Author: NTB

  • Monkey Humpers at Casa de Snuff

    A swarthy seven stomped around Bon Air in the post-rain gloom. Conditions were wet and nearly 70. We welcomed Bru and Coon Bait (downrange from F3 Bruco) for the first time! Some wanted to say Bru was the upgraded Sable, but we’ll wait until next week when the two Africans can square off and finally meet. We ventured all the way down McRae to Casa de Snuff where we stopped for a couple of stretches and the customary monkey humpers in the driveway. Sleep well sweet Snuff. From there we circled back through the Bon Air Baptist parking lot where we hit some ruck get-ups at each island before returning back to the Stony Point shopping center. YHC took us out.

    Coffeeteria was excellent as expected as we march on towards the final third of 12 Rules for Life!

  • Merkin with a Side of Merkin

    A dozen PAX were left confused and blissfully ignorant by Snuff’s preblast that an NTB beatdown was in store for this glorious Thursday morning at The Forge. YHC made it a lucky 13 and off we went at 05:30.

    Warmarama
    – SSH, Helicopters, DQ’s, Fudd’s Wife, Wilson’s Wife, Various Stretches, WWIIs

    The Thang

    • We attempted a 21-count SSH exercise where the PAX counts out loud for the first five, then completes the last 16 in silence. If everyone stopped at the same time, no penalty would be given. Single count SSH was too simple for this PAX’s IQ level. Next time we will look to complicate the rep scheme a little more to make it interesting.
    • We moseyed to the amphitheater area for a grueling mix of Merkins and Raise the Roof, Jack Webb style. To spice things up, the PAX bear crawled down the burm and back up between sets of ascending reps. After reaching 10 merkins and 20 RTR we moved on to the next station.
    • After a Wedding Singer 20 count we partnered up (unnecessarily) for Stairway to Seven on the amphitheater steps. Each pair did the following rep scheme from 1-7:
      • WWII, Incline Merkin, Step Ups to the top of the amphitheater, Squats, Down the amphitheater. Repeato.
    • Sticking with the partner theme we then ran the steps in opposite directions, performing a number of burpees each time we met up with our partner.
    • With time running low we moseyed back to the flag IP style where we had just enough time remaining for one of YHC’s favorites, license plate scramble. Each PAX stands in front of their vehicle and adds up the numbers on their license plate. When their turn around the circle comes the PAX calls out an exercise of their choosing with the reps equaling their license plate number.

    Announcements/Prayer Requests

    • Sign up for The Bridge and Breaking Bread
    • Prayers for Dookie’s dad who was recently diagnosed with Leukemia and awaiting testing results.
    • Prayers for YHC’s dad preparing to meet with a cardiologist in the coming days to run some tests.
    • YHC took us out.

  • Gimme More Harmonica

    A slick and stylish six embarked on yet another trip around the Stony Point fashion park donning the seasons’ hottest rucksacks. Tales from the Ragnar trails were shared by Sable, Purple Rain snuck in the fact that he just turned 40 (no more hate!), and many other stories were shared as we covered roughly 3.25mi in 65 minutes.

    April is one of YHC’s favorite months for several important reasons. In no particular order April marks the beginning of baseball season, the month I became a father, and playoff hockey! YHC had the pleasure of sharing with the PAX the headline sweeping through the NHL and the bottom third of the ESPN home page. A beloved group of elderly Korean ladies have been playing the national anthem on harmonicas to open the home playoff games for the LA Kings. The Kings had not lost at home yet and many are beginning to wonder how long they will ride this harmonica-powered freight train.

    https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/44908242/nhl-playoffs-2025-stanley-cup-harmonica-national-anthem-korean-seniors-kings

    YHC took us out and over to Eisntein for a bagel and discussion on Rule 6 of Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life. Always honored to lead such fine men!

  • Tariff Merkins.

    Six Ruckhenge regulars and one esteemed FNG gathered this morning for a ruck around Larus park and Stony Point Fashion Park. Welcome Dolly (Lee Franco – Sable’s VCU colleague)!!

    We trekked the western side of Larus, crossing the Sabot School gate, and onward to Stony Point Mall. We then turned East towards the VCU outpatient center and re-entered Larus. It was at that point YHC took the PAX into uncharted territory. We encountered a very steep hill, then a downed tree, then a “private property sign”… odd…before crossing a brick wall that could only signify one thing, the back of old Sabot School. Few PAX had ever dared trespass on the private school grounds and today we found ourselves there by pure accident. We hightailed it through the grounds and back to the safety of Stony Point shopping center.

    10 minutes still remain. YHC audibles to partner touch-a-pole. Descending count from 5 to 1, no pole repeats, and rucksack merkins at the center. It was at this time Dealer made the perfect connection that the rucksack merkins is the tariff-loaded merkin befitting of the times we now live in. YHC took us out where the fellowship continued inside Einstein’s for discussion of chapter 3 of 12 Rules for Life.

    Announcements

    • Century Classic CSAUP – May 2-3

    Prayer Requests

    • NTB’s travels to upstate NY this weekend.

  • Lobsterific

    Six mates climbed aboard the H.S.S. NTB for a voyage around the Bon Air seas. One PAX was almost lost overboard when his foot caught the edge of the curb and was sent to the pavement. Our man was pulled back aboard unharmed but not before changing his name to Tripper since the rhyming was just too good. We all returned safely to the shores of Einstein bagel where we dug in to Rule 1 of Jordan Peterson’s 12. Scram asked us all to rate ourselves from 1-10 though the scale was never truly defined. Hotness? Likelihood to go bankrupt? Some may never know…

  • Circular Logic

    A dashing dozen gathered on the courts of NoToll for a circuit-style NTB beatdown. Last Call was even spotted engaging in a little bit of pre-beatdown Broga. Spring is in the air.

    Following warmarama we split up into pairs for a pre-arranged circuit workout. Over the remaining 36 minutes we conquered the following feats:

    6min per station. One partner works while the other runs across the parking lot to the gazebo and back.

    • Chain Smokers
    • Dips
    • Battle Rope
    • Sandbag Rows
    • Coupon OH Press
    • Coupon Squats

    Announcements

    • Century Classic – May 2-3 – Team Relay thru Richmond
    • Breaking Bread – Sign up in your birthday month.
    • GrowRuck #59 – October 3-5, Cary, NC

    Prayer Requests

    • Friends of Last Call lost their daughter while in surgery.
    • NTB’s dad struggling with health. Recent bloodwork showing early signs of heart issues.
    • YHC took us out.

  • What Color is Dealer’s Truck??

    The color of Dealer’s truck is predicted to be the hottest debate topic of Spring 2025. As early mornings in the gloom continue to mask parking lots in darkness it will be hard to verify if his truck is dark grey or the olive green he claims. That was just about everything we discussed during the beatdown because the boys got after it this morning!

    Six lean and mean HIMs moseyed down to the backside of the football field for warmarama and then a triple check against the snack bar compiled of people’s chair and donkey kicks while the timer ran. With our legs awake we set out on a journey down light pole alley. We lunged, bear crawled, shuffled, and sometimes walked, between poles where we added a burpee at each stop. After 45 burpees we regrouped in the lower parking lot for a few trips up and down Mt. Chaplain. After 5 merkins and WWIIs we ran from the lower parking lot to the top of Mt. Chaplain, then back down to the next closest parking lot for 4 merkins and WWIIs. We continued that cadence until all parking lots were merkined and then we caught our breath at the top of the hill.

    We finished off the morning with cliff hanger holds at the top of the hill (on your six, facing downhill, hold feet of the ground) and then a plank ring of fire at the flag!

    Announcements

    • SOJ Chili Cookoff – March 22nd @ 3pm – L Wood’s Home – Open to Entire Family
    • The Century Classic – May 2-3 – Your favorite non-golf classic makes a comeback. Sign up!
    • GROWRUCK #59 – October 3-5 – Cary, NC

    Prayer Requests

    • Machismo looking to hire a superintendent/PM.

  • No Speeding In the Parking Lot!

    A swarthy seven were kind enough to wait for a last-minute NTB arrival for this week’s rendition of Ruckhenge! YHC launched out of bed late (really need to check the alarm settings) and that same rush of adrenaline to get to the AO on time set the tone for our fast pace through the forest and around Stony Point mall. We returned to the parking lot where we narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by a Karen who was eager to get her bagels before us even if it meant running us over.

    Announcements:

    • SOJ Chili Cookoff – Saturday 3/22 @ 3pm – Families encouraged to attend
    • The Century – May 2nd-3rd – More details to be posted to Slack. Don’t read them though, just sign up!
    • GrowRuck #59 – October 3-5th – Cary, NC

    Prayer Requests

    • YHC’s M’s grandmother passed away over the weekend.

  • The George Noory Hour

    A fabulous five ditched their leotards and instead donned their packs in the pursuit of rucking gold. Along our nearly 4mile journey we listened to Purple Rain’s recounting of what he picked up from the morning’s finest radio program, Coast to Coast with George Noory. Lizard people, aliens, and flaming skulls at Indian burial grounds were the highlights of what we assume is a daily listener, long time caller situation for our friend PR. Many other tall tales were told along the journey and we barely escaped a shakedown by a Stony Point mall cop to return safely to Einstein’s for coffeerama.

    Prayers for the Hendersons as they are just getting settled in PNG and prayers for Dealer’s family as his step mom battles health issues.

  • What Happened to Spring?

    Eight stud muffins gathered at the Stony Point Shopping Center for a frosty trek through Larus Park in this morning’s newest edition of Ruckhenge. Approximately 3.5mi of ground was covered under load and the mumblechatter was supreme. Great to see McRib out for maybe the first time, and the return of Double Mint was highly anticipated.

    Announcements: THIS SATURDAY – FROZEN TRIANGLE – DOGPILE 6am – The less questions you ask the better.

    Prayer Requests:

    • Double Mint, DTH, and Broadway all have friends and loved ones battling new cancer diagnoses.

    YHC took us out and over to coffeerama at Einstein’s.