Category: Richmond, VA

  • Where’s my scuba gear when I need it

    7 faithful men showed up in the heavy rain to post at the first DaVille workout of 2017. Life jackets were handed out and the PAX got to work:

    Warm-up

    Parking lot Tracers (in honor of LabRat)

    COP

    • SSH x 25 IC
    • Imperial Walkers x 20 IC
    • LBC’s x 20 IC
    • Crab Cakes x 15 IC
    • LBFC’s x 10 IC
    • Arm Circles x 10 Small / 5 Big Reverso

    Triple Check

    Donkey Kicks
    LBC’s
    Run across the parking lot and back
    3 Sets each

    The Beast (Parking lot style)

    PAX choice of 6 exercises. Exercises completed:

    • Burpees (Emoji’s Choice)
    • Jump Squats (Sugar Baby’s Choice)
    • 2 count America Hammers (Toga’s Choice)
    • Diamond Merkins (Helix’s Choice)
    • Squats (Mud Face’s Choice)
    • SSH’s (Wheelie Choice)
    • Bonus Round – LBC’s (Spit’s Choice)

    Mosey to the Flag

    Ring of Fire

    Numberama/Namorama

    Emoji took us out

    Moleskin

    LabRat had the Q this morning but feel victim to the Punisher chills (The Carpenter got it as well) and ask on the FB chat if anyone could Q. YHC allows other first to speak up but after no takers, a plan was put into place. (Toga felt the chills was a lame excuse)

    The PAX showed up to the rain slowing down thinking we maybe able to get by with out being poured on, mother nature has different plans. By the time the beast had begun the heavens had opened up!

    Mumble Chatter was mainly about LabRat being a no show, how heavy the rain was getting, and also an update on Emoji M.

    The PAX was truly a PAX today. Members would complete their exercises during the beast and immediately turn around a complete with the other PAX members still working. YHC was very excited to see this.

    Announcements

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • Rainy Rope-a-dope

    A 43 degree heavy rain could not keep 6 of the faithful at NoToll in the fartsack this morning.  A fine example of the draw of F3, you just know someone else will be there with you to share in the delight of whatever the gloom decides to throw at you.

    Mosey to the soccer pavilion for COP –

    25xSSH, 20xIW, 10xHand Release Merkins, 20xFlutter Kicks

    Grab a bench for a couple rounds of fun.

    10x Single Leg Squats on the bench – Bear Crawl to next bench CCW, 20xDerkins – BC to next bench, 30xDips – BC to next bench, 40x LBC  Complete 2 rounds to balance out the single leg squats.

    Mosey to the parking lot for a Pyramid of Fun.

    Complete 2/3/4 – Burpees/Imperial Squat Walkers/Box Cutters at first corner, run to next and complete 4/6/8, next corner 6/9/12, next corner 8/12/16, back to the start for 10/15/20.  Plank for the 6. Mosey to the middle of the parking lot for the top of the pyramid 20/30/40.  Lap around the parking lot together.

    Sprint from the end of the lot to the gate, pause for the 6, under the gate, Sprint to the basketball courts.

    Partner Suicides.  P1 – Suicide, P2 – LBCs  Round 2 P2 – Merkins

    Mary – Dollies x20, Freddie Mercury x15, LBCx25

    COT and YHC took us out.

    NMM

    The rain was pounding this morning when the alarm went off and YHC was wondering just how many PAX would show for a second cool rainy morning in a row.  The PAX stayed in their vehicles until right before 0530 just to stay dry for a little longer.  YHC threw a little rope-a-dope at the PAX by heading straight to the pavilion for COP and the first round of exercises.  Singer wondered whether this was where we would stay, ala Gumbo at RiverRun, but YHC wouldn’t divulge the plan (mainly since it was mostly on the fly).  It was even enough for DK to briefly shed his raincoat.  TYA said it is best to just get it over with and drop the PAX into the cold/wet early when it comes to rainy days but YHC had another idea.  Let them warm up and then introduce the rain.  The rain picked up again just in time for the Pyramid.  DK had a little trouble with the math and the geometry but what else do you expect from a private school education.  Build the base first, 4 sides.  Gumbo and Flipper noted their body types are built for the base, not the top of the pyramid.  The top was a lot of work and everyone crushed it.  There was not a spot without a deep puddle for the 4th round so the PAX soaked up some of the water headed for the fields.  Tclaps to Wheelbarrow for posting the last 2 days in the wet gloom to start the year, great job, that is not easy.

    Announcements:

    CSAUP January 21.  Long Range forecast was pondered…

    3rd F option of a dinner at the Doorways was opened up to gauge interest and support.

    HoneyDo posted some 2017 goals in his BB from yesterday and some of the PAX followed suit.  Feel free to post your own for accountability.   Reminder Toga is like Charles Barkley, he is bald and is not a role model.

    I hope everyone has dried off and has a great day.  See you in the gloom.

    Rosie

  • One for the thumb!

    7 intrepid men showed in various types and layers in the hope of shielding themselves from a very cold and rainy run.  This is what transpired.

    As a extension to the “four finger” route introduced a few weeks ago, YHC wanted to add another digit.  Thus we added Boatright Drive to the mix making it a full-fisted route of hill-work (effectively 5 out and back routes – all of which extended to Three Chopt).  In the interest of squeezing in the fifth finger, YHC had those in the front who first reached the top of each hill (Three Chopt), run back and scoop up all remaining runners who would then all turn around.  This kept the PAX reasonably together while ensuring everyone had time to traverse most or all of each leg.

    Regarding the weather, one can guess how nasty it was to run in cold, saturating rain.  YHC personally felt miserable and did not have a dry piece of clothing or skin by the conclusion of the run. (There is a significant difference between a “wind” and “rain” jacket as Saab and Swirly quickly learned.)  Marv appeared to have the all-weather gear from head to toe, while BT opted-out for the ninja look and instead chose to express himself in rainbow colors (not quite LTBT however).

    Although it may be fleeting, YHC felt better physically than he has in a long time.  I really appreciate everyone of you gents for coming out in such miserable weather.  Once through it, it made for a great start to my day.

    Note:  On my run home, not a sign of Seal Team in the parking lot nor anywhere on the grounds….just sayin’

    Saab abides

  • Starting 2017 off right

    A feisty fourteen (including 1 FNG) said no to the fartsack, yes to the rainy gloom at Punisher to get our year started off right.  Some LBCs were offered up to the PAX in the January challenge but got oh so much more Ab work

    COP –  SSH, Merkins, Imperial Walkers, LBCs, Arm Circle

    THE THANG – Triple Check –  Plerkins & Running.  3 sets. 100 LBCs oyo.

    Mosey to basketball court.  Partner up, Wheelbarrow width of court with 10 Derkins at end.  Each partner goes.  Repeato.

    Four Corners – 5 Burpees, then 10 Merkins. Finish with 50 LBCs.Mosey to front of school for:

    Honeydo’s Favorite Things–  Donkey Kicks, Bear Crawls, and then do some running. 10 Donkey kicks, bear crawl 20 yards, run to street and back.  Increase Donkey kicks by 10.

    Partner Leg Toss –  3 Sets of 25 each man.  Then mosey to space in front of street for Burpee Shuffle modified.  PAX calls out number 1-3, cannot repeat previous number.

    COT & Lab Rat took us out.

    NMS –   Color YHC impressed, 14 on a cold rainy morning!  Looks like the PAX was itching to get the first beatdown of 2017 in the books. And we got after it.  Toga started off the mumblechatter with the query of what theme of the day was, alas this was a 100% on the fly Q. Good to have Lab Rat back in the gloom in RVA.

    The Plerkins Triple check is the perfect trifecta of exercises for Triple Check.  No slacking off on the peoples chair or flutterkicks.  Elbow Plank with someone’s feet on your back is never easy, and neither Derkins.

    LBC count for the day was 190.  YHC wanted to get some PLTs instead.

    Good to see Spit and The Carpenter out at Punisher, although Spit started off the Burpee shuffle with a 4 count Burpee call out. This lead Upchuck into the best Monty Python YHC can remember in the gloom.  In fact we should consider calling the 1-2-3 Burpee Shuffle the Holy Hand grenade of Antioch shuffle.

    Nice work from Statomatic, posting in the rain in January for your first time is legit.  What a pleasure to lead this motivated PAX this AM.  We got 2017 off to a strong start and know the RVA PAX will do even greater things in this new year.

    No talk of goals this AM but YHC will throw out his F3 goals, put your down in the BB so it is in writing:  Honeydo –  Post 180 x’s in 2017.  Q at least 40 times.  Aye!

  • Who Let the (Wild) Dogs Out?

    A PAX of four wild dogs (more on that later!) planted the shovel flag and ventured out into the pouring rain at Batteau on this sloppy and somewhat chilly morning. Here’s what I remember, with an assist from EF Hutton

    Mosey to COP on the tennis courts

    • SSH (x20 IC)
    • Don Quixote (x17 IC)
    • Arm Circles (x20 IC)
    • Merkins (x20 IC)
    • LBCs (x17 IC)

    THE VIRAL THANG:

    Mosey to bottom of the stone steps

    Perrito 1-2-3: One partner runs to up the three sets of steps (farmer’s market side) while partner performs exercise: Dips, Jump squats, Plank

    The Dog PAX (AKA The Peoples’ Blimp): Blimp down to the lake with individuals calling out exercises in a round-robin

    • Lunges
    • Three-legged Bear Crawl
    • Broad Jumps
    • Crab Walk
    • Duck Walk
    • Alligator Crawl
    • Backward Lunges

    Step ups at the picnic tables by the big rocks

    • 20 single step ups (OYO)
    • 17 “double” (top of table) step ups (OYO)

    THE EF HUTTON THANG: 

    Partner Carry back up THOIR

    • Partner Carry x2
    • Wheelbarrow x2
    • Broadjump Burpees

    Plankorama, then mosey to Stone House

    Partner Pee On a Tree x 5 Trees (3 Rounds)

    • Merkins
    • Monkey Humpers
    • Carolina Dry Docks

    Partner Dogleg Throws 2×25

    Mary (AKA The Doggy Bag)

    • Box Cutters (IC)
    • Alabama Prom Dates (IC)
    • Merkins (IC)

    COT, Name-a-rama, Number-rama and YHC took us out.

    MOLESKIN

    Wheelbarrow and EF Hutton were at the stone house and were rearing to go when Sippy Cup showed up right on time. Everyone was excited and ready to play in the rain, except of course for THE FERAL DOG LIVING IN THE WOODS  barking incessantly at the PAX.  EF Hutton said he saw a posted sign that said “rescue in progress.”

    ♫ Get back ruffy, get back scruffy. Get back you filthly flea-infested mongrel! ♫

    YHC didn’t see anyone actively attempting a rescue at 5:29AM on a rainy Monday in Forest Hill Park.  YHC didn’t get that close a look but the square-shaped head looked slightly boxer/pitbullish so YHC was only too happy to give the pooch a wide berth.

    While everyone did a great job, the MVP has to go to EF Hutton who partner-carried YHC’s sorry carcass up THOIR at an insane pace, zipping right by Sippy and Wheelbarrow.  As poet laureate Toby Keith once penned:

    EF Hutton might not be as good as he once was
    but EF Hutton is as good once as he ever was.

    While YHC is not exactly sure what is wrong with his foot, doctor’s say it is something called a “Morton’s Neuroma” and when acting up it feels like each step is stepping on a marble in your shoe.  Good times. After walking all over DC yesterday, YHC’s foot wasn’t feeling great and so YHC called EF Hutton while sitting in traffic on the way home last night to see if he could help split the Q. EF not planning to go but was obliging, though feeling rather salty as he was watching his Redskins implode before his eyes at that moment. Timing is everything.

    I also think the whole WILD DOG LIVING IN THE WOODS thing at Batteau has now officially joined it to Dogpile and WDog in the “Brotherhood of Canine-Themed Richmond AOs” if not in name, then in certainly in spirit.

    What a great job by this intrepid four! Special thanks to EF Hutton for helping share the load.  It was an honor to Q / 2!

    Woof woof woof-woof-woof!!

  • A bowl of F3 Black-eyed Peas for the New Year

    6 brave and determined souls heard the rain drops beating against the windows this morning and swallowed the red pill anyway, giving up the warmth and comfort of the fartsack to start this day and this year off right.  The gloom was warmer than normal for the season but the cold rain killed the warm temperature.  Here is what went down, more or less:

    Mosey to cover by the entrance to the elementary school for COP.

    COP:

    • SSHs x25 IC
    • Don Quixotes (Swirly style) x10 IC
    • Imperial Walkers x15 IC
    • Arm Circles (10 small and 5 large) IC forward then reverse
    • LBCs x25 IC
    • Flutter Kicks x20 IC
    • Merkins X10 IC

    The Black-eyed Pea:

    In the tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck, health and prosperity, YHC decided to serve up a bowl of black-eyed peas, F3 Style this morning.  The ingredients were:

    5 stations around a circle with the 6th PAX (the black-eyed pea) in the center, each station was:

    • Black-eyed Pea (and the timer for changing stations) = 25 LBCs (50 for the 5th round)
    • Station 1 – AMRAP Burpees
    • Station 2 – AMRAP Merkins (box cutters for rounds 3, 4, and 5)
    • Station 3 – AMRAP Monkey-humpers
    • Station 4 – AMRAP Invisible jump ropes (Freddy Mercurys for rounds 3,4, and 5)
    • Station 5 – AMRAP Squat jumps

    Once the Black-eyed Pea finishes the required LBCs he yells switch and everyone rotates with the Black-eyed Pea moving to Station 1 and Station 5 becoming the Black-eyed Pea.  Transition for rounds 1 and 2 were bear crawls.  Rounds 3 and 4 were lunges and Round 5 was crab-walk.

    Double-Triple Check

    2 3-man teams completed 6 rounds of the triple check.  Partner 1 grabbed a brick column and alternated rounds between BTTW, wall-planks and people’s chair.  Partner 2 AMRAP LBCs.  Partner 3 run in the rain around the bus loop.

    5 MOM:

    • APDs x 20 IC
    • Dolly x20 IC
    • Rosalita x20 IC
    • American Hammers x10 IC
    • LBCs x25 IC

    COT, Name-a-rama, Number-rama and YHC took us out

    The PAX worked hard this morning and got our fill of black-eyed peas, so hopefully that will bring good luck, health and prosperity to all of us in 2017… or maybe just soreness and tighter abs?  Either works.  Depending on LBC count during the triple-check, PAX members completed around 450 LBCs today – a good dent in the monthly challenge.

    Great to have Tonka out to check out River Run.  Hope you become a regular on Monday mornings.  Also, great to have Shawshank out to put in some work and remind us how much we all miss those college Winter breaks.  Enjoy it Shawshank!

    Way to work today men.  It was a pleasure to lead.

    No more Gumbo (or black-eyed peas) for you!

  • On pace for 7,621 miles in 2017

    4 stalwarts posted for a new years morning run.  Weather was 40 and sunny to start.

    The Thang:

    Long run was northbank to buttermilk and back, using the new bridge crossing.  Short run was northbankt to parking lot and back.

    NMM

    Despite all the prediction, TYA was not flying solo this morning.  I pulled into the parking lot to one car (not and F3 PAX).  Shortly thereafter, Offshore pulled into the parking lot, followed by Saab and Flipper.  Great to see everyone out there this morning on the first day of the year.  TYA and Saab opted for the long run and Offshore and Flipper headed back after the northbankt so they could make church (at least for Offshore).  Great to hear Flipper tell the story of his first posting at the trail run, thinking it was going to be a 2-3 mile jaunt and finding out it was a 7+ mile run…ooops.

    Since I got my new watch and have all kinds of advanced metrics, I have been getting more and more into the running metrics – as a lot of runners seem to be.  So, in that spirit, when Saab and I finished our 7.25 mile run at 8:20 this am, I decided to see what kind of yearly pace we were on.  So, if we continue the pace and put in 7.25 every 8 hours and 20 minutes of the year, we will cover over 7,500 miles (almost 2.5 times back and forth across the country).  Should be a piece cake.

    Great to run with Saab this AM and have some time to chat along the way.

    See you guys out there later in the year

  • You Can Learn Alot From Mariah

    Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won’t make us happier.”
    ― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

    A pax of one paid the price of a lactic acid party to greet the new year.

    COP:  3 mile run with the M.  Mosey to NBHS football field for a date with the Giant Ass Tire.

    100 Yard Tire Flip – Complete the following circuit until the Giant Ass Tire has been flipped end over end 100 yards, from one end zone to the other.  5 tire flips, run to opposite end zone, 10 merkins, 15 Thor Sit-Ups (combo WWII sit-up, American Hammer), 20 squats.

    100 Yard Burpee ladder – Start at one end zone and run to the 10 yard line and complete 1 burpee.  Back to the goal line and on to the 20 yard line for 2 burpees.  Back to the goal line and on to the 30 yard line for 3 burpees.  Etc. till completion of 10 burpees at the opposing goal line.

    Run Out The Clock – Do the following exercises until across the field until the other side is reaching.  10 lunges, 10 In Cadence Flutter Kicks.

    Numberama, namerama and Hardywood lead us out.

    Moleskin:  This sucks to do by yourself.  However, YHC was determined to do this workout and do it the right way. After watching Mariah Carey bomb her New Years performance, YHC took this as a lesson.  If you plan on faking it, you are better off just not showing up. Nothing good comes to those who mail it in. Also, a flesh colored unitard looks good on no one.

    Be super.

    Hardywood

  • Raised In The Lion’s Den

    “Decide what to be, and go be it.” The Avett Brothers

    A pax of 1 rose to the call of action for a sacrifical beatdown of gratitude for the year 2016.

    The thang

    COP: 4 mile run with the M.

    The Beast:  Exercises were Sippy Cup Merkins, squats, burpees, heels to Rosalita, Texas Hammer, Sippy Cup Merkins.  Starting at one end of the New Boston High School football field run to the 25, 50, 75, goal line, 75, 50, 25 yard lines (all the way down and all the way back).  At each yard marker perform six of the perscribed exercise over the course of 6 exercises.

    Cinco es Bueno:  5 rounds doing 5 reps of each of the following 5 exercises; flipping a giant ass tire, box jumps on the giant ass tire, dips on the giant ass tire, decline merkin on the giant ass tire, burpees and a short run.

    Homage to Swirly: On each of the 18 steps in the NBHS bleachers complete ascending incline merkins.  On row 1 complete 1 incline merkin, row 2 complete 2 incline merkins, etc to row 18 and 18 merkins.

    COT – Mosey to flagpole in front of school, namerama, numberama, Hardywood lead us out.

    Moleskin:

    Remember the scene in Castaway where Tom Hanks finally starts talking to himself with no one around but a volleyball?  It’s getting to that point for YHC.  YHC is calling out reps, shouting encouragement and making all kinds of weird breathing noises.  YHC is ready to be back in the friendly biosphere of the RVA mothership.

    “Raised In The Lion’s Den” is a line a Grateful Dead song, Minglewood Blues.  The flag pole at NBHS is surrounded by Lion statues, as that is their school mascot.  It seemed appropriate at the time.

    News:

    Seriously, start getting ready for the January 21st CSAUP.  See Swirly for details.  Those who can afford a day off on Monday to recover should schedule one.

    Be super.

    Hardywood

     

     

  • Pre-blast: Trail Run Monday morning Jan. 2nd

    With school in session for the kids and a day off from work for some there will be a trail run heading off from Pump House at 9:00 AM on Monday 1/2. Tell your M this is a required run for Belmonte if need be.

    All are welcome to join.