Category: Richmond, VA

  • Back in the Saddle

    After taking it easy for a couple months, watching my new born daughter, it was time to step back into the role of the Q. Four hard chargers gathered in the early morning to get the work on.

    The Warm-Up: Side Straddle Hops, Don Quixotes, Imperial Walkers, Cherry Pickers, Super Mario jumps, and Bernie Sanders.

    The Work: Best I can describe as a NASCAR version of an indigenous run. Bear with me, on the basketball court, all four of us align on the corner. Person in the back runs a lap around the basketball court as fast as he can and repositions in the front. While the hard charger is running around the court the other three are doing a work out on the line. Once the hard charger repositions himself in the front, the next person in the back takes off running around the court. As soon as all four hard chargers complete one lap, the workout changes and the laps continue. The order, Merkins, WWII, Flutter Kicks, LBCs, Merkins, Lunges/Squats, American Hammer, Monkey Humpers, Alabama Prom dates. If it sounds confusing, come out next time I have the Q.

    Next up: Broad Jump suicides, with a Bernie Sanders back to the line. Just how it sounds. Regular suicides except instead of running, Broad Jumps

    Next: Line up at one end of Basketball court in high Merkin position. Hard charger on the right sprints to one end to the basketball court and sprints back, gets back on the line. Switch to low Merkin position and hold, next hard charger sprints from one end of the court and back, switch back to high Merkin position. This kept up until all hard chargers did three sprints a piece.

    Since I hadn’t shown up to a whole lot workouts past couple of months, I thought it would be a fun time to get in some of Chaplain’s World Famous Indigenous Pole Smokers. We all know what those are by now.

    Sprint to the finish: All hard chargers doing burpees while one hard charger ran around the entire parking lot. Exercise was complete when each person ran the parking lot once.

    One minute left: Merkin Ring of Fire

    COT

    There were no prayer requests (just a general thanks for being able to get together, and to workout in the crisp morning air. And to watch over all of us and our families.)

    Frozen Triangle is set for February 10.

    I want to say thanks to everyone who reached out to me when my daughter, Sophia was born. It’s been an exciting couple of months, and I don’t think I’ve had this lack of sleep since the military, but it’s easily been the best months of my life, so far. I am also thankful that I decided to have a child well into the 21st century where men also get Parental Leave.

    It was good to get back into the role of being Q.

  • Ann Arbor is a whore!

    A lucky 7 Pax braved the 70 and sunny conditions of the Old Hundred to get their kettles on! After discussion of a football game the night prior YHC called for a very short mosey.

    COP: Invisible Jumprope, Helicopters, Imperial Walkers, Jazzercise, copper head squats, deadman hang, Plank jacks, LBC’s.

    Thang: Carry kettle around school to each door. Do exercise of door count plus 10, progressive all the way around the school. Door 1: 11 copters, Door 15: 25 copters, 25 curls, (This is where YHC was thrown off thinking he was heading to door 2). Door 14: 24: copters, curls, skullcrushers and so on it went adding, 23 overhead press, 22 goblet squats, 21 swings, 20 bent rows, 19, straight leg dead’s, 18 dips, 17 merkins, 16 LBC’s, 15 dollies.

    Not the most intense workout on heartbeat but some good solid muscle burn. Great mumble chatter. Rudy and YHC have the same hatred of that school up north. I guess the phrase “cheaters never win” is not true!

    Prayers to Wildcat and family for strength and good news. YHC took us out in prayer! Make today Awesome!

  • Cindy Rain Dance

    10 pax showed up to roll out the red carpet for FNG ‘Welcome Mat’. It felt like a first date because YHC had Cindy to go around. Though professional disclaimers were thrown out no one believed YHC wasn’t. NTB was whispering sweet nothings in Mat’s ear as the pax circled up for Warmerama. According to Cindy this is what went down.

    • Mosey to the basketball court to circle up and a random number of exercises was prescribed until the good doc wrote his script.
    • Side Straddle hops. 20 some
    • Helicopters
    • DQ’s
    • Chinooks
    • script for 44 WWII’s

    Mosey to the first soccer field grab a date with Cindy along the way.

    First exercise Dora the Explora – grab a stick or something interesting and bring it back to your partner sharing. 100 Cindy Merkins, 200 Cindy Swings, 300 Cindy Presses.

    Second Exercise: Cindy triple check. with overhead presses, and Cindy Curls, partner Bernies to midfield and returns with 10 lunges then a run.

    Third Exercise, Squat ladder till time neared with lunges in between.

    YHC grabbed the Q late under the slackrassment of NTB who wanted to curate the FNG experience for Welcome Mat. With the speed dating and chatroom questions many suggestions, none good, flowed through the pax as it struggled to put a finger on what made Matt different. As a marketer and director who invites others in to experience a product or service, coupled with the exuberate invitation from NTB. Welcome Mat effortlessly flowed off the tongue. At F3RVA we look forward to hosting Grow Ruck 47 and inviting more to experience how leadership can develop from doing hard things together. We want to be welcoming to our neighbors and inviting more to join and enrich their communities and families. F3RVA congratulate your new H.I.M. (High Impact Man) Welcome Mat. Matt Swieca.

  • Pre-Storm Run and Ruck

    4 guys showed up to the campus at Atlee High School to log some miles before the events of the “First Alert Weather Day” began. Two guys ran, one did a run/walk, and one rucked. Mr. Holland and YHC ran and did the farmhouse loop. Opus ran some and then walked/rucked with Descartes. Weather as usual was perfect the entire time.

    COT – Numberarama, Name-O-Rama, Announcements, Opus took us out.

    NMS

    At this point, no school weather changes for the local school divisions. Everybody, be safe today because we are expecting strong rain and winds this evening.

    Announcements – Slash Church has a breakfast gathering at McDonalds on Tuesdays at 8 AM.

    Gotta Run!

    Phonics

  • The Pax Like Big Butte

    ….and they cannot lie.

    A glorious 17 beat the weather for some of the Spider Run’s best miles. Take the bat cave and across the bridge to head upstream. 4s turn at Butte and return. 5s take a left on Waumsetta, a left on Old Spring, and a left on Butte to return. 6s continue to Hickory, a left on Cherokee, a left on Waumsetta, a right on Old Spring, and a left on Butte to return.

    TYA took us out.

    Announcements:

    • Breaking Bread Challenge: Sign up for breaking bread for a date during your birthday month. Oyster will not wish you a Happy Birthday without seeing you signed up.
    • Bootleg is a trail speed demon crushing the Snowy Owl 10 Miler.
    • GrowRuck – The Spider Run crew is a tough crowd, but this week we have a couple of maybe’s. I will count that as incremental progress. See slack or ask YHC for more info. Better yet, come out on Sunday and see for yourself.
    • HDHH on January 17.

  • F3 Swag is on display @ the Alamo

    12 SOJ beasts showed up to better themselves this morning on a beautiful 70 and sunny morning. Many showing off the new F3 swag! The shirts look great!

    YHC started with a light mosey over to the warmarama – SSH, Cherry Pickers, imperial walkers, copperhead squats, merkins and flutter kicks

    THE Thang

    mosey over to the tunnel of love only to find that the tunnel was too dark for YHC plans so we quickly rerouted to the hill at the entrance to the neighborhood for some 11’s – squats and drydocks on the hill…

    mosey back to the parking lot for 4 corners – prostitute style – 10 mountain climbers, 20 heels to heaven, 30 freddie mercury, 40 LBCs

    mosey to snowman alley for some lightpole work…starting with 2 merkins and increasing by 2 at every snowman at the end of the street we turned around and starting with 1 burpee and increasing by 1 at each light pole back to the parking lot

    Finished up with some mary – werkins, diamond merkins, sumo squats, jump squats, rocketts, arm circles, burpees, Lt. dans, should taps, WWII, windshield wipers

    Time called

    Announcements- sign up for grow ruck, frozen triangle details

    Prayers for Futon’s sister in law, purple rains friend and wildcat

    Thanks for the opportunity to lead this morning!

  • A little rusty

    A dozen gathered at Hoedown to kick off the second week of 2024. After a long Q hiatus, YHC was excited to get back to work – here’s how it went:

    Extended mosey to pick up stragglers and head to the office parking lot for COP w/heavy mumble chatter, 20xSSH, DMH, 10xHC, 10xCP, 10xLBC, 10x interrupted merkins, and off to round one, a 5 min drill. Partners alternated ascending burpees and wall sits, starting at 5 burpees and increasing until the 5 min clock ran out.

    After a quick jaunt across Forest, we partnered up again for three laps around the church lot: polar bear, lunge and crab walk, each for a lap with the partner running a loop to act as a timer before trading spots.

    Back to TES for a quick triple check in the front teacher’s lot: WWII, HRM and 20 calf raises on the stairway. This triple check went fast and Handshake anticipated YHC was out of tricks, but we were able to make up some time with 3x 10 jerkins on the bar near the ramp. Big biceps all around.

    With five minutes remaining it was back to the flag for some Mary – 40xFK, 20xHD, 20xWWI, 20xH2H, 10x diamond merkins. Numberama, namerama, announcements (Feb CSAP ~ Faceplant, some Q’s open) and YHC took us out. It was a pleasure to kick off the first full week of 2024 with such a fine crew. Until next time, GP

  • Crossroads

    An intrepid nine met at the old stone house and embarked on a fine urban park hike. Conversation was aplenty, trails were slick, hills were welcomed. Roscoe chased after many squirrels and came so close.

    70 minutes and a little over 3.6 miles.

    YHC took us out.

    Coffee was good and the conversation got to the heart of matters. Thanks for sharing this early morning with me.

  • Cryptocurrency and Suction Pants

    Very dark and misty this morning. But that didn’t stop 3 runners and 2 walkers from meeting up at Starbucks and getting it done. Runners got in anywhere from 5-6.5.

    2nd F at Starbucks afterwards. The title of the BB is just two of this morning’s conversation topics. If you’re interested in investing in Bitcoin, Aisle 5 can tell you all about it.

    Have a great Sunday!

  • Epiphany at Dapile

    Six magi descended upon Dapile on this surprisingly balmy Theophany. Opus, Mr. Holland and Descartes got an early start and ultimately clocked six miles, while the rest started at the traditional hour for a bootcamp. Here’s what happened with that:

    Mosey to grassy area in front of the middle school for COP (all exercises IC):

    • SSH (10x regular, 10x right leg only, 10x left leg only)
    • Arm circles, 10 big, 5 small, reverso
    • Helicopters x 10
    • APDs x 15
    • LBCs x 20
    • Scorpion kicks x 15
    • Hand-release merkins x 15
    • Copperhead squats x 10

    Mosey to middle school parking lot. In honor of the day, we cut the Beast in half. Exercises between parking lot islands were merkins, WWII sit-ups, and jump squats (adding an exercise each round for three rounds). In the middle of this holy battle, Descartes was guided by the light to leave the runners and join the bootcamp.

    We celebrated victory with a triple-check. Timer bear-crawled to adjacent parking lot island and Bernie Sandersed back, while teammates did BTW (on a tree) and Lt. Dans.

    Now having an even number of men, the bootcamp group moseyed to the basketball courts for a Dora 1-2-3. One partner hanged on a bar while the other partner did an exercise. Each pair completed 100 merkins, 200 lunges, and 300 SSHs.

    Mosey back to flag with short stop at benches for dips on bench x 10, incline merkins x 10, and step-ups x 10 (all IC).

    At this point remaining runners joined the boot campers for Mosey back to flag. Exercises ended with burpees IC x 10.

    Numberama, Name-orama. Announcements: Good luck to our brothers running in the Snowy Owl tomorrow. YHC is part of fundraising and running team for Massey as part of Monument Avenue 10K on April 20th, and all are invited to donate and/or join the Tumor Suppressors team. BOM. Opus took us out.

    Much welcome to Descartes who gutted it out and got a taste of both running and bootcamp this morning. The third F at The Local Cup after Dapile is a special part of YHC’s week, and this morning was extra special as the entire group – including FNG Descartes and Phonics – was there along with Corned Beef and Mudface. YHC loves you guys.