Category: Richmond, VA

  • The Art of Naming FNGs

    We have 18 strong PAX including yours truly; that includes 3 FNGs which is awesome.  We went to work on a somewhat mild winter morning.

    Workout went something like this:

    Warm up:  16 Side straddle hops (in honor of the Bears score, poor Cody Parkey), 15 forward arm circles, 15 backward arm circles, 20 LBCs and 25 Freddie Mercuries

    First Exercise:  Mosey to the Rite Aid after figuring out how to best navigate the Ridge Road crossing.  Do 4 corners – start with 10 burpees, then next corner 10 burpees and 20 WWIIs, then 10 burpees, 20 WWIIs, 30 jump squats, and lastly 10 burpees, 20 WWIIs, 30 jump squats, and 40 2 count flutter kicks.

    Second exercise, reverse back the 4 corners with 40 2 count flutter kicks, 30 jump squats, 20 WWIIs and 10 burpees.  I sensed the FNGs were thinking “Wow these dudes are serious”.  After some planking activity we proceeded back to the front of Tuckahoe.

    Third Exercise:  Get a partner and split 100 Merkins on the bike rack, 200 step jumps and 300 2 count flutter kicks, one partner exercises while the other runs to the start of the teacher’s lot.

    Last exercise:  Handshake led the group with a merkin ring of fire.

    Announcement:  Olivander is handling Puppy Pile which is scheduled for 1/26.  Closed in prayer.

    Musings:  The Fireman was amazed at having 18 PAX and this was his first time picking names for FNGs and this morning we had 3 of them.  The first names went without too much trouble (Welcome Bernanke and Scrum) but on the 3rd name we got stuck on Dell and then Viral starting talking about a “dude” in the old Dell Commercial.  So I thought why not go with Dell dude which in hindsight sounds pretty lame.  The Dell “dude”‘s name is Steven by the way.  So there were lots of mumble chatter and laughter at the Fireman’s expense about how bad a name that was.  Well smarter minds prevailed and the 3rd FNG is Escobar.  Welcome Escobar!

     

  • Jack Webbs and a Whole Lotta’ Muck

    Nine of F3’s finest posted to GridIron (aka the Boneyard) on a warmish, wet, mucky morning in January.  YHC (Johnsonville) took the Q, and this is what went down, more or less:

    Warmup with 25x ssh, 15x imperial walkers, 15x hillbillies, 20x slow squats, 25x Alabama prom dates, 25x LBCs.

    Mosey back to the pillars.  25x pole smokers.

    Mosey down to the cricket field and through the mud.  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 through the muck to the tennis courts.  Suicide-ish routine that went like this:

    •  run to 2nd court, 8 merkins, return to end for 2 WWII situps.
    •  run to 3nd court, 6 burpees, return to end for 4 WWII situps.
    •  run to 4th court, 4 _____________(?), return to end for 6 WWII situps.
    •  run to other end for 2 crunchy frogs, 8 WWII situps.

    Ark loader along tennis courts with zombie walk, bunny hop, bear crawl, crab walk, karaoke, etc.  YHC had to take an emergency bathroom run and Chum Bucket was kind enough to take over for a bit.  I am not sure what he did, but I know burpees were in there.

    The PAX mosey’d to the front of school, and YHC met them there 25lbs lighter.  YHC called a Dora with 100 merkins while partner ran loop, then 200 back lunges while partner ran loop.  I was planning a 300 in accordance with F3 convention, but time ran out.

    Mosey back to VSF.  COT.  Attilla took us out.  Coffeeteria.

    Moleskin — Now that the odometer has flipped on several of us, GridIron has more >50 than in their 40s.  We are the Boneyard of RVA.  The Jack Webbs are much harder than they look, and super painful.  I think we could push them above 10, but it will not be pretty.  This day was muddy to an extreme.  I always try to respect and preserve the fields when they are wet.  Heading onto the Cricket field for Jack Webbs was a big mistake as they were a soup of muck.  After the gloom, White Deer demanded that I take his shoes home and was them.  It is great to have Night Crawler back (Kotter).  Chum and I have committed to run the Northface 50k in April.  We have a long way to go, and we hope others will join the CSAUP.

    Sincerely, Jville

     

     

  • Hardly Wood

    13 warriors rose to greet the dawn of a new day. Seeing how today is the day of The Epiphany we finally got some cooperation in the weather.  There was all kinds of calamity out of the gate.  We had some trail runners, some road warriors and a few who followed the beat of their own drums.  According to legend it went a little something like this.

    Across the Nickel Bridge to the trails, then connect with the service road at Reedy Creek.  Run to the 22nd street stairs an on to the TPot and take the north side trails back to home base.  All pax did some variation of this route.

    Numberama, namerama and Ollivander led us out.

    News:  Puppy pile has been pushed back to 1/26 with Ollivander at the Q.

    There’s a ton of rucking going on.  See someone with a heavy backpack for details.

    Please keep Opus’s M and Pert Plus’s mother in your prayers.

    Moleskin: The pax was strong today and a good time was had at ET’s afterwards.  Thanks for the kind words and the cupcake.

     

  • Where’s Swirly Going

    First Dogpile of 2019 and 39 RVA redwoods made it through the early morning fog for a fully planned Rosie Q.

    Mosey to the circle and get into a line for some dynamic warm up, Flange style. High knees, butt kickers, slide left, slide right, lay ups.  COP, start with Don Quixotes for Wilson and Saab. Next up, since Toga’s name has come up a couple times recently, a little tribute to his focus on form. 8 count merkins with hand release and shoulder taps. Slow full squats.  Slow Freddie mercuries. Watch Swirly leave the COP,zero wonder if it wasn’t intense enough for him… Continue with the plan. 8 count burpees. 2 rounds of all with low reps.

    Mosey to the Rusty cage to introduce some of the PAX to an old friend of YHC, Cindy.  5 pullups, 10 merkins, 15 squats. Repeat until the Q calls time. 10 minutes completed. FYI, 20 rounds plus a couple miles would equal the Murph.

    Mosey to the second circle for a flashback to 90’s Arkansas basketball with a Nolan Richardson.  Known for his 40 minutes of hell style of play, YHC found this gem on the Exicon and modified it for about 20 minutes.  Partner up and do a combined 75 burpees, 150 squats, 75 WWII, 150 arm circles, 75 merkins and 150 Imperial walkers. Partner 2 runs backward down one side of the road and forward down the other. Rotate between 20 Mtn climbers and 20 SSH until all PAX are finished.

    Carilon field Jacobs ladder. Up to 8 first to each end is the trigger for all to burpee.

    Close out with 5 minutes of Mary.

     

    NMM

    Wow! What a great group this morning and an excellent start to the weekend. Lots of Extra credit going on this morning. Bleeder and Swirly came rucking in first, followed by Vinny, Kubota and Hardywood running, then the main ruck group of Honeymoon, Honeydo, Marmaduke, Wilson, Recall, Shakedown and Spit.

    Yes, the excessive counting in the COP sounded a little like teaching some line dance moves as Vinny pointed out. Toga has come up recently on a couple conversations so YHC decided to do a brief tribute to him to start the year at Dogpile.  Good form is usually better than speed our quantity.  Apparently once Swirly realized this Rosie Q would have less running than expected he decided to take off to get his weighted vest, leaving the Q wondering if there plan wasn’t going to be challenging enough. Nah, YHC doesn’t come to Dogpile without a good plan and some new ideas.

    The field was muddier than I’ve seen it which made the running and burpees a good messy finish.  The Jacobs Ladder modification proved to be fairly popular for those hurt or not into running.  Lots of injuries around F3RVA right now, hesh up men, modify where needed.

    Prayers for Opus’s wife who is heading into surgery.

    Marmaduke collected over 130 coats and delivered them to those in need. He thanks all  for the support.

    Look for a preblast re Puppy Pile this coming weekend or the next.  Olivander.

    Thanks for hanging in there with me on some new ideas and for the opportunity to leaving this string group of men

  • “Why are We Doing This??!!”

    7 rugged dudes (including one 2.0) came out to see what the first workout at the creek was going to be like.

    Hallelujah run around the church

    COP — arm circles
    hillbillies
    helicopters
    jack squats
    plank jack shoulder taps

    Curb Toe Taps —
    30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest
    40 seconds on, 20 seconds rest
    50 seconds on, 10 seconds rest
    1 minute on

    CMIYC —
    One person bear crawls the loop, the other does 5 burpees and runs to catch up.  Switcho until the loop is done.

    To the shelter for

    Triple Checks —
    1) derkins, bench situps, one person runs to touch a car
    2) donkey kicks off bench, dips and run the length of the driveway and back

    15 skull crushers (IC) each side.
    Then 10 skull crushers a little faster each side

    Back to the Flag for a little Mary

    Merkin round the world —
    1 merkin each, then 2, then 3 then 4 — all do 5 together

    Numbers, Names, Emoji took us out!

    YHC heard the above quote from Fife this morning — don’t think it was aimed directly at YHC, but just in general.  There are mornings that YHC asks the same question.  Why are we doing this?  Is it for the muscles that we are shaping?  For the endurance and stamina that is growing?  For the endorphin rush?  YHC thinks it is so much more than that — it’s about the camaraderie, the shared experiences, the struggle, and as my friend Miley so thoughtfully put it — “It’s the Climb!”
    YHC’s M is about to undergo a major surgery that will challenge our family’s fortitude and endurance.  F3 has given YHC the ability to push through things, to endure and to come out on the other side better for it.  Thanks for all the support and drive you have given YHC through the years.
    Why are we doing this?  You know why.  Keep doing it and invite your friends!

    Peace

    Opus

  • Hot Potato Q, Kettlebells , and Rain

    Thursday at Circus was warm, but wet and rainy.  The PAX was a bit disorganized after the holidays, but earn high marks for getting out of bed despite candy, rain, etc.   Attilla took Q first with a warmup and a triple play involving sit and presses, lawnmower pulls, and bear crawls.  White Deer followed with a number of KB exercises in cadence (halos, snatches, swings, etc.).   YHC (Johnsonville) closed out the hot potato Q first, with wall sits holding the KB overhead, out front, and at various other points, and second, with, an ugly round of 11s having donkey kicks on one side and the dreaded merkin rows on the other.  There was not time remaining for Mary.

    COT with Attilla taking us out.  See ya in the gloom.  Jville

     

  • Yup, The Swamp is appropriate!

    16 Super Troopers and 1 FNG posted to Twin Team this morning in hopes of finishing the first week of 2019 in a glorious fashion.  0530….with Radar coming in hot, time to mosey to the parking lot near The Swamp.

    COP- x 15 Russian Soldiers, x 15 Hillbillies, x 15 Invisible Jump Ropes, x 15 Copperhead Squats, x 20 Box Cutters, x 20 Flutter Kicks, x 20 LBC’s….with a slight crack in YHC voice, time to mosey onward to The Swamp (aka JR stadium).

    Merkin Mile-x 12 Merkins and run a lap. Repeat x 4. Voila!

    On to the football field. Yup, soaked, saturated, diluted. Totally wet. At the end line, line up. Run to 25 yard line, x 25 Freddie Mercuries, bear crawl back to end line. Run to 50 yd line, x 50 Squats, bear crawl back to end line. Run to 75 yr line, x 75 SSH-audible-lunges back to  end line. Run 100 yds, x 100 LBC, lunge back to end line.  With time still on the clock…

    PAX lines up on the salle de bain, balls to the wall and chicken peckers. YHC started. x 10 2 count chicken peckers down the line. Quickly turned into single count and Greenbow starting at the other end to meet in the middle for times sake! Time to mosey back to the flag…..yup, through the parking lot and across a more dry field at BWES!

    Number-ama, Name-r-ama, Announcements: Oliveander has an impending preblast for puppy pile sometime in January.  What ever your resolution, continue to post and EH that guy who needs to fix Sad Clown Face!!

    YHC took us out.

    Naked Mole Skin-17 PAX members at Twin Team this am. Super awesome gents!! Limehouse, welcome to F3 RVA. Unique situation that you are a resident of the 711 corridor who went to the Citadel and were named in SC. Welcome! And you EH’d an FNG-Flat Tire-at your very first post. Outstanding. It is only suiting we welcome a Citadel grad into the mix. Let the banter begin…VMI vs Citadel. Welcome Flat Tire!

    YHC cadence and voice cracking…..always a pleasure to entertain in the COP!

    Moseying back to the flag, YHC could have lead the PAX back around on the road. But, running across another field sounded great!

    DK was startled by a possum walking on the curb near the bus. And, he thought the possum was rabid…..hence his inability to take us out!

    Thank you for following this morning. Finish the week strong and continue to lead by example!

    Only those who post understand!

    Loud and Proud,

    Flatline

     

  • Swirly Squared

    Twenty-Seven Runners, including two Swirlys, and a canine covered various distances this morning by foot, pedal, or paw.  Here is what transpired, more or less.

    The Route

    East on Grove to Thompson and turn left and then a right on Hanover.  6s do a lap around the Mumford block first before beginning down Grove.  4s take a right on Shield, 5s on Plum, and 6s on Linden with all returning on Grove.

    The Moleskin

    Great turn out today for excellent running weather to jump start those New Year’s resolutions.  This also provides a great opportunity to EH runners into our group.  Come for the run and stay for the boot camp.

    Welcome our Raleigh based Swirly who joined us this morning.  Hopefully we will see you again soon.

    Announcement:

    • Ollivander is Q for the January Puppy Pile later this month.  A date has not been set.

    Always Be Tapering,

    Lockjaw

  • Ode to ‘Duke…2×2…in the rain

    A solid PAX of 12 were not scared off by a cool rainy, Junary morning….and assembled at Timberwolf for a DK beatdown that went something like this.

    THANG

    Mosey down, around track, and back up to basketball court.

    COP: SSHs, DQs, 5 burps oyo, Russian Soldiers, Backwards Lunges, 5 burps oyo, tempo merks, crab cakes, 5 burps on your own

    Mosey down, around track, and back up to end of light post run

    Ants Marching:
    a Marmaduke tribute, combining The Prostitute and the light posts where each post has its own set of exercises (each assigned by 1 member of PAX). exercises increase in reps by 2 per post…return back to 1 and stop at each before you proceed to the next
    Wait on the 6 at the first post.
    (Pax member listed below called the exercise)
    DK = 2 burps at post 1
    Oyster = DK + lunge to post 2 + 4 sshs at post 2 + run back to post 1 + DK
    Beaker = Oyster + skip to post 3 + 6 double count plank shoulder taps + skip back to post 2 + Oyster
    Gumbo = Beaker + run to post 4 + 8 double count flutter freddy mercury kicks + run back to post 3 + Beaker
    Tobit = Gumbo + run to post 5 + 10 double count american hammers + run back to post 4 + Gumbo
    Peaches = Tobit + run to post 6 + 12 single count backwards lunges in place + run back to post 5 + Tobit
    Bullseye = Peaches + run to post 7 + 14 merkins + run back to post 6 + Peaches

    Mosey down, around track, and back up to VSF

    COT – Wilson took us out

    Naked Moleskin:
    Solid SOJ showing yesterday and today, especially given the wet forecast.

    The Ants Marching kept us busy….no breaks, really.
    YHC is not convinced we’d complete the entire circuit of Ants Marching in 45 min, even if we eliminated the 3 laps around the track.

    Has Swirly started wearing a weight vest? (per New Year’s Convergence picture…)

    Announcements:
    Something about putting weights in backpacks.

  • 3 – 2

    Four posted on the first Wednesday of the year.  Kubota and Husky did the short loop, Kubota with a Ruck on.  It was a beautiful night. Upchuck posted at 530 as is he norm…the rest launched at 500.  Fun was had by all.

    TYA OUT