Category: Richmond, VA

  • Breaking Bread This Sunday – Looking for 1 or 2 volunteers

    Gents –

    If you have not been to a Breaking Bread, or if you haven’t been back for a while, consider coming with me and my 2.0s this Sunday.

    I have the Q for the upcoming Breaking Bread this Sunday, 8/26.  It is a great 2nd/3rd F opportunity from 5:00/5:15 until about 7:30 p.m. at The Daily Planet (180 East Belt Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23234).  We will be preparing/bringing and serving dinner to patients recovering from illness or injury or surgery in the Medical Respite Program.  I’m looking for a couple volunteers to attend with me and help out.

    Not sure what the menu will be, but if you are able to help out contact me at 804-687-0120 or respond in the comments.

    Thanks!

  • 8-20-19-37-81

    8 weekend warriors, including 1 FNG, broke the hold and didn’t let the crazy thunder last night keep them from posting to Batteau this morning to start the work-week the only way we know how…in the gloom.  Gumbo made a long-overdue return to Batteau and took the Q in order to pay a little honor to his father who would have been 81 today…and Gumbo’s pops was no runner, so YHC needed to Q a bootcamp beatdown to be sure.  It went a little something like this:

    Mosey through the darkness down to the Reedy Creek via the hill of ill repute.  Circle up at the bottom of the hill for a quick disclaimer and COP, all IC, including:

    • DQs x 8
    • Helicopterx x 20
    • Cotton Pickers x 19
    • SSHs x 37
    • LBCs x 81 — whew, that was a lot of LBCs

    THE THANG

    Circle the Creek – lap around the creek stopping at each lamp post, whether lit or not, and do 10 merkins at every other lamp post and 10 2-ct flutterkicks at the other ones.  Plank for the six.

    Given our PAX at 8, YHC needed 1 more prop for the next exercise so  he left the PAX in Swirly’s capable hands for some ab work while waiting for the six and YHC ran back up the hill to his vehicle.  Meet the PAX at the tennis courts.  Box Cutters for the six.

    4 Corners Circuit  – 2 PAX at each corner, exercises as follows:

    Round 1:

    • Corner 1 (2 jump ropes) – each PAX member completes 30 jump rope revolutions.  When both are done, call SWITCH and the PAX moseys to the next corner.
    • Corner 2 = Mountain Climbers
    • Corner 3 = Freddie Mercuries
    • Corner 4 (2 Kettle Bells) = KB squats.
    • At the end of round 1 plank in your corner, then entire PAX bearcrawl to the center-net and perform 10 merkins in cadence, then bear crawl to your next corner for Round 2.

    Round 2:

    • same exercises as Round 1
    • At the end of Round 2 – lunge to center-net and perform 20 Imperial Walkers in cadence, then mosey to your next corner for Round 3.

    Round 3:

    • Corner 1 = each PAX member completes 25 jump rope revolutions, consecutively.  If you mess up, start over.  You may choose 5 penalty burpees if you can’t get 25 in a row, but your partner has to do them with you.
    • Corners 2-4: Same as Rounds 1 and 2.
    • At the end of Round 3 – broad jump to center net, 20 American Hammers in cadence

    ROF – hold plank, 1 PAX does 10 merkins, next PAX in the circle is jumping rope, pass when 10 merkins are done and finish when everyone has done merkins and jump rope.

    1 Minute of Superman and time was up.

    Mosey back to the Flag for COT, COR, NOR and YHC took us out.

    Announcements:

    • Puppy Pile on Saturday after Dogpile – Marv has the Q
    • Breaking Bread – Sunday evening 5-7/7:30 – Gumbo has the Q.  Looking for 1 or 2 others to help out.
    • Labor Day Convergence at 3 Lakes Park at 0700.  Be there.  Bring your SF and a mug for coffeeteria afterwards.
    • BRR is right around the corner – the guys are looking for a second driver.  Talk to TYA or Swirly if you can commit.
    • CSAUP 10/20 – miles and beers and maybe Kubota manning the grill….seriously, does it get any better?  Well, maybe – let’s find a way to get some football on TV…BAM!

    NMS:

    Batteau is the DEEP GLOOM for sure.  A different kind of darkness there.  A great AO and worthy of the trip if you have not made it over there.  Great group of guys this morning.  It was nice to meet ABBA and Crossroads and of course, Periscope (FNG – Jim).

    Naming was a challenge this morning and the neurons were not firing in YHC’s brain, so after some reflection on the drive home, YHC settled on Periscope for Jim’s F3 Name alluding to Jim’s time serving in the Navy as an intel officer on a Submarine.   Welcome Periscope.

    Thanks for coming out guys and for letting me lead.  I knew the 81 LBCs were going to stink but I just wanted to do a little  something to remember my father this morning.  November will be six years since he passed away.  I still feel his presence and remember him daily.  I miss him dearly, but I know he is smiling down on me and my family.  Love you, Pops!

    Great work this morning guys – way to push through and give max effort!  I won’t wait so long to return to Batteau!

    Have a great Monday fellas.

    No More Gumbo For You!

  • Back in the Saddle At Hoedown

    The Great Eight posted for a Monday workout and here is what they got.

    COP

    • 10 Burpees – Welcome back from vacation!  A gift from YHC to YHC (and the Pax)
    • Helicopters
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Don Quixote
    • HRM (or DRM at the Hoedown)
    • LBC

    Mosey down Lindsey and ford the stream to Dogwood Park.

    Perform the Anhinga across the field.  YHC crafted this exercise after watching this bird in its natural element.  We performed the following in our interpretation:  Army crawl 10 paces and launch into a burpee.  Repeat until you have traversed the field and perform SSH.

    Triple Check!

    • Karaoke across the field, crawl bear up the hill, bear crawl down the hill, karaoke back across the field
    • Elbow Planks
    • Monkey Humpers

    Over to the playground equipment for Lindseys:  Dips and American Hammers

    Back across the stream and slow mosey (conversational strut) to the base of the hill.  Partner up for piggy back rides to the top of the hill stop sign.

    Mosey back to the school and to the bars and find a new partner:

    • Jerkins – 3 sets of 7 reps.
    • PLTs – 3 sets of 25
    • 8 4-count BooYah Merkins
    • 20 right oblique crunches
    • 8 4-count BooYah Merkins
    • 20 left oblique crunches

    Back to the VSF for some Mary:  Flutter Kicks and APDs.

    YHC took us out.

    NMS

    With the summer tour and vacation in the rear view mirror it was time to return to Hoedown, YHC’s hometown AO.  Typical for a Monday, it was raining and dark at the AO upon first arrival.  A Hoedown signature look.

    The stream crossing in the dark is a little tricky, but the Dogwood Park extension brings a fresh venue to this AO and well worth the trip.  YHC noticed nobody wanted to be his partner for the partner carries and Fudd received this weight by process of elimination.  I take it as a sign that we need some heavier Pax in our midst, or its time to lose a few more pounds.  Fudd handled the weight well, those his strides were heavy.

    Announcements:

    • Puppy Pile this Saturday
    • Fireman Ed has next Monday’s Hoedown Q.  If you missed his first, go ahead and be here for the second time around.
    • Labor Day convergence – see pre-blast

    Time to Taper,

    Lockjaw

  • Forest Hill and then some

    A solid 9 pax showed up this morning for trails.  Saab has been benched from the trails by his knee doctor, so he opted for road miles.  The rest of us did the following:

    -Buttermilk to Lariat trail then up Forest Hill loop.  Check out the rest of the CSAUP course by adding a lap around the lake.  Back to parking lot, for roughly 8 miles.

    NMS

    First off, great to see our friend from last week, FNG Pert+ show up again.  In case you would like to know where his name came from (as were several of the pax present this morning), he is a man of many talents, one of which includes teaching adjunct at UR as a music professor in West African drum music.  Neal Pert is arguably the best drummer of all time, so we named him Pert, Plus all the other stuff he does.  I was ready to hang Zumba on him, but Upchuck seemed to think that was dumb…so I listened.  I was waiting for a text from ET’s to tell me the next great name, but alas it never came.  Welcome Pert+!

    Also, we saw TYA out on the Forest Hill trails this morning.  Vinny was bent as hell when I wouldnt count him in the COT, so he gets an honorable mention here.  You either show up for the workout or you don’t.  TYA knows the deal, as do I.

    Phonics took a spill early.  He’s ok.

    Lab Rat apologizes…

  • Maybe I shoulda taken that left at Albequerque?

    Six F3 brothers made the inaugural “Hey, it’s a thing” edition of Dirt Church, and three other fellers joined along.  It was kind of a sh*t show at first, and I’m blaming the Q.

    Huh?  What?  We did an excellent job of being prepped and ready for the 0800 rollout.  Profit brought a spare bike to be demo’ed by Graham, who attends real Church with Profit, and is/was on the fence about buying a new MTB.  And three minutes into the ride, we picked up the Blackburns (Robert Senior and Robert Junior) whom YHC knows from his days as a rowdy BMXican.  Excellent dudes and excellent riders.  So nine began the proper ride together.  The plan was to start with gravel and then Sunsetter and do the regular DC route, but the Q committed a mortal sin and lost track of some of the PAX, and soon found some had fallen back before an important turn.  Two were dispatched to go looking and some calls were placed to find out that Profit was a Boy Scout and had a map that put his group where they shoulda been the whole time.  But the rest ended up bobbing when they should’ve been weaving and two groups were made of the one, at least at first.  We all did reassemble soon enough at the center of the Swift Creek Trails.

    Eight** did all ride Blueberry Hill descent together and every one of us smiled.  I am certain of this, since I took a poll.

    The terribly fit (Jenny Craig, Pullout, and younger Robert) were dismissed to climb Blueberry Return at their own pace (expected to be Mach two) while the older men ascended like mortals.  It was agreed that this may be the best trail in the Park, since the “Down” park kicks butt and the “Up” part doesn’t suck.  Somewhere up the hill, Robert’s massive power output proved to be too much for his chain, so we left him and his dad to affect repairs, and probably ride another twenty miles together.  The rest of us got up and out, since some had another Service to attend.  Couple guys left via Courthouse Road so as not to be sneaking in during the sermon, and the last four finished together,  taking the very rad BlueJay Way and Corkscrew to the bottom of the gravel hill… back to the car just under two hours since rolling.

    We may need to tweak Dirt Church’s start time a bit.  Maybe 0730 to accommodate the riders who have time constraints?  Either way, next time the Q will know where his boys are the whole time.

    **Clavin bailed after the Bell Lap climb, and we pray his wrists recovery quickly.

  • OTB is in the books

    A Solo Summer tour traveler came out to run. Yhc had no idea where he was going so did some coal field to midlothian loops and tried not to get lost. Check this one off the challenge list.

  • Pre-Sabbatical Red Pill

    YHC wanted a grade A beatdown in anticipation of my upcoming vacation sabbatical.  The PAX was on the unfortunate receiving end of YHC personal torture.  Here is how it went down:

    • COP
      • 25 SSH
      • 20 IW
      • 15 DQ
      • 10 2x merkins
      • 25 2x LBC
      • 10 scorpion kicks
      • 15 arm circles – 10 small/5 big, forwards and backwards
    • Mosey to the grassy knoll for 10 minutes of burpees
    • 40 APD OYO
    • Mosey to the pickle ball courts for partner wheelbarrows of 15 yards, followed by 10 decline merkins; rinse and repeat 4x
    • Mosey to the volleyball courts for 5 suicides
    • Mosey to the jerkin gym for 4x 8 jerkins
    • Mosey to the grass practice field for a triple check
      • Run length of field and back
      • WWII sit-ups
      • Copperhead squats
    • Mosey to bleachers for 3x 25 bench kicks
    • Mosey back to the parking lot for COT with YHC taking us out

    Welcome to FNG Baby Back.  Solid work for a virgin post.  Also, t-claps to Lab Rat for sacrificing his beloved Dog Pile PAX for a Saturday post at Gridiron.  Good to be with you brother, and no need to fear, the backblast is up and it is timely.  There is proof that this beatdown happened.

    YHC enjoyed the fellowship of Einstein’s after the beatdown.  Going off the grid for a 9 day trip out West, so will miss the PAX.  I also do not look forward to returning after limited core work while in Wyoming.  Gridiron in 2 weeks will be a rude awakening.

    Remember the Labor convergence.  Pre-blast is posted.  See everyone there.

    Until then, God is good all the time!

    Attila

  • An open Dogpile Q !

    26 strong posted for a Dogpile beatdown this morning and here is how it went down.

    Warm up’s in the Amp Theatre : SSH’s, Helicopters, Windmills, IW’s, LBC’s Flutter Kicks

    Up the steps :  incline merkins and SSH’s at each step – add 1 each step to the top 1-18.

    Pole Smoker Indian Run : 4 pole smokers then run to the end of the line while pax does flutter kicks, 6 inches, and Freddy mercury.

    Indian Run to the Rusty Cage.

    Rusty Cage : Partner up : 10 Dips, 7 Jerkins = 3 sets – 5 overhead pull ups and 5 chin ups = 3 sets

    Love Hill :  Partner up Run to the gate and back to your partner doing – walk out merkins , Lunges , Broad jump Burpees  as a team to the top of the hill at the gate.

    Curb Crawl : 1-5 ladder and back down. Bear crawl to curb incline merkin crawl bear back decline merkin

    Burpee Shuffle : Pax shuffling feet – pax member calls out burpee pax does burpee all the way around the circle.

    Mary : Cross Leg Lifts – LBC’s and 6 inches.

    Mosy to the Flag.

    The Scoop: It has been a good while since YHC has had a Dogpile Q – and it was great to be back in the saddle. Thanks for letting me lead this morning pax.

    Circle K, K2, and Gomer Pyle were the first to show up to the AO this morning and I told them I had received a text from Upchuck Friday night asking – when exactly does Swirly show up for a Swirly Q?  Great question by the way. So if it;s a Dogpile Q I arrive 1hr before launch if it is at another AO during the week it is 30min before launch. One might ask why the hell does he do that ?  well this morning would be a great example as to why… So as Circle k, K2, and GP and I are all standing there talking in the gloom this dude walks up to us from the road. Now this dude has no shirt on has one eye closed, smells like a river rat, and is babbling about he’s lost needs directions to boulevard and the reason he cant seem to find his way is because he has some kind of  a stigmatism ? So K2 does great and moves further away and closer to us Circle K faces the dude and explains where he needs to go – GP side steps very quietly to check out what the dude is carrying behind his back and I stand facing him visualizing myself  bouncing this dude off the light pole( which is directly behind the dude ) a few times then GP grabbing him around the neck in a ranger choke hold  (lights out baby :)) and then  Circle K grabbing my shovel flag wacking this dude one more time for good measure – digging a hole – throwing the dude in and then us saying to K2 (nothing to see hear – you good? ok let;s Mosy) …. Yea well that all luckily did not happen the dude went on his way – the rest of the pax arrived and as Wilson and Honeymoon got out of the car asking each other who the Q was this morning they both said – must be Swirly look at him looks like he’s gonna go scale a tree – jeez…. (Yea I was a little fired up about the possibilities of what could have just happened a few minutes before 🙂 ) I really don’t like violence I’m just always on alert – I;m Swirly..  OK  And so the Q began and a great time was had by all. Starting out in the Amp Theatre was no joke – that will wake you up for sure followed by some nice ab work and a good mossy over to the cage where we smoked our arms. Love hill is always a crowd pleaser – those walk out merkins are brutal – i’d rather do polar bears at least you can move up the hill a bit faster…. By the time the curb crawl began most everyone’s arms were done – the burpee shuffle followed and to top it of a little Mary with a gut busting 6 inches at the end. Freaken great job guys – y’all are awesome – way to work !

    As always ET’s was a blast – great catching up – I don’t know about y”all but I left there singing – To all the girls I’ve loved before who traveled in and out my door – (Willie Nelson Baby) You had to be there – GP, Circle K, K2, EF Hutton, TYA are laughing right now and I bet are still singing that damn song in there heads – ok maybe not K2:)

    Enjoyed it fellas have a great rest of your weekend – thanks for taking us out GP, thanks for recording the pax list Circle K.

    See y’all in the gloom !

  • The Race Set Before Us….

    Warmorama: SSH ICx25, 10 Burpees, Imperial walkers IC x 20,

    The Thang:

    Hight knees, Butt Kickers to the Senior Center,Balls to the wall hold while all PAX 10 count 

    Crossovers right and Left, 25 OYO Squats, Duck walk, Lunges 

    Mosey back to the playground 

    5 Pull ups

    10 Push ups

    15 V ups

    20 Bobby Hurleys 

    25 Squats 

    Lap around the Senior center 

    Repeat

    The work was intended to be OYO and repeating. The lesson was as men we will be called to rinse and repeat the things that God has called us to. The problem is we judge our success by the man beside us instead of the obedience to the task in front of us. No one else runs your race. No one else is husband to your wife or father to your children. Look to your creator and father for your approval. So shake off the comparison trap and run your race. This is the beauty of F3. Everyone one of us is in different stages of our lives, at different fitness levels, and at different maturity levels but still the gloom welcomes all of us the same. Embrace the suck, show up, get better, and link arms with the HIM’s around you.

    Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)

    12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

    Mary: Plank 10 count circle, 20 IC Scissor kicks, 20 IC Freddy Mercurys, 15 IC Dyeing Cockroaches

     COT: Prayers for Brady’s lost dog, Cover Charge moving into a new house Monday 

    Announcement: BROLYMPICS October 27th 

    Strong work Everyone. Was a honor and privilege to Q the workout today. So grateful for F3 and the men that make it what it is. 

    Snickers OUT

  • The Summer Tour Continues – I think?

    Twelve warriors emerged on the grounds of New Highland Baptist Church for another Friday morning beatdown.  This is what occurred:

    Mosey around the church.

    COP

    • 5 Burpees OYO
    • Arm Circles – 10 big, 5 small IC then reverso
    • SSH – 20 IC
    • Helicopters – 10 IC
    • Don Quixote – 10 IC
    • High Knees – 10 IC
    • Backwards Lunges – 10 IC
    • Merkins – 10 IC
    • Angles Knee Jumps – 10 IC
    • Foot to Hand Mountain Climbers – 10 IC
    • LBCs – 20 IC
    • Sitting Freddie Mercuries – 20 IC
    • American Hammers – 20 IC

    Triple Sprints – In 3, one partner sprints about 40 yards, 2nd partner sprints back, and so on.  Once a sprint is completed, the PAX member does 5 burpees.  Each PAX member will do a total of 5 sprints and 25 burpees.  Once this has been completed, bear crawl to the middle.

    Mosey to Pavillion

    AMRAP – Rotate between the following exercises for 3 minutes

    • Round 1 – 5 One Leg Squats then rotate to other leg
    • Round 2 – 5 Upright Alabama Prom Date Dips // 5 Derkins

    Elevens – Rotating Elbow Planks and Mountain Climbers running about 30 yards in between the exercises.   (After first 3 completed the elevens, the exercise was stopped for time.

    Mosey to Parking Lot

    Plank-O-Rama  – All PAX would start in Plank Position

    • Carolina Dry Docks // Merkins – Rotate between exercises (10 IC)
    • Rotate to Side Plank and Hold – then drop hip and lift (10 IC)
    • Rotate to Back Plank and Hold – then do upright Alabama Prom Dates (10 IC)
    • Rotate to other side plank and hold – the drop hip and lift (10 IC)
    • Rotate back to front plank and hold – Carolina Dry Docks // Merkins – Rotate between exercises (10 IC)
    • Freddie Mercuries (20 IC)
    • 6 Inches  Hold while Q counts down from 30.
    • 5 Burpees OYO

    COT – Numberama, Name-o-rama, Spike took us out.

    NMS

    As YHC was deciding which AO to attend in the morning, he noticed that no one had signed up to Q The Creek the next morning.  Because there was a good chance that Summer Tour participants would post at the Creek, YHC signed up.  At 5:30 AM, there were 12 Davillians and no Summer Tour participants.  With 2 more Fridays left before Labor Day, there should be several PAX members making there way north if the Summer Tour is still continuing.

    It was great Qing again at The Creek.  The Creek for 2 years consistently has the largest PAX in Mechanicsville.  It also has the largest amount of 2.0s in F3RVA.  Great effort from all the PAX members today.  Apologies must be given to Mudface for limiting the amount of running we did today.  YHC will try to increase the mileage next time he Qs The Creek.  It is always impressive Mudface the amount that your 2.0s post.  Well done!  Nice to meet you Flounder and thank you for explaining your nickname.  It was also nice seeing It has nothing to do with Animal House.  Nice to see you again Boom Boom.  Good luck with your 3rd year at The Institute.

    Announcements

    • August 25 – Puppy Pile
    • Labor Day – Convergence at Three Lakes Park.  See Pre-Blast.
    • ReeseStrong 5K – Postponed for a year.

    Gotta Run!

    Phonics