Category: Richmond, VA

  • 4 on 4

    8 redwoods gathered for a NoToll beatdown that was as humid as YHC can remember. The workout was rumored to go something like this:

    THANG

    Slaughter Start – 10 burpees OYO

    Mosey to basketball courts for 2 x merkincides + plank work

    Mosey to back parking lot for COP: SSH, DQs, Emperial Walkers, Ukranian Soldiers, Bob & Weave

    Q handed over to Nancy Lopez for ab work while YHC & Flatline marked out the field

    4 on 4 Ultimate – 2 burpees if your team scores

    Halftime – Mary in the middle of the field: LBCs, Box Cutters, X’s & O’s

    Mosey back to flag

    Dips & Derkins @ Bridge

    Quick set of Rosalitas

    NAKED MOLESKIN

    Apologies for the delayed back blast. Lots of excuses here, but none that are convincing.

    Thanks for entertaining YHC with the ultimate. The field was smaller for 4 vs 4, but the running was just the same. YHC’s watch measured 8000+ steps by the time he got home.

    See TYA for Blue Ride Relay info. See Flatline or Vinnie for info on The Bridge.

    Until next time!

  • Dips to Dawn

    The cord of 3 strands united at the weave and moseyed down to the riverfront for a COT. For those interested, I think this is close to a 7 min. mosey, took longer on the way back so that’s 33% right there. You’ve heard of 45 min. of Mary, the Pax started admiring the sunrise with 45 seconds of the following (timing provided by YHC’s Timex Ironman): Knee Hug, Walking Burpee, Plan, Forward lunge w/twist, wide merkin, star plank, LBC, LBC Hold, Diagonal Mountain Climber, Sky Diver (plank back extension). Pax then moseyed to the trailer parking area and did a triple check w/ Burpees, and Ukranian Soldiers. YHC audibled for a dips till dawn, 3 sets of 10, while admiring the still waters, then it was a the long Mosey back stopping at cross walks for a few 10 count exercises in cadence. This cord of three strands remained unbroken.

    Count was easy

    Namerama

    Announcements Heartburn you were in our prayers.

  • You do you run Route

    9 regulars, 1 Down Ranger and 1 from across the river came to see what SOJ was going to send their way this morning. YHC was the chosen one, really YHC just signed up for it but chosen one sounds better.

    After a very long email from Gomer with every possible route known to man for the Currahee area 2 where chosen a 6 miler and a 4 miler. Some discussion about who was going what distance and what the routes where. YHC, Lighthouse and Oloff went the longer route and ended up around 5.5 miles but it wasn’t the one YHC had printed off. Everyone else went the distance they felt comfortable with and met back at the flag in 45 minutes.

    Numbers / Names Gypsy took us out

    NMS:

    Many are the plans in a persons heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

    Let that sink in.

    When things don’t go your way or turn out the way you expected them to. It could be because God has something better for you. Let go of trying to make it work your way, let God take control.

  • Gumbo back on the Circus Menu

    After a four-year hiatus, the SOJ Takeover brought Gumbo back to the Circus Menu. It was great to get back out to the Circus, throw some weight around and catch up with old friends. YHC is already sore. It went something like this…

    No mosey, just circle up for disclaimer and COP, including:

    • SSHs
    • DQs
    • Helicopters
    • Dead Man Hang
    • Halos
    • Goblet Squats
    • Merkins – passing the bell under each time
    • LBCs

    THE THANG:

    Modified Lindseys – mosey/waiter carry over to runner alley and line up on the curb. Waiter carry across the alley and do 30 swings and 10 sit and press. Waiter carry back, 20 and 20. Waiter carry back for 10 and 30. Note to self, 30 sit and press sucks! Moving on .

    Wall Work – mosey/suitcase carry over to the school wall for:

    • Round 1 – 10 goblet squats, 20 donkey kicks, waiter carry across grass and back, wall sit without bell
    • Round 2 – 10 goblet squats, 20 donkey kicks, 10 lawnmower pulls each arm, waiter carry across grass and back, wall sit with bell
    • Round 3 – 10 goblet squats, 20 donkey kicks, 10 lawnmower pulls each arm, 10 2-count American Hammers, waiter carry across grass and back, wall sit with bell

    Triple Check – partner 1 waiter carry under cover to middle of the school, 3 burpees and return. Partner 2, tricep pullovers. Partner 3 lunges.

    Ring of Fire – circle up holding Al Gore with the bells. Rosie started with 10 shoulder presses, then 10 merkins and back to Al Gore. Next pax starts pressing when prior guys starts merkins and pass it around the circle.

    Mary – 5 minutes of Mary, including Boat and Canoe, APDs, Freddie Mercuries, American Hammers and Superman.

    BTTF, COT, Numbers and Names.

    Announcements – Get out for the SOJ Takeover if you haven’t already to see some new or old faces.
    Prayers for all PAX and friends/family members dealing with ailments and illnesses. Stay strong and push on!

    NMS – Great to get back to the Circus – it has been a minute (or 4 years). Great to catch up with Attila, White Deer, Offshore, Pigskin, Lighthouse and White Snake who I don’t see often. It is definitely differing throwing weight around (well weight not permanently attached to my body at least) for 45 minutes. I need to work the Circus into my rotation more. Great mumblechatter and great work guys. Great morning overall, especially watching Offshore dominate with that 45 lb bell like it was nothing. Oh, and Bleeder – you can thank Rosie for leaving sweaty “Ws” all over the sidewalk. Free advertising!

    No More Gumbo For You!

  • Don’t let the monkey hump you!

    One traveler and 3 Forge faithful came out to a good ole forge beatdown. YHC was at his first post at the forge and to be honest when I signed up to Q I thought I was signing up for an AO not in SOJ. After getting up and out of hotel YHC was happy to find warm confines.

    COP- Mosey along with multiple exercises mixed in.

    The Thang: Lightpole alley. Starting at a pole behind the stadium and going 10 back toward parking area. Starting with 10 exercises on each end and escalating by 10. The lightpoles are a lot further apart than Timberwolf. We made it to 60. 10 merkins, 20 heels to heaven, 30 Carb cakes, 40 ?, 50 mountain climbers, 60Monkey humpers.

    YHC took us out in prayer.

    YHC appreciates the hospitality shown to this traveler.

  • Quintuplets?

    Five SOJ warriors came out to a sultry SOT to see what the bus drivers were doing. Alas school is out so no bus drivers. 4 were on time and one showed up during COP ruining the even numbers.

    COP was do 2 exercises and mosey a ways and do 2 more. A Plethora of exercises were completed.

    Run to base of bleachers. Complete a Quintuplet? Runner up and around the bleachers. P2 Hand release merkins, P3 Squats, P4 Plank jacks, P5 LBC’s. Complete 5 rounds each.

    A mosey up hill with some lunges and bernie’s mixed in and BTTF.

    YHC took us out in prayer.

  • There is always time for Burpees

    16 of Richmond’s finest men gathered in the parking lot at Mary Mumford ES to see who would be the SOJ Q for the morning. This is what was said to have happened

    Mosey to the basketball court for disclaimer and COP

    DQ’s – 5 Burpees OYO, Helicopters – 4 Burpees OYO, Hillbillies – 3 Burpees OYO, LBC’s – OK TYA if you insist we will do 2 Burpees OYO but the last exercise is 10 Burpees OYO

    Mosey to the soccer fields

    In the middle of the fields there is a bucket and surrounding the bucket are 12 frisbees set out like the numbers on a clock. Each frisbee has an exercise written on it. You run from the bucket to a frisbee do 25 of that exercise and run back to the bucket do 5 Burpees and move clockwise to the next frisbee. Work all the way around until you’ve been to every frisbee.

    Mosey to the tennis courts

    4 Corners Prostitute, corner 1 – 10 WWII’s, Corner 2 – 20 Scrunchy Frogs, Corner 3 – 30 American Hammers, corner 4 – 40 LBC’s

    BTTF

    Numbers / Names Bodos took us out

    Announcements: Sign up to Q at the Bridge Ministries

    NMS:

    YHC was all set for the Q this morning but got a bit nervous when such a large crowd gathered. In my head we would have about half of the crew that showed up but I am glad the numbers where bigger than YHC expected. Burpees are always a crowd pleaser and YHC is happy to (liberally) dish them out with a side helping of running.

    “If your presence doesn’t make a difference to someone around you, your absence won’t make a difference”

  • The Cone Zone

    The SOJ takeover continues with the PAX placing bets on who would be the Q on this jungle-humid June morning. Kubota took the prize – it was YHC.

    Warmups – 25 Don Quixotes to go for the record. 20 Imperial squat walkers. Mirkins, LBCs, Rosalitas and some other nonsense. That’s the thing about First Watch, it’s early enough to pretend like we don’t remember exactly what happened.

    Bear crawl centipede with a very long route snaking up and down the stairs, through the hall and up the ramp, them down the stairs again.

    Mosey around back for a triple check with the timer running to the far end of the lot, WW2s and squat thrusters using 2 traffic cones we found. YHC told the story about how after years of taking pictures of his kids with cones on their heads, people continue to send him cone pictures every week. True story.

    Next up, harking back to the bottle flip craze of the late 20-oughts, we each took a try launching a cone into the air. If it landed right-side up, monkey humpers. If not, burpees. Needless to say we did a lot of burpees. The PAX was grumbling about the number of burpees so YHC took an audible and did 10 more burpees OYO.

    Triple check from the side of the church with the timing running up the hill to the front, wall sit toe touch arm raises (commonly called LaLannes), and flutter kicks.

    Up the hill to the front for 45 mirkins OYO. Back across the street to the parking lot for a long bar crawl with dips. Jump through the V tree and back to the flag.

    Thanks for having me out – as Splinter says, there’s nothing better than that 5am sense humor. It just has a different feeling.

    COT.

    2nd F at Starbucks to start the day off right.

    Peace.

  • Getting the Led out

    7 HIMs met at WTH this morning for a run heavy bootcamp. PAX included a down ranger and a SOJer. 530 hit and we were off!

    Mosey to the track for :

    • 50 Squats
    • 40 WW2s
    • 30 merkins
    • 20 ball dipers
    • 10 burpees
    • run 3 laps

    We enjoyed some Led Zepplin while completing the exercises! plan was to repeat this 4 times. It took a bit longer than YHC expected. TCLAPS to Brick for being the only PAX to complete all rounds and all laps in time!

    numbers names Offshore took us out

    announcements:

    • opportunities to serve with breaking bread
    • leadership channel on slack including weekly zoom call Mondays at 7
    • SOJ takeover week continues!
    • Lots of PAX with prayer needs for various reasons

    NMM

    Workout was a variation on an IRONPAX challenge, variation was more running. everyone pushed themselves with this one! Always enjoy traveling to different AOs and seeing PAX YHC does not see that often!

  • Kettlebellin’ Beyond the Wall

    Image result for jon snow wildling

    At 5am we loaded up the SOJ clown car and headed for the hinterlands. The Davillians welcomed us with open arms and were ready to put in some work. Here is a brief summary for your viewing pleasure:

    Warm up: Turn on “Chaplain’s Kettlebell Mixxx” and complete a couple laps around the parking lot. Circle up for Ukranian Soldiers, Arm Circles, Monkey Love Makers, LBC’s, Hand Release Merkins, Dead Man Hang.

    Exercise: Tour de MANNdate. Moseyed around the perimeter of the school, stopping at various locations for 2 minutes of exercises. Completed the following:
    WWII sit ups w/lift, People’s Chair upright row, Bench Press, Lawnmower pulls, Kettlebell swings, LBC’s with Kettle, Reverse Forearm Curls, Flutter Kicks w/overhead hold, Squats, Standing Upright Row, Seated Ball Tappers, Lunges around the circle, Fireman Carry around the circle, Calf Raises, Tricep Extensions. I may have missed a few.

    Back to the Flag for Numbers/Names/Announcements

    DTH took us out

    Final Thoughts: Had a great time getting back up to Daville and posting at MANNdate for the first time. Solid effort by all the PAX on a hot and humid day. SOJ takeover is in full effect and a couple of us, including YHC will probably be making the trek back up on Friday.