Category: Richmond, VA

  • Circus Maximus Merit Badge

    On everyone’s favorite holiday, “Love a Tree Day”, we took to the woods after our warm up. We rifle carried to the path and went into the leaves. Off the normal Circus path, we started with 11s of tree smokers and people chair on a tree with overhead presses. After that fun we did 5 burpees to get rid of the bugs. We then partnered up in the raintree neighbor and one partner ran to a pile of broken tree parts (and wept) while the other did a kettle exercise. We rotated through curls, triceps and lawn mowers.

    To finish our forestry merit badge, we went back to the woods and did 11s with sit and press (feet around a tree) and regular presses.

    After 5 more burpees, we waiter carried back to the parking lot, partnered off again and did 100 HRMs as a team while your partner ran and touched a tree and ran back.

    We circled up and finished with a minute of SSH. It was around that time we learned Pigskin was Wojos Scout master. No surprise that Pigskin was a good scout master. Wojo’s first time to Circus earned him his badge. He can put that on the same uniform with the facial hair merit badge—he had a great teacher.

  • Morning Dew

    7 Davillians (4 runners and 3 Ruckers) rejected the fart sack this Thursday morning.

    2 Ruckers started at 5 adding another 5:30 and did their loops

    Runners heading out on Combs to Cool Spring Rd to Old Cool spring for a loop around the retirement home follow by the Kroger Loop and finishing with different Rutland loops to get in 4 to 4.5 miles

    Spit On That!!

  • Evangeline

    We jogged over to the Parking Deck at Dave and Buster’s. I took the shortcut. The others took the route down 3 Chopt, John Rolfe, Old Brick.

    Warm-up

    20 SSHs

    20 IWs

    10 Don Quixote

    The gameplan; start at the bottom of one stairwell, run to the top level, run across the top level over to the other stairwell, run to the bottom, turn around and run back to the top level, return across the top level to the first stairwell, run to the bottom and do 20 merkins. I think I did 7 times, not sure. Then we returned. Again, I took the shortcut.

    No announcements

    From the Poem Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I studied this when I was in the 8th grade. Part of the poem takes place in southern Louisiana, near where I grew up. I remember a little bit of the prologue which we had to recite from memory and which I imperfectly recited this morning.

    “This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,
    Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,
    Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic,
    Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms.
    Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep-voiced neighboring ocean
    Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest.”

    It’s a very sad story about two lovers who are separated when young and do not meet again until the man is on his deathbed. It starts around 1763 when the Acadians are expelled from Nova Scotia after the end of the French and Indian War.

    My conclusion, our life’s a lot better today! Be grateful!

  • Misty Morning

    2 DaVillians braved the misty weather to get some KB action.

    Mosey to the overhang by the bus loop for some COP.

    11s – Lawn mowers + Curls.

    Mosey back to flag for some stretching. Numbers, names, Corned Beef took us out.

  • A little something for everyone.

    8 MOTers + an SOT castaway hit the mean streets of midlothian today. I had several preplanned routes, which offered a route/pace for all. We ended up splitting into two groups for 4 miles and 5ish respectively.

    https://onthegomap.com/s/g57aigg6

    • 11:15 min/mile (4 miles total)
      • Bullseye, Heist, Warby, and Wedding Singer

    https://onthegomap.com/s/tj5i7p92

    • 9:15 min mile (4.9 miles total)
      • Don Draper, NTB, Swoop, Sable, and Tobit

    Shout out to NTB, Sable, and Warby for posting their first MOT.

    Announcements

    1. Let’s smash some Bermuda records next Tuesday.
    2. Keep pushing the Team Brightside fundraiser. We are rocking.

    I took us out in prayer.

  • A Visit by the Mascot

    Eleven or more hill lovers met in the bowl for today’s spider run. Instructions were brief as the route was well known, nary a mention of the alternate name for Ross’ bottom.

    The Route

    • Batcave to Westham station
    • Up south ridge to the light
    • 4s turn around and come home
    • 5s and 6s add Ross on the way down
    • 6s add Highland

    Numbers, names, YHC took us out.

    Moleskin

    Good tried but true route this AM. Thanks for Lockjaw, in abstentia, for introducing this variant many moons ago.

    We intersected Saab on Westham Station and he joined us for a brief minute. Only he knows where he went.

    During COT, a large brown spider appeared and joined the circle. We closed our eyes, said a prayer, and when they opened, he was gone. I’m sure he’s fine.

    Sorry for the day late fellas.

  • Fools in the Rain

    2 sleepless brojiis felt the need to get up before most in search of dry spots to lay out their properly sanctioned yoga mats for some predawn limberness. Variety of areas worked including hammys, groins, hips and shoulders. Shavasana was short but sweet. Appreciate the tales and the groans.

  • Handshake’s Kryptonite is a Little Wet Spot

    7 men of leisure strolled forth for the latest edition of The First Watch. Conditions were 70 and sunny, albeit with a very small amount of rain and a handful of wet spots. According to the Teen Aged Female Yale Student (YHC apologizes to any actual Teen Aged Girls reading this) griping about getting even a little bit of water on his whittle clothes, the following 100% dry exercises might have happened.

    Hutton is on the DL, but posted anyway. Walked Alone for the workout. Clearly, he’s not a Liverpool fan. Good choice. Liverpool FC can suck it. Yeah, Mr. Holland.

    Mosey to the side of the River Road Church, Baptist for the COP.

    SSHs x25
    Dead Man Hang
    Imperial Walkers x10
    Downward Dog
    WWIIs (Handshake’s alternative exercise to avoid getting wet: American Hammers)
    HRMs (Handshake’s alternative exercise to avoid getting wet: Merkins, or maybe it was Arm Circles)
    Inverted Scorpion Kicks (Handshake’s alternative exercise to avoid getting wet: Stand Still, in cadence)

    Handshake wanted to show his “I really do get wet sometimes” bona fides, so the PAX moseyed back towards his truck to see his “wet balls spot” on the driver’s side seat. Really. Can’t make this up. YHC stopped to do exercises among the sprinklers on the grass. The PAX rebelled and refused to enter the wet grass with live sprinklers. Soon, the PAX arrived at Little Blue, and YHC shined a light on the driver’s seat. YHC can attest – Handshake’s balls spot exists as advertised. Handshakes’ balls apparently sweat profusely ‘cause they certainly do not get wet from the rain.

    Partner up. But, do nothing with that partner for the time being. Mosey to South Ridge.

    Remember your partner.

    Mosey to the house with many cream colored pillars on a long wall. Using the first light as a starting point and the black-and-white striped sign as the turn-around, the Pax did the following:

    50 merkins – each man
    100 monkey humpers (team total)
    150 4-count SSHs (team total)
    1 burpee or 3 merkins as a transition.
    (Note: all exercises were done in a dry, climate controlled environment with a warm towel waiting at the end).

    Upon completion, the Pax moseyed to the striped pole. Repeat the general concept with the next turning point being the Country Squire sign. (A change of clothes / Lulu (see what I did there?) Lemon pants was/were provided to anyone / Handshake who had started to sweat or get wet).

    Hand-release merkins
    Slow squats
    SSHs (YHC thinks)

    Continue moseying down S. Ridge until YHC says stop. Then, partner up.

    First partner runs to Country Squire sign. Second partner bear crawls. When the first partner returns, swap. Second exercise was lunge. Third was butt kickers or high knees (Dealer’s Choice).

    Mosey back to the county’s smallest park for a four-cornered, no-right-angles exercise. Corner 1, 10 merkins. Corner 2, 20 WWIIs. Pencil roll across the grass. Or, just walk across the grass as the Pax still refuse to get wet on a rainy morning. Change into dry shoes. Corner 3, 30 monkey humpers (and a bunch of SSHs…) and mosey BTTVSF. One WWII, one pencil roll, one merkin. Enter that air-dry blower machine that they have at King’s Dominion after the water rides so the Pax can dry off.

    Numbers, names, and YHC took us out.

    Announcements: Someone thinks there might be a Memorial Day Convergence at Tredegar.

    NMS:

    OS F3: Show up, find the biggest puddle / temporary lake in human history in Bird Park. Water must be 6” high to qualify. Run halfway across that puddle / lake in the rain. Stop. Perform 10 burpees or merkins in that puddle. Repeato. Until time.

    NS F3: gripe about doing 1 WWII on a slightly wet spot of asphalt. Until time.

  • Rosetta – My stick is on fire!

    Rosetta showing! Not the most responsive when it comes to texting back. Would he respond if I said, “help my d&$! is on fire?” TBD.

    Good run Sunday. Good old school crew (Tobit, Boberry, Rosetta, and Don Draper). Rosie, Gumbo and Honeymoon were missed.

    Temperature was a crisp 59 or so. We did a standard run around Salisbury or was it Brandermill?


    Other topics discussed:

    1. Is Tobit going to grow sideburns, a mustache and carry a sabre at the Citadel?
    2. Is the ham place hiring and do you get free ham?
    3. What exactly did Heist eat last night?

    Three walkers as well (Cookie, Dumar, and Nancy Lopez).


  • Just Enough Coverage

    11 SOJ Titans emerged for the ideal conditions that presented us this morning. After some brief salutations and greetings, we were off to enjoy the treats that the finest fields in Chesterfield had to offer.

    Circle up on the plush turf for introductions and disclaimers, followed up by a brief warm up that included SSH, DQ, Helis, Jazzercise, LBC, Dead Bugs, Merkins and Superman (with vocal harmonies). Let us begin the THANG

    Mosey to behind the dumpsters to collect the long neglected coupons. Find a few of your closest compadres for a triple check. Round 1 bench press, wiper merkins (these sucked) while timer runs a loop around the 4 islands. Round 2 included curls for the girls, rows with timer running out and back. Return coupons to the resting place.

    Mosey to the wooden post for Indigenous Pole Smokers. PAX holds legs 6″ while a selected person performs 5 Pole Smokers and runs to the next available pole. Continue to the end of the line.

    100’s (or some numbers). Line up at the wood line of the fields. Brocode mosey under the pavilion where designated PAX member calls out an exercise and # of reps. 1st to complete said number announces their success and releases the PAX to continue running across the opposite field and earns the honor of announcing the next exercise. Exercises included 50 dips, 40 incline merkins, 50 groiners, 30 WWII’s, 40 squats.

    Slow (non Doozy) Mosey back to the flag for 40 seconds of plank. Numbers, Names, Announcements, Prayers. SOJ Fiesta at Casa de DTH tonight. Buttery Nipples and Purple Hooters a plenty. Prayers to Machismo and props for recognizing an upcoming issue early enough to take control. Prayers to DTH as his M’s family works thru some health issues. YHC took us out.

    NMS: Good group of No Toll regulars enjoyed the plush non moist fields. Conditions were ideal for Ultimate but YHC had other plans. Title applies to those that attended. Well done fellas, great work this morning.