Author: Speakeasy

  • Those Aren’t Halloween Lights

    Three runners and one rucker took to the dark streets around Atlee high school. With Christmas still two months away, the runners noted several homes with seasonally premature lights in Giles. A great morning for running and mumblechatter with Opus and Spit. Opus and YHC got in about 4.25 around Giles and Craney Island, and Spit was not too far behind with about 4. Boo Boo reported about 3 miles.

    The Mechanicsville nanoregion is planning a happy hour event for Thursday, November 3, at PBR from 6-8. It was pushed back a week for conflicts. As a reminder, election day is just two weeks away. Even if you are not registered you can vote with a provisional ballot with same day registration and let your voice be heard. Whatever your political persuasion, inform yourself from quality sources and do your civic duty. Numbers, names, Spit took us out.

  • We Need More Construction Sites

    3 Runners, 2 Ruckers, and one 4-legged friend set out from Atlee HS. Mr. Holland quickly realized he was too old for the moshing he had done and dropped out. Opus and YHC continued on the planned route. Thank you to YHC’s Garmin for avoiding any wrong turns on the farmhouse loop. Opus and YHC covered a bit more than 4 miles. Yardsale, No Idea, and Hershey covered about 4.5. Names, numbers, and Yardsale took us out.

    This was a tough running morning. We seem to be down to a skeleton crew these days. It is good to see what has become a core group again today, and maybe some former regulars will be able to rejoin us. I hope Mr. Holland’s rib injury does not keep him on the IR too long. As I plan future routes, I will also try to be mindful of the location of active constructions sites.

  • Choose Your Own Adventure

    Six posted for four different run/walk/ruck workouts.

    Yardsale and No Idea launched at 5:00 for a ruck. They went 4.5 miles.

    Everyone else launched at 5:30. Boo-Boo went for a short ruck followed by some ruck exercises. Mr. Holland, Macho, and YHC launched on a run together. Macho had to leave early so dropped off after a bit. Mr. Holland and YHC got in about 4 miles. Numbers and names. Mr. Holland took us out.

    Perfect weather for a run today. It was great to see Macho posting for a run. It’s a tough thing to get into, but I look forward to seeing you out there again. It was also nice to meet Boo-Boo, a former Nantan from Lexington, KY, who recently relocated to the Mechanicsville area. I hope he becomes a regular here as well.

  • We Should’ve Learned the Saxophone

    Four runners, with one four-legged friend, and two ruckers, with another four-legged friend, launched from the Rutland Clubhouse on a perfect fall morning. This is what went down. There wasn’t even a bit of wind to blow. Job number one was to plan a route. YHC suggested a loop through Giles and Craney Island would fit the Bill for about a four-mile route. YHC’s guess was close, but no cigar. The runners covered about 4.5 miles by adding in a modified Bojangles loop. YHC visually confirmed rucking happened as well, but did not confirm the distance covered.

    It was fun to catch up with the group and receive some belated advice on musical instrument selection. I was also impressed with the grace displayed by Hershey in sharing her pack with another four-legged friend. The only announcement was the upcoming beer mile. Prayers for Opus’s son’s medical procedure. Opus took us out.

  • Run Beyond the Wall

    Four runner, three with two legs and one with four, traversed the dark, wide streets of Rutland, Cool Springs Forest, and Cool Springs Forest West for about 4.25 miles. Because none of us like headlamps we stayed on the streets. The chill in the air reminded us that winter is coming.

    It was nice to catch up with Handshake again. We free folk don’t see too many brave visitors from south of the wall. I hope he successfully returned to his westeros-end home.

    Handshake reminded us of the upcoming beer mile. Check slack for details. It sounds very “fun,” but I am sure the fellowship makes up for it. Mr. Holland took us out.

  • Another Non-VQ Q

    As a regular PAX member at The Creek YHC agreed to substitute at the last minute for Opus who is, hopefully briefly, on the IR. What could possibly go wrong when a PAX member who has not even done a VQ takes the Q, plans for about three total minutes, and wings it? An unexpected downrange visitor from F3 Charlotte arrived to ensure the events from the exquisitely prepared proceedings would be shared far and wide. This is what went down based on YHC’s fuzzy recollection:

    Mosey across the parking lots to circle up. The following exercises, and maybe more, were done in cadence: 20 SSHs; 10 Hillbillies; 10 Imperial Walkers; 10 DQs; 15 arm circles (10 big, 5 small); 16, yes 16, reversed arm circles; 20 shoulder taps; 15 American Hammers; and 20 4-count flutter kicks.

    Mosey back across the parking lot for a triple check. Timer ran a lap around the small parking lot. Other exercises were dips and merkins.

    Slow mosey to the middle of the main parking lot. PAX lunges forward, sideways, and backwards following parking lot lines across the parking lot. PAX always led with the right foot the first time across and then went back across always leading with their left foot. Because this was so fun, PAX then followed the same path and concept with the bear crawl. Many modifications ensued.

    PAX moseyed to the blacktop for a modified DORA. While one or two PAX members ran suicides, the other one or two worked together on the following: 200 LBCs, 200 SSHs, and 100 ball dippers.

    PAX then moseyed to the back corner of the school. The next Triple Check did not go as planned but eventually settled into a timer running/walking to and from the playground. The other PAX members did balls to the wall and heels to heaven.

    Finally the PAX moseyed back to the start, pausing for a burpee at each light passed. There was time for two minutes of stretching back at the start. Wild Thing took us out.

    Thank you to Wild Thing and Hot Corner for your patience this morning. A big thank you to Hot Corner as well for finding mitigating circumstances to excuse the absence of a shovel flag. YHC wanted no part of a burpee penalty.

  • Who Left Us In Charge?

    A Pax of two Davillians was left to its own devices as the other Davillians travelled further afield. After waiting a couple minutes for an expected Opus arrival, the Pax took off for a run of just over four miles to and from the Honey Meadows traffic circle. We added a loop around the Rutland townhouses on the way back to get close to 45 minutes. A lot of good chatter with Mr. Holland. Mr. Holland took us out.

  • 1 km Repeats

    YHC jogged in just after the scheduled 5:30 a.m. departure to find Opus and Mr. Holland. They had no route in mind, so YHC suggested repeats of approximately 1 km around a relatively well-lit townhouse loop after an easy running warm up. We got 4 repeats in with brief walk breaks to regroup before a brief cool down jog. Opus took us out.

  • Tempo Modulation

    Four fine gentlemen converged on the lower Atlee parking lot a bit after the scheduled departure time. YHC was a bit late because he checked the upper parking lot first. Yardsale was a bit late because he wanted to skip ahead to Thursday or something. Yardsale continued the rucking he had started in Rutland. No one had a route in mind, so YHC led the PAX down into Giles.

    The PAX looped around the very back of Giles. On the way back up the hill coming out of Giles, the PAX took a left on Airwell Ct. to pick up a trail around the pond. After this brief trail excursion the PAX left Giles and crossed Atlee Station Rd. at CMS. After a left turn the PAX took a right on Honey Meadows Rd. to loop around the school complex and back to the start.

    YHC’s Garmin cadence suggests the temp was presto, but moderato feels more accurate given the humidity. Opus and Mr. Holland were wise enough to sprinkle in some andante, while YHC in a moment of inspiration or delusion included a touch of allegro moderato around the CMS track. Yardsale stuck to his andante pace except for a dramatic accelerando as he drove from Thursday’s AO to Tuesday’s.

    YHC hit 7.18 miles, but that included running to and from the AO and continuing on during any andante periods. Opus and Mr. Holland probably got a bit more than 4 miles in. Yardsale rucked two AOs and used his car, so he probably bested all of us.

    COT: Check calendars for October weekends for planned Atlee relay. Upcoming September Daville Takeover on a Thursday. Opus took us out.

    The mumble chatter included several fun subjects such as travels in the west, especially Colorado. YHC foolishly had a bit of a music theory debate with two music teachers about time signatures. Readers can read this post in 3:4 and 6:8 time signatures and vote as to whether they can tell the difference.