Author: Shakedown

  • Paging Dr. Cooksie 🎹🥃👶🏼

    It was a beautiful morning to run. The 4, 5, and 6 milers all ran by the building I was born in – St Mary’s.
    I told a funny story about the day I was born in 1973, the Dr was missing and his nurse found him at O’Tooles drunk and playing the piano. He used the forceps on my giant head and squeezed a bit too much. Imagine how smart I’d be if I wasn’t brain damaged at birth – lol. Not to worry, that doc lost his license to practice soon after my original birthday.
    Great to see everyone this morning- I really appreciate and value the friendships and relationships I’ve developed with you guys over the last 8 years. Grateful.

    Shakedown

  • No bees 🐝 today

    Not it’s all around and then YHC had the Q. “Hey guys, my epi pen is in the first aid kit under the back seat in my truck, key around my neck – North to South and let’s go…

    I joked about a bro code run but then cut everyone free to do their own thing. The Pax revolted and said they’d keep me close after my announcement about the epi pen… really not necessary but much appreciated. With that in mind I kept up the pace out of guilt but it felt great. 6.5 miles (Northbank, Pottersfield, Buttermilk) at under 11/mile with is pretty quick for the trails. The fastest YHC had ever done it was 10/mile and I was younger and way fitter at the time…

    Great run, great conversation and fellowship.
    YHC took us out with gratitude and prayers for sick relatives everywhere.
    some of us went to ETs. Thanks guys. I needed that

  • Anaphylaxis Sucks

    Four stalwarts and Crucible regulars arrived at Blackwell Elementary this morning to a kettlebell beatdown but…

    Some of us had aching backs and we didn’t have any of the newer guys so we did some stretching and decided to go for a run. We ran to the river, crossed the T-Pot, then the Pipeline Trail (JC’s first time) and over the temporarily closed Mayo Bridge. YHC is not a huge fan of running on that bridge what with the narrow lanes, the maniac drivers and the two-inch curb that would be hardly noticeable to a distracted driver. It was a real treat to run over it right down the middle of the road. Good fun.

    Back to the flag, talk about the AO, talk about the evolving t-shirt design and YHC regaled the gents with the tale of when I almost got killed by yellow jackets.

    Until next week… I think it’s SOJ takeover. Looking forward to it.

  • Crushing it at The Crucible

    Whelp, I am not that good at posting backblasts in a timely manner. Please forgive me…

    It was a lovely morning in Blackwell for the four gloom warriors to take the field. We started with a COP, as usual. It consisted of the regular stuff that I do – you know, SSHs, DQs, Ukrainian Soldiers, merkins, and the like.

    Offshore had some coupons – a 40lb kettle bell and a 30 pound ruck plate so YHC decided to use those because it’s not really working unless it hurts a little bit. YHC is going to start bringing a couple of KBs on the regular.

    We partnered up and one partner did an exercise with the coupons while the other ran across the playground to the tree and back. Exercises were Russian kettlebell swings (the Russian swings are where the KB is straight out in front of the swinger, the American is when you swing it overhead – in case you were wondering), overhead press, and goblet squats – good times

    Then we went to the brutal and steep but mercifully not huge. We did 11’s featuring Carolina Dry Docks and jump squats.

    Next we moseyed across the street to the sports fields and went all the way to the end where we did some burpees, WW2s. and something else I cannot remember. Mosey back to the flag for numberama, namerama, and COT.

    Keep Caleb in your thoughts and prayers – he is struggling.

    So – I marked this post 3rd F for a couple of reasons. This AO has a couple of purposes and you may know – one is to attract men from The Healing Place and the other is to expand into neighborhoods underserved by F3RVA. This is something that we all (or most) agreed would be an important thing to do during our Pandemic Zoom town hall thing. It is so late because we are working with the schedules of the men in THP. We have a couple of ex THP Pax who have dug right in to F3RVA and I am grateful that they are now reaping the benefits of what we as a group have to offer.

    The second reason is that The Crucible has been added as a 3rd F AO for the Summer Tour. YHC plans to do the tour and hope some of you other touring Pax come by.

    Yours in service and brotherhood,

    Shakedown

  • Shoe Day!

    10 gloom warriors, including 2 FNGs, braved the chilly wind and cam together to be awesome.

    Flinstone was on the Q sheet but was unaware that today was his VQ so YHC improvised and we all had a Kickass time and it went something like this:

    COP was mostly the usuals – SSH, LBC, arm circles, Ukrainian soldiers, Don Qs, merkins etc..

    Flinstone is nursing a big toe injury so we kept it close to the flag, mosey to curb crawl up to 5 and back down.

    Next was 11s on the hill. Jump squats up top and WW2s at the bottom.

    then we did a double check of sorts partner up and we were running from one picnic or another – Donkey Kicks, dips, decline Merkins.

    Mary ring of fire and we’re done.
    2 FNGs Sean Vass and his son Jackson (10) are now Rongrande and LilRon in homage to Jackson’s love of soccer and C. Ronaldo specifically.

    After the beatdown we handed out shoes that Gypsy so kindly donated to the guys. Smiles and gratitude all around.
    Some of the guys want to do Bear Creek 10 milers and we may be sponsoring those that don’t have the scratch.

    The message we left with is to always lift up our brothers who may be struggling. Positive reinforcement is what we do.

    Two more Saturdays at our current location and then we switch the AO to The Healing Place where we will be participating in the 10k training team. Come join us, no commitment required. See me or Offshore for details.

    Peace and chicken grease

    – Shakedown ✌?❤️??

  • Pain ladder

    6 Brochachos of F3RVA rolled into The Crucibke today. 3 had run a vigorous 5k beforehand and another ran all the way from Lakeside. YHC and Offshore just drove… ??‍♂️

    We started with a pretty standard COP where the Q was on his soapbox about something inconsequential and got called out. it was funny.

    Then we moseyed to the fields past the new basketball court thats being built and started on a suicide ladder with added exercises starting with 10, then 20, 30/40… it was too far and gruesome

    next we did a football field sized 4 corners where the exercises compounded and you had to run back to the start each time – we even bear crawled a bit. mosey back to the flag for some Mary which was one single Don Q

    YHC took us out.

    Impact stopped by while coaching a practice run for WeOffTheCouch and promised to come back soon and hopefully headlock some guys from Blackwell/Manchester

    Please pray for Gypsy’s sister, Flintstones legal challenges and least of all Shakedown’s patience while teaching his son to drive

    Beer mile was tonight – TYA’s forest hill loops coming black friday – see him or me for more details – flyer coming soon

    good times were had by all – lots of sweat – see you in the gloom ??

  • Get a late pass..

    Oops, forgot to do a Backblast in a timely manner and my phone is not cooperating so this will be short – we did some COP, we did a baseball diamond Beast, and then a modified Dora. It was awesome.

  • Iron Eyes Cody would approve

    6 trusted servants arrived post gloom, some post Dogpile, to see what catalysts for change the Crucible had to offer today. Some details remain fuzzy but it went a little something like this…

    We met at the new, official meeting place which is the parking lot for the school and we moseyed over to the fields to see if anyone didn’t get the memo but all was good so we had a bit of COP including some stretching along with the usual suspects of SSH, DQ, LBCs, Merkins etc… Then we took advantage of our multiples of 3 and did a triple check which encompassed some running, some balls to the wall, and some hello dollies. Next we completed a lap around the Charlie D Sydnor portion of the AO where everyone’s feet got wet but we survived, then on to a Dora that featured some SSHs, some 2 count mountain climbers, and 300 Carolina Dry Docks for the win.

    Next we decided that it would be a good idea to explore the rest of the AO since it was only the second time we have had a workout there and as we rounded the school and looked out into a field covered with litter everyone agreed with me that the last 10 minutes of the 1st F could be a little 3rd F and we all picked up litter and filled a lawn and leaf bag that YHC had in the back of his truck. Everyone thought it was a good idea and many of us had the thought at the same time.

    Big love to Joey Chestnut for showing up even with his dad, Offshore could not be there (and to his mom for driving him!!). JC is an inspiring young man.

    We followed up the 1F/3F with some 2F at Cafe Zata where we plan to return next week. We are hoping that this AO catches on with the neighborhood and with the guys in THP (who could not attend on this day due to it being a “deep clean” day). Looking forward to next week! Its on the Q sheet so don’t be afraid to grab the Q, we aren’t stingy 🙂

  • New AO – “The Crucible”

    For 4 or 5 years some of the Pax have been volunteering as running coaches for The Healing Place 10k Training Team. Regulars include Offshore, Swiper and YHC but we have seen a host of including but not limited to LabRat, Hardywood, Bootleg, and the man who first brought it to my attention at least – Upchuck. We have a lot of fun and the guys from THP really appreciate our support.

    THP is a homeless shelter and a recovery center for men who have substance abuse disorder, alcoholism, drug addiction etc. It is often a fellas last hope when they have burned through all their bridges and favors. Learning to run gives them something positive to do and somewhere to channel their energy.

    The program works too, they have a high success rate.

    As you guys know by now, we have been working with F3 Charlottesville and helping to lead workouts at The Bridge. Some of us thought that maybe we could harness some if that good 3rd F energy and do something similar closer to home so we worked with the managment of THP to be sure they were ok with what we are doing and we started The Crucible. I hope some of you men can help with this mission and come work out with us or even take the Q occasionally.

    We will have to go a little easy on the names and never bring a cooler of beer but other than that it will be a normal AO, just positioned and timed to be attended by the guys from THP.

    I hope that we can help some guys and bring in some new blood and new perspectives into our PAX.

    The Crucible kicks off on Saturday August 6th at 7:30 in the park across from Blackwell elementary. TYA will be our first Q. Spread the word and help us make this a success.

    Meet on the Maury St side of the park

  • Sunday Funday Iron Man edition

    See the source image

    Typical Sunday Funday – What time does this 7:00 run start anyway? Head out across the bridge, Buttermilk to T-Pot to Northbank with various side quests for adventurous pax along the way. Great to have Speakeasy visiting from Daville and YHC was able to convince a fellow BMX racing dad to dust off his trail shoes and join us – he used to be an inflight rocket repairman but decided to use his genius for the power of good and now helps disabled veterans by developing prosthetic devices for special purposes. Welcome Brian Burkhardt aka Stark!