Category: Richmond, VA

  • DogPile 2.0 Debut

    There are moments in all of our lives where we’ll never forget our location when the event occurs.

    Where were you when VCU played in the Final Four?

    Where were you when you found out Toga was leaving town?

    Where were you that one time Swirly ran opposite right into that group of Seal Teamers and left nothing but a wake of blue t-shirts and cliipboards laying on their backs behind him?

    The same goes for today, where were you when we launched the first ever DogPile 3rd Saturday at 7am 2.0 Friendly workout?  Also known as DP3Sa72FW (working title…feel free to send other title ideas).

    This morning, in the sludge that was a Richmond Post Dawn humidity fest, 14 men and their 2.0s gathered at DogPile to launch the first 2.0 specific workout on this side of 195.  Inspired by Doner Kebob and his Gridiron workouts, those of us in the city and the near west end decided that we couldn’t quite drive the the suburbs randomly to workout in all that new construction.  We needed to go back to the basics.

    We also needed a bit of consistency…something to look forward to…something to mark our calendars.  So it was decided that the 3rd Saturday of every month, at 7am, would be a 2.0 Friendly THANG that would immediately follow the 6am DogPile workout.

    By the way…good gracious on the size of the Saturday 6am DogPile…The Richmond Spiders don’t get that many people at their conference games.  Terrific job, men.  Also, there’s nothing quite like the looks on the faces of the 2.0s when they see the mass of men returning back to the flag after a 60 minute beatdown.  It’s akin to standing in the front of the line in a roller coaster and the previous coaster pulls into the station and everyone is throwing up.

    “We are about to do that?”

    In the end, there were 5 adults and 9 2.0s…they had us outnumbered from the beginning.

    The THANG:

    COT

    This was more of an Oval of Trust at the very top of the Carrillon.
    25 Side Straddle Hops
    16 Donald Quixotes
    15 Imperial Walkers
    15 Arm Circles Forward
    15 Arm Circles Backward
    6 ‘mercans
    20 LBCs
    20 Freddie Mercury’s (hey dad, why do they call those Freddy Mercury’s?)

    Mosey West to the Trees next to the Carrillon.

    Touch a Tree
    Run to a tree, do 5 ‘mercans and 1 burpee. Next tree hit 4 ‘mercans and 2 burpees. And so on…
    Next set…run to a tree, do 5 ‘mercans and 1 LBC. Next tree 4 ‘mercans and 2 LBCs…wash and repeat

    Noah’s Ark (TradeMark/Patton Pending–Doner Kebob)
    Circle Up in the grassy circle east of the Carrilon. Each member of the PAX picks an animal “walk” to get to the middle of the circle and back. Highlighted Animals in no specific order:

    Bear Crawl
    Polar Bear
    Crab Walk
    Duck Walk
    Penguin
    Worm
    Copperhead Crawl
    Bird
    Squid
    Flamingo
    Seal Crawl
    Elephant Walk
    (maybe a few others. The Seal Crawl and Copperhead Crawl were total beatdowns.

    Mosey to the Carrilon for Triple Check.
    One member of each team runs up the stairs to the Carrillon and then back down while the other members either do LBCs and spell-check. The spell check was your school, or teacher or university or your job. Each PAX member ran three times.

    At this point, Lockjaw took the potato and headed to the bars. By this time, some moseys became flat out walks.

    At the bars, the PAX had to use the chin-up bars like monkey bars and slide down and around.

    Following that–we headed to the dip bars where we did 7 dips and 15 flutter kicks.

    PAX then moseyed back to the big field facing the Carrillon for the 2.0 staple and the sneaky hardest exercise of the day–the Sharks and Minnows game. Sharks had to try to catch Bear Crawling minnows while crab walking. If you left your hands at anytime you were out as a crab.

    The first round caught only one 2.0 as the dad’s strategies fell a bit short…those minnows were very fleet of fours. Following a huddle and a strategy, the dads began picking off the minnows one by one. “BearRolling” was deemed allowable as long as your 6 didn’t hit the ground. This would be akin to spinning in flag football but not using your hands as a stiff arm.

    The winner of the sharks and minnows was Veep…his second ever win in a Sharks and Minnows game.

    Switch sides…dads are minnows and 2.0s are sharks. Ronnie gets the win.

    Mosey to Ring of Fire where the PAX finishes with burpee shuffle and 20 American Hammers (in honor of TYA).

    Editor’s Note–I hope we continue to get more and more 2.0s out at this each month. We had a terrific time. Who knows what our 2.0s will remember. If they are like me, they’ll probably only remember the times I screwed up or got mad or things like that, but I can’t imagine them NOT recalling getting up before 7am and going to a workout with a bunch of other 2.0s. Next one is 8/19/17…mark your calendars.

    Welcome FNGs–
    Bassy Lassie — she likes to fish but also likes to wear pretty dresses
    Panda Hamm– big women’s soccer fan who has an affinity for Panda Bears
    Crickey– Huge outdoorsman that also does art. A renaissance boy (said in Australian dialect)

    Have a good weekend, gents. Help us all be better fathers.

     

  • Is This Workout Pager Friendly?

    28 warriors greeted the dawn of a new day.  According to legend, this hot potato trifecta went a little something like this.

    COP: IC – SSH, IW, LBC, FM X 20, merkin X 10 + bear crawl to 3 different pax and complete 5 boo yah merkins.

    Labrattadora – This modified Dora goes like this.  Partner up.  One man runs up and around the Carillon.  Partner is completing the following exercises in order, until the runner gets back. AMRAP till 9:20.

    • 5 Merkin
    • 6 American Hammers
    • 7 Squats

    The Q Torch was passed to Wilson who laid down the following punishment.

    Modified LBC X 10 right side,  X 10 left side

    Sword Fight – YHC will attempt to paint this picture.  Partner up feet to feet with another pax, with feet overlapping a couple of inches.  Both men raise the feet off the ground, and begin a circular motion.

    In other words, if you were being held hostage in another country with an F3 buddy and both of you had your hands and feet tied up, then your captors (who spoke no english) threw you both on your backs with your feet slightly overlapping and you were trying to explain what a NASCAR race is with your feet, it would look something like that.

    Triple Tree Check – Team up in groups of three.  Each pax completes 3 rounds of the following.

    • Round 1 – Touch 12 trees, monkey humpers, donkey kicks.
    • Round 2 – Touch 9 trees, monkey humpers, donkey kicks.
    • Round 3 – Touch 6 trees, monkey humpers, donkey kicks.

    The Torch of Success was passed to Marmaduke who brought the following gospel for all to share.

    Elevens Make You Wanna Testify – Mosey to amphitheater for a round of Elevens.  Start at the bottom with 10 decline merkins, run to the top for 1 squat.  Back down for 9 decline merkins, back up for 2 squats.  Etc. to completion.  For some extra fun, the running portion was to be completed with both hands in the air.

    If some one had never heard of F3 and happened to be walking by and looking at a bunch of grown ass men running in a theater with their hands in the air, it would be really hard to explain how this is not a cult.

    YHC rounded off the morning of work at the Saturday Success Farm.

    Tabatas – 8 rounds of 20 second sprint, 10 second recovery.  It’s the second most fun you can have in four minutes.  Thanks to Shakedown for the video.

    Mosey back to the flag.  Numberama, namerama, COT, Flatline took us out.

    Moleskin:  During the post workout mumble chatter on Friday after a Marmaduke slaughterfest, Wilson suggested the League of Nations approach rather than the more common rogue warrior style for Dogpile.  Outside of sword fighting, this may have been his best idea.  It was great to see the 2.0s gearing up for the 7am workout.  Strong men, strong kids, strong families.  It’s a simple, but powerful formula.

    Welcome Binford.  Kudos to Oyster and Loose Goose for taking the art of naming to the next level. The 2nd F at ETs was a solid turnout.  Great to see new pax joining the fun.  The title of the BB came from Flatline asking Lab Rat for his pager number and then going into great detail about the truly outstanding communication systems and technology infrastructure of a local hospital.  If you are looking for a recommendation for a place that still practices bloodletting and trepanning , please see Flatline.

    News:

    Keep Circle K and his family in your thoughts and prayers as his father is in hospice.

    Reese Strong 5K 9/16/2017.  See Phonics for details.  See Circle K for the post race seafood smorgasbord.

    Upchuck has a golf tournament in August.  If enough people enter, he’s giving away a signed Nancy Lopez visor.

    New run at 6am Sundays called “Off the Books” at Urban Farmhouse in Midlothian…Its on the App.

     

     

  • Bastille Day

    15 runners and bikers embraced the humidity in celebration of Bastille Day.

    4 milers and 5 milers headed east on Grove to take a left on Hamilton.  Hamilton to Cutshaw and cut in front of Thomas Jefferson High School.  4s continue to Blacker and hang a left taking to W Franklin.  5s continue to Staples Mill to Monument west, a left on Willow Lawn Drive, and a left on W Franklin.  4s/5s take W Franklin back to Lafayette.  Right on Lafayette to Grove to the SF.

    6s take Commonwealth to Cary.  East on Cary to Thompson to Floyd.  East bound on Floyd to Monroe Park.  Back on Cathedral to Grove to the SF.

    YHC took us out.

    NMS

    The theme of today’s route was in recognition of the Franco-American relationship with routes covering Lafayette, Hamilton, and three ministers to France, (Franklin, Jefferson, and Monroe).  Our own revolution was largely successful due to French aid.  Lafayette and Hamilton overtaking redoubts 9 and 10 respectively at Yorktown while the French fleet prevented British reinforcement leading to Cornwallis’ surrender.

    The cry of the French Revolution – Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity – are evident every day I post with F3.  I am proud to belong to F3RVA!

    Announcements:

    • Up Chuck has a golf tournament in August
    • Toga is hosting auditions to replace his F3RVA presence based on wit, sarcasm, and form police.

  • A-B-C It’s Easy as 1-2-3

    15 Davillians decided to get out of their fartsack and join in some good old ABC fun. The course was set, the SF was planted, and the PAX got to work.

    This is how it went down:

    Short mosey around the front of the parking lot for any LIFO’s

    COP (ALL IC)

    • SSH x20 regular x5 fast pace
    • Helicopters x10
    • Jump Squats x15
    • Dolly’s x 20
    • Merkins x 10
    • Arm Circle x 30 small x 10 big and reverso

    THANG

    Polar Bear COP

    Wide Circle up complete 3 polar bears to center then 3 polar bears back out. In and out counts as one set. PAX completed 5 sets more or less.

    4 corners – ABC Style

    Run around the church stopping at each corner to complete a letter of the Alphabet in big capital letters in a leg lift position. Go from A to Z.

    Mosey to the field

    Beast Relay

    Team 1: (Spit, LP, By Product, Ewok, Quaker, Buckmouth, Cosmo, Chewy)
    Team 2: (Tea Party, Opus, No Idea, MudFace, Recess, Hurricane, Chowdah)

    One teammate completes an exercises for the beast while the next teammate plank until they return. The rest of the team Al Gored. Some 2.0’s team up with another teammate. Exercises were as follows:

    • Burpees
    • Merkins
    • Split Jacks
    • Squats
    • WWII Sit ups
    • Heels to Haven

    Team 1 won!!

    Mosey back to the SF for Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out. 

    MOLESKIN

    It’s always great to Q at The Creek! There something specail having 1/4 of our PAX be made up of 2.0’s every week. As always the 2.0’s brought their A game. Also to great to have LP and Chowdah back after all their traveling.

    Tea Party killed it today. He was leading the PAX during ABC’s and also took on the 32 burpees during the relay. Great job sir!

    Mumble Chatter centered around summer vacations and encouragement during the relay. Also the discussion continues about the ghost flag. LabRat maybe making some SF this weekend. Will the Ghost Flag be one of them?!?

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • If you can Dodge a Wrench…

    13 Friday morning warriors beat the fartsack for a humid, yet fun filled morning at Twin Team.  As the clock struck 530 the PAX were of for a quick Mosey around the bus loop, but wait, Honeymoon and Sparky break off to do a OYO 45 minute run, leaving the PAX with only 11 strong.  They made it out to the AO and are working out, I give them props, but big data and corporate will be final say on if its a post!

    How it went down:

    COP-

    SSH – 20

    DQ – 15

    Imperial Walkers – 20 – Counting got suspect at this point

    Mosey to baseball Field

    Triple Check – Hand release Merkins, Dips, Run Length of the Field and Back

    Mosey to Football Field

    BURPEEBALL – Modified Dodge Ball

    Split into 2 teams and battle…..but there are rules!

    Rules –

    1. When a PAX picks up a ball, he must do 1 Burpee before he can throw it

    2. If you are hit, you must do 5 Burpees, and then do monkey humpers until the game is over

    3. If you a throw a ball and it is caught by opposing team, you do 10 Burpees and a lap around the track, then monkey humpers until end of the game.

    4. Losing team does 10 burpees, winning team did LBCs to keep moving

    Mosey to playground

    5 – Incline Merkins and a Lap around the field – x2

    Mary – 25WWII OYO, Merkin Ring of Fire

    Mosey to Flag

    1 Minute left so that meant 1 minute straight of SSH to completion.

    COT – Numberama/Namearama – Hardywood took us out!

    MS-

    First of all I want to thank the PAX for indulging me in my dodgeball adventure.  On Wed at SOT we named a FNG “Ocho”.  YHC immediately thought of the movie Dodgeball where they broadcasted the tournament on “ESPN 8 The OCHO”.  (Clip included)  Secondly, thanks to Wilson for helping prep and setup prior to posting.  So as the triple check came to a close and the PAX mosey toward the football field, it quickly became apparent that we were all transitioning in our mind back to 7th grade gym class to try and throw dodgeball as hard as we could.  We quickly learned it was not as easy as we remember.  Rules were explained as best as possible and the fun began.  Ill let the PAX give their account, but personally YHC was gassed between the burpees and trying to Randy Johnson a ball across the field.  TCI claps to Cottonmouth, he was the only one left on our side at one point, and had all six dodgeballs, if your reading correctly, thats 6 burpees before he could throw them.  It did not end well that game. we played a total of 4 games and split 2-2.  Also TCI Claps to Tatu, who took one off the dome piece, and Honey-Do who took one in the Honey-Do region.  Great work by all today, thank you for letting me lead this great group of men! Also great to have the non-SOJ PAX make the trip, much appreciated!  I hope you all have a great weekend!  See you in the gloom boys!

     

    Announcements:

    • Reese Strong – See Phonics
    • Golf – August 7, See Upchuck
    • New run at 6am Sundays called  “Off the Books” at Urban Farmhouse in Midlothian…Its on the App

     

     

  • 2nd F – Preblast F3RVA Fantasy Football

    If there is enough interest, YHC plans to run a F3RVA fantasy football league this fall.  Comment if you want in, stakes will be enough to keep it interesting.

  • DogPile 3rd Saturday 2.0 Friendly

    Gentlemen,

    As promised, the 3rd Saturday of every month is a 2.0 Friendly PAX at DogPile, starting at 7am.  We’ll fist bump our early rising friends who finish the 6am version and then get going on an hour workout of our own.

    You don’t have to have or bring your 2.0 to in order to enjoy a good ol’ fashioned kid friendly beatdown, but it’d be super to see a bunch of our next generation F3 out there.

    See you in the quasi-gloom on Saturday.

    MARV

  • Are We Gruntled Yet?

    21 warriors rose to meet the challenge of a new day.  According to legend it went a little something like this.

    COP SSH, IW, LCB, FM X 20 IC, Merkin X 10 IC

    Modified 4 Corners – Complete exercise at each corner on the way out and back, adding a corner each round.  Plank in between each round.

    The exercises were the following: Corner 1 20 Decline Merkins at , Corner 2 20 WWII Situps, Corner 3 20 Dips, Corner 4 20 Burpees

    • Round 1 – Corner 1
    • Round 2 – Corner 1, Corner 2, Corner 1
    • Round 3 – Corner 1, Corner 2, Corner 3, Corner 2, Corner 1
    • Round 4 – Corner 1, Corner 2, Corner 3, Corner 4, Corner 3, Corner 2, Corner 1

    Leg Ladder – Mosey to tennis courts.  This is a modified suicide workout.

    • Hop on 1 leg across 1 court and complete 10 (2 count) American Hammers, run back to start.
    • Hop on opposite leg across 2 courts and complete 10 (2 count) American Hammers, run back to start.
    • Hop on opposite leg across 3 courts and complete 10 (2 count) American Hammers, run back to start.
    • Hop on opposite leg across 4 courts and complete 10 (2 count) American Hammers, run back to start.

    Bearly Alive – Partner up at soccer field.  One partner runs to the opposite end and the other partner starts to bear crawl.  Partner one touches the opposite side and runs back to partner.  Upon meeting back up complete 2 boo-yah merkins and switch.  Completion is when the length of the field has been bear crawled by the team.

    Hermanos En Fuego – Partner up for a modified Ring of Fire, partners get on opposite sides of the circle.  All men in the plank position.  First team bear crawls to middle and completes 10 Boo Yah merkins the crawl bears back.  Next team goes until the entire squad has complete.

    Numberama, Namerama, COT, Viral took us out.

    Moleskin – On Tuesday afternoon YHC checked the Q sheet to see how much espresso and Ibuprofen for WDog. Much to the surprise of YHC 45MOM was sans Q.  The timing was great, as after a week at the beach YHC was ready to get back into action.  Big shout to Wilson  and Swiper for slaying it on the modified 4 Corners. Grunt and Scrappy put on a burpee clinic.  Hermanos En Fuego was well received.  Great to see the sons and dads team up and show the strength of their respective gene pools.  Kudos to Gumbo for jumping in with YHC for a second helping of Boo Yah merkins.

    After careful consideration an adjustment has been made to our newest member of the tribe.  Cabbage Patch was a guest of Shake Down.  He introduced him as a gardner and the rest of the description was lost from there.  Several names were thrown out, before settling on Cabbage Patch.  One thing we do not do is settle.  The Commission on Special Naming Projects revisited the name.  The thought process went like this.  Gardner -> Red Hot Chili Peppers -> Crotch Sock -> Blood Sugar Sex Magic -> Sugar Sock.  Welcome Sugar Sock.

    News – Please keep brother Circle K in your thoughts as his father has entered hospice.

    Be super,

    Hardywood

     

  • Green Acres, the Wilder Side

    A hearty three said “no thanks” to the snooze button, even if their wives kept them up watching Game of Thrones last night.  It was hot, it was muggy, but there were hills to be conquered:

    COP- not necessary

    THANG- Mosey back to bridge in the woods at the bottom of the hill for Jacob’s Ladder Hill Repeats.  1 burpee at the bottom, 2 at the edge of the woods.  Continue until 10 burpees, for 5 hill repeats.  Mosey on back to flag.

    7 Minutes of Mary-  Round Robin.  Exercises included Rosalita, freddie mercury, LBC, Heels to Heaven, 6″ hold, Hello Dollies.

    NMM- As proclaimed, Lab Rat made today what Green Acres was made for, a run heavy AO.  I mean, seriously, there are parts of the AO that you cant even get to without running a half a mile first.  The pax made it to the back with little issue, and were rewarded by the sights (and smells) of nature waking up to the day.  In the first half mile, the pax came upon a deer on the edge of the woods, a skunk that was WAY too close for comfort, and then another deer that decided it was just too damn hot to stand anymore.  She was laying almost next to the road in the grass, and paid us no mind as we sauntered on by.

    Once in the woods however, we were the only wildlife to be seen.  TBH, the Q was a little nervous running the path downhill in the dark, considering it is snake season, and Toucan’s recent killing of the copperhead.  Spit killed it today, leaving Hurricane and Lab Rat to bring up the six.  We had ample time to talk about many subjects in between sucking wind, including his knowledge of the Niagra Falls area, and how the first person to go over the falls was in a pickle barrel.  Smart man, that Hurricane.

    Full disclosure, the heat got to Lab Rat today, it was a real struggle in the home stretch.  Tomorrow’s run is sure to be a sweat fest as well.

     

    Until then, Lab Rat apologizes.

  • APB for Missing Pug

    A pax of 2 met at the top of Hillcrest on a Wed afternoon to tackle a few hills.  The temp was 96, and the humidity was fully “on.”. Yhc (Jville) completed two 1 mi loops before being joined by Shakedown.  The newly formed pax then completed three more. Shakedown had legs for more but wisely opted not to challenge the heat alone after yhc dropped.  Nearly the whole neighborhood was out looking for a missing Pug who resides at 200 Hillcrest.  We joined the effort, but the pug remained missing when we stopped.  Hopefully that has now been resolved.

    Great job Shakedown!