Category: Richmond, VA

  • Blessings, Burpees and Beach Boys

    29 Beach Boys had fun, fun, fun on this beautiful Saturday morning til Dadd…, Mommy brought doughnuts! It was a larger crowd than YHC expected and had to adjust on the fly for the big numbers. With the 1984 Playlist blaring (thanks to State Farm) PAX made their way to the baseball field.

    Mosey to the outfield for the standard warmarama. Then on to the left field foul pole for the Indigenous Polesmokers. The PAX in the rear would bear crawl to the front until PAX made the foul pole in right field. With the big numbers, it was a longgg bear crawl!

    4 Corners (prostitute style) in the outfield

    1st corner 10 Lieutenant Dans

    2nd 20 Plank Jacks

    3rd 30 Merkins

    4th 40 BURPEES (ouch!)

    Mosey back to the parking lots for a Songorama

    Beach Boys “Help Me Rhonda”

    Hand Release Merkins every time the name Rhonda is mentioned (it was about 40 times), and Mountain Climbers in between. The moaning and groaning from the PAX was the real music to my ears!

    Followed by a few minutes of Mary

    LBCs, Oblique V ups (both sides), Alabama Prom Dates, Supermans

    Partner up

    One partner does broad jump burpees and the other runs to the end of the parking lot and back until both PAX are at the end of the lot.

    Songorama

    Beach Boys “Barbara Anne”

    Big Boy situps every time they say Barbara Anne and American Hammers when not. This was going well and then the speaker died, but that didn’t stop the PAX from singing the rest of the song verbatim in perfect harmony, while performing the exercises! This was awesome!

    One final exercise

    Alternating stiff legged LBCs (Big Rigs)

    YHC emptied the tank to get to the 40 count on these!

    BTTF where there was, to my surprise, my awesome M, and 2.0! So apparently the M had conspired with Florence to pump up the numbers for this Birthday Q! And she brought 40 doughnuts!

    PAX proceeded to sing Happy Birthday, while making all the gloves rained down at my feet!

    I have to say, this was a truly special surprise! I have so much to be thankful for starting with my incredible wife, and awesome daughter!

    F3 has really changed my life in so many ways that I can’t put into words. There was a time when I wasn’t sure if I’d make it to 40 years old. But I did and it doesn’t feel like a finish line. It almost feels more like just the start. I’m not just in the best shape of my life, I feel like I am the best father, husband, friend, and person that I have ever been. But I also know that I can still be so much better. And I can attribute this to F3, as well as the support of my amazing wife and 2.0.

    Get out there and get those FNGs! This group has changed my life, and can do the same for so many guys out there!

    Announcements

    New Saturday AO coming!

    The Iron Bridge

    June 22nd at Goyne Park (Bermuda Triangle)

    Breaking Bread (sign up!) Saturday June 29th is still open

    I was so blessed to today!

  • Brunch for 5

    Two originals came super early for a prerun and the three young kids came later and got in 3 miles. Paths were crossed, high fives delivered/received and we met up again before Gridiron.

  • Slice it, Spin it, Bang it, Smash it

    4 HIMs had a little left in the tank to mix it up on the courts after Big Rig’s Birthday Q and other morning adventures. (Rosie, Hardywood, State Farm also completed Morning Wood; put in that work boys).

    Warmarama: A few hits back and forth, a few rules to share and some help from one of the locals.

    The Thang:
    Rosie: I never played before……. smashes the ball, again and again.

    Hardywood: I never played before…. Puts a mean spin on that ball. Won’t stay out of the kitchen. Promises to sell Pickelball Shoes at relaygoods.com. Get you some!

    State Farm: He’s played a game or 2. He Slices, Dices, Hulk Smashes(but it’s going out) and loves to Poach.

    YHC: Came for the Arepas. (don’t sleep on the Latin market at Rock N Roll y’all..)

    I’ll keep bringing extra paddles if anyone wants to play pickleball after RnR. Let’s gooo!!!

  • PAIN & CHAOS

    16 SOJ STUDS answered the call and wrapped their arms around Pain and Chaos this morning, the two 14’ telephone pole-size logs that took center stage at GTE#47. Some brothers knew what to expect, others came to learn what a ruck + log weight feels like. The broad grins said it all. These heroes carried the logs to and from the PIT around the entire perimeter of Rockwood’s loop road (about 1.2mi in 32min), with Team Chaos taking the lead and stopping periodically to complete log curls and overhead presses. With 8 PAX per team and 5 PAX under each log, there were 3 PAX pre team in constant rotation. This worked well.

    After depositing the logs back in the PIT, the six smaller logs (7-8’) were carried out the a grassy area for a Triple Check. A small band of Brogites (Mudslide, Wet Bandit, Melville, and HP) split off at this interval. With four teams on deck, the Triple Check consisted of P1 squatting while holding the end of a log, P2 completed Flutters, and P3 ran about 50 yards and back to switch. 

    COT:

    • Counterama # 16
    • Namerama

    #SOJ – !!WHUA WHUA!!

    NMS:  This was a SOLID band of brothers for some heavy lifting today, and none finer than the SOJ PAX to show up and put out! Pain & Chaos did not disappoint. Hardywood already has his eye on a Texas GTE in November! None of us knows what tomorrow will bring, but we are better prepared for whatever comes because we have pushed past what thought ourselves capable of. Let’s GO!!! Yours AYE, DTH

  • Sleep Mask On – Ready Position Move

    According to LOTS of cyclists in the park today, w/ at least one hittin’ some wacky tobaccy before embarking on a 100 mile trial ride (like the Frog suggested, perhaps this is the recruiting tool we’ve been missing), this is what went down:

    COP: Arm Circles, Cherry Pickers, DQs, SSHs, Mt Climbers, WWIIs, Merkins. 

    Blimps (burpees, lunges, imperial walkers, merkins, plank jacks, and side strandle hops) then run a loop after each exercise.  

    Line up across the carillon – 100 yard sprint followed by 100 merkins (1st one completing 100 calls it). Slowsy back to the starting point. 75 yard sprint – 75 squats with a slowsy back. 50 yard sprint, 50 LBCs, slowsy back. 25 yard sprint – 25 Monkey Humpers, slowsy back. 10 yard bear crawl, 10 burpees OYO.

    Eye of the Tornado: 10 Markers (a couple trash cans, a bucket, & some cones) set out in a circle, each with an exercise written on it. 3 Burpees at the Eye and then pick an exercise.  Repeato, until all 9 exercises done  (markers & exercises were 0= 10 AMs, 1 = 1 Burpee, 2 = 2 Burpees, 3 = 10 WWIIs, 4 = 15 plank jacks, 5= 15 mt climbers, 6= 20 Monkey Humpers, 7= 20 flutter kicks, 8= 20 box cutters). 

    To the triangle- bear crawl the short side, 20 CDDs, run, 20 WWIIs,  feel the Bernie up the hill, 20 merkins. 

    SSHs Plus –
    Form a circle.  Do SSHs OYO.  A member of the pax, when called on, initiates a core exercise.  15 are done.  Then return to SSHs. 

    Indian Bear Crawl carrying bucket of cones. All bear crawl.  Man at the back carries bucket to the front, drops bucket, and resumes bear crawling.  When the man at the back gets to the bucket, he grabs it and runs to the front, then bear crawls.  I didn’t communicate this well and it was a LONG way to crawl.  Therefore, this was a train wreck.  Borrow this idea at ur own peril.

    BTTF.  FMs, 6 inch leg raise/hold for 60 seconds and a finish w/ merkins to failure.  Numbers, Names, Announcements:

    Summer tour (great to see some tourists today!)

    2nd F at Firehouse Subs on the 2nd Tuesday (6/11 @ 12pm)

    July 4th Convergence

    Beware of the SOJ Takeover next week

    Pickleball, Monday, Forest Hill Park, 5:30am.

    New AO, Iron Bridge, launches with Posh on 6/22.

    Prayers for Fudd’s sister Mary and Splinter’s mother. Prayers for Hitch’s M, who’s ready to introduce that baby to the world.

    Final Thoughts: BB title from my headband looking like a sleep mask and the correction I needed on my exercise introductions. Even after 4 years with yall, I”m still learning and working at this thing. Crabgrass, well done today after only being in the gloom for 3 months. Great to meet you, thanks for the visit to Dog Pile and congrats on your 8 month old. Lots of folks out there are going through it. Let’s all strive to compare ourselves to who we were yesterday, not to someone else today – so that we may continue to grow to be strong for ourselves, for our families and our greater community. Go do something positive today fellas!

  • Post-Run Ground & Pound

    Off and running on a Saturday.  Almost ½ the PAX did a pre-run, but not your YHC.  Here is the chaser for our runners:

    • COP
      • SSH
      • IW
      • DQ
      • Helicopters
      • Arm circles
      • Suzanne Somers
      • Merkins
      • LBC
    • 4 corners on the football field – 10, 15, 20 & 25 reps at each corner
      • 70 HRM
      • 70 WWII sit-ups
      • 70 monkey humpers
      • 70 CD
      • 70 side crunches – each side
    • Lindsay with dips and bench kicks
    • Arch loader – animal movements to midfield, 25 APDs, animal movement back to the sideline, 25 squats, mosey back to the other side
      • Bear crawl
      • Crab walk
      • Bunny hop
      • Duck walk
      • Bear crawl
      • Cheetah run
    • 3x check in parking lot
      • Run
      • Wall sit
      • FM
    • COT with DMH and YHC taking us out

    Lunch at Firehouse Subs on Tuesday.  Great work from the PAX.  No one got more hurt!

    God is good all of the time!

    Attila

  • Rocks For 15 PAX (let’s go)

    In a grueling workout session, 15 determined individuals embraced the challenge of pushing their limits using nothing but rocks as weights. With each lift and every repetition, they tested their strength and endurance to the fullest. Fuelled by the mesmerizing rhythms of “Music for 18 Musicians” by Steve Reich, their determination soared, driving them to new heights of physical and mental fortitude. Sweating profusely, they persevered through the intense beats and complex melodies, forging bonds of camaraderie and resilience in the process. As the session concluded, they emerged victorious, knowing they had conquered both the physical and auditory challenges set before them.

  • Downrange in the Nooga

    Posted this morning while visiting my sis in our home town – Chattanooga, TN. A good beatdown, lots of coupon work and ended with playing knock out on the bball court. Nothing notable other than the fact that the Tennessee pax call the APD exercise “Pickle pointers.” I informed them of the correct name but apparently they thought they were too close to Alabama and could potentially offend their southern brothers. eyeroll emoji.

  • Trail run for the Sour Cream Boys

    It is finally light enough in the morning to hit the trails. So that is what we did. There were warnings that the trail would be under water. I scoffed at the notion and off we went. I was right. Trail was filled with the normal root obstacles but no water. The first group down the trail ended up taking the long way through the condo complex at the end while the second group, led by Gypsy, took a short cut and ended up in the lead. We all met up on Cox and made our way back before the 45 minute clock expired. Almost 5 miles total with some good hills mixed in. It felt cool to start but by the end was hot and muggy.

    We then took part in National Donut Day. Sour cream donuts were popular with some. Good to see Carl out a second time post Gridiron although when he learned 5:30 was the normal weekday start time, you could hear the gears turning in his head. Can’t blame him. No rising senior in high school should think that is a good idea. I barely do.

  • Blimey!

    2 runners and 1 rucker came out to enjoy the humidity

    Great times had by all except for the rucker who might have gotten lost.