Category: Richmond, VA

  • Breaking Bread Metaphorically

    YHC and 2.0s cooked up pork tenderloin, mixed up some pasta salad, and whipped up some perfectly set banana pudding. YHC’s attempts to deliver good tidings, cheer, and some perfectly timed dad jokes were met with some resistance, so the food was dropped and on our way YHC and PAX went. There was no breaking, nor any bread, but you get the picture. IB volunteer hours were also completed.

  • May day

    A strong 13 PAX came out for the start of May and see what fun was in store. We did:

    COP on blacktop: SSH, Don Qs, Imperial Walkers, Merkins, Flutterkicks, Scorpion kicks. Splinter kid’s fitbit was not there so we moseyed down to bottom of Lindsay. Partner up and alternate bear crawl and lunge back to top. Mosey down to other Cul-de-Sac on Paris Ridge for Dora 123: 100 Burpees, 200 Flutterkicks, 300 Squats.

    Mosey back to TES parking lot for everyone’s favorite: Ascending HRMs at each arrow and alternate Crab walk and Lunge. Finish up in the petting zoo tent with 2 min of Mary.

    Announcements: CSAUP at Godwin this Saturday morning. Ruck at 6, Bootcamp at 7 and run relay at 8:00.

    NMS: Best way to get yourself back on track is to sign up to Q. YHC was glad he did and was met with overwhelming support, especially from Fudd. YHCs only plan was to hit up the Cul-de-Sac(s) Sax?? since those are not on the normal list for YHC. When the 100 Burpees was called for in the Dora there was barely a groan, guess that means we’ll have to drop the burpees in the 200s some day soon. The Petting Zoo tent still smelled of farm animals but no droppings were found.

  • Break in the rain

    We got in a little under 6.3 miles this a.m. Good run south of the James. Good times with the all Hokie crew.

  • If you’re happy and you know it…

    10 SOJ studs, including two FNG’s and one repatriated missionary, stepped up the beatdown game with a DTH homecoming celebration. Here’s how the PAX recalled what a real bootcamp feels like:

    The THANG:

    WARMERAMA:

    • Mosey onto the BBall Court and circle up
    • F3 Welcome, Review of the Core Principles for our FNG’s, and a standard you-VS-you Disclaimer
    • Variable IC exercises with a MUCH-appreciated early dive into 8-count reps …you’re welcome. 🙂
    • Warm? Let’s wreck the shoulders…

    COP #1:

    • Mosey to the next BBall court
    • 4-CORNER SHOULDERAMA
    • x10 Diamond Merkins
    • x20 No Cheat Merkins
    • x30 Werkins
    • x40 CDD’s
    • Bear Crawl between Corners

    COP #2:

    • Mosey around the perimeter road
    • Stop on a grassy area for PLT’s
    • Complete x3 sets of x25 each

    COP #3:

    • Mosey to the gravel road hill
    • LINDSEY
    • Top of the hill – Ball Dippers 30–>10
    • Bottom of the hill – LBC’s 10–>30

    COP #4:

    • Mosey to the Bath House Wall
    • IC Reps: Hoedowns, Dirty Hookups, BTTW, Donkey Kick-Off’s to 15
    • Back to People’s chair – in super spontaneous style OC took us out with hand claps and feet stomps to his hearty singing of “If you’re happy and you know it” …THIS…WAS…AWESOME!!! (#NewOneForLexicon)

    COP #5: 

    • Bernie Sanders down the Lot
    • Other variable movements to slowly move the PAX to the Pickleball Courts
    • PICKLEBALL 50’s
    • At each of the individual Pickleball court the PAX is given an exercise to complete – first man to x50 calls out, and PAX moves on to the next court (front runner calls the next exercise)
    • x8 courts completed with variable exercises called: Heels to Heaven, Merkins, Flutter Kicks (2-ct), Monkey Humpers, Shoulder Taps (2-ct), LBC’s, Calf Raises, SSH’s

    COT:

    • Counterama # 10
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:

    Ain’t nothin like F3RVA mumble chatter in the whole dang world! Man it feels GREAT to be among the SOJ brotherhood again. Awesome to have a couple baller FNG’s as part of the welcome party – welcome CHA CHA (heard about us from Florence’s church blast, and is a VCU interventional radiology guru who does Salsa with his M), and welcome TUG (Rosie’s slow-burn neighbor, about 20 steps from where we started with his nickname, but we love it!) And how about Orange Crush spontaneously busting into song during our Wallerama…AWESOME – pretty sure “If you’re happy and you know it…” will be now making a regular appearance on every wall around SOJ. Thanks to our FMG’s, Hardywood, rosie and OC for quality coffeerama time after. SO GOOD to connect and catch up. YHC is on the Q sheet a few more times coming up – come find me to hang out! SYITG, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • MAY – FNG CHALLENGE!!! Bring out as many FNG’s in May as you can, then get them to come out again for Memorial Day convergence! 
    • 5/3 – Volunteer to Build a play area at Dogwood
    • 5/6 – Currahee CSAUP
    • 5/12 – SOJ Happy Hour and Leadership Chat
    • 5/21 – SOJ Family BBQ at BWE
    • 5/29 – Memorial Day Convergence at Tredagger 
    • 5/30 – Rosie hosting the 1st SOJ Summer Coffee Tour following NoToll
    • COMING SOON – School of Rock workout for our kids that will follow R&R monthly through the summer
    • COMING SOON – Ultimate Frisbee at the Forge – dates TBD

  • Coupon count: 10… err 9

    Eight emerged from the gloom to see how work is progressing on the Carillon. According to the dogs staging a sit-in at tables in the Amphitheater this is what transpired.

    After the customary disclaimer QIC opened the back of his standard size SUV and handed each member of the PAX at least one shiny new cinder block. Some were fortunate enough to receive two! The group moseyed to the Ha’ Penny Stage to begin replenishment of the coupon supply.

    At the Stage – COP: SSH, Helicopters, IW, DQ, C Squats, Merkins, LBC, APD all in cadence

    Coupon Count: 10

    Group into groups of about 4 for a Triple Check with the new coupons – Curls, Chest raises, runner touches 5 trees. There was some confusion about groups and actual head count. After a couple rounds QIC decided to move to the next activity with hopes of keeping things a bit more organized. Deposit coupons under the stage. One coupon did not survive it’s initial action encounter. RIP

    Coupon Count: 9

    Mosey to the street at the opposite end of the big field: Increment merkins at lightposts to intersection /Increment burpees on the return

    Mosey to the Amphitheater – 5 box cutters on each step going down, 5 merkins on each step coming back up

    Mosey to the Field – The Beast (6 sets of 6 exercises repeated at 6 intervals down the field and back). Exercises were LBC, Squats, Carolina Dry Docks, American Hammers — called for time

    Mosey back to the start by way of the Ha’ Penny Stage to collect the remains of the broken cinder block. Limbs and torso were disposed of.

    Three minutes of Mary: Freddie Mercury’s IC, APD’s IC, Flutter kicks OYO

    Numberama / Namerama. YHC took us out. 2nd F at Libbie Market as per custom where we had a Flatline sighting in a snazzy Army sweatshirt.

    Announcements:

    • CSAUP May 6 at Currahee – see the pre-Blast and Gomer Pyle for info – Ruck 6am, Bootcamp 7am, Relay Run 8am
    • There is a volunteer opportunity at Dogwood Dell on Sunday 5/7 at 8:30a – Come help build a children’s play area in the garden area that has been developing along Love Hill behind Barker Field. Posh has info which was shared in the 3rd F channel on Slack

    Prayers: Fergie’s brother was diagnosed with cancer this week. It’s been an unexpected blow to his family but they are ready to fight! Up Chuck’s nephew is dealing with the loss of a Marine buddy in a training accident.

    Thanks to everybody who posted today and helped shuttle the new coupons into place. I didn’t expect to break one out of the gate but thank you also for helping to clean up the fragments. Thinking about the coupons being removed/cleaned up lead me to reflect on how fortunate we are to have access to the public spaces for our AO’s and how important is we continue to respect them and respect other users of them. I’m proud of how well we do this! Our opportunity to use these spaces the way we do is a privilege we never want to take for granted.

    Thanks for the opportunity to lead and be part of something bigger than myself. SYITG

    Work on the Carillon appears to be happening. That’s about all I can say.

  • Dic-Tater-ship

    Q wasn’t feeling too hot this AM and the pax may have felt the wrath. But we had fun, didn’t we?

    In honor of the NFL Draft we started with a new one from the Exicon, 1st and 10 (basically 11’s with Merkins and Burpees). “Great” idea to start with 55 burpees, right? Took a break from running with a Jack Web (1 Carolina Dry Dock to 4 Arm Presses, up to 40). Then Ab work: 20 Crunchy Frogs, 20 Freddy Mercury’s and 20 Mercury Freddy’s. Rolled over and started a Bear Crawl-Merkin march to mid field. More Abs with 20 WWII’s, 20 WWI’s, and 10 V-Up Roll Ups. Back to legs with a Dora of 100 Heal Lifts, 200 Lunges, and 300 Squats. A mosey to the playground for another new one from the Exicon, Worst Merkin Ever. Wide Arm, Regular, Diamond. 10 of those and pax was done. Some stretching, another burpee, and more stretching.

    Announcement: May 7th starting at 8:30am need volunteers to construct a play area for kids out in Dogwood Dell Park. Confirm with Gypsy

  • Fire Up the Crucible

    Blackwell neighbors were treated to the sights and sounds of the PAX getting The Crucible back in business. The THANG:

    Mosey around the school and back to the playground for COP.

    COP: SSH, IW, Bird Dog, Suzanne Somers, Suzanne Somers with a Half Side Plank (“on steriods”), Suzanne Somers with a Full Side Plank (“roid rage”), McGill Crunches

    Mosey to the picnic tables for: PAX 1 is the timer – runs back to the cars and performs kettlebell exercise (Round 1 – Tricep Extensions, Round 2 – Curls, Round 3 – Bench Press), PAX 2 Dips, PAX 3 American Hammers, PAX 4 Derkins. Rotate when PAX 1 returns.

    Mosey to the bluetop for four corners: 10 Squats, 20 Merkins, 30 Flutter Kicks, 40 SSHs. Along the “short” sides (full length basketball court), Bear Crawl or Crab Walk (PAX choice). Run along the long sides.

    Back to the cars for one round of: PAX 1 Overhead Pulls x10, PAX 2 American Hammers, PAX 3 Six Inches, PAX 4 Flutter Kicks. Rotate when PAX 1 finishes.

    1 Burpee

    COT

    Announcements: CSAUP next week at Godwin High School. Rides will leave from men’s and women’s THP at 7:30am next week. There is a plan for more planning at ETs tomorrow morning. The team of Flintstone + 3 THP women are looking for challengers.

    NMS:

    Welcome Nacho, who doesn’t each nachos and hasn’t seen Nacho Libre. But he grew up as a wrestling fan. Credit to Joey Chesnut for the name.

    YHC worked in some back exercises from PT into a back-friendly workout, with a Burpee on top so that Nacho would be properly introduced to F3.

    Solid work by the PAX today!

  • Bro-code

    Last Friday Bro-Code..

    It was raining..

    The pax showed up..

    We ran the Bro-Code route…

    COT along the run..

    Show to know more.

    v/r

    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • I Get Wet

    3ish cars waited with drivers in the parking lot until the last possible minute step into the soggy gloom. 530am hit and we got out of vehicles and moseyed to the overhang. Turn on some Andrew W. K. and get to work.
    wamrerama including, ukranian soldiers, collard pickers, flutters.

    triple check with a runner running the bus loop. Then right on time with the downpour we did a nice loop through around the school. More triple checks, another lap around the school, Merkin jacks and captain Thor’s, finished with gorilla shuffles, curb crawls and Mary.

    announcements

    good luck to those going to rugged maniac tomorrow!

    Nmm

    great to get a bad weather workout in. YHC felt challenged when mentioned by Honeydo on slack. What better time to play the classic 2001 album “I Get Wet” by Andrew WK

  • Buttheads

    Buttheads

    Four nincompoop runners accompanied three nincompoop ruckers for today’s RAMM. Yesterday’s slack teaser only resulted in a few takers; perhaps without the teaser no one would have shown. These are today’s questions that will never be answered.

    The Route

    Inspired by last week’s personal diversion coming back from Monument, this week’s route promised to be the simplest complex route ever.

    Course boundaries were Hamilton to the east, Broad to the north, and Chantilly to the west. Start by turning right on Grove. Take first left. Then first right, left, right, left, etc. until you reach a boundary. Once a boundary is reached, turn around 180 and head the other direction, following a similar pattern.

    6s doubled back once they hit a boundary mother goose style to add mileage before continuing on.

    Numbers, names, YHC took us out after coercion from Wedding Singer to move along.

    Moleskin

    YHC enjoyed this route. After mapping it out yesterday, the route reminded me of the old 80s video game Q*bert. No box jumps today, simply a lot of left and right turns. Could have been an advanced level of Q*bert back in the day.

    Upon arrival at home, YHC was greeted with strange looks from my 9YO. His comment was, “you ran in this?” YHC replied, “Absolutely! We are a bunch of nincompoops.” After inquiring what a nincompoop is because he had never heard that term he replied with, “We call them buttheads these days.” Buttheads indeed.

    Thanks to the 4 runners who endured my creativity. YHC will lobby Lockjaw to name this route the Q*bert route.

    Enjoy the day fellas. We bring the weather to everything we do! Bring sunshine today!