Author: Lockjaw

  • Free Four

    A clean dozen showed today for high visibility and low humidity run.

    East on Grove to Sauer; Take Sauer to Monument and head east.  4s turn around at Boulevard, 5s at Alison, and 6s at Lombardy (Stuart Circle) for an out and back.

    YHC took us out, keeping in mind what is important in celebration of Memorial Day and also closed with some obscure Pink Floyd to remind us to go forward and be our best.  These are the days we will look back on.

    “The memories of a man in his old age, are the deeds of a man in his prime.”

    Good running condition with equal part 6 milers, 5 milers, 4 milers, and bikers.  Everyone had someone to run with.

    YHC has a custom of naming his routes, at least the classic ones such as Haiku and Carillon.  Typically, Marv will provide a prerun critique of the course such as “out and back – too simple”, “too many turns – too complex”, or “people were shot there recently”.  YHC finally laid a route that met Marv’s seal of approval.  So going forward this route will be called #42, paying deference not only to Marv, but the Dave Matthews song-naming style of which Lockjaw is a fan.

     

  • Another Haiku Run

    Summer is here now

    Oops! Fudd leads the wrong way – twice!

    Iris hills never stop

     

    Chris Cornell’s passing

    Grunge siren of Soundgarden

    Outshined, Rusty Cage

     

    Trust circle fell down

    Where’s Singer?, C-ville launch too

    Labrat monologue

  • Devil’s Pitchfork – Round 2

    11 tackled some tough hills as everyone successfully negotiated the Devil’s Pitchfork (5 and 6 mile variants).  This was the first workout that YHC noticed an abundance of early morning light.  No need for those lights anymore.

    Devil’s Pitchfork never disappoints the crowd.  Each segment has its own character and personality: Panorama’s gradual incline with a steep ascent, Old Bridge’s sustained slope, or Highland’s vertical beat down.  Ridge also offers a nice climb as well.

    Today’s speed demon awards go out to Pucker and Phonics.  Pucker set an early lead for the 5s and Phonics was off to the races.

    Pucker took us out.

    • HDHH tomorrow?  Do we have an AO already?
    • C-ville launch kicks off this weekend.  See La Rat for details.

  • Getting hit by a 2×6, or was that the 6×2?

    A lucky 13 showed up to run, bike, and sprint.  A warm up mosey as a group to the TJ track.  As we crossed Monument, the undisclosed destination became apparent and the Pax spoke of their ailments and soreness from this week’s workouts; as if it would defer the beatdown planned.  No such luck.

    Partnered up into 3 relay teams (with 2-3 Pax on each team) in which one would pass a virtual baton to the next teammate on completion of their sprint.

    Relay 1 – 6 x 200m for each Pax on the team

    Relay 2 – 2 x 600m for each Pax on the team

    Cool down mosey home.

    YHC sorta took us out.

    Announcements – Mother’s Day this Sunday!

  • 42 – The Answer to Life

    A Magnificent 6 showed up and delivered.

    COP

    42 SSH

    10 Don Quixotes

    20 Imperial Walkers

    15 Copperhead Squats

    Kentucky Derby

    • Meet the Horses – Super 8 – 8 Booyah merkins with each member of the Pax.
    • On to the Races – Head to the bus loop.  First heat, partner carry the length of the bus loop.  Second heat, wheelbarrows the length of the loop.

    Mosey to the back of the school for triple check – BTTW, flutter kicks, run to the far end of the basketball hoop.

    On to the jungle gym for 7 pull ups (or ARAP) and 25 PLT.  Repeato three times through.

    Catch me if you can!  One partner does 5 burpees and chases down their partner, while the other runs backwards around the school.

    Check out the new tractor tires.  Partner up with one doing tire flips while the other does an exercise.  Go the length of the basketball courts and back.

    Mosey to the front of the school for ring of fire.  Form was great by all.

    Break into some Mary – APDs, LBCs, American Hammers, Box Cutters.

    YHC took us out.

  • Cinco (Miles) in Mayo

    A Lucky 13 showed up to run.  No bikers, just running.

    Today’s route was the Carillon in cuatro, cinco, and seis mile variants.

    BT took us out.

    NMS

    As YHC woke to the sound of heavy rain, he wondered who would show up, if anyone.  As Q, there is no option to reconsider and fartsack.  YHC was pleased to find big blue and his entourage waiting in the parking lot with many other showing up as time closed on 5:30.

    The rain subsided and gave us some phenomenal running weather and just enough time to finish and circle up before the liquid onslaught resumed. By the way, this degree of precision was predicted by Marv’s weather app.

    It was good to see the Pax today, especially those I have not seen in a while like Oyster.

    Announcements:

    5/20 – C-ville Launch – Labrat will be streaking the Lawn.

    VQ week the week of June 26 – If you haven’t Q’d before, now is the time.  If you want to Q a new AO, that works too.  Get a couple of VQ’s together and share a workout.

    *Lockjaw has developed cadence instruction, available both in cassette tape and CD, to help overcome VQ anxiety.  Its a game changer.  Private lessons available as well.

    Upchuck, ever the pioneer in fashion (rivaling Offshore in the advancement of workout gear), is launching men’s midriff cut running shirts.  Keeps the tummy cool on hot days and makes a statement!

     

  • Smooth is Good. Lumpy not so much.

    A Lucky 13 came today to cover all distances; from running to walking to biking.  Here is what we did.

    East on Grove to Hamilton, head left to Broad St.  East on Broad.  4 milers take a right on Blvd and Grove home.  5s and 6s continue to the Science Museum with 5s going Davis/Grace/Strawberry to Monument and back to Lafayette to Grove.  A lone 6 miler continued on to Hermitage to Leigh to Blvd and connected with the 5 miler’s return route.

    YHC took us out.

    NMS

    Pre-run, the swiper sniper marked a few targets, YHC gave the routes and we were off.  The 5s were a tight pack with good discussion along the way.  Seems Toga has a Men’s Health subscription.  As the lone 6, it was good to see Marv was not shot pending his concerns of recent crime in that area.

    The 5s were able to get the sphere rotating a little at the Science Museum.  I am sure there is some physics behind the friction reduction through hydrology but that will be for another day.  UR has a similar sphere, so perhaps we can investigate during Spider Run.

    Discussion was good post run and seemed to center around concussions and getting ones bells (or balls) rung.  Similar mumble chatter yielded today’s backblast title.  Good discussion around Ragnar prep and supplies as well as Toga infatuation for CC DeVille.  Every rose does indeed have a thorn.

    Good luck to those running this weekend.  Enjoy the vistas from atop the mountain and know F3RVA is behind you!

  • Lee’s Lieutenants

    13 Strong and able posted today to get some miles in before the upcoming races (half marathon and Ragnar).

    Depart UR, and up the Ridgeway/Fairway/Robin/Iris hill to Three Chopt.  Cross Three Chopt and stay on York.  York to Maple and Maple to Grove (eastbound).

    Turn left on Greenway.  4 milers will take Harlan to Roslyn and back to Grove and retrace their routes back to SF.  5s and 6ers continue on Greenway to Oak paying homage to the DS Freeman house and take Oak back to Grove.

    5s take Grove to Henri to Towana to the main entrance of UR (take right at fork) and back to SF.  6ers headed east on Grove to Westmoreland.  Return westbound on Hanover/Grove and take the 5s route to SF.

    YHC provided a history lesson of DS Freeman and the subsequent owner who invented the beer can pull tab, predecessor of the modern pop top.

    Taxi Cab took us out.

    NMS:

    The Ridgeway/Fairway/Robin/Iris medley of roads going up the hill shall now be known as “Swirly’s Hole” providing shorthand for communicating these routes.

    Upon re-entering UR, Taxi and I saw Splinter’s duck standing in the middle of the road yielding not as we passed by.

    Good conversation today.  The Pax was strong today pushing pace and distance.

    Following yesterday’s precedence, Toga had to abruptly depart and head home.  As a dad on his own this week, there was inquiry as to how he was making it to the workouts.  Toga must know precisely when the chloroform wears off signaling his hasty return to home.  Hang in there!

    Taxi Cab was caught off guard when I called upon him to take us out.  Always be prepared for the prayer roulette at the end.  It may hit like a cobra strike at any time.

    Announcements:

    C-ville launch – See Labrat.

    HDHH – Flashdance posted the details.  Southern Railway – 530 for those working out first, 615 for drinks only.

  • East Bound and Down

    16 Pax showed up to go fast today.

    Today’s route was an out and back on Grove heading east.  4s turn around at Meadow, 5s at Harvie, and 6s at Belvidere.

    YHC took us out.

    YHC opened with the riddle of the Caddy Shack Sphinx continuing the golf theme from yesterday.  “What is the shortest distance between two points?”  Of course I am referring to a “line in the opposite direction”.  Labrat answered incorrectly and went right into the lumber yard.

    With many of our routes heading west, YHC thought it was time to push the limits to the east and head into the rising sun (perhaps an actual rising sun in June).  Pace was solid all around with various packs running together.  Saab and Toga ran about a tenth of a mile ahead of me and it became apparent that they couldn’t read the dark street signs noting the turnaround.  They would loop back like they were turning around, but it was only to illuminate the sign and then turn around again and keep heading east.  YHC called it a “Crazy Ivan” based on the classic scene in The Hunt for Red Oktober.  Note to Pax, place care in dropping submarine references in close proximity to Lab Rat as it can draw him out of his usual silence.

    Announcements:

    Lab Rat is looking for names of people in C-Ville.  He is going to start cold calling potential Pax based on names in the Charlottesville phone book, so help him out if you have a contact so he doesn’t need to resort to that.

  • Rolling Hills of Westham

    With spring in the air, eight runners showed today to work some hills.

    Head around the baseball field and up past the football stadium and ascend snake hill.  4s and 5s take a side street to cutover to Bandy Field to the Village Shopping Center.  Head west on Patterson and pick up Westham Parkway.  Run the length of the parkway and double back to the baseball field, down the hill, and around the lake.

    4 milers cut short on Westham and didn’t have the lake loop.  6 milers didn’t get Bandy Field but had some quality distance on Patterson.

    Bleeder took us out.

    NMS:

    This workout kicks in with hills from the start.  No warm up; just a nice sustained climb.  Bandy Field was a nice diversion with opportunities to sneak up on various wildlife (several rabbits and raccoons).

    On our Westham cruise, the 5 milers were tempted to ring upchuck’s doorbell.  Hopefully he posted somewhere or next time he is fair game to persuade him out of the FS.

    The Pax was moving today.  Singer continues to push the distance and pace.  Taxi and EF were cruising and ready to race.  The 6 milers did well despite a couple of days of hard workouts leading up to this.  Good showing all around.

    Splinter was a ringer for the Sippy Cup look-alike contest.  Vest, visor, and sippy cup complete the look.

    Several of us continued with some second F while watching the seals at work.  Some familiar faces may be our new FNGs.

    Lockjaw