Category: Richmond, VA

  • Taking it to Hardywood, SOJ style

    A PAX of 5 defied the draw of a Hardywood WDOG Q to post to the Source of Truth.
    YHC had the Q…and a SOJ beatdown was in order….it went something like this:

    THANG

    No Slaughter Start – no burps to save Bullseye’s neck/back issues…
    Therefore, mosey around school back to front of school

    COP: SSH, DQs, Imperial Walkers, Tempo Merkins, Plank, Hello Dollies, LBCs

    Mosey around school back to front of school

    Partner up to Touch a Tree: partner 1 performs Lt. Dans, partner 2 touches a tree and runs back. Repeato, touch 1x tree each round, don’t touch same tree twice, bear crawl between tree 1 & 2….up to 5

    Mosey around school and down to track, around wrong way to bleachers

    8 round Chiabatta: step ups/box jumps

    run lap around track back to bleachers…then to wall

    Wall Walkers: 5 together as PAX – plank, then step back, feet on wall, walk feet up, back hand/arms up until balls-to-wall for 3 seconds, walk back down wall to plank

    Back to Bleachers for 4 round Chiabatta: dips

    Find spot on track for ABCs: spell capital letters A-Z with legs, hands under bum

    Mosey back to VSF for COT – Gumbo took us out.

    Announcements:

    Puppy Pile Jan 26 – sons & daughters welcome

    Grow Ruck during opening weekend of NCAA men’s bball tournament

    Naked Moleskin:

    YHCs call at NoToll to show up to SOT resulted in a solid 5. Had there been more, professional networking between Singer & Bullseye may have never happened. It’s one of the things YHC loves most about F3: organic networking between 2 dudes with similar approaches and values.

    Sysco was delivering a food dropoff to the school this morning. The dude performing the work was in a navy blue hoodie…and he looked like Wilson from a distance. @Wilson: any chance you were there?

    Where’s New Market at SOT, btw? Seriously. Stop pumping each other at the gym on Wednesday mornings….or is it just Honeymoon and Sparky pumping each other on Wednesdays? Seriously.

    We would have made Hardywood proud on his birthday week sojourn…especially when we were ALL sweating during the wall walkers…not like Trump’s Wall, btw.

    3 times in the last 3 workouts, YHC has been asked to “take us out” and has declined due to “not feelin’ it”….however, after watching our 45th President and our current Speaker of the House & Senate Minority Leader speak “to the people” last night, YHC would be happy to “take the PAX out” next time the opportunity arises. Qs be forewarned: there may NOT be a separation of church and state if this is the case.

    Peace, love, Hardywood’s birthday and Alex Smith’s broken leg,
    Döner Kebab

  • Cold Front Coming In

    A fearless five descended and ascended the hills that are affectionately named “Roller Coaster”.  The air was cold, the camaraderie warm, and we are all better for the miles traversed.

    Kubota and Husky rucked two miles with Husky along for a one mile run/walk.

    TYA and Swirly went for the hat trick of one large, 1 XL, and one small loops.

    YHC picked them up for the XL and small loops.

    Time to Taper,

    Lockjaw

  • It’s Supposed To Hurt

    Eight stalwart men met at Manndate to swing some cast iron. Here is what happened.

     

    Thang

    Run through the parking lot, find a bus, touch it, and return to base. KB swings until the six arrives.

     

    COP

    • Arm swings (big) – forward, backward, sideways, cross in front each direction; all IC x 10 (sort of)
    • Helicopters IC x 10
    • DQ IC x 10
    • IW IC x 10
    • T-Merkins IC (8-count) x 5
    • Flutter kicks IC x 10
    • Hello Dollies IC x 10
    • Rosalitas IC x 10

     

    Again, run to find a bus, touch it, return to base, KB swing until the six.

     

    KB Ladder

    Start with the following circuit:

    • One-handed swing x 5 each side
    • High pulls x 5 each side
    • Snatch x 5 each side
    • Windmill x 5 each side
    • SSH for the six

    Rest one minute and then repeat the circuit adding one of the below. Windmills are always the finale:

    • Clean & press x 5 each side
    • Double lunge x 5 each side
    • Squat & press x 5 each side

    Ten minutes of Gumby (stretching)

     

    COT/BOM

    Nameorama, Numberama, Chewie took us out.

     

    NMS

    The 2.0s launched into the spotlight early during the opening run to the buses. Fife sprinted like a bat out of Hades, while I think Pinky attempted to give some advice about pacing. This is called a “positive split” – Fife knew what he was doing. Then Chewie was chastised by Mud Face for “always jumping in front of me when we start running.” In cross-country, this is called “positioning”. Chewie, too, knew what he was doing. Well done, boys.

     

    The group really started to get out of hand during the COP counting. YHC decided to continue the repetitions until the group reached numerical consensus. That technique seemed to work. Will remember that.

     

    The BB title comes from Pinky offering yet more questionable paternal advice, this time during the KB ladder. Certainly the choice of exercises – particularly Windmill – elicited much groaning, and some popping noises. When some such noise came from Fife, Pinky let him know, “It’s supposed to hurt.” In all seriousness, through F3 YHC has become much more attuned to what discomfort is harmful, and what discomfort is a helpful challenge. Probably extends to much of life. In any case, YHC stands by the disclaimer explicitly provided at the beginning of the workout: “I am not a personal trainer; push yourself, but don’t hurt yourself.”

     

    Kudos to Emoji who glided through each circuit of the KB ladder – always with positive vibes, and to Pinky who epitomized “push yourself”. YHC has a feeling Bulkhead rocked this workout, too, but he was standing too far away to know for sure.

     

    As usual, it was an honor to lead you.

     

    Announcements

    Please keep Opus’s M and Fife’s pet in your thoughts, as both are facing surgery.

     

     

  • Richmond’s Hottest New Club is Coyote

    21 warriors got all dressed up to enter Richmond’s newest club, Coyote.  If you’re looking for a wild time with monkeys, two miniature horses and whispering men, this is your place.  It’s also the only club in Richmond where vests are welcomed and there’s no cover fee between 5:30 and 6:15am.  According to the Yelp review, it went a little something like this.

    COP: SSH X 10, SSH RL X 10, SSH LL X 10, CP X 20, WWII X 20, FC X 20, HRM RL X 10, HRM LL X 10, Arm Circle X 1.

    Mosey to Rusty Cage for Triple Check:  One person runs to the fire hydrant for 1 burpee. The other man is doing flutter kicks.  The other pax is doing pull-ups.  Complete until team has 50 pull-ups.

    It was so nice, we did it twice.  Switch up the teams and do another triple check of 50 pull-ups.

    Two Horses, Burpees and a Barrel of Monkey Humpers:  This modified Lindsey starts at the hill near the entrance to the amphitheatre.  Start with 1 burpee at the bottom.  Run to the top of the hill through the gate and complete 10 sets of five monkey humpers for fifty total.  Run back to the bottom of the hill for 2 burpees.  Run back uphill for 9 sets of five monkey humpers for a forty-five total.  Etc. until 10 burpees and 1 set of five monkey humpers.

    Mosey back to the flag for 20 IC hand release merkins.

    Namerama, numberama and Swirly The Beast took us out

    News:  Puppy Pile is on 1/26 at 7:05am.  Bring your kids and if you are really baller, bring the kids of the guy who always talks about coming out to F3 but always makes an excuse.  He’ll be sure to show.

    The F3RVA Mother Rucker training crew is in full effect.  For details see a man with a heavy sack.  For sympathy don’t see any of the Ms.  YHC shared with his wife the challenges of walking for an hour with a 25lb pack.  The M seemed interested an then asked if any of the pax would carry it around for nine months and then shove it out their genitals.  YHC has not seen that on the Go Ruck schedule as of yet.

    Next Tuesday 1/15 at Heartbreak Ridge is the VQ of Dr. Tryhard.  Show up to this one is should be a blast.

    Moleskin:  That was 285 monkey humpers and 55 burpees on the modified Lindsey. Way to go fellas.  Big ups to Conspiracy for sprinting up the hill. YHC has completed extensive research by Googling “Coyote meaning” exactly once.  According to the interwebs the coyote is an enigmatic trickster, yet also a teacher.  Between the coyote sighting and the two giant great danes who really looked like the wanted to be ridden, this made for a wild workout. Swirly gets bonus points and a shrine for wear the 30 lb weight vest.  He’s gone from beast mode to monster mode! Flange also continues to dominate everything.  YHC is suspecting he has quit his job and convinced his wife to train for American Ninja Warrior full time and he uses F3 as his warmup.

    Thanks for the effort fellas. Dig a little deeper, get is all out and be super.

    Hardywood

     

  • Best Route Ever

    16 studs and one hound posted for a Tuesday morning run at UofR.  Route was up the main entrance, to 3 Chopt, to grove, 4 milers turn back at oak, five milers and Locke, and six milers at Malvern.

    NMM

    Not a lot of positive feedback when YHC announced the route today.  Seems the Lockjaw’s constant creativity sets the bar hight for runs.  TYA is a creature of habit (not as much as Swirly is), so he likes tried and tested routes.  So today was perfect for at least one of the PAX.

  • The Q is always listening

    5 studs arrived at the AO that is known as DaVille for a beatdown that went soemthing like this:

    Mosey across the parking lot for COP.  Exercises included Invisible Jumpropes, Arm Circles and DQs.

    Mosey to the first light pole for 5 merkins and 10 WWII situps.  Second light pole=10 merkins and 20 WWIIs.  Progress to the fifth light pole for 25 merkins and 50 WWIIs.

    Mosey all the across the way sidewalk for 11s.  Start with 10 LBCs and run across the parking lot for 1 squat.  Run back across the parking lot 9 LBCs.  Alternate methods of crossing the parking to run backwards, skipping, and kareoke.

    Mosey to BBALL courts for suicides.  (It is not a CK Q w/o suicides)  Regular, backwards run and reverse suicide with burpees.

    Mosey to the bus loop.  PAX mosey as a group and one member perform 3 burpees and catches the PAX.  Repeato until all PAX have completed burpees.  Repeato 3 times.

    4 Corners.  Corner 1=20 dips.  Corner 2=10 incline merkins.  Corner 3=20 dips.  Corner 4=20 flutterkicks.  Repeato 2 times.

    Mosey back to VSF for APDs and Freddie Mercuries.

    Numberama, Namearama, LR took us out with a prayer.

    Announcements-Wanna play Disc Golf-See LR.  Opus M is having surgery, throw some prayers his family’s way.

    NMS: As YHC was watching the CFP Championship game last night, YHC realized YHC did not have a plan this morning.  SO YHC showed up to the AO Swirly Early and rucked for 30 minutes to think of what kind of beatdown YHC would deliver.  As we finished the PAX moseying as group with burpees, YHC realized YHC had completed the palnned exercises.  YHC then remembered that Bulkhead mentioned during the running that he needed to increase his cardio work.  All you had to do was ask.  Your welcome for the 4 corners.  It was great having the PAX stay together for some mumbelchatter about various items.  LR had a a Jeep that he spent more to repair in the first year than he paid for the vehicle was how we started the morning and it went from there.  Great work by the PAX this morning.  It was a pleasure and an honor to lead this morning.

    Circle K

  • UpChuck Stuns PTA Moms with Ground Effects

    Six of F3RVA’s finest posted after dark (1830) at the Linwood Holton ES.  The parking lot was mostly filled, and the PTA moms streamed out of the School as we entered the gloom.  Thankfully they refrained from giving catcalls this time.  This is what went down, more or less:

    Warmup with 20x ssh, 20x don quiotes, 20x imperial walkers, 15x scorpion kicks, 10x merkins.

    Mosey around school clockwise to western side. Drop to knees for Jack Webbs (ascending ladder starting at 1 merkin, on knees 1×4 arm raisers, 2 merkins, on knees 2×4 arm raises, 3 merkins, on knees 3×4 arm raises, etc. to 10).

    Mosey a little ways north to the covered picnic area.  Line up around high-end picnic tables for Ciabatta box jumps or step ups (standard 8 min tabata).

    Continue around school clockwise past the abandoned house to the school’s NE corner.  Pause for Ciabatta half-burpees (standard 8 min tabata).

    Continue around school clockwise to the bus loop on the east side.  Pause for Ciabatta standing mountain climbers (standard 8 min tabata), but with a twist — at 2nd rest, do 1 burpee; at 3rd rest, do 2 burpees; at 4th rest, do 3 burpees; at 5th rest, do 2 burpees; at 6th rest, do 1 burpee.  The rests were not really rests…

    Indian run around the bus loop 3 times.

    Mosey over to the soccer field.  Pause for Ciabatta polar bears alternating forward and backward (standard 8 min tabata).

    Mosey back to VSF ending with a bit of Mary and a ring of fire.

    COT with YHC taking us out.

    Moleskin:  I am not sure how we packed so much into 45 minutes.  But, we did, and the pax was going at it hard.  I know this is Scrooge-y, but if feels real nice to be on the other side of the holidays.  The Jack Webbs were a repeat from Saturday’s GridIron, and most enjoyed them both times.  A number of pax opted for the more difficult box jump option.  8 min of half burpees is just a bi**.   It was nice to get a hard workout in after work, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share the workout with outs.

    Announcements:  PuppyPile late in the month (check the dogpile backblast for details).   If you interested in training for an April 50k, let Chum or me know.  We are working on building a foundation and will start to ramp up mileage in a few weeks.

    Jville

     

  • The FNGs keep rolling in.

    Another big day at Heartbreak Ridge.  15 pax, including 2 FNGs, posted on a very mild January morning.  It went something like this:

    Run around the school and then circle up for COP

    SSH, imperial walkers (I was rusty), Don Quixotes, arm circles (reverso), helicopters, merkins, and LBCs.

    Mosey to the track for 4 x 4 corners – 25 reps of flutter kicks, merkins, squats, and LBCs – 4 laps.

    Then off to the back of the school for some pole smokers.  With such a big pax, we ran through it quick.

    The wall looked inviting, so we did wall sits and balls to the wall.

    Then back to the flag for a quick merkin ring of fire.

    Numberama, nameorama and the Q took us out.

    NMS

    It was great seeing so many of us out there this morning.  This was my long overdue first Q since returning from surgery.  Thanks gentlemen for all your hard work.  Welcome Lumberg and DOS.

  • Mumble Chatter Muffler

    22 warriors rose to greet the dawn of a new day proving that the south side was the right side, at least for today.  According to legend and some out of date text books, it went a little something like this:

    COP IC:  SSH X 20, FC X 20, WWII X 20, HR Merkin X 10, HR RL Merkin X 10, HR LL Merkin X 10, CP X 10, Arm Circle X 1 (yes that’s right, just one.  that may even be too many).

    Pain House:  Progressive Four Corners

    Complete each exercise progressively with the pax regrouping at the end of each round. The exercises were as follows:

    • Corner 1: five burpees,
    • Corner 2: 10 hand release merkins
    • Corner 3: 20 World War II situps
    • Corner 4: 30 two count flutter kicks

    On each progressive corner you start with the exercises from the previous corner.  For example, every time you hit corner one complete five burpees.  Every time you hit corner 2 complete five burpees and 10 hand release merkins.

    • Round #1: corner 1
    • Round #2: corner 1, corner 2, corner 1
    • Round #3: corner 1, corner 2, corner 3, corner 2, corner 1
    • Round #4: corner 1, corner 2, corner 3, corner 4, corner 3, corner 2, corner 1

    Bonobos Ladder: Line up at one end of the parking lot.  Run to first line for 10 monkey humpers and run backwards to start.  Run to second line for 20 monkey humpers and run backwards to start.  Run to third line for 30 monkey humpers and run backwards to start. Run to second line for 20 monkey humpers and run backwards to start. Run to first line for 10 monkey humpers and run backwards to start.  Pax were also notified that if there was any slacking on monkey humpers they would be made to howl and beg for a bannana.

    Are We Done Yet:  Partner up.  One pax run around the parking lot. The other pax begin bear crawling.  Once the bear crawl pax is caught by the runner the switcheroo.  The exercises are bear crawl, crawl bear and lunges.

    Mosey back to the flag.

    Numberama, namerama and YHC took us out.

    News: Show your kids how awesome you are by taking them to puppy pile on 1/26.  Go down into the hall of paternal legends when you workout with your kid and then take them to Ellwood Thompsons for bacon, waffles and hippie gazing.

    A Rucking Ruckus For A Cause; the men of F3 Richmond are loading up their packs not with books, computers and jelly sandwiches but with plates of steel to show solidarity with middle schoolers around the world that moving slow and being an outcast ain’t all that bad.  See someone with a loaded pack on how you can help and join the cause.  #backpackstrong #neverforget #harambe

    Moleskin:  Way to represent southside!  22 is a strong number and you guys put on a show today.  Flange showed us all how it was done today.  He crushed every exercise and then to make us all feel bad he was nice about it.  Posh must be eating the same thing for breakfast that Sammy Sosa did as he absolutely crushed Pain House. Welcome

    The title of the BB comes from a good piece of advice I picked up early in my Q journey.  If you hear the pax begin to turn up the volume on muble chatter, then it’s on you to turn it off.  The best way to do that is not with more Helicopters or armcircles, but with a hard exercise.  YHC may have been over confident and under competent in this strategy and the last set of left leg hand release merkins nearly led to a merlot spill.

    Your talents are your blessings.  You have a moral obligation to share them.  The world is a better place when you do.

    Dig a little deeper, get it all out and be super.

    Cheers,

    Hardywood

  • Where did everyone go??

    6 Davillians including 2 2.0’s got their Monday started off right with a little stroll through the gloom

    Mudface and YHC had their ruck sacks ready while the rest of the PAX walked along side

    YHC was running behind so he didn’t pull up to the parking lot till 5:29 to find the PAX already heading out. I guess they are not on Garmin time.

    After catching up, YHC kept the same pace and headed into Honey Meadows. After turning around at the halfway point, YHC noticed the rest of the PAX had taken a different route. Then arriving back at the parking lot, YHC noticed his car was the only one remaining. Where did everyone go?

    Turns out No Idea needed to leave early so the main PAX only got in 2.5 miles. This meant that Pinky’s second 2.0 will have to be named another time.

    YHC got a full 3 miles in at a 14:55 minute pace

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    1. Keep Opus’ M in your prayers as she his having major surgery this week. Opus will be out for the next 2 1/2 weeks as well to help her.
    2. Tomato Run is officially a Ruck Monday till the end of March. Came out to get your time in fellas!
    SPIT ON THAT!!