Author: Swiper

  • Timberwolf Visitors

    A beautiful morning lured five men out to Timberwolf, including several first-time visitors.

    Shakedown opened the morning with the COP.  Oyster lead us on two four corners trips around the football field with merkins, jump squats, burpees, and WW II sit ups thrown in for fun. Kubota found a hill off to the side for clock merkins. YHC lead us back to the blacktop for copperhead squats and curtsy lunges followed by a lot of ab exercises.  Bag Phone used the tennis courts for running, Carioca, backwards running and bear crawls. We finished with partner leg tosses and a burpee shuffle.

    Moleskin

    It was great to meet Bag Phone, a college friend of Phonics who started F3 only a month ago and has already posted nine times. Way to commit. Oyster lives around the corner but Thursdays are not usually a good morning, glad you could make it. Shakedown had been at the inaugural Timberwolf session. Kubota and YHC had never been. As we finished the sun light up the clouds in an outburst of colors. It was a great way to welcome the day.

    Swiper

     

  • All Alone

    According to Big Data, YHC had not been to River Run since 2017. Needing a good group run for BRR preparation, he headed down to Bettie Weaver school. 5:30 came and went and no other cars turned into the parking lot. Route was one mile out and back up Twin Team hill 5 times. Need to take watch in for repairs because surely the pace wasn’t that slow.

  • Napoleon lunged for power, and so did the Pax

    The Pax gathered for a workout of Napoleonic proportions.

    Warmup began with helicopters, Don Quixotes, 34 SSHs for the age at which Napoleon became emperor, Imperial Walkers for his august apex, and Hillbillies for his humble origins. Napoleon’s father was an impoverished minor nobleman who gambled away what little he had, so we did 34 LBCs for the hunger the family experienced.

    Skipping up to the French Revolution, we celebrated Napoleon’s quick crossing of the Alps and conquest of Italy by running south down Westmorland to the soccer fields, stopping at each oak tree for a round of 20 2-count Mountain Climbers. Napoleon’s next adventure was his invasion of Egypt. The Pax lined up single file for Walk Like An Egyptian-everyone went into a deep lunge and held it while the last Pax member in line raced to the front, taking a step forward and switching legs as each runner finished,

    The ladies of F3 paid their respects to the newly crowned Emperor of the French with curtsy lunges–leap to your right, land on your right leg and cross the left leg behind, going into a deep lunge, then switch sides.

    Two sets of 20 burpees for the incessant grinding of war over the next decade.

    Gathering on one side of the soccer fields as the 450,000-strong Grande Armée, we stormed towards Moscow lunging across half the field, stopping for 10 burpees, then running the rest of the way. Moscow, however, was burned by the retreating Russians and we suffered starvation. Our stomachs ached as we worked through Elbow Plank Hold, Flutter Kicks, Plank Shoulder Taps, Alabama Prom Dates, and some other exercises. When it was time for the French to flee Russia, the Pax partnered up.  The first partner (the fleeing French) ran across the entire length of the field, the doubling back to tag their partner. The second partner (the avenging Russians) pursued across the field Polar Bear Crawl style. Partners continued to switch roles until everyone made is across the Rhine. Only 40,000 of the Grande Armée actually made it back.

    Running short on time, we returned to the flag and only got in 50 SSHs to commemorate Napoleon’s last 100 days of freedom before Waterloo. Then, in gratitude that in America we never had to put up with short imperial dictators, the Pax cheerfully counted 34 American Hammers, followed by Child’s Pose and Cobra Pose because YHC’s back was done at this point.

    Swirly took us out.

  • 336 Hours and Counting

    Four consistent cyclists showed up this morning for RAMM Gears, but a record 19 runners pulled into the Mary Munford parking lot for RAMM. At our 5:30 departure time we were exactly two weeks, or 336 hours, away from the start of the Blue Ridge Relay. By the time you read this, several of those hours will have disappeared. This looming deadline appears to have motivated many of the pax to pack in additional miles this week.

    The Route: Reverse Carillion. An old standard used at the AO several times this year. Always an energizing run as all participants end up racing west on Grove and the six milers attempt to catch those with shorter routes. YHC was therefore somewhat familiar with the path, although grateful to Lockjaw for providing a more detailed description. Apologies are due for some less than clear directions given. Saab took us out.

    Mumblechatter: With TYA’s release of the BRR team assignments there was much sorting out between new rivals. Taunts and insults were heard as BRR participants realized former friends had become adversaries. Swirly, TYA, and Wedding Singer left early to add additional mileage. The five milers ran together for the first mile and then spread out as the six milers caught up. Lockjaw was missed during the debate on proper tapering technique (too late already?)

    Gumbo could still use help with Breaking Bread on Sunday afternoon.

    ReeseStrong 5k in three weeks.