Category: Richmond, VA

  • Tackling the Gloom

    A familiar number for this KB AO, but some different faces.  With no Q on the schedule, YHC served as host.  On a humid and dark morning, 3 noble warriors and their assorted weights tackled the gloom.  Here is how it went down:

    • COP
      • 30 SSH
      • 15 Russian soldiers
      • 15 helicopters
      • 15 HRM
      • 20 Suzanne Somers, each leg
      • 25 APD
      • 30 2x LBC
    • Catch me if you can – KB style in the bus loop
      • One man does 10 burpees then runs to catch up with his partner who is double barrel carrying 2 KBs
      • Rinse and repeat 3x
    • Triple check
      • Bear crawl
      • Lawnmower pulls
      • Halos
    • AMRAP challenge with four exercises
      • Decreasing rest intervals for each interval starting at 20 seconds and working down to 15, 10 and 5
      • Exercises
        • Skull crushers
        • Overhead pulls
        • Sit ‘n presses
        • Weighted American hammers
    • COT with YHC taking us out

    Missed some of the Circus regulars this morning, but as always grateful for the summer tour.  It is great seeing some different faces that YHC does not always see.  It is surely a great tradition for F3 RVA, especially for squatters like myself.  Really blessed to clang KBs with these men this morning, some of RVA’s finest!

    The usual announcements…Convergence at Timberwolf on Labor Day, September overnight camp out, DTH selling name shirts, etc.  Looking forward to seeing more visitors on the West End of town.  Appears DTH has the Gridiron Q on Saturday.

    God is good all of the time!

    Attila

  • That Was A Hot Ass Potato

    What started as an evening idea that got passed around to a few amigos, developed into a plan of action…a plan of destiny. For today there would be some redemption and soreness. Saab arrived with a heart full of enthusiasm and vigor. According to legend it went a little something like this.

    Mosey to other side of the parking lot and Swirly started us off.

    4 Corners

    Corner #1 5 X 10 sets of merkins, corner #2 5 X 10 sets of merkins, corner #3 2 X 25 sets of merkins and corner #4 5 x 10 sets of merkins. Merkin Count (MC) at 200.

    Merkin Ring of Fire

    Each pax calls our a merkin style and completes 5. All pax complete the assigned merkins. 5 X 14 pax for 75 merkins. The extra 5 was from our buddy Tater Hole.

    MC = 275 Pass to Kubota

    Super 21

    Start at one end of the field and complete 3 rounds of the prescribed exercise. Round #1 is 3 sets of 12, round #2 is 3 sets of 11, round #3 is 3 sets of 10, etc until completion with round #12 and 3 sets of 1. All the exercises were merkins for a total of 234 merkins. Fun fact; the last run was done with burpees

    MC =509 Pass to Hardywood

    Touch a Tree

    At each tree complete 10 merkins. First round had 7 trees. The second round had 6 trees. Total of 130 Merkins

    MC=639

    Glutes For Gluttony For A Cause

    5 round of 10 lunges and 10 merkins. 50 merkins total.

    MC=689 Pass to Vinny

    Parking Lot Pariah

    In any order, touch each of the 12 cars and complete 15 merkins at each. Merkin total 180.

    MC=819

    Merkin Ring of Fire

    Complete 5 merkins, per pax (15) and go all the way around 2 times. Merkin total 140.

    Wrap it up with a little Superman for the neighborhood.

    MC RX=959

    Official MC=859

    Namerama, numberama and Beach Ready Kubota took us out.

    Moleskin: This hurt so good. Big ups to the Potato Crew™ for being committed today and for the second week in a row, the 45MOM crew brought a huge effort. The official count is 859, though there were 959 prescribed. There were a few merkins that didn’t fully make it into the Ring of Fire. That count feels correct as a pax.

    News: Please keep Wojo and his family in your thoughts and prayers. See Vinny to put a little something in the offering.

    Big surprise the Corn Hole Tournament and the F3 Retreat has gotten complicated and some additional rules. Now you gotta partner with somebody from a different nano region, whose birth name and F3 name combine to form anagram of your favorite Redskin player or your Safe Word.

    Puppy Pile on 8/24. Bring your kid to this and let them know that you are more than just the dude in their house telling them to get off their screens and clean their rooms. Saab has volunteered to give “the talk”, please see him for the signup sheet.

  • Scrooge is Legal

    9 mostly young warriors headed out to the gloom of Huguenot High to get a good beatdown. And in honor of Scrooge’s special birthday, we embarked on a 21 themed workout. I was initially disappointed to not see Scrooge at the COP. But right after I made a comment about it, he showed up 30 seconds later:)

    COP – Run to bottom parking lot, 21 SSH, 21 Freddy Mercuries, 7 Don Quixotes, 7 Helicopters and 7 arm circles

    First Exercise: Four corners with 21 heels to heaven, 21 hand release merkins, 21 2 count mountain climbers and 21 WWIIs; mosey to next parking lot

    Second Exercise: Four corners again with burpees, one at the first corner, 3 at the second, 7 at the third and 21 at the last corner (32 burpees in total); mosey to amphitheater (with long pole giving me directions)

    Third Exercise: 21s in combination of tricep dips and box jumps. Start with 20 tricep dips and 1 box jump, decrease 3 dips by step, increase 3 box jumps by step. I noticed that I even at 6’1 had more trouble with the jumps than the more vertically challenged guys.

    Fourth Exercise: Triple check with wall sits, Carolina dry docks and runs around 2 different medians (Figure 8). The Figure 8 run took more time than I thought making the dry docks quite a challenge.

    Last Exercise: 2 sets of 21 PLTs each

    Closed in prayer.

    I enjoyed my first SOJ Q. I do feel older with this group but that is all good. I noticed that Fresh Prince is super fast and I am not. I was thinking about making Scrooge drink but while it may be 12 o’clock somewhere, 6:15 in the morning is pushing it.

    Prayers go out to Helix’s daughter, Wojo for his sister, and Orange Crush for his son. Hope they all recover completely.

  • LabRat and Gumbo play Trading Places…MannDate wins!

    A strong 9 posted in the darkness of MannDate with bells in hand – 7 regulars and 2 Summer Tourists, including a clueless Q trying to recall old KB exercises. It came back like riding a bike, sort of, and it went something like this:

    Mosey (walk with KBs held high overhead) around the parking lot and over to the lighted area by the front door of the school for COP, including:

    • Don Quixotes (sans KBs)
    • Helicopters (sans KBs)
    • Halos IC both directions
    • Goblet copperhead squats
    • Staggered merkins – IC first with right hand on KB then with left
    • LBCs
    • Sit and press

    THE THANG

    11s – Swings (your choice or variety) and merkins

    Mosey with KBs held high to side of school to the bus loop and line up at first light post:

    MannDate’s Light Post Alley:

    • At light post 1 – 10 one-hand swings with each hand
    • walk with KB high to second light post
    • At light post 2 – 10 bent rows with each arm
    • walk to light post 3 passing KB around your waste (slingshot)
    • At light post 3 – 10 boat and canoe

    Lay on curb with head off the end — 10 triceps extensions IC and 10 pullovers IC

    Back to the alley for a reverse Light Post Alley – same exercises reverse order Light Post 3 back to 1.

    Triple Check:

    • Snatch – alternate hands
    • Sit and press
    • Run the bus loop

    11s on the school wall with Goblet Squats and Donkey Kicks

    Mosey back to the front of the school COP area

    Ring of Fire:

    • Hold six inches with KB overhead
    • First man does 10 boat and canoe then back to six inches – pass it around
    • when the 7th man starts boat and canoe, first man does 10 American Hammers and passes it along chasing the boat and canoes.

    Time’s up and I’m spent.

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

    Announcements:

    • Convergence – 0700 at Timberwolf on Labor Day
    • Puppy Pile 8/24
    • DTH is slinging F3 shirts with names – see previous BBs for the link or talk to DTH
    • Prayers out for several PAX members fighting obstacles or with family members going through difficulties – Doozy, TYA’s brother, Helix’s daughter, OC’s son, Wojo’s sister, and others spoken or unspoken. Let’s lift our brothers up and have their backs.

    NMS:

    It was a great morning – starting at about 0330 when YHC first woke up, worried I would wake in time to trek to MannDate and worried that I haven’t Q’d a KB workout in a LONG time. Then 0345, 0420 and finally up and at ’em at 0435 – Let’s ROLL. Time to scoop up Rosie and head North.

    MannDate was dark but the Davillians turned out to support the guest Q. Much appreciated men. Very strong work today – especially by Chewy leaving it all out there on the bus loop to keep up with Rosie for a lap (and maybe edge him out by a nose — photo finish).

    No More Gumbo For You!

  • Pre-Blast: Mouse Trap’s VQ THIS FRIDAY 8/14 at Twin Team

    Come one, come all!

    Many of you have gotten to know Mouse Trap over the past 4 months as he quickly became a fixture after his April debut at Twin Team. 

    Here’s your chance to come and support a brother (read: bring your mumblechatter — he’s gonna do his best Major Payne impression THIS FRIDAY 8/14 at Twin Team.

    Mouse Trap doesn’t pass a chance to post for others’ VQs and he’s probably successfully EH’ed more FNGs to F3RVA in his time with us than any other PAX member, so let’s return the favor for him!

    It may or may not go something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyOs0PMKkYc

  • Summer tour? Where are they all???

    3 determined runners posted somewhere near launch time for a hot run. Everyone went on different jaunts, Lug put in 8.5 miles, Swirly 5.5 and TYA 4.5. Saab stopped by on his way home for a little 2nd F post run.

    Ok, so if anyone reads this post and are signed up for the summer tour, I might make them mad. I know a ton of people are on a quest to hit all the AO’s during the summer months. YHC is completely supportive of this quest and loves the opportunity to reconnect with PAX the are not typically at my usual AO’s. I think it is and awesome challenge for anyone…..but, I have posted to the Wednesday Hill run nearly every week during the summer and only encountered a handful of summer tour PAX (Offshore, EF Hutton, Opus). Where is everyone else?? I have taken a few ribbings for not signing up for the tour, but would argue that it is worse to not accomplish the challenge if you signed up than to not sign up at all.

    Come on out folks and complete your challenge. It would be great to have some more company on Wednesday night.

  • VQ ALERT!!!!

    VQ ALERT!!! Tomorrow – Timberwolf – Nancy Lopez VQ! SOJ PAX get out and support Nancy Lopez!

  • A Walkabout at GridIron

    Twelve of the faithful posted at GridIron last Saturday at 0700. Johnsonville was the self-appointed leader for the morning, and decided to give the PAX a mosey-tour around the AO to reminisce through some of the pain induced over the last 5 years. YHC invited the PAX to make suggestions as memories came to them. Here is a summary of what went down (as best as I can recall):

    Mosey through the parking lot and across the footbridge. COP near the sand volleyball court. SSH in cadence.

    Mosey around back of the sand volleyball court. Per a suggestion from White Deer, we recreated last summer’s bear crawl race through sand and back.

    Mosey to the nearby pavilion for several rounds of dips and step ups (harkening back to many many Saturday workouts).

    Mosey through the narrow tree line onto the Striker Park parking lot. Unfortunately, we found that the gravel parking lot formerly littered with splintering railroad ties had been newly paved with lush blacktop and striping. We manage to find an original gravel patch off to the edge between the asphalt and a chain link fence, and that is where we did a number of round of merkins and WWII situps in gravel. That was a call back to Chum Bucket’s infamous day in the gravel 2-3 summers ago.

    Mosey back through the tree line to the grassy knoll. Ten burpees OYO.

    Mosey along the path by Pouncy Tract Road to the high grassy area above the track. COP Alabama prom dates.

    Mosey down to the GridIron in the center of the track. 1/6 of a beast with hand release merkins.

    Mosey back up to track. Line up on the track. Bernie Sanders up the hill and across the grassy area to the roadway. Do 10 Lt. Dans. Run back and do 5 merkins. Repeat, descending Lt. Dans to 5.

    Indigenous People Run counterclockwise around perimeter of AO, turning left in the front of the school and ending at the entrance. 10 Chicken Peckers each in succession while holding balls to wall.

    Mosey around back of the school counterclockwise. Go under pillars and handoff Q to Earthworm. Several rounds of PLTs and Alphabets.

    Mosey to courtyard area in back of school. COP American Hammers.

    Mosey counterclockwise to grassy area of school at the end of the pillars (south side). COP Flutter Kicks.

    Mosey to the front left (when facing school) side of school in the grassy center of the car loop. COP ring of fire.

    Mosey back to SF for some concluding Mary. COT with Earthworm bringing on some strong 3rd F.

    Coffeeteria by all or nearly all.

    There was a lot packed into Saturday’s workout, and I probably missed a few things. It was great having strong numbers and several summer tourists. You all are always welcome.

    Thanks for the opportunity to lead. Jville

  • Novelty is the Spice of Life

    Twas darkness and eerie silence that welcomed a handful of veteran gloom gladiators at WDog this AM. Little did they know that their Q was confined for many hours the day prior awaiting Jury Duty with only the F3 Exicon to keep him company… Here’s how DTH delivered bright novelty into an otherwise gloomy and mundane morning:

    The THANG:

    Mosey to COP #1:

    • SmurfJacks x15 IC
    • DQ’s x10 IC
    • Clock Dans x2 rounds (Lunge Rt leg 1-6, Lt leg 7-12, Squat between Lunges for 4-ct IC) …LIFO Hardywood appears and has no idea what’s happening…
    • Angle Grinder x10 IC (Plank, touch knee, M, touch other knee, M – 8ct)
    • DR.W’s x10 IC

    Mosey to Penny Stage for COP #2:

    • “Dirty HookUp” x20 IC (plank facing wall, place Left then Right hand up on wall, then bring them back down Left then Right, 4ct)
    • Big-O’s on edge of stage x10 ea way
    • Hip Slappers x15 IC (BTTW with alternating hip slaps, 4ct)
    • Partner up: P1 Dips on edge of stage with legs held by P2, P2 Squats same time as dips – x20 Each

    Mosey to Rusty Cage for COP #3:

    • Modified Cindy – complete AMRAP in 10 minutes of the following: x5 Burpups, x10 HeelsToHeaven, x15 Ball Dippers 
    • Front runners completed 6 rounds

    Mosey to Paver Compass for COP #4:

    • Hands of Time (circle up close, on six w heads to center, legs at 90 degrees, then go around the circle sequentially dropping legs to 6”, then back up on next round, etc)
    • Complete and total failure to comply with coordinated routine = at least 8 rounds attempted, then DTH audibled to the Amphitheater for a penalty routine

    Amphithater for COP #5:

    • x3 Dips each step to bottom
    • x3 Incline Merkins each step Box jumping to top
    • Plankorama for the SIX

    Mosey BTTF:

    • James Bonds – BoatHolds with arms extended, hands together with fingers making a pistol – 10 count forward, 10 count Right, 10 count Left, 10 count forward …x2 rounds completed.

    COT:

    • Counterama #11
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took us out in Prayer

    NMS: 

    • Couldn’t have asked for a better group of brothers to start the day with – YHC was quite happy with the even 10 PAX, but didn’t realize our sailboat was without wind until Hardywood showed up – I’ll take uneven numbers any day to have you with us bro! We tried some new things today courtesy of YHC’s jury duty exicon study, and it appears the Dirty Hookup & Hip Slappers were well received and will be seen again. The Hands of Time, on the other hand, was a miserable failure despite being seemingly simple – perhaps having the individual PAX count going around the circle might keep folks on track. Anyhoo, a pleasure and honor as always to lead you boys. Keep headlocking!

  • “What happens if you do a Beast 3 days in a row?”

    That was the question of the morning, as it was evident early on that Lab Rat neither posted nor read the backblast for No Toll from yesterday. I guess we can find out the answer potentially tomorrow at Mary or TWolf since we got round 2 in today.

    It was a nice morning, with a breeze and lower humidity. Seems like the southern terminus did not get the thunderstorm that we got in DaVille last night. It had the hard chargers ready to run this morning….right past the Q like they knew where I was going. Upchuck was quick to let them know I can be a slippery one and everybody reigned it in for a minute. We busted out a round of parking lot tracers, then a pretty standard Lab Rat COP to get everybody loose, then hit the main football field for the Beast. Bullseye is a master at the modify exercises game, and gave us a good one for round 5, which for now we will call the “Bullseye”….it’s a back lunge followed by a leg lift. Quad burner for sure! Nice.

    Afterwards, we did a modified triple check up the steps on the hill, partner runs while other partner does shifting planks….round 1 elbow, round 2 left hand high, round 3 right hand high. Since that went pretty quick we followed it up with a bleachers tour, serpentining (is that a word? Spellcheck says “nah, dog!”) it up and down the steps. Finish it off with a ring of fire, Rosie style. Al Gore in the circle, drop down and 10 merkins….hold plank as it makes it’s way back around. 10 more merkins then back to Al Gore. Lab Rat stole an extra minute of time to finish up….he apologizes.

    Announcements:

    -2 runners were hit by a car on Saturday while running with the marathon training group. Lab Rat would like to take this as a reminder that not everybody is looking out for you. Watch for traffic and WEAR LIGHTS AND REFLECIVE GEAR! No early funerals, please.

    -Upchuck is on a goal to be able to do 10 merkins by the time he is 90. He can now do 2. Or something like that, I wasnt paying much attention. See him for details.

    -Orange Crush’s 2.0 is laid up for 2 months after an infection in his leg. Thoughts and prayers….he is a pretty active kid and 2 months no movement is going to be tough.

    -Possible VQ tomorrow at TWolf? Only those who post will know.

    Lab Rat apologizes…