Author: Marv

  • We Were All “Who’s This Guy?” Once

    As I was sitting in my car at 5:27am in the otherwise empty Tuckahoe Elementary Parking lot I began to wonder what I was going to do if no one showed up to Hoedown on this November Monday. Do I do a workout by myself out of spite (kinda like Conspiracy did that one time he was late and TYA immediately bolted up Kingscrest at Munford)? Do I go home and go back to the sack? Maybe I just go for a run, although I’m not wearing my running shoes? What’s the protocol here?

    Fortunately, three other west enders showed up, including Vandelay, who apparently was talked into coming by some guys at Libbie Market over the weekend. Good work by those guys getting Vandelay back in the saddle…and also well done talking someone into going and not showing up yourself. It has been a bit light at Hoedown lately.

    The Q itself wasn’t all that noteworthy.

    Basic COT to begin with…some dead man hangs, a runner’s stretch, arm circles, 25 2 count side straddle hops.

    Down to Lindsay, partner up. Pretty simplistic run to the top and back while the partner is lunging, bear crawling and crab walking.

    Same deal on Paris next to Lindsay.

    Same-ish deal on the soccer field at Tuckahoe…except it was dips and pullups while YHC unsuccessfully tried to kick a soccer ball into the goal.

    Some donkey kicks and American Hammers to finish.

    In between we knocked out fifty two-count Mercans. Here Here.

    Quick Pigskin appreciation post– When Pigskin first came out to Hoedown, it was definitely a “Who’s This Guy?” situation. His in cadence included numbering in all different kinds of languages, including, but not limited to, Spanish, German and could that be Russian? It was a lot for the guys at Hoedown to take…we’re not into change and, by and large, it isn’t a group that calls a ton of attention to themselves. To jump out and start speaking Russian on your first day requires some intestinal fortitude…but there he was, all 70 years-ish old making us all look like out of shape schlubs as he sprite-ed around TES hammering away burpees like he was doing 12oz curls.

    I’m inspired each and every day I work out with Pigskin. I’m come to enjoy the multi-lingual cadence counting, it’s pretty charming when you think about it…Shaka Smart would always say “Variety is the spice of life!” Russian language is spice, for sure. You tell me that age 72 I’m running around a snobby west end elementary school in the dark before the sun rises and I’ll absolutely take it right now, no questions asked.

    This Thursday I’m heading to Charleston on a business deal and I plan to workout with those guys somewhere down there. I guess, on that morning, I’ll be “that guy” of the “who is this guy” fame. Maybe I’ll brush up on some of my non-existent Russian.

  • The Day we Ran Mt. Henrico

    There is some irony in having been awarded the best backblast ever and always being super late in writing backblasts. (That trophy, by the way, is proudly displayed on our mantle in our living room. I have a couple of championship rings, including the Final Four, which are stashed away collecting dust…but that trophy is out for everyone to see). Anyhoo, maybe because I one day would like to replicate that one that I wrote years ago I always procrastinate, hoping that inspiration will strike. It rarely, if ever, does.

    So three (or so) weeks ago a group of 15 guys set out on a quest to get to the highest point in Henrico County. We met our Sherpa at Trinity and she took us the rest of the way. We left with 15 and came back with 14…only because Faceplant had to bug out early. All of needed oxygen in one way shape or form.

  • Post Halloween Hanover (Street)

    An unclaimed Q for RAMM had us all staring at eachother at around 5:27am the morning after Halloween. A week earlier Lockjaw had us run down Hanover, which each year tries to do Halloween in a big way…but they hadn’t quite set it up yet. Halloween, unlike Christmas, isn’t necessarily a season…but a “let’s get some stuff up for tonight”.

    Either way, we tried it again on Friday and had a little more success. There’s some theories, preported mainly by me, that it isn’t what it used to be on Hanover street. 15 years ago when I took my 2.0 my mind’s eye is telling me there were a lot more houses doing big, fun things out front…but maybe that’s just time and hyperbole.

    Either way, we saw skeletons in a canoe, some goofy/scary clowns and more skeletons. The skeletons in the yard direction phenmomena has been fun to watch…I like it when they give them everyday tasks, like sitting in lawn chairs or mowing the grass. Maybe next year I’ll jump into that troupe.

    Either way…good idea Lockjaw, albeit a week early.

  • Election Day in Tuckahoe

    In a November tradition like no other, Tuckahoe stalwart Saab took the Tuesday morning to get a run and a vote in at the same time, leaving MARV to type the backblast…which means it’s coming a few days, weeks or in some cases months late. Marv ain’t all that great in typing backblasts when it is his Q….even worse when no one snags the Q and he tells himself that it’s a good idea to go ahead and lead that day…and then there’s the least likely way to get a timely backblast…when he fills in for someone else.

    Nevertheless, here’s the ol’ review of Tuesdays Election Day run.

    Took the old school way out of UofR (non bat cave) to River and then to Westham Station. Up Highland and back to Westham Station…then up the hill. We found ourselves on Westham in the neighborhood…right on Waveny which turns into Wood. Wood to University, University back to the flag. 5s and 4s did a variation of that.

    Saab also did a variation of that, which included taking a detour to vote, which is something he’s done since the creation of Spider Run.

  • The Munford 9

    A crisp and cool low 60s greeted the Munford 9 on this, the first Friday in the month of September. Have we seen the last of the humid low 70s in the morning? The current forecast has it pushing 83-85 on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week…which isn’t terrible, but you do get the feeling the tropical oppression has one more run left in her before the fall settles in for good.

    Speaking of one more run…9 guys showed up on Friday morning for a trundle around the near west end. When in doubt, you can never really go wrong with a jaunt down Monument Avenue, where, even in the gloom, it’s one of the best tracks in all of the Mid-Atlantic.

    The Thang was pretty simple. The boys headed north on Commonwealth (even though you are going down hill…am I the only one in the world that struggles feeling like you are heading north when you are going down hill?). Anyway, north on Commonwealth and then east on Monument. You run east on Monument until the 4s get to about 19:00, the 5s 2

    0:30 and the 6s 21:30. Admittedly, that was a very unscientific and, actually, pretty lazy way to map out the route…but I forgot my computer at the office last night, so Map My Run wasn’t available.

    You head south (uphill) on whatever 19:00, 20:30 and 21:30 street you find…for the 6s it was Allen until you hit Cary. From there, you are back west on Cary to Malvern…Malvern to Groooooooovvvvveeeee and then Grove on in. YHC was hoping for the added smells of Can Can that sometimes arrive when you breeze by there in the morning, but, alas, there were no added smells from Can Can. A few times there was some added smells of weed in this part of the city, but that really pales in comparison to the bread of Can Can, doesn’t it?

    I hope everyone’s weekend has (had) a down hill yet northern vibe.

  • What Gets Celebrated Gets Repeated

    A solid dozen dudes posted on a “the heat is on it’s way” morning in the near west end. While the temperatures were hanging in the mid-60s, you could feel the humidity creeping in.

    There was chatter before about the origins of the Spider Run. YHC is pretty sure it was birthed by Saab and me once things at Mary Munford got cemented. That said, I don’t feel like the historical “Fudd Run” was founded after Spider Run was launched. Like, it predated it…somehow. Not sure if that makes sense or if there were runs in the near west end/Westham area prior to Spider Run becoming an official AO but it was a topic of conversation this morning.

    To that end, it was a bit of a Fudd Run this morning through the hills of Westham.

    4s, 5s, 6s got into the Westham neighborhood through the standard Robins Center Parking lot, College Road, Lakewood, Wood, Baldwin.

    4s and 5s took Baldwin to Hollins to Woodberry. 4s took Woodberry to Westham and then back to Baldwin and back to the flag.

    5s went across Westham to Horsepen…Horsepen to Devon to Ridgetop…Left on Chandler(!)…up Chandler back to Gardiner. Gardiner hits Wheeler…cross the bridge back to campus…then launch to Boatright to Three Chopt. Uturn on Three Chopt back to to the flag with a bit of a lap around the lake in there…YHC apologizes as it seems that was a wee bit short.

    6s actually went Rock Creek to Sweet Briar to Woodberry to Hollins. Hollins to Baldwin to Brookside…Brookside to Bryn Mawr back to Woodberry. From there, the same as the 5s without the trip around the lake.

    On the run there was a cute yard sign that congratulated a preschooler on graduation. A few of us on the run raised an eyebrow at that early congrats…but then again, what gets celebrated gets repeated and who doesn’t want a graduation to be repeated in Elementary School, Middle School and obviously high school.

  • At Upchuck’s Request

    Just over two months ago we showed up at a Q to RAMM and no one was there to lead it. I can’t remember if someone ghosted after signing up or it was just left blank. Either way, YHC took charge and told everyone to run for 22 1/2 minutes and then come back the same way. I then took over recording the people that were there only to make the post two months (and change) later. No excuse, really…just some forgetfulness and procrastination. Thanks to Upchuck for passive agressively (passively agressive) nudging me to do it for the last 66 days. Here you go, Upchuck…for the world to see.

  • It’s Worth It for the View

    While the county of Henrico has many amazing vistas…coming over the railroad tracks on Hillard off of Staples Mill, pulling into the Costco parking lot on a Saturday, Sandston…there’s nothing quite like that scene between 5:50 and 6:00 am when you arrive at the highest point in the county, the seat apex, if you will and you find yourself at the crest of Mt. Henrico.

    The Blue Ridge Bank (with electric charging stations (@Faceplant, @Sippy). The Burger King. The CAA Offices (did you know that they are no longer the Colonial Athletic Association, but the Coastal Athletic Association? Thirteen years ago that league had JMU, ODU, VCU all playing quality hoops against each other and UofR making up what was widely regarded as the best FCS football league in the country. Now all those schools are gone, including UofR, who bolted to the Patriot League for football).

    I digress.

    Anyway, it was a georgeous morning to grab your oxygen tank, your sherpa and your SLR Camera to head to the Zenith of all things Henrico at the intersection of Julian and Parham…which is exactly what a dozen post Memorial Day exercising guys did.

    The thang…

    Lakeview to the parking lot by the baseball field. (Anyone know what they are doing on the baseball field at UofR?). Down to College. College to Lakewood to Wood to Baldwin. I mean, we all know this, right…kinda playing the hits here. Baldwin gets ya to Rock Creek which, if you take a leo, you end up at Forest. Forest to the other University, not to be confused with the one 1 mile away. University all the way to Glendale (like where the Arizona Cardinals play, thanks @Splinter) to Julian. Run to the end of Julian…take a deep breath, think about all those fantastic CAA Tournament basketball games in the Coliseum, turn around and head home.

    Where have you gone, Eric Maynor?

  • No Lockjaw, No Splinter, No Problem

    For the first time since the dog days of summer someone other than Lockjaw or Splinter showed up at Spider Run with a route to run. YHC joined twelve guys at the lowest point in the Tuckahoe Area (not an official measurement) to run around the hills of Westham on a beautifully cool and crisp morning.

    The Thang–

    Everyone to College Road via the baseball field parking lot. Right on Lakewood and left on Wood. This should all be very familiar. From there, Aha!, it takes a bit of a change…instead of the normal right on Baldwin, everyone went left…and we took that to Woodberry. Left on Woodberry.

    The 4s-Take a left on Sweet Briar…to Stuart Hall. Left on Stuart Hall and a left on Baldwin. Baldwin to Westham, to Baldwin…right on Wood, left on Lakewood…then back to the flag.

    The 5s…They went Woodberry to Hollins. Left on Hollins then right on Baldwin to the top up to Patterson. Back down Baldwin to Westham. Westham to University to College to the parking lot…back to the flag.

    The 6s…They went left on Baldwin after Hollins…right on Rock Creek…left on Forest and then right on Spottswood. There’s a loop on Spottswood to take that more or less dumps you back out on Forest. Left on Forest, right on Rock Creek…right on Baldwin. Then pick up the 5s trail on the way back to the flag.

    Full disclosure…I think YHC days of running 6 in 45 minutes are pretty much over. The crew had a brisk pace this morning and I wasn’t really close to running 7:30s. Anyway, I think 6 mile routes are worth brining up…but know there may be an extra minute or two at the end that you wait for YHC to come trundling in.

  • 78 Is Just a Bit Warm

    When I turned the car on after the workout this morning the themometer read “85”…at 6:35am in the morning. 85. Now, there’s some variance on that temperature, when I turn it on in the middle of the afternoon it can read 105 and then it quickly drops, but still.

    Eventually the temperature, on the way home, dropped to 78, but stil…

    Just going to be transparent here as someone who has logged my fair share of workouts, both boot camps and runs…you dudes can have 78 degrees in the summer. Count me out. Call me whatever you want to call me, I’ll gladly wear it, and I’ll gladly find something else to do on mornings where it’s over 75.

    I’ll miss you those mornings, I really will. And I’ll see you when it’s 3 degrees (or more) cooler.

    The Thang…

    This was your basic UofR to Hillcrest in the City run. It’s fun to cross the county lines, in my opinion. That’s a unique part of Spider Run…you can truly get to, what, three different municipalities from the launching point at the UofR commons? You can get across the river into Chesterfield (right? Or is that a bit more down Huguenot road?) and then into the city, and obviously Henrico.

    For this morning, we shot out of UofR, up Towana, south on Three Chopt to Grove. Grove to Oak and then Oak to Hillcrest. From there you were out and back depending on what your watch said. The 6s got a couple of loops of Hillcrest in, for what it’s worth.

    But still…78…just too darn hot.