Category: Richmond, VA

  • TYA, Kubota, Wheelbarrow, Husky

    Four converged on Hillcrest this evening for the following:

    Husky – Some running on the medium loop but mostly walking and playing.  Hillcrest has some nice crunchy leaves in the road that are very enticing for a 6 year old to stomp on.

    Kubota – Mostly running, turning back for Husky (no 2.0 left behind) and then some much needed hill repeats.

    Wheelbarrow – Several different loops.  He’s glad to be back out at it this week!

    TYA – On the bike again, killing it!  Went somewhere for 45-60 minutes.  YHC is hopeful he made it back home!  Lots of traffic and wrecks around the Cary Street corridor this evening.

    Swirly – Bleeder must have called a late afternoon meeting in order to slow Swirly down and get him some rest!

    Daylight is fading quickly on the Wednesday Hill Run.  Come out while you can before headlamps are needed!

    See you in the gloom!

    Kubota

     

     

  • Spring Break 1997: Cancun

    18 Pauly Shore look-a-likes posted for Spring Break 1997: Cancun. It was so hot, it took four to make a thing go right. Here’s how it went:

    Vinny Q: Invisible Jump Ropes IC / Helicopters IC / SSHs IC / LBCs IC / Scorpion Kicks IC. Mosey to boulders lining road near toll booth. Hot sand Indian run: PAX works beach body incline merkins while lead beach goer squeezes out 10 decline merkins then runs to the front of the stage (head of the line). Repeato through the PAX. Everyone’s gotta get swole.

    Handshake Q: Mosey from the beach for GTL at the rusty cage. 5 pull-ups / 10 dips / 15 WWIIs x 5.

    EF Hutton Q: Mosey to the board walk for memories of Spring Break 1997. Pauly Shore – Jenny McCarthy’s AKA dying cockroach hand taps – 25 each x 3. Body By Jake doesn’t happen on its own. Monkey humpers in cadence … In Living Color.

    BT Q: Mosey to the mosh pit (amphitheater) for ascending squats. Downtown Julie Brown style. Ascending curb crawls – to 5 – boot and rally style.

    Back to the flag: Sugar Sock took us out.

    Announcements: CSAUP 10/20. See Pre-Blast.

    NMS: YHC saw the open Q sheet last night and jumped at the chance for a rare WDog hot potato. As always, it did not fail to deliver. During EF Hutton’s Q, one of our brethren PAX – name to be protected in case his M is reading – took one look at Pauly Shore – Jenny McCarthy’s and proclaimed: that’s more like Spring Break 1997 Cancun. Thus, a theme was born. If you know, you know.

    Enjoyed the day as always men.

     

  • this one is good for your spleen!

    5 brave souls came out once again in the mist to throw some kettlebells around.

    Here is what transpired…
    Pump kettlebell while walking the bus loop to COP spot

    COP —
    Hillbillies (a helix favorite)
    SSH
    KB Windmills each side
    Overhead Rotational Squats (known from now on as corkscrews) — each side
    renegade rows each side
    figure 8’s
    figure 8’s with a hold in the middle
    sidestepping kb swings

    KB Tabatas
    Bob and Weave, Goblet Squats
    Demon Crushers, Sit up Presses
    Halos, Standing presses

    Don’t Drop the Soap
    Hold KB as long as possible, when dropped get down and do 14 merkins, then run lap.
    Rinse and repeat for a total of three times

    A little Mary
    combo exercise — squat, squat and press, squat press and tricep press repeato until tiredo
    boat canoes — a total of 10 (2 each PAX member)

    Numbers, Names, Announcements

    NMS —
    What a great group of guys today.  Mumblechatter came mostly from Emoji (big surprise), but Helix and No Idea also had some stuff to say today as well.  Yardsale was rather quiet today.  YHC was too busy trying to not die to talk.
    Thank Emoji for the backblast title.  While doing the corkscrews, he shouted out “These are great for the spleen!”  YHC immediately thought that he knew nothing about the spleen and subsequently found the very informative video in the backblast.  Now YHC wants to be a splenologist upon retiring from teaching.  Watch the video if you can.

    Peace out
    Opus

  • Too many doors

    3 SOJ regulars parked in the streetlights of the Turnpike to get some early morning work done, hot potato style.

    Mosey down to the track and around a few times to get a mile plus.  Stop near the bleachers for Peter Parkers, Alternating Shoulder Taps and Flutter Kicks.

    Pass to Tobit, who does a quick pass to DK since he wants to stay at the bleachers.  Ciabatta with Step-ups, repeato w/ Dips.

    Now it’s Tobit’s turn.  Mosey to the front of the school to Door #1.  Doors 1-10 – Burpees corresponding to door #.  Doors 11-15 – American Hammers, Doors 16-20 – LBCs.  Bonus, there is a 20A and 20B so double up on 20.  With at least 13 more doors to go and not much time Tobit passes it back to YHC.

    Random assortment of exercises and counts – Imperial Walkers, Parker Peters, HRM, FM + others

    Numbers/Names/COT

    The initial mile was a good way to catch DK up on the Conspiracy takeover at NoToll.  The rest of the workout was no different with near constant discussions ranging from high school bands to DK’s impending M-in-law visit.  A brief lull in the mumblechatter between Door #4 and Door #10 while we slogged through the burpees.  Great workout, better fellowship.  Enjoyed it this morning men.  Have a great day.

    Bring Coats to Dogpile – Marmaduke

    CSAUP 10/20 – see pre-blast, lots of options – TYA

    Toolbank fundrasier 11/10? – see Viral

    New one – Oyster and Pig Roast at the Boat Club on Old Gun for Tad Dupriest Foundation 11/3 – Le Tigre is your man for this one

  • You got to know when to hold ’em, Know when to fold ’em

    8 Davillians found their way through the gloom and fog to Atlee HS to experience the F3 Workout Deck for the first time. The shovel was planted, the cards were shuffled and the PAX got to work.

    This how it went down:

    Mosey behind the HS to the basketball court

    COP (ALL IC) – DQ, Imperial Walkers, Helicopters, Merkins, LBC’s, Arm Circles

    THANG

    Mosey to the parking lot

    The Workout Deck

    Rules: 

    1. Per the official F3 Workout Deck rules card, the first rule is, THERE ARE NO RULES. Do your own thang!
    2. The way it was play today:
      • Pull a card, perform the exercise and reps = Card # +10; Face Cards 25, Ace 100
      • If a running card is selected complete that exercise between each card
      • If a plank is chosen the Q will decide when to complete that
      • Discard any cards that none of the PAX knew the exercise

    1st Draw 

    • 9 of hearts (19 High Knees)
    • Queen of clubs (25 2ct Freddie Mercurys)
    • 3 of spades (13 WOJO Squats or just Squats)
    • 4 of  diamonds (14 Carolina Dry Docks)

    Lunging card was pulled so PAX lunged between exercises

    Mosey to the HS tennis courts 

    2nd Draw (4 corners style)

    • 7 of clubs (17 LBC’s)
    • 10 of hearts (10 Butt Kickers)
    • 8 of hearts (18 Squats)
    • Ace of spades! (100 Calf Raises)

    A plank card was also pulled so 90 sec plank (30 sec high, 30 sec elbow, 30 sec high)

    Mosey to the MS Basketball Court

    3rd Draw

    • Jack of clubs (25 2ct Shoulder taps)
    • Jack of spades (25 Smurf Jacks)
    • Ace of clubs! (100 2ct Flutter Kicks)
    • King of diamonds (25 Merkins)

    Run forward then backwards across the court in between

    Mosey to the MS tennis courts

    4th Draw

    • Ace of hearts! (100 SSH’s)
    • Queen of hearts (25 Burpees)
    • King of clubs (25 2ct American Hammers)
    • Ace of diamonds! (100 Arm Circles)

    Mosey back to the SF for Numberama, Namerama, Announcements, YHC took us out

    MOLESKIN

    So it was Sunday night and YHC noticed that the Q sheet was open for DaVille this week. YHC advise Carpenter of this as part of EHing get back into the mix. He decided to passed so YHC took the lead.

    YHC had planned to use this newly acquired deck this coming Friday but decided to give it a ‘test run”. A couple of things were learned today.

    1. Come prepared (which YHC was) with a headlamp to be able to see the cards
    2. Review all the cards before had so if an exercise comes up that the PAX doesn’t know, teach them
    3. Plank should only be completed in the time noted on the card (don’t at 10). That seemed to confuse the PAX
    4. Don’t let Opus choice since he has the hot hand pulled all face cards including Smurf Jacks of course
    5. Be sure always to “stack the deck” and put your favorites at the bottom. Then pull those at the end to keep the PAX on their toes (Your welcome Carpenter for the SSH’s)

    Glad to see a good size PAX today. Everyone stayed together mostly (except Helix who crushed some burpees) and push hard. Glad to see Carpenter and Bulkhead back out

    ANNOUNCEMENTS
    • October CSAUP on Saturday the 20th – See TYA’s Preblast

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • Hunter spirit is simmering

    16 warriors heard the call today to further their personal development goals and improve their innate night vision on a temperate humid and foggy morning.

     

    THANG

    This is how it went, more or less.  The Cardinal route has something for everyone.

    All, head up snake road: Around the Robins Center and up Boatwright.  Take Honaker to Patterson and take a right followed by an immediate left on Roxbury.  Roxbury to West Franklin and head west.

    At the intersection of Charles, 5s/6s take a right and take an out and back detour to Crestview Elementary (home of the Cardinals).  All routes then continue west on W. Franklin to Donald. Take a left and Donald turns into Register Pkwy.

    At Patterson and Three Chopt, 6s continue west on Patterson to Westham Pkwy and a left on University Dr to come through the trails to the lake.

    4s and 5s head south on Three Chopt and take a right on the access road just beyond Bandy Field.  Drop down the hill on the trail and pick up the road.  Take the cut through back to the main UR entrance and come down around the Robins Center to the lake.

    Splinter took us out.

     

    NMS

    Q intent is to stay together and leave no one behind and the team excelled.  The 4s ACTUALLY ran Westham to Three Chopt.  The 5’s went up College to St Christopher’s and back.  We will just have to run Cardinal again soon – it is a really nice route once you get past snake road.

    Minimal mumble chatter as we got right to it.  Will let PAX highlight their running conversations.

    There was a little combat arms elbow rubbing at the start when someone said something about range day and someone else said “now that the leaves are falling its time to blow {things} up”, followed by a typically too lengthy description of a National Guard training schedule, followed by another saying oh I am a 18C ( SF Engineer Expert – That means Green Beret, Fudd ), and then sounds of respect all around.

    October does have a certain feel that gets the hunter spirit simmering.  YHC feels for his brothers still wearing the funny colored clothing.  While its tough as an individual when you have 2 personal assigned weapons and 3 in your vehicle to qualify on everything when then are only 12 training opportunities a year.  Its even tougher as a battalion of 350 – 800 swinging Richards to run through it all TWICE a year in 12 training opportunities.  Thats a lot of ammo. And a lot of time inspecting range safety books when we would all rather be waist deep in mud.  And that is why we need to to get as much done as possible with weapons in October / November to make room for the good stuff.  Hoo-AHH.

     

    Announcements:

    CSAUP 20 October.  See Pre Blast.

    Nov 3.   F3 Hampton Roads convergence.  See Pre Blast.

     

    Gomer Pyle,  out

    Git some!

  • Something Old, Something New…Might Need A Redo

    17 men rose up and met the challenge of the audible and didn’t really know what to make of it, or were just flat out pissed.

    A bit of history:  YHC’s last post was (sadly) August 30, 2017 and last Q was (even sadder) January 24, 2015.  So when YHC saw his name on the Q list for today’s No Toll, it seemed like a good opportunity to break free from the fartsack and get back into working out.

    Back on September 4, 2018 at 2:09 pm, BT signed up to Q today’s No Toll under the name “Conspiracy” in an effort to disguise an “Old Glory” workout.  This is not unprecedented, as Loose Goose similarly disguised his “Lucky Horseshoe” workout on October 29, 2015.  It just happened to be a coincidence that YHC was planning on posting today to Heartbreak Ridge, but called an audible when seeing the Q sheet (#YearOfBalance).  Hence, the illusive Conspiracy Q.  And with a non-traditional F3 workout in store for today, it rightly left some stank in the air.

    The workout was inspired by the F.B.I.’s release of a fitness app to help applicants practice the fitness test.  It’s a true you-vs-you workout against the clock, in camaraderie with fellow F3 brethren to help push to maximum potential, and with an option to see how your scores match up with fitness standards across the world. And while we do have workouts that serve as benchmarks (ie Old Glory and Lucky Horseshoe), the hope was this workout would allow us to benchmark our performance against ourselves and others (if desired), something that we can’t easily do with Old Glory and Lucky Horseshoe.

    The PAX grabbed hold, somewhat reluctantly, but pushed through the challenging workout.

    Here was the good work for the morning:

    • 1 minute of sit-ups
    • 300m run (which was closer to 500m)
    • Continuous push-ups
    • 1.5 mile run

    Form for the sit-ups and push-ups were essential if you want to compare performance on the scoring scale.  Otherwise, you’re comparing apples to oranges.  Well, and good form is just….a good thing.

    YHC was in the back of the pack.  Why?  Because there’s something about crossing over 40, raising an 1.5 yr old, and a demanding, high-intensity job that caused F3 (and any other workout) seem to be too far a stretch for the last 2 years. Therefore, YHC is working towards #YearOfBalance, where the focus shifts back to taking care of myself so I can best take care of my family.  A key component of that is working out.

    And while the mutiny was held off after the 2nd event, it was not unwarranted.  Being called out for not running the 300m with the group was a violation of F3 principles (#Clipboarding), even if it was to help the group.  YHC did stay late to finish the 300m with a paltry time of 71 seconds.  I’m sure with the push of the group, that would have been a little faster.

    So let’s sum up today:

    • Good intentions ✅
    • Hard Workout (as hard as you made it) ✅
    • Change is hard ✅
    • Mistakes were made  ✅
    • Sinner ✅

    I leave you with these questions:  What’s good enough?  Are you happy with your efforts in life?  Are you where you want to be?  And what is your measure of success in fitness and in life?

    See you tomorrow at WDog.  And for anyone who still tastes the lingering stench, come join me for a cup o’ joe afterwards and we can talk it through…my treat.

    Conspiracy

    #YearOfBalance

  • In Pursuit of 2nd Base

    Seven noble warriors embraced the gloom of an early Tuesday morning to sharpen one another.  Here is how it went down:

    • COP
      • 25 SSH
      • 15 Hilbillies
      • 15 cherry pickers
      • 15 hand-release merkins
      • 25 2x LBC
      • 15 pickle pounders
      • 15 crab cakes
    • Mosey to the bleachers for a Lindsay with dips and bench kicks
    • 2x 25 PLT
    • Mosey to the softball field with a Bernie up Heartbreak Hill
    • Animal kingdom
      • Bear crawl from RF line to CF; 15 gorilla humpers; run to LF line; 20 WWII sit-ups, bear crawl from LF line to CF; 15 gorilla humpers; run to RF line
      • Rinse and repeat but substitute crab walk for bear crawl
      • Rinse and repeat but substitute bunny hops for crab walk
      • Rinse and repeat but substitute duck walk/lunges for bunny hop
    • Mosey to the jerkin gym for 3x 8 reps
    • Mosey back to shovel flag for COT with YHC taking us out

    As of 10 pm Monday night, there was no Q on the sign-up sheet.  Right before head hit pillow, YHC decided he could easily recycle much of Saturday’s Gridiorn workout as there is no overlap in the PAX.  Hence the rinse and repeat theme.

    As for the animal kingdom, a keen observation from Mr. Holland today….”every man is always striving to get to 2nd base as quickly as possible.”  We are not a difficult species to figure out.

    Welcome FNG Hank Hill!  Good to see you and P-Trap adding HBR to your routine this Tuesday.  For those wondering about the reference, Hank Hill is in the propane business.  BOOOOBBBBBY!!!

    Great to see many of the regulars.  YHC has noticed that the patriarchs of this fine AO, Honeydo and Loose Goose continue to be MIA.  Hope to see those fine redwoods back soon.

    God is good all the time!

    Attila

  • Number 2

    2 davillians posted this morning for a Tomato Run but neither knew the other was there until halfway through.

    YHC started out a lonely run in the midst of the mist at around 5:30.  Behind school, honey meadows, KC, turn around and head back.  Got to back of CSES and said Hi to this crazy guy walking the other way.  Mudface!  Joy abounded as we met up and leisurely made it back to Atlee.

    Numbers, Names, etc.

    NMS — Unbeknownst to Mudface, YHC had been trying to figure out the best place to ‘let nature do its due diligence’ back behind the Atlee complex somewhere.  When Mudface came along and the pace lessened, the urge went away thankfully.  No poop for you.

    See you in the gloom!

     

  • Dirt Church — Old Dude Edition.

    Yep.  They still ride bikes on Sunday at Dirt Church.  Unfortunately, they do a poor job of backblasting about it… let’s catch up, shall we?

    Sunday before last, Pullout and I rode a gravel and road lap in a bit of rain at Gravel Church: Round Four.   No Profit — he was Climbing to Beat Cancer.  Dunno where Jenny Craig was with his badass bike.  It was just the two of us.   It was intimate… close… almost loving.   And we rode bikes, too.  Not going to say much more to say about that.

    Last week, Pullout was late to the game (I got a “I forgot my damn shoes!” call at quarter ’til eight) and that wasn’t even the beginning of Dirt Church: the Sunday of Great Mishap Edition.   Our friend John with the Kona couldn’t make it… got a text at 7 saying he was sick.  Haven’t seen him in six weeks due to injury, and we were looking forward to seeing him again.  My Jeep started leaking coolant as I pulled into the parking lot.  My worn out chainwheel ate my brand new chain for most of the ride, so I bailed early, but not before I watched Profit eat it and take a brake lever to the naughty bits on the rock garden on ‘Setter.   An hour later, I got a call from Roper that he hit a tree and maybe he broke a rib?  Poor Roper.  He’s still basking in the afterglow of New Bike Day and now this happens.  Please wish him a speedy recovery.

    This Sunday, though, was Old Dude Edition.   Two of Roper’s young (40ish) friends who are fast and fit and well-equipped (bike-wise, I mean) returned from last week to kick the asses of a 50-year-old (YHC), a 55-year-old, a 63-year-old (Profit) and a 65-year-old.   That’s right, readers:  Profit’s not the oldest MTBer we know.  His friend Fred is a hell of a guy and a talented rider. Anthony (a customer of Profit’s and our new friend) rode his new bike well, and he and I had a nice chat about bourbon, mostly.

    The route:   Fendley Station to the Hub, Blueberry down, break in the middle for some old school Morgan Green Trail, and back.  Blueberry up, and take the old guys down the Freight Line so they can no longer say they ain’t never done it. (One mile an hour, so no bones were broken.)  Blue Jay Way to Moonshine Run, which was a VERY rad deviation for us, since we usually take BJW to the tail of Corksucker Corkscrew.   We like Moonshine Run.  A lot.  Next Sunday plan on seeing that one in the cue sheet.  It dropped us into the swoopiest part of Sunsetter, and we returned to the Hub via Bell Return and then punched out.

    Seventeen miles of smiles, and even the young guys had fun.