Author: Upchuck

  • Apple Doesn’t Do It Justice

    One guy had the pleasure of setting off on the latest edition of The Clinic along the fine shores of the Pacific Ocean. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to the workman continuously chasing YHC with a modified golf cart, the following might have happened.

    Quick run across the parking lot to the massive hill. Starting at the top.

    100 SSHs (4 count)
    IWs – 20
    Dead Man Hang
    Fudd’s Wife
    Wilson’s Wife
    Dead Man Hang
    20 merkins
    LBCs -20
    WWIIs – 10
    Pencil Roll (to get out of the way of the cart)
    Freddie Mercury – 20

    Traveling COT down the hill, stopping at each light, spaced roughly 30 feet apart.

    Exercises were:
    Merkins – x20
    HRMs- x15
    Squats – x10
    WWIIs – x10
    Flutters kicks – x20
    Reverse crunches – x15

    Probably some variations thrown in. Extended number of reps based on the number and appearance of ladies walking to the gym.

    Rough number of lights – 30.

    Hill length is approximately 2/5 of a mile. Run the hill 5 times.

    Number, name, and YHC took himself out.

    Announcements – none. YHC already knows each announcement YHC would make.

    NMS: Wow. Full moon. Palm trees. No humidity. Overlooking the ocean. Great day to be alive and working out.

  • Sunday Fun-No-It-Was-An-Awful-Run

    Six guys in groups of 1, or 5, or 1, set forth only to come back as groups of 1, 4, 1, and 2. Even if the math does work, these guys did. Temperatures held steady at 70 and sunny. According to the 3 people dudes running faster than YHC on the opposing loop, the following might have happened.

    North bank, some did the flood wall, then south bank (Buttermilk), then home. Others did T-Pottersfield. At least one did Belle Isle. That guy ran terribly, but completed the loop. 6.5 or so.

    Numbers, names, and everyone took off for coffee.

    Announcements:

    10 Year is on Saturday. Who remembers what they were doing when F3RVA was founded?

    NMS: YHC has been buzzing all over lately. BRR, some overseas travel, and then the wall might have hit temporarily Sunday morning. Weather was great. Company was great. YHC’s legs just didn’t want to do it. No matter – find a horse, and get back on it. Push yourself, don’t hurt yourself.

  • Make an Impact at The Bridge

    Make an Impact at The Bridge

    This post is about two things:

    Men who make an impact.

    Men who take the lead, not for themselves, but on behalf of others.

    If either of those topics interests you, read on.

    The Bridge is a ministry-driven school in Buckingham, Virginia, about an hour or so west of Richmond. There, men who are transitioning from being incarcerated to being free (again) spend about a year learning a variety of trades (e.g., welding, HVAC, carpentry, mechanical skills, and so forth) so that, when they are released, they have sufficient skills and structure to be (we hope) independent, well-functioning members of our society. Succeeding with one guy is a win. In short, this is a step on a second chance at life. The men are all selected by the judicial system based on their behavior while in prison. They are challenged – many have drug, alcohol, or other addictions. If these men do not adhere to the standards, they are sent back to prison to complete their sentence. In short, it’s not a guarantee, and it’s not a cake walk. In any case, if you believe in St. Jude (the patron Saint of Lost Causes) or the story of St. Dismas, perhaps that’s enough inspiration for you to give a few hours of your time and energy to support these men on the occasional Saturday morning. Or, if you are looking to meet other F3 men and enjoy the Second F of the drive out and back, hop in the Clown Car and make an impact. I believe you will learn from this experience, and I believe you will help others grow as well.

    Our F3 brothers in Charlottesville manage this effort. F3RVA takes on a fraction of the commitment. Back in the day, we used to claim 12 Q’s a year (one per month). That was a challenge for one person to organize. So, we have changed it up. We now have 7 volunteer leaders, that’s 7 of your F3RVA brothers (ahem, F3RVA and F3Amelia), who have committed to leading (or organizing other men to lead) 2 times per year each. That’s 14 Saturdays. Quite an impact.

    In addition, if you would like to join this group of Leaders and share the challenge of Leadership, there are 52 weeks in a year. Plenty of good places still available. The more, the merrier. We can always do more.

    Here’s our list of Leaders. Everyone of them has my respect.

    State Farm: Goyne Park / Chester
    Heist: Alamo / Western Chesterfield
    Whitesnake: Gridiron / Strange’s Nursery
    Hardywood: Amelia / Jetersville / Appomattox
    Corned Beef: DaVille
    The Yankee Aggressor: City Proper
    UpChuck: Westhoe / Tuckahoe / Who You Calling a Hoe?

    As I noted previously, there are holes to fill on the map. It would be awesome to have a Leader pick up the challenge on behalf of the Stratford Hills / Midlo area. You have an entire region behind you.

    This weekend, we launch. Saturday, August 31, State Farm has the Q, and Broadway is riding shotgun. Two studs taking on this opportunity (even while they are building The Iron Bridge!). YHC sees your impact, and it’s impressive. Thank you. Nice work.

    On September 14, we have another Leader ready to grab the mantle and make an impact. Heist will be leading the crew. Thank you, as well. And, thank you to the guys planning to join him.

    To everyone else, your nano / local Leader (the guys listed above) will be organizing a small team two times per year. Jump in the car and go. For those who work out on Saturdays, this takes about an hour longer than your normal Saturday morning commitment, with a usual return by 10:30 or so. You are guaranteed to make an impact, learn about yourself, and have the worst cup of coffee (styrofoam cup, super weak coffee, all free of charge!) in support of a great cause.

    Oh, and a few guys have asked me about going to a place surrounded by a fence. If you have not been to a prison, detention facility, jail, halfway house, glamour slammer, or similar, this is not GITMO or Folsom. No shackles, no iron bars, no razor wire, no gangs, no prison guards, and no jump suits. This is a farm with a rail fence. The guys often workout in jeans (we bring them workout clothes and F3 shirts). There are one or two guys with radios. These guys look forward to seeing you. They love this, and they put out the effort to make it a success.

    YHC thanks you in advance for your time, energy, and impact.

    Let’s do this!

  • Happy 100th, Dad

    16 exceptional men joined YHC in celebration for the latest edition of First Watch. Conditions remained 70 and sunny. According to my father watching over us, the following might have happened:

    Mosey to the UofR athletic fields with a short pause for the six at Casa de Saab.

    Circle up at the field goal uprights for the COP.

    100 SSHs (4 count)
    Dead Man Hang (OYO)
    Fudd’s Wife

    Roaring 20s – one set of 20 exercises for each year he lived in the 20s
    Carolina Drydocks
    Imperial walkers
    Hillbillies
    LBCs
    Gas pumps
    Lieutenant Dans (to remember the accident)

    1940s – Dad served from 1943-1946, USAAC/AAF. ETO.

    Triple Check. WWIIs, Flutter Kicks, Army Crawl 30 yards.

    50s…we tried, and time took this from us. But, 5 burpees, then traverse ~50 yards (in the dark, maybe this was 30).

    Variety of options for traversing…wheelbarrows, partner carry (some PAX knew better), Bernie, AYG Sprint, bear crawl, army crawl.

    Time was growing short, so Mosey BTTSF, stopping off at Saab’s driveway for the obligatory 20, 4-count Monkey Humpers. If anyone was peering out the window, the got a dog’s eye view of Honeydo’s keister (and everyone else’s).

    Numbers, names, and we ate cupcakes and pecan sandies and swigged Gatorade for the COT. YHC gave a note of thanks to this group for their friendship.

    Announcements:

    Tuesday, Heartbreak Ridge, “Jason,” aka Senor Frog running his 50th birthday Q. Be there.

    Wednesday, Moseley Elementary (don’t go to “Mosley” Elementary) in Chesterfield. New AO.

    August 31 – Launch day of The Bridge. State Farm has the Q. Workout is at 7:30 a.m.

    Labor Day Convergence. Short Pump. New AO. Nuckols Farm Elementary. AO needs a name…bring your best play on words.

    September 14 – The Bridge, again. Heist is leading.

    Team Brightside…let’s keep building this charity to help research ways to address Children’s Cancer. Unbelievable impact from these guys. $50,000+ raised already. YHC is super proud of those running this. Way to go. Let’s see how much we can raise to help. If you have not given, let’s do this!

    NMS:

    OSOTW goes to HoneyDo, running away.

    Happy birthday in Heaven to Papa Goldman (Gumbo), would have been 87 years young yesterday. And, congratulations to the proud parents of a West Point Cadet. Grandpa would be proud of his son and his grandson.

    Happy birthday to my dad, 100 years young today. As the lady said when they gave my mom his flag at Arlington National Cemetery, “On behalf of a grateful nation…” Thank you, Dad, for being a wonderful parent and a patriot for this country.

  • This is a Running AO. Run It.

    6 ran their tails off in the latest edition of Sunday Funday. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to the Chairperson of the VCO Data Science Department, the following exercises were pre-planned and might have happened.

    North bank, Belle Isle, South Bank, Buttermilk, Bridge, Home. Roughly 6 miles. Six slogging miles of heavy, wet air.

    Numbers, names, and we all went out.

    Ellwood’s to celebrate. Good to have some other dudes join us.

    NMS: Sunday Funday is a different sort of AO. Ten cuidado. 95% of the time, there is no Q. There is a very limited COT. Not one anyone would think of as a COT, but it’s there, if you know what to look for. If you sign up to Q it, you had better do it – and not half way, or a mile or two, or some other way, or make up some new thing and call it this thing. This is a running AO – if you can’t do it or don’t want to do it, don’t Q it. ‘Cause, it’s hard as it is. This PAX earns this. There are unspoken rules (like, don’t tell the PAX what to do, don’t wait for certain PAX, or don’t not wait for the other PAX). It’s intricate, it’s delicate, and it’s not to be trifled with. Surely, don’t show up to do something that’s not Sunday Funday. That’s very much not Sunday Funday. That’s some other thing. And, if someone wants to do that, then do that. But, don’t try to do this. It’s different. It’s not your average F3 workout. It’s different.

    And, like this weekend, Ollivander is on these trails. He has a wicked sense of humor.

    All else equal, it’s great to have Sippy and Offshore back on the trails. Our best to Offshore. Sorry to hear about your dad. The PAX send their best.

  • 20% Longer

    One freedom fighter tossed aside the covers of sloth and launched into the soup for the latest edition of The Clinic. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to the Dolphins training campers wondering why YHC was launching before them, the following might have happened:

    Mostly the usual route…hotel, past the actual clinic (Baptist Health, in the house!), past DHL, across Peters, right in the parking lot, hola to the denizens at LaQuinta, left, left, left into Broward Mall parking lot, touch Broward Blvd., reverso, loop the mall with a oak-y-doke to the security truck, then onto 78th St. south, right into parking lot, across Peters, left to DHL, another wave at the clinic, and BTTVSF. 5.?, headed close to 6.

    Dang, it’s hot and sticky in S. Fla. this time of year. Full saturation on both shorts and shirt.

    Omar joined for the COT. Numbers, names, and YHC took us out.

    Announcements:

    August 21…100th Birthday celebration. First Watch. 05:00.

    August 23…State Farm leads at The Bridge. Reach out to him if you are interested in joining.

    10th Anniversary in September.

  • Please Don’t Ride Over Faceplant

    Five runners hit the circle of vrroom today in the latest edition of Sunday Funday. Temperatures remained 70 and sunny. According to the lone rider intent on squishing Faceplant into the dirt, the following might have happened.

    South bank (Buttermilk), T-Pottersfield, North Bank, BTTVSF. 1x loop for most of us (6.5 miles or so).

    Anthrax x2 loops. If you start earlier, you get the trails to yourself, and you get to break all of the spider webs.

    Numbers, names, and YHC took us out.

    Announcements:

    Pickleball Tournament. This Saturday. 06:00 a.m. Forest Hill Park. Sign up in advance.

    Rumor has it no Dogpile due to Pickleball. Need a confirmation from Bootleg.

    August 21: My dad’s 100th Birthday. Come out and celebrate (and celebrate your own Dad). First Watch. 05:00.

    The Bridge has re-started due to the commitment of 7 studs. The Bridge is a ministry-led educational program for men coming through, and we hope out of, the prison system. It’s in Buckingham, Va.

    Each of the men below has agreed to organize others from his immediate workout area. Call this a nano-region or a micro-region or some other F3 nom de guerre of your choosing. It’s the guys you work out with regularly. These seven will organize you into a group to visit The Bridge twice a year. Simple enough.

    State Farm – Goyne Park
    Heist – Alamo
    Hardywood – Amelia
    Whitesnake – Gridiron
    Corned Beef – DaVille
    TYA – City Proper
    UpChuck – Tuckahoe

    BTW, someone asked YHC, “Where are the other areas?” Great question. Candidly, if you don’t see your area represented, you can be the guy to lead, all you need to do is step forward. We can expand our investment almost limitlessly (up to 52 weeks/year). “F3’s mission is to reinvigorate male community leadership.” Here’s an opportunity to work with F3RVA’s finest on a mission to help other men. Let’s go!

    UpChuck spits the bit.

  • 4 Weeks Until BRR

    One overweight and undertrained aspiring BRR runner took to the mean streets of Westham in the latest edition of First Watch, or maybe, The Clinic, or maybe Spider Run…. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to the mullet-sporting guy getting handsy with back rubs in the RRC,B parking lot, the following might have happened.

    Route: River Road Church, Baptist to South Ridge to Westham Station to Huguenot to Bat Cave to Richmond Way, around the baseball stadium to New Fraternity Row, left on Hampshire, which immediately becomes Baldwin, to Wood, right on Beechwood, left on West Drive Circle, right on Lindsey, left on Forest, right on Ridge, left on Ziontown, left on University, right on Ralston, left on River, and back to the (actual?) shovel flag (and, if someone brings a shovel flag to an AO with a different Back Blast, can YHC count that?). 5.3 miles.

    Number, name, and YHC had just about taken himself out when the First Watch crew returned. Numbers (plural), names (plural), and TryHard took us out.

    Announcements:

    The Bridge has an All-Star cast that will be helping organize each micro area of F3RVA to help some men struggling with a variety of challenges. We have 6 native RVA guys and one Amelian who are committed to leading (or organizing other men to lead) at least 2 workouts at The Bridge over the next 12 months. These guys are studs, and there work is highly appreciated. More to follow.

    Float on the James has been postponed due to likely Flood on the James.

    Prayers for Lurch and his family. Let’s hope for a short and positive hospital stay.

    NMS: YHC typically travels mid-week and runs Wednesday or Thursday mornings. But, not if there is a tropical storm and not if the oven breaks at home. So, having administered a Beat Down on Monday at DaVille and having suffered (at least one) Beat Down yesterday in Ultimate (thank you for organizing, Swoop!), YHC pondered whether to run (as normal) or take on a TryHard beat down today. Remembering the old saying, “Always take the lesser of two evils,” YHC clicked, “5 Mile Run” and “Add to Cart.” It was a super slog today. The struggle was real, but YHC is glad he did it. Only a few more weeks to prepare for the mountains. Let’s go!

    Good time at the Coffeeteria and catch up with TryHard, Ronnie, and the Usual Deplorables.

    UpChuck spits the bit.

  • What is the Actual Definition of Third Base?

    Six hombres of The Gloom circled up and rolled out for the latest edition of DaVille. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to the two ladies spying on our workout, the following might have happened:

    Mosey around the parking lot 1x.

    Circle up for the COP.
    SSHs x50 (4-count)
    Dead Man Hang
    Fudd’s Wife
    Right leg high. Left hand high (if you got it). Left leg high (if you got it)
    Left leg high. Right hand high (if you got it). Right leg high (if you got it)

    Wilson’s Wife
    Pigeon right, then pigeon left.
    Hand release merkins x20
    LBCs x20
    WWIIs x10
    Copperhead Squats (x10)
    Imperial Walkers (x10)
    Hillbillies (x10)

    Mosey over there.

    Touch a Tree. Partner up. Rounds of 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2. Hello Dolly, something else, squats, gas pumps, and burpees

    Mosey to front of the parking lot. Partner up. Dora 50/50 (merkins), 100 (squats), 150 (4-count SSHs).

    Mosey to the other side of the parking lot to do a Prostitute. 4 corners, but always return to the start, repeating each exercise until the group has built up to 40. 10 merkins (1st base), 20 squats (2nd base), 30 (4-count) LBCs (3rd base), and 40 flutter kicks (you have scored).

    30 seconds to go, BTTVSF.

    Numbers, names, and Phonics took us out.

    Announcements:

    Prayers for Corned Beef’s boss’ family. Boss has lost both mom and dad in the last year.

    Rugby. Wednesday’s at 6:30 and Sunday’s at noon. Tuckahoe Middle School (one of the back fields?). TOUCH (not tackle). See Boo Boo for details.

    The Bridge is coming together. Studs from all over F3RVA putting forward their time and efforts to help the guys reforming their lives at The Bridge Ministry in Buckingham. More information to come. But, it’s an All-Star cast of F3’s finest.

    NMS: Backblast title comes from a PAX member who, upon completing 2nd Base, commented to YHC, “What exactly is the definition of 3rd base? I mean, in high school, we had ideas of what we would call it, but none of us actually did anything.” Yep.

    Upchuck spits the bit.

  • Surely, Someone Will Show for The Main Event

    ONE Pax posted at The Clinic, Rock and Roll version, with full servings of all three S’s of The Clinic: solo, steamy, sweaty. Temperatures remained 70 and sunny. According to the two 8-year olds playing full court hoops with 8 guys in their 40s/50s, the following might have happened.

    Mosey to the edge of the parking lot for the COP.

    YHC was fully stretched, so quick round of SSHs, squats, and other minor exercises to get the blood flowing.

    Going solo, YHC opted for a decent run (YHC’s version of “decent”). YHC estimates 5 miles. Initial route was back to the asphalt trails, then left onto a dirt track that ended at a closed bridge (purple ball trail?). From there, take a dirt track along the lake. YHC must have been the first runner/walker of the day based on the number and intensity of spider webs. Eventually, the track intersects one of the asphalt trails. Keep to the left, eventually passing a super cool archery course. Who knew? Continue past picnic areas, beach volleyball, and onto the pickleball / tennis area. Continue around the entire loop back to the flag. Check the time, and then do most of that again. Say hello to the nice folks walking (unbelievable numbers of people use the walking loop), avoid the aggressive dogs, and inhale the second hand marijuana smoke of a very nice man with two pit bulls and some sweet dreads. All in a morning run.

    Back to the shovel flag, and a few minutes to spare for more stretching and some standard F3 classic exercises to round out the hour.

    Number, name, and YHC took himself out.

    NMS, Round 3: another AO left unguarded, this time it was Rock and Roll. With a new Q. Who is a first-time PAX at the AO. And, with that, the right to Q anytime YHC shows up going forward has been invoked in perpetuity. It’s been 7 years since this happened. But, never 3 times in one day. YHC basically owns SOJ now.

    Even Omar / Renaissance was not around.

    That said, the walkers in the park are super nice. They do, however, look at you with a crooked eye when you run the main road / loop counter-clockwise. People who smoke in church don’t draw those types of stares. I guess YHC is not in Kansas anymore.

    And, it’s fair to say that Fart Sacking F3 and just attending the Latino Market is fully encouraged. That’s an AO YHC will be back for.

    UpChuck spits the bit.