Category: Richmond, VA

  • Cat Burglar of Westham

    An industrious nine checked the weather and realized the heavy stuff wouldn’t be down for a while.  On for a run.

    The Route

    Up the other hilly road to the main entrance.

    4s – Take a left and then a right up Boatwright.  At Three Chopt, jog to the right and take Honaker to Patterson.

    5s/6s – Take a right up the hill to Three Chopt and hang a right.  5s take a left on St Christopher’s.  6s go to Grove to Granite and hang a left to Patterson.

    4s, 5s, and 6s are now on Patterson.  Head west to Westham Pkwy and hang a left.  Take the Pkwy to University Dr.  Drop down until it hits UR and cut through the wooded trail picking up the lake coming in via the gazebo.

    YHC took us out.

    The Moleskin

    It turned out to be great running weather today.  A little cool at points and I think we all agreed that the long windy climb up Patterson to Three Chopt was universally everyone’s low point.  Running down Westham was great.  Total darkness and just the sound of the brook making its way down hill, and ultimately back to the UR lake as were we.

    TYA demonstrated this season’s fashion forward view: all black long sleeve/pant running suit.  Literally, nothing was visible except his head; floating body-less in the darkness.  Fashion over safety on a dark, rainy, morning.

    It was fun as always chatting with EF Hutton.  Good pace.  Good conversation.  Good times.

    Happy Birthday to Saab and Bootleg who both celebrated a birthday yesterday.

    Time to Taper,

    Lockjaw

  • Perfect weather for a run

    Three stalwarts posted on a Sunday morning.  It was the day after the Richmond marathon so I was expecting a light showing and that it what we got.

    TSB and TYA did a 5 mile northbank out and back.  Pert Plus his the full seven (at least).

    TYA OUT

  • Night blindness

    Before the next one, here’s the last one – from the first Monday evening after the changing of the clocks with evening gloom re-emerging.  From a parking lot full of cars – primarily for parents attending parent/teacher conferences, we began the evening with some quick words and then a mosey to the grass.

    COP with mostly favorites – Invisible Jump Ropes, IWs, DQs, Russian Soldiers, Helicopters, and Arm Circles.  Move across the yard to the school wall for Triple Check – People’s Chair, Arm Plank, and mosey to Laburnum and back.

    Head around the corner of the school to the bus loop for Merkin Ladder – completing 21 rounds of Merkins starting with one rep and adding one each round to 21.  Hit the curb for 11s with Dips and Hello Dollys.  Remain in place for additional Mary and some stretching.  Jog back to the parking lot for COT and YHC took us out.

  • 14 in Subaru Wagon and hemorrhoids…..

    4 SOJ regulars posted to River Run for a YHC Q. Thankfully no rain!

    5 mile and 4 mile routes were simple out and back route. Both routes up Twin Team and R on East Brigstock Road. 4 miler ran to Kentford and back to Betty Weaver. 5 milers ran to Netherfield and back to Betty Weaver.

    Number-ama, Name-r-ama, Announcements = 0.

    YHC took us out.

    NMS- Mr. Holland, Lug Nut, Mr. Roper, great to see you men this morning  Mr Roper took us down memory road this morning by reminiscing about his time at Randolph Macon and recent trip to H-SC to visit his son!! Than, down Twin Team…BOOM Mr. Roper’s back quit. Hope you are ok buddy.

    Gentlemen, reach out to a veteran and say thank you!! God Bless!

    Loud and Proud,

    Flatline

  • Big thanks to our Veterans

    On a beautiful Veterans Day morning, 12 freezing weather loving PAX and I made the sacred pilgrimage from Hoedown headquarters at Tuckahoe Elementary to Kanawha Recreation Association (KRA).

    Warm up (in front of three spectators):

    15 Side straddle hops, 10 helicopters (in honor of the Jets score against the mighty Buffalo Bills, one better than the Richmond Spiders), 10 Don Quixotes and 10 front and back arm circles

    First exercise:  For Veterans Day we did army crawls from the end of the school grounds to the flag pole and back.  I think I was one the last ones to finish which isn’t a good start.

    Mosey to KRA by doing what I call a Merkin run.  For some historical context, my first F3 a little over two years ago was at Mary with Flipper as Q.  At the end, he had us run together and drop and do 10 Merkins, etc.  So I decided with this Merkin contest and my unexplainable desire to be at KRA, why not honor the great Flipper?  So we did ~80 merkins on the way there.

    At KRA, we did a Dora with 100 Carolina Dry docks which I am told do not count as Merkins (sorry), 200 2 count mountain climbers and 300 flutter kicks.

    After that fun, I tried to do elevens with WWIIs and jump squats.  Unfortunately I grossly underestimated the time it takes to go up and down KRA’s parking lot so we stopped about 2/3 the week into it.

    We finished with the run and another ~80 merkins having to look out for cars which keeps things interesting when most of the PAX wear dark clothing.

    Concluded with announcements (1.  There is an event that is listed on the backblast that Handshake mentioned at Ruth and Ollies in Carytown this Thursday at 5:30.  Handshake I had trouble logging in to the app so if can pass along details that would be great.  2) Marv mentioned a Thanksgiving day football game for under 14s.  Details for this are also on backblast)  and prayer.

    Lastly I want to give thanks for all of our veterans.  They have done and continue to do a lot for our country.  When I take a step back and think about all of the freedoms we have (voting, religion, etc.) and the prosperity we have in America, I realize how lucky I am to be an American.   After Hoedown, I went to Tuckahoe Elementary for a Veterans Day assembly because my bro and law is a Marine and my younger daughter goes there.  It was a really cool ceremony.

     

     

     

  • Rise and Shine Punk: It’s Monday Funday

    5 warriors greeted the dawn of a new day.  According to legend it went a little something like this.

    COP:  20 X, merkins, SSH, merkins, IW, merkins, FK, merkins

    Lightpost Lollygag Trifecta:  Run down the path and at each light post complete the following exercise 5 squats, 10 merkins, 15 flutter kicks.  The next 1/3 of the loop shift to 3 burpees, 5 v-ups, 10 monkey humpers.  The final 1/3 10 decline merkins, 10 lunges.

    Cool Water: 3 rounds of the following exercises.  10 Incline hand release merkins, 20 dips, run the stairs up to the parking lot.

    Mosey to the tennis courts.

    Four Corners Plus: Corner 1 10 Merkins, Corner 2 10 WWII, 10 Squats, 10 Burpees

    Mosey to flag

    Ring of Fire, 30 American Hammers IC

    Numberama, namerama, Sippy took us out.

    Moleskin:  Great job fellas.  Way to put in the work!!  Make it a great week.

    News: TYA is leading an hour long vegan support fest on Thanksgiving or as he likes to put it.  Circle Turkey Day on your calendar for a convergence at Mary Mumford.

     

  • Back in the Q Saddle

    It was a beautiful fall morning without fall sports for YHC.  Grateful to climb back in the saddle and Q Gridiron.  Here is how it went down:

    • COP
      • Parking lot tracers
      • 25 SSH
      • 15 IW
      • 10 Cherry Pickers
      • 15 helicopters
      • 10 2x merkins
      • 10 2x scissor lifts (each leg)
      • 25 2x LBC
    • Mosey to the playground for 4 8x jerkins
    • Mosey to the bus loops to perform the following 4x:
      • 1 minute pole sit
      • 25 pole smokers
      • 25 reverse crunches
      • 1 minute elbow plank
      • 25 APD
      • Bear crawl 6 pillars
    • Bear crawl 20 yards
    • Mosey to the tennis courts for 4 corners (10, 15, 20, 25 reps at each corner)
      • Hand release merkins
      • Flutter kicks
      • Copperhead squats
      • WWII sit-ups
    • Mosey back around the school to the parking lot
    • COT with YHC taking us out

    Good to see some old faces today as Nightcrawler reappeared at Gridiron.  Long time, no see brother!  P-trap continues to put in good work.  Really good to see him joining the Saturday PAX.  As always, solid work from Chum Bucket and Byproduct.  Adderall is just a beast. I am trying to shake the image of him doing APD and substituting pickle pounders for elbow planks.

    Prayers for a quick recovery for J-ville with recent back injury.  Continued prayers for Earthworm and a speedy recovery and return.  Great time at Einstein’s for the 3rd F.

    God is good all the time!

    Attila

  • They opened up the Carillon just in time for Veteran’s Day

    Little did Lab Rat know, but today was the Marine Corps birthday.  Seems only fitting that a squid should take the Q to talk about how awesome vets are on a day to celebrate the Corps.  Luckily, 1 marine and 18 others came out to join him.

    COP-  Run around the circle and do some karaoke plus backwards run.  To loosen you up, Spit!  Then a bunch of the usual stuff.  If you’ve seen one LR COP, you’ve seen them all.

    THANG-

    -Give me 5:  Mosey up the long awaited open carillon steps and circle up.  All Vets (even Marines) take 1 step in.  Go around the circle and state your service, pax gives each member 5 burpees.  Vets present were:  Lab Rat, Honeydo, Bone Thug, and Bulkhead.  Then, go around the circle and each pax member calls out a vet they are close to.  Pax gives 5 merkins in honor of each vet.  Hardywood didnt not cry.

    -Legs and abs day:  from bottom of amphitheater, 3 jump ups on each step to the top.  From the top, 3 V-ups on each step to the bottom.

    -7’s on the Rusty Cage:  6 pullups or jerkins, 1 Captain Thor.  -1/+1 until you get to 1 pullup, 6 Capt. Thor.

    -Beast:  Across the Carillon field:  Merkins, WW2 situps, DEEP squats, monkey humpers, Wilson’s punching bag????

    NMS

    This is the only themed workout that I will do….unless you count the disc golf.  I stumbled on this a couple years ago, and it’s just too good to not make an annual thing.  Hardywood is an emotional dude, and told me after for the third year in a row, he got choked up talking about his grandfather in the circle.  I like to spread the wealth across my vet heavy family, but Papa Kenney got the nod again this year for obvious reasons.  S;pit needed to leave early, so we shuffled this to the front of the workout.  It was great being able to head up to the top of the Carillon after being off of it for a year.  If I read correctly, it’s open thru Monday, then closed for another year as they continue renovations…

    The rest of the workout was great, with lots of banter….some at my expense.  This morning would have been a great morning to catch some sunrise on the bridge, but I didnt want the pax to get too spread out.  Tomorrow’s run should be glorious, though.

    Thanks to Bulkhead for making the trip down at my prodding.  I hope that he realizes that my picking at the Marines is totally in jest, and I have nothing but mad respect for those that wear the uniform.  Happy Birthday, Marine!

    HoneyDo dropped some bad news on us, that a friend of his (a veteran) took his life this week, after battling PTSD.  Love, comfort and prayers to you, your family and to his family.  This is tough to hear.

    Also, good to meet Bone Thug.  Glad to have you in the pax, my man!

    Apology of the Week goes out to UpChuck for stomping on his backwards counting.  I wanted a 10 count, and by God, I was getting one!

     

    Lab Rat apologizes…

  • For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

    12 Choir boys arrived to rainy like conditions but F3RVA App showed Sunny and 70.

    A little mumble chatter and the PAX got to work

    This how it went down

    Mosey around church pending the Jett Clan’s arrival. A couple of loops around Mudface’s truck as a warm weclome.

    COP (ALL IC) – SSH, Merkins x5, DQ, Merkins x5, Helicopter, Merkins x5, LBC’s, Merkin x5, Dying Cockroach, Merkin x5, Arm Circles (forward), Merkins x5, Arm Circles (Reverso), Burpee x5 OYO

    THANG

    Bear crawl to the pavilion  

    Friday Morning Dance Party (F3 Style)

    Q selected several songs from a playlist (2 of which were preset exercises on the F3 website). The PAX would complete the called exercises until the completion of the set song.

    1st Song: Moby -Flower (B-Sides) (Duration 3:27) (aka Bring Up Sally) – Start with your chest on the ground. When the song says “Bring Sally Up” the Pax will be in the ‘Merican up position, and “Bring Sally Down” the Pax will be in the ‘Merican down position. Pax will hold the down position until the next rep.

    Mosey a loop around the church

    2nd Song: Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life (Duration 4:28) – PLT x 20, Switch, Rinse and Repeat

    Mosey down the gravel road, around the T crossing, then back

    3rd Song: Eric Paslay – Friday Night (Duration 2:47) – 20 Dips, 20 Skull Crushers, Rinse and Repeat

    Mosey around the parking lot

    4th Song: JT – Can’t Stop The Feeling (Duration 3:56) – Copperhead Squats and SSH during the chorus

    5th Song: AC/DC – Thunderstruck (Duration 4:53) – A Merkin every time you hear “Thunder” and LBC’s during the bridge

    Mosey back to the SF

    Ring of Fire – 10 Merkin

    Numberama, Namerama, Announcements, Wild Thing took us out

    MOLESKIN

    YHC had a late business dinner last night and was struggling with an idea for a Q. After looking at the forecast stated having memories of Wilson famous all musical Q in the Amphitheater at Dogpile. Thanks Wilson for the inspiration.

    Some great highlights from today.

    • Having Rounders back and watching him explaining AC/DC to the Jett boys.
    • Emoji positive comment to YHC on keeping on beat during the Skull Crushers and Yard Sale saying YHC should be in a choir. Clearly they have never sat next to YHC during worship at church
    • Having Chowdah and LP back in the mix
    • Wondering if the music would give the opportunity to EH old ladies in their nightgowns (no takers unfortunately)
    ANNOUNCEMENTS
    • Mudface, No Idea, and Chewy are running in a Rugged Maniac in May. If you want to join them, contact Mudface
    • Grow Ruck coming to RVA on March 22-24. Mark your calendars now

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • Running Through the Basics

    3 able-bodied men arrived at the Twin Team parking lot for a Rosie led partial tour of the AO.  With the other 2 PAX being Radar (FNG from Tuesday) and Doozy, he of only a handful of workouts, YHC took the Q.

    Warmarama w/ SSH, Helicopters, IW, merkins, LBC

    Mosey around to the are near the football field for a 6 pack.  1 pullup run to sidewalk 5 WWII – repeato to 5 and 1.

    Parking lot 4 corners – start w/ 5 burpees, 10 jump squats, 20 merkins, 30 Freddie Mercurys, back to the start for 40 mountain climbers.

    Over to the school for Triple Check – Donkey Kicks, lunges, run to a light pole and back.

    Back to the parking lot for 11s between light poles – merkins and Box Cutters

    Up to the field – cross the field with 30 bear crawl steps, 20 lunges, 10 bunny hops, 5 broad jump burpees, 30 bear crawls, lunges to the end.

    Finish with some Randorama – FK, Peter Parker, Werkins, Dollies, Rosalita, Invisible Jump ropes, APD…maybe others.

    Great to have the small group and get to know Doozy and Radar.  After the beat down YHC learned that both prefer running, had I known that we could have put on some miles.  With the limited F3 experience from other PAX, YHC decided to give them some standard F3 material for the next hot potato.

    Hammers and Ales tomorrow night.  There’s still time.

    Coats to Marmaduke.

    GrowRuck March 22-24 – Honeydo has the info