Category: Richmond, VA

  • Taxation is theft

    Thirteen tough taxpayers came out to Hoedown on tax day. We went off campus to pay our fair share, the Westhoe way:.

    COP: SSH, Don Qs, Imperial Walkers, Helicopters, Merkins, Flutterkicks, LBCs. Mosey down to Spottswood for a marginal rate escalator:

    10% Bracket – 10 Merkins, 12% – 12 LBCs, 22% – 22 Jump Squats, 24% – 24 Box Cutters, 32% – 32 Carolina Dry Docks, 35% – 35 WWIIS, 37% – 37 Burpees. Each bracket was a higher spot up Spottswood hill. Start at bottom and repeat exercises going into the higher bracket. After 37 Burpees were done we met at bottom of hill then mosey back to flag. Finish with 3 min of Mary then YHC took us out.

    NMS: The PAX crushed this escalator even though it took 30+ minutes to complete. Running up the hill longer each time kept the blood flowing. There was some grumbling at the initial call of the top bracket being 37 Burpees but the PAX blew through them when we got to the end. There may be a lesson in here about the unfairness in our progressive tax system as well. Taxation is theft!

  • Are you sure it’s that way?

    4 pax met at 8pm tonight to test the legs and the gear for 10 miles of rucking. Thanks to YHC’s impeccable route and mostly successful navigation of said route, we got the 10 miles in and went by the Swift Creek Resevoir at least twice. That hurt. TCLAPS to Rosie for completing the training at 1 percent personal battery according to his watch. Lessons learned: bring water and snacks, wear comfortable shoes, give your shoulders a break so your hands don’t go numb. Also Tobit has more AKAs than Old Dirty Bastard (RIP).

  • My Dogs Are Barkin’

    A notorious nine launched from Dogpile at 0400 for a walking tour of Richmond. Conditions were 70 and sunny, perfect for a 10-mile CSAUP. From Dogpile we trekked north to The Diamond for our first pit stop. YHC attempted to demonstrate how to tie a bowline knot, but it was rope-master Machismo who educated the PAX. We headed south down Hermitage into the heart of the Fan and lost Big Rig somewhere in the neighborhood as his time with us was also planned to be medium and sweet. Eastbound down Monument/Franklin to Monroe Park for pitstop #2. Continue south to Tredegar, cross the Lee footbridge, and lap Belle Isle before continuing on to the Buttermilk Trail. After 8-miles of rucking, Buttermilk proved to be a worthy challenger for the PAX,. At the Reedy Creek parking lot we got back on the pavement of Riverside Drive and followed it uphill to the Nickel bridge, which returned us to our vehicles. Something in the territory of 10.5-miles were covered, because we’re a little tougher than the Rockwood boys down south. Jesting aside, well done to all the PAX pushing themselves this weekend to be better prepared for the beatdown of all beatdowns that promises to be GTE-47. If you have CSAUP fomo, ruck with Boberry and Rosie tonight!!!

    CSAUP Superlatives:
    – Fittest HIM Award – Dealer
    – Mr. Adventure Award – Machismo
    – Local Historian Award – Biodome
    – Gone to Soon Award – Big Rig
    – Best Storyteller Award – Chaplain
    – Grit Award – Broadway
    – Fearless Leader Award – Dr Try Hard
    – Coolest Ruck Accessory Award – Houseparty
    – Does Anything Try Hard Says Award – NTB

  • Handshake’s Mom’s Number

    COP: I tried to mosey to the bottom of the Amphitheater.  The gate was closed.  I hopped over a railing and then F3RVA’s lone Harvard grad showed me that you can just open it.  Onward to the bottom for arm circles, cherry pickers, DQs, SSHs, Mt Climbers, WWIIs, Merkins. 

    Mosey to the typical warm-up circle for The Downward Spiral: 10 burpees, 10 Merkins, 10 WWIIs and 10 Jump Squats, run the circle and do 30 SSHs at the other side.  Back to the place you started for 9 of everything w/ another helping of 30 SSHs on the side.  Then 8,  7, etc, down to 1. 

    Mosey to the Carillon for Call Me Maybe: 10 Markers (a couple trash cans, a bucket, some cones and a shovel flag) lined the field in numerical order.  Each marker had an exercise posted on it. Numbers were called. We ran to the numbers selected and did the exercises written on the 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, & 9= 10 ball dippers.
    Numbers called were:
    911
    Jenny’s number (1st thing: surprise-surprise – our 24 year old stud, Fergie, didn’t know it’s 867-530 nign-eey-igh-ighn.  2nd thing: One gent knew Tommy Tutone wrote this ode to Jenny.  That’s 2 pts now for Harvard – for those keeping score). 
    Next number called: Handshake’s mom’s number,
    then your own phone number,
    13×10 to keep the wits sharp
    Next, I considered audibling to socials and banking PINs, but i don’t trust yall that much.

    With shouts of FEBA, off we went.  

    Mosey to the next circle, form a circle, and stand equidistantly apart.  Bear crawl in.  Slap 5 dude’s hands and do 15 Booya Merkins with the 6th man you encounter.  Back to the edge of the circle for round 2.  Lunged in and 20 Rosalitas once you reach another 6th man.  Then crab walk and 20 FMs. 

    BTTF.  Variety of core work and big finish w/ merkins to failure.  Numbers, Names, Announcements:
    Grow Ruck is coming boys. 
    EFH is in, are you?!
    Up Chuck will host a workout at Dog Pile on 5/6 at 6am, before the  Grow Ruck Ruffians come in and start a workout at 7am.  Feel free to double dip (the Dog Pile Double Dip invitation stands for Grow Ruckers as well). 
    Prayers for the Grow Ruckers to stay injury free and to grow in mind, body and spirit from this upcoming event. 

    Excellent to see Gomer out at coffeeteria 2 wks in a row enjoying some 2nd F while he heals up nicely.

    Enjoy your weekend fellas! 

  • Gonna Make You Sweat

    13 SOJ gloom bangers circled up at Rockwood and were immediately inspired and vitalized by the groovy moves of their Q shaking hips to La Bouche’s “Be My Lover” – YES, it’s back to the 90’s night club for these lucky MC Hammer wannabe’s. Here’s why they kept singing “don’t hurt me”… 😎🎸🎤

    The THANG: 

    • Moseyrama lap around the lot and circle up in a grassy area for the Welcome & Disclaimer
    • A few stretching reps IC with A-ha’s “Take Me On”

    WHAT IS LOVE, by Haddaway

    • Squats to the beat
    • Burpees for every “Don’t Hurt Me” (total of x20 completed)
    • SSH’s for instrumental parts

    (Shake it out with a lap around the lot)

    I’M TOO SEXY, by Right Said Fred

    • Flutters to the beat
    • WWII’s for every “Too Sexy”
    • Crabwalk 360 degrees for “Catwalk”

    (Shake it out with a lap around the lot)

    BLUE, by Eiffel 65

    • Plank up for Shoulder Taps to the beat
    • Merican for every “Blue” (total of x30 mericans completed)

    DIRTY McDEUCE:

    • Mosey over to the grassy slope
    • x4 Sets separated by crossing the space, each set with x3 exercises (chest, legs, core), x12 reps for each exercise
    • Bear crawl up/down the hill to cross about 30 yards
    • Exercises: Merkins, Ball Dippers, & WWII’s

    PULLUP LADDER:

    • Mosey over to the Workout Station and partner up
    • P1 sets pace with descending Pullups while P2 Donkey Kicks on a tree – each partner descends from 7 pullups to 1

    WOODS RUN:

    • Run the paved trail, stopping for some lunge walking up a hill

    PARKING SPACE LADDER:

    • Bear crawl between 10 lines, increasing merican reps 1 to 10 at each line

    PLANK REVIEW:

    • Moseying back around the outside loop, stop to wait for the SIX curb planking
    • When all present, review the F3 Mission, Credo, and Core Principles 

    CAPTAIN THOR:

    • Mosey back down the middle lot to circle up in the grass
    • x1WW2 then x4 AmHam …escalate 2:8, 3:12, 4:16, 5:20…all the way to 10:40!!!

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 13 (plus a beast-mode shirtless State Farm)
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Nothin like adding reps to thumpin beats to drive muscle groups to exhaustion. Appreciate the PAX humoring YHC’s little 90’s night club flavor this morning. YHC noticed the various routines had a fair percentage of the PAX modifying, so we can assume they were sufficiently challenged. Also, we had a bold visitor “Donny” who YHC earlier noticed running the AO and called out an invite to join, but then didn’t see him again until he joined our COT. He’s given his HC for coming to R&R next Saturday! That said, it’s ALWAYS worth going out of our way to invite those solitary men you see making an effort at/near your AO – you never know what bringing them into your PAX might mean for their life! Let’s GO! Yours, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • 10 Mile Rucks! Tomorrow (Sun) at 4am from Dogpile, and 8pm from Timberwolf! 
    • VQ WEEK April 22-27
    • GTE weekend May 3-5

  • Not Rucking Around

    6 men showed up to challenge themselves to ruck 10 miles this morning. Many of the world’s problems were solved as we rucked throughout Rockwood Park and North Chesterfield. More details to come on that.

    Thanks to the crew for the company and the conversation!

  • Lakeside Reflections

    10 Morning Wood ruckers burdened with over 400 pounds of steel and sand embraced a beautiful morning on the Rockwood back trails. Big Rig forgot his ruck and opted (like the warrior he is!) to carry all 60 pounds of Sandy for the 55 minute, 2.8 miles. Mudslide was kind enough to lead the PAX along a quaint lakeside trail and we enjoyed deep conversation and a purple orange sunrise over the misted lake. Many MANY reasons to be thankful. 🙏 Yours, DTH

  • Do You Have Your Life Insurance?

    4 Early Risers made it out for what will now be known as Premature Acceleration. Starting at 5am, we hit the streets of Mayfair Estates.

    Lots of chatter on many topics this morning. Consensus of the group was PapaJohns is the best national pizza chain. YHC likes Marco’s out of the chains, but was told they are regional. The book 1984 makes Heist cringe.

    YHC’s leading of the group across the streets reminded Heist to give the PSA to the group to get enough life insurance, after our near death experience crossing Hull Street.

    YHC reminded everyone to pack baby wipes in their ruck sack.

    State Farm was out doing a hybrid ruck/run by 530. We’ll give him the big data point. He got a PR for distance on the whole day, with 10 miles in 2.5 hours.

    Swoop led PAX on a 10 mile ruck of his own into YHC’s neighborhood along with Heist and others. Sadly, they didn’t do any yard work at my house, as I requested.

    YHC and Boberry were part of the first part of the ruck in the trails around Rockwood Park.

    Beautiful morning, and great to have so many PAX coming out so early!

  • Easy BB

    15 noble warriors participated in a quick BB Q today.  Here is how it went down:

    • COP
      • SSH
      • IW
      • DQ
      • Helicopters
      • Arm circles
      • DMH
      • Merkins
      • LBC
      • APD
    • Mosey to the tennis courts for a cumulative beast
      • 216 HRM
      • 180 WWII sit-ups
      • 144 copperhead squats
      • 108 side crunches, each side
      • 72 2x crab cakes
      • 36 burpees
    • Mosey to the bus loop for 2x 25 pole smokers and 1 minute pole sit
    • Mosey back to the parking lot for COT with YHC taking us out

    Great work from the PAX today!  Lots of core work, plenty of fellowship!  Good to see 15 strong!

    Same announcement as always – Grow Ruck in a few weeks.

    Johnsonville’s wife might be starting a peer led female boot camp workout(s) for the ladies.  Contract J-ville with any questions.

    God is good all of the time!

    Attila

  • Dont drop the rock

    18 Men showed up this morning for a little fun on Satan’s Hill. YHC sent out a challenge to a group of people last night and challenged them to post. to encourage them I told them I would donate $ towards the F3 / Brightside fundraiser for pediatric cancer. 8 of those people took me up on the challenge and YHC donated $100 towards the fundraiser! If you are reading this and feeling like you want to help the cause I have included the link for you.

    Warmarama- after a stroll up satan’s hill and back we started with SSH, Imperial Walkers, ukranian soldiers, dead man hang , some leg stretches, LBCs and merkins

    THE THANG

    dont drop the rock- Triple check with the rocks partner 1 carried the rock and ran around the parking lot island as the timer, partner 2 curls, partner 3 skull crushers

    Suicides on the hill – round 1 – bear crawl 1/4 way up the hill 10 merkins and back to start. ROund 2 – cardio changed to lunges 1/4 way merkins and back and then 1/2 way up for 20 lbcs and back. Round 3 cardio changed to karoke up 1/4 10 merkins, 1/2 20 lbs, 3/4 30 squats. Round 4 cardio changed to run and 1/4 10 merkins and back , 1/2 20 lbcs and back, 3/4 30 squats and back, then up the whole hill for 40 SSH and back

    Finished off with 8 burpees for the 8 guys that caused me to donate to the cause this morning. TIme called

    annoucements- F3 / TEAM BRIGHTSIDE fundraiser- DONATE and tell friends we can make a big impact!

    https://pages.donately.com/teambrightside/fundraiser/john-schroepfer-f3-rva

    SWOOP leading 10 mile ruck from rockwood park tomorrow at 6 am. grab a sack and meet us there!

    Nancy took us out in prayer