Category: Richmond, VA

  • The Granite Games

    6 Veterans gathered for a brisk and windy Batteau beatdown.  Here’s how things went down, more or less.

    COP

    20x SSH, 10x Merkins, Arm circles one-legged, Burpees (5x).

    Mosey to the rock pile, where each Pax chose a slab of granite.

    Mosey to tennis courts for partner rock planks/suicides.  One partner planks with rock on back while other partner runs 25, 50, 75, 100 suicides on the courts.  Alternate. Elbow planks first and then regular planks.

    Mosey with rock to lighted grassy area next to tennis courts for some Highland games.  Exercises with the rocks included: Squat presses (10x), Overhead slams (20x), Underhand tosses (20x), Crossover merkins alternating hands on rock and ground(20x), Rock burpees (10x).

    Mosey with rock to the stone pit.  One partner box jumps while other partner runs with rock up 2 sets of staircases. Switch roles.

    Mosey with rock to the paved downhill.  Zobmbie walk with rock down hill.  Alligator crawl and crippled bear (one-leg up) back to starting spot (without rocks). Mosey back to bottom.  Crab walk back up with rock on stomach back followed by walking with rock overhead.

    Mosey with rock back to stone pit for a Box Jump/Merkin ladder (without rocks).  1-7x.

    Mosey with rock back to the tennis court grassy area.  For 10x overhead slams, 20x crossover merkins, 15x goblet squats in cadence, and 10x woodchoppers (5 each arm).

    Mosey back to tennis court for one more round of partner elbow rock planks/suicides.

    Return rock to its resting place and mosey back to flag.

    COT

    YHC took us out.

    Moleskin.

    Random thoughts:  One key to making this a good workout is the goldilocks principle—get a rock that is just right.  As we were selecting rocks, YHC’s initial rock was too heavy, and looking around for someone stronger, he traded with Swirly—a good decision as Swirly’s original rock was just right for him.  Swirly looked pretty smoked, so I think the trade was a good one for both of us.    YHC also gained a new appreciation for those with taller frames and correspondingly more weight to carry around.

    Exercise notes:  As far as exercises go, we could have handled a larger # on the slams and tosses, but the burpees and crossover pushups were just right (for YHC at least). In the future we should bring some more rocks up to our makeshift pile to give folks more options.  Rock plank suicides are a good way to push each other towards good plank form and fast suicides!  The crippled bear was a crowd pleaser and will make an appearance on YHC’s next Q for sure.

    Rocks vs. kettlebells, a comparison:  Rocks–free, sharp edges, awkward angles, and of unknown mass, unpredictable. Kettlebells–expensive, convenient handles, smooth curvy surfaces, of known mass.  I thinks it’s obvious which is the manly way to go.

    Noted:  YHC at last found a Merkin version that smoked Swirly (and the rest of the pax).  The rock crossover merkins were really brutal as they lie somewhere between a one handed and regular merkin.  Flipper is a crab walk beast and motored up the hill even with the rock on his belly.  Wheelbarrow lived up to his namesake and motored up too.  EF Hutton tossed his rock high into the trees on more than one occasion with the underhanded tosses.  Wedding Singer was efficient this morning and was typically the first done with the tosses.  Flipper wandered around the AO looking for us and got a good run in before finding us by courts–wheelbarrow joined us soon afterwards. And where is Hardywood lately? All showed good form on the planks today too.   Great job, men.

  • Only one frozen bird and a lost nut…

    10 enthusiastic gentlemen presented themselves for morning calisthenics and a jaunty shuffle around Linwood Elementary…This is what transpired:

    COP:  SSH, Arm Circles (big ones only!), DQ’s, Merkins, LBC’s

    Doras:  Flutter kicks (100), Rosalitas (200), LBC (300).  Partner runs to end of b-ball court and back.

    11’s:  Derkins (off picnic bench) and Burpees. Run to/from bench to wall in between.  B-to-wall when done.

    Lindsays:  Dips off bench (35 to start…descend by 5), WWII’s (5 to start…ascend by 5).  Run across b-ball court in between.

    Polar bear crawl:  (a quickie) Complete 10 merkins once done.  Back to flag

    NMS:

    YHC’s (selfish) approach to cold weather is to maintain as much continued movement as possible.  In the hope this was achieved at some level, he was impressed how well everyone performed.  Not too much mumble chatter heard aside from the soothing din of Lab Rat conversing through the Lindsays, and BT and Toga discussing sports-team stuff…about which Saab had nothing to contribute.  The wind this morning kept us moving and was a continuous reminder not to be downwind from Fudd during an unannounced release.  YHC also enjoys Toga’s continued critique of said-person’s form and follow-through – particularly on any exercise that is named after a global conflict.  Application of Burpees in the 11’s was partially inspired by Toga’s beatdown last week…although not a complete payback, hopefully it placed a dent in Toga’s light fluffy shell.

    It was great to have the folks from the North (Lab Rat and Opus) make the trip.  YHC now has to return the favor now that he has his DaVille shirt.

    Announcements:  HDHH this week, and looking forward to CSAUP next month (along with an LBC challenge perhaps), BT has a new (retro) ride, and Toga is missing a nut (please contact him if you stumble upon it)

    Saab abides

     

     

  • Tacky Light Tour…ERR…Audible

    5 stalwarts escaped the warm fartsack and arrived at Bettie Weaver Elementary School for the penultimate River Run of 2016.  Given the holiday week and YHC’s recent bout with chest cold, YHC planned an easy 3-mile mosey tacky light tour through Tarrington with some decoration-inspired workouts (i.e., 5 burpees for ever inflatable, 10 merkins for each tree/bush with lights, etc.) and some group exercises at the 3 or 4 roundabouts along the rout..  Well, YHC jumped out of the sack early this morning to drive the route and see how this was going to go down….no lights, no inflatables to be found.  Either timers were doing their job or Tarrington folks are not in the spirit…CRAP…OMAHA, OMAHA…Check…Check…Audible…so, instead, River Run 12/19/16 went something like this:

    Mosey to the courts at the back of the school for COP:

    • SSHs x25 IC
    • DQ, super slow-mo, x10 IC
    • Imperial Walkers x20 IC
    • Copperhead Squats x20 IC
    • LBCx x25 IC
    • Flutter Kicks x25 IC
    • Merkins x10 IC

    Mosey to the bus loop and partner up for Dora – 100 Merkins, 200 Box Cutters, 300 Jump Squats while partner runs the bus loop.

    Mosey to the baseball dugout for Triple Nickel – 5 Donkey Kicks on the dugout wall, run to the hill, bear crawl up the hill, perform 5 monkey-humpers at the top of the hill, run back to the dugout and repeat x5

    Mosey to the track/football field for a quick triple check – BTTW, Freddy Mercuries, Lap around the track.  Two rounds. For the second round, run was 100-yard dash and back instead of a full lap.

    Mosey back to the flag for COT number-rama, name-a-rama, and YHC took us out.

    Strong work this morning gentlemen.  It turns out that there is no fast way to complete 200 box cutters…YIKES.  Many thanks to Rosie for pulling the laboring oar on the Dora’s this morning as YHC is building back stamina after almost 2 weeks down.

    Great to have Honeymoon join the crew at River Run. We look forward to you being a regular on Mondays.

    Have a great day men.

    No more Gumbo for you!

  • How Soon After a Vasectomy is it Safe to Run?

    4 Richmond regulars gathered in the breaking gloom for ….but wait, who’s that?!  Obama coming in hot makes 5!  Now it’s a party:

    The route du jour had us running Buttermilk to the new T. Potter bridge, figuring out how to get down to it, then continuing downstream to the pipeline trail.  Climb the ladder to the canal walk back to Brown’s Island, then North Bank back home.  Splitting the uprights on the  two GPS watches in tow put us covering 8.5 miles.

    Lab Rat was very excited to try out this route today, since he finally discovered where to pick up pipeline trail off Brown’s Island.  For the reading population unfamiliar with said trail, it is actually a pipe with a cat walk on it that extends over the rapids of the James…pretty freaky honestly.  Lab Rat asked TYA if he was claustrophobic before getting on the pipe, and he said no.  He immediately changed his answer afterwards.

    Although bummed that Saab and Offshore made an early day of it, Lab Rat was happy to chat up Obama and get to know him better.  Obama is a solid dude, and YHC would have zero problems sharing a run with him any time.  Luckily for Lab Rat, Obama is recovering from a vasectomy, so he could actually keep up with the usually much faster Obama.  Other fun facts were learned that have no business being in print (ever), so inquiring minds will have to get their butts out to the trail some time if they want all the gory details.

    Afterwards, TYA and Lab Rat solved a couple major world issues over muffins and all you can eat bacon, so you’re welcome.

     

    Lab Rat out.

  • MAN-O-Rama Day/HDHH

    Alright gents it’s that time of the month for some second F-in.  We will meet at Triple Crossing Brewery at 530PM.  Location is 113 S. Foushee St Richmond 23220.  See yall there!!!

     

     

  • Fill in the blank

    A PAX 5 strong ignored sub-freezing temperatures to post for this morning’s GridIron workout.  Approaching the shortest day of the year, light was dim immediately prior to our 7 AM start.  We planted the ShovelFlag and went at it like so:

    Startup COP on the main football field with 5 Burpees, 25 x SSHs, 20 x Imaginary Jumpropes, 20 x Imperial Walkers, 20 x Hillbillies, 20 x Don Quixotes, and 15 x Arm Circles (big and small, forward and reverse).

    Mosey to the sand volleyball court.  Bear Crawl down one side, Zombie Walk the end line, Crab Walk the opposite side, and Side Skip back to the start.  Rinse and repeat.

    Jog to the less-fancy football field for 4 corners including 15 x Plank Jacks, 20 x Carolina Dry Docks, 25 x Alabama Prom Dates, and 30 x Flutter Kicks (two count).  Repeat, adding 5 to each exercise.  Repeat again, adding 5 again.

    Head around back to the baseball field outfield.  Starting at one end of the outfield fence, head out two posts and complete 10 Merkins, go two more posts and complete 10 Squats, move two more and complete 25 LBCs.  Repeat cycle until we reach the opposite end of the outfield fence.  Turn around and complete a similar cycle, but with 10 Wide Grip Merkins, 10 Curtsy Lunges (single count), and 20 Box Cutters.

    Stroll to Pullup Bars for 5 Pullups and head to bleachers for 10 Hyperextensions.  Return to parking lot for 10 Hyperextensions at picnic table.  COT with Earthworm taking us out.

    Moleskin –  Johnsonville doesn’t disappoint with his aerial Hillbillies.  Most PAX hate Crab Walks.  Repeated Box Cutters result in groans.  YHC planned more rounds of Pullups, but we ran out of time.  Coffeeteria at Einstein Brothers was good.  YHC heard Attila had planned to Q, but the Q signup sheet had been blank as of a couple of days ago – sorry Attila – bring the pain next week!

    Announcements – Third F breakfast event on Thursday mornings – Rise and Shine Diner near Atlee.  Hump Day Happy Hour this week (Second F) – at Triple Crossing Brewery on Foushee Street in Downtown Richmond.

     

     

  • Move 60

    12 regulars plus 2 LIFO’s came together with joy in their hearts to tackle another rendition of the best 60 minutes of any Saturday, affectionately known as Dogpile.  Here is how we move 60, the F3 way:

    Warmup:

    -1 mile jog. AKA, Dodge BoBo

    COP

    • SSH
    • Ball Dippers
    • Don Quixote
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Arm Circles
    • Merkins
    • LBC
    • Crab Cakes

    THANG

    • “8 is enough was already taken, but 11’s is ridiculous, so 8 seems like about the right number”:  11’s reduced to 8’s, pullups and booya merkins with a partner.
    • F3 Relay Race:  pick teams of 7, relay race performing some F3 favorites.  Course was bear crawl to first cone, do 10 merkins (Sippy Cup style).  Run backwards to 2nd cone, 10 2-count crab cakes (opt out 4-count flutter kicks).  Crab Walk to 3rd cone, sprint back.  Winning team members got to choose ab exercises to perform rapid style.  Also, winning team had the option of watching losing team perform said exercises, but they joined in the fun anyways.  Seriously though, who could stay away from Offshore calling “Upright Alabama Prom Dates”?
    • Ring of Fire: Speed thru a round of ring of fire while cones were collected from relay race.

    NMS

    Lab Rat didnt want to hear complaints about the cold this morning, even though it wasnt nearly as cold as the morning previous.  So the plan was to keep moving a majority of the time to keep the blood pumping.  He also had been missing the pre-workout jog around the AO from the run-a-mile challenge, so decided that would be a perfect way to kick things off.  Had Lab Rat known that Bobo would be waiting for us at the bottom of the hill, he may have picked a different route.  To keep the pax together, once somebody got to running beside the Q for a minute, they were sent to collect the six.  This seemed to work perfectly, only to find out that later at breakfast, the Q had inadvertantly snubbed Saab, who was trying to provide Lab Rat with mumblechatter.  Whoopsies!  Lab Rat promises to be all ears tomorrow during trail run.  The pax was excited to see Upchuck coming from Carillon to find us as we neared the end of the loop.

    As soon as we had circled up, another surprise LIFO was Hardywood, who fell asleep  before setting the alarm last night.  He made the correct decision to take a little abuse for being LIFO instead of regretting missing all together.  AYE!  Being that the pax was now complete, we could actually get some work done.  YHC tried to keep the exercises moving at a pretty good clip without taking too much time in between.  Several pax members broke out into song during the 2nd half of COP, which the Q encouraged to keep going, especially during the double time Imperial Walkers (hard to do).

    Hardywood had us do 11’s a few weeks ago (heck, could have been last week) at Rusty Cage with pullups and Booyah merkins.  YHC thought those two made a glorious combination of struggle and pain, but decided 8’s were a little less of an insane number.  YHC got to partner with Sippy Cup, who is guaranteed to make his partner either practice great form or self loathing.  Lab Rat took the former, and it dang near killed him.  Lately, the rusty cage is veiled in pitch black, so YHC cannot comment on anybody else, however much grunting and groaning was to be heard, so he is sure good work was performed.

    The relay race was a little tough to get going due to excessive instructions and a lack of a dry erase board.  When the pax saw the cones, nervous mumblechatter concerning “Bronson” was heard, and sighs of relief woke the neighbors when the Q gave the negative.  Besides the slow start, YHC believes it was a success.  YHC picked the “Chiropractic Duo” as captains so that they were assured to be on different teams.  We wouldnt want them putting their spines together and forming of some weird Wonder Twins stuff to give an unfair advantage.  They both showed extremely poor judgement by picking Lab Rat last, however (hello middle school, I missed you).  Pax members left it all on the field for their team, and it showed, as team Flash barely nudged out Team Flip.  Helix almost ran down Offshore in the end, though.  It pays to be a winner, so Team Flash got to call out what were supposed to be rapid fire ab exercises, which was going fine until we got to Upchuck and his 5 minutes of 6 inches.  Offshore brought the house down with his signature “Upright Alabama Prom dates”.

    2nd F was in full form today, with most pax members filling up ET’s.  Thanks for the hard work this morning, gentlemen!

    Lab Rat out.

     

    Announcements:

    -HDHH at Triple Crossing on Foushee Street this Wednesday.  This is the original, not the new one.

    -Short and long trail runs on the docket in the morning.  Come out and join the fun.

  • Old School in the teens.

    13 fearless tackled RAMM in the gloom and here is how it went dow.

    Old School route : 4 Milers Grove – Malvern – Three Chopt – back to Mary Mumford – 5 milers – Grove to Roseneath – Three Chopt – back to Mary Mumford – 6 milers – Grove to Boulvard – three chopt – back to Mary Mumford.

    First off : Most everyone stayed in their warm vehicles until 5:27 this morning. Props to Honeydo, Saab, and Swirly for rocking the shorts – beast mode baby – what the heck were y’all thinking ?

    16, 17, 18, 19 degrees – whatever it was cold out there dudes – great job to the pax for taking on old school this morning… Saab was freaken on fire running like a man on a mission he ran 6 and passed everyone that did the 4, 5 routes – dude way to crush it.. Shout out to Bleeder and No Tools for walking 2.5 in that weather – way to stick with that rehab Bleeder.. Sippy had a great run but his eye teared up and about froze shut on him – way to battle through Sip… What a beautiful cold morning for a run – way to push it fella’s …

    There is sure to be some colder Friday runs coming our way – let’s see who sticks with the shorts… Everyone jumped in the car after ball of man – and yelled out – see y’all in the gloom.

    Man that was fun! See y’all in the gloom…..

  • The Best Laid Plans…

    15 PAX braved the cold this morning at the Creek to freeze and move some cinder blocks around

    COP
    • SSH
    • Imperial Walkers
    • Helicopters
    Run back to YHC’s truck for everyone to get their Christmas cinder blocks and mosey to the field
    The THANG
    WHAT DID I STEP IN?

    • Partner up
    • One partner does cinder block bear crawls across the field switching hands each quarter
    • Run back with block over head
    • Other partner does blockees until they get back

    WHAT DID I STEP IN? LET ME TAKE A LOOK

    • Polar bears across the field with a cinder block row every five steps
    • Run back with block over head
    • Partner does blockees until they get back

    DOWN THE RIVER

    •   Blocks are lined up with about a foot between
    • Merkins done down the line. Right hand on, both hands on, left hand on, deep merkin between blocks
    • Plank while waiting turn and when done

    GET UP SANTA’S HERE x10

    • Cinderblock Turkish get up one side
    • Put block on ground
    • 10 toe touches to top of block
    •  Cinderblock Turkish get up other side

    OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS x10

    • Partner leans over parallel to the ground
    • Other partner leap frogs over and then drops down and crawls through other partner’s legs

    Numberama
    Namearama
    The Carpenter took us out

    MOLESKIN

    YHC had an elaborate theme for today’s workout, which quickly dissolved as the thrown cinders blocks broke on the frozen ground. But after some serious modifications and making it up on the spot the PAX was able to start working.

    The Carpenter pointed out that there was one guy there today for every degree.

    Great effort was done by all. And it was an honor to Q for you guys this morning

    Announcements
    • 3RD F opportunity at the Rise and Shine Dinner at 6:30 on Thursday mornings
    • Pincher asks that we keep his sister in our prayers. She is past her due date and should give birth any day now

    Have a good one
    Mudface

  • 3rd F Tackles Love

    8 pax plus one 14 FNGs showed up for the second Q at The Shinning.  Being a 3rd F Q, the chatter was high, tardiness was present in force and the food flowed. #TheShining

    This is what transpired:

    COP

    Chatter and Fellowship as food orders were taken.

    Reading of James 1:26-27 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A26-27&version=NIV

    A Daily Prayer:

    • God, I offer myself again to you. You are in charge. I am your agent. Whatever you have in store for me, let me accept it and do with it as you would have me do. Your will be done, not mine. Please use me to be a help to another suffering sinner today.

    After the prayer we moved into our main workout which today was a Headliner.

    THANG

    Headliner of the day – Love is the Oxygen of our Body

    First we tackled the question is Love important?

    Second, we mosed over and tackled the question – how important is Love?

    Matthew 22:36-39 – see that same story from Matthew’s eyes. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A36-39&version=NIV

    Third, we discussed why is Love important?

     

    NMS

    We arrived at the newly named A/O – #TheShining (Rise and Shine Diner) with the weather as warm as it will be for a few days.  Chatter was high and able body men rolled in with casual observance of the time.  6:30 came and the chatter rose and food orders were taken by our gracious server.  10 minutes into the fellowship time YHC stood up let everyone know that he was not a pastor, or gone to seminary nor has he been an ordained, and that this is a you versus you bible study. You will get what you put into it and you can sit back in listen, participate or just tune us out and eat some grub.  YHC then continued with warming us spiritually with the reading of this week’s verse from Abacus’s Focus Prayer Book.  YHC then prayed to get things really started.

    Next the pax took on a “Headliner” workout.  A “Headliner” is a study on a subject, and this week’s subject is Love.  Other options we are exploring as we move into this new territory of bringing the 3rd F alive are:

    • Singlet – a study of a single verse
    • Carve Out – a study of a Biblical Passage
    • Spotlight – a study of a Biblical Character
    • Headline – a study on a subject
    • Tubing it – a video Bible Study
    • Worming it – a study of a book
    • Preschool – a devotional style study
    • Storytime – a study of a story from the Bible

    This headliner was broken in three sections and the pax stayed together as we opened the Good Book and read some truths.  After reading some truths to discover if love is important, thoughts were thrown back and forth. Emoji started getting deep early by factioding that God is Love.  After getting warmed up, the Pax opened up and participation skyrocketed. Atlas threw down a monstrous KaBOOM by sharing his experience that if he isn’t in the word he doesn’t truly know what love looks like. Elmer shared what all were thinking – That’s a wrap, because we just got feed in a big way at The Shining. Dan (FNG to be named) saw light bulbs go off on how this is abiding to God. Words were shared more Truth was revealed. Rocky shared some of his story and employed us not to keep our junk a secret. When we keep our junk a secret the Sad Clown reigns. Death to the Sad Clown!  YHC tied it up with the thought that Love is the oxygen that feeds the body and makes it possible for the arms to move and the whole body to work. When Love (God) / Oxygen (O) is breathed in, CO2 is breathed out and Christ touches those around us.

    Announcements:

    • F3 tomorrow AM at “The Creek” – New Highland Baptist church – Mud Face and Chewy have the Q
    • We are a go for “The Shinning” on 12/29
    • Tim S is recovery from knee surgery / Dennis (FNG to be named later) starts a new job on Monday / Dave (FNG to be named later) is moving and needs help / Nathan (a 11 yr old grandson of Postal has a bone infection
    • Focus Prayer Books orders are coming
    • Man-up Award: Fast Food – stepped up initiated  and organized many men to rack leaves of lawns for those needing help.  1 House was the goal – – 3 was accomplished! (JARLC)