Category: Richmond, VA

  • Shiny App

    A six PAX posted for a beer-free Punisher on a low-humidity 75-and-sunny evening.

    Mosey to the back for COP: SSH, Imperial Walkers, Don Quixotes, Merkins, Scorpion Kicks, Back Lifts

    Mosey this way for a round of Ciabata (20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest for 8 rounds). Upchuck blindly picked #6, the “Ideal Body” workout, from the Tabata app: Burpees, Mountain Climbers, High Knees, SSH, Burpees, Mountain Climer, High Knees, SSH.

    Mosey around the blacktop for a Spider Man recon mission. Split into groups of 3. Each PAX performs 5 Partner Jerkins. Then the group runs to the picnic tables for 15 Bench Kicks. Repeato 3x. The double up on the whole thing for 6 rounds of Partner Jerkins. Complete 10 Jerkins on the last set.

    Mosey that way to the bus loop for a Curb Crawl. Bear Crawl out, Incline Merkins, Crawl Bear back, Decline Merkins. Count up to 5 and back down to 1.

    Mosey over here for another round of Ciabata. Swirly blindly chose #5, the “Fat Burner” workout: Burpees, Squat Jumps, Squats, Mountain Climber. Repeato.

    Mosey over there for a triple check: People’s Chair, WWIIs, backward run to the trees, forward run back.

    Mosey right here for 6 MOM: American Hammers, Hello Dolly, Rosalita, HTH Ring of Fire, WW II.

    COT: Namerama, Numberama, Announcements, YHC took us out.

    NMS: YHC failed to secure a watch for the beatdown, so downloaded a Ciabata Tabata app since the phone would need to be carried around anyway.

    It was great to have Big Blue back in the Punisher parking lot. Great to be with several Punisher regulars, too.

    YHC tried to keep the COP appropriate for all ages because of the lack of gloom. Kru enjoyed the Scorpion Kicks so much that YHC was second-guessing himself.

    The Spider Man recon mission was necessary because the PAX were kicked off of the playground several weeks ago by Spider Man right after starting a round of Peter Parkers. You can’t make this stuff up.

    Announcements: Ultimate Frisbee at Heartbreak Ridge tomorrow.

  • Training Camp

    5 Runners and 2 Ruckers including one summer tourist, arrived to get training for the Colonial started on the right foot.

    The main group of runners stayed together as completed the big loop around Honey Meadows with a few side routes taken for a total of 4.5 miles

    The Ruck group did their thing for around 3 miles

    The DaVille PAX has signed up to run the Colonial 70 in September. This weekend the team was completed with FNG – Sludge. With that training has begun and Tomato Run will be team run day for the next 3 months

    Welcome Sludge who got his name for a being an Engineer that works in Public Works

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • Doozy Conquers The Curb

    2 River Run regulars posted on this most excellent morning for running. Others were likely out traveling for the Summer Tour. No Q, No Worries. Doozy decided to face his foe and conquer the curb that took him out a few months ago. So, around by the high school and then west on Robious towards 288 and “the bridge” we went. This time we ran past the bridge and the end of the sidewalk almost all the way to 288 for 2.5 out and 2.5 back.

    Great pace, great weather, great conversation and fellowship. Thanks Doozy!

    No More Gumbo For You…’til W-DOG

  • All Aboard The Batteau Express

    Eleven gentlemen travelers arrived for a Monday beat down at Batteau, including four SOJ passport stampers. 0:530 – All aboard!

    COP: SSHs x 10. Helicopters x 10. DQs x 10. Merkins x 20. LBCs x 10. Flutter Kicks x 10

    First Stop: Batteau 11s. Both exercises on each hill side. Uphill Merkins + Downhill WWIIs (you’ll thank us later).

    Second Stop: Boulder / Baggage Claim. Partner up. Partner 1 holds rock plank while partner 2 runs down the left path/stairwell to the lake. Repeato. Partners walk down right path/stairwell switching overhead carries to the bottom. Partner 1 runs to the gazebo on the right while partner 2 forward lunges with alternating shoulder boulder presses. Repeat until the duo reaches the gazebo. Boulder carry up the right path/stairwell alternating boulder between partners at various landings.

    Third Stop: Lions Pit. Boo Yah Merkins x 10 then partner 1 runs out of pit and up the hill to the left while partner 2 does dips. Repeato x 2.

    Fourth Stop: Hill of Ill Repute. Bro Code up the hill, stopping at various lamp posts for exercises all x 5. Merkins / Werkins / Clerkins / Chuck Norris / Burpees.

    Back to the station. Wilson welcomed us to town and took us out.

    Announcements: Shakedown is shaving his head for a great cause and is seeking donations. Summer Tour is on. Hippie Olympics tomorrow at Hearbreak Ridge – see Lab Rat. Pavarotti VQ tomorrow at DaVille. Breaking Bread is always in need – and it’s part of Summer Tour, so get on it.

    NMS: It’s great having numbers at Batteau. Today was perfect for a tour of the grounds. Way to push Nancy Lopez, we see you pushin’ and postin’. Awesome! Great words by Wilson this morning. One thing I always try and do is send hand written notes. I’ll be sure and send one today.

  • OTB Variety

    5 posted at OTB with Oyster finding the group in the hidden location at 5:59. A mix of routes today with YHC and Honeymoon taking a flatter route into Salisbury, Wilson and Aisle 5 slowing things down with some walking and Oyster doing a bit of both and needing to cut out a little early. Close out with some excellent 2nd F at Urban Farmhouse.

    According to our resident connoisseurs the coffee is not nearly as good as the 2nd F. The first F will stay here with possibilities of taking the 2nd F elsewhere. See one of the SOJ crew for the password to unlock the key to the hidden parking location if you are looking to hit the summer tour OTB workout with us.

  • Square Peg

    Eleven, including a handful of tourists, jumped into the week with vigor and came forth to the latest rendition of Hoedown. Temps were sunny (almost) and 70 (almost).

    COP: Mosey around the horseshoe (2 laps) to start the legs moving, then circle up in the teacher’s parking lot for:

    Arm circles (10 little, 10 big, then reverso, but only for 10 big…YHC doesn’t believe in small, reverse arm circles).
    IWs
    SSHs
    HBs
    LBCs
    FKicks
    HRMs

    Mosey around the horseshoe two-ish more times…

    …onto the parking lot for…

    12’s, like Elevens, but one louder. Run across parking lot, Bernie Sanders up the asphalt hill, then clockwork merkins. Run across the parking lot, and complement the merkins with 1-11 WWIIs (no complement to 12 merkins…YHC is kind). ABCs for the six, then hold six inches once done with ABCs.

    Mosey to the blacktop for the Dart Board.

    Two circles, similar to a poor man’s dart board, were drawn on the ground. One had a series of exercises; the other a series of numbers (5-40, in increments of 5). One man selected to roll. The first die was targeted for an exercise. The other die was targeted for a number. Based on where the dice land, the PAX does the number of reps for the chosen exercise. Unless, there is a miss, in which case the PAX does 5 burpees for the first miss and 10 burpees for the second miss. Don’t miss three times. PAX rotate rolling…for those who didn’t have a chance to go, next time.

    PAX did lots of burpees, some flutter kicks, HRMs, and merkins.

    In between rounds of exercises, run to the first basketball hoop and back, EXCEPT on the last round…stay at the far end of the blacktop for…

    …Gaga. YHC has wanted to play for some time, and to a hyper-competitive 46-year old, YHC is tired of losing to his kids. Today was YHC’s chance to lose to his friends. 2 brackets…5 PAX in Bracket 1, 6 PAX in Bracket 2. Winner of B1 (Hot Yoga) played Winner of B2 (MARV) for the title. Hot Yoga was crowned the winner, though it’s possible YHC did not enforce the rules, which YHC doesn’t actually know. YHC apologizes to MARV, who may have won before he did not win. Lab Rat also apologizes, because that’s what he does.

    Mosey to the Horseshoe for 4 MoM. WWIIs, flutter kicks, reverse crunches.

    Number-am-a, Name-a-ram-a, YHC took us out.

    Announcements:

    Ultimate Frisbee tomorrow at Heartbreak Ridge. Loose Goose reported that Lab Rat will have “the stuff.” Since the HC Police will certainly be present, the PAX should be cautious when possessing “the stuff.”

    Summer tour…Phonics reminds the PAX that 28 have signed up. August 1 is the theoretical last day to start, though YHC notes that a PAX who has not posted anywhere all summer may struggle to post 27 of the following 33 days. Take up the challenge.

    NMS:

    Today won the title of Best Weather of June, and likely July, and likely August. 58 and limited humidity.

    Splinter is a good man. So good, that he has been renamed “Pied Piper” for leading minors astray.

  • Don’t take a faceplant

    6 studs posted on a nice spring morning in Richmond. Route was northbank to T potters field to buttermilk and home just under 6 miles , j. Saab hit the roads.

    NMM

    The parking lot was packed when I arrived at 645. Rare for a Sunday morning. Often in the winter we are the only folks in the parking lot. Ollivander put in an extra half hour pre-workout.

    The trails were looking for payback today. Faceplant almost took a faceplant today about a mile into the run. He stumble for a few yards then caught himself. YHC was happily making his way down the trails thinking how much better he has gotten on the trails especially after our jaunt on the AT a few weeks ago. 10 second later I hit the deck. Concentration on the trails is key and it only takes a second of losing concentration to hit a rock and stumble…

    We missed Sally out there today. Offshore is still hurting from wearing his exercise shoes for the run in Wednesday. Great to have faceplant out there for the first time. Always good to have visitors on the trails.

  • Turf Toe

    Nine from Arlington welcomed a traveling Splinter for a perfect morning beatdown at Yorktown High School. The turf was damp but perfect, eclipsing the quality of fields at NoToll.

    The Thang

    Four corners for COP, lots of variations of merkins including superman and swimmer merkins, which I enjoyed and will likely reuse in the future.

    Multiple variations of catch me if you can.

    Fun with Bocce balls. Toss a ball with a partner and treat it as an exercise race. You have to do exercises until your partner returns.

    Fun time was had by all.

  • Preblast – No Excuses Workout

    Preblast – No Excuses Workout

    We are firing up an introductory F3 workout on Saturday, June 22nd at 7:30 am on the day after the longest day of the year.

    Some of the most often used excuses for not coming to a F3 workout are the following:

    • “It is too dark…”
    • “It is too cold…”
    • “It is too early…”
    • “I won’t be able to get to work on time if I go…”
    • “I want to get in shape first…”

    These excuses are all off the table for this workout!

    Why are we hosting this No Excuses Workout?

    The goal of this workout is to provide an introductory experience of F3 – the workout, the camaraderie, the memories and the friendships.

    Where and when is this No Excuses Workout taking place?

    We will gather on Saturday, June 22nd at 7:30 am in the parking lot next to the community clubhouse in the Milestone neighborhood in Mechanicsville (11030 Milestone Dr, Mechanicsville, VA 23116).

    What will we be doing?

    We will have brief introduction to the purpose and vision of F3. We will then launch into an entry-level 45 minute workout that will follow the pattern of a normal F3 workout (warm-up in a circle, engage in a series of exercises, finish together). We will be providing explanations of the exercises and encouragement all along the way.

    Call to Action:

    1. If you have been considering F3 but haven’t come to a workout, then SHOW UP.
    2. If you have been to a workout or a few workouts but haven’t come back, then this is the time to SHOW BACK UP.
    3. If you are part of F3 then invite (EH) guys to come to this No Excuses Workout and SHOW UP with them
    4. If you know of any men who would be interested in engaging in something that can help them with their physical fitness while also providing opportunities for new friends, then tell them to SHOW UP.

    Here is an article from Men’s Health magazine that describes F3 and the benefits of being part of this movement – https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25799601/f3-workouts-for-men/

    Here is a link to a description of the “top excuses” for not participating in F3 from one of the guys who helped to start it – https://f3nation.com/top-five-eh-excuses/

    Let’s spread the word.

    This may be something that we try out in other locations too but we are going to start this in DaVille (Mechanicsville).

    Note: This introductory workout will be for guys only. We may consider other opportunities for our children (2.0s) and wives (M’s) another time.

    Let’s see who we can welcome to the team as we seek to share the benefits of F3 with more and more men!

    The Carpenter

  • Catching some Zs

    10 came west out to Gridiron to avoid the looming rain clouds hovering over downtown. The rain held off but we managed to get wet by:

    COP: Chase the geese on our field, SSH, Don Qs, Merkins, LBCs, Russian Soldier. Down to field with best drainage: Wheelbarrow length of field, then crab walk back. Head over to main football field to benches: Lindsays of : Box Jumps and Dips. Then on to field for Zs:

    Run diagonal on field, 5 Burpees, Bear Crawl width of field, 10 HRMs, Run other diagonal, 15 WWIIs, Bear crawl width, 20 Jump Squats. Repeato until time called, 15 minutes this time which turned out to be roughly 3 full laps.

    Partner up for 3 sets of PLTs. Head off to Jerkin station: 4 sets of 8 Jerkins. Mosey over to benches: 3 sets of 40 Benchkicks & 20 Derkins. Then close out with 2 sets of 30 Boxing Cockroaches. Back to flag. YHC took us out.

    NMS: We had a mini-puppy pile with 2 2.0s but these are high schoolers so no taking it easy on them. White Deer was actually nice to them. There was a lot of other cars and activity around the AO. We surely received some strange looks when we ran through the flock of geese on the way to the COP.

    YHC has been wanting to break out the Zs for a while and the Gridiron field was a good place to test it out. 15 minutes seemed like enough time, maybe work up to 20 at another AO soon. On the Zs we learned that Tater can flat out fly on the bear crawls. Like he is actually made to walk on all fours fast. Maybe that is why he is a soccer fan, as he may be missing opposeable thumbs.

    The PLTs hurt the 2.0s as they don’t have to work on their Abs being so young. They made up for it by humbling the PAX on the box jumps.

    Announcements: Several of the Gridiron regulars are out of town mid to late June so Qs are needed. Great change to work on your Extra credit Qs for Summer Tour participants.