Category: Richmond, VA

  • Back to the Future with McFly for River Run

    4 SOJ vets and a Kotters by McFly gave us a 5-pack PAX for this morning’s River Run.  Cool temps, low humidity and a light drizzle made for great conditions…just try to avoid the many puddles along the route.

    4-milers – head straight up Twin Team (YAY!) and into Powderham via Cawood.  Right on Drakewood, Left on Glendower.  Continue on Glendower until it turns into Bosham and then into Drakewood.  Right on Ellesmere out to Robious.  Cross Robious into Tarrington and head downhill on Ashwell past the poolhouse.  Left on Sherfield.  Left on Welby.  Right on Riverton Ridge. Left on James River and back to the Flag.

    5-milers – turn left out of parking lot and first loop around by the high school, then pick up the 4-mile route.

    COT, number-rama, name-a-rama and YHC took us out.

    Announcements:

    • Puppy Pile Saturday at 0705.
    • Ollivander VQ at NoToll tomorrow
    • CSAUP coming up – 10/20
    • Marmaduke is collecting coats, jackets, etc.  Let fill his truck up.
    • Swiper is leading an 8K training team for the Healing Place – let him know when you can help.  After Dogpile on Saturdays.
    • Thoughts and prayers continue to go to the Lab Rat family

    NMS – “poor guy hung on for a mile or two”…what a great line, right?  Well, YHC was that “poor guy” and I was strapped to the bumper of Rosie and McFly for about a mile and then it was over…they were gone!  Way to push it fellas and welcome back McFly.  Hope to see you back out soon.

    LugNut and Sugar Sock skipped the foreplay and hit Twin Team hard from the beginning.  Nice work men!

    Have a great Monday fellas.  SYITG.

    No More Gumbo For You!

  • Breaking Bread with the Kiddos

    YHC and his 2.0’s took several warm pizzas over to Breaking Bread this evening.  My kids were able to help serve dinner while engaging in conversation with some of the residents.  What a beautiful thing to see as a parent coupled with the invaluable experience for the children.  Labrat, thanks for putting this program together, we love it!

    -Slurpee

  • Wet and Muddy

    Four brave warriors (including 1 FNG) broke the spell of the fart sack, last night’s down pour, and tired muscles from yesterday’s Convergence to hit the wet and muddy trails for Sunday Funday.  Here’s how it went, so I’m told:  Counter clockwise going Northbank to Buttermilk.  Mileage was ~7 miles, give or take.  Number-rama.  Name-a-rama.

    NMS.  We welcomed FNG Furley, who Vinny recruited after last week’s Sunday trail run.  This now makes 2 PAX named after a Three’s Company character.  Extra credit to anyone who can guess which actor played Mr. Furley.  Both Pert Plus and and Furley are veteran Spartan Race competitors and crushed the run today.  YHC enjoyed hearing stories from their races and dreams of one day doing more than 2 rungs on the monkey bars.  It was also great hanging with Shakedown. Great job today guys!

    On a personal note, my 1 year F3 anniversary was a few weeks back during BRR. I realized that over the past year I’ve never volunteered to queue.  It’s easy to be a consumer, harder to be a giver. So I decided to get off my arse and sign-up to lead.  My first ever queue will be this Tuesday at No Toll followed by my second queue at Mary on Thursday.  I’m sure I’ll get a lot wrong, but we’ll have fun doing it!

    See ya in the gloom!

    Ollivander

  • 4 Year Convergence/RVA Summer Tour Takeover

    F3RVA posted at Dogpile with amazing numbers to celebrated it’s 4th birthday with a convergence that included two bootcamps and a race.  By the numbers:

    • 57 total PAX members posted between the workouts.
    • 40 Double Dipped including two 2.0s.  Outstanding you two!
    • 54 posted to the 6 AM bootcamp
    • 43 posted at 7 AM with 33 completing the 2.7 mile race.
    • All 33 runners Double Dipped.

    The weather was perfect for a beatdown that included the following:

    6 AM Bootcamp  (All Qs completed the RVA Summer Tour)

    Mosey to Rugby Road Circle.  The PAX of 54 was so large that most PAX members performed the exercises in the road while YHC was in the tall grass.

    COP:  (Phonics)

    • 9 Burpees OYO  (September)
    • 20 SSH (20th)
    • 14 Helicopters (2014)
    • 24 Invisible Jump Ropes (24 PAX members at the F3RVA Launch on September 20, 2014)
    • 13 Merkins
    • 13 Mountain Climbers (13 PAX members completed the F3RVA Summer Tour)

    Q passed onto Wedding Singer

    Mosey to the Carillon Field and partner up for the following

    • Partner Carry to the far end of the field and back.  Trade off when needed.
    • Wheelbarrow the width of the field.  When you reach the side, the partners switch.  Repeat.

    PAX split into 2 groups.

    Group One  (Qs were Hardywood, Kubota, and Sugar Sock)

    • Hardywood:   At Rusty Cage – 5 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 5 dips, and 5 burpees
    • Kubota:  At the half pipe behind amphitheater – Clockwork Merkins (Start at 12 o’clock, do even hours on one hill and odd on the other.  Work from 1 to 12.)  Set of PLT’s and Boo-Yah Merkins while waiting for the six.
    • Sugar Sock:  4 corners with 10 WWI sit ups, 20 American Hammers, 30 Box Cutters, and 40 LBCs.

    Group Two (Qs were Vinny, Honeydo, and Offshore)

    • Vinny:  At the half pipe behind amphitheater – Clockwork Merkins (Start at 1 o’clock and do 5 merkins at each side of the hill until 12 o’clock
    • Honeydo: 
      • 3 sets of PLTs.
      • At Rusty Cage, partner up and do the following:  5 pull-ups, 10 jerkins, 15 dips, 20 jump squats.
    • Offshore:  Led the group on a mosey to the Carillon field.  Because of time, the Q was passed onto Rosie.

    Both groups passed the Q to Rosie

    5 minutes of Mary in Carillon Field

    • Freddie Mercuries
    • Flutter Kicks
    • Dollies
    • Peter Parkers
    • Crunchy Frog
    • Alabama Prom Dates

    Mosey back to SF

    COT – Numberama, Name-o-rama, Announcements, Gomer Pyle took us out.

    7:05 AM Bootcamp (Led by Johnsonville)

    Mosey to the field in the middle of the VITA course.

    • Slaughter Starter (20 burpees OYO)
    • 20 SSH
    • 20 Cherry Pickers
    • 10 Alabama Prom Dates (2 legs)
    • 10 Alabama Prom Dates (left leg up)
    • 10 Alabama Prom Dates (right leg up)
    • 16 Imperial Walkers
    • 16 Hillbillies
    Bootcamp #2 begins without runners
    3 rounds of BLIMPS (Burpees, Lunges, Imperial walkers, Merkins, Plankjacks, WW2, Sit-ups), 50 seconds on / 10 seconds off.
    Between rounds, we did a bearimeter around the VITA course with 1 person crawling at a time and others zombie walking.
    With runners, mosey back to the SF

    7:15 AM VITA Course Race  (3 laps around the VITA course for 2.7 miles)

    COP with Johnsonville
    After COP, TYA divided runners into 4 groups.  PAX lined up with 6 milers in the front to 4 milers in the back.  Runners counted off from 1 to 4.
    Cross Country scoring was used.  The 1st finisher was one point.  The 2nd was 2 points.  Team scores are added up with their top 5 finishers.  Lowest score wins.  Team One was victorious.
    After all 33 runners completed the race, mosey with Johnsonville and the bootcamp back to the Shovel Flag.
    COT – Numberama, Name-o-rama, Announcements, Shakedown took us out.
    NMS
    What an awesome day to lead this incredible group of men and young ladies at the 4 year convergence.  TYA had mentioned last summer that he wanted a race among among F3RVA PAX members.  Because there was no ReeseStrong 5K this year, he saw it an an opportunity to organize the 4 year convergence.  It only made since to have a bootcamp prior to the run.
    As YHC planned for the bootcamp and run, he wanted others involved who had completed the RVA Summer Tour which was a ton of fun this summer.  In addition to the 9 that led the 6 am bootcamp, other Shakedown, Labrat, and Lockjaw helped organize the run.  EF Hutton, who was unable to post at convergence, also completed the summer tour.
    YHC had asked Johnsonville to lead a COP prior to the run.  One reason for this is because many newer PAX members have never seen Johsonville do the Hillbilly.  Johnsonville then contacted YHC about a week and a half ago with the idea of adding an FNG friendly 7 am bootcamp.  Of course YHC said yes.
    Convergence Observations
    • Instructions were given by YHC to the leaders during leaders of the 6 am bootcamp to try to stay away from challenging leg work since many PAX members would be racing after the bootcamp.  This suggestion was obviously ignored.
    • The suggestion on going easy on the legs was not given to Johnsonville as he started the COP with 20 burpees.  This leg to much moaning and wining during the burpees.  We still completed the exercise.
    • At 6 am, we started off with 9 burpees for the month F3RVA started.  Johnsonville suggested this be called the Seal Team Starter.
    • Which is better, a COP or an elbow massage from TYA?
    • Hardywood’s 2.0s are incredible.

    Thank you to Pullout for bringing out the grill, the eggs, and the sausage.  The 2nd F was awesome.

    Welcome Smolder!  Well done on double dipping at your first post.
    Announcements
    • During the 8 am COT, Shakedown notified the PAX that Labrat had lost his father that morning.  Shakedown then said a prayer for Labrat and his family.  Please continue to pray for Labrat and his family.
    • The Healing Place is going to have an 8K training teams.  It starts Saturday, September 29 and will lead up to the November 10 VCU Health 8K.  See Swiper for details.
    • Puppy Pile next Saturday, September 29 at 7:05 AM.
    • Richmond Community Toolbank Hammers & Ales – See Viral for details
    • Starting next Saturday, September 29, every Saturday until the end of the year, Marmaduke will be collecting jackets for those in need.  He can pick them up at Dogpile or Gridiron.  See Marmaduke for details.

    It was an honor to lead this morning.

    Gotta Run!

    Phonics

  • When You Are Downrange You Q

    6 Hampton Roads Warrior and 1 RVAer came out to enjoy a Sunday Funday beatdown. Since we had a mixed PAX today, The F3 VA app says it was sunny and 72. The SF’s were planted and the PAX got to work.

    Here how it went down:

    COP (ALL IC)

    SSH, 5 HRM’s, DQ, 6 HRM’s, Hillbillies, 7 HRM’s, LBC’s, 8 HRM’s, Crab Cakes, 9 HRM’s (or 10 since YHC last count), Arm Circles

    Mosey to the field next to the pond

    THANG

    Whatchamacallits Ladder – Mosey across the field and complete 1:4 whatchamacallits then mosey back and complete 2:8. Rinse and repeat till 10:40

    Mosey down the path to the third shelter

    Triple Check – Abyss Merkins, Dips, Run to pull up bar x5 Pull up and run back

    Indian Run around Mt Trashmore to the option side to another shelter

    Picnic Fun – x10 Dip IC and x10 Derkins IC

    Indian Run/AYG/Mosey back to the SF’s

    Thunderstuck – While listening to Thunderstuck by A/C complete one Merkins everything time the word “Thunder” is said. LBC’s during the long bridge.

    MOLESKIN

    With YHC’s M needing to work one weekend a month in VA Beach while our youngest it still breastfeeding, this give YHC the opportunity to post with the Hampton Road PAX. This was YHC’s first trip to a Mt Trashmore and it definitely lives up to its name. We did not really use the hill today so maybe next time.

    It was great to catch with Free Fall since the Colonial and to see SubMac again. Also great to finally meet Scully and the rest of the PAX I had heard about in the Facebook page.

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • Two Years!

    18 warriors showed up to celebrate two years of The Creek and it went down something like this…

    Slaughter Start – 26 merkins

    The Carpenter took the Q

    Mosey around the church building

    COP All IC – 25 SSHs, 5 HRMs, 10 copperhead squats, 6 HRMs, 10 dying cockroaches, 7 HRMs, 10 don quixotes, 8 HRMs, 25 LBCs, 9 HRMs, arm circles, 10 HRMs

    Mosey to the front of the building near the loop

    Loop This!

    • Partner up
    • One partner goes around the loop, half with bear crawl, half with lunges while the other partner does WWII sit-ups. Switch.
    • One partner goes around the loop, half with crab walk, half with lunges while the other partner does HRMs. Switch.

    Spit took the Q

    Mosey to the field

    Polar Bear Dora

    • Partner up – one partner grabs a cinder block
    • One partner does 5 polar bears out and 5 polar bears back while the other exercises. Switch until all exercises completed
    • 100 overhead presses, 200 leg raises while holding the cinder block up, 300 squats while holding the cinder block

    Mosey to the flag

    10 boo-yah merkins!

    Numberama, Namerama, Announcements, Wild Thing took us out

    Announcements

    • Convergence tomorrow morning – 6 am at Dogpile followed by a COP and then run
    • Puppy pile next Saturday after Dogpile

    NMS

    Abacus called for a Friday morning AO a few years ago and there were many doubters. He and a few others pushed through the resistance and fired up The Creek. To this day, no one really knows the location of the creek but the AO is next to a neighborhood called Ashcreek so there you have it…

    The PAX rolled in and was ready to go to work. Hardywood elicited a cheer as he located his special parking spot (Spit noticed that non-DaVillians tend to park in the spots closest to the road). Emoji offered gloves and somebody confused it for a drug deal. There is never a dull moment at The Creek.

    Spit called for a slaughter start of 26 merkins. 26 men showed up for the one year anniversary of The Creek last year and we paid respect.

    YHC took the Q from there and the COP showcased some of the PAX doing all kinds of dance moves during the SSHs. YHC limited the number to 25 to stop the madness while recognizing that someone was going to get hurt. The increasing HRMs strategically placed between each exercise elicited the expected groans and provided for a full warm-up before heading over to The Loop.

    The initial bear crawlers collided and fought for position like they were at the RIR. It is a race weekend here in Richmond so they were not too far off from the festivities. Wilt tried to out-crab-walk YHC and got run over. He eventually got smashed by Spit as well. Wilt exclaimed that he felt like he was in a Mario Kart race without any weapons. The only weapon that is necessary at a F3 workout is determination. The PAX showed that this morning. Spike and Hardywood crushed The Loop exercises and finished way ahead of everyone else. That is a team that you don’t want to mess with!

    Spit took the Q and dished out some Creekish (whatever that means) pain in the field with the cinder blocks and polar bears. The PAX didn’t relent and knocked out the exercises in a timely manner with limited mumble chatter. Spit forced the 2.0s to go for a run around the field because they lost focus. Spit will do just fine as his 2.0 grows older. I’m sure his 2.0 will have to do some runs around the neighborhood if he talks back or fails to get his chores done.

    It was a great morning all around as we celebrate two years of The Creek. It would have only been better if Abacus had shown up and made us do 45 minutes of ab insanity… He didn’t… Let’s go for another year and look forward to starting next year’s workout with a slaughter start of 18 of something…

    The Carpenter

     

  • The Hill Has Eyes

    YHC arrived obscenely early (5:28) to find a lone Rosie Mobile waiting in the Bettie Weaver lot. On the mark, a PAX of two set off to wage a battle of Mind vs Minutes. The idea is simple: run for five minutes, stop and do things for five minutes, then repeat. Here’s how it went:

    Mosey up Twin Team Hill (got about 3/4 to summit). Stop for COP: SSH (sideways on hill), DQ, Russian Soldiers, uphill WWIIs, derkins, lunge uphill until time. It was here that Doozy found us and the PAX became three.

    Mosey back to Bettie’s Bus Loop. One man posted on each end of the straightaway doing LBCs and squats, respectively, while 3rd man bear crawls the length (and what a length it was…). Swap out when the bear reaches you until time.

    Mosey behind JRHS to the tires. Flip a tire for five minutes.

    Mosey the long way back to Bettie for regular ol’ triple check: one merkin followed by a 5-count (and repeat), WWIIs, and run the front circle.

    6:15 waits for no man, so from there it was numbers, names, ‘nouncements.

    MOLESKIN

    YHC has a much easier time mentally regulating a set number of exercises, and a time with an indefinite rep count messes with my head…which was the point. From the first running set, it was clear that five minutes is a much longer time than expected. YHC is becoming more interested in the sorts of exercise routines that challenge the mind as much as the body.

    Kudos to Doozy for finding us in the dark! Rosie had just commented on the animals who were likely watching our Russian Soldiers with interest from the woods, when from below a light came bobbing up Twin Team. The hill truly did have eyes this morning.

    YNWA

  • Twenty’s company, but thirty is a crowd!

    The MOST pax ever witnessed by my eyes in the Mary Munford parking lot converged today for a Friday morning!  Included in the crowd were 1 FNG, a visitor from Asheville, and 1 fairly new guy who’s first day was yesterday.

    Nothing fancy today, just the solid Reverse Carillon route.  There was a bit of discussion over the four mile route, which Lug Nut was able to put to rest.

    Phonics and Saab dropped back and ran with the 5 mile pack this morning…Saab on the mend and Phonics bouncing Convergence ideas off of Lab Rat and Shakedown.  Fudd was busy chasing down Swirly…but I dont think that he ever caught him.  The 5 milers were pretty well spread out, but it looked like the 6 milers ran in a pack for the most part.

    Bikers did their biking thing, their ranks a little bigger today with the addition of TYA and Circle K.

    Great job to all that posted, and welcome to FNG Timeout!  He is another addition from the Woodfin family, and got named Timeout because he had a basketball jersey on, and the sports fans in the pax thought it was funny.  Good enough for me!

     

    Lab Rat apologizes…

  • KB Triple Play

    The fart sack and rebellious muscles and tendons were eager to claim victims this morning, but 3 noble warriors refused to be held captive.  Attacking the day with an enthusiasm unbeknownst to the common man, here is how it went down:

      • COP
      • 25 SSH
      • 20 IW
      • Arm circles – 15 small, 5 big; forwards and backwards
      • 10 2x merkins
      • 25 2x LBC
      • 20 2x flutter kicks
    • 3x Triple check
      • Triple check #1
        • Run the bus loop
        • Lawnmower pulls
        • Sit ‘n presses
      • Triple check #2
        • KB bear crawls
        • Halos
        • KB swings
      • Triple check #3
        • Weighted lunges
        • Weighted squats
        • High pulls
    • Mosey back to parking for COT with YHC taking us out

    Solid work by the PAX today.  Great to see Kru consistently.  White Deer was all business today.  Heal up Johnsonville, and hope to see the Tuckahoe clown mobile in the coming weeks.  For those interested, convergence is Saturday, with boot camps at both 6 and 7 am.  Running also at 7 am.  No Gridiron this Saturday due to the convergence.  Let YHC be amongst the first to wish F3 a happy birthday.  There is great fellowship that comes from working out together.

    God is good all the time!

    Attila

  • “Light” workout @T-Wolf

    Double digit numbers rolled into a dark and humid Timberwolf this morning.  As a FNG arrived and Wilson gave him a hug, the PAX were off.

    COP-

    SSH x 20

    DQ x 10

    Copperhead Squats x 10

    Arm Circles x 15 (2)

    Merkins x 10

    LBCs x 20

    Mosey to Light-pole Alley

    Light-poles – Round 1 – Light-pole Suicided

    YHC calls exercise at Light #1, PAX do exercise, then run to end of light poles, repeat exercises then run back to light #2 and wait for next exercise to be called.  Complete once all 11 Light-poles have been reached.  Exercises included – Merkins, Burpees, Lunges, LBCs, Monkey Humpers, Squats, SSHs, American Hammers

    Light-Poles- Round 2 Dealers Choice

    Each PAX member cheeses an exercise and how you get to the next pole ie..Bear Crawl, lunge, run, mosey

    Exercises included – Merkins, Shoulder touches, Squats, Freddy Mercury, V-ups, WWIIs, Hello Dollys, Knee Touches Carolina Dry Dock Style, and missing 2 help me out PAX

    Light-poles – round 3 – Lightning Round

    Quickly get to next pole from exercise YHC called – Ass Kickers, High knees, Lunges, Lunges with twists, Carioce

    Run back to light pole 1, from Light Pole 1 run back to flag hallelujah style.

    Numberma, Namerama, YHC took us out

    Announcements – Convergence Saturday

     

    NMS –

    First of all, welcome to FNG Miata, you crushed it today and hats off to Sugar Sock for EHing him to come out today.  I appreciate you guys letting me lead you through the light-pole alley today.  Tons of mumblechatter today, mostly around can the Browns win tonight and will the Bills ever win again. Also TCI claps to DK for staying true to the #28 when it was his turn to chose an exercise, the great Daryl Green! Great to hit double digits at Timberwolf, now lets have an even stronger SOJ showing on Saturday.  Always an honor to lead this group of me, have a great day fellas and I will see you in the gloom.

    Duke