Author: Wojo

  • Mind. Body. Accountability. Spirit.

    11 Redwoods descended upon RVA’s most versatile AO for to celebrate YHC most recent trek around the sun. As Upchuck rucked away at the top of the hour the balance followed YHC for a themed birthday workout.

    COP

    Mosey to and circle up in front of the Carillon

    misc. warm up exercises with compounding burpees in between

    1 – 2 -3 -4 -5, running total 15

    quick and easy mosey down and back across the Carillon field to warm up the engineers

    6 burpees, running total 21

    misc stretching and some broga… mosey to the cage

    Mind: YHC hasn’t been able to do a proper pull up since his ‘ball playing days. That changes in this next year’s cycle.

    5 sets of your best pull up variation for each PAX member. pull ups, dead arm hangs, jerkins, assisted pull ups, declines all apply

    Body: As the PAX mosey to the Amphitheater, Hitch asked what YHC’s goals were for this next trip around the sun, a simple goal that YHC had for a while…. have YHC weight start with a “23” so to drop another 35-40 lbs. that progress will be made and achieved in gloom, gym, trails and most importantly, in the kitchen.

    partner up for a triple check

    burpee buy each round =>then pace car runs the perimeter of the amphitheater (5-5-6, running total 37)

    other exercises were people’s chair and any ab variation of your choosing… more ab exercises for the six

    Accountability: 37 will be the year YHC keeps his personal, professional and communal finances, commitments and engagements in check. Sometimes it’s as simple as counting correctly.

    50 incline merkins and 50 jump squats before getting out of the amphitheaters. break up as you choose, but get em’ done. algore for the six. mosey back to the field

    Spirit: A continuous commitment to keep the spirit alive, to continuously push to improve and to “leave it all on the field…” something fell out of habit too often in the last several years

    2 – 25% gassers across the field… continuously building up

    2 – 50% gassers across the field….building up more

    light mosey back across the field….

    All out gasser back to the Carillon… leave it all on the field

    3 minutes of mary BTTF

    merkin ring of fire to close things out.

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out

    Please lift up those continuously in our prayers.

    The Bridge needs a new local leader and Breaking Bread needs May covered

    The last few months of Thirty-six taught YHC that the body keeps the receipts. For me it was the drink not taken, The rep not skipped, The hard conversation not dodged. All of it gets logged somewhere in the marrow, and when YHC showed up yesterday to lead, surrounded by men who push him, those receipts cashed in.

    The mind quits first. Before the legs, before the lungs, before the hands. So you train it like a muscle — reps, discomfort, showing up on the days you’d rather not. Fatherhood has taught YHC that. The ruck and the bar keep reminding him.

    The body is the temple. Accountability is the foundation underneath it. You can pray in a temple with cracked walls, but it won’t hold a storm. Accountability is the daily concrete — to the M, to the 2.0s, to the PAX, to the future version of yourself who’s already counting on you. It’s saying you’ll be there and being there. It’s writing the check your mouth wrote.

    The spirit is what’s left when the noise quiets down. It’s why we drag ourselves out of warm beds before the sun with people we love. It’s the part of you that knows the difference between being alive and actually living.

    Thirty-six was the proof of concept. Thirty-seven is the scale-up.

    To the PAX who posted yesterday — thank you. If you’re reading this somewhere in your own fight, rebuilding the body or rebuilding the family — YHC sees you.

    Keep posting. Onward. Wojo out.

  • Active Recovery

    8 Redwoods from far and wide descended on a truly 70 and sunny April Saturday at DogPile. As the clock hit go-time YHC and an initial PAX of 7 mosey’d down Love Hill for a moonlight guided COP.

    Circle up for Imperial Walkers, Ukrainian Soldiers, Dead Man Hangs, mini Broga, a few merkins, LBCs and APDs

    The Thang

    Partner-ish up for a Catch Me If You Can toward the Pump House

    • walking Lt. Dans, bear crawl and broad jumps
    • hand release merkin buy ins then chase
    • briefly wave at the Pipe Loop
    • joined by Hitchhiker at some point along the way

    Using the traffic lights, Moving Lindsay up the hill towards James Falls Circle — monkey humpers and LBCs

    recovery mosey to Rugby Rd

    Partner up for Personal Doras up Pump House Drive

    • rotating 1 Merkin, 2 squats and 3 plank jacks (repeato)

    mosey to the amphitheater

    Triple Check of 4

    • pace car runs the perimeter of the Dogwood Dell (not the exterior)
    • box squats and step ups to round things out
    • 5 incline merkin per step buy out to get out of the gnats/bugs and the Amphitheater

    BTTF for some Broga and a merkin ring of fire.

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out.

    Please lift up Handshake’s M’s niece and her family.

    The Bridge needs a new F3RVA local lead. See Slack for details.

    Way to work today fellas on a swampy and buggy morning. Reports are the loop around Dogpile clocked the PAX in around 2.4–2.6 miles pending the watch of preference. Impressive that Hitch found the PAX by the pumphouse…. is there a feature in his app that tracks the Q?

    Active Recovery was the name of the game between stops in the Thang…. and a it should definitely get consideration for a future FNG.

    Happy Easter!

    Wojo out.

  • Teaching at St Chris

    A super trio fought off the fart sack for a hot potato at the West End’s most exclusive AO. YHC made his debut at this AO and was lucky to bump into a couple of experts of the St Chris grounds/track. With Upchuck and Hitch fresh off a warm up lap or two, the clock struck “5:30″go time” and Upchuck took the Opener Q

    tabata warm up of SSHs, select stretching/broga

    mosey for a lap

    rounds of skull crushers and squats

    mosey for lap II

    rounds of boats to canoe

    mosey for lap III

    Hitch Q

    rounds of curls and lawnmower rows

    mosey for lap IV

    rounds of curlsls and skullcrushers

    mosey for lap V

    Wojo Q

    rounds of squats and box cutters

    mosey for laps VI and VII

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out.

    Please be with Tin Man on his recovery and others named and not named. The Bridge needs a new local leader, see Upchuck for details.

    Good work this morning. Mumble chatter ranged from Hitch’s app, consulting firms, the organization known as T.E.A.C.H. (or cheat), to a thorough history of Duke Basketball’s successes over the last 3 decades and their incredible failure in the last 24 hours. Nothing says Generational Talent like a program full of it going a generation without a Final Four win. That’s how it’s done in Durham. Wojo out.

    SYITG

  • Choose Your Own (Taint) Adventure

    A super six fought off the fart sack for the latest rendition of First Watch. While YHC contemplated which-choose-the-PAX- adventure would be picked today, YHC realized a there was an area that was recently teased, but hadn’t gotten the full exposure in quite some time. The Super Six returned to the Taint. With 3 PAX already limber from Broga, the PAX worked their way southward at the top of the hour.

    (mostly) Brocode mosey with various exercises along the way. Senor Frog nearly traversed the full route down Ridge but the ever growing familiar scent led him back on the correct path. 15 full minutes of a descent down Ross Rd.

    Quick COP of a disclaimer and broga positions

    The Thang

    Partner up for 2 rounds of Catch-Me-If-You-Can

    rotating exercises bear crawls, walking lunges and broad jumps with 10 Hand Release Merkins buy in for the chase

    ab exercises for the six at Ross and Culpepper.

    A Moving Lindsey, a Mindsey as was told to YHC, traversed the Pax further uphill all the way back to the triangle of Ridge and Westham. Smart suggestion by the PAX to push YHC away from Mike Tysons to standard merkins and Monkey Humpers.

    more Ab exercises for the Six

    Quick mosey back to the parking lot for 2 rounds of a triple check aka Senor Frogs Choose-His-Own-Adventure before a recovery stroll/leap/mosey back to the flag.

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out.

    Lift up Roger Roger’s Father In Law and family, YHC (Mom’s surgery recovery) and Handshake M’s Cousin’s daughter who is nearing hospice. Please lift up the families and communities dealing with trying times.

    Reminders on Breaking Bread next month => Shouts to Salt Lick and Gumbo for spearheading March

    Thanks for letting YHC lead on a unseasonably warm morning. SYITG

    Wojo

  • Early In The Morning

    6 Boot campers and two walkers merged at the West End’s earliest AO to see what this rusty Q had in the hopper. Nerves were high for YHC’ s first Q in 15+ months. As the clock hit 5am, the PAX shot (or walked) off into the Gloom.

    Mosey around the church, burpee buy ins at each of the speed bumps, through the parking lot and back to the front of the church for an open air COP. The PAX was lively, they struggled with their counting, something that definitely gave this son of accountant some unease. Quick COP of Imperial Walkers, DQs, Soldiers, arm circles and reverso then a quick mosey back to the parking lot.

    Creative 4 Corners

    A very creative version of compounding 4 corners of consisting of 10 hand release merkins, 20 jump squats, 30 reverse crunches, 40 money humpers. YHC was the six… mosey to the triangle and Henrico County’s most exclusive park on Ridge Rd.

    Triple Check

    Pace car runs to River and Ridge intersection and back

    mountain climbers and box cutters to round out the exercises

    mosey to Ridge and Ross

    Catch Me if You Can

    rounds of bear crawls and merkins

    jump squats and broad jumps

    mountain climbers and lunges

    repeato to the triangle.

    back to the flag for some mobility and 3 minutes of Mary

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out

    See slack for the full details

    Jan 24th – Pigskin led The Bridge

    Superbowl Saturday – The Frozen Triangle

    Two years ago, while I was shuffling between supporting my M at her weekly Prenatal Appointment and jumping to a coffee with a broker friend, for some reason I went home to re-charge and reset before my third round of caffeine that morning. Something just told me to be home.

    I needed to be home for what came through the phone lines around 9:30 that morning. I received the call you never can plan for from my little brother. He shared the shocking and heartbreaking news of Dad passing earlier that morning doing something he loved: working out. In the two years since, not a day goes by that I wonder how I’ll ever get past losing my North Star. You can read about this awesome guy here: https://f3rva.org/2024/05/01/happy-64th-dad/

    Dad shows up in ways every day. Sometimes it’s my son’s belly laugh, other times, an expected blessing. This morning he picked the first song on Shuffle as YHC drove to First Watch…. one of his faves and fitting for a pre-5am Wednesday morning

    To say the last couple of years have been a rollercoaster of highs and lows would be an understatement. Nothing can ever prepare you for heartbreak, overseeing your parent’s affairs, all while trying to grow a business and make sure you’re being the better than best dad and husband.

    Fortunately, the last couple of months I’ve started to shift over from treading water to swimming again. Searching for that North Star no longer became my journey, becoming that North Star became my purpose. I shared a couple years ago that it was my turn to own the next 64 years, taking the torch from my North Star. 2 years later, I’m encouraged I’m getting closer that promise.

    Thanks for letting me lead and share today. Enjoyed it! SYITG

  • Fake Field Trip

    10 HIMs fought off the comforts of the Monday Morning Fart Sack to catch YHC’s first post at Hoedown in nearly 2 years. As YHC headed to the second darkest AO in the West End, YHC’s mind raced a mile a minute. What to do? Head Off campus? It’s been nearly two years…. does the PAX even park in the same lot? A welcomed sight pulling onto Lindsay Drive reminded YHC was at the right spot…. BIG BLUE had secured the AO!

    Fumbling for words as to why YHC wore long sleeves whereas Swirly had ripped his off, the clock struck go time and the PAX mosey’d down Helper Rd. Circle up at Paris for a quick COT

    SSHs, Imperials Walkers, DQs, Dead Man Hang, Few Merkins and LBCs, time for the field trip YHC talked YHC out of. Instead of a hard right to Trinity UMC, YHC forged the PAX back to TES for a trio of partner exercises

    The Thang

    Dora 50-100-200

    Handrelease merkins, Two Count Flutters, Monkey Humpers

    Pace car Bear Crawls of the hill and moseys back

    ABCs for the Six

    Triple Check #1

    Mosey to the blacktop

    Pace car moseys the length of the court and back

    other exercises: people’s chair and mountain climbers

    Triple Check #2

    Mosey to the cafeteria wall

    Pace car lunges to Big Blue and moseys back

    other exercises: reverso crunches and BTTW

    5 mins of broga, stretching to close out the gloom

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC Took us out.

    Pleasure to lead at the closest AO to YHC’s home. Been too long. Enjoyed seeing some PAX YHC hadn’t in a while.

    YHC isn’t up to date on announcements, see slack for further details.

    Have a great week Gents! SYITG!

  • The WestHoe Takeover confirms the Caroline is STILL Under Construction

    6 HIMs rolled up to Richmond’s favorite Park AO for this week’s version of WDog. Unbeknownst to some, while YHC hasn’t posted to WDog in quite some time (4+ years), the ongoing construction at the Caroline….. remains strong. With a steamy gloom awaiting the PAX, the clock struck the bottom of the hour and we were off.

    Mosey past the construction barricade, the duo of workers rippin heaters and circle up for a quick COP

    F3 Intro, disclaimer

    imperial walkers, soldiers, DQs, arms circles and reverso, mountain climbers

    mosey to the bottom of Rugby Rd.

    Trees of Destiny

    PAX marches back up Pump House Rd back to the cul-de-sac alternating between bear crawls and lunges,

    Handshake with the 15 count

    Triple Check in the Dogwood Dell

    mosey to the Dogwood Dell stage following a cage fake out

    quick minute of wall sits, followed by a dead man hang

    triple check

    pace care runs the perimeter of the amphitheater

    wall sits and LBCs for the other duo

    ascending incline merkin buyout at each step out of the ampitheater

    circle up for a hitchhiker 20 count, arm circles

    YHC ran out of ideas, lunge back to the flag for mary

    LBCs, hello dollies, rosalitas and APDs

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out.

    Lots of announcements (see slack or Hitchhiker, he rattled them all off!)

    • Homegrown Race (half, 10k, 5K) @ Robious Landing this Saturday (2nd Annual!)
    • Pickle Ball Tourney August….. 17th?
    • 10 Year Anni in September

    Moleskin

    Privileged to lead at a mid week AO YHC hadn’t ventured to in quite some time. Great to meet Choo Choo and Limey. Lively mumble chatter during each segment this morning. Thanks for letting YHC lead.

    See you in the Gloom!

  • I’m touching trees, Mam

    7 Tree Touchers descended on the forest surrounding Mary Munford’s campus for this week’s edition of 45MOM. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, YHC arrived wide awake thanks to the 2.0’s recent chapter of the 4 month old sleep regression. YHC thought the 3am and 4am wakeups were a thing of the past, but the 2.0 proved the opposite the last couple of weeks.

    As Hitchhiker approached at 5:29:56, YHC took off towards Grove a brief 4 seconds later. Mosey around the school, circle up near the globe on the blacktop for COP

    COP

    SSHs, DQs, Imperial Walkers, Ukrainian Soldiers, Scorpion Kicks, LBCs, brief Broga stretching

    The Thang

    Touch A Tree

    mosey to the soccer fields, partner up for touch a tree… try not to make direct eye contact with the passerbys as you touch a tree

    rounds of monkey humpers, copperhead squats and reverse crunches

    15 count courtesy of Handshake…. mosey to the Tennis courts

    4 Corners

    bear crawl to corner 1 -> 25 copper headsquats

    bernie sanders to corner two -> 25 hand release merkins

    bear crawl to 3 -> world war IIs

    bernie to 4 -> 25, 4 count SSHs

    20 count courtesy of Hitch

    Dora 1-2-3

    mosey to the bball courts

    pace car runs to and back

    100 merkins, 200 copperhead squats, 300 LBCs

    mosey back to flag

    5 minutes of mary

    hello dollies, APDs (limited due to visitors), rosalitas, LBCs, obliques

    ring o’ fire

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out

    Sending prayers to Splinter and his family.

    Summer Tour in Full Swing. Nano Region Takeovers are looming.

    Great to see some folks YHC hadn’t seen in a year or two.

    Make the most of today. SYITG.

  • Happy 64th, Dad

    11 HIMs gathered at the earliest AO in the West End to see YHC had in store on a morning where the thermostat read: 64. This morning was full of numbers near and dear. More on that later.

    As the clock hit the top of the hour and the PAX were off into the gloom.

    Mosey around the church, 2 burpee buy in at each of the speed bumps

    COP for SSHs, Imperial Walkers, DQs, arm circles and 40 LBCs

    all followed by 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15 burpees (19 running total)

    mosey to the church wall for a Triple Check

    pace car runs to and from the island closest to the bus, other exercises were donkey kicks and Lt Dans

    slow mosey to Kubota’s truck for Coupons

    Dora

    • pace car bear crawls and/or lunges to and from the closest PAX vehicle
    • 50 coupon shoulder presses, 100 coupon swings, 200 copper head squats

    On The Line

    • each PAX member grabs a parking spot for some good ol’ lifting
    • pace car has a 4 burpee buy in then moseys to the last exercise, PAX running total 61,YHC did a few extra for 64
    • exercises included (all with coupons): man makers, shoulder presses, copper head squats, swings, flutter kicks, LBCs, tea pots, bench presses, etc

    3 minutes of Mary

    hello dollies, APDs, Freddie mercuries, 29 flutter kicks

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out

    Please lift up Upchuck as his nephew goes through tough times and his daughter who’s getting her knee checked out for something major.

    Grow Ruck this week, see slack for the details.

    YHC had to celebrate the best man I’ll ever know, my father, this morning. Today would have been his 64th birthday. Unfortunately, earlier this year, we lost my Dad. He passed suddenly a few weeks before welcoming YHC’s 2.0 to the world. Dad lived his life with every intent to make it past the age of 63, the age his father passed.

    The man, who always lived his life by the numbers (an accountant by trade), could never quantify outreach and impact on he had on his family, friends and community. Blessings, new (and unheard) stories of Dad and ways to honor his legacy show up daily; YHC’s favorite being my 2.0 shares his grandfather’s smile. Because my father would never boast about his numbers, YHC will:

    • Countless memories of Fall dictated by football seasons and tailgates, him taking over a dance floor at a wedding, learning as a youngster that cooking/grilling time is measured by beers consumed …for always being there for no matter what life brought
    • 200+ employees and their families – a number he and his business partners served daily. The number he thought about every night before going to bed.
    • 40+ years of marriage to my mother, a partnership that took care of everything for their 3 kids and future grandchildren
    • 29+ years at his final place of employment, a place he and his partners built from the original 12 employees to over 200+ strong. Part of his legacy spearheading an ESOP sale and transition from the partners to the employees a couple years ago.
    • Youngest of 5 siblings, a brotherhood that built YHC’s father into the man he’ll always be: tough as nails, compassionate, a servant leader, YHC’s North Star.

    64 will forever be your number, Dad. You wore it on the gridiron. You shot it once on the links. You served nearly 64 trips around the sun as our family’s shepherd. You owned it.

    Since January 14th, it’s been my honor it to go serve and own it for the next 64.

    Thanks for letting me serve and share today, Fellas.

    Here’s to Will Patterson. We love and miss you, Dad.

    Wojo

  • Super Six Plays a Game of P-I-G

    For the first time in 364 days YHC stuck to his Q sheet sign up and welcomed a crew of 5 plus YHC to another Thursday Gloom at Mary. Upon arrival YHC wasn’t sure of a few things:

    1. where to park at Mary Munford =>YHC moved twice
    2. numbers to expect given a heavy week of VQs => a super 6 including a downrange visitor YHC assumed was Canadian (Hoser of F3 Franklin, TN)
    3. how much rust is evident when this is YHC’s 2nd Q in the last 3 years => a lot more than you’d like
    4. how out shape is someone who hasn’t worked out much in the last several months and has an 11-week-old at the house => very

    One thing was certain: the bottom of the hour hit and YHC needed to do a quick scan of the options at the Mary Munford Athletics fields and courts

    COP

    quick mosey to the tennis courts, circle up for SSHs, DQs, Ukrainian Soldiers/toy soldiers according to our visitor, scorpion kicks, merkins, LBCs, brief broga stretching

    The Thang

    Phil Ford’s 4 Corners

    utilizing the corners of the tennis courts, compounding 20s of

    20 merkins, 40 jump squats, 60 monkey humpers and 80 SSHs

    brief broga stretch and hop over to the BBall courts

    P-I-G

    As YHC traversed to COP YHC noticed James Naismith’s finest contribution to the sporting world laying along the border of the blacktop

    time for a quick game of PIG

    if you miss you add a letter and do 5 burpees

    YHC was knocked out first

    acrobatic reverse layups from Bodos and Upchucks trick shots stole the show…..Said shots led to his victory.

    With enough time for a triple check of runs, Lt. Dans and plank shoulder touches and 6 minutes of Mary, the PAX headed back to the flag for

    Numberama, Namerama and YHC took the PAX out in prayer.

    Please lift up those in our hearts named (Upchuck’s nephew) and those unnamed.

    If you’re aware of F3RVA’s slack channel you’ve likely heard of GrowRuck. It’s in a couple of Saturdays. Thanks to DTH’s recent post for the following details:

    A lot of good times, tough times, triumphs, defeats, but most importantly blessings in the last 365 days. Appreciate the opportunity to celebrate 35 trips around the sun and the opportunity to lead once again. Look forward to the next 35+ trips around the sun.

    Wojo