Category: Richmond, VA

  • A Little Extra Weight

    On a rainsoaked Goyne Park, 3 HIMs made it out for a little extra credit Pull up and Dip session. Lots of good work done with a few different exercises.

    PAX would do several sets of pull up pyramids, hanging leg raises, chin ups, hollow rocks, full body dips, jerkins, and pull up negatives.

    Good push by these guys, especially for getting thos work in the pouring rain. Just added a couple LBs for those tough reps.

    Boberry and I were pretty smoked after doing an Iron PAX workout right before. Mudslide’s Broga was sounding pretty good at this point, to help us get ready for Pool Boy’s VQ beatdown!

  • What’s that Spell?

    7 HIM decided to embrace the suck and post for a House Party Q. Here’s what went down. Mosey to the basketball court for a warm up with arm circles, Don Quixote’s, dead man hangs, Ukrainian soldiers, WWII’s and merkins all in cadence.

    Mosey to the large parking lot for 4 corners, House Party edition. Exercises were as follows

    H – 20,15,10,5 – Hand release merkins

    O – 5 the Opus at each corner

    U – circle up for 10 Ukrainian soldiers in cadence, followed by a round of Up Downs

    S – 15 Scrunchy frogs at each corner

    E – Elevens which consisted of WWII’s and Jump squats

    P – 15 Plank jacks at each corner

    A – 20 single count American hammers at each corner

    R – 2 rounds of Ring of Fire. Round 1 – 10 jump squats while the pax does monkey humpers, Round 2 – 5 burpees while the pax does SSH’s.

    T – 10 Tempo merkins at each corner

    Y – YHC didnt have an exercise for Y but Meatball reluctantly suggested Yurpees. After a demonstration, YHC decided we’ll just do regular burpYs, So we did 6 at each corner.

    Back to the Flag for some Mary which consisted of obliques, LBC’s, flutters, WWII’s and Rosalitas.

    Numbers, Names, YHC took us out.

    See Slack for info on the float, the Home Grown Half, and all upcoming events in RVA.

    Congrats to Rodeo Clown on the new position and prayers for continued success on the job.

    YHC thought we would get a break in the rain but turns out that was not the case. We had a pretty steady downpour for the entire workout. YHC is glad this group decided to embrace the suck and get after it this morning. Thanks for letting me lead.

    House Party

  • Signed, PBVQ

    While other Goyne Hard early birds tackled some upper body badassery, two steel-totin gloom warriors secured every corner of the AO in the pouring rain in preparation for Pool Boy’s VQ. No puddle was left unstomped…

    THE RUCK, Part 1 = GOYNE CRAZY

    • PAX followed a seemingly insane meandering route all over Goyne Park…the result? 

    THE RUCK, Part 2 = GOYNE SECURED

    • For the second half of the hour, the PAX circumnavigated the park and disc golf course, discussing among many other things the addictive nature of electronics, especially in children.

    COT:

    • Counterama #2
    • Namerama
    • Variable stretching awaiting the VQ

    NMS:  Nothing like a warm downpour and fine company to start a new day. Choo Choo was a little bewildered with our initial meanderings but was dutifully impressed with the resulting picture. Really enjoyed our conversation brother. Yours AYE!  ~DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • ONGOING – Summer Tour, Dry July
    • Tomorrow Sunday 7/14 – 6-8am Holy Water Bootcamp
    • 7/17 – Woodsman VQ at The Crossing
    • 7/18 – 1830 Huguenot Landing OTB Paddle (recurring weekly)
    • 7/27 – The Bridge workout 
    • 8/3 – Homegrown Half
    • 8/6 – Ultimate Tournament at NoToll
    • 8/11 – F3 Family Float on the James
    • 8/17 – Pickleball Tourney
    • 8/21 – 100th Bday Q by Upchuck at FW
    • 8/28 – New AO at Mosely Elem
    • 9/20&21 – 10 Year Anniv (multiple events)
    • 10/25-27 – F3 Family Camping
    • 11/2 – F3 Daddy Daughter Dance

  • The Soggy Mile

    Two PAX took the long journey to the land of Iron Bridge for this weeks iteration of Premature Acceleration. The workout of choice was IPC 2023 Wk 2 AKA The BDE Mile. 45 (or 43:30…) min AMRAP:

    • 1 lap around track
    • 5 BDE Burpees (burpee with two Bonnie Blair’s and a squat)
    • 1 lap around track
    • 5 hand release spider man merkins (3 merkins = 1 rep)
    • rinse and repeat (emphasis on the rinse)

    TCLAPS to Big Rig for pushing YHC to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Also for giving up caffeine for Dry July! That workout was terrible but fun. There’s nothing like a beat down in the pouring down rain.

  • Irish Exit

    Tobit was expecting to slink away to Charleston with minimal fanfare but Boberry thwarted that with a TwinTeam slack post that brought out a few well wishers. Despite proposed redirection and uncooperative joints, the PAX was able to make a trip up Twin Team hill so Tobit could bid adieu.

    THANG

    Mosey to the bus loop for some standard warm fare. Before we leave the bus loop, we checked in on an old favorite, the curb crawl – up to 4 repeat 4 and back down. Consensus was it still sucks.

    Mosey to Twin Team – up the hill with 5 jump squats and each mailbox. Mary and the top – roll back down with 5 merkins at each mailbox. At this point with YHC bothered by a trick knee we settled in for some plank/merkinrama in the cul-de-sac until the shoulders were sufficiently worn. Next some extended Mary until enough groans and feet slapping the ground were heard. Bullseye may have been the only one appreciative of the non-running portion of the beatdown.

    Mosey on back to the flag for some additional Mary before time is up.

    NMM

    Our man Tobit is headed south as a Lt. Col. in the unorganized militia of South Carolina where he will learn the ways of F3 Charleston and Slack buzz from Cal Worthington, dress in snazzy uniforms, teach maths and other numbers to the youth, and enjoy a new level of humidity among other things. Good luck Tobit and we’ll see you on the Farewell Tour over the next 9 months. The expected rain did not materialize at the AO although I think we would have welcomed it by the end of the workout. I appreciate the PAX picking up the six, YHC, as I struggled through the morning. The support across the board is always welcomed, appreciated, and well received. Individual goals for F3 vary man to man, but overall the mission does not change – Plant, Grow, Serve.

    Announcements – Pool Boy VQ, Holy Water, Paddle, Float, and lots more. See Tryhard’s or Upchuck’s recent BBs but note the date of the 10year convergence is 9/21/24 not 9/28.

    Thanks for letting me lead.

  • Odd Encounters

    According to the interesting couple at the takeout with a frozen margarita bowl converted to a water tight stash for cigarette transport, the following may have happened.

    After catching up with Pucker en route to the put-in, we launched and made our way up the river. It seems the cooler temperatures by the dam hydraulics attract all types of wildlife trying to cool off.

    Slow paddle mosey down river with a coolish breeze added to a spectacular time out. Others on the river seemed to be enjoying kayaking and fishing, with a few bites waiting for the big one.

    Upchuck made friends at the take out and picked up some new jargon.

    Next week, 6:30 pm. See you there.

  • ↑↑↓↓←→←→BA Select Start

    30 lives started to wake up this morning to run the famous Contra route of Currahee. The threat of rain and a Ghost Flag take over in SOJ quickly took out most of the lives, but the core crew remained and was able to defeat the Boss.
    Not really much to write about in a Running AO. We ran.. then we turned at the corner and ran some more. Mr. Rogers and Wally demonstrated the laws of physics on how when one force runs into an immovable object results in an explosive immediate stop. Handshake asked for prayers of wisdom at Squirrel stadium to help them understand the beer is 1) priced to high and 2) Lemon Shandy is not a beer. YHC saw Pigskin at the end of the route but he was running the wrong way. Whitesnake was promised rain and yet it did not happen and Lighthouse had some enlightening topics but YHC was struggling to keep up this morning so i missed most of his guidance on how he has teamed up with Taylor Swift to end world hunger.

    Lunch break over. Have to get back to work.
    v/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • Ghost Flag Resurrection

    17 HIM’s converged at Satan’s Hill to discover a brand spankin new SOJ GHOST FLAG planted by YHC to usurp the Q. The planned victim was WARBY, but after his recent calf strain he had asked STAE FARM to cover the Q, and as excited as SF was to lead the bootcamp, it was not to be…

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • While WARBY left for a walking tour of the neighborhood, the rest of the PAX took off up the Hill, then returned to circle up in the parking lot
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom

    COP #1 – GUTBUSTERS

    • Play Ghostbusters Theme Song
    • Flutters to the beat and Heels to Heaven for every “Ghostbusters” lyric

    COP #2 – THE WARBY

    • x20 WWII’s at the bottom of Satan’s Hill
    • AYG Sprint to the top
    • x20 Ranger Merkins at the top
    • Bernie Sanders back down
    • x10 Yurpees at the bottom (YURPEE = Burpee Variation in honor of the Ruskie (Yuri Verkhoshansky) who developed Plyometrics to train Olympians. Merkin at bottom of burpee is a clap-merkin and on up portion there are 2 tuck jumps per burpee.)
    • Bring in the SIX doing ABC’s (…this has now been added as the latest in the long line in WILDCAT’s superpowers)

    COP #3 – HAPPY QUADS

    • Press play on the song “Happy,” by Pharrell Williams
    • Hold squat in Peoples Chair, coming up with every “Happy” lyric, while overhead clapping along to the beat

    PLANKORAMA INTERMISSION

    • Get low and State Farm stated the F3 Mission, push back up
    • Down again and Purple Rain quoted the F3 Credo, push back up
    • Last time down and EF Hutton gave us the 5 Core Principles, push back up

    PRO TIP for newer guys who want an easy way to remember the 5 CP’s, use the acronym FORGE:

    • F – free
    • O – open to all men
    • R – rain or shine
    • G – guys rotate the Q
    • E – end with a COT

    COP #4 – THE WARBY, Round 2 (insert emoji vomit face here)

    COP #5:

    • Grab a rock and circle up
    • SATAN’S THRILLER
    • Press play on MJ’s “Thriller”
    • OYO choose to wither stay with STATE FARM to do coupon reps, OR join the Q running up and down Satan’s Hill
    • DTH and SF switch half way
    • Return the rocks
    • That’s TIME! 

    GHOST FLAG CEREMONIOUSLY HANDED OFF TO STATE FARM, AND THEN REVIEWED THE RULES:

    • Bring the Flag to any SOJ AO, plant the Ghost Flag before the kickoff time, steal the Q.
    • Whoever had their Q stolen keeps the Ghost Flag to pay forward the fun at another SOJ AO in the not-so-distant future.
    • Not to be implemented for special/anniversary Q’s 
    • Keep the flag in SOJ

    COT:

    • Counterama # 17
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Awesome big group of brothers today, and GREAT to have my younger brother Flint (John H) down visiting from Philadelphia. Pretty wild to leave Bon Air in the pouring rain, get to SH where they hadn’t had a single drop, complete a completely dry beatdown, and then return to BA with ongoing pouring rain – hope you Deep South boys get some rain! Special thanks and TClaps for STATE FARM being such a game brother as to embrace the disruption of forfeiting his planned beatdown (which I’m sure would have been awesomely awful) for our inaugural SOJ Ghost Flag Takeover. Shout out to newbie KATNISS getting after it and posting everywhere, and nice to meet LACES OUT (was SO confused when you emerged from the driver’s seat of State Farm’s yellow truck, then we noticed two of the exact same truck.) Also, good to see HUTTON flexing his Summer Tour muscles, and a HAPPY 45th BIRTHDAY to WARBY!  In a nod to the summer tour and during a season of seeing what YHC is physically capable of, this was YHC’s 5th Q in a row this week. #6 will be a Ruck tomorrow AM before POOL BOY’s VQ. The PAX weee encouraged this morning to step up and post/Q more, and HEIST challenged everyone to keep headlocking FNG’s – now’s the time! Very thankful for all you guys, and as always thanks for letting me lead! Yours AYE! ~DTH

    Prayer Requests:

    • WARBY, healing strained calf
    • FLINT, healing foot tendonitis

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • ONGOING – Summer Tour, Dry July
    • Tomorrow Sat 7/13 – Poolboy VQ at The Iron Bridge
    • Sunday 7/14 – 6-8am Holy Water Bootcamp
    • 7/17 – Woodsman VQ at The Crossing
    • 7/18 – 1830 Huguenot Landing OTB Paddle (recurring weekly)
    • 7/27 – The Bridge workout 
    • 8/3 – Homegrown Half
    • 8/6 – Ultimate Tournament at NoToll
    • 8/11 – F3 Family Float on the James
    • 8/17 – Pickleball Tourney
    • 8/21 – 100th Bday Q by Upchuck at FW
    • 8/28 – New AO at Mosely Elem
    • 9/28 – 10 Year Anniv (multiple events)
    • 10/25-27 – F3 Family Camping
    • 11/2 – F3 Daddy Daughter Dance

  • Amateur Hour

    Three cycling professionals and 4 semi-pro runners gathered at RAMM today, hoping for just the right amound of rain but not too much. Cyclists were pleased, runners were not. After Offshore looked at Phonics and Phonics asked, “are we riding today? ok.”, a theme appropriate route was called and off we went.

    The Route

    • Gears crew did their thing, crossing paths with the runners a few times. We will call their route the “Flock of Gnats” route.
    • Runners, after some discussion of what was forwards and reverse, did the Reverse Carillon route.

    Numbers, names, no announcements before YHC took us out.

    Moleskin

    There was a lot of discussion this week about amateur RAMM gears so YHC was expecting a large crowd today. When I arrived at 522 to see nary a soul (except TYA wandering around on his bike), I began to wonder if I had the wrong day? Apparently the weather scared away the amateurs, leaving only professional bikers.

    Since no one grabbed the RAMM Q, YHC sat for a minute or two thinking about an appropriate route to complement the (apparent lack of) RAMM Gears participants, I was reminded of a classic Marv incident that got Saab all riled up back in the day.

    You see… there was a period of time where RAMM Qs got lazy. Someone would just show up and call out a well known route and off we would go. Saab, in his peak of youthful running shape, would go out early for a pre-run and then show up back at the launch (when someone actually had the Q), expecting a well thought out route that would possibly bring in virgin ground. At least something unique. When someone didn’t think of something unique, Saab would express his disdain and off he would go with the rest of the PAX. If words could describe his facial expression when this would happen, it would be:

    Looks like I completely wasted my time coming back to meet up with these nincompoops.
    I should have just kept running by myself.

    Saab. circa 2021

    Which brings us back to the main part of the story. During an amateur RAMM gears outing a few years ago, Marv had signed up to Q RAMM proper. YHC texted him the night before and said, “ditch RAMM, find a bike, and let’s go ride.” So he did just that.

    Marv, sticking with his MO, shows up about 2 minutes prior to launch, hurriedly getting his bike prepped, before sticking his head into the circle of runners and shouting two words. “Reverse Carrilon”. Given the context above, you can imagine how excited some people were. Trust me, read Marv’s backblast from 2021 and you will see my memory is actually pretty sharp on this one.

    That that brings us to today. With very little time to plan a route and it being amateur RAMM gears day, YHC thought it would be a fitting tribute to call out reverse carillon. So that’s what we did. And it was kind of funny for a few seconds.

    I don’t know why I felt like calling out Saab so much in this backblast because he actually wasn’t even there today. He will also likely not read this backblast so it will fall on deaf ears. But as Paul Harvey used to say,

    And now you know the REST of the story…

    Good day!

    Splinter

  • Kids Least Favorite Activity

    On vacation in Jekyll Island, Georgia. I was too lazy to drive 30 minutes to the nearest F3 workout. Luckily the Chaplain clan rolls deep.

    Mosey to the beach for warmups: SSH’s, Arm circles, merkins, mummy kicks, heels to heaven, dead man hang.

    The workout: 1 mile run up the beach: stop at each access point and do exercises. Highlights included repeats up a set of stairs and burpees. Same pattern on the way back. Back to the house for 3 miles total. A good time was had by all.

    SYITG