Category: Richmond, VA

  • “Joy to you, we’ve won!”

    A baker’s dozen showed up at WDog to honor Philippides, whose run on this day in 490 BC inspired the modern marathon. Philippides, of course, had just fought with Athens to defeat the Persians at the Battle of Marathon, and well, somebody had to go tell ’em…

    What happened next (Philippides announcing the victory, then falling down dead) was the source of both disagreement and mild disdain among the PAX. Was it 26 miles, or merely 22? Why couldn’t they just send TYA instead? 22-26 miles is like a warmup. YHC has more unanswered questions, but here’s what went down this morning:

    PAX ran the mile loop straight out of the gate, then gathered for a brief history lesson and COP (helicopters, cotton pickers, Russian soldiers, flutter kicks, American Hammers, merkins).

    Mosey to the amphitheater for a triple check: LBCs, side-straddle hops, while the 3rd runs up the amphitheater then bear crawls back down. After some creative planking at the bottom, PAX escaped and moseyed over towards the ha’penny stage.

    Partner Touch-a-Tree: each round increases the number of trees to touch, while partner works on completing 100 (insert name of that thing where you go from plank down to elbows and back up – comment if you have it!) and 100 WWIIs. After a final lap around the Carillon and fencing (“marathon” as a theme turns out to be somewhat limited without a stronger background in Classical military history), it was back to the flag for numbers, names, ‘nouncements.

    A pleasure, as always!

    YNWA

  • A fitting location to remember 9/11

    Seven Stalwarts showed up to carry the shovelflag around and enjoy the fog. First we did a lap with the flag in solidarity with the other RVA AOs. Then we did:

    COP- Ssh, Don Qs, Helicopters, Merkins, Reverse Crunch, Imperial Walkers. Mosey to Pemberton ES side to check out new construction. Totem pole leg raise then Burpee Arrow loops and back to QMS. 5 Box Jumps & 10 Derkins.  More rounds increasing each by 5.  Stop for 25 WWII Situps.

    Down to Jerkin Gym- 4 sets of 8 Jerkins. Then 3 times up Heartbreak Hill with Jumpsquats at top. Back to Jerkin Gym for 2 more sets of 10 Jerkins. Back with Flag & some Mary.

    NMS- Vinnie made sure all the AOs kept Old glory on display this morning. YHC thought of some theme ideas to remember 9/11 but instead for a standard beatdown. In the COT YHC was glad to bring up Alysia Burton, a fellow WM grad from my year, who died on 9/11.  She attended Byrd MS and when they renamed the school recently there was talk of naming the school after her. YHC thought it a nice tribute to honor her memory at Heartbreak Ridge along with others.

    The trip to Pemberton side of the AO was uneventful as there isn’t much there so why not knock out 30 burpees. The Jerkin Gym grass had recently been cut so all our shoes got covered in grass. Mumble chatter was light as the humidity took it out the Pax.

    Announcements – Convergence 9/22 and Csaup run next month on 10/20.

     

  • Old Glory, Old Skool

    11 Awesome North Siders gathered around the mobile shovel flag for the Lab Rat version of Old Glory.  Research was done.  Notes were taken.  Game plans were drawn, scrapped, and redrawn.  Here is the final outcome:

    1 mile run….bro code style passing the flag around along the way.  Down the back past the football field and thru the gate, then cut up around the elementary school and plant the flag on the back side  of the track.

    For 20 minutes, run the track and stop at each of the 4 corners to perform the following:

    1. 20 merkins
    2. 20 jump squats
    3. 20 WW2 situps
    4. 10 pullups

    1 mile indian run back to start, with the leader performing a positive transfer of the flag…so that the flag is always in front.

    3 minutes of mary to wrap it up.

    NMS

    I thought I had an FNG lined up this morning, so this morning started by my sitting in front of this dude’s driveway staring at a completely lifeless house until 5:12.  I gave him 2 minutes past our appointed time to surprise me.  Obviously, he did not surprise me.  Shame.  No matter, I knew we would have at least a few guys to keep me company.  I had hard commits from Kit Kat and Spike yesterday when we ran together, and barring baby issues, Spit would be there.  Surprise showings by Helix (back from IR) and Rounders (work release?) were a bonus.  Flounder has been staking claim on being a regular DaVillian….have you made it to a Dogpile yet?  If not, we need to get you down there.  Chowdah, L.P., Opus, and Wheelie rounded out the pax to make it a Usual Suspects pax list this morning.

    I had pretty much set my sights on Old Glory Sunday afternoon after seeing Gumbo drag it out last week, thinking it had been a minute since we had done it at DaVille.  Talking with Rosie about the differences of No Toll and DaVille OG’s got me to thinking there should be a better metric if we are actually going to record these things.  Also, when talking with Kit Kat during our run yesterday, he seemed disappointed when I told him no pull ups on the Weinke.  Wheels grinding, I pulled some old school back blasts out from down south then put the pieces together for the DaVille AO.  Here is how it lays out in Lab Rat thinking:

    • To get to the back side of the track the long way is almost exactly a mile.  Original Old Glory starts out with first mile all you got….but that’s stupid and a good way to pull a hammy.
    • The track is exactly 1/4 mile.
    • pullup bars next to track in one corner.  BONUS:  Jerkin bars right next to it for those that choose to modify.
    • Could have done an all you got run back with the flag, but I wanted to keep the pax together.  Besides, a mile indian run is NO JOKE.  (as always, burpees optional)
    • Bonus thought on restrictor plating this:  Once you lap a pax member, you have to do an extra burpee per station.  Add a burpee for each additional pax member lapped.  This was NOT implemented this morning.

    So there you have it…..only time will tell if this version will stick.  By the way, for those of you following along and would like to see how things shaked out, Spike was well in front and I think he finished with an even 4 laps.  Lab Rat was middle of the pax’ish with 3 1/4 laps.

    Well done by all this morning!  I would love feedback on whether you liked this or not….and also what everybody thought of the 1 mile indian run to finish.  Spit was right behind Spike and he had 3.5 miles covered.

    Lab Rat took us out on thoughts regarding 9/11 and what it means to live free.

    Apology of the week goes out to any pax that wanted a mushy theme for 9/11.  Lab Rat is not too good at mushy or themes, so he leaves it to those that are.

     

    Lab Rat apologizes…

  • 14 Remember 17

    Today is a tragically special day in our country’s history. A yearly reminder of our strengths and vulnerabilities.  A yearly reminder of just how lucky we are, and just how quickly that can all change. In attempt to honor all those who made the ultimate sacrifice seventeen years ago on 9/11/01, we gathered in unity to begin our day grateful for the opportunity.

    05:30 – In a sign of solidarity, all F3RVA PAX members carried shovel flags at their respective AOs. No Toll (14 PAX strong) ran a 1/2 mile lap around the grass fields.

    COP: Helicopters – 9 / Burpees – 11 / LBCs – 13 / SSHs – 50

    Shorly before 9:00 a.m. on 9/11/01, two planes at the hands of terrorists flew into the Twin Towers. In rememberance of those who sacrified as a result of those senseless acts, we performed (Twin) Tower 11s. YHC didn’t do a great job explaining this, so here it is, hopefully better explained. Each PAX member secures two parking spaces, side by side. Starting at the base of the first parking space, perform exercise A (10 Merkins). Bear crawl to the top of the that space, bear crawl sideways to adjoining space, crawl bear back down to base of second space and perform exercise B (1 Carolina Dry Dock). Repeato until 11s are completed.

    At roughly 9:30 a.m. hijackers flew a third plane into the Pentagon. We took time to reflect on those members of the Pentagon community who sacrified it all for our freedoms. Pentagon. Partner up. Partner A runs backwards from one end of the parking lot to the other. 1 burpee at the far end. Regular run back to Partner B who was performing WWIIs. Switch and repeato 5 times. YHC forgot to call ascending burpees with each lap, but we got in 5 burpees on lap 5.

    Shortly after 10:00 a.m. a fourth plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, PA. We later learned that plane was headed for Washington, D.C., but for a brave, ultimate and unified sacrifice given by civilian passengers aboard that plane. The PAX circled up in the grass field, and in honor of those lives selflessly given, performed Whatchamacallits. 1 merkin / 4 air presses all the way to 10 merkins / 40 air presses.  Respect paid the best way we could here, with a bonus set of 13 merkins and 50 air presses – representing our American Flag and all that it stands for.

    Unison lap (bro code just doesn’t sound right on this day) with the flag around the grass field, then back to the flag. Dying cockroaches x 11 / 9 Burpees OYO.

    PAX took us out.

    Announcements:  4 year anniversary – 9/22    Puppy Pile 9/29

    YHC decided to change things up a bit today. As kids we recited the Pledge of Allegiance every day at school. I’m not sure we really paid attention to its words and meaning, but we said it. Today, in unison, with our hands over our heavy hearts, we recited the Pledge of Allegiance on our way out. Reminding ourselves of all the sacrifices made, freedoms given, and the ability to get up each morning and gather as we do because of those sacrifices. Nealry 3,000 people died on 9/11, without warning. YHC for one trys to remind myself of this daily, but it’s hard, and often forgotten how fragile it all really it is.

    As we go forward today, I leave the words of the Pledge of Allegiance for you to read, recite and truly ponder. YHC humbly believes we owe it to all those who sacrificed for our right to do so. So the next time you want to hit the snooze button or stay in bed, think instead about getting out of bed and posting in honor of those who no longer can.

    “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

    Res Ipsa Loquitur – The Beatdown Speaks For Itself

  • You Can Put Your Meat in My Freezer

    Image result for 9/11

    Thirteen gentlemen gathered flags and converged by the lake for a 9/11 themed version of Spider Run.  A few regulars expressed their frustration on the bathroom doors being locked.  Alas, instructions were given and off we went.  Those that had flags carried them for the run.

    The Route
    Everyone proceed up by the golf course, right on fairway and proceed up Iris to Three Chopt.  Right on Three Chopt and then left on Grove.

    4s – Left on Granite, left on Patterson, left on St Christophers, right on the access road, left onto Campus then back to the start.

    5s – Left on Roslyn which turns into Harlan, left on Patterson, left on St Christophers, right on the access road, left onto Campus then back to the start.

    6s – Left on Bunting, left on Patterson, left on Honaker, right jog to Boatwright, left on campus, back to the start.

    Numberama, namerama, wait for TYA then YHC took us out.

    Moleskin
    What a great morning for a run to reflect on what happened 17 years ago.  The run was mostly quiet this morning which provided ample time for personal reflection on the sacrifices people have made to provide for the freedoms that we take for granted.  Kudos to all that carried the flag today, either part way or for the entire route if your name is Swirly.

    Bleeder got the message last night and opted out of flag carrying and wore his c. 1997 Britches American flag rugby shirt.  Today was not a cool morning to wear a vintage rugby shirt.  Love the energy though.

    Announcements
    With the impending weather the latter half of the week, Shakedown suggested that we all use this group to support each other if someone is in need.  Shakedown graciously offered up a place to store your meat.  He indicated it was right beside his ammo store so don’t get any wild ideas.

    If anyone needs a generator see Kubota.

    Lots of CSAUP opportunities in the future.  9/22 Convergence, 9/29 Puppy Pile, 10/20 CSAUP, 12/2 Bear Creek 10 miler.

    Congrats to Lockjaw who posted his 200th time since #bigdata started collecting.

    #bigdata is watching

  • Dispelling Big Data Myths

    Dispelling Big Data Myths

    Having finally dug out and recovered from what was essentially a month of vacations for #bigdata (insert mocking comment here), YHC took the opportunity this morning to listen to the substitute podcast episodes 97 and 97.75.  Considering I get questions on how #bigdata works on a weekly basis, I figured now was as good a time as any to clarify exactly how it all works.

    1. It all begins with the backblast. Someone writes a backblast with the Date, QIC and the PAX list.  They tag a region and add a tag for the AO.  Nothing fancy here as this always happened.  If you don’t tag an AO than it isn’t in the AOs history.  The OCD in me hates this.  I often go back and clean up posts that don’t tag an AO.  Please tag an AO.  Yes, it should be a required field.  Blame WordPress for not making that as simple as it should be.
    2. #bigdata gets a update from f3rva.com as soon as a backblast is published.  It then takes the information from the backblast and creates a new “workout” in #bigdata, pulling out the Q, each individual PAX member, the AO and stores all that information.  Don’t ask questions like “why can’t you just read directly from the PAX line to get real-time updates?”  People ask me that question a lot.  Buy me a 2-3 high-ABV craft beers and I’ll explain it to you.  Saab may be able to explain it to you now as well since he has a fancy new degree.
    3. To account for inconsistencies in the PAX / Q names, there is an alias concept.  Every person that exists in #bigdata can have 1 or more aliases associated with that individual.  At this point, the alias association is manual (backlog item).  No, there are no machine learning algorithms in place (yet) to automatically associate a likely alias with an actual PAX member.  This is why I give Lockjaw so much grief for coming up with alternative spellings for Two Can whenever he feels like it.  Chuckle all you want but at some point I will get tired of linking aliases and then someone else will have to do it (or it won’t get done).  That is why I respectfully ask that people make a reasonable attempt to spell the name correctly.  I take time once a month to go back and clean up everyone’s misspellings, abbreviations, 19th century british literature equivalents.  No, it’s not the best use of my time.
    4. In the early days of #bigdata, that is all that happened.  As Honeydo put it, once the backblast was published, #bigdata was set in stone.  I had to intervene and make sure it was refreshed when there were changes.  Not anymore.  The backblast author has 2 days to make changes to the PAX list and it will still get updated.  No more complaining to me or texts during the day asking to refresh #bigdata, not necessary.  Don’t question why it is limited to 2 days.  I made a decision.  If someone wants to work with me on triggers in WordPress then we can eliminate the 2 day restriction.  Otherwise, it’s 2 days.  I consider this case closed.
    5. Epoch for #bigdata is 2017-03-19.  Why?  Because that is when I finished tested and released #bigdata to TYA and a few others.  Why didn’t I go back and add every previous workout?  Because that would suck.  It would be a tedious process that I wouldn’t even send offshore (sorry Offshore).  Could this be automated?  Sure.  I just don’t think it’s the best use of my time.  If someone is interested in taking this on as a side project I can make that happen.  Just buy me a few beers.  Preferably something that looks like orange juice so I know Swirly won’t drink it.
    6. Another myth debunked is that people that post pre-blasts get credit for a Q.  This is an absolute fallacy and was never the case.  In the early days of #bigdata YHC would clean up the data.  Basically this was me exerting my power to delete what I previously called phantom workouts.  TYA was a victim of this one time.  However, it was primarily used to delete preblasts from #bigdata.  This is no longer necessary as long as the author follows a simple rule.  Any backblasts with a date in the future get excluded from #bigdata.  So, if you are writing a preblast, put the date in which the event will actually happen.  Presumably that will be in the future or else by definition it would be a backblast and there would have been a Q and a PAX.
    7. Running Qs should count less than workout Qs.  I disagree with Honeydo on this one and it will remain equally weighted in perpetuity.
    8. The Q ratio was something I added as a humorous poke at Lockjaw when the joke was he was running near 100%.  He’s close.  Little known fact.  If you click on your name, your all-time q-ratio is displayed right above your graph.  The q-ratio on the attendance report is just your q-ratio for that period.  I love this stat as it reminds me when I haven’t Q’d in a while.

    I have a very short list of items currently on the backlog.  If you have ideas on how #bigdata can be improved, let me know.  Grab me in a workout, send me a note/text, whatever it takes.  I enjoy this as a hobby and may eventually get around to your request.

    Remember, #bigdata is watching.

    Splinter

  • Free From Any Other Master

    “Consider who you are.  Above all, a human being, carrying no greater power than your own reasoned choice, which oversees all other things, and is free from any other master.” – Epictetus

    6 spartan warriors rose to greet the dawn of a new day.  According to legend, it went a little something like this.

    Hot Potato Q

    Vinny

    COP: Mosey down hill.  IC helicopters, Willie Mays Hayes, etc.

    Grab a rock and circle up.  Putting one hand on the rock and one hand on the ground.  Complete two merkins and switch hands.  Do this all the way around the circle to the left, then do this back round the circle to the right.

    Goldberg

    Rock Solid Triple Check: Exercises are LBC, squats and burpees.  The partner who is running does so . with the rock over their head. Mosey to playground.

    3 round of 5 pullups while partner performs Hello Dolly.

    Sippy Cup

    Mosey to the pit of despair.  Bear crawl all the way around the perimeter. On the next round crab walk all the way around the perimeter. Mosey to service road.

    Headed downhill, hop on right leg for what seemed like a long time.  Then hop on left leg for what seemed like even a further distance downhill.  In a wild twist of fate, turn around and hop on right leg uphill then switch half way and hop on left leg.

    Hardywood

    3 rounds of 5 decline merkins, 10 incline merkins, 20 dips.

    Power of 10: Going up the hill rotate through 10 of the following till completion; bear crawl, crawl bear, bunny hop, lunge.

    Swirly

    Curb Crawl Pyramid of Success – Bear crawl and complete 1 merkin.  Crawl bear back and complete 2 merkins.  Up to 5 and back down to 1.

    5 Min of Mary – Cross leg lifts, flutter kicks, Alabama prom date.

    Numberama, namerama, Sippy took us out.

    News: 4 Year Convergence on 9/22 See Phonics, Puppy Pile on 9/29 See Marv, CSAUP 10/20 See TYA.

    Moleskin – It should come as no surprise that Swirly flipping ran to the AO after completing the BRR this weekend and running a personal best in the mile during one of his legs.  Way to go brotha!  Great to have Crossroads and Goldberg out for a little southside success.  Have a great week fellas!

  • Gravel Church… Wet shoes, horses with hats, etc.

    Dirt Church took an alternate form this week:  a lap of the Park’s fire road with the added bonus of the horse trails across Beach Road. This was actually planned last weekend to grant Profit’s b-day wish, since he’d never done a full lap of the gravel. Nope… none of that pesky singletrack to fly down this Sunday! Three of us brought exactly the right gear for the ride.

    You don’t know this, but I am and have been for about five years, an avid fan of cyclocross.  I am not fit enough to race standard-format ‘cross (45 minutes on the rivet would kill my old ass), but I do love to watch people “riding ten speeds in the dirt”, so I do my own version when I can.   Fendley Station Trail and the Bright Hope Trail make up most of the Monstercross race track.  I used to ride these every week back before the Swift Creek trails came in 2015 and I’ve even ridden these before work, and in the dark.  Saturday was always for dirt, and Sunday was always for gravel.  But it’s been a while…

    Profit’s yellow Kona Jake made a repeat appearance.  Jenny Craig showed up with one of the finest handmade Titanium wide-tired all-road bikes I’ve seen in real life, loaded for bear, and I brought my other bike.  We took the lap counter-clockwise, to postpone the inevitable seventy-foot creek crossing until we were only a mile from the car.

    Gravel, dirt, sand, a little rain, peace and quiet, great company, all on nineteen pound drop-bar bikes made for an absolutely brilliant two-hour ride.   We saw cross country boys training, cross country girls training, a pretty horse in a pretty hat, and about four other people all morning.  Hard to beat.

    Expect Hurricane Florence to do a number on us and shut down all the other trails, and that means next Sunday’s ride will be much like this one.  I hope.

  • Tomato Burst

    5 DaVillans arrived at a much needed cooler start of the week to get in some miles

    Routes were as follows:

    Mudface and No Idea headed out for their 3 Mile ruck. They did hit the trails which they mentioned later was a bad idea.

    Rounders, Mayhem, and YHC headed out onto Atlee Station and over the bridge. Mayhem got behind and decided to head back for a couple laps around the parking lot. Rounders and YHC turned back at the Bojangles, check on Mayhem, then headed for a loop around the schools and part of Honey Meadows to get close to 4.25 miles.

    We got a late start to due to MudFace being a LIFO but still managed to keep a 8:40 pace.

    Glad to have Rounders and Mayhem out for their first post at Tomato Run

    SPIT ON THAT!!

     

  • Back to normal at Hoedown

    Fifteen faithful found their way in the dark to Hoedown to find things back to the normal school routine:

    Cop – SSH, Don Qs, Scorpion kicks, Merkins, Flutterkicks, Hillbillies. Redskins tribute: 24 Burpees for 24 pts in their win yesterday.

    Mosey to Blacktop for 4 Corners: 10 V-Ups, 20, Hand Release Merkins, 30 Jump Squats, 40 WWII Situps. Partner up- Wheelbarrow width of blacktop, each man twice.

    Head to field- 2 sets of sprints up n back. Then 3 sets of PLTs. Partners head to wall. 3 rounds of altnerating Donkey Kicks while other runs field, 5 pull ups and back. Then down to drop off circle for Triple Check of B2W, Flutterkicks, and run loop. Finish with 30 American Hammers. Handshake took us out.

    NMS – School is back in session, 15 PAX at Hoedown, AO is dangerously dark, Saab talked about fallic symbols, Fudd was LIFO, and all is right with the world. 24 Burpees in the cop was a bit much bit HTTR!

    We had 2 BRR runners post with Saab and Gomer Pyle, Aye!  They both looked fine after their long weekend. Mumblechatter was more about the Kubota/Gumbo Dogpile beat down than BRR stories.

    Good to have Flange and Buttermilk out. And good words from Handshake at the end, can’t believe it has been 6 months. Time flies in the Gloom…

    Announcements – 4 Year Anniversary next Saturday 9/22 and Slurpee has Breaking Bread on 9/23. He could use some more hands.

    Have a great week men, Silent Assassin signing off.