Category: Richmond, VA

  • Rockwood Takeover

    At 6am, Rockwood Park is typically packed with walkers and runners. This morning, Big Rig and I were the only ones dumb enough to venture out. YHC rucked for hour on the main road (forgot my headlamp). Big Rig was slacking and only ran 10 miles. We wrapped things up just as the ‘Rock N Roll crew began to assemble.

  • The Trail of Misery

    Alright, conditions weren’t that bad. A little bit of rain never hurt anyone…………..Here is a brief summary of today’s workout for your viewing pleasure.

    Mosey to the picnic shelter for Warm-Up: Side Straddle Hops, Ski Jumps, Arm Circles, Incline Merkins, Mountain Climbers, Pickle Pounders, LBC’s, Alabama Prom Dates, Freddy Mercuries, all done in perfect cadence. I may have missed a couple.

    The Exercise: Run the paved trail and stop at various points for exercises. As best I can remember:
    10 Burpees
    20 Hand Release Merkins
    30 WWII Sit ups
    40 Plank Jacks
    50 Merkins
    60 Squats
    70 Side Straddle Hops
    80 Dips
    90 LBC’s
    100 Moroccan Night Clubs
    110 Meters of hill sprints
    120 Flutter Kicks
    130 Meters of Suicides with burpees at the baseline

    Back to the Flag for a minute of leg stretching

    Final thoughts: Excellent effort by the PAX this morning, and I appreciate everyone who came out in less than ideal conditions. It was great to see Yoda return for his second workout – hoping he becomes a regular. Broadway was looking strong! As always, it was an honor to lead.

    SYITG.

  • Groundhog Day

    For the last several Gridirons, it felt like déjà vu all over again: Tater, Atilla, Tater, Atilla. So, to break the pattern, I signed up for the Q. Salt Lick missed an opportunity to get 100 Burpees. His loss.

    As always, it’s 70 and Sunny in RVA, although the internet claimed it was 55 and rainy and Chum showed up in a Gloucester Halloween disguise.

    Mosey to the new Pickle Ball Courts because:

    • We don’t want to get sunburned
    • We want to be visible to any latecomers

    Disclaimer

    • I’m not a professional
    • Push yourself but don’t hurt yourself
    • Don’t leave here with more injuries than you came with
    • Feel free to modify any exercise

    11s from one baseline of the court to the other baseline with V-ups & Burpees

    • 10 & 1
    • 9 & 2 etc.
    • Stretching exercises

    Divided up for Triple Check

    • Partner 1: Timer runs around the court twice and does 5 Burpees
    • Partner 2: Squats
    • Partner 3: Crunchy Frogs
    • Stretching exercises

    Mosey to the bathroom wall near the “flag” (parking lot)

    • People’s Chair 15 Air Press, 10 BTTW Shoulder taps, 5 Burpees OYO
    • People’s Chair 15, Milkers, 10 BTTW Australian Mountain Climbers, 5 Burpees OYO
    • People’s Chair 15 Muhammad Ali, 10 BTTW Toe Taps, 5 Burpees OYO
    • People’s Chair 15 Lalannes, 10 Dirty Hookup, 5 Burpees OYO

    Mosey back to the shelter beside the parking lot.

    • 10 Bulgarian Split Squats right leg in cadence
    • 10 Bulgarian Split Squats left leg in cadence
    • 10 Dips in cadence
    • 9 Bulgarian Split Squats right leg in cadence
    • 9 Bulgarian Split Squats left leg in cadence
    • 9 Dips in cadence
    • Etc down to 1

    Mosey to the covered walkway at the school

    • 15 pole smokers in cadence
    • 15 paper dolls in cadence
    • 10 Burpees, OYO

    Line of Fire (same as of a Ring of Fire but we were all in a line): everyone called an exercise.

    Mosey back to the bathroom

    • 30 count elbow plank

    Times up!

    Announcements

    January 13: Tuesday: 2nd Tuesday 2nd F: Joey’s Hot Dogs in Innsbrook, Noon.

    January 24: Saturday: The Bridge. DM me in Slack (1st-F-fitness, 3rd-F-faith, Westhoe channels)

    COT

    Epiphany is January 6, the first day after the 12 Days of Christmas (December 25 to January 5.)

    It is also the beginning of the season of Epiphany (in Christianity). Epiphany ends on Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. The next day is Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent.

    “Epiphany” means “a sudden revelation or insight.” It describes a breakthrough in your outlook that is wholly overwhelming. It commemorates the visit by the Magi.

    In Latin America, Epiphany is often celebrated as the main gift giving day (vs Christmas). “Día de los Reyes Magos”.

    The Venerable Bede (c. 673–735 AD), an influential English monk and scholar, significantly shaped Christian tradition, especially concerning the Epiphany, by popularizing the names and characteristics of the Three Magi (Melchior, Caspar, Balthasar) and linking their gifts (gold, frankincense, myrrh) to Jesus’s kingship, divinity, and mortality, solidifying Epiphany’s focus on Christ’s manifestation to all peoples, not just Jews.

    Prayers for Flo’s father-in-law who recently broke his hip.

  • Pain Train Stations & Highland Games

    Light Rain, Cool Mud, Streetlight Gloom, 50# Kettlebell, 10’ Caber, Classic Rock, 60# Sandbags, balmy 60 degrees, DTH Mobile Pull-up Station, and 8 heroic badass HIMs embracing the suck and conquering the day before it even began.  Here’s what the fartsackers missed:

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey lap and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Warm-up Reps IC

    PAIN TRAIN STATIONS:

    • #50 Kettle Bell Sumo Squats
    • Caber Flips (lift heavy end to flip over repeatedly)
    • DTH Mobile Pullup Station – alternate pullups with chin-ups with Negatives
    • #60 Sandbag Chest Press
    • Abbs – Crunchy Frogs or Hammers
    • #60 Sandbag Clean
    • Burpees
    • TIMER: Runs the field loop, then all PAX rotate stations
    • x2 Rounds completed

    HIGHLAND GAMES:

    • Switch the Music to Scottish Pipes&Drums
    • DTH demonstrate the Caber Toss and sets the distance to beat at 11 paces
    • While each man takes a turn flipping the caber, the rest of the PAX complete OYO reps – squats, imperial walkers, humpers, WWII’s, single leg shoulder taps, etc
    • Ran out of time to try the Hammer Throw & 50# KB Throw …next time

    Circle up for COT:

    • Counterama # 8
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • BOM Prayer – lifting up the health and safety of THREE 2.0’s coming int the world in 2026, as well as Figo’s M who admitted with a psych scare
    • Coffeerama at the Polk House!

    NMS:  This was a FANTASTIC group of brothers for some CSAUP fun in the rain. Definitely challenged with the circuit reps and the mobile pull-up station worked out just fine! Nobody beat the DTH caber flip distance but a couple guys got close. To be fair this is YHC’s 12th year competing in the Henderson family Highland Games (coming up in 2 weeks) so experience pays off. The Coffeerama was amazing!!! What an awesome venue Machismo has created for this AO. And we had the very pleasant surprise visit from Snuff to join the hearty conversation. God is good ALL the time brothers. Yours AYE! ~DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • Dry January Ongoing
    • Weekly Forge Coffee + QSource
    • 2/7 Frozen Triangle
    • Monthly: Breaking Bread, Bridge (1/24)

  • Santa’s Sled

    11 strong came out to end the week right at SH. After some brief mumble chatter about Taziki’s early arrival the PAX was ready to let it fly (or drag?).

    Quick mosey down the hill and back to the lot.  COP- 20 each SSH, LBC; Willy Mays Hayes, 10 Each, Jim Duggan’s,  Jazzercise, Helicopters, Imperials Walkers, , Copper head squat, Cherry pickers, Merkins, Dollies, Flutters. 

    5 groups. Each group take turns dragging sled down lot, Switch partners, then back. Started with 1 Coupon on board and progressed to 4, so 4 rounds. Remaining groups were left to perform called exercises: Merkins, Drydocks, Coupon curls, LBC, WWII, flutters, Box cutters, etc.

    There was some crying(Futon) about YHC not building the sled to fit 4 coupons. Sled worked fine for me.

    Had time for some LOVE HILL. If you know, you know.

    BTTF just in time.

    Prayers to those with long travels and to those needing healing hands. YHC took us out in prayer.

  • Yeehaw! Flipping Tires!

    This AO has it all! The biggest pile of coupons you’ve ever seen! A couple of bus tires to toss around! Some football dummies to tackle! Some bleacher stairs to climb! Baseball diamonds to routine! A platform to box jump! Walls to Donkey Kick! Well lit areas! I could keep going! Hopefully the tires will be enough to get Yukon Cornelius excited!

    Warmarama was light and OYO with MC being the main thang.

    The Thang!

    Light Posts – 5 Squats or Jump Squats if one is feeling mighty at every one of the 10 lights.

    Mosey

    Apple Turnovers – using all of the No Parking signs – Bear Crawl to the next sign, perform 3 CDDs and crab walk to the next sign, repeat until you’ve made it to the last sign.

    Mosey

    Pillar Quads – Wall sit for 10 secs, bunny hop to the next post and repeat.

    Mosey – Choo Choo runs way faster on a n active road!

    Tire Toss – flip a tire from one light post to the other, perform 10 Derkins, run back to light post, perform 10 Derkins and return tire in the same fashion.

    Must Have Quads – Perform 6 Bulgarian SS on a single leg, run up the stairs and back down to perform 6 more BSS with opposite leg. P2 performs WWIIs until P1 has completed. Do 3 sets.

    Mosey back to the invisible flag!

    Incredibly fun workout this gloom with you Choo Choo!!!

  • Early Gloom OTB Ruck on a Friday

    A couple of early risers emerged from the darkness for the earliest of rucks (04:20 start time) at our Loco Motion AO!

    we had plenty of discussion and discovery going on as we traveled the outermost parts of the schools landscape before getting into the tree line. Great idea to get a ruck in pre gloom Commando! Always a pleasure! Way to get those miles in!

  • Friday in Westhoe that’s not Currahee

    As YHC writes this backblast he ponders on the fact that we now have a Trifecta of AO’s in WestHoe that were founded by men that no longer attend these AO’s. Two of which happened almost immediately and one that did attend for years.

    Anyways, back to the Backblast. A “merry” bunch of men for the Members Only Tunnel Vision. YHC has always been once and did a poor job using Google Earth to scout the AO. YHC tried something new that immediately got grumbles for the “respect” Pax, to be fair, even if they liked it they would have grumbled.

    We did stuff, it lasted 45 minutes, and then there was Coffee at Starbucks afterwards and YHC learned all about there Software world.

    Announcements – Pigskin is leading the Bridge Jan 24th. 2nd F at Joeys Hot Dogs next Wednesday at noon. Frozen Triangle Feb 7th starting at Dogpile at 0600.

    Prayer Requests – None

    NMS – thanks for letting me Q.

  • Snuck in 2 miles at lounge

    I role in at 5:25, to see some suspicious men scrambling with a coffee maker and a table. Apparently, we have some trick outlets at Bettie Weaver elementary. Guys began to circle around, 5:30 am, we set off at a gentlemanly pace towards the Blue Ribbon school of Excellence James River...

    For the record, James River received this honor first:

    🏆 Chesterfield County High Schools That Are National Blue Ribbon Schools

    Midlothian High School – 2019 (National Blue Ribbon School)

    James River High School – 1999–2000 (School of Excellence designation)

    Cosby High School – 2015 (National Blue Ribbon School)

    I digress, circle up at the front of the school for various dynamic stretches and made an attempt to avoid a cadence count.

    COP 1 – Touch a tree by the band practice area (near the steel observatory tower). Pax instructed to select a leg exercise below ten reps, run across parking lot and touch tree. Repeato. We did lunges, squats, sumo squats, calf raises, 1 burpee, and some monkey humper.

    COP 2 – Switch to upper body. Gentle mosey to the pull-up/jerkin bars behind the school. Pax did 6 rounds of jerkins/pullups (5 reps each), combined with a short bear crawl uphill towards the loading area (5 pushups at top).

    COP 3 – To the track. Team jog on straights. Core exercises at each curve, followed by skipping the curves. Fan favorite was certainly the glute bridge (APD finishing move).

    Back to flag for a few stretches.

    THANK YOU to Last Call for the coffee. Good convo with the dudes after.

    Announcments:

    1. Frozen Triangle is 2/7/26 – 6 am launch. Get there at 5:30 for some extra miles with Draper (his birthday).
    2. Head to bridge with Pigskin on 1/24/26 – all F’s involved.

    Prayers:

    1. Prayers for OC’s coworker. The poor dude is in the ICU with the flu
    2. Prayers for all the kids (and big kids) going back to school.

    Lounge is always a good time, give it some love sometime!

    Been a minute since I had the Q (No Wood in The Woodshed!!! – F3RVA Archives | F3RVA) anywhere. Great to lead today!

  • Squig Games

    Nine runners partied on Raintree, ran around a lake at least once, did some squiggly lines, came back on Falconbridge and then headed back to Godwin. Most of it uphill.

    I got 4.9 miles in and everyone did 4+. And the best part is that we will do this again later this year with better instructions. No ruckers this week so nothing to report there..

    Lunch next Tuesday at Joeys, noon.

    The Bridge on 1/24 with Pigskin leading. Reach out to him to coordinate or get more details.

    Hutton heard “Here I Go Again” on the radio on the way to coffee. Everyone needs more Whitesnake in their life!