Arrived at MOT to 2 other PAX at the AO, one set on bringing back SOT with a boot camp and the other up for a bit of both, we set out on a route to get Singer back for some boot camp time with Doozy. Down Mt. Midlo and around Woolridge, and back home. Out for loop 2, Singer stuck with me down Coalfield before heading back to SOT. YHC picked up the pace a bit to get around Woolridge with a brief detour into the Grove.
A Lucky 13 gathered this morning at the earliest known workout in F3RVA land. Today’s mission was to start decorating for Christmas. Rewards would follow, but first….
COP on church patio:
Dead Man Hang, Reach for the stars, SSH’s, DQ’s, Helicopters, Ukrainian Soldiers, Inverted Scorpion Kicks, 1.5 Pencil Rolls, Regular Scorpion Kicks, LBC’s
Mosey to the main parking lot for:
Cut down your Christmas Tree (Touch-A-Tree)
Touch 2 trees, partner does Flutter Kicks
Touch 4 trees, partner does Squats
Touch 6 trees, partner does Box Cutters
Next, we have to decorate our tree:
Round 1: Partner 1 Wall Sits while other partner runs and gets strands of lights, switch up
Round 2: Partner 1 Ballz 2 the Wallz while other partner runs and gets tinsel, switch up
Round 3: Partner 1 Donkey Kicks while other partner runs and gets ornaments, switch up
Then, we have to put candles in our windows:
Round 1: Partner 1 tries to reach the church windows via Dwight Howards while other partner bear crawls out and back, switch up
Round 2: Partner 1 keeps trying to reach the church windows via Dwight Howards while other partner lunges out and back, switch up
Round 3: Partner 1 has to replace the light bulbs in the candles via more Dwight Howards while other partner reverse lunges out and back, switch up
Now that the house is decorated, we need to mosey over to the fence and run some garland around it.
Keeping same partners, 3 rounds of exercises while partner runs around the fence, switch up. PAX may or may not have almost broken the beautiful fence in Henrico’s Tiniest Park.
Time to take Santa’s reindeer out for Christmas Eve night:
With same partners, 1.5 rounds of wheelbarrows to the tree on the right and back. Switch as needed.
Time for Santa to throw his sack on his back and deliver toys: Partner Carries across the park and back
Audible! No, that’s not happening. We are too old and big for Partner Carries.
Head over to the guardrail for 4 rounds of Bernie Sanders out and back while partner does Dips, Incline Merkins, Decline Merkins, Dips. Switch up for each round.
Mosey back to the VSF and circle up for Mary
Santa just got home and is looking forward to Alabama Prom Dates with Ms. Claus.
Not satisfied, Santa does Pickle Pounders with Ms. Claus.
One minute of American Hammers to finish it off.
Numbers, Names, Announcements, and YHC took us out!
NMS:
This is either the 4th or 5th year of First Watch SZN of GVN. Each year it seems to start earlier and earlier. I am happy to do this to share my gratefulness to the First Watch PAX for helping me start a 5am workout 6 years ago in order to help me get out and post when a 5:30am workout interfered with my wife having to go to work very early in Western Hanover. YHC changed it up this year and spiced it up a little. Enjoy the treats, men, and lets share our giving hearts with all this holiday season. Make giving contagious! Two more spots are open for SZN, 12/24 and 12/31. Upchuck has the Q next week!
Happy Thanksgiving F3RVA and SYITG!
Kubota
🥶 The Gloom Report: 11/18/2025 – No Toll
Nine Gloom Soldiers saddled up for what Machismo had in store this morning. Scrapping the frost from our iron steeds, the Pax mostly wearing gloves (except Dookie!) fumbled our way in the darkness towards the frosty fields.
It was a prompt start with a lap around the track for Warmarama.
The Pax got straight to work with a mix of running and strength:
Returned to the start for a round of Mary.
YHC (Yours Truly, the Q) asked the Pax what they were thankful for. We got many great answers, but above all, we were thankful for Snuff’s Coffee, delivered even though he was running it tight to get his wife to the airport.
Humbled to lead you all this morning. Grateful for the opportunity to start the day together!
Aye, Machismo (Q)
For a long time, YHC hesitated to Q Ruckhenge out of a lingering fear of getting lost. But after being inspired by Bru’s VQ last week, YHC finally took the plunge and stepped up to lead the night before. The route wound its way through the woods, broken up by several stops for squats and overhead presses.
As the pax emerged from the trees, the path continued behind the shopping center. Right behind Granite Hill Restaurant, just when everyone thought we were wrapping up, YHC called for 11s: donkey kicks on the wall paired with burpees, much to DK’s dismay.
Strong work by all the pax, and in the end, the only thing that truly got lost was one of YHC’s gloves.
Announcements: Chili Cook off November 23 @ The Alamo, Ultimate Frisbee Thanksgiving Day @ Timberwolf (530); Thanksgiving Day Convergence at 7.
YHC had another solo beatdown once the runners left. Why not use the track and the cover next to the building to stay dry?
Circle of 1 with some warm ups
On the track around the 50 yard line 10 incline merkins on the bench, at the top of the track 20 squats, at the opposite side near the 50 dips and then at the bottom of the track near the building WWII repeto 3 times with various same exercises
on the back side of the building using the hill, three times up and down with an exercise at the bottom
on to the home side of the track 11’s on the steps and Wedding Singer joins me
BTTF and stop for wall sits and toe taps
Numbers / Names Singer took us out
NMS: Watch out for the senior bus driver that will run you over in his car to get to that bathroom at the bottom of the hill
After a 3 week hiatus Poolboy was back with goodies. Frosty morning for 3 to get after it. We mosied to the lower parking lot to stretch it out to warm up them mosied back to the upper lot where all the toys were. 8 stations 2 rounds.
Calf raises with 20lb dimensions
30lb kettle bell high rows
jump rope
WW3 with 20lb heavy ball
oblique Cindy lifts
Crank the rod? Not sure what to call it, pvc pipe with 5ft of pasta cord attached to a dumbbell. Rotate the pipe until the dumbell reach the pipe and lower. Do the in a forward and reverse rotation. One station with 5lb and one with 10lbs.
thrusters.
in between each station run to the end of the parking lot 50ish yards. We got it just shy 2 miles. We worked many different muscle groups for a well rounded workout. Cleanup up pack up names numbers the usual.
Warmarama then the
THANG
DO EACH SET 3x
KB
Set1
Swing x10
Deadlift x10
Curl x20
Ww3 x10
Set2
Skull crusher x10
Goblet squat x15
Single leg deadlift x 5 each leg
Halo x10 each way
Set3
lawn mower x15 each side
overhead press x15
Alabama prom x15
American hammer x 30 single
Set4
Bench press x15
Lunges x 5 each leg
V sit x5 good ones
Merkin or dry dock pull thru x10
COT
namarama, numberama, announcements, YHC took us out
it was an honor and privilege gents
it was cold
2 Runners and 4 Ruckers found there way to Atlee High School for a perfect start to a sunny and 70 morning. The runners inspired by the negative split idea that Faceplant led at RAMM a few weeks ago tried it as well. Because the start time in DaVille is always around 5:33 AM, it only allowed for 22 minutes out and 21 minutes for the return. BAM! and YHC took the challenge and off they went into Honey Meadows, Kings Charter, and back for about 5.18 miles travelled. Although it is unclear once again exactly what the Ruckers did, it is possible that they also did a negative split ruck.
COT: Numberarama, Name-O-Rama, Announcements, YHC took us out.
NMS
It was great again running with BAM! this morning. The pace pushed us both this morning. Although on the cold side, with no wind, the conditions were perfect.
During the COT, YHC talked about Jim Moore, a former neigher, who passed away Friday night at the age of 76. He was one of the nicest people I ever met and will be missed by many.
Announcements
Thanksgiving Convergence – 7 AM at Mary
Gotta Run!
Phonics
A cool 11, that went one more, ventured out into the gloom. Paths around Ziontown, First Watch, and Westham Station were covered, rousing the tranquility of the bat cave trail.
The original Turkey Trot will be on Tuesday. See slack for details. Plan your start according to pace.
OBT took us out.
A baker’s dozen turned out on a cold morning to embrace the HRB hill one last time as construction is about to commence. Here is how it went down:
Construction is about to commence on the new QMS. One last hill workout before the barrier is impenetrable. Whitesnake will have to find some other way to celebrate the great Christmas movie of Die Hard as Nakatomi Plaza will be baracaded.
Convergence next Thursday at 7 am at Mary.
Great work from the PAX. Prayers up for those in need. God is good all of the time!
Attila