. White knuckle to the airport, rain so bad that everyone else had their flashers on. 85 in a 55. Short goodbyes and a straight shot to Huguenot High.

    Dr Tryhard ran a warmarama and YHC unpacked a speaker and some Cindys.

    Triple check, timer carries the block up the hill, kettle bell swings, squat thrusters.

    Lunge walk ascending bell squats at each parking line, to 10. Carry the bell above the head all the way down to the sign and back.

    Found a dry spot for a dora. Timer runs to Forest Hill, 50 WW2s with a bell extension, 75 squat thrusters, 100 curls. Thanks for the suggestions as YHC’s brain was on a rain delay.

    Mosey to the stairs for a roundabout. 2 men each did stations. Double Cindy carry up and down the stairs, dips with weights, step ups with the bell, American Hammers, mirkins.

    Full speed up Mt Chaplain.

    COT. Prayers for healing, for Mary and for David. Also prayers for Jacob, no question he will ‘man up’ if he’s anything like his father.

    Welcome ‘King’ – in spite of shouts for a wild variety of other names, we’re going with a good one.

    And, all the cold brew spilled into the cooler. A lifetime before 6:30a and there are still miles to go. Thanks for the fellowship, that we can laugh about it together.

  • Madonna’s Sweat Lodge

    13 Material Girls swarmed to the sound of a minimoog synthesizer and some classical trap beats. Moths to a flame.

    Mosey around the block while waiting for Salt Lick who was easily able to track us by the sound. Warmarama with some Miley Cyrus squats, hands in the air like you don’t care. Don Quixotes because it’s our party and we’ll do what we want. Some other warmups, its my backblast and I’ll say what I want to.

    Mosey to the lower cul de sac to find a locked gate, which was fine since we had light pole 11s to do, jump squats and WW2s all the way back to ramp.

    Lunge walk up the ramp with ascending mirkins at each light.

    Triple check with some big step ups, v-ups, and tooth fairy up the stairs and back around.

    Mosey to the a new Forge feature: the Sweat Lodge.

    ‘Like a Prayer’ cranked to the max, we did 5 hoedowns, 1 balls to the wall, and 5 donkey kicks, on repeat for 5 minutes and 40 seconds. It’s a long song but oh so resonant against the walls. When you call my name, it’s like a little prayer.

    Mosey back to the flag for some ab Mary until Last Call ran out the clock and we were done.

    COT.

  • Sisyphus + Cindy

    On this muggiest Monday morning, 8 warriors gathered for some kettle bell hill work. To carry the burden over and over and over again, as is their wont. There is nothing clever about a cinder block.

    Warmarama stuff.

    Block circle: every other man did block squats while the others did kettle bell skull crushers. Pass the block, repeato. Then curls, pass the block, etc.

    Hill work, 3 times each, partner walks up the hill with the block while the other partner does kettle bell swings. Walk the hill with 2 bells while partner does chest presses. Walk up with the block while the other partner does skull crushers. Walk up the hill with 2 bells while partner does block WW2s. Plus a few more variants. This went on for some time, possibly an eternity.

    Back to the flag for some more circle work, plank up and pass the bells in a circle. Skull crushers on the 6, WW2s with the bell, etc etc.

    COT and lavender coffee with relaxing piano music.

  • We Are Young

    15 of the most youthful, spry and innocent men came to exercise their vitality in the cool morning breeze.

    Mosey to the fields for a warmarama: SSHs, DQs, arm circles, mountain climbers, mirkins, heels to heaven, Rosalitas, Dolly’s, etc etc.

    Triple check timer runs the field, step up on the bleachers and WW2s.

    Mosey to the back corner lot for another triple check, timer runs to the dumpster and karate kicks it, pole smokers and Carolina dry docks.

    Parking space lunges ascending squats to 10. Ran it back with parking space bear crawl ascending mirkins.

    4 corner audible: 10 burpees, 20 v-ups, 30 jump squats, 30 Flutters.

    Mosey back for a half Dora, timer runs to the water tower, hand release mirkins and American Hammers.

    Back to the flag for a small burpee blitz until the end of the song. Thankfully it wasn’t one of those super long electronic ones and the workout was over.

    Shoutout to Doozy’s M for completing the Master Hiker achievement. Welcome back to Destiny’s Child who may or may not have been there to drop recycling but joined in for the fun – good to see you.

    Good numbers, great morning. COT. Release your worries to the wind.

  • It’s not Cadence, it’s Contemplation

    13 seekers heeded the call. Playlist, check. Sunrise, check. Cool summer breeze and a guided meditation, also check.

    Warmarama on the hill, Bernie up and do some reps (downhill facing mirkins, downhill facing LBCs, downhill facing plank jacks), mosey down then Bernie back up to make sure we saw the colors on the horizon.

    Mosey to the circle for a triple check Coachella style with some Slayyyyter blasting. Jump squats, WW2s and timer on the loop.

    Around the bend for a Pigskin special, wall sits with Muhammad Alis, Balls to the Wall, donkey kicks, repeato x3 with dirty hookups on the back end. Last Call “did not sign up for this.” True, but we were born into this life and must walk the path of destiny laid out for us. Even if it involves Australian mountain climbers.

    To the amphitheater for some box jumps.

    Then – 15 minutes of guided meditation by Ram Dass. Cool breeze on our skin, sun in our eyes, birds in the sky, nothing but breath and breath alone.

    Mosey back to the flag for COT.

    It is certainly an age of distraction in the current day’s attention economy. The hardest it has ever been to focus, to listen to something real, to find the breath and find peace. The ultimate challenge. And for just a few minutes this morning we were locked in, bro code with the breath. It was a beautiful thing, thank you for being there and for just being.

  • Pope Punk

    This is the most challenging time in any man’s life: supporting his children + his aging parents, under the pressure to provide, childhood dreams ground to dust, waterboarded by a firehose of slop, watching the seas flow out towards the looming tsunami of AI disruption. It’s gotten so bad that even the Vatican has to release a statement claiming that the machines can’t think. Wrong. They can, but there is one AI can’t do: feel the suck.

    Mosey to the wet fields (toll paid) where we lay down in wet grasses for LBCs and hand release mirkins and other warmarama. In order to feel something, anything.

    Dora with some exercises. 21st century digital boy – is this song about me? The music was loud and punk is not dead. Mosey to the fence for some skatepark wall rides. Army crawl through 3 inches of water in the ditch. Feeling disgusting and miserable. One angry song’s worth of burpees. Another Dora.

    “I’m hardly feeling human anymore. Enough to drag my body from the floor.”

    Mosey back to the courts (toll paid) for some ab Mary. Wet, beat down, but human in the most alive way. Extremely human – now that is punk rock. Hypernormalisation can eat shit.

    “A handful of redemption’s all we need.”

    COT. Can a machine pray?

  • Lugnut Mangasm

    6 ding dongs brought their bells out from underneath their pillows for a brand new pavement-pounding playlist.

    Warmarama.

    Triple check 1: Timer carries 2 cinder blocks up the hill. Skull crushers + kettle bell swings.

    Triple check 2: Timer carries 2 cinder blocks up the hill. Pulls + squat thrusters.

    Triple check 3: Timer bell crawls up the hill with 2 bells. Block chest press + block curls.

    Triple check 4: Timer Bernies up the hill with a bell. WW2s with a bell + squats.

    Triple check 5: Timer lunge walks with the block across the lot and back. Mirkins dragging the bell + Turkish getups. (unfinished).

    COT.

    Coffee in the breeze while listening to piano bar music. Everyone pitched in to help Blank Space change his tire. Perfect spring morning.

  • Fellowship of the Spring

    20 strong at the Forge. Perfect weather for a playlist with lots of lyrics.

    Mosey around the way and down to the low lot for a warmarama. SSHs, DQs, Freddie Mercurys, LBCs, mirkins, etc etc.

    Mosey to the lowest lot for a 4 corners. 10 burpees, wait, 15 since Last Call didn’t hear the first time, 30 squats, 45 mountain climbers, 60 of something else.

    Triple check at the base of the stairs: timer hops up then runs around while partners do step ups and Lieutenant Dans. We were going to do squats or lunges, why not both?

    Base of Mt Chaplin for a quarter pounder on the big section. 25 decline mirkins, 50 LBCs, 75 calf raises, 100 flutter kicks.

    Mosey around to the amphitheater for some box jumps with ascending squats, then ascending descending dips.

    The Cure was on the radio so we naturally did a tunnel of love with the PAX doing mirkins while everyone bear crawled through.

    Mosey back to the flag for some sunrise appreciation and COT.

    Great fellowship, lots of laughs, good way to ring in the morning. Welcome Metroid!