Category: Richmond, VA

  • #SOT, the Funhouse of Distractions

    Six of the faithful posted at #SOT this morning. Discussions, of course, centered around Hurricane Matthew, its current track, and its potential impact on F3Richmond’s 2-year anniversary. Johnsonville cut those off, planting a VSF and seizing the Q role. This is what went down, more or less:

    Mosey to bus loop by school to escape the roar of the single school bus warming up in our parking lot.

    Robust warmup, including SSH, crab cakes, don quiotes, scap merkins, LBCs, imperial walkers, hillbillies, etc.

    Run lap around bus loop.

    Line up along sidewalk for ascending curb crawls to 10.

    Run lap around bus loop.

    Group up in grass for ascending burpee / wall planks (do 5 burpees, then 1 wall plank; do 5 burpees, then 2 wall planks; do 5 burpees, then 3 wall planks, etc. to 10).

    Plank sequence. Mosey to basketball court.

    COP with Alabama Prom Dates

    Plank on line along basketball court lane for ascending plank walk / jump squats (do plank walk along lane, then 1 jump squat; do plank walk along lane, then 2 jump squats; do plank walk along lane, then 3 jump squats; etc. to 10).

    Line up on end line. Crabwalk to center of court. Feet-first crab walk back. Flip and bear crawl to center of court.

    COP with var. Mary

    Moleskin:

    The temperature was perfect this morning, and men showed up mentally and physically ready for some honest work. It was a good day, but the AO brought out a series of rather puzzling distractions.

    First, there was the normal bus roaring in the parking lot by the track (OUR parking lot). The school must have dozens of buses. Why does that one always warm up in our parking lot? Why does it need to be so smelly and loud? I thought most government officials actually bought into the idea of man-made global warming.

    Second, commencing during our very first short mosey (to escape the roaring, smelly school bus), the school’s fire alarm tripped and was steadily droning away for most of the remaining 44.5 minutes of the workout. A firetruck arrived around back with bright lights flashing but, stayed a while, and (inexplicably) departed without turning off the obnoxious alarm.

    Third, after our first run around the bus loop, a Chesterfield Couty police officer pulled up into the bus loop and started eyeing Rosie very suspiciously. I thought for sure that we were about to get cuffed and taken to the station for questioning. Thankfully, the deputy did not seem very interested in a bunch of middle-aged men demeaning themselves by crawling around on the ground.

    Distractions aside, we were very glad to have FNG Tesla out. Tesla says that he was previously involved in regular cross-fit, but that he has fallen out of shape. There was a lot of planking and crawling around today, and those things are not easy even for the regulars. Tesla did a good job modifying and stopping when he had had enough. I look forward to seeing him grow stronger.

    Great job this morning, southsiders!

    Jville

  • Cool Grass and Starry Skies

    Sixteen undeterred men broke through a crisp fall morning to warm up the hard way.

     

    Thang:

    COP

    Invisible jump rope X 25

    SSH X 10

    Smurfjacks X 10

    Helicopter X 15

    Mountain climbers X 10

    ATMs (15 alternating shoulder taps, 10 tempo Merkins, 10 Merkins OYO)

    Copperhead squats X 15

    Dying cockroach X 10

     

    Speed Bump Run

    Ascending burpees (add five) at each of five speed bumps – 75 total burpees. We added a half twist after every burpee. Between each speed bump alternate running and skipping.

     

    25 pole smokers + 25 Merkins OYO

     

    Mosey down the road until the trees block out the starlight, and it is so dark you cannot see your hand in front of your face. Partner up. One partner exercises down the road while other partner runs ahead to gate and back. Then partners switch. Exercises were Toy Soldier and Lunge walks. Repeato until everyone is at the gate.

     

    Head to track. Partner up. Descending pull-ups (10-8-6-4-2). Wheelbarrow across the track. Ascending squat jumps, Bobby Hurley style (2-4-6-8-10), and wheelbarrow back.

     

    Mosey to flag with option of Indigenous Person run.

     

    One minute of flutter kicks OYO.

     

    Abacus took us out.

    NMS:

    What an amazing way to start the day. This was a challenging workout for many of us, but YHC watched iron sharpen iron throughout. A few things especially stood out. Emoji and Guppy smoked through the speed bump run. Guppy really wanted to add a trail run to the mix, but YHC has enough trouble not getting lost when it is not pitch black. Mumble chatter picked up during the run to the gate. It is possible that in the darkness partners were switched multiple times, but somehow the group all ended up together. Opus was a rocket during his Indigenous Persons run sprints. YHC was thrilled to have FNG Brent (Pavarotti) join the group. Also, many thanks to Abacus for his heart lifting words in the COT.

     

    Announcements:

    Two-hour convergence this Saturday at Dogpile starting at 6:00 AM with 7:00 AM start especially for FNGs.

     

     

  • The field of Dreams

    We started with 25 SSH, 10 merkins and 10 arm circles

    The Thang:

    3 rounds of 25 incline merkins 25 leg lifts 25 dips than we ran 2 laps.

    We were going to do 4 rounds but the run was kicking our butts so we ended with 3

    than 10 american hammers, 10 leg lifts 10 jump ups

    Next came the ground and pound of bar crawls front back and side

    We ran back to  the Flag!!

    Thanks men for letting me lead today don’t forget to head lock FNGs for this sat convergence 6-8 at Dogwood Dell.

    Flashdance over and out!!

     

  • We finally lost someone

    Ten strong posted for a perfect RVA morning, and some of them even knew what was coming.  Thang:

    Mosey from UR to the bottom of Chandler hill.  Run hill repeats with mileage varying, and execute one backwards run/walk to the top of the hill on lap 4.  Head back to UR for ~150m sprints with ten merkins if you get caught by the runner after you.

    Quick disclaimer since we had an FNG and COT.

    NMM:  YHC knows full well that we don’t leave anyone behind, so I headed back when TYA and Bleeder didn’t make it out of Greek row at UR.  For a moment there was a bit of concern, but then YHC considered that maybe TYA was just tired of the hills after his sojourn with Saab in KY.  Swirly correctly guessed that hill repeats would be on the menu when the Q was announced.  If you can’t be creative, go with what you know.

    Re the sprints at the end, we did pretty much the same thing at 2.0’s XC practice Monday evening, and YHC knew the PAX would love it.  Everyone did great not getting beat until the full Copernicus showed up on the last sprint.  It was like many of us were in a time warp only to come back to reality and hit the deck for merkins.

    Welcome to FNG Jeff= Benjamins

    Announcements:

    See the BBs about the convergence and VA Beach!

    Register for the Bear Creek 10 miler if interested

    Stay Classy,

    Toga

  • Southside Trifecta – Would You Like Rocks With That?

    Three braved and fearless men broke the tender grip of the fartsack this morning to dominate Batteau.

    The Thang:

    COP  – 20 X SSH, Imperial Walker, LBC, Freddy Mercury, +10 Merkin

    Triple Check – Three rounds of 1 runner with a rock of success to the light post and back, jump squats and pole smokers.

    Bob The Builder – Running with the Rock of Success stop at each light post and perform the following:  15 Mountain Climbers, 10 Merkins, 5 Burpees.  5 total light posts.

    Ascend the hidden path to the Valley Of Doubt.

    Start at the top of the hill perform 5 merkins, run to the bottom perform 5 WWII Sit Ups, ascend the next hill for 5 two count American Hammers and run back to the start.  Complete four rounds add 5 to each exercise per round.

    Numberama, Namerama, COT and Swirly lead us out.

    This was a good one fellas.  Anytime we can bust out the rocks, it adds a whole other level of fun.  Way to work it.

    See you in the gloom.

    -Hardywood

  • Back from Mexico

    Pushing aside all inclinations to Fartsack, a gathering of 8 of the faithful posted for this morning’s version of #ThePunisheRVA.

    The Thang:

    Mosey to west sideyard for 15 x SSHs, 15 x Imaginary Jumpropes, 15 x Don Quixotes, 15 x Imperial Walkers, and 15 x Arm Circles (forward and back, little and big).

    1 Mile Run from school down Hermitage Road to Brookland Park Boulevard and back pausing briefly at each intersection (Laburnum, Wilmington, Confederate, Palmyra, and Brookland) for 5 Burpees with a Freddy Mercury chaser.  Completed 10 stops to knock out 50 Burpees total.

    Jog to school front entrance for Super 21 including Carolina Dry Docks and Reverse Crunches – completing 1 of each, then 2 of each, and so on until 21 of each are completed.  Paused after 5, 10, and 15 with Dead Cockroach for everyone to catch up.

    Stroll around the back of the school for three quick rounds of 5 Pullups followed by 5 Squats.

    Returned to the ShovelFlag for COT.

    Announcements:

    Convergence this coming Saturday – targeting large attendance for a 7 AM workout at #Dogpile.  There will also be a 6 AM workout at the same AO.  Will #Gridiron patrons be referred to #Dogpile – there is some uncertainty.

    F3 Richmond is to play a large role in supporting the launch of F3 activities in Tidewater, Virginia.  See Jville if you have questions or are interested in helping – workout launches starting at Mount Trashmore in early November.

    Congratulations Saab!

  • Monday funday

    Five strong mosey into the gloom

    The Thang
    Mosey to the bus loop at the front of the school
    COP
    10 x Helicopters
    25X SSH
    25x Hillbillies w. Jville hops
    25x LBC
    25x Crab Cakes
    Mosey around the corner to the short loop

    Circle Burp
    Ascending number of burpees 1-8 at each parking spot followed by a lap around the short loop
    Rinse and repeat
    Mosey through back of school

    Triple Nickle
    Run downhill 5x incline merkins
    Bernie Sanders uphill 5x monkey humpers
    Mosey around school to big parking lot

    Elevens
    Merkins/LBC
    10/1, 9/2, 8/3 ….
    Mosey up the hill to the football sled

    Sled Pushing 101
    2 man sled pushing around the practice field
    Out and Back
    COT

    Moleskin

    YHC learned a few new things today. #1 Gumbo is a BEAST on the blocking sled, #2 Wilson is a serious risk taker, #3 the wildlife simply is not impressed with our effort.

    The Circle Burp was as brutal as YHC expected although Jville tried to convince me was had taken an accidental short cut. After a quick double check we were all clear and the mission was complete.

    Gumbo’s extra credit run was an impressive way to start the morning, but still not as impressive as his tenacity hitting the blocking sled. All you high school football heroes need to give it a try next week.

    You don’t have to live on the south side to attend.

    Great work men!

  • VA/KY Mountains, Midnight, 20 mi Climb, TYA says “Let’s Go Brother”

    1 PAX was present at the Pound Gap aid station at 10:00pm Saturday for his next leg on the Cloudsplitter 100 miler. This is more or less what transpired (probably less since TYA had the Q, and YHC was barely lucid at the time).

    YHC had a tough leg immediately prior. Suffice to say, GI issues led to a PAX who was low on energy and enthusiasm – particularly at the thought of having to venture back up a mountain at 10pm for what was estimated to be a 6 hour out-and-back. TYA recognized the state of the PAX and quickly swapped-out his jeans and sweatshirt for running gear and a headlamp. After setting up YHC with needed provisions and lighting (Tron Lives!), TYA slapped on his pacer-bib and said “Let’s go brother.”

    Anyway, having only vague recollections of what occurred, this is YHC’s best attempt at listing what he experienced and observed over that 20 mile nighttime run with countless feet of elevation change:

    The Tron vest received as many compliments from other runners as it did during the BRR. YHC heard some runner say “looks like Christmas is coming” in which YHC responded with a hearty(?) “Ho-Ho-Ho” (no, I wasn’t feeling very jolly at the time). At one point (or actually 2+), in response to an emergency situation, YHC had to pull a Stiffler’s-Mom, aka what Fudd had to do during the BRR. While headlamps were briefly turned off, Tron-vest was left in full glow (I trust Fudd would be proud). During one of those instances, TYA called out “dude, there’s another runner coming”….Given the emergency situation YHC cared little of that, but he respected TYA’s position as the Q and desire to maintain some level of decorum on the trail – so YHC sped up his efforts before said runner arrived.

    When we arrived at the aid-station mid-way through the leg, TYA insisted the PAX take ample time for proper nourishment and hydration…simply put, the guy was on-top-of-it – as usual. It was at this time that YHC slowly began to improve. Making certain we were fully stocked for the return trip, we left the aid-station with campfire and tiki-lights glowing (ask TYA), and headed back into the gloom. As YHC was beginning feel his energy return, he felt compelled to point out to TYA the various places he had pulled a Stiffler’s mom during his prior leg. Observing TYA’s apparent disinterest on the topic, YHC dropped the subject and focused on following TYA who set the pace…and when I say pace, I mean TYA was THE pace setter…while I could barely keep up with him on the trip-out, the time and attention he gave at the aid-station really turned it around for me – which showed as he continued to challenge me on the way back. Throughout our return I also observed how TYA would say words of encouragement to other runners coming from the opposite direction (these were runners who were just getting started on their out-and-back). If I were to encapsulate it right there, the man is an inspiration to others. He jumped into a 20 mile midnight mountain run on a moments notice and made it look like a walk in the park…Respect.

    Although this is a back-blast to acknowledge TYA’s outstanding Q, YHC would like to offer some other observations and FAQ’s gleaned from the remaining race:
    – Yes trail shoes are a good idea, that is why they call them trail shoes. Had YHC used them perhaps that sharp rock would not have pierced the sole of his running shoe
    – Is it possible to nod-off while you are running?…absolutely
    – Give me the steepest up hill climb you got, over a steep downhill – covered in sharp rocks
    – Unexpected things happen while running, including getting stung by a bee. It does, however, take one’s mind off of other aches and pains.
    – When running through the woods alone in the dark, don’t worry about the wildlife…pay attention to where you are going and where you’ve been, and don’t panic if the trail markers suddenly all disappear (having been removed by a disgruntled land-owner).
    – Pack plenty of TP, or at least know your plant-life (i.e. the poisonous from non-poisonous variety)

    Lastly, yes in F3 we often say it is “you against you”, but it’s that 2nd F is that most powerful lynch-pin that gets you through it all.

    Saab out

     

  • A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

    Would you be my, wont you be my, wont you be my pax….3 regulars and a Kotters to Mr. Rogers for Tomato Run this morning:

    The pax once again decided to stick together this morning, although the speedsters (Helix and Anchovy) were given the go-ahead if they felt the need for speed.  We wandered around King’s Charter whimsically, coming back to the VSF at exactly 4.5 miles.  Discussion varied, covering topics such as Shane’s Shuffle (which would be a great F3 event, had it not fallen on convergence day), Mr. Roger’s petri dish son and various colds, and how to run fast.  Anchovy let YHC know that if you want to run 8 minute miles, you should run 7 minute miles….which would make running 8 minute miles easier.  Thanks, bro.

    Running with 4-6 guys has been great.  While YHC would love to see the pax grow, he has really been digging these last few weeks of smaller numbers and keeping the “bro code” that the Rutland group has brought over.  Also, great to catch up with you again, Mr. Rogers!  Thanks for the company this morning, gentlemen.

     

    Lab Rat out

  • Mud? What Mud?

    Two rugged maniacs escaped the sack for a Saturday morning beatdown.  Here’s how it went down.

    COP

    • Mosey around waiting area
    • Don Quixote Abe Vigoda style
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Lunges
    • Copperhead Squats

    Mosey 5 kilometers through mud, muck, and mire.  Navigate over, under, through 25 obstacles of varying difficulty testing the PAX’s strength, agility, balance, grit and determination.

    MOLESKIN

    In true F3 style, the PAX arrived in the early morning gloom to a nearly empty parking lot.  YHC arrived at 0815 to secure the perimeter for a scheduled 1000 beatdown, only to have the remaining PAX arrive just a few minutes later.   Prior to this beatdown YHC had never competed in any sort of organized race before and thought perhaps the Rugged Maniac would be a fun first post.  It was indeed fun, but more challenging and humbling than expected.  Running through 3 plus miles of ankle deep mud is exhausting.  While it was still a you vs. you workout, YHC was proud to wear that F3 logo on his chest and felt compelled to represent the F3 Nation well while showing some of the other groups exactly what F3 is all about.  YHC was grateful to have Flipper alongside to push him the entire way.  Flipper’s effort out there was second to none.  Despite a number of scratches and abrasions, a Goldberg, and a deep thigh contusion, the PAX muscled through and crossed the finish line together as one strong with a finishing time just over 51 minutes.  Special thanks to Mrs. Flipper and Flip Dog Jr. for coming out to support the PAX in this CSAUP adventure.

    Finished the day with a little 2nd F and some refreshments.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Bear Creek 10 miler 12/4 – join Lab Rat and others

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