Author: Speakeasy

Only two runners and one rucker posted for tempo run number 2. The route went down into Giles and was a hilly cruise interval run on a loop with 7 minutes running, 1 minute walking, repeated 3 times. The two runners looped in opposite directions to allow for repeated encouragement. After meeting up with No Idea, who had been walking, No Idea took us out. After 4 runners and 6 ruckers last week, I hope to see even more of you back out next week.

4 runners and 6(!?!) ruckers enjoyed a beautiful early fall morning in the Atlee environs. Ruckers had a staggered launch to accommodate 5:00 and 5:30 start times. The early starters looped back to the start for the later starters.

The running PAX correctly interpreted the posted route to imply track work was in the offing. YHC inaugurated what is planned to be regular Tempo Tuesdays with some cruise intervals (4 X 5 minutes with 1 minute walking rest) at tempo pace on the gravel track. Some Davillians are signed up for the River City Half in the spring, and YHC thinks nothing beats a weekly tempo/threshold effort to safely improve aerobic fitness for these longer efforts.

Back at the COT, we did numbers and names. Opus was then voluntold to take us out.

A 2nd F at PBR Hanover on Thursday at 6:00 was discussed. Also, Davillians with athletic shoes they can donate should give the shoes to Corned Beef.

2 runners and 2 ruckers posted for the inaugural Raider Run and Raider Ruck. Same day and time as the former Anvil Run/Ruck, which was the name when the workout was at Mechanicsville Elementary, but a name that now is actually appropriate for the location at Atlee High School. In the first Raider Run, Phonics and YHC covered 4-4.5 miles on the Farmhouse Loop. We two medical experts enjoyed a lively debate. The two ruckers covered about the same distance. It was great to be back after being out for a couple weeks. Phonics took us out.

2 runners and 4(!) ruckers, with Corned Beef rucking on his own path after arriving late, waded through the mists. Maybe this is turning into a rucking-led AO. According to YHC’s watch, the runners covered 5.36 miles, which I believe is a personal record for YHC during an F3 workout, excluding times when there was some extra credit. There was some really clever banter during the COT, but I was still too out of breath to remember anything noteworthy a few hours later except that my shirt was very wet. No Idea took us out.

YHC was planning to surprise the group with some real running business–a tempo run–to coincide with the beginning of the school year. YHC’s youngest 2.0, however, prevented anything resembling a normal night’s sleep for YHC who instead called a nice easy run on the Farm House loop. 3 Davillians led one summer tourist on what is the closest thing to a standard route at this AO. YHC’s easy run was foiled by deciding to keep up with Phonics for about 5 miles, which turned into a tempo run for YHC. Opus and Honeydo logged about four miles, and the ruckers rucked for however far they rucked. It was good to see a healthy return for No Idea, and he took us out.

3 runners parted the mists to scout the hilly terrain of the not-yet-mapped southwestern quadrant of the Giles neighborhood. The mission from YHC was to assess the likelihood of an eventual trail connection from this back corner of Giles to a nearby street. The societal need for such a connector is great because sometimes YHC is bored and wants a different way to torture the Pax by making them run back up the hills from the back of Giles at the end of the run. After the recon and a review of the resulting cartographic record, the probabilities favor continued YHC boredom. If you are moved to action by this grave injustice, write your representatives, everyone else’s representatives, and then reassess your life priorities.

After this important mission, which covered a little over 4.5 miles, the runners met up with the lone rucker for numbers and names. Opus took us out. We are all thinking of the recent loss to the UVA band community mentioned by Opus. Next week, Opus committed to leading the runners, but word is we will have actual, real-life bicycle action to report.