Author: Loose Goose

17 lucky PAX posted on a perfect workout morning at 45 Minutes of Mary. YHC arrived just in time to plant the shovel flag and to declare “10 seconds” to go time. After a rope-facilitated face plant in the grass, the PAX headed out for a beat down. Here’s how it went down:

THE THANG

Mosey to corner of Grove & Westmoreland.

COP:
SSH x25
Merkins x20
LBCs x25
IW x20
Alabama Prom Date x20

Mosey back to the Commonwealth Ave side of the track.

The Lucky Horseshoe – The PAX has 33 minutes to complete the following around the track:

Lap 1 around the track: merkins x 20
Lap 2: merkins x 20, storm squats x 20
Lap 3: Merkins x20, Storm Squats x 20, Scorpion Drydocks x 20
Lap 4: Merkins x 20, Storm Squats x 20, Scorpion Drydocks x 20, WWII situps x 20
Lap 5: Merkins x 20, Storm Squats x 20, Scorpion Drydocks x 20, WWII situps x 20, Lunges x 20
Lap 6: Storm Squats x 20, Scorpion Drydocks x 20, WWII situps x 20, Lunges x 20
Lap 7: Scorpion Drydocks x 20, WWII situps x 20, Lunges x 20
Lap 8: WWII x 20, Lunges x 20
Lap 9: Lunges x 20
Lap 10: Victory Lap

COT

MOLESKIN
– T-claps to those from today’s PAX who achieved Personal Records on the Lucky Horseshoe! At least 5 finishers, and everyone was really pushing during this one. It was great to see the way we were challenging each other along the way. YHC will be one of those finishers before long, 0.5 lap to go.
– @Honey Do & @Bleeder came up with some different methodologies to reach the goal (do some extra exercises at one or more of the turns – by accident and on purpose, respectively).
– For those that wanted to capture their progress, here you go:

Honey Do – 9.5
Ricky Bobby – 8
Swirly – VICTORY!
Fudd – VICTORY!
Splinter – VICTORY!
Bleeder – VICTORY B!
Brain Tumor – VICTORY! (with 12s to spare)
Chesney – 6
Flash Dance – 7
Loose Goose – 9.5

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
RVA December Challenge put out by @Johnsonville

10 Faithful PAX showed up to sharpen each other this morning. 8 were well aware of the rainy conditions they would encounter upon exiting their car, and the remaining two arrived having already acclimated themselves with the soppy conditions. The PAX quickly embraced the wet skies, tennis courts, and fields and set off to a quickly-paced workout.

THE THANG

Mosey along Commonwealth to the tennis courts

COP
SSH x 20
Merkins x20
Monkey Humpers x20
IW x20
Lieutenant Dans x10 OYO
Morning Wood OYO x5 (see F3’s Exercises page for explanation if you think this is something different than an exercise)
LBFCs x 10
Rosalita x20

Mosey to Soccer fields & line up on the baseline along Commonwealth Ave.

The Beast
Merkins
Freddie Mercurys
Merkins
Rosalitas
Squats
Merkins

Line up on Commonwealth – facing South! – for Indian Run around the school. End on Commonwealth and head to the school wall next to the roundball courts.

Triple Check – get in groups of 3 (one group of 4) and do the below 3x
One PAX run to fence & back
One PAX do 10 Merkins & Plank until run is done
One PAX hold up the wall with People’s Chair

Mosey back to the parking lot

COP – 6 Minutes of Mary
LBCs x30
Superman x2
Merkins x9 OYO
Alabama Prom Dates x20
Hello Dolly x20
Russian Twists OYO for 30″

COT

MOLESKIN

Thanks to @Brain Tumor for keeping count on the Merkins as we progressed, to help ensure that we got to a full 167

If you didn’t notice, the largest set of Merkins we did this morning was 20 at the beginning. Pretty amazing how many you can do when you keep small #s in your sets so you don’t get burned out quickly. We’ll all feel this one tomorrow, great job to all for enduring and completing them all. For those of us who are doing the #MerkVember challenge with a goal of 5K for the month, we’re done for the day already. For those who aren’t doing it, thanks for doing them with us!

Apparently @Bleeder had some warm-up yesterday for leading today’s Superman rendition. YHC thinks perhaps more practice for the PAX on this one is needed – the PAX was WAY off key.

T-Claps to @Honey Do for being the only one to fully complete the HDHH route (and beverages along the way) yesterday evening while also showing up this morning in the gloom for some pain. YHC had one beer and no running last night, and is quite sure that another beer would have made today’s workout much more difficult.

T-Claps to @Marv for your effort today as well. Quiet & steady as usual, kicking tail and taking names. Keep up the solid work.

This morning’s COT closing prayer was a request for help in pushing each other to be better men. YHC is grateful today to have this group to help do that. OYO makes for stagnant, non-growing men. Thanks, men, for your fellowship.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thanksgiving workout 11/26 is at 7AM, NOT 5:30AM. Same place as usual.

Various turkey trots discussed, @TYA and @Fudd can insert details in the comments.

13 conspirators gathered in the gloom at MM Elementary and waited for @Conspiracy to show up for his first Q in quite awhile. It was not to be – not because he was late, but because HE NEVER SIGNED UP TO Q TODAY. Instead, YHC was accommodating a request from several PAX that they not know when The Lucky Horseshoe was to happen, only to quickly realize that you can’t make everyone happy.

THE THANG

Mosey to the corner on Grove Ave.

Warmup COP:
Jumping Jacks x 20
IW x 20
Lunges x 10 each leg
LBCs x 20

Mosey back to the Commonwealth Ave side of the track to begin the Lucky Horseshoe. The PAX has 33 minutes to complete the following around the track:

Lap 1 around the track: merkins x 20
Lap 2: merkins x 20, storm squats x 20
Lap 3: Merkins x20, Storm Squats x 20, Scorpion Drydocks x 20
Lap 4: Merkins x 20, Storm Squats x 20, Scorpion Drydocks x 20, WWII situps x 20
Lap 5: Merkins x 20, Storm Squats x 20, Scorpion Drydocks x 20, WWII situps x 20, Lunges x 20
Lap 6: Storm Squats x 20, Scorpion Drydocks x 20, WWII situps x 20, Lunges x 20
Lap 7: Scorpion Drydocks x 20, WWII situps x 20, Lunges x 20
Lap 8: WWII x 20, Lunges x 20
Lap 9: Lunges x 20
Lap 10: Victory Lap

MOLESKIN

Good job pushing yourselves this morning. As I mentioned today, I hope you’ve also seen yourself improve in this workout since we started doing it in June. I’m so close to that Victory Lap and can’t wait to do it one of these times.

Much appreciation to those who shared prayer requests & things for which you are thankful. It’s good to have other men along for your ride, we’re all here to do that for each other.

Yes, The Lucky Horseshoe is usually the first Thursday of the month. However, since YHC will be out of town next Thursday and didn’t want to miss another one, you are all welcome for your almost-Halloween surprise. It was abundantly clear which PAX liked the surprise and which didn’t.

@Bleeder sniffed out the ruse on Wednesday evening when he emailed @Conspiracy to kindly remind that the PAX meets now in the parking lot on Commonwealth. @Conspiracy was able to use his IT auditing skills and identify exactly who added his name to the Q schedule and when. @Bleeder also called this “The Flying Horseshoe of Death” as an ode to the staged flying Q and his love for TLH.

For those who want to benchmark their accomplishments today against past or future iterations of TLH, here you go:
Brain Tumor: completed all but 1/2 of Victory Lap
Splinter: completed all but 1/2 of Victory Lap
Bleeder: almost last lap
Sippy Cup: Victory Lap completed with a couple of minutes to spare
Ricky Bobby: 9 laps completed
Loose Goose: 9 laps completed

ANNOUNCEMENTS

10/31 – Pumpkin Run. Contact @Swirly for details

11/1-11/30 – Join YHC for a daily 166 merkins (total of 5K for the month). The days you go to F3 will be easy. Like today, many times that will get you well over halfway there.

17 Faithful beat the fartsack this morning for the gun show at Mary Munford Elementary. Most of the PAX seemed to have figured out the parking situation, and @Bleeder planted the shovel flag. An extended #mumblechatter-style “Happy Birthday” to Fudd was rudely interrupted as YHC kicked off the festivities.

THE THANG

Mosey to the NW corner of the school grounds

Warm-up COP (all in cadence/IC)
– SSH x25
– Arm circles: small fwd x10, small backward x10, large backward x10
– Merkins – full range with locked elbows and hands off the ground at the bottom x8
– LBCs x 26
– Russian Soldiers x20

Mosey to the tennis courts. Plank while YHC explains what’s next.

Arm Circuit around the Track – Divide into 4 groups and each group goes to one of four stations. When you finish, go to the next station. Hit all stations 3x
– Monkey Bars corner – 30 dips
– Pull Up Bars corner – Pull ups, your max +5 with help from fellow PAX
– Parallel Bars corner – 15 inverted pulls with hands in chin-up orientation
– “Sandbox” corner – 20 full-range decline Merkins

Plank up at tennis courts area when finished

COP
P90X “Karen Pot Stirs” – 15 sec each arm
Rosalitas x 16
Freddie Mercuries x 16

Mosey to the trees

11s – Flutter kicks & Cobras (aka “Fudd’s birthdays”) and alternate Bear Crawls & Crab Walk between trees

MOLESKIN

Great to see @Razor back with us. Welcome back!

Others have probably noticed as well, but @Toucan is doing an excellent job of showing up, working hard, and really getting better, faster, stronger. Keep it up!

#Mumblechatter was pretty scarce this morning, Hopefully a sign of a good & challenging workout.

YHC is keenly aware of my need to improve on arm exercises, particularly pull-ups. Today’s workout was a kick-start to improve. Today I took a before picture, and took a look into the future for the after version.

Hopefully this benefitted the PAX as well and your arm soreness later on will be evidence of getting stronger.

The Steelers have the Rams this week. Can they repeat what the Redskins did last week? #KirkCousinsMVP

ANNOUNCEMENTS

“Bottom to Tap” 3-miler on 10/17, Richmond F3 PAX running together. Use code “F3” to save $5 at registration. @Doner Kebab is looking for help to man the F3 tent starting ~9AM. Let him know if you are up for the task.

Go Ruck 10/24. Contact @HoneyDo for details

13 apparent fans of Jock Jams brought their game faces to Mary Munford Park to test themselves and share their good attitudes and cheer with their fellow PAX, as well as the neighbors.

THE THANG

Mosey to somewhere on the soccer fields.

COP
SSH x20
Merkins x10 (after brief form discussion)
LBCs x20
Russian Soldiers x20

Mosey back to the shovel flag area.

The Lucky Horseshoe: Do the below until you finish or Q tells you to stop at the 33 minute mark.

Lap 1 around the track*

MericansX20
Lap 2
MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20
Lap 3
MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20
Lap 4
MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20
Lap 5
MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
Lap 6
Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
Lap 7
Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
Lap 8
WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
Lap 9
LungesX20
VICTORY LAP

*Special assignment for Toga to stop and listen to friendly neighbor.

COT & record how far each PAX made it in The Lucky Horseshoe.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
– New Belgium Bottom to Tap 3-miler on 10/17: We’ve been invited to participate in the race and have a tent to pimp F3, plus discount race entry fees. Contact Doner Kebab if you’re interested in doing the race or in helping to man the tent before/after the race.
– Blue Ridge Relay happening for 12 of the Richmond F3 PAX on 9/11
MOLESKIN
Well done today, men! This is certainly a tough workout, YHC is feeling the soreness all over, especially after following up J-ville’s Ciabatta & sprint laps on Tuesday. This is a good gauge for how much your fitness has improved since the last time we did the same workout. Thanks for the opportunity to lead today.

YHC knows there were some eye rolls today, but Merican/Merkin form is important to avoid injury and to get the most benefit. Dredd & OBT have even posted a Youtube video to preach the same

We almost made it a full year without the police showing up, but broke that streak today, so set the counter to zero. Not a whole lot else that I can say that hasn’t already been said in/after the COT (or will be said in the comments below) about this one… I do see the point that we could be a bit quieter for the neighbors and thanks to TYA for heading to the Principal’s office today to square away “official” permission.

Here is the log of how we each fared today (last completed lap/last completed exercises)
Fudd: VICTORY LAP!
TYA: 9/9
Marv: 7/Scorpions
DK: 9/9
Quick Draw: 9/9
Scream: 6/6
Toga: 9/Lap
Best Shot: 6/Lunges
Chum Bucket: 10/10
Viral: 6/6
Loose Goose: 7/7
Brain Tumor: 9/9

Dateline: Richmond, VA
Gloom, humidity, good cheer, and 16 men ready to get better, faster, and stronger came together this morning at 45 Minutes of Mary. 15 faithful and 1 FNG put some more wear on the still-new track while pondering what “The Lucky Horseshoe” means. This is the recap.

THE THANG
Mosey around the soccer fields to far corner of the field

COP
SSH x20
Merkins x12
Imperial Walkers x20
Freddie Mercurys x21
Russian Soldiers x22

Mosey back to the shovel flag area.

The Lucky Horseshoe: Do the below until you finish or Q tells you to stop at the 33 minute mark.

Lap 1 around the field marked by the footballs and frisbee.
MericansX20
Lap 2
MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20
Lap 3
MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20
Lap 4
MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20
Lap 5
MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
Lap 6
Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
Lap 7
Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
Lap 8
WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
Lap 9
LungesX20
VICTORY LAP

COT & record how far each PAX made it in The Lucky Horseshoe. A few spoken prayer requests and a word of thanks to God for our great country that we celebrate on Independence Day this weekend.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
– Dogpile shirts available for order until July 7. Get yours while you can! (at the F3 Gear Store link at top of the page here)
– Richmond F3 MeetUp group has been set up by @Toga. We need PAX to join the group and indicate you’re coming. Looks kind of lame to people when @Toga and @Loose Goose are the only PAX who are attending a workout. LINK TO THE GROUP
– Qs needed for:
*Gridiron 7/4
*Punisher 7/6
*SOT 7/8
*45MOM 7/9
*Dogpile 7/11
*Gridiron 7/11
(and most thereafter)

MOLESKIN
Welcome and Kudos to @FNG Misty! Tough workout to be your first, but it is truly good to have you aboard. @Doner Kebab was a great host — stick with him and you’ll be fine.

Welcome back to @Razor for your 2nd workout! Excellent job holding your own, and well-deserved “RESPECT!” in the COT.

Today’s Lucky Horseshoe was mostly the same as the one we did on June 4. Now that we have a track, the distance is truly 400 meters, as measured by @Conspiracy last week. The purpose of doing this today is to get a baseline via a type of fitness test. You WILL get better, faster, and stronger. YHC’s intention is to do the Lucky Horseshoe once/month so that we can tangibly and quantifiably see our progress as we improve.

Since that June 4 workout, YHC has been contemplating the origin of the name “The Lucky Horseshoe.” It was passed along to me from @Cato and @The Nanny from Highlands AO in Charlotte and they had some ideas about the name, but YHC is not so certain that they fully know. Today, around lap 6, YHC realized what it is… The 33 minute time limit on the workout must be taken from Rolling Rock’s “mysterious (lucky?) 33”. Even if it wasn’t, this Lucky Horseshoe thing at least has a parallel because nobody seems to know where it came from.

Carrying on the “you against you” theme, enjoy interpreting your own handwriting in the picture here to compare against your improved results next month.

A glorious summer morning in the near West End was made even better by the pleasant surprise of a newly-refurbished 1/4 mile track circling the tennis & basketball courts. 19, including 1 FNG, started the workout, and added a LIFO, and the PAX ended with 19 due to an early defection. Here’s how it went down:

THE THANG

Mosey along Commonwealth Ave to big paved area beyond the pavilion (and directly across the street from @Olaf’s house – WAKE UP, FELLA!)

Warm-up COP:
SSH x25
Goofball x20
Peter Parker Pushup OYO x15
Bicycles (slow) x20
Russian Soldiers x20
LBCs x20
Crossfit Merkins x25 (hands off the ground every time you go down – this one was to make sure @Conspiracy held his form well)

Mosey around the school to loosen up the legs and back to the corner of the track

Four Corners – Part 1
– Run to corner do 10 Burpees
– Run to corner do 20 LBCs
– Run to corner do 10 Merkins
– Run to corner do 20 WW1 Situps (flat on ground with hands above head, sit up & touch toes)
– Rinse & repeat with +5 at each corner
– Slow bending squats when finished

Plank-o-Rama
– Reg-u-lar
– R hand high, R leg high if you can
– R hand thread the needle
– Reg-u-lar
– L hand high, L leg high if you can
– L hand thread the needle
– Reg-u-lar

Four Corners – Part 2
– 6 fastest from Part 1 run a lap and try to catch the rest of the PAX
– Run to corner do 20 Burpees
– Run to corner do 30 LBCs
– Run to corner do 20 Merkins
– Run to corner do 30 WW1 Situps
– Rinse & repeat with +5 at each corner
– Slow bending squats when finished
– Impromptu at end – ~2/3 of PAX run lap to finish with the rest of the PAX

Mosey to near shovel flag

1 minute of exercise to be chosen by TYA. Surprise! Russian Twists

Recover.

COT

3 men shared prayer requests. Good fellowship & a few laughs, especially while the Q retrieved his Weinke and phone to record names of the 20 PAX.

MOLESKIN

Welcome to FNG @Smoggy from Pittsburgh! You gave @Toga a run for his money at your first post, I do believe he was happy to hear you were a “hate hate” at the end.

It was an honor, as always to lead this morning. The core of this workout was taken from a workout @Lug Nut did in January – one of my all-time favorites. So well designed with the needed relief of LBCs after the Burpees, and YHC still remember the thought (“oh crap” or something similar) when the PAX was told that we would repeat with 20/30/20/30 and again +5… That day YHC was one of the first finishers the first time around who had to do the extra lap, but not today, and that gives me something to strive for. This is indeed a “you against you” workout, but it is good for me to see men who are faster & stronger – gives me something to strive for and forces me to push myself more. @Toga – YHC plans to catch you at some point. It is going to take a lot of hard work.

Confusion ensued at the end of Part 2 when the Q told the PAX “everyone still working take a lap” – what was meant there was “when you finish take a lap” with the intention of having the full PAX finish around the same time. Indeed, some followed the incorrect instructions and others correctly interpreted the Q’s true intention and acted accordingly. Too many Burpees mess with the mind?

YHC had MUCH more on the Weinke than could be accomplished in 45 minutes. How in the world does it make sense to think that a full Ark Loader with 6+ rounds could follow that Four Corners routine in the time allotted? Plenty of material saved for next week. That’s right, men, YHC will be bringing some pain again next Thursday before leaving for vacation. That Ark Loader may or may not make the docket.

12 faithful and 2 FNGs at 45 Minutes of Mary hit the ground and did some running in the rainy gloom this morning. Deflated footballs, a yellow frisbee, and a laminated cheat sheet were also in attendance as the men in this PAX got underway to push their limits.

ThE tHanG

Mosey across the tomato-less basketball courts and wrap around to the far corner of the tennis courts

COP

Merkins x10

SSH x20

Goofball x12

Scorpion Dry Dock x15 – switching leg somewhere along the way

Imperial Walkers x20

Mosey to the soccer field

Tunnel of Love: All PAX plank next to each other. One at a time crawl under the rest of the PAX and plank up at the other end. Each PAX goes through 2x

Mosey to the corner of the field near the shovel flag. Surprise, a frisbee! But wait, there’s also a laminated sign (per Bleeder)? Nope, it’s the cheat sheet because there’s a lot to remember for what’s to come…

The Lucky Horseshoe: Do the below until you finish or Q tells you to stop.

• Lap 1 around the field marked by the footballs and frisbee.
• MericansX20
• Lap 2
• MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20
• Lap 3
• MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20
• Lap 4
• MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20
• Lap 5
• MericansX20, Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
• Lap 6
• Storm SquatsX20, Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
• Lap 7
• Scorpion Dry DocsX20, WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
• Lap 8
• WW2 SitupsX20, LungesX20
• Lap 9
• LungesX20
• Lap 10

CoT (Circle of Trust) – What’s said in the COT stays in the COT. Several prayer requests from the PAX and good fellowship. We get this short time to commune each workout, me, and it’s good for us to support, help, pray for each other.

MoLeSkiN

YHC really enjoyed leading this group of men this morning. The workout was mostly borrowed/stolen from @Kato’s 2^nd Anniversary Horseshoe last week in Charlotte. Take a few minutes to read his backblast and click “T-claps” to show your appreciation for him taking the time to put his thoughts down in writing. I look forward to years of continuing to live life alongside the rest of the F3 Richmond PAX, seeing us grow, and develop leadership in our communities. Thanks to those of you who take the time to encourage me, and I am inspired by @Kato to take it as a challenge to see how I can befriend/help/lead others the way that he explains others have done for him. Those are the things that make an impact, brothers, and a demonstration to how we can live the second greatest commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (See Matthew 22:36-40)

Plenty of comments in the first couple of laps about the laminated cheat sheet – is it really laminated, and is it a #Weinke? Why is the #Weinke so big? Can you fit that #Weinke on your wrist, Sir Q? #Mumblechatter halted around lap 3.

Welcome to @FNG FIFA and @FNG Honey Do! Both of you acquitted yourselves well this morning, and we look forward to seeing you regularly. Props to Ronaldo and @Honey Do’s wife for the EH’s.

Suffice it to say that in the Tunnel of Love, some show love differently than others…

These deflated footballs that have been taking up room in YHC’s garage for years have finally found some good purpose, and what happens? SOMEONE STOLE A FOOTBALL WHILE THE PAX WAS HARD AT WORK AT THE OTHER END OF THE FIELD. Perpetrator to be found, or at least YHC hopes the thief has more need of such a thing. Whoever you are, you now have 14 PAX ready to find you and . . . EH you.