Author: Lockjaw

  • Frogger

    7 stallions converged today to log some miles in a manner that is both 2.0 friendly and conducive to a great taper.

    Multiple Route Options:

    • Run the hill loop
    • Oak to Grove and do the Albemarle/Lexington loop and back for 1.5
    • Oak to Harlan, cross Patterson to Park, right on Park and a left on Spokane to Wythe,  Wythe to Westmoreland to Grove and back on Oak for just over 3 miles

    YHC took us out.

    It was great spring weather for a run.  There was reminiscing of the oppressive summer heat and some of our wildlife encounters running that loop (beers on TYA’s patio when a racoon appeared).  Some good conversation afterwards.

    It turns out the name “Toro” is already claimed by Labrat’s 2.0.  Kubota’s 2.0 was flexible enough to support a name change to another product in competition with a John Deere.

    Smooth tapering to all with 48 hours to go ’til show time.  See you on the roads this Friday night.

    Lockjaw

  • Spy Hunter

    15 by foot and 1 by wheel descended upon the AO ready to roll.  YHC used a new tactic to lay the route; a map.  We did the Setauket route today in the 4 and 5 mile variations.  6 milers were all sunning themselves on a beach, college tour, or whereabouts unknown.

    Today’s pace was at a quick clip today.  I think Flatline and Spit were pushing the first pack and setting the tone for the rest of the 5s.  No one got permanently lost today and all returned to the AO.  YHC did see some take a slide down the hill as we cut through the tree line to Dover.  Note to all, there is a mulched path at the turn.

    Wilton House seems to be doing well, through there is a construction site next door.  An empty lot where a house once stood?  What will they build?  Pax speculation includes a Wawa or Dollar General.  I have  my money on the Waffle House.

    Labrat should be renamed the “Spy Hunter” after the video game from our youth.  I don’t know about any machine guns out front, but the oil slick and smokescreen combo produced by his flatulence left many gagging 30 feet back.  A couple weeks ago, EF Hutton got poked in the eye by a stick on the Grayson Allen route.  This week he choked down a direct hit of Labrat’s finest crushing his olfactory senses.  Perhaps we will plan on damaging the rest of his senses on future runs?

    Labrat, somewhere out there Keymaster, Wilson, and Fudd are filled with a sense of deep pride.

    Flatline took us out.

    CSAUP is upon us.  One week and game time.

    Time to Taper (when is it not?),

    Lockjaw

  • A Menagerie of Runners

    Eight runners.  Is that a new Roller Coaster record?  And eight runners in a Pax never before to have converged in one workout at that.  Well done!

    The Route – Starting from River Road Shopping Center we did a modified Devil’s Pitchfork route with some nice hills.  Kubota brought his 2.0 who seemed to enjoy himself quite a bit and got named after a smaller riding lawn mower to accompany his father, the tractor.  Da Vinci paced us with his mountain bike ensuring now one fell behind.

    The weather was awesome today, we talked of CSAUP almost upon us.  It was great to see all of the Pax, but especially Johnsonville since we never cross paths these days.

    YHC took us out.

    Time to Taper,

    Lockjaw

  • Pre-Blast for Wednesday Hill Run Location

    This week’s Wednesday Hill Run (Roller Coaster) will meet at 5:30 pm in front of the Orvis store in the River Road Shopping Center.  This is just north of the Huguenot Bridge.

    Contact me with any questions.

    LJ

  • Tangled Up in Blue

    Eleven Hoes came out for a special Spring Break edition of Hoedown.  The story began as follows.

    Mosey up to the blacktop for COP:

    • Russian Soldiers
    • Helicopters
    • Don Quixote
    • SSSH

    Head up to the field for the Beast:

    • WWII
    • Merkins
    • Box Cutters
    • Scorpions
    • One Legged APD
    • Dive Bombers

    Over to the parking lot with 12 spaces for 11s.  Each parking spot represents one progression of 11s with Al Gore in the 12th.  Exercises were Copperhead Squats and 4-Count Mountain Climbers.

    Make our way to the grassy infield of the horseshoe and partner up.  Each partner does 25 PLT and then 8 Boo-Yah merkins.  Cycle through three times until there is smoke from fatigue.

    Over to the school wall for Triple Check – donkey kicks, flutter kicks, and run the horseshoe.

    Head back to grassy infield for Mary – Rosalitas, Hello Dollies, American Hammers.

    YHC took us out.

    NMS:

    Ah, Spring Break.  The quiet in the air without the ambience of kid’s preparing for another week in the school.  No teacher’s rolling in early nor the Monday milk truck tearing down the horseshoe unloading its precious contents of assorted dairy products.  The AO is truly ours.

    Spring Break – Time to work on those guns and abs for beach weather, which is where we focused today.  Safe travels to the Pax on the road this week.

    There was a fair amount of mumble chatter from Saab and about Saab during the COP regarding the usual aspects of his form and so forth.  Mumble chatter ended with the Beast and resumed post workout.

    Some good discussion about CSAUP.  Less than two weeks to go.  Time to train or taper depending on the individual.  Either way, its coming.  Come ready.

    Pucker is taking point on the Tuckahoe Party Zone.  Are there a couple of others (Plush, Keymaster, Ronnie, Two Can….) who can join Pucker?

    Always Be Tapering,

    Lockjaw

     

  • No Parking in the Blue Zone

    14 Roadrunners assembled for this week’s edition of the Spider Run. We did the reverse Kanawha routes in 4, 5, and 6 mile increments.

    Gumbo took us out.

    Today may have been a record turn out.  As YHC approach the AO, all the usual spots were filled and I had to double back to a different lot.  Still plenty of parking for those interested in joining us for a Spider Run, so do not be deterred.

    It was great to see Gumbo out for his first Spider Run as well as Swirly’s return to Tuesday runs.  This may have been Wheelbarrow’s first SR too.

    The 5s ran as a pack for almost the entire route.  Great camaraderie along the run.

    CSAUP is two weeks from Friday, so nurse those injuries, ponder your tapering plans, and familiarize yourself with your routes.

    ABT,

    Lockjaw

  • Cyclops, a Dead Hawk, Punch Buggy Beatdown, and a Delorean

    A score of runners converged today for the first Spring RAMM of 2018.  YHC called the Grayson Allen route (Grace and Allen) in 4 miler, 5 miler, and 6 miler variations and the Pax was off.

    Fudd did a fine job taking us out.

    NMS:

    YHC posts the Grayson Allen route around key Duke games as a rally against them.  The inaugural route was the day after Carolina’s victory and today’s was intended to give Syracuse a little extra edge.  This strategy worked somewhat, with the score within four points last night.

    The 5 milers started off as a great pack for the first mile or so and then started to spread out.  We witnessed several omens, coincidences, and happenstances that YHC felt certain would lead to a Syracuse victory.  Perhaps these jinxs go both ways.

    First, EF Hutton took a tree in the eye.  Not a twig, nor a branch, but a tree limb.  He seems ok.  Second, YHC called out what appeared to be a dead weasel or opossum on the side of the road.  Labrat confirmed it to be a dead hawk that we almost stepped on. Further along the run we came across a Delorean parked on the side of the road.  Very rare citing, much less so on the side of the road.

    Speaking of parked cars, Labrat is a fanatic about punch buggy.  Usually he prides himself about getting one or two in.  Going down Grace and back through the Fan armed him with so many opportunities he eventually grew tired from his arm workout of taking swings at YHC.  I did get him on the Delorean though.

    It’s great to see the turn out like this for RAMM.  While RAMM is always a crowd pleaser, a cool 20 runners is an impressive turnout.  CSAUP training in full bloom.

    Anything interesting happen on the 4 and 6 mile routes?

    Time to Taper,

    Lockjaw

     

  • What’s Up With Labrat?

    Fourteen Ice Warriors rose to great warmer temperatures for some fun the snow.  Here is a recap of their adventures.  Enjoy!

    COP – Arm Circles (at least one Pax appeared out of the shadows every time), Helicopters, Don Quixote, Russian Soldiers, Invisible Jump Rope

    Mosey back to the tennis courts for 4 Corners – ascending style.

    • Corner 1 – 10 HRM, bear crawl to C2
    • Corner 2 – 10 HRM, 20 Copperhead Squats, run to C3
    • Corner 3 – 10 HRM, 20 Copperhead Squats, 30 American Hammers, bear crawl to C4
    • Corner 4 – 10 HRM, 20 Copperhead Squats, 30 American Hammers, 40 LBCs

    Mosey to the blacktop for B.O.M.B.S.

    • Partner 1 – run the length of the blacktop and back
    • Partner 2 – works on 50 burpees, 100 overhead claps (SSH), 150 merkins, 200 big boy sit ups, 250 squats

    Form a circle on the blacktop for the ever Merkin Shuffle!  Pax member can call out 1, 5, or 10 merkins of any style.  One cannot reuse what what was immediately prior.  Pass clockwise.

    On your six for Mary:

    • APD – right leg over left
    • APD – left leg over right
    • Flutter kicks
    • Rosalitas
    • Hello Dolly
    • American Hammers

    Return to VSF where YHC took us out.

    NMS:

    Arm circles always bring out at least one Pax.  Works every third time or so.  This time it appeared to be Labrat who arrived without announcing himself.  Very odd.  As we progressed over to the 4 Corners, YHC said “Hello Labrat” to a member of the Pax while doing American Hammers and there was no response.  Perplexing.  Maybe Labrat isn’t himself this morning or hard of hearing?

    In the COT, YHC was standing next to Labrat and realized it wasn’t him at all.  Bandana and glasses are no longer Labrat’s signature accessories.  Sorry Bodos.

    Flipper graced us with his presence LIFO.  Seems chiropractors have a special watch that provides an adjusted time differential that only they are aware of.  Good thing we didn’t go off AO this am.

    YHC must confess that he has always confuses Hello Dollies and Rosalitas.  In recent workouts YHC has been known to ask Wedding Singer “Which is the sluttier sister?” to keep them straight.  Without Wedding Singer present, I transposed them.  I have a new system to keep them straight after consulting with Saab and Swirly post workout.

    The Merkin Shuffle was no joke.  By the end, there were a couple of knee abrasions as arms gave out in the transition to upright position.  Of course, Swirly provided a coup de gras at the end.

    Announcements:

    • CSAUP – We need volunteers for Tuckahoe Party Zone and CSAUP post party.  Inquire with YHC.
    • CSAUP – Splinter needed your t-shirt size by yesterday.  Get it in ASAP or your get micro-small.

    Time to Taper,

    Lockjaw

  • Cardinal Run

    A Lucky Seven wet race horses rose to run in the gloom and try the new route.  There was an immediate hesitation as the Pax braced for the directions that would be known the Cardinal Run.  The directions were solid and no one got lost.

    The Route:

    Head west along the lake, up the route past the baseball field to the Robbins Center.  Ascend the hill by the stadium and up Boatwright to Three Chopt.  Cross Three Chopt and take Honaker to Patterson.  Cross Patterson and head east one block.  Take a left on Roxbury.  Roxbury to West Franklin.  West on West Franklin to Charles.

    5s/6s take Charles north crossing Monument and go to Crestview Elementary.  Turn around and return to Charles/West Franklin.

    4s/5s/6s – Continue heading west on West Franklin to Register Parkway and take a left taking it to Patterson.  All groups should be at Patterson/Three Chopt.

    4s/5s head east on Three Chopt taking a right on Bandy Road until it turns into a bamboo trail and drop down the hill in the back.  Take the lit trail back to UR and come down and around the Robbins Center to the lake.

    6s head west on Patterson to Westham Parkway.  Westham Parkway to Lakewood and go left until it ends at the lake.  Take a left on College and come around the baseball fields back to the lake.

    YHC took us out.

    NMS:

    YHC was not certain of who would show up this morning as I arrived a little early.  The pull of the FS must have been strong for many, but Bleeder showed up and the rest quickly rolled in.

    YHC missed the turn for Register Parkway, prompting Saab’s comments about the navigation abilities of a cardinal.  That might explain why you see so many year round.  As evidence, let it be known that the map states otherwise and a turn should have been present:

    There you go!

    Not too much discussion afterwards as the rain was soaking through.  Welcome the first day of Spring!

    ABT,

    Lockjaw

  • Shakedown Street

    Nine intrepid runners were not deterred from the cold and ice for this week’s edition of Spider Run.

    The Routes:  Devil’s Pitchfork – 5 milers did three peaks, 6 milers did 4 peaks.

    Marv took us out.

    NMS:

    The roads were certainly not the slip and slide that we experienced back in January, but there was plenty of hidden ice.  Open pockets of clean roads with ice interspersed kept everyone on their toes ready to tuck and roll.  Shakedown was taken down on some of this treacherous ice, but without too much injury.

    Announcements:

    • CSAUP – 1 month to go!  Get a team and train.  For non-runners, Team Tuckahoe is in need of a couple of Pax to run the Hoedown party zone for a couple of hours.  Let me know if you want to volunteer.
    • Great job on the Belmonte for Shakedown, Upchuck, and Honey Do.  Great accomplishment.
    • Splinter’s basketball brackets are up.  See yesterday’s Hoedown backblast for details.

    Time to Taper,

    Lockjaw