Category: Richmond, VA

  • Just Like Old Times

    Fourteen of RVA’s finest came out for some post holiday miles.

    The Route

    Around the lake and take the access road beside the baseball field to the parking lot.  Cross the parking lot and cut through the fraternities taking the door in the fence to Baldwin.

    Left on Baldwin to Rock Creek.  Left on RC, left on Forest, right on University Blvd.  Take a right on Nalla.

    4s – turn around at Patterson and return on the same route.

    5s – cross Patterson and take Santa Ana to Camden.  Left on Camden, left on Rolando, and right on Santa Ana.  Cross Patterson and retrace you steps back to the VSF.

    6s – cross Patterson and take a left on Rolando to Parham.  Right on Parham and a right on Holy Hill.  Left on Maywood and and right on Santa Ana.  Cross Patterson and retrace your steps back to the VSF.

    Shakedown took us out.

    The Moleskin

    YHC ran a route similar to this one for high school cross country training.  Except that route originated at the high school and wrapped through UR and looped back to Freeman.  Running with Shakedown, Hutton, and Swirly was like the group I ran with in high school too, except we are slower and possibly more mature.  Emphasis on possibly.

    Needless to say, good mumble chatter with this group ranging from ruck designs to Friday’s game.

    It sounds like there were detours and alternate routes executed by the other Pax, but all returned safely and on time.

    Question for the Pax:  What goes on in the 6-mile and 4-mile groups?  Is the 6 mile all business at maximum speed?  YHC is curious.

    ABT,

    Lockjaw

  • Cyber Monday

    At least 11 Behemoths took to the grounds of TES for a Cyber Monday beatdown at Hoedown, 3 Qs for the price of 1.

    THANG

    SPLINTER Q

    Mosey to Front of School

    COP – DQs, IWs, Mountain Climbers, Helicopters, Arm Circles

    Mosey to Bus Loop

    Curb Crawl – Up to 6 Merkins, repeato and reverso

    Mosey back to Front Lawn

    P1 – Run to TES sign and back; P2 – Merkins on Bike Rack, repeato x 3

    EF HUTTON Q

    Mosey to Blacktop Basketball Courts

    4 Corners (Compounding at each corner- Bearcrawl Length/ Lunge Width) – Imperial Squat Walkers x 10, American Hammers x 15, Merkins x 20, WWIIs x 25

    Flutter Kicks/ 6 Inches/ Flutter Kicks for the 6

    FUDD Q

    Mosey to Back Field

    Beast – Merkins, Squats?, Mountain Climbers, Imperial Squat Walkers, Peter Parkers

    10 Burpees OYO

    Mosey back to VSF

    Numberama, Nameorama, COT (Fudd)

    MOLESKIN

    The PAX arrived this fine Monday morn to find a rare Q-less Hoedown.  At the beep of Angus’s 5:30 alarm, Splinter grabbed the bull by the horns and off the PAX went.  Mid-Merkin during round 2 of the Partner work an unidentified member of the PAX, not Keymaster, sounded the alarms.  YHC poses the question, is there anything funnier than a well-timed fart?  Call YHC doubtful, weddings, funerals, holiday feasts, beatdowns, a fart is the perfect comic relief for all occasions.  Well wishes to Fudd as he starts his new job in Denver a week from today.  Thanks for taking us out with a bang.  Though there was no time for 36 Burpees, Peter Parkers proved plenty tough to put YHC over the top.  YHC is certain he missed several PAX, please comment so you can be added.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Wish Gumbo a Happy Birthday

    Coats for Marmaduke

    Something Else??

  • Hot Potato

    3 studs showed up for a Monday morning beatdown and were served a nice hot potato – just what the doctor ordered baby !

    COP: SSH’s, Windmills, IW’s Helicopters, Flutter Kicks, LBC’s merkins.

    Swirly : Steps : 2 incline merkins each step  up – 10 curls with rock, 10 LBC’s at the top  – 2 incline merkins each step back  down. 1 incline merkin 1 squat each step up – 10 curls with rock – 10 LBC’s – repeat back down – 10 curls, 10 LBC’s at the top.

    Vinny : Triple Check – In the valley   clockwork merkins  clockwork – PLT’s – run up and back – those PLT were brutal

    Sippy – Kick Boxing  timed  – jabs – upper cuts, kicks crosses elbows knees – breath baby breath !

    Vinny took us out.

    Bearcreek this weekend – go gettem boys !

    Great job guys – awesome way to start the week – see y’all in the gloom…

  • This 40-year old Gumbo will give you the runs…

    9 turkey stuffed (and Disney overloaded) warriors of the gloom posted to River Run this morning to get a few miles in (6 to run and 3 to ruck) and to help YHC enter the silent decade.  Being YHC’s 40th birthday, I decided to add a little present along with every mile – 40 merkins.  As a group, the 6 runners headed to the track about a half-mile away. At the track the instructions were to run a mile, do 40 merkins, then repeat as many times as possible.  Most got 3 to 3.5 miles.  Rosie I think got a full 4 on the track.  Then a half-mile back to the flag and a final 40 merkins to top off the celebration.

    The 3 Ruckers, got an early start then joined the PAX just prior to 0530 for the send off.  They headed up Twin Team and around for additional miles and rejoined the PAX at the flag at 0615.

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

    Announcements:

    • Marmaduke is still collecting coats.  He made the first drop-off of about 50 coats and jackets to a shelter this past weekend.  Let’s fill him up with 50 more!
    • YHC is still growing the beard and mustache for No Shave November to fight cancer in honor of my dad – see here if you are so inclined:  https://no-shave.org/member/GoldmanMP

    NMS:

    It was great being back in the gloom.  Thanks to Kubota for making the trip SOJ to help YHC celebrate the end of Hate.

    Have a great day men.

    No More Gumbo For You…

  • Breaking King Hawaiian Rolls

    Breaking King Hawaiian Rolls

    3 thankful Pax descended upon 180 Belt Blvd. for the latest installment of Breaking Bread.  According to the loitering customers next door at Wendy’s, here’s how the evening went:

    Seymour and Malcolm arrived first to scout the AO.  Swirly would be proud – 40 minutes ahead of start time (ironically, start time for dinner actually is 5:30, only this event is “p.m.”).  UpChuck pulled in about 5:12.  Pax unloaded and set-up ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, King Hawaiian rolls, and cookies. What was the world like prior to Costco quantities?  Add to the food a quick set-up of plates, cutlery, etc. – all provided on-site.  Simple, fast, elegant.  Some 2-liters of lemonade and iced tea were placed on a table.  Easier than calling cadence, for sure.

    A short prayer of thanks for the bountiful harvest, and 15 patients filled their bellies, some coming back for 2nds, 3rds, and a snack to squirrel away for later.

    Seymour and UpChuck did a little clean-up.  Easy-peasy.

    The Pax then ran a 6 mile loop.

    NMS:

    Every Pax member should put this event on their calendar.  First, it’s easy (which YHC recognizes is not typically the F3 approach).  Second, it’s rewarding.  You will learn about yourself through this event.  But, most important, these folks really appreciate someone coming to provide them a decent meal.

    All in all, another fun evening sharing the 3rd F with a couple of my F3 brothers.  What a treat to get to know Seymour a little better, meet Malcolm, and share a meal and some conversation with some folks recovering from various medical ailments in a safe environment.  YHC was humbled to chat with a woman who described how she became homeless.  Wow.  She shared that, once she is back on her feet financially and medically, she realized how important it was for HER to be more humble in the future.  Good lesson for YHC as well.

    Have a wonderful last few hours of the weekend and a solid week fellas.

  • Sunday after Thanksgiving run

    3 stalwarts posted for a Sunday morning run a few days after thanksgiving.  We took went over the nickel bridge, picked up the access road, crossed at the T. Pottersfield bridge, and came back on the Northbank.

    Flipper is an animal.  He kept pace on the entire route and ripped off an 1:14 minute 7 miles on the trails.  Great work.  Shakedown filled in admirably for Lab Rat, keeping the conversation going the entire way.  But, alas, no one can talk as much and on a varied number of topics like Mr. Rat.

    TYA OUT

    1 week til the Bear Creek.

  • Keeping moving, keeping warm.

    A group of 5–2 dads and 3 kids gathered for the last puppy pile of the season.  It went something like this:

    Marv leading.

    COP–10x SSH, 10x Don Quixote, 10x Imperial Walkers,  Arm circles, 5x Merkins, 10x LBCs.  5 Burpees OYO

    Mosey to amphitheater for a series of two triple checks.  The “timer” was a runner to the top of the steps.

    #1.  Run, SSHs, LBCs

    5 Burpees OYO

    #2 Run, Jump Squats, Merkins

    5 Burpees OYO.

    Sippy leading.

    Mosey to Rusty cage.  3x rounds of Solo Jerkins (8x) and Bar hang leg raises (5x).

    5 Burpees OYO

    Mosey down the pipe for a pipe loop run.  1 partner runs the loop while the other partner lunges back and forth across the street.

    5 Burpees OYO

    Whamo animal walks along the road and up the partner carry hill.  One PAX throws frisbee.  Sprint until disc stops, then proceed to disc using one of a variety of ways–bear crawls, crab walks, duck walks, turkey walks (duck walk with arm circles), broad jumps, partner carries, but kickers, high knees.

    5 Burpees OYO (during the Whamo animal walk at some point)

    Balls to the wall on a large tree near the shelter at top.

    Mosey back to the flag.

    1 Burpee OYO–to make a total of 31 (the number of points scored by UVA yesterday in their loss).

    COT, Marv took us out.

    Moleskin.

    It is really fun to work out with your kids and see them pushing themselves and having other men encouraging them as well.  I’ll miss puppy pile this winter.  Today was a bit cold but everyone warmed up quickly  and were toasty by the end (I think).  We had a group of older kids so we didn’t scale back too much. We did try a few experiments–Turkey walks are a solid addition.  Double partner carries, not so much.

  • More NC visitors

    Six strong posted to Gridiron.  Bogey, from NC, was waiting to receive his first RVA beatdown.  We did:

    COP:  SSH, Hillbillies, Merkins, Don Qs, Scorpion Kicsk, Flutterkicks.  Stay on main field for some Benchwork:  4 Rounds increasing by 5 starting at 5:  Derkins & Box Jumps – run width of field between exercises.  Down to SPMS for:

    Triple Check:  Donkey Kicks, Reverse Crunches, & run loop.  Head back to Jerkin bars:  Descending Jerkins: 10 down to 1.  Then 3 Sets of PLTs, 10 Burpees for Chum, head to shelter- 2 Rounds of 30 Dips & 10 Step ups.  Back to main field:  Sprints to the 50, 75, and 100.  Finish with Bear Crawl to mid-field then back to flag for 2 min of Mary.  Atilla took us out.

    NMS –  What better way to ensure you post after Thanksgiving than to sign up to Q.  YHC arrived to see Bogey streching out and met Quest.  Good to see Atilla back home from his trip to AL this week.  Jville lamented the Donkey Kicks during the triple check after doing a ton on Thanksgiving at CM.

    The RVA PAX were happy to introduce Bogey to Jerkins.  He immediately groaned once we started and swore he will import the Jerkins back to Chapel Hill.  Thanks to Handshake’s VQ earlier this week for the idea of the 10 down to 1.  Bogey’s in-laws live in RVA so hope to see him back in the VA gloom in the future.  Atilla was quiet today, likely still stewing in the Hoos loss last night to VT, I hope you got you dead car figured out.  Sounds like Earthworm is recovering well from surgery.

    Coffee after was great to get to know Quest, who was not EH’ed but heard about F3 on a podcast. Happy to see you becoming a regular at Gridiron.

  • Sometimes You Gotta Jump In

    When YHC was a boy, there was a story told of brave men who battled the cold, fartsack and sad clowns to save the day.  This morning that vision was birthed into reality au naturel.  Once we cut the chord, here’s how it went down.

    COP: SSH X 10, SSHRL X 10, SSHLL X 10, WWII X 20, FC X 20, M X 10, MRL, X 10, MLL X 10, Arm Circle X 2

    Mosey to the bottom of the hill.

    Hill Work:  One partner runs to the top of the hill and back down.  The other partner exercises making progress up the hill, then switcheroo until team is at the top.  Exercises were Crawl Bear and Lunges.

    Modified 52 Card Pickup: Hearts = Flutter Kick, Spades = Squats, Diamonds = Merkin, Clubs = Monkey Humper.

    Pax circles up.  One man goes to the center and draws a card then leads the men in the exercise (determined by suit) and the count (determined by the number).

    **Modification – No one wants to lead a two count of an exercise, it’s the worst.  The modification was that if the card drawn was 5 or less, you had to keep drawing until you drew a card 6 or greater.  Once you hit that point, you added up the numbers and did the exercise for the suit of the last card drawn.  For example; 2 of Clubs (draw again) 4 of hearts (draw again) 8 of diamonds.  2+4+8 = 14 merkins (diamonds).

    Mosey to the Rusty Cage.

    Fantastic Fives =   5 rounds of the following; 5 pullups, 5 jerkins run to fire hydrant and complete 5 burpees.

    Mosey back to the flag.

    30 American Hammers IC

    Numerama, Namerama, Kubota led us out.

    Moleskin:  Way to work fellas.  It was great to have a few new leaders jump in an lead us through some exercises. If you can do it on a moments notice, then you can do it any time.  If you haven’t signed up to Q yet, get in there, grab the reigns and get it done.  No one will hand them to you.  Great job Posh, Don Draper, Greenboro and Vandelay!  Rusty Cage was made a little harder coming at the end of the workout.  Way to push fellas

    A great time at ET’s as always.  Next time you are in the cafe, be sure to check for the best class picture ever.  Our Thanksgiving group photo is now proudly displayed in an area that has been renamed “Shelf Of Legends” Upchuck once again had some really funny lines about Mr. Roper trying to assault a tree on a mountain bike.

    News: There is all kinds of scamming for the Bear Creek race next weekend.  See Shakedown and/of Lab Rat for details.

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

    Hardywood

  • Two-Man Dora on Thanksgiving

    Two of the faithful posted at Circus Maximus at the regular appointed time on Thanksgiving. Johnsonville (YHC) took the Q, and this is what went down:

    Warmup 25x SSH, 25x Don Quiotes, 25x Imperial Walkers, 10x merkins, 25x arm circles front, 25x arm circles back, 10x big circles front, 10x big circles back, 20x scorpion kicks.

    Mosey over by the pillars in the bus pickup/dropoff area. Commence DORA (modified) which took up most of the remaining 45 minutes. In each case, one member of the pax did the appointed exercise, while the other member of the pax bear crawled about 15 yards, then jogged to the corner of the school, which is about 50 yards down the pillar area from the start. Counting is cumulative. Exercises were:

    50x burpees
    100x lawnmower pulls
    150x donkey kicks
    200x sit and press

    Mosey back to flag. Boat/canoes with White Deer leading.

    COT with Jville taking us out.

    Great way to burn the calories in advance, men!

    Johnsonville