Category: Richmond, VA

  • Snuck in 2 miles at lounge

    I role in at 5:25, to see some suspicious men scrambling with a coffee maker and a table. Apparently, we have some trick outlets at Bettie Weaver elementary. Guys began to circle around, 5:30 am, we set off at a gentlemanly pace towards the Blue Ribbon school of Excellence James River...

    For the record, James River received this honor first:

    🏆 Chesterfield County High Schools That Are National Blue Ribbon Schools

    Midlothian High School – 2019 (National Blue Ribbon School)

    James River High School – 1999–2000 (School of Excellence designation)

    Cosby High School – 2015 (National Blue Ribbon School)

    I digress, circle up at the front of the school for various dynamic stretches and made an attempt to avoid a cadence count.

    COP 1 – Touch a tree by the band practice area (near the steel observatory tower). Pax instructed to select a leg exercise below ten reps, run across parking lot and touch tree. Repeato. We did lunges, squats, sumo squats, calf raises, 1 burpee, and some monkey humper.

    COP 2 – Switch to upper body. Gentle mosey to the pull-up/jerkin bars behind the school. Pax did 6 rounds of jerkins/pullups (5 reps each), combined with a short bear crawl uphill towards the loading area (5 pushups at top).

    COP 3 – To the track. Team jog on straights. Core exercises at each curve, followed by skipping the curves. Fan favorite was certainly the glute bridge (APD finishing move).

    Back to flag for a few stretches.

    THANK YOU to Last Call for the coffee. Good convo with the dudes after.

    Announcments:

    1. Frozen Triangle is 2/7/26 – 6 am launch. Get there at 5:30 for some extra miles with Draper (his birthday).
    2. Head to bridge with Pigskin on 1/24/26 – all F’s involved.

    Prayers:

    1. Prayers for OC’s coworker. The poor dude is in the ICU with the flu
    2. Prayers for all the kids (and big kids) going back to school.

    Lounge is always a good time, give it some love sometime!

    Been a minute since I had the Q (No Wood in The Woodshed!!! – F3RVA Archives | F3RVA) anywhere. Great to lead today!

  • Squig Games

    Nine runners partied on Raintree, ran around a lake at least once, did some squiggly lines, came back on Falconbridge and then headed back to Godwin. Most of it uphill.

    I got 4.9 miles in and everyone did 4+. And the best part is that we will do this again later this year with better instructions. No ruckers this week so nothing to report there..

    Lunch next Tuesday at Joeys, noon.

    The Bridge on 1/24 with Pigskin leading. Reach out to him to coordinate or get more details.

    Hutton heard “Here I Go Again” on the radio on the way to coffee. Everyone needs more Whitesnake in their life!

  • Average Respect

    7 bipeds of average age hit the streets of Richmond. Ruckers covered a variety of interests and topics as the miles passed by.

    YHC took us out.

  • Le Fabuleux Destin de Snuff enfin

    Dix-sept hommes cultivés du monde entier se sont réunis pour explorer les aspects les plus raffinés de la culture française et pratiquer des activités physiques.

    La bande originale d’AmĂ©lie a enchantĂ© leurs oreilles et a remontĂ© le moral de ces personnes fatiguĂ©es et manquant de sommeil.

    À leur agrĂ©able surprise, l’Ă©chauffement comprenait les exercices habituels : sauts Ă©cartĂ©s, mouvements de bras Ă  la Don Quichotte, rotations des bras, flexions des jambes et Ă©tirements. Le nec plus ultra de l’Ă©chauffement !

    Une course à pied lente et incroyablement agréable vers une nouvelle zone de la Forge pour une équipe de trois personnes qui fumaient des cigarettes, dansaient des danses folkloriques et couraient en rond.

    Si vous utilisez Google Traduction pour comprendre ce que j’ai Ă©crit, je vous salue comme un frĂšre. Merci de votre attention, vous ĂȘtes vraiment gĂ©nial et je vous offre une biĂšre.

    Nous avons couru jusqu’Ă  l’amphithĂ©Ăątre et avons fait une sĂ©rie de 11 exercices, avec des rĂ©fĂ©rences Ă  la Seconde Guerre mondiale et des mouvements bizarres, sautant sur des caisses comme des grenouilles ivres draguant des Ă©tudiants amĂ©ricains en Ă©change universitaire dans un bar touristique quelque part dans le Quartier latin.

    Une affiche spéciale sur le thÚme du football américain accrochée au mur, avec des danses endiablées, des débauches sans limites, des coups de pied de mule et des rencontres sulfureuses : une parfaite illustration des soirées tardives de Snuff dans le quartier chaud prÚs de Pigalle.

    Retour tranquille vers le drapeau pour quelques instants de dĂ©tente et le fameux Cercle de Confiance. CafĂ© et discussion autour de la source Q – le thĂšme de cette annĂ©e est la rupture.

    Vois sur ces canaux
    Dormir ces vaisseaux
    Dont l’humeur est vagabonde;
    C’est pour assouvir
    Ton moindre désir
    Qu’ils viennent du bout du monde.
    — Les soleils couchants
    RevĂȘtent les champs,
    Les canaux, la ville entiĂšre,
    D’hyacinthe et d’or;
    Le monde s’endort
    Dans une chaude lumiĂšre.

    LĂ , tout n’est qu’ordre et beautĂ©,
    Luxe, calme et volupté.

    — Charles Baudelaire

  • Running was a happy accident

    7 Bootcampers and 1 runner hit the Timberwolf launch pad this warm winter morning. Warby wanted to do his favorite Forrest Gump impression so he split and made his way to the track to see how fast he could run on the flats.

    Mosey to the parking lot:

    COP the usual stretches and things to help Kickstart the heart

    Mosey to the side hill for some 11’s. At the bottom 10 Ball Dippers (each side), Bernie to the top for 1 Deep Squat. Rinse and repeat.

    Mosey through the bus lot to light pole alley: Run to the first light do one merkin and run back, run to the second light do two WWII’s on the way back do one merkin. Everytime out to the next pole hit all the spots on the way back. 9 lights total, that’s a lot of running.

    Mosey walk to about the basketball courts and do walking lunges.

    Mosey to the back side wall for a quick triple check

    Partner 1 does wall sits, Partner 2 does donkey kicks, Partner 3 runs around the island.

    BTTF just for fun 5 burpees OYO

    Numbers / Names Rudy took us out

    NMS: YHC really didn’t intend to do a lot of running today but when you only have half of a plan for your Q, you show your true colors.

  • HIMs Who Brought Kettlebells and Questionable Judgment

    Warm-Up Shenanigans

    Either burpees are Mariner’s and Joey Chestnut’s favorite exercise, or Whitedeer chose the wrong morning to call Mariner “Sauce,” so we kicked things off with 10 burpees. Conveniently, Fudd arrived shortly thereafter to knock Whitedeer onto his whitetail.

    Warm-up continued with merkins, dead man hang, helicopters, LBCs, and a mosey around the bus loop. (This also marked the end of the early chatter, so apparently Joey and Mariner did something right.)

    The Beatdown

    Joey Chestnut led PAX on a short rifle carry to the covering at the bus loop where we broke down the man-maker:

    ‱ Plank rows

    ‱ Merkins

    ‱ Squats

    ‱ Overhead presses

    PAX started at 10 reps of each, followed by a mosey to the end of the covering and back, continuing down the ladder through 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. (This was typed out since Attila later claimed he couldn’t perform a 10-count
 maybe he can read though.)

    Following completion of the man-makers, Mariner led PAX through Four Corners x2.

    Round 1:

    Lunge walk to each corner with 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 KB high pulls at each respective corner.

    Round 2:

    Rifle carry to each corner with 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 two-count American Hammers (KB).

    Finisher

    PAX returned to the parking lot via rifle carry led by Joey Chestnut, followed by in-cadence:

    ‱ 25 KB flutter kicks

    ‱ 25 LBCs

    ‱ 20 KB sumo squats

    ‱ 9 KB swings (Attila skipped the 10-count)

    ‱ 10 Don Quixotes

    ‱ Ended with a dead man hang

    COT Announcements/Prayer

    • The bridge 1/24
    • Joey’s hotdogs next Tuesday 1/13 (unfortunately Joey Chestnut has school and is unable to attend)
    • The Healing Place 10k training team starts 2/7 at 7:30
    • This was Joey’s and Mariner’s second QIC and second of the week, to those who went through either of these workouts congratulations you’ve been “Marinutted”

    Prayer

    • Grateful for this group of men bettering ourselves and each other. Prayers for Mr. Rogers’ mom, Seymour’s patient, UpChuck’s friend, and anyone else in need of healing or extra strength. Encouraged PAX to take this positive energy, connection, and community beyond the AO—it could make a difference in someone’s day.

  • Three Chopt Triple Check

    Fourteen posted on an unusually warm winter morning for a mix of running and bootcamp. Salt Lick got a head start on his 100 daily Burpees before the workout, and the Q—motivated to help him out—sprinkled in sets of five Burpees from time to time. Two PAX went rucking, while the rest of us ran down to the retirement community at the end of Three Chopt Road, stopping for a warm-up along the way.

    Upon arrival, we knocked out a triple check: 20 hand-release Merkins, 20 LBCs, and running. On the way back, we stopped at every intersection for five more Burpees. All told, we covered about 3.5 miles. Great job, everyone!

  • Phone Time!

    10 HIM’s arrived to the sound of Reacher’s chainsaw preparing the implements of woe, and this PAX put in some serious “Phone Time,” which Reacher tells us is what his drill instructors called BUDS-style telephone pole PT. Here how DTH & Reacher welcomed the FNG “Romeo” and delivered the PAX a healthy dose of sanctifying pain: 

    The THANG:

    DTH WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey lap the upper lot and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Prolonged DTH warm-up Reps IC with variable stretches mixed in and finished off with a run down the hill and Bernie back
    • Included Review of F3 Mission, Credo, and Five Core Principles 

    REACHER’s PHONE TIME:

    • PAX mosey to the pole pile
    • Reacher provides a brief explanation for safe handling of the poles and PAX choose their pain pole – a 12’ with 4 guys, a 10’ heavy with 4 guys, and a 5’ with 2 guys
    • x10 Reps Overhead Press to Alt Shoulders
    • x10 Squats holding Pole to Chest
    • Shoulder carry poles to grass area where PAX take turns under the 12’ pole for x10 Pole Press reps
    • Shoulder carry poles again to other side of lot and complete x10 more Overhead Presses
    • Shoulder carry poles a ways back to Upper Field and pile up

    DTH WALLORAMA:

    • Mosey down to the church and stretch out pole-sore muscle groups
    • Hoedowns x10 IC
    • Leg Raises x15 OYO
    • Hoedowns x10 IC
    • Leg Raises x15 OYO
    • Donkey Kickoffs – escalating up to 15 reps

    VARIABLE MOVEMENT MOSEY BTTF:

    • Karaoke both ways, High Knees, Butt Kickers, Bear Crawling, Crab Walking, Lunges, Broad Jumps, and last stretch via Bear Crawl
    • Circle up for 2 Min of Mary

    COT:

    • Counterama # 10 (with a tardy Du Hast just showing up from work in time to join us for COT)
    • Namerama – welcome ROMEO!
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • BOM Prayer

    NMS:  Solid larger PAX tonight for a combo-Q courtesy of YHC and Reacher. We had all thought he was joking about bringing some “toys” for his part of the Q – we now all have a very different level of expectation with Reacher, and a very new definition of “toys.” The PAX will be glad to hear we decided after the workout to chainsaw that behemoth 10’ pole into two 5’ pole segments. Reacher invited any/all Crossing Q’s to feel welcome to use the pile of poles anytime. Yaaay. A big warm welcome to William Sutton who attends our church and has been riding the fence about attending F3 for quite some time, but he is ALL about coming back! Nickname came from his name William —> Shakespeare —> Romeo. Super solid dude and great addition to our PAX! Also great to see Slider back out after a long hiatus – welcome back brother. Let’s keep these bigger numbers going! Yours AYE! ~DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • Dry January Ongoing
    • Forge Coffeerama w QSource discussion
    • 2/7 Frozen Triangle
    • Monthly: Breaking Bread, Bridge

  • Keeping It Moving

    Seven of the areas all-stars descended down the hill and back up – working out along the way. Moving was to cover ground – but also escape a certain Pax members gaseous releases. God help him.

    Handshake took us out.

  • Just the one hill

    3 regulars and a runner convened at the OG OTB for 7+ miles with a route TBD. Having missed out on the Rosemont loop a couple months ago, I wanted to make sure I got it in again. Big Rig seemed to have no issue with the hill as conversation continued most of the way up. Options for other hills were possible but we kept it to the one this time.

    A recent lunch at Urban Farmhouse reminded me why we don’t meet there anyone – new but more pleasant staff, same efficiency.