Author: Upchuck

  • Averted the Inverted

    Fourteen rose to the challenge, threw of the lure of the Fart Sack, and posted on a Q-less Monday. With conditions steady at sunny and 70, YHC called a Hot Potato (and then never let go). According to the teaching staff preparing for the new school year, some or all of the following may have happened:

    Mosey around the bus loop and to the school wall for The COP:

    SSHs x~50
    Dead Man Hang (BYO cadence)
    LBCs
    IWs
    WWIIs
    HRMs
    Box Cutters

    Mosey to the Parking Lot for Ascending / Descending Parking Lot Arrows

    Perform one exercise at each arrow. Transport between arrows will vary.
    Round 1 – 3 HRMs + bear crawl, Al Gore for The Six
    Round 2 – 6 WWIIs + lunge, plank for The Six
    Round 3 – 9 monkey humpers + walk, 6 inches for The Six
    Round 4 – 6 four-count flutter kicks + any method except walking, reverse plank with one leg off the ground for The Six
    Round 5 – 3 burpees + dealer’s choice, APDs for The Six

    Mosey back to the School Wall for a Triple Check:

    Run the loop
    BTTW
    WWIIs

    Mary, plank jacks, and other stuff. Mosey BTTVSF.

    Numbers, Names, Bodo’s Requested that YHC take us out.

    Announcements:
    Let’s keep the following in mind and prayer (if you are so inclined) this week:
    Pigskin has a friend who passed from cancer.
    The people of New Orleans and other areas impacted by Ida.
    The people of Afghanistan and the Americans and our allies who have supported them.
    Folks who have or are recovering from COVID.
    Walter.
    YHC feels like he missed one other request – apologies. Please let me know.

    NMS:

    Great to see both grizzled and chiseled veterans out there today. Great to the see continued presence of some newer guys. Nice to have Bodo’s back from quarantine. At some point, watching Tik-Tok and playing video games had to end, my friend.

    YHC did not plan a Q for today, but somehow “inverted keg stands” came to mind. Splinter politely pointed out that an “inverted” keg stand is just standing up. Exceptional point. The PAX averted the inverted part and did keg stands. And, while YHC has not known Pigskin for long, the man can do a ramrod straight, pretty close to vertical, keg stand.

    Final note: the Q sheet for the rest of this week has the same number of PAX (6) signed up to Q as we have for Breaking Bread for the rest of the year (also 6). This is great for Breaking Bread. This is sub-optimal for the week. While it’s the first week of school for many of our 2.0s, let’s remember the F3 principles, one of which is that “workouts are led by a ROTATING Q who also participates in the workout.” If you Q regularly or basically every time you show up, now is a great time to encourage other guys to sign up. If you rarely Q, now is a great time to pick up the challenge of leading from time-to-time. Pigskin recently described this as “doing his part.” YHC likes that.

    UpChuck spits the bit.

  • Watch This.

    10 gathered. 8 ran. 1 cooked. 1 rubbed his heal. Temps were sunny (for sure) and 70 (in all fairness, YHC didn’t check). According to the little fuzzy caterpillars all over the roads, this is what happened, more or less:

    Gather at Casa de Vinny & Co on Wendover. Run west and south, before returning north and east. Turn left, right, left, and left again. Find a lake. Circumnavigate that lake. Turn right and go to the railroad tracks. Do not cross the tracks. For that matter, never, ever cross Buford. Return up a big hill, take the trail to the right (across from the mom/wife cheering us on), and head BTTVSF. 5 or 6 miles or so, depending. 

    Numbers, names, let’s eat. 

    NMS:
    BRR team members gathered for a pre-run, Charlottesville style. It was hot. Really hot. In the shade. Outside the shade, it was hotter. 

    Thanks to Punch List and Fresh Prince (of Bel Air, VA; not the RVA guy) for being our pace cars. Those dudes did yeoman’s work helping us to prepare. 

    Circle K and Vinny created a good little feast of burgers and sausages afterwards while the crew lounged and chatted around Vinny’s pool. Coor’s Light and Gatorade all around. If you haven’t seen Hutton attempt (video floating around) to board a watercraft backwards, YHC suggests you should do so. Sorry, Hutton, but failure can be funny.

    Also, if you have heavy feet, lacrosse is not for you.

    UpChuck spits the bit.

    Icarus himself would have crashed today. We were way too close to the sun. Shade was at a premium. Way to push through, fellas.

  • TYA Loves My Stuff

    Seven or so stuck their heads into the oven of life, Hillcrest-style, for the latest edition of The Roller Coaster. Temps were sunny and 70. According to the retirees observing our every move, this is more or less what happened:

    Route: Hill repeats. 2 or 3 times per hill. Hillwood x2 or 3, Old Orchard x2 or 3, Charmian x2, Pocahontas x2, and THEN the big ones. 2 times up and down West Hillcrest. 2 times up and down East Hillcrest. Pick one of the Hillcrest downhill legs and run full speed downhill as well.

    The mileage doesn’t matter, but YHC thinks 5.

    Announcements:

    BRR, Field Day, Retreat.

    NMS:

    First, YHC has mentioned lately that it’s been hot. Again, it was hot.

    Second, when someone says, “I nearly threw up the last time we did this. Let’s do it again,” that prompts YHC to recall the common refrain of all of our M’s: “You guys are idiots.”

    Correct.

    Third, as TYA noted, the total uphill climb, while brutal, was similar to a modest BRR leg. Inspiring.

    YHC has done many a workout while traveling over the years. With respect to today’s run, no way YHC does that without you all. You guys are idiots.

    Ping me if I’ve missed anyone.

    UpChuck spits the bit.

  • Trauma Is In My Background

    13 enlisted today for the latest edition of Sunday Funday. Temps continued to stay steady at 70 and sunny. According to the (perhaps nonexistent) people who snagged Shakedown’s keys, this is more or less what happened:

    Long Range Recon Patrol (TYA): 28 miles on the bike.
    Road Patrol (Saab, Faceplant): ~10 miles
    Advanced Dismounted Element (Sippy Cup, Helix): ~6.8 on trails, including War Memorial Hills.
    Main Body – Element 1 (Rip Cord, Shakedown, Flatline, Anthrax, YHC): Buttermilk, T-Pot, North Bank, BTTVSF. Just under 6.8.
    Main Body – Element 2 (EF Hutton, Offshore): Same distance.
    Independent Action (Pigskin): 30 minutes out and back.

    Numbers, Names, Faceplant took us out with a one-sentence reminder of our mission.

    Announcements:

    BRR is still recruiting. No way, you say? YHC says it’s 50/50 whether the team will have a new member after the discussion at ET’s today. Here’s hoping.

    Field Day: September 18, 7:00 a.m. Team captains are in place for each region. Time to start working on your team uniform. See Honeydo, Snuff, TYA, and Corned Beef for more information, depending upon where you reside.

    3rd Annual First Inaugural Retreat is September 25. Sign up for Cornhole. (Look for Hutton’s post on Slack.)

    Swirly is trying to give away two tickets to the Duke vs. Kansas FOOTBALL game on September 25 (no, this isn’t hoops). See him for details.

  • On Columbia!

    One PAX awoke with the dawn and set the tone: wet, stinky, and sweaty. Temps were 70 and sunny, with a touch of Columbia River windy. According to Harry, a trained killer mutt with 4 inch legs, the following might have happened:

    Mosey to the patio for The COP:

    Imperial Walkers
    Side Straddle Hops
    Hillbillies
    Swirly’s Dead Man Hang
    Mercans
    WWIIs
    Reverse Crunches

    Mosey to the 7th Hole (green) of the Frisbee Golf Course for a Beast:

    Mercans
    box cutters
    WWIIs
    4-count flutter kicks
    Hello Dolly (Harry joined YHC for this round)
    burpees

    Al Gore between each round for The Six.

    Mosey to the 7th Tee for three rounds of stuff:

    Derkins x5
    Dips x20
    Abs x20

    Bear Crawl to the 8th Tee, about 75 meters.

    UniTriple (one PAX, three rounds):

    WWII X10
    FKs 4 count x20
    Rosalita x20

    BTTVSF

    NMS: YHC is taken a little R&R with the family along the Columbia River, straddling the border of Washington and Oregon. Harry, perhaps the smallest dog YHC has ever seen, decided to break from his owner’s grip to work out with YHC. Nicely done. Harry put in some serious running, probably 200 steps to cover 20 yards. He then sat down in the grass. It’s you against you, brother.

    Name, number, Mumble to self. Try not to wake the dude meditating on the patio.

  • Sign Up – Breaking Bread, Fall 2021

    Sign Up – Breaking Bread, Fall 2021

    It’s that time, fellas. It’s time to show that we have the metal to match words with actions. Who will help carry the load?

    This message is about asking for your help to make a real-life Impact – both in time and effort – on behalf of a group of people who F3RVA has sponsored for the last ~5 years. 

    Most of you are aware that F3RVA helps by feeding residents in the Medical Respite facility at the Southside Health Center. This is on the Q sign-up sheet as, “Breaking Bread.” F3RVA chose to expand in 2020 to help out TWO nights per month. We need your help to meet this commitment.

    Many guys took up this charge in the past quarter – YHC thanks you. Great work.

    We are now taking sign-ups for this fall (sign-up on the Q sheet). Pick an evening. Grab an F3 buddy, or your spouse / significant other, or your kids, or all of the above, make a meal for some folks going through a challenging time, and change their lives (and YOUR life) for the better. We usually feed 7-13 people per evening. It’s pretty easy – make some good food (or buy some good food), bring it to 180 Belt Blvd., drop it off, and experience the thankfulness of a room full of good people. If COVID calms down, you might even be able to cook on-site in their kitchen.

    Many of you all have done this in the past. We cover 24 nights per year, so YHC encourages you to sign up again. And, YHC thanks you.

    Here are the dates (again, sign up on the Google Sheet – link below).

    September 25 (Saturday)
    September 26 (Sunday)

    October 23 (Saturday)
    October 24 (Sunday)

    November 27 (Saturday – Thanksgiving weekend)
    November 28 (Sunday – Thanksgiving weekend)

    One final note, which YHC hopes is inspiring. YHC was recently on the west coast and had the opportunity to roll by NAB Coronado. Over one of the doors, the following was posted: “Choose to Carry More.” That’s what each man and each family does when they help at Breaking Bread. Please, sign up. And, YHC thanks you in advance.

    Here is the link to sign-up: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dx2qsu9vXun_NFgeD0GDKwQ6G2f5a-AKQq4IYk2eAJY/edit#gid=1389235370

  • Soup of the Day

    One PAX took to the mean (deserted) streets of Plantation to indulge in the latest edition of The Shopping Trip. Temps were sunny and 70. According to the construction worker attempting to nap on his truck bed (this is Florida, so easily the least weird thing that YHC has seen), this is more or less what happened:

    Route: hotel to DHL building, across Peters to office park to La Quinta to Westfield Mall. Reverso at Broward Blvd. 4.1 miles. Not bad for YHCs second rehab run.

    Number, name, YHC talked to himself.

    Quick Coffeeteria, minus the coffee, with Omar, the maintenance guy, in the parking lot. His kids are now in Davie from Jamaica, hoping to stay.

    UpChuck spits the bit.

  • Like and Subscribe

    Like and Subscribe

    8 men of steel linked arms and pounded the pavement and paths of RVA in the latest edition of Sunday Funday. Conditions were remarkably close to sunny and 70. According to the lone boxer at the trailhead, the following are likely to have happened:

    Cross the river to Riverside Drive (east), up and down to Belle Isle, and back along the access road, studiously avoiding soiling our “Sunday Best” shoes.

    Distances were anywhere from 4.4 for YHC doing a rehab gig to something in the 6-7 range for the more traditional runners. Saab may have done 10.

    Announcements:

    Vinny’s Field Day is September 18, 7:00 a.m. at Dogpile. Team captains are:

    City Proper (if you live in The City of Richmond): TYA
    DaVille: Corned Beef
    Tuckahoe: Checking on schedule of a potential captain
    Southside: TBD

    Resumes and cover letters due for the remaining openings. YHC will draft captains, if necessary. YHC finds this to be an appropriate time to recall that the purpose of F3 is reinvigorate male community leadership.

    Captain’s Roles:

    1. Recruit a team of men who live in the appropriate geography
    2. Decide on a dress code for that team and organize your team to wear same
    3. Rally your team to attend Dogpile at 7:00 a.m. (special time) on September 18

    Sit and Sip, F3RVA’s Retreat that is not like any Church Retreat is September 25. Food (bring and share), booze (same), baseball gloves, football, that golf thing Vinny has, Corn Hole, and the optional tent are in order. WAGS and other camp followers are out of order. Come spend an afternoon / evening with your pals on a farm. It’s the 2021 answer to the challenge,”Show that you can live like the Hardywood’s without actually showing that you can live like the Hardywood’s.”

    NMS:

    TYA organized and led today’s run, but YHC knows that history is written by the victors. Having finished the run “first” today, YHC has declared himself the winner (possibly in a one-man race, and surely because rehabbing a knee (pun intended) injury is a good excuse for running several miles less than the rest of the PAX). Nonetheless, like golf, today’s run was not about how far, but about how few.

    Also, writing the Backblast precludes TYA from picking on YHC’s shoe choice (new white running shoes, in honor of Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, the only man on the NFL’s 75-year anniversary team to NOT be in the Hall of Fame). TYA was determined to force YHC to run through the bacteria-infested waters of the James River, and in the interest of public health during a pandemic, YHC preferred to remain dry. Safety first, or at least that’s YHC’s story, and he’s sticking to it.

    31 shopping days until the BRR.

    UpChuck spits the bit.

  • 2-3 Easy Miles

    Eight gluttons hurled forth into The Soup for the latest edition of the Roller Coaster. Temps were 70 and sunny. According to the 40-something mom zipping down West Hillcrest on a scooter, the following may or may not have happened:

    Route: Smorgasbord …one large, one medium, and one small. About 5 miles total.

    Announcements:
    Bone Thugs leading us to the Squirrels game on Saturday.
    August 10 – HDHH at Casa de HoneyDo. Hombres run at 5:00 p.m., then happy hour to follow. Those appearing at 6:00 p.m., wear your Wednesday “Vinny’s Best” seersucker suit, bow tie, and flip flops.
    BRR Prep day on August 28 – Charlottesville
    BRR – Sept 9-12
    Field Day – September 18 at Dogpile (check the time…we might start late due to the need for sunlight)
    Sit and Sip, F3RVA’s Retreat, September 25. If you are looking for the best Bible retreat of the year, this ain’t it. Bring your favorite meats, libations, snack food, and a willingness to listen to Gumbo and Vinny ad nauseam about their corn hole exploits (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

    NMS: Burnout posted for the 3rd time in 5 days. Solid first week in F3RVA. He was expecting an easy 2-3 miles. His quote: “You guys are in better shape than you look.” Keep posting – it never gets easier, but it does become more manageable.

    Hot out today. Swirly and Burnout crushed round 1.
    YHC was cruising through Round 2 when a stallion pounded past him on the last 1/4 mile. Saab. Boom!
    Round 3 was a challenge.

    Studs all around. Well done, fellas.

  • 6 Hills

    6 dudes showed up. Temps were 70 and sunny. Here’s what happened:

    Hutton, Anthrax, TYA, and YHC set out on the Extra Long Loop. About 2/3rds through, Hutton and YHC picked up Swiper. Saab was around as well. Most did 5, some did about 5.5.

    Numbers, names, keeping Anthrax’s family in our prayers.

    Thugs arrived late; YHC knows Thugs pushed hard.

    NMS: Sweat flowed today. Way to work hard, fellas. Good to run with Hutton. Also, poison ivy is real.