Author: NTB

  • Tales of the West

    Four ruckers joined YHC for their inaugural tour of Larus Park for the second iteration of the newly minted Ruckhenge AO. At the 0500 launch we set off around the backside of the Stony Point Shopping Center and it was not long before Gumbo began to recall stories of the good ‘ol days working at the Ukrops. Great stories of the Pax’s travels out West continued to highlight our one-hour, 3-mile trek around the wooded trails, the highlight of which concerned the near-death experience of Gumbo and Redbird as they came face-to-bumper with a bison out on the Great Planes. All of F3RVA is grateful Gumbo narrowly avoided a collision so that he could be with us today and send Redbird off to USMA West Point in a handful of days! Coffeteeria at Einstein’s capped off a great morning in the gloom!

  • I’m Mr. Brightside! (1yr Anniversary)

    One year ago, YHC showed up to NoToll as an FNG for a Mudslide beatdown on the summer tour. It was an honor to lead the 17 PAX today to celebrate an F3 trip around the sun! According to the future FNG running laps by himself around the NoToll fields, this is what went down:

    Warmarama – Basketball Court

    • Welcome, disclaimers, mission statement.
    • SSH, Ukrainian Soldiers, Imperial Squat Walkers, Jazzercise, APDs, Flutter Kicks, Merkins

    COP #1 – Coupon Dora

    • Partner up and grab an extra-heavy coupon YHC neatly staged during morning Broga (until it was time for the shavasana).
    • 100 Squats / 200 SSHs / 300 Flutter Kicks – Timer carries the coupon the length of the court and back.

    Coupon carry to the dumpsters for storage and future pain. Mosey to the soccer pavilion for the main event!

    COP #2 – “I’m Mr. Brightside” Challenge

    • YHC teased in the pre-blast that a donation to Team Brightside would be made on behalf of the PAX. Here was our challenge:
    • 20min AMRAP – One Round = $1 to Team Brightside on your behalf!
      • 2 Burpees
      • 4 Groiners
      • 8 Merkins
      • 16 SSH
      • 8 Merkins
      • 4 Groiners
      • 2 Burpees
      • Lap Around the Soccer Field
    • It was awesome to see these HIMs push themselves for a great cause! It was all gas, no brakes for 20 minutes before finishing the final round with a run back to the flag.

    Numberama/Namerama/Accounting/Announcements/Prayer Requests

    • 8 Rounds: Heist, Dr. Try Hard, Dealer, NTB = $32
    • 7 Rounds: Rudy, Rodeo Clown, Bromance, Boberry = $28
    • 6 Rounds: Warby, Honeymoon, McRib = $18
    • 5 Rounds: Mr. Roper, Doner Kebab, Speedo = $15
    • 4 Rounds: House Party = $4
    • 3 Rounds: Bone Thugs = $3
    • TOTAL= $100 + NTB Family Match = $200 to Team Brightside!!!

    NMS: It is truly an honor to lead today and YHC is incredibly grateful for the men of F3RVA who have pushed me to be a better husband, father, and leader over this past year. The PAX has encouraged me in numerous workouts, challenged my spiritual development within the shield lock, carried my burdens through the long night of GTE, and rallied around my family in comfort through the loss of an unborn child. We are the cure for the male loneliness epidemic in our country and I am excited for many more years to come!

  • Ruck Rumors

    Three SOJ beasts of burden set off from Casa de Hard with rucks on for some pre-dawn miles around Bon Air. None of the world’s problems were solved on this particular 3mile journey, but YHC’s spirits were lifted and plans were laid-out for the unveiling of a new AO… stay tuned.

  • Is Something Happening This Weekend?

    I’m not sure if you’re aware, but it’s GTE week. YHC noticed yesterday that the Q-sheet was open so the spot was claimed with the intention of having a lower-RPM beatdown with this weekend in mind. Nonetheless, today’s NTB beatdown had all the signature trademarks: confusion, over-exertion of one muscle group (holy quads), an epic playlist, and a couple of good laughs.

    0530 hot start with five suicides on the basketball courts, followed by a classic warmarama circle, all to the catchy beat of Epic Sax Guy. Several comments were made about dentist office waiting rooms and elevators, but deep down the PAX knows they’re growing to love it.

    COP #1: Blackjack Quadriceps

    • Shuttle back and forth from baseline to baseline for ascending squats and descending lunges totaling up to 21! Like 7s or 11s but worse.

    COP #2: Grand Slam Four Corners

    • The idea was decent, the explanation needed improvement. We got it on the second rendition. Each corner is the same movement, but the box gets larger with each round. In future beatdowns the travelling portion between corners can be more challenging which would make the whole circuit better. Today we mosied around.
    • Corner 1: (5) merkins
    • Corner 2: (5) WWIIs
    • Corner 3: (5) Cruncy Frogs
    • Corner 4: (5) Flutter Kicks
    • We went through the 16 corners a second time, performing one burpee at each corner.

    Finished with (10) Eskimo Merkins and then returned back to the flag for numbers, names, announcements, and prayer requests.

    All PAX are invited to the Friday evening GrowRuck rally on Friday night! Come out for a unique 2nd-F event with the region.

  • SCary Four Corners

    YHC posted downrange with the South Cary, NC (SCary) PAX today. Pretty cool to do a beatdown in my childhood neighborhood, even if childhood wasn’t that long ago for me.

    Launch at 0515 with the pledge of allegiance at the shovel flag, followed by a half-mile mosey to circle up for Warmarama. The main COP was 6 rounds of four-corners with each round isolated to one movement (mostly abs) and increasing reps at each corner. Forty curb/step calf-raises at the completion of each round. Welcomed one FNG who was named Cornell because he went to Brown.

    Ended in COT and then met up with two other AOs for coffeteria nearby. About thirty men including Water Wings who posts in Westhoe from time-to-time.

    No immediate sign-ups for GTE-47 despite YHC’s sales pitch.

  • My Dogs Are Barkin’

    A notorious nine launched from Dogpile at 0400 for a walking tour of Richmond. Conditions were 70 and sunny, perfect for a 10-mile CSAUP. From Dogpile we trekked north to The Diamond for our first pit stop. YHC attempted to demonstrate how to tie a bowline knot, but it was rope-master Machismo who educated the PAX. We headed south down Hermitage into the heart of the Fan and lost Big Rig somewhere in the neighborhood as his time with us was also planned to be medium and sweet. Eastbound down Monument/Franklin to Monroe Park for pitstop #2. Continue south to Tredegar, cross the Lee footbridge, and lap Belle Isle before continuing on to the Buttermilk Trail. After 8-miles of rucking, Buttermilk proved to be a worthy challenger for the PAX,. At the Reedy Creek parking lot we got back on the pavement of Riverside Drive and followed it uphill to the Nickel bridge, which returned us to our vehicles. Something in the territory of 10.5-miles were covered, because we’re a little tougher than the Rockwood boys down south. Jesting aside, well done to all the PAX pushing themselves this weekend to be better prepared for the beatdown of all beatdowns that promises to be GTE-47. If you have CSAUP fomo, ruck with Boberry and Rosie tonight!!!

    CSAUP Superlatives:
    – Fittest HIM Award – Dealer
    – Mr. Adventure Award – Machismo
    – Local Historian Award – Biodome
    – Gone to Soon Award – Big Rig
    – Best Storyteller Award – Chaplain
    – Grit Award – Broadway
    – Fearless Leader Award – Dr Try Hard
    – Coolest Ruck Accessory Award – Houseparty
    – Does Anything Try Hard Says Award – NTB

  • Ruck Games

    SIXTEEN southside studs assembled at NoToll to answer the NTB bell. YHC sent out a pre-blast that with GTE-47 on the horizon we would use our rucksacks as coupons for practice. Most got the memo, a few did not, and a handful of others were co-opted to grab their rucks out of their vehicles against their will. One brave FNG joined the F3 ranks and performed exceptionally well. Welcome SNIP!

    WARMARAMA – Circle up at the basketball court and drop the rucks for IC reps of the following:

    • SSH / DQs / Jazzercise (w/ toe taps) / Ukranian Soldiers / DMH / Alabama Prom Dates / etc.
    • Our warmup was enhancedby the repetitive, but very catchy, Epic Sax Guy groove on the bluetooth speaker. Snuff would not have approved. State Farm would have loved it. Most in the PAX were not amused…. anyways…. time to ruck up and line up along the baseline.

    COP 1 – 11s – Jump Squats and Merkins w/ Rucks

    • To most everyone’s delight the bluetooth speaker died in the early stages of our cross-court 11s and the smooth sax was replaced with the huffing and puffing of weighted movements.
    • Mosey to the soccer field pavilion and partner up!

    COP 2 – Mother Rucking Dora

    • 100 Lt. Dan’s / 200 Hand-Release Merkins / 300 Diamond Sit-Ups
    • Timer carries the ruck(s) farmer-style the width of the soccer field and back.
      • Mad respect to the PAX who carried two rucks that length for multiple rounds!
    • After the PAX made it through the 100 Lt. Dans, YHC recognized that the remaining rep counts were very ambitious when combined with the heavy coupon carry, so we modified to 100 HRMs and 100 diamond sit-ups, which left us just enough time for the finale.

    COP 3 – Ruck Games

    • Partners line up along the touchline (learned that from Ted Lasso) facing one another, making two rows of 8. Your teammate on the Dora just became your competitor in this epic showdown. Team NTB had five rucks while Team Last Call had six rucks, because leading has it privileges. Pile all of the rucks on one end of the line. On YHC’s “go”, we passed our rucks down the line to the other side. The last team to finish performed a five-merkin penalty for losing. YHC is happy to report that merkins were served out on either side of the line. 7 rounds were performed in this order:
      • Standard Pass
      • OH Press
      • Squat
      • Thruster
      • Plank Position – Left Arm Pull Through
      • Plank Position – Right Arm Pull Through
      • x2 Squats
    • Recover, rucks on, and mosey back to the flag for COT.

    Numbers / Names / Announcements / Prayer Requests

    • Growruck #47 – There is still time to sign up. You will add value to everyone’s experience by being there! See DTH or Rosie for questions regarding the event.
    • Pray for Wildcat and the birth of their new child today!
    • Pray for health and resilience among the PAX as we support our own as well as our families battling serious illness.

    Thanks for the opportunity to lead today! I really enjoyed this workout and I look forward to similar creative themes in the future. Special shout-out to Last Call for crushing the 50lb ruck he unknowingly partnered with on the Dora.

  • The Three Kettle Bell Amigos

    YHC arrived to find Last Call and Doozy already conversing in the parking lot. We were joined shortly thereafter by Rosie for a literal 70 and not-quite sunny Betty Weaver kettle bell beatdown.

    At 05:30 we launched for a mosey lap around the school but Doozy bolted the opposite direction on a solo mission up Twin Team to put in some fast laps around Salisbury. Alas, the three amigos continued on with kettle bells in tow. Several of the world’s problems were solved, but because our hands were full we weren’t able to write down any of the solutions.

    WARMARAMA: Various OYO stretches in the parking lot. Mosey to the paved courts behind the school for the main event.

    COP: Kettle-Bell-Palooza

    1. Four Rounds of KB carries across the school. Right arm extended, left arm extended, and goblet lunges x2. At each end of the pavement perform 10 merkins, 20 WWIIs, and 30 LBCs before traveling back. Loooots of lunges…woof!
    2. Four Rounds of KB Four Square. The non-KB square was always 20 jump squats and then we came up with various KB movements for each square for each round, including chest press, rows, American hammers, etc.
    3. Triple Check. The timer farmer carries two KBs across the school and back while partner 1 performs KB chest press and partner 2 performs Rosalita dips.

    NUMBERAMA/NAMEARAMA/ANNOUNCEMENTS/PRAYER REQUESTS

    • GROWRUCK #47 – Only 24 RVA PAX have signed up?? I was shocked to learn that today. LETS GO! Your brothers will need you under those logs in the middle of the night.
    • Breaking Bread – Sign-up on the Q sheet with a fellow F3 brother. We also discussed finding more 3rd F opportunities around the city.
    • Prayers for Last Call working on finalizing a stressful deal at work.
    • Prayers would be appreciated for the NTBs as we’ve learned that we are pregnant once again. God is good, but the risks and brokeness of a fallen world cause us to be anxious as we’ve walked through the valleys of loss before and as recently as January of this year.

    NMS: YHC was stoked to see in the backblasts that FNG Justin was welcomed by the Satan’s Hill PAX this morning and named HUD. HUD is currently a client of mine and we had talked F3 on several occasions. Glad to see he was EH’d by the RounTrey/New Market mafia!

  • You Sound Funny

    An elite eight assembled outside the Huguenot Flatwater parking lot for another OTB ruck through the rolling Stratford Hills. Rather than our typical flat and fast roundtrip down Riverside Drive, YHC introduced the PAX to a hilly loop that covered approximately 3.5 miles. We hit a couple steep inclines on the out loop and then coasted back downhill to our vehicles, stopping for a quick detour at Chateau-de-NTB for 10 monkey humpers in front of the doorbell camera.

    It was a pleasure to ruck with Mayhem for the first time, as well as welcome FNG Alex to the PAX.

    FNG Alex and his family are members of the Dr. TryHard F3 factory known by most as Pediatric and Adolescent Health Partners and will earn his F3 name at The Forge tomorrow since today was an unsanctioned assault on the shoulders and lower extremities.

    The backblast title is a light jab at the FNGs quite fascinating dialect which most of us Yanks are not accustomed to…

  • Might As Well Jump

    Four frozen FORGE faithfuls came out on their bonus day of the year hoping YHC would find a dry patch of ground somewhere on semi-hallowed grounds of Huguenot High. Following the sage advice of Van Halen, YHC thought we might as well jump, and jump a lot, on this special leap day. We set off on a long mosey to the turf football field where a hobbled Don Draper caught up to the PAX for the following:

    WARMARAMA

    • Circle up in the end zone for IC movements such as SSH, Hill Billy’s, Helicopters, Merkins, etc.

    COP #1: Longest Yard

    Line up along the goal line for a sustained drive of broad-LEAP burpees that even Christian McCaffrey would have difficulty completing. Stop every 10 yds to perform the movement corresponding to the yardage marker:

    • 10 Bobby Hurley’s / 20 Pickle Pounders / 30 Apolo Ohno’s (double count) / 40 Australian Snowmen / 50 SSH / 40 Australian Snowmen / 30 Apolo Ohno’s (double count) / 20 Pickle Pounders / 10 Bobby Hurley’s… touchdown!

    Last Call displayed incredible athletic prowess with 7-9yd leaps with each burpee, and Don Draper learned of Bobby Hurley. All in all we hit the endzone winded and educated!

    COP #2: Chillcut Leap Frog

    We have to get back to the gate somehow, why don’t we leap frog!? Each of the PAX lines up chillcut style along the hash line while the PAX leap frog one another down the field. All in all a nice duration for an ab-burner.

    COP #3: Super Mario Triple Check

    Mosey to the amphitheater for a triple check. Sticking with the leaping theme, the timer jumps the stairs/retaining wall while the PAX performs flutter kicks, hand-release merkins, and LBCs.

    COP #4: The People’s Tooth Fairy

    Mosey up and down the hill over near the courtyard of the damned that Chaplain introduced to us on Tuesday. Line up for people’s chair. The first PAX leaves the wall to tooth fairy merkin up two flights of stairs and resumes people’s chair at the top while the rest of the PAX follow one at a time. Last Call brought in the six and gave us a quick 30-count from the chair position to release us to mosey back to the flag.

    COT: Numbers/Names/Announcements/Prayer

    • Continue to pray for Don Draper’s flirtatious relationship with IR.
    • Reminder to grab a buddy and sign-up for Breaking Bread on the Q-sheet.
    • YHC took us out.