Author: Mr Holland

We ran 4 miles and did other stuff, too.

YNWA

Four upstanding citizens gathered for an unknown, unplanned beatdown. It went pretty well…

Opus got things started with a COP that included some exercises made up on the spot, like leg swings. Mosey behind the school for some pole smokers, and then time for a Dora: 100 donkey kicks, 200 squats, 300 LBCs. Q tossed to Mr Holland.

In what has started to become a Saturday Standard, the PAX did a couple of laps around the bus loop, pausing at each opening in the fence for a set of exercises. Each man took turns calling the exercise and the number of them, alternating arms, core, legs. End with burpees.

Back to the flag for some Helix stretches, typical ending fare, and Local Cup. Between the beat down and the lower temps, a good time was had by all.

YNWA

Three shock-proof men looked out the window and said, “Lightning? What lightning?” And also, “Plan? What plan?”

After a staggered arrival which saw Helix initially depart for a solo Murph before coming back for the latecomers, the PAX decided on a hot potato, and off we went. Here’s the best I can remember:

COP: some of the usuals like SSH, merkins, etc. But also featuring an un-named hip mobility exercise Helix came with. By this point the rain had let off, and we were all proud of ourselves for how right we were to show up. Mosey to the bus loop for Triple Check #1

Triple Check #1: box jumps/step-ups, alternating incline merkins and dips, while timer crosses the bus loop, bear crawling over the asphalt. It was good. Q is tossed to Surf ‘n Turf who takes us to the basketball courts for Triple Check #2:

Triple Check #2: pull-ups, dealer’s choice ab exercise, timer runs a lap around the courts. It was good. Q is tossed to Mr. Holland, and the PAX returned to the bus loop.

Three laps around the bus loop in total. At each fence opening, stop and do a set of exercises alternating from upper body – abs – lower body. Each man takes his turn twice. It was good.

Mosey back to the flag for brief stretching, brief announcements, numbers, names, and off to coffee.

YNWA

Four brave and variously-attired men descended upon DaPile for a hot potato beatdown (the only thing that was hot until Local Cup later on). I think it went like this:

Helix led a COP with all the standard favorites, then a mosey to another parking lot. Each island compounded the previous exercises:
1: 10 merkins
2: 20 squats
3: 30 PLTs
4: 40 side straddle hops
5: 50 LBCs

Opus took the Q and took us to the back of campus for a Love Slight Incline. Partner 1 runs to the stop sign and back while Partner 2 alternates broad jump burpees, bear crawling, or lunges. It took a while, though not as long as expected.

Mr. Holland took us home, completing the lap around campus whilst stopping for 25 of whatever exercise we hadn’t done enough of. Typical Mr. Holland kind of crap, really.

No announcements to speak of, but the PAX somehow grew by 50% at the Local Cup. Good times were had.

YNWA

A pair of able-bodied men sprang from their fartsacks and eagerly made their way to Atlee, where they greeted each other with no real plans of what they’d be doing that morning. We took turns leading activities, which YHC will do his level best to recall after nearly two weeks of procrastination:

Helix got us started with the COP doing…things. I’m sure it included good stretching and at least one exercise we don’t normally do. After a solid warmup, Helix passed the Q and Holland took over.

Mosey to the track, where we did a series of laps, stopping at each of the five sets of bleachers for a set of exercises:
Lap 1 – dips x 10 each
Lap 2 – reverse crunches x 10 each
Lap 3 – incline merkins x 10 each
Lap 4 – burpees x 5 each

From here it was over to Helix and over to the Cool Spring playground for a lazy Dora: 100 of that thing where your feet are in a swing that is kind of like a crunch, 200 squats, 300 SSH. Timer did leg lifts while hanging from the pullup bar until they didn’t feel like it anymore.

Back to Holland and back to the pavement. Run behind the schools, and stop at each speed bump for a new exercise. Highlights included WWIIs, Carolina drydocks, and YHC’s least favorite, sprinting to the next speed bump.

All in all a successful outing, and an enjoyable well-earned coffee was the ideal ending.

YNWA

Friday night, YHC declared to the group chat that he was preparing a “hybrid beatdown that will make you cuss,” which was enough to keep much of the PAX snuggled in their fartsacks. Three of us entered the octagon for a combination of running and things the Q hates to do. Best anyone can recall, here’s what went down:

COP in front of Atlee HS with standard fare: SSH, helicopters, Ukrainian soldiers, LBCs, hand-release merkins. Then, mosey over to the Chickahominy parking lot for the first challenge Mr. Holland hates: bear crawling. It’s a long damn parking lot, and we traversed the whole thing, stopping at each of the six islands along the way for 20 of an exercise: WWIIs, mountain climbers, jump squats, merkins, calf raises, and burpees to finish it off (but 10). There was discussion about non-consensual activities with road signs, but YHC will let you imagine the context for that.

With the goal of getting two laps in (3 miles) along with other painful things, we needed to make up some time, so off we ran until the speed bumps behind Cool Spring. Then, the next installment of things Mr. Holland hates: sprinting. Sprint from one speed bump to the next, then walk to the next one, repeat several times. For the remainder of the first lap, the PAX stopped at every speed bump for 20 exercises, alternating arms, core, legs.

Lap two included a triple check in between Atlee and CMS: donkey kicks, bench dips, and more bear crawling. It sucked. More running until we reached the speed bumps, and then to finish the lap, each man took turns calling 20 of an exercise until we ran out of time. Along the way, there was discussion about a certain PAX member’s expanding groin. Again, readers can imagine their own version of the context.

Special mention to Spit, who ran his own personal 10K while we were out doing our thing, with an 8:50ish pace.

YNWA

-Mr. Holland