Author: Upchuck

  • One Short

    13 foot-soldiers (no horseman today) reported for duty in sunny and 70 degree rain showers to splash a rectangular tribute to a fallen F3 brother.  Here’s how it went down:

    All runners headed north on Westmoreland.

    4 Milers took a right on Grace to Malvern
    5 Milers took a right on Jacques, another right onto Dabney and then to Malvern
    6 Milers took a left on Dabney, pushed forward two blocks and backtracked south on Dabney to Malvern

    All groups headed south on Malvern to Cambridge, curved on Cambridge to Berkshire, and then home on Commonwealth to MM (except the Q, who took a wrong turn, caught up with TYA, and joined the handful of PAX to get lost in their own Q).

    Mumblechatter:

    We lost a brother this week, F3 name Cheech.  In place of the normal mumble chatter, Q encourages all PAX to take a minute to pray for his family, friends, and colleagues.  Part 2 of Q’s suggestion is to put down the phone, i-device, remote control, or keyboard…go hug your wife, kids, girlfriend, parents, dog (I hate cats), or whoever, and let them know you appreciate them in your life.  Thank them for making you better.  Q out.

    Announcements: 

    Last week of C’ville.  Be ready 5:45 a.m. Saturday for the clown car.  Contact Lab Rat or Honey Do.
    BRR…T minus 76 days and counting…starting training now.
    Speaking of which…Wednesday hill runs.  Go.  Run.  Grow.
    VQ Week…sign up now.  This requires: 1) being able to count aloud to three, and 2) being willing to put yourself out there…piece of cake, get your first time behind you, and all the rest are easy.  You can do it.
    Golf Tournament: August 7.  Augustine Golf Club, Stafford.  Clown car.  Fundraiser for Guadalupe Free Clinic.  Sign up with UpChuck (timnee@gmail.com)
    Two Can reminds everyone…”Don’t deny the facts.”  The man can swipe right with the best of them.

  • Red Sky in the Morning

    Five undaunted warriors shook off the lure of the post-Mother’s Day fart sack and assembled for a pre-dawn beatdown at The Batteau.  Here’s how it went down:

    COP
    SSHs x 20
    Imperial Walkers x10
    Some kind of crazy yoga-ab stretch x 5 seconds
    Don Quixote x10
    LBCs x25
    Flutter Kicks x20
    Mercans x10

    Mosey to Lake
    Lake Loop x 3 rounds, perform 4 exercises at intervals around lake
    Mercans x20
    Squats x20
    LBCs x20
    Dips x20

    Individual Triple Check
    Hill Repeats
    5 burpees at top of hill
    20 incline mercans at bottom

    Reclimb the Hill
    Backwards run to each lamp post
    Reverse crunches x20 at each post

    Stone Path Crawl
    Bear crawl on Stone Path
    Mercans at each step 5, 10, 15, 20

    Step Ups x10, 15, 20
    Rosalitas x 20, 30, 40

    Number-rama, Name-a-rama, YHC took us out.

    Moleskin

    Monday morning at Batteau never fails to infuse the week with solid energy.  With sunny and 70 weather and a red-sun rise, Batteau delivered again.

    YHC enjoyed catching up with Wedding Singer on the loop run.  Great to see you out there for a boot camp.

    YHC apologizes to Flipper.  Traditionally, F3 has been a place where most PAX try to leave work behind.  YHC fears that the popping of his back during reverse crunches may have been taken as a non-verbal solicitation of services. YHC will ask his back to crack quietly in the future.

    Good luck to Swirly’s 2.0s in their softball game this week – way to make it to the state tournament.

    One final note: Swirly smoked the 3 laps around the lake – well done.  Nice to see you back at or close to full strength.

  • Race Weekend

    ONE undaunted Pax answered the Sunday morning call to arms (and legs) on the semi-annual “race weekend” in Richmond.  By race, YHC refers not to NASCAR, but to Ragnar and the Colonial 70.   YHC hopes all went well on the roads and trails.

    But, YHC digresses.

    YHC was late leaving the Fartsack this morning, and true to form, intended to run every light from Three Chopt to Cary to the Great Wall.  To YHC’s intense disappointment, there must have been a Richmond police officer at each intersection (apparently assisting in setting up for a road race!).  Luckily, the traffic light genies had also jumped from their Fartsacks, so YHC made it to the Pump House in record time…just in time, in fact, to find NO ONE.  Ok, there were three non-descript Caucasian males age 30-50 in running garb, FNsU, LNsU, F3NsU.  YHC thought to himself,”I have not posted often on Sundays the past few weeks, but is it possible everyone is new since March?”  Negative.  These guys started running at 6:58.  No F3 Q would foot-fault by starting early – F3 trains run on-time.  So, YHC waited 2 minutes, and headed East.  One step.  YHC then turned 180 degrees, paused, considered bailing, then turned 180 degrees again.  What the heck?  Just do it.

    The Thang:

    YHC ran downtown and back on the North Bank trail.

    UpChuck out.

  • It’s Sandy Out There

    Four convention weary warriors, including 2 FNGs, shook off the lure of the fart sack for a special “F3 hits the beach” beat-down, Amelia Island-style. Here’s how it went down.

    The Thang:

    Brief intro to F3 for the FNGs, then jog around the hotel patio, dodge the furniture, and hit the beach

    COP

    SSHs x20
    Don Quixote x10
    Imperial Walkers x20
    LBC’s x20
    Heels to Heaven + Rosalitas x20

    BLIMPS

    Burpees x10
    Lunges x20 (down and back)
    Imperial Walkers x30
    Mercans x40
    Plankjacks x50
    Squats x60

    Mini-Dora (10-20-30)

    Step ups x10
    Dips x20
    Mercans x30
    In between, sprint from benches to water’s edge

    Touch-a-Tree (well, Touch a Beach Chair)

    10 People’s Chair
    8 LBCs
    6 Reverse Crunches
    4 Flutter kicks
    2 Balls-to-the-Wall

    Sand Traps

    25 yard bear crawl
    25 yard lunge
    25 yard sprint
    25 yard sprint backwards

    Round of Mary

    Box Cutters x20
    Nolan Ryan x10 (each side)
    American Hammers x15

    COT

    Number-rama, Name-a-rama, announcements, YHC took us out.

    COT

    Number-rama, Name-a-rama, announcements, YHC took us out.

    Moleskin

    F3 took on the dunes in front of the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island this morning, and the PAX gave as good as they got. Any workout that is literally “on the beach” adds a challenge and a beauty not present at other AOs. The breeze, the waves, the stars, (eventually) the rising moon, and…the sand. Pppffffttttt!! The sand ends up all over…shirt, shorts, shoes, hair (well, YHC has no hair), mouth, and every crevace in between. Plus, soft sand insidiously ups the challenge (and the pain) of every run. YHC loved every minute.

    T-claps to FloRida for co-Qing this morning. FloRida’s suggestion over drinks last night was the impetus behind today’s workout. As a result, FNG’s Staubach and Jersey Boy jumped at the chance to experience F3. Well done, FloRida.

    Speaking of FNGs…Welcome to Jersey Boy (Ridge Muley) and Staubach (Bruce Brizzi). Strong effort from both of you, and YHC looks forward to seeing you all in The Gloom again at the next insurance industry event.

    Lastly, solidarity with FloRida as his youngest has just obtained the dreaded driver’s license and congrats to Staubach on his youngest finishing grad school. Always great to hear about successful kids and hearing proud F3 dads share their parenting stories.

     

  • Who’s in Our Spot?

    23 conspirators infiltrated The Dogpile this fine early spring morning and turned the tide of the battle against the Fartsack.  Here’s how it went down:

    Mosey to the far end of the Great Lawn for the COP

    COP
    SSHs x 50
    Imperial Walkers x20
    Arm Circles x20ish
    Don Quixote x10 (Saab style)
    LBCs x40

    Mosey to center of Great Lawn for Dora
    100 Mercans
    200 LBCs
    300 Jump Squats
    Run loop to large flower pots

    Mosey to Carillon for Triple Check
    1st man Polar Bear crawls steps, then Russian Soldier across face of Carillon, back down steps
    2nd man reverse crunches
    3rd man flutter kicks
    Repeato x3

    Plank for 1 minute

    Mosey 50 feet for Touch a Tree
    10 – Balls to the Wall
    8 – LBCs
    6 – Burpees
    4 – LBCs
    2 – Balls to the Wall

    Plank for 1 minute

    Mosey to Amphitheater 
    Incline Mercan Ladder…step 1, 1 Mercan up to top (18th) step

    Mosey back to the Flag
    Number-rama, Name-a-rama, YHC took us out

    Moleskin

    YHC had a long week of travel across multiple cities and timezones.  Prep for the Q today took a back seat, so YHC confesses that 300 jump squats somehow sounded quite a bit better last night at 10 p.m. than they felt this morning at 6:15 a.m.  YHC thanks the PAX for their tolerance.  Feel the burn, eh?

    Kudos to Swirly for faithfully arriving early.  With several tractor trailers and Redcoats in “our spot” today, the blue pick-up was the shovel flag to gather around before there was a shovel flag to gather around.  Glad to have him back out there with us.

    YHC finds it very cool that a television crew chose Dogpile as their location to film.  First, 2.5 years of Dogpile and not a pothole to be filled, but a few days of filming apparently do the trick.  T-Claps to the city of Richmond.  And, after The Today Show broadcasting TYAs video from Dogpile, the new episodes of “Turn” will officially make for a trend in Dogpile’s film career.  Surely The Academy has noticed.  Dogpile will have its name in lights soon.  Next step…dog prints on the Walk of Fame in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater.

    YHC remains but a padowan when it comes to Qing and continues to work on his training.  YHC  thanks Circle K for his patience and will obtain either brake lights or wear a USPS “This Vehicle Makes Frequent Stops” sign to his next Q.

    YHC confesses to being tired from the travel and not particularly attuned to the mumble chatter.  That said, YHC congratulates Opus on killing it today.  YHC remembers struggling through a few workouts last summer with Opus.  Great progress…well done, sir.  Nice also to see Clavin back for his second workout…solid effort, brother.

    Welcome FNG Squiggy.  YHC would relish attending a workout in Wisconsin in January.  But, just one.

    Announcements: 

    Lab Rat is looking for names for F3 Charlottesville.  Send them to F3Charlottesville@gmail.com.  The launch is May 20th.  Let’s talk this up and send names of prospective members as soon as possible!

    Wilson reminds us that May 19 is the golf fundraiser (FortheCause.org).  Sign up now (teams of four).

     

  • I have been to the Bel Monte Top

    “In the pursuit of awesomeness, there is betterment.”
    — Chris Sterling, (Chum Bucket)

    9 intrepid cragsmen, including one FNG (Liberace), strapped on their climbing shoes to take on the Bel Monte Endurance Race. 7 PAX started the 25K and 2 opted for double-pain, 50K-style.

    The Thang:

    Start in Love, VA, head south on Blue Ridge Parkway for roughly 4K (downhill), then proceed off-road on single-track. Route tracked roughly (pun intended) down, up, down, up, down, up, down for many kms.

    Intermittent stops were made for frozen water and various nibbles, pickings, and goodies (Camp Marty was a favorite stop).

    Post-Camp Marty, route descended at conservatively a 40% grade. Maybe 60%.  After .8km downward, 25k runners hit the turn-around point, and headed for home.

    50k travelers continued up, down, up, down, up, down…AMRAP…until 50k turn-around.

    Post the respective turn-around points, the route was up, down, up, down, up, down in alternating fashion from outbound route.

    All PAXs, on the return leg, met the Blue Ridge Parkway and completed the final 4k UPHILL to the finish. Many PAX learned to swear during this period.

    Moleskin

    PAX, minus FNG Jim (Liberace), met for pre-race dinner at Blue Mountain Brewing Company. Meals were ordered, beers were consumed, and a schedule assembled for the following morning (alarms, coffee brewing, etc.). Rise and shine came at 4:30 a.m., when approximately nine alarms, all synchronized to the mobile phone networks, erupted simultaneously.  Symphonic.  Teeth were brushed, dry showers were taken, Glide was applied, shoes put on, and coffee was made (well, one pot…then a second pot….no, wait, coffee not made….ah, THAT’s how it’s done…coffee made, bullet dodged),…and the PAX were off.

    Temps were chilly (mid-20s at start time), but as the sun rose steadily on the last day of Standard Time, it was sunny and 70 in the PAXs’ hearts. Until it wasn’t.  Props to the Bad to the Bone Crew for having a bonfire pouring out heat in the pre-start Gloom.

    After the start, eight PAX hung close together for the initial 4k black top section, with the appropriate mumble-chatter and backslapping.  Except for Lab Rat. “Gde Lab Rat?” Gone, but not lost. Lab Rat was on it from the start, having said “Dasvidanya” to the PAX early and moseyed at break-neck speed down the mountain. More on that shortly…

    Once onto the trail, the PAX spread out into roughly groups of two. YHC ran most of the way with Honey Do, Flashdance with Liberace, and Chum with Circle K. 50kers TYA and Saab lost themselves in the moment and owned it all the way. That left Lab Rat running on his own, and a good thing too as he crushed this race. 3:41 minutes if YHC’s post-race hallucinating is to be trusted. Well done, sir. YHC attributes Lab Rat’s performance to a solid training regimen and a mysterious red blood cell donation (transfusion?) 4 weeks prior the race.  In unrelated news, Lab Rat issued a one-word statement at the finish in response to allegations that he had met pre-race with Russian Olympic team officials,“Nyet.”

    With the PAX spread across various mountain ridges, YHC spent most of the day with Honey Do, who provided an indomitable spirit throughout the day. Thank you, kind sir, for strong support.

    As this was YHC’s first off-road race, a few observations are in order:

    1. Funny thing about nature… there were rocks of all sizes and the occasional fallen log throughout the trail. YHC realized that concentrating on the trail step-by-step was key to not ending up face-down. In short, over 4.5 hours on the trail, YHC spent approximately 30 seconds scanning the scenic vistas for which the Blue Ridge Mountains are known. Conversely, due to selecting Honey Do as his running partner, YHC spent approximately 3 hours looking at red leg hair and black socks….the defining scenery of the day.
    2. Two saltines + peanut butter + Welch’s Concord grape jelly = Nirvana.
    3. Also, having started the day with minimal expectations for a podium finish, YHC will engage in shameless self-congratulations for finishing FIRST in the inaugural Bel Monte 33k Endurance Race. Kudos to Honey Do for finishing 2nd.   This duo proudly represented F3 Richmond!! But wait, you ask. How do PAX finish 1 and 2 in a 33k race when the advertised options were 25k, 50k, and 50 miles? Ah, therein lies the magic of the Q and his compadre losing themselves in the moment and running an extra few miles. Any mathematician knows that it’s hard to finish 3rd in a 2-man race. Counting extra credit, a 20.43 mile race. To quote Honey Do, ”That’s a ballbuster.”  FEBA all the way.

    Finally, two big shout outs…first to Lab Rat, who, having completed his own race, drove back to help his injured teammates (Flashdance and Liberace).  When Round 1 of his search came up empty, he nonetheless found a cramped runner literally curled up in a roadside ditch, administered modest life-saving first-aid (have some of my soda?), and returned the man safely to base. A simple act of kindness, perhaps, but a lifesaver to that man, for sure.  Double-well done, sir.

    Lastly, a round of backslaps to Flashdance for offering lodging to the PAX. What a place! YHC had hoped for a free floor space – bonus if carpeted. No, sir. This was first class all the way. Thank you, Flashdance.

    Announcements

    Bel Monte 2018 Sign-up opens soon.  Circle back for details.

  • Post-Blast: I Report, You Decide

    Worst.  News.  Ever.

    It appears that some Carolinians are studying the male libido.  This must be fake news, right?

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/well/move/men-is-exercise-putting-a-damper-on-your-sex-life.html

    www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/well/move/men-is-exercise-putting-a-damper-on-your-sex-life.html

  • Havoc Lives Here

    “If anyone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two.”

    Twenty-five (25) of Richmond’s finest (including three (3) two-point-zero’s (2.0s) resisted the lure of the fart sack and joined YHC for a numerically challenged saunter through the depths and breadths (and catching our breadths) of The Dogpile.

    The Thang:

    Mosey from the Flag to the memorial flag (curve at Trafford Road and the tennis courts) for the COP

    SSH’s x25
    Abe Vegoda x10
    Hillbillies x20
    LBCs x20
    Reverse Crunches x10
    Mercans x10

    Mosey to baseball fields
    No truth to the allegations that the PAX jumped the fence to enter a locked facility.
    But if it were true, the PAX would have done the following:

    Sprints from right field line to 2nd base extended.  Sprint back.
    2nd round sprint at 87.5% (Measurements by Fudd) to 2nd base extended, slow trot to warning track
    Polar bear to 2nd base
    Five (5) “Who Knows What They are Called” (lay down on back, feet raised six (6) inches, arms do five (5) SSH flaps)
    Crab walk to home plate
    Burpees to bring up the six (6)

    Diamond / Run the Bases
    1st Base-ish: Mercans x10
    2nd Base-ish: LBCs x20
    3rd Base-ish: Squats x30
    Home Plate: Flutter kicks x40

    Mosey to Reservoir Hill for Dora

    100 Mercans, 200 (or 400, ahem) LBCs (depending on how you count ’em), 300 flutter kicks.  Runner scales hill while partner exercises.

    Mosey to Columbus Statue for Triangles

    3 legs were…10 Mercans at the base of the reservoir incline roads (use both roads with 25 in the group), run backwards up the roads, then drop down the side of the hill.  20 Rosalitas at the bottom.  Repeato 2x

    Mosey to Columbus to re-assemble the PAX.

    Mosey to east side of the reservoir, pick up Strollers Road.  Follow to Lakeview, then follow Trafford to Blanton (Police Memorial).  Along the route, perform an exercise at each lamp post.  First post 5 Mercans, 2nd post 10 reverse crunches, 3 post 15 squats.  Repeat until arriving at Blanton.  Perform burpees to bring up the six.

    Mosey on Trafford “Burpee Road” style…2 burpees per post

    Mosey back to the flag.  Number-rama, Name-a-rama, YHC took us out.

    Announcements:

    Bel Monte, March 11
    Ragnar – April 28-29
    One more race…April 21 or so (YHC missed this one…someone pick me up).

    Mumblechatter:

    Great job today, gentlemen (and ladies).  It was a pleasure to lead you all on a atmospherically perfect February (yes, it is still February) morning.  YHC’s last Dogpile Q brought with it a thick snow cover, so it was nice to enjoy cool temperatures for the first week of Spring Training.

    YHC confesses to checking his calendar upon pulling in to the Dogpile lot.  The absence of a certain blue, dog-wrapped pick-up truck prompted several reactions.  First, YHC asked silently, “Is today Saturday?”  After confirming the day, YHC made a quick calls to both St. Mary’s Hospital and the Richmond morgue to ensure that no one wearing a Woodfin hoodie had been brought in last night.  Finally, Rosie relieved my anxiety with the reminder of a twisted Sw-ankle.  Stay off that thing for a few days…hope to see you back soon, Swirly.

    Shout out to Hardywood who was styling with some dotted swirlishly green and yellow shorts.  Fine looking attire, to say the least.  His quote: “It’s impossible to be unhappy wearing these shorts.”  YHC likes the positive attitude: in mind, in body, and ON body.  Well done, sir.

    Thanks also to Fudd for his charitable work on behalf of YHCs numerical deficiencies.  YHC concedes that 1-count, 2-count, and 4-count LBCs all have some merit.  Next time, YHC plans to lead the PAX in 3-count SSHs and 2 count burpees.

    Finally, welcome to FNG McKenna (F3 name Havoc).  She might have YHC’s favorite F3 name (and not just because YHC named her).

     

     

  • He’s a Mudder. His Mother was a Mudder. His Father was a Mudder.

    It was a Saab Q, but as he is penning the Epic Poem of the F3 Richmond CSAUP from yesterday, Up Chuck is ghost writing this one.

    3 Pax sallied forth for a drizzled Sunday, Muddy Sunday run.  Conditions were, one might say, muddy.  After the obligatory discussion in the parking lot of options…out-and-back vs. loop, more gear vs. less gear, muddy trail vs. hard asphalt, here’s how it went down:

    The Thang:

    Saab led us on a warm-up run southbound on Nichol Bridge followed thereafter by a retracing of our steps (more to follow on this).  The PAX chose to continue on the North Side Trail towards downtown.  The PAX split at the parking lot above Texas Beach into Short Run and Long Run.  Short Run was an out and back to that point with the Long Run continuing on the NST (or, given the conditions, perhaps IN the NST is a better description) to Belvedere.  YHC and Saab continued on terra firma through Oregon Hill on Pine, Holly, China, Cherry, etc. until reaching Idlewood, which the PAX then generally followed back to Fountain Lake, Trafford Rd. (abutting the VITA Trail), Boulevard, and down Love Hill to the parking lot.  In total, YHC estimates Long (ish?) Run in the neighborhood of 6-7 miles.

    Moleskin:

    Hats off to Two Can and Saab for joining YHC today.  After bailing out early yesterday in order to fulfill coaching duties, YHC went to bed Saturday feeling that he left too much energy on the table at the CSAUP.  All F3 Richmond PAX can relate to the spiritual crash the day after a Swirly Q (“I NEED more upper body!  How can I get more upper body?”), but rather than try to get even more jacked, YHC decided to hit the trails. Muddy Sunday ensued.  Skies were grey and cloudy and dark and grey, so absent Two Can and Saab, YHC could easily have listened to a few more Podcasts in the car and bagged it.  But, the sight of a couple PAX was all the push YHC needed.  Thanks, fellas.

    Saab led us on the Nichol Bridge in strong fashion.  Starting up the south side incline, Saab experienced the bane of all distance runners: the uncertainty that comes with the nagging question,”Did I lock my car?”  While Saab was reluctant to delay the PAX, F3 is about team work.  YHC explained that Saab had two options: 1) return his car, with all PAX accompanying him, in order to verify the security of his car, wallet, and phone, or 2) continue on the run knowing that Saab would be dogged throughout the run by two things: a) the nagging thought that he had not locked his car, and all his important physical possessions would be stolen, and b) YHC continuously mentioning the nagging thought that Saab had not locked his car, likely resulting in all his important physical possessions being stolen. YHC believes that Saab silently considered, “If ‘defenestra’ is the Latin root for throwing someone out a window, what is the Latin verb that means “to vomit (or,’to Up Chuck,’) off the Nichol Bridge?”

    The Saab Mobile secured, the PAX hit the NST, which proved a little more Slip Slidin’ Away than Simon and Garfunkel could have imagined. Mumblechatter ensued.  Thus, after the one-way trip down NST, the PAX thought better of Buttermilk and the Loop, opting for the hard roads home.

    Today was a spur of the moment run for Two Can.  Props for pounding through on a sloppy Sunday.  Quite a mudder.  YHC is looking forward to hitting the trails with Two Can on a drier day…dry trails = happy trails.

    Thanks to Saab for pushing me.  Even though our total was only 6 or 7 miles, it’s nice to be at a spot where 6-7 miles feels like a short run.

    As someone has to abide at the end of every Saab Q, Up Chuck abides.

    Announcements:

    BRR sign up underway.  September 7-9.  Get out there.

     

  • We’re on a Death March to Siberia?

    “Nelson refused a cloak.  He said his zeal for King and country kept him warm.”  — Jack Aubrey

     

    16 PAX of questionable sanity and unquestioned spirit posted in a steady stream of snow, wind, and general nastiness for the first 2017 edition of The Dogpile.  Here’s how it went down:

    Slaughter Starter

    20 burpees, in cadence.
    (Or, they might have been in cadence if YHC (ahem) had remembered to call a cadence immediately after saying,”In cadence.”  Perhaps, that was for the best.)

    Mosey to Amphitheater for COP

    SSHs (x30)
    Imperial Walkers (x20)
    Arm Circles
    LBCs (x40)
    Reverse Crunches (x10)

    Rusty Cage

    5 pull ups
    10 merkins
    15 partner dips
    Repeato x3

    Siberian (or, ahem, Alaskan) Death March (no Ruskies in this group)

    Snow adaptation of the Bataan Death March. PAX forms 3 lines with all but one PAX in each line carrying a sandbag.  PAX with sandbags start slow march / mosey.  PAX without sandbag perform 5 burpees, then run to catch up before swapping sandbag with last PAX in each line and moving to front.  Last man performs 5 burpees, catches up, etc.  Continue until PAX arrival at 2nd circle.

    At second circle, swap sandbags for bricks.

    Mosey to Carillon Wall for Touch a Tree
    10 trees down to 2 trees by 2’s.
    Wonderbra for 10, 8, 6 (with bricks)
    Donkey kicks for round ‘o 4
    BTTW for round ‘o 2

    Swap bricks for sandbags and continue Death March to the Great Sunken Field.  Audible replaced runner + burpees with runner looping marchers twice, then swapping with next PAX.

    Great Sunken Field: Sprint half length of field, recover for 10 yards, and sprint remaining distance.  Short recover and repeato on return leg.

    Modified Rick Dempsey (4 Corners with Style)  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNriCZoTcw4   For those not familiar, go to 4:39 seconds.  Pre-internet, this was the best rain delay entertainment money couldn’t buy.)

    Bases at corners of Great Sunken Field
    1st Base – 20 merkins
    2nd Base – 20 mountain climbers
    3rd Base – 20 snow angels
    Home Plate – Best slide with style into home plate

    Finish Death March back to Rusty Cage
    Store sandbags, then mosey back to the flag.

    Number-rama, Name-a-rama, COT. YHC took us out.

    Moleskin

    YHC takes his hat off to each PAX who posted today.  Plenty of reasons to Fart Sack it on a snowy Saturday.  Except for having the Q, YHC might have done so.  But, YHC will never again doubt about posting during a Saturday morning snowstorm.  While a typical F3 workout proudly takes place “in the Gloom,” the forecast called for “No Gloom” today – the PAX brought pure anticipation and excitement making it feel Sunny and 70 from the start.  Way to bring the spirit today, gentlemen.

    Every F3 Richmond PAX has experienced the pre-workout mumble chatter about wardrobe selections for a workout.  Tights v. no tights.  Shorts v. pants.  Sleeves (Wilson) v. No Sleeves (Hardywood).  Today did not disappoint.  Solid respect to Honey Do and Hardywood for winning the ZZ Top Award (“He’s Got Legs”) today…bare legs during a snowstorm.  Solid.  Your prize is free counseling services.  Dr. Melfi will call you.  Y’all a little cra’ cra’.

    Off Shore won the Missed It By a Day Award wearing his best outfit for raking leaves.  That’s one fine flannel jacket…unfortunately (or, fortunately), hombre, raking will have to wait for spring.

    Honorable Mention to TYA for taking the Bag Man Award and providing further proof that there is only one right answer to the age old question,”Paper or Plastic?”  Indeed, dry feet are happy feet, even when wrapped in plastic bags.

    The Bloodhound Award goes to LIFO Wheelbarrow for picking up our trail in the snow.  Well done.   Also, Wheelbarrow is the only Double Award Winner today… he also took the Rick Dempsey Award for best slide into home…a beardfull (yep, that’s one word!) of snow is a sure winner every time.

    Finally, each PAX’s M and/or 2.0’s likely questioned his sanity today.  In their hearts, they also noted the determination, comradeship, and toughness of each man in this group.  Well done, today.  YHC enjoyed the privilege of Q-ing.

    Announcements

    CSAUP (you mean, this wasn’t it?) on January 21.  Start at Dogpile at 6.  Cookout at Dogpile at 9.   Join your F3 comrades for a free tour of Richmond with 3 workouts in between.  Lab Rat promises horrible beer at the end (If you don’t want your share, YHC bets another PAX will gladly finish it for you).

    Bel Monte coming up in March.  Anyone who posted today is clearly filled with sufficient fortitude to do a 50K or 50 Miler (or 25K!).  Sign up now.