Category: Richmond, VA

  • Fiona’s ABBsolutely Fabulous Reunion

    Lovely cool gloom welcomed a sixpack of faithful HIM’s, including our prodigal darling Fiona, who we joyfully welcomed back into the F3 fold today after a 2 year hiatus. With YHC’s shoulder still on IR, a no-merkin beatdown was the name of the game, and it went a little something like this:

    The THANG:

    WARMERAMA:

    • Moseyrama over to the school front and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom

    COP #1:

    • Mosey around to the amphitheater 
    • ABBITHEATER ASCENTS:
    • Variable IC reps on each step with a short mosey in between
    • Exercises: Big O’s, Dips, Flutters, Freddie Mercury’s, Boat/Canoe, Variable Plankorama, DR.W’s

    COP #2:

    • Mosey through Snuff’s Gate to the Field
    • OLD HUNDRED:
    • Descending OYO reps, decrease from 100 to 10, with a variable movement or sprint length of field between
    • Exercises: Calf Raises, Mtn Climbers, LBC’s, SSH’s, Oblique LBC’s, …Can’t recall…, Plank Jacks, Donkey Kicks, Heels to Heaven, Snuffing (deep breathing)

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 6
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  It was really great to see Fiona out this morning – welcome back bro!!! Always fun to remember how he earned his nickname – cause he said wearing gloves was for princesses. Haha!  There was a generally light spirit to accompany the grind (with the ever clever quips from Thugs), and a nice cool temp was welcome while the six pack perfected their six packs. SYITG! ~DTH

    Announcements:

    Prayer Requests:

    • Prayers for our BRR brothers as they head out today for the relay
    • Prayers for YHC preparing for a big presentation next week at the World Medical conference

  • Neighborhood Watch

    A mighty three kept the Mary torch lit as they ventured off into the surrounding neighborhoods.

    COP in the front of the school. The usual and stuff.

    Off to Commonwealth and head north performing the exercises of a red barchetta on the corners. 10 burpees, 25 merkins, 50 mountain climbers, 75 LBC, 100 flutter kicks.

    Take a right on Leonard Pkwy and perform some incremental 4 corners.

    10 dive bombers

    10 dive bombers, 20 american hammers

    10 dive bombers, 20 american hammers, 30 jump squats

    10 dive bombers, 20 american hammers, 30 jump squats, 40 box cutters

    Continue south on wisteria beginning a round of lindsays making a left on Stuart and a right on Westmoreland. The exercises were carolina dry docks and APDs.

    For the final block, lunge walk to the ally and bear crawl the other half.

    YHC took us out.

  • The century club divided

    19 strong posted in the most populated SOT in a fortnight. The damp conditions were no match for these gloom warriors as they slayed the morning.

    COP- 20 each SSH, LBC; 10 Each DQ’s, Jazzercise, Helicopters, Imperial Walkers, Tic/Toc’s, Coper head squat, Dead man hang, Merkins, Flutters, Dollies.  

    The thang: Century Club on the track divided. 1st lap 100 Merkins run a full lap, 2nd 50 LBCs at start and halfway, 3rd lap 25 squats at each 1/4, 4th lap 12.5 Flutters at each 1/8th, 5th lap 10 monkey humpers at each 1/10th. Mosey to hill and partner up. 1 runs up hill while other do exercise. 2 rounds then mosey BTTF. 1 burpee. Just to show I do incorporate burpees.

    Announcements: See slack, 8 year anniversary 9/24, sit and sip 9/24,

    Prayer Requests: N/a

    YHC took us out in prayer.

    Make Today Awesome!  

  • Inventory Time

    Eight, no wait seven dudes descended upon the best AO in town for an invigorating morning workout. There was one guest named Cappuccino from F3 Tallahassee. The lucky seven started with some stretching because it’s always important to do that. Then it was off on a mosey to one of the first circles.

    At the circle everyone lined up in the merkin position on the curb around the circle and did one merkin then crawled with hands on the curb to the next curb cut, we did this as a team shuffling around the circle clockwise until some of the PAX hit the trash cans. Enough of that, then it was on to the stage.

    YHC had been eyeing the coupons over the past few months and noticed their numbers have been dwindling down. Last inventory counted 37 coupons on January 19, 2022. So we’ve lost a few in that time span. It went like this, each person shuttled the coupons into the light near the fence over head carry. Then when all coupons were out it was a series of exercises based on the magic number of 12 coupons that were counted. So 12 overhead presses, 12 curls, 12 merkins, and 12 dips.

    Put all the coupons back one by one by doing 10 lunges with a coupon then run them back to their hiding place under the stage.

    Next it was on to death valley, behind the amphitheater for a variation of brokeback mountain. Partner up 5 rounds total, timer runs down and up the hill and does 5 burpees on the opposite side, while the partner alternates rounds between WW2s and flutters. It took a while but the work felt good. Next mosey on over to the amphitheater.

    You dip, I dip, we dip. Two dips on each step up to the top of the amphitheater. No fancy counting, no escalating or descending numbers to remember, just 2 plain ole dips. Hopefully in the next 9 months we will not be down to zero coupons…

    It was great having a guest in town, and we were all excited to see Shiplap emerge from parenting a newborn.

    Then mosey back to the flag for some mary, and YHC took us out.

    Prayers for Hitchhikers coworker for the loss of their parent.

  • It’s a good thing I am not teaching music today.

    6 guys came out this morning to lift some bells and to provide corrective guidance to the Q on counting properly.

    COP — SSH, Butt kickers, high knees, helicopters, cherry pickers, crab cakes, copperhead squats, hillbillies, IW, tempo merkin, heels to heaven, KB swings, KB press with flutterkick, KB figure 8’s

    CMIYC — one partner runs the loop, the other person lunges with Kettlebell

    DK — 10
    bear crawl
    10 renegade rows
    DK — 20
    bear crawl
    20 renegade rows
    DK — 30
    bear crawl
    30 renegade rows

    triple check
    bob and weave
    KB american hammers
    walk run to second lamppost and back

    4 corners
    OYO until time is called
    corner 1 — tricep press
    corner 2 — goblet squats
    corner 3 — some great exercise I can’t remember bc I laughed so hard at something that was said that I totally lost all memory of that time…
    corner 4 — lawnmowers

    Boat canoe confusion led by Yardsale
    Stretching

    Great working out with you all this morning. Laughed so hard I almost wet myself.

    Peace
    Opus

  • We Need a Safety Net, Not a Hammock

    13 men chose to knock this thing out right now in the latest edition of First Watch, F3RVA’s only AO with its own cult following. Temperatures remained 70 and sunny. According to the citizens concerned upon seeing men with cinder blocks in the middle of the night, the following might have happened:

    THE COP (singular):

    Mosey to the grassy knoll in front of River Road Church (a Baptist-type organization):

    SSH’s x20 (4-count)
    Merkins x5 (4 count)
    Hillbillies x10 (4-count)
    Merkins x5 (4 count)
    Imperial Walkers x10 (4-count)
    Merkins x5 (4 count)
    Dead Man Hang x10 (4-count)
    5 burpees
    Alabama Prom Dates x10 (4-count)
    Merkins x5 (4 count)

    Mosey to the Parking Lot…grab a block (thank you to Site Q-bota for the new blocks):

    For purposes of simplicity, the next 40 minutes of the Beatdown were conducted while carrying a block.

    Mosey to South Ridge and Cameron. 20 curls.

    Mosey to Cameron and Culpepper. Triple check.

    PAX 1: Bernie Sanders up the hill; run back down.
    PAX 2: Overhead press
    PAX 3: Bench press

    Mosey to Grattan and Culpepper. Triple check.

    PAX 1: Option A: Bear crawl to the dump truck (sans block). Option B: Run to the pick-up (with block).
    PAX 2: Little baby block crunches
    PAX 3: Curls

    Mosey to South Ridge and Cameron. 20 of something.

    Mosey to the parking lot (far corner): 20 block exercises. Dealer’s Choice / OYO.

    Return the blocks.

    Mosey to the VSF for 3 MsOM.
    30 Flutter kicks (4-count)
    Reverse crunches
    4 burpees

    Announcements / Requests:

    Firewoman Kate is having neck surgery tomorrow. Let’s hope for a successful operation and a quick recovery. Prayers for her and the whole First Responder family this week.

    Gumbo and Rosie have something cookin’. It involves a Triangle. Look for more details and plan to attend.

    Splinter is starting a new hammock rental business. See Slack for details.

    Safe travels and a good time for everyone at the BRR. Let’s do this!

    NMS:

    YHC’s momma turns 83 tomorrow. When one raises 4 reasonably well-adjusted kids (or any number of kids) who have turned into halfway decent adults / parents, that deserves respect. Being a parent involves learning how to carry a little bit heavier load than we each planned (by analogy, the block). As we get older, sometimes life throws more blocks at us. Mom has gone through the last 12 years learning how to do things on-her-own (like many of our parents). Sometimes smooth; sometimes a little rocky, but always pushing forward. Happy birthday, mom.

  • Size and thickness is important

    After a week of recovery, seven Brogii veterans arrived early with a variety of comfort flooring. Fudd followed Hutton with the yoga mat, YHC preferred double towel protection, Lockjaw brought a wash cloth, while others found whatever was lying around the laundry on the way out. Exercises emphasized shoulders, hamstrings, hips and back. Shavasana was elongated with the cool morning breeze crossing the parking lot. Well done today fellas.

  • Tapering is for losers

    Brick, Lighthouse and me enjoyed a warm morning running 3.3 miles in Short Pump. During the run we first hit Trader Joes for some Don Quixote’s, Cherry Pickers, Imperial Walkers, Freddie Mercuries and Flutter Kicks. We then ran up a parking deck and at the top did some 7’s with Mountain Climbers and Burpees, then a triple check with Squats, LBCs and running up and down one level. We then ran all the way down and eventually found the Gazebo to do some dips and step ups in cadence. After running back to the flag we did some stretching. My watch says we ascended a total of 74 feet! Whew!!! Just like running in the mountains . . .

    Thanks for letting me Q before BRR.

  • Shots Fired

    8 running buddies launched at 7 with 2 Sheilas in hot pursuit for the latest edition of Sunday Funday. Conditions were 70 and sunny. According to the suspect at large, the following might have happened:

    Route: Buttermilk, cross at Belle Isle Oark (audible due to gunfire), down the trail to the river, skip over the rocks to Belle Isle, then the loop on Belle Isle, then North Bank, and back to the VSF. 6.5 or so.

    NMS: Not every day that we hear a pair of gunshots (or have others report same). Not weapons seen. Multiple witnesses interviewed. All returned safely.

    Names, numbers, Shakedown took us out.

    YHC’s brain thinks we had 8, but is only remembering 7. Apologies. Who did I miss?

  • Moist Toll

    6 Mermen swam around the swamp at NoToll this morning. Here’s what our aquatic creature friends observed :

    Warmarama on basketball court : 20 SSH IC, 10 Don Q’s IC, 10 Cherry Pickers IC, 10 Marching Soldiers IC, 10 Imperial Walkers IC, 10 Merkins IC

    Mosey to cinder blocks and bring back 2 cindy’s to basketball court

    Triple Check : Timer runs loop to tennis courts, up and around to bridge and back to basketball court; Partner 2 does Cindy curls; Partner 3 does WWIIs

    Put Cindys Back

    1 round of this week’s IPC challenge : On basketball court, bear crawl forward to Corner 1 then do 25 Squats; Bear crawl left to Corner 2 then do 25 Merkins; Crawl bear to Corner 3 then do 25 Big Boi Situps; Bear crawl right to Corner 4 then do 25 Burpees (We used half the basketball court as our square with the corners being each station)

    Mosey to parking lot next to Soccer Fields for 4 Corners with running in between corners. Exercises were 25 Ball Dippers DOUBLE COUNT, 25 Flutters DOUBLE COUNT, 25 Merkins, 25 Squat Jumps

    Start heading BTTF but stop before the gates for lunge walks (covered about 40 yards)

    Mosey to bridge for 40 dips then 25 incline merkins

    Mosey to basketball court for 1MOM : LBC’s

    DONE

    Numbers, Names, YHC took us out after COT

    Announcements : Sat 9/17 a PAX from F3 Wilson NC needs help moving some heavy items at his parents’ house in Quinton VA on east side. Should take 1 or 2 hours. Lab Rat posted on Slack saying he’s willing to help. Please let Gomer Pyle know if you can help.

    Sat 9/24 : F3RVA 8 Year Convergence at Grid Iron 7:30 am then F3RVA Retreat later in the day in Amelia (contact Gomer for address)

    NMMS : Thanks for pushing me this morning. It was one of those wet days you don’t want to get out of bed but I’m better for going. Appreciate y’all being there.

    Proverbs 27:17 NIV :

    “As iron sharpens iron,

    so one person sharpens another.”