Category: Richmond, VA

  • Pickleballers of the Gloom

    8 mighty pickeballers of the gloom (and one late-arriving FNG) gathered in perfect conditions for a bootcamp + pickleball beatdown. Everyone but Warby and I was operating on “lounge-time” and joined us at 5:32 after the beatdown had commenced. Here’s what happened:

    COP: stretch it out

    Four Corners: 10 merkins, 10 merkins + 20 Squats, 10 merkins + 20 Squats + 30 LBCs, 10 merkins + 20 Squats + 30 LBCs + 40 Mountain Climbers 2x. Run back through the corners, downwarn escalator from the top. BONUS corner at the end: 10 burpees

    Dora: 50 Hand release merkins, 100 WW2s, 150 SSHs. Partner run cross court and back.

    Pickleball: as the clock hit 6am the sky brightened with the sun, so we took to the courts. 50 minutes of play! FNG showed up at 6:20am so we folded him in. Welcome El Maestro!

    Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out.

    NMS: Gorgeous temps for such a fun morning, great to have such a good turnout. As the sun rises later, PB gets harder to fit in in the early mornings — so let’s make the most of it!!

  • These balls are getting bigger!

    The trio linked up this morning to show off how big our balls have gotten. Let’s just say the gains were undeniable. We’ve been putting in work and it shows. All three of us stood there proudly marveling at how far we’ve come. Even the silent lady we pass every day the one who’s never spoken a word of english might’ve let out a soft “Oh my…” as she shuffled by. This is how it all went down….

    Warmarama 

    • A bunch of OYO stretches and grunts. 

    Thang!

    11s 

    • Snatches with kettlebell
    • Atomic Merkins 
    • Travel with around a 45lb rock?
    • Extra credit for Beaver for handling the 53 pounder kettlebell! 

    Finished with 4 rounds of Ring Of Fire and a 1 mile victory lap! 

    Plenty of great chatter this morning and an equal amount of whining from YHC. Nearly tapped out before it started but glad I stuck it out. Would’ve missed a solid beatdown and even better company. Read something the other day that hit home. Stop obsessing over sleep. Truth is nothing clears the mind or recharges the body like a good ol’ fashioned beatdown. It’s way better than 8 hours of tossing and turning.

    Beaver took us out!

    Don’t waste the day!

  • Marcus Aurelius

    From time to time, I see these quotes from Marcus Aurelius. See COT below for more information.

    Friendly reminder: check your aliases in Big Data (Saltlick, Salt Lick)

    Mosey to corner Parking lot and give standard disclaimer

    • 20 SSHs
    • 10 Man-Maker Merkins
    • 15 Crunchy Frogs
    • Stretch: on the ground, right hand to right foot with left foot on right thigh and then Pfannkuchen

    Mosey to Asphalt playground

    • 20 IWs
    • 10 Diamond Merkins
    • 10 each side Suzanne Sommers
    • Stretch: Plank position, right foot to right hand and then Pfannkuchen

    Mosey to corner parking lot

    • 20 Squats
    • 10 Stagger Arm Merkins
    • 15 Dollies
    • Stretch: Stand up, left over right and touch the ground and then Pfannkuchen

    Mosey to asphalt playground

    • 10 Don Quixotes
    • 10 Stagger Arm Merkins
    • 15 Ukrainian Hammers
    • Stretch: Shoulder stretch each arm

    Line up on sidewalk to the asphalt playground for 11s

    • Mike Tyson & V-Ups

    To the grass playground in back; Count off by 3s. Rotate Clockwise.

    • 10 Get-ups at the swings, (lay on your back and then stand up without using your hands.)
    • 20 Hanging Knee-ups at pull-up bars,
    • 30 Dips at benches,

    To the wall for

    • 15 People’s chair airpress
    • 10 BTTW hip slaps in cadence
    • 3 burpees
    • 15 People’s chair Milkers
    • 10 BTTW Australian Mountain Climbers
    • 3 burpees
    • 15 People’s chair Lalanne
    • 10 BTTW Toe Taps
    • 4 burpees
    • 15 Donkey Kix

    On the patio in front of the wall for

    • 60 count 6-inch leg lift

    Time’s up!

    Announcements:

    August 12: 2nd Tuesday, 2nd F: Tres Machos off Cox Road: Verify with Slack on details Gomer Pyle

    August 16: The Bridge: Check with Upchuck, Bootleg for details or see Slack. Also on August 16, the Homegrown Half. See Slack

    COT:

    Prayer concerns: Roger Roger and wife, Handshake’s niece Charlotte, Fudd’s sister Mary, Fireman Ed

    “The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.” Aurelius connects inner peace with power. Calmness is not passivity – it’s focus, discipline, and mastery over emotion. A steady mind can withstand any storm.

  • Cool & Sweaty

    9 Braves (incl 1 LIFO just back from down south) joined us this morning to see if 62F was too cool to work up a sweat. Lets just see about that.

    Gitty up start: 6 Burpees. Mosey to COP. Welcome. Disclaimer.

    All IC: 10 Sumo Squats, 10 Don Quixote, 10 Helicopters, 10 Turn and Bounce.
    Arms: 10 HRMs, 10 Grass Angels, 10 Australian Grass Angels, 20 Arm Circles, 20 Reverso, Keep em up: Hands up and Hands down, 10 Overhead Claps, 10 Seal Claps. 10 ‘Mer’cans, 5 Ranger ‘Mer’cans, 5 Wide Arm Mer’cans, 10 HRMs, 10 Shoulder taps, 10 Leg twists, 10 Shazam.
    Abs: 10 WW2, 10 WW1, 20 LBCs, 10 Left Leg Straight LBCs, 10 Right Leg Straight, 10 both Leg Straight, 10 Regular, 10 Legs up LBC. Beauty Queen stretch. 10 APD, 10 TTPP. 30 min in.

    Mosey to light pole alley.
    Set 1. 10 HRM, 20 Sumo Squat, 20 WW2
    Set 2. 15 HRM, 15 Sumo Squat, 20 WW2
    Set 3. 20 HRM, 10 Sumo Squat, 20 WW2
    Set 4. 10 Mercan, 20 LBC
    Set 5. 15 Mercan, 15 LBC
    Set 6. 20 Mercan, 10 LBC
    Set 7. 5 Burpee, 10 Mercans, 20 HTH
    Set 8. 10 Burpee, 15 Mercans, 20 HTH

    Ring of Fire

    Stretch, Stretch at home.

    Announcements. The Bridge 8/16. Homegrown half. Labor Day Convergence.

    Seymore took us out. Prayers for Fudds sister, Handshakes neice, Back to School.

    NMS – Great to be leading again. Welcome back to Banjo. Two goals today. Burn off latic acid from GridIron & stretch backs after hard work on the weekend. This workout is intended to build strength and some would agree its working. Regardless it does build up a sweat without the running. Stretching is important, but surprisingly, some pax dont need the extra stretching YHC recommends.

    Thanks for letting me lead.

    Get Some!

  • Another Gear

    12 lucky F3 faithful started the week off right by fighting off the fartsack and posting out to the Alamo (AKA the FNG machine). This FNG was courtesy of Elle Woods but is a New Marketeer. The clock struck 530 and off we went.

    Quick mosey around the lot. 20 each SSH, LBC; Seal Training: Overhead claps, front claps, 10 Each, Jazzercise, Helicopters, Imperials Walkers, , Copper head squat, Cherry pickers, Merkins, Dollies, Flutters.  

    To the top of the bunker. Perform 10 of called exercise at starting point, 20 at tunnel entrance,30 at tunnel exit and 40 on top the other side. Work in reverse order on the way back.

    Exercises included: Merkins, LBC’s, Copper head squats, Plank Jacks, Flutter kicks, Monkey humpers, mountain climbers, APD’s,

    Mosey/Lunge back to lot to finish off with a few sprints.

    Announcments: Homegrown half, 5K, 10K, 8/16, 9/26 CSAUP in SOJ,

    Prayers: To FNG No Show’s wife recovering from cancer. To Charlotte.

    COT: YHC took us out.

  • Swamp ass and big spoon

    COP — lots of fun exercises,
    then vball challenge.
    Keep the ball up in the air up to the goal number. If we hit the number, no exercises
    If we don’t hit the number a member of the PAX calls the exercise and the number of the exercise
    We exercised a whole lot…
    Our highest number was 11 today. Blame it on the lack of light.

    The long run
    Run the loop — every speed bump 10 merkins
    every light post, 10 jump squats
    modify the jump squats to 10 WW2

    Triple check the way back
    1- smurf jacks
    2 — flutters
    3 — run to the light and back
    when everyone has done one round, sprint to the next light and start round 2
    same thing for round 3

    On the way back, we alternately jogged, sprinted and walked between lights.

    Fun times.

  • R&R, the new normal

    Mid-60’s and breezy for another extremely peaceful Morning Wood – ample time to think, pray, and reflect on a missions project we’re partnering with in Papua New Guinea. After 30min rucking, returned to the Taco for some water and Woodsman arrived to drop a load of coupons on the grass hill. YHC convinced him to join a run of the green loop circuit, and he gamely participated in 2 loops while YHC (feeling no IT band pain) went for a third loop, total of 2.14mi with an improved VO2 Max of 54, up from last weeks 2-loop run. Overall excellent Morning Wood warmup for the Woodsman Beatdown to follow. Plenty of room for growth in this running game – maybe will shoot for 4 loops next week and just keep going up to see if we can outgrow this IT Band problem. Yours AYE! ~DTH

  • Yes, We Have Sunday F3 Workouts

    8 of F3’s veterans for the oldest continually operating F3 Sunday workout in Virginia. Temperatures were sunny and 70 (sorry, Offshore). According to the Marathon Training Team runners, the following might have happened:

    5 guys ran North Bank (watch the hole in the bridge) to T. Pottersfield Bridge to Buttermilk (skip the lariat). About 6.5 miles.

    2 guys rode from Elwood Thompson’s. Rumor has it…45+ miles. Yeah, baby. Impact. 

    1 guy ran 10 OYO.

    If you show up for coffeeteria, YHC counts you in the workout.

    Numbers, names, and YHC took us out.

    NMS: exceptional morning to chat and run with Offshore and Shakedown (Sippy Cup and Chippendale are “slightly” faster…). Solid way to spend the morning assessing our fitness, our faith (in many things…each other, society, a higher being), and fellowship (never a lonely or dull moment building friendships).

    So, yes, F3 does have regularly scheduled Sunday workouts…always has. If that’s new, time to educate yourself (and YHC would encourage you not to take someone else’s word for it…come out and meet some men whose friendship will be new to you…Sundays, 07:00, Pump House parking lot).

    Announcements:

    The Bridge, August 16. Spend your Saturday morning helping men who are trying to improve themselves better. And, maybe you too will find improvements you can make. Clown cars forming now. No better way to experience all 3 F’s in one morning.

    Home grown half marathon, quarter marathon, ruck-tastic mile or two, or just a few blocks. Get out there and get some exercise. See Don Draper for details. 2.0, Ms, and friends all welcome. Remember to be welcoming…

    Reminder: Being a HIM is about doing things for others, not yourself. Third F is not about church or religion – it’s about doing something bigger than yourself (if this sounds unfamiliar to you, make sure to read “Freed to Lead”). Help in the community. Volunteer. Put your time and effort into making other people better. Can you do that reading a book? Sure, though it’s most likely that helps you.

    F3RVA has multiple opportunities that are 3rd F focused – doing things that are bigger than yourself. Breaking Bread brings meals to people who are struggling. Healing Place leads men and women struggling with addiction down a path to better health through exercise (sound familiar?). The Bridge helps men fighting the habit of committing low level crimes by giving them structure, role models, a profession, and hope.

    Each of us has limited time to give. With all the challenges of being a man in your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, etc., what can you offer to others that is designed to put that person in a better place?

  • Don’t Hit the Car!

    3 Lumberjacks emerged from the gloom for a good ole fashioned lumberyard beat down! Here’s what all the soccer moms witnessed!

    Warmarama –

    • Helicopters
    • Deadman’s to the left & right
    • Arm circles
    • Susan Summers
    • Fudd, Wilson and Roscoe
    • Scorpions

    COP1 – 11’s – Superman / Pistol Squats(2 ct)

    COP2 – Light Posts – P1 2 coupon farmer carry, P2 does upper body exercise w/brick bag, P3 chucks the medicine ball. Rotate once all 3 have reached the light post.

    COP3 – 5 Sets – 5 pull-ups / 10 Merkins / 15 weighted squats at the ODG.

    COP4 – return coupons to the bank. Native travel – P1 sets the pace by chucking the medicine ball ahead and moves to the back of the line while P2 is doing an upper body exercise with brick bag. Once ball is tossed bag gets passed back to P3. This went on for over a third of a mile.

    COP5 – Victory Lap – Run a solid pace from trail head to Lt Dans trail and sprint it back to the flag on the final quarter.

    Numbers & Names

    Announcements- Homegrown Half coming up on the 16, YHC trying to get all the deets on that.

    Choo Choo took us out.

  • Mild hangover and crab farts

    0645 Friday, August 1st 2025 Gomer and Handshake are sitting next to each other at Dunkin, talk about the evenings Crab Feast and wondering who had the Q at Gridiron. YHC beat Gomer to the punch to sign up for the Q and he had the great idea to Co-Q.

    1545 Friday YHC’s M dropped him off at Gomers house to Mrs. Gomer could take us to the Crab Feast at the American Legion Post off Robious. Gomer and YHC drink several beers and eat roughly 16 crabs over the 4 hour Crab Feast. Night ends after a couple beers at Rare Old Times and Gomers mildly annoyed M picked us up from our late play date.

    0630 Saturday YHC wakes up wondering why he didn’t just sleep in. YHC makes his way to Gridiron to see what was in store, Gomer was on the docket to start the workout.

    Gomer Q –

    6 Crab Cake Burpees to start things off

    Mosey to the field in on the main road for Disclaimer and COP.

    First iteration – 20 Squats, 10 Don Quixotes, 10 Helicopters, 10 HRM’s, 10 Grass Angles, 10 Australian Grass Angels, 20 Arm Circles, Reverso, Overhead Claps, Seal Claps, 10 Merkins, 6 Ranger Merkins, 6 Wide Arm Merkins, 20 LBC’s, 10 Left Leg Straight LBCs, 10 Right Leg Straight LBC’s, both Leg LBC’s, 10 APD’s, 10 TTPP, 20 Flutter Kicks, 10 Hello Dollys, 10 Rosalitas, 10 Freddy Mercurys

    Handshake Q – Bunch of random stuff. Pencil Rolls, Relay with Crabwalk, Triple Check, etc

    Announcements – none

    Prayer Request, none

    NMS – Offshore brought out an FNG. We had trouble naming him but eventually we settled on Slim Pickings