Category: Richmond, VA

  • Wait, You’re from Rochester too?

    An un-claimed Q-sheet brought a handful of guys to the land of Mary Munford and really no direction.

    Which brings up this question….do you have direction in your life right now? A vision? A goal? We should all have visions and goals of some sort…for us on this particular Friday morning we needed more direction and it came in this form.

    YHC told everyone to head north on Commonwealth and get to Monument…to run 22.5 minutes and to run back to the flag via a south on a street and Grove.

    Funny couple exchanges as welcome FNG Ridge (his real name, his F3 name is Body Armor, based on the fact that Ridge went to St. Johns and the dude that is funding Rick Pitino’s team is the same guy who created and sold Body Armor)….anyway, Ridge is introduced to Garbage Plate and immediately says “Are you from Rochester?” And, of course, GP is from Rochester. Small world. I also think there was another Rochester connection in there somewhere, maybe By-Product’s wife’s family(?), can’t really remember.

    Beautiful weather and a wonderful trip around the near west end of RVA…not a bad way to start the Friday.

  • Late but Not Forgotten

    If a backblast is updated two weeks after a run, does it still count? Look, some of you are classic overachievers, doing backblasts THE DAY of a run, or maybe even the next day. Anyone can do that…but it takes a special form of procrastination to wait a whole fortnight before posting…which is exactly what this post is. (Who knows where my son gets it).

    The Thang…

    This was the Spottswood run, up one of the nastier little short hills in Henrico County. Here’s how it went, or, in Bodo’s case…supposed to go…

    Head out towards the baseball diamond, hang a right up the first base line and then to the parking lot. Get to College Drive and take a right. Then a right on Lakewood, right on Wood, left on Baldwin…we know the drill. Across Westham and stay on Baldwin and 4s and 5s take a left on Rock Creek towards Forest, 6s go up one more block to Stuart Hall and take a left, also towards Forest.

    Everyone runs south on Forest to Spottswood. 4s and 5s go into that pocket neighborhood and do one lap, the 6s do two.

    From there, the 4s can just get back to the Flag any way they choose, preferrably south to Lindsay and then east to the flag.

    The 5s and 6s keep advancing down Forest to Ridge to Ziontown. Left into Ziontown and go all the way to University with the dogleg on Ralston. 5s get back to the flag from there, 6s could probably do one more block on Ralston and a left on Rose Hill…but we aren’t running that fast these days.

    YHC took us out.

  • UnSharted Territory

    10 hombres gathered to see what THE Handshake had planned for Heartbreak Ridge.

    YHC got out of the car at 0529 and heard Atilla making jokes at Honeydos expense, 30 seconds of “pleasantries” and the clock his 0530 and we began to mosey. Circle up at the base of the Track at Quioccasin for a COP.

    Mosey down Quioccasin and across to Westridge. And turn right at Westridge where it and Camrose split. Start at house 1 and complete 10 HRM’s, mosey to house 2 and complete 20 WWII’s, mosey to house 3 and complete 30 Squats, mosey to house 4 and complete 40 SSHH’s, mosey to house 5 and complete 5 Single Leg Imperial Walkers. Repeat this 3 times to make it the 15 houses to the end of Stoneridge.

    Atilla remarked that YHC led the Pax to a dead end, but alas it was not a dead end, it was just the beginning. Mosey the pathway to the back of the Law Office on Gaskins. Group up for a Triple Check. P1 – runs the Parking Lot, P2 Heels to Heaven, P3 Monkey Humpers.

    After the Triple Check we lined up for a Pencil Roll about 12-ish Parking Spaces. YHC, Fudd, and Offshore were committed to the full Pencil Rolls, the other aged Paxed have thiccer fluid in their ears and couldn’t handle the full distance. To be fair, it was awful.

    Start the Mosey back to the flag. Mosey 5 houses and then 2 back and complete 20 of an exercise, do that until we get back to Quioccasin and Mosey to the flag.

    Announcements – CSAUP this weekend/Friday night. The Bridge on May 10th with Hermes, see Slack.

    Prayer requests – None

    NMS – YHC was happy to see an empty Q sheet on Sunday so he could sign up. It was also nice to have Honeydo in attendance. New territory was discovered which was even better

  • Machismo’s Unexpected Q

    Introduction: Machismo Interrupted the International Intrigue

    The air hung heavy with anticipation, not just for the impending pain, but for the latest installment of O.C.’s gripping tales of youthful indiscretions abroad. Just as he was reaching a particularly scandalous crescendo involving questionable trash can vandalismo, Machismo, in a move of audacious Q-jacking, declared his morning dominion. With the gravitas of a man who just found a rogue sock in the dryer, he somberly announced the NFL draft’s glaring omission of any F3RVA alumni. The mission was laid bare: to cultivate those vital pods of manliness, those crucibles of community leadership. A swift disclaimer followed, reminding all present that Machismo’s fitness expertise peaked somewhere around successfully opening a pickle jar. A blatant plug for Team No Toll’s undrafted free agent acquisitions and a stern warning against Q abandonment rounded out the preamble. Don’t let that Q linger, men!

    Warmarama: A Leisurely Stroll Through Stretches

    The warmup commenced with the deliberate pace of a sloth on tranquilizers. Machismo, clearly savoring his newfound power, lingered luxuriously on the Don Quixotes, each rotation a personal meditation. The tempo picked up slightly for Temp Merkins, followed by the spidery grace of Peter Parkers and the frantic scurrying of Mountain Climbers. Suffice it to say, the blood was eventually coaxed into circulation.

    The Thang 1: Eye of the Mericane – An Ab-solute Ordeal

    The Pax then engaged in a diabolical dance of Merkins and core-crushing corner capers. Ten Merkins served as the entry fee to a rotating gauntlet of abdominal torment: Scrunchie Frogs (ribbit!), LBCs (long, brutal crunches), American Hammers (forging six-packs of freedom), and Flutters (like a dying fish out of water). The cycle repeated, each return to the center a reminder that Machismo clearly enjoys watching grown men writhe.

    The Thang 2: Triple Check – A Test of Endurance and Bleacher Acrobatics

    Across the field we stretched, with one unfortunate soul sprinting while the remaining two engaged in a rotating torture of Plank Saws (Sable seemed a little too enthusiastic with these, sparking concern for the integrity of the turf) and Dips on the unforgiving bleachers. Word on the street is that Dealer, ever the dedicated athlete, is already logging stamina miles in anticipation of his September adventures. Forewarned is forearmed, fellas.

    The Thang 3: Pavilion Prowl and the 11s of Pain

    A leisurely mosey (Machismo’s definition of leisurely is debatable) brought us to the pavilion, the hallowed grounds for his beloved 11s. The unholy matrimony of Burpees and Lt. Dans ensued, a pairing designed to test the very limits of human resolve. Adding a touch of the surreal, a feline visitor graced us with its presence, promptly becoming O.C.’s new best friend. Perhaps it was drawn by the collective groans of exertion.

    Mosey Back and Cool Down: A Return to Stillness

    The weary crew shuffled back to the flag, the silence punctuated only by heavy breathing and the occasional mumbled curse. A brief cool down provided a fleeting moment of respite before the barrage of announcements.

    Announcements: Triumphs, Trials, and Tentative Fishing Plans

    A hearty congratulations to the Ragnar conquering heroes: Dookie, Sable, Snuff, Tin Man, Belay, Machismo, Last Time, and the freshly christened FNG, “Catfish”! Belay, never one to rest on his laurels, is now spearheading signups for the Richmond Trail Half Marathon on May 18th – get those registrations in! HC from the ever-present Sable. Machismo, in a stunning display of meta-awareness, announced he was still crafting this very backblast. Catfish, perhaps still processing the morning’s events, declared his immediate plans involved fishing.

    The Century Classic looms this weekend! Slack is your oracle for all the glorious details. Expect camaraderie, tall tales, and likely some questionable athletic feats. Heist is your point of contact – get on a team and prepare for legendary status (or at least some good laughs).

    Prayers: Lifting up our children as they navigate the transition into summer break. Prayers for joy, smooth changes, and for those venturing into college or summer jobs, may they discover their impact and purpose within our community.

    Naked Moleskin: It was truly my pleasure to lead you magnificent specimens of manhood through the gloom this morning. The ranks of F3RVA could undoubtedly benefit from more souls experiencing this fellowship. Let’s make it our mission to (gently) coerce more neighbors into joining our ranks. The pollen is fading, and even the local felines seem to be endorsing our early morning shenanigans

  • is it still a “pre-run” if it’s longer than the main event?

    two gentleman set out to find out the answer to this question. As well as “how early is too early?” “On a Saturday?” “Was this a good idea?” “Is this fun?” “Are we going to make it back on time?” “Is 12/mile reasonable for an overall pace on a trail run?” Answers were deemed to be yes it’s a pre-run, before 430, yes on a Saturday, it was an idea, yes, we did somehow, yes but only by pushing it when the trail opens up. Got it a little over 10k. Great to catch up with Big Rig. Glad to get some trail miles in preparation for the river rock half coming up.

  • New to the Boat – Canoe – Welcome Aboard

    Two posted on a beautiful Friday morning. For those of your who overslept, you missed the Celestial Smiley Face. Truthfully we were a little late, we could only see the smile and one eye (planet). The other eye was below the tree line. When it’s just 2 of us, I like to wing it a little. After warming up with the regulars like SSH’s, LBC’s, Don Quixote’s, Hand Release Merkins, Arm Circles, etc. We did a little 4 corners of the parking lot. 1st corner was 25 copperhead squats, 2nd corner was 25 abs (flutter kicks, heals to heaven, etc…). 3rd corner was 25 dips on the curb and 4th corner was 25 calf raises on the curb. We went around the 4 corners 4 times for 100 of each. Between the corners we did crossovers (karaokes) or Bernie Sanders. Apparently Surf and Turf had never done Boat – Canoes so we ended with about 5 minutes of those. Numberama, Namarama, Anouncements and Surf N Turf took us out with a prayer.

  • Classic Rewind on Cue

    Thirteen, that’s right, thirteen of the hoe’s and near-hoe’s finest, gathered in the fading gloom for this week’s iteration of Hoedown. After the celebration of Oyster’s arrival, we avoided the petting zoo gifts and mosey’d to the front of the school for:

    COP

    • 25x SSH
    • 10x DQ
    • 20x Copperhead Squats
    • 20x LBCs
    • 10x HRMs
    • 10x Mountain Climbers
    • 10x Side (not front) lunges

    The Thang

    Mosey back to the top of Lindsay Ct and partner up. With odd numbers, YHC joined forces with NTB and Señor Frog. Inverse love hill. Partner 1 runs to the bottom and back while partner 2 does exercises. Flapjack and continue until you reach the bottom of the hill. Exercises were crab walks, lunges, broad jumps.

    10 count followed by 20 merkins.

    Back up the hill. Same partners, this time exercises were polar bears, duck walks, broad jump burpees. Tons of excitement as we went back up the hill. Al Gore at the top for the 6.

    Short saunter back over to the traditional 11s place for, you guessed it, 11s. Bernie to the hill and up it, WWIIs at the top. Mitt Romney back to the other side for jump squats.

    Circle back up for 4 MoM which included 10x APDs, 20x freddie mercuries, 10x HTHs, 20x american hammers.

    Numbers, names, YHC took us out.

    Moleskine

    Upper 40s brought out some overdressed PAX members. Even with the extra layers, energy level was quite high today. Oyster even earned a round of applause for joining pre-launch.

    BB title comes from the impeccable timing of Classic Rewind this am. As YHC got in the car to depart, Bicycle Race by Queen started on the radio. With a fade in effect as if they were waiting for me to start the car. Must have been the Freddie Mercuries we did during Mary.

    Announcements

    • The Bridge 5/10. See Hermes for details.
    • CSAUP this Friday. See your local lead.
    • Breaking Bread is available in May. Sign up!

    Have a blessed day everyone.

    Splinter out.

  • Delegating Duties

    80% of the Splinter clan planned and participated in this past Sunday’s Breaking Bread. Last minute commitments prevented us from breaking bread with them, only drop off and setup this time around.

    2.0s planned, shopped, prepared, cooked, packaged, and served this week. YHC was only required for transportation.

    Meal was parmesan crusted chicken, asparagus, french bread, caesar salad, and cookie brownies for dessert.

    A fun time was had by all.

  • ”I Want You to Photograph Me Like One of Your French Gurls”

    Due to an emergency of Mammoth proportions, 2 wild ones emerged a bit behind standard gloom schedule for kettlebell action!

    Warmarama OYO to ensure chatter & loosen up for the main event.

    COP 1 – Lazy Dora – P1 travels from Octagon to goalie box on the FB field. P2 Exercises. 3 sets.

    • Single Arm Overhead Carry – Nolan Ryan tuggers
    • Shoulder to Shoulder – Goblet Squats
    • Around the World – 3 KB Smoker/3WWII
    • Mosey – 2 Arm Bent over Rows (SB or KB your choice)

    COP 2 – Some KB form of Mary

    • Sumo Humpers w/Curls
    • Merkin Pull Through

    That’s time! CoT

    Choo Choo had to be off to work. YHC stuck around to try the toughest mile but on a smaller scale, close to 200m for every 4 items – BC, Run, Lunge, Burpee Broad Jumps.

  • One For the Records

    One rucker and the rest runners; off we went on our routes. All distances were covered.