Category: Richmond, VA

  • 3 for 22 on the 26th

    When YHC arrived to the parking lot of Atlee High School, there was one car with nobody in it. Was YHC going to post solo on this 22 degree morning? With about 2 minutes to go, Helix arrived in short sleeves and shorts. Well done Helix! Soon after, Fabio returned from a run. Three runners had arrived and off we went for a beatdown that went something like this:

    COP

    1 burbee, 2 merkins

    10 Don Quixotes IC

    2 burbee, 4 merkins

    10 Helicopters IC

    3 burbee, 6 merkins

    Arm Circles – 10 small, 5 big IC

    4 burbee, 8 merkins

    Reverso Arm Circles – 10 small, 5 big IC

    5 burbee, 10 merkins

    Right Leg Lunges – 10 IC

    6 burbee, 12 merkins

    Left Leg Lunges – 10 IC

    7 burbee, 14 merkins

    20 LBCs – IC

    8 burbee, 16 merkins

    20 APDs – IC

    9 burbee, 18 merkins

    20 Rosalitas – IC

    10 burbee, 20 merkins

    The Thang

    Triple Sprints – One runner sprints to the 2nd runner who was about 50 yards away. The 2nd runner sprints to the 3rd runner. The 3rd runner sprints back to the 1st runner. As each runner completes a sprint, he does 5 burpees. Keep doing this until each runner has completed 5 sprints and 25 burpees. Then bearcrawl to meet in the middle for 10 merkins IC.

    Hangs and Merkins – Hang from the pullup bar as a pax member counts down from 15. Once the pax member gets to 5, slowly lower yourself. After this, the pax member will then do a variation of 10 merkins IC. Each pax member led this twice for a total of 6 rounds.

    Honey Meadows Trail challenge – Each PAX member was asked to select an exercise. Squats, Lunges, and Carolina Dry Docks were selected. Run the trail and do 5 squats, 5 2-count lunges, and 5 Carolina Try Docks at each intersection or street crossing until you reach the Atlee hill.

    Mosey back to the VSF.

    With 1 minute left, the PAX circled up for a 30 count of 6 inches.

    COT – Number-a-Rama, Name-O-Rama, Announcements, YHC took us out.

    NMS

    As we are coming closer to the end of the year and as YHC gets closer to his next birthday, YHC is thankful for the good health that God has blessed him and his family with and the many good friends he has met as being part of F3RVA. Well done today Fabio and Helix! This was a challenging beatdown and both of you had an outstanding performance. With the small PAX today, it allowed time to talk about cadence count which can be challenging to teach with a larger PAX. One thing YHC loves about Da-Pile is it allows the PAX to explore the back of the Atlee campus year round which is difficult with the earlier start of DaVille during most of the year.

    Announcements

    Jan 1st Convergence at Satan’s Hill starting at 7am – see Slack Post: https://f3-rva-workspace.slack.com/archives/CSB9XKKBR/p1608304605301600

    It was an honor to lead such a fine group of men this morning.

    Gotta Run!

    Phonics

  • A 2020 Christmas

    A frosty gloom welcomed 8 jolly and festive iron men on this day after Christmas.  The PAX celebrated the Christmas season in a manner that was befitting for 2020.  Here is how it went down:

    • COP
      • SSH
      • IW
      • DQ
      • Arm circles – forwards and backwards, big and small
      • Helicopters
      • Scorpion kicks
      • Merkins
      • LBC
    • 12 Days of Christmas – mosey to the turf field only to have to audible and go back to the football field (got to be flexible these days, nothing goes according to plan)
      • 12 merkins – 144 total
      • 11 WWII sit-ups – 121 total
      • 10 flutter kicks – 100 total
      • 9 reverse crunches – 81 total
      • 8 monkey humpers – 64 total
      • 7 Carolina dry docks – 49 total
      • 6 crab cakes (2 count) – 36 total
      • 5 burpees – 25 total
      • 4 lunges (2 count) – 16 total
      • 3 heels to heaven – 9 total
      • 2 diamond merkins – 4 total
      • 1 deep squat (hold for 12 seconds)
    • After gathering for our Christmas celebration, we had to mosey to the pickle ball courts for a COVID test – 6 suicides to assess lung capacity
    • Post-Christmas – the 3 wise men visited Jesus, so we did 3 sets of 6 pull-ups (one for each wise man, the pull-ups being the gift for all)
    • Mosey back to the parking lot for COT with YHC taking us out

    Great work by the PAX today on a brutally cold day that with the wind made conditions feel like the North Pole.  Good to have Probation join the Gridiron PAX as there is no truth to the rumor he was so late for Dog Pile that perhaps he just decided to come Gridiron.  The travails of a LIFO.  Also, welcome back Pigskin.  The Gridiron PAX is excited that Pigskin will become a permanent fixture come this summer as he and the M will be matriculating up to RVA.

    Prayers for Gypsy with his toe surgery this week.  It was solid but frigid fellowship for the PAX at Einstein’s post workout.  Grateful for these men and their friendships.

    God is good all of the time…a Savior is born!

    Attila

  • Who needs fingertips anyway?

    A handsome collection of gloom vets escaped the Christmas carb coma to embrace an arctic chill. Turns out when you hug Jack Frost, he hugs back. Here’s how the PAX stayed one step ahead of frostbite:

    The THANG:

    COP #1:

    • Mosey to the Carillon Courtyard
    • Welcome & F3 Disclaimer
    • To warm up, circumnavigate Carillon Field, running lengths, bearcrawl far end, returning to courtyard to complete reps IC for the SIX:
    • Round 1: Imperial Squat Walkers & DQ’s
    • Round 2: The Opus & Crab Jacks
    • Round 3: NoCheat Merkins, Rosalita Whips, Freddie M’s slow to fast

    COP #2:

    • Mosey over to the far Circle and Partner Up
    • P1 starts carousel planks around curb while while P2 completes x5 burpees, then they switch, and continue alternating until circumference fully traversed
    • Slow Curb Dips IC for the SIX

    COP #3:

    • Mosey to collect coupons at the Stage and form up backside of Carillon
    • Triple Check:
    • P1 (timer) runs coupon around the Carillon
    • P2 does Squat Thrusters alternated with Kettlebell Swings
    • P3 does Bench Press Flutters alternated with WWII holding block on chest
    • Murder Bunny to return coupons to stage, then Al Gore & Hold Plank for the SIX

    COP #4:

    • Mosey to top of Amphitheater
    • Move to bottom with descending count 17-1, alternating Dips and Monkey Humpers
    • At bottom, Am Ham’s IC for the SIX
    • Return to top with ascending count 1-17, alternating Box Jumps with Incline Merkins
    • Await the SIX with Oblique LBC’s and APD’s IC, then close out with Heels to Heaven and Kimchi Twists IC
    • AYG sprint BTTF

    COT:

    • Counterama # 14
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took us out in Prayer

    NMS:

    • YHC was surprised and pleased with such a solid turnout the day after Christmas. Also enjoyed having Papabear Boberry out to congratulate the man on a healthy newborn girl. Apparently they are waiting to bring her out to a workout for formal naming by the PAX… YHC is voting for “Not unlike cold molasses, the PAX moved slowly to start, but the warmerama COP served its purpose, and soon it was just lips and fingers suffering the cold. YHC misspoke directions through numb lips at least a few times, and there were more than a few brothers who found the coupon handling endangering fingertip frostbite. Of course Cooper also had to add his own threat to the PAX health and safety, wielding a samurai sword stick around the COT and playing piñata with Doublemint’s scrotum. Pretty sure YHC saw Handshake running toward the danger looking for an inexpensive alternative to the impending doom of urologic sterilization. Maybe next time buddy. Finish the year strong brothers. SYITG, YHC, DTH

  • QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Only three creatures were stirring this morning. Marv would have been proud of the route selection today. North on Commonwealth, east on Monument, run for 23 minutes and turn around and back to the flag.

    We were rewarded for getting up this mrning with the quietest day of he year. Hitch and I launched at 5am and ran straight down the middle of Grove. All the way to 3chopt and back and never had to move out of the middle of the street. And, we saw exactly zero other people on Grove between 5 and 530. First car we saw was Whittler pulling into Mary at 528.

    Merry Christmas to all. Despite all the challenges we are faced with in life, we are the blessed. We live in a time and a place where we have so much and live so comfortably. Be grateful today.

    TYA OUT

  • HBD Chum…You Missed Your Party

    Today is Chum Bucket’s birthday!  The PAX was ready for a party.  White Deer was even prepared to sing HBD to Chum via flatulence.  Only problem, Chum apparently wanted to sleep in.  It was almost as if he has lost his youthful excitement for his birthday. I guess the years of respect have that effect. Anyway, that left 3 noble warriors carrying a hot potato.  Here is how it went down:

    • Attila
      • COP
        • SSH
        • Russian soldiers
        • Dead man hang
        • Arm circles – big and small, forward and back
        • Helicopters
        • Merkins
        • LBC
      • KB Captain Thor
    • Byproduct
      • 11s with lawnmower pulls and overhead pulls
      • Run the bus loop 2x
    • White Deer
      • 11s with high pulls and snatches
    • COT with YHC taking us out

    Hot potatoes can be a bit of a burner as each member of the PAX will bring their fastball.  However, I do question why all of the 11s. White Deer and Byproduct know that it is the 12 days of Christmas? All in all, good work from the PAX today.  It was a social KB workout with Christmas approaching, with humor befitting a bunch of 13 year old boys.  On that note, Byproduct confirmed COVID cannot be passed via an orifice other than the mouth and nose.  Good news for all.

    God is good all of the time!  Happy Birthday Jesus!

    Attila 

  • Christmas Eve at Timberwolf

    We worked out! It’s Christmas Eve, stop reading backblasts and go be with your family! Merry Christmas!

    Duke

  • Name this BB

    A formidable 14 descended upon Mary for a Gerry Christmas Eve beatdown. This is what transpired, more or less…

    COT: Scorpions, HR Merkins, <ground-fruit>-pickers, B-Lickers

    Pavilion: Poll Smokers while partner runs out-and-back to Grove (3 rounds). Balls to the Wall, Chicken Peckers, Bear Crawl, Merkins, run out and Bernie Sanders back…Two rounds. Doras: Run circle while partner works through: 150 Merkins, 200 4-count Mountain Climbers, 300 LBC’s. Courts: Bear Crawl/Crab Walk/Polar Bear/Crawl Bear…Perform 10 prescribed exercises in b/w each court. Finish: Suicides back across courts…COT

    NMS: 4-count Mountain Climbers were a BAD IDEA. Thanks to Upchuck for picking up the count from YHC when he became distracted (which is a common occurrence).

    Announcements:

    • Prayers for Bleeder’s mom who was recently hospitalized at St Mary’s
    • Prayers for TYA’s young niece – a nurse working on the front lines – who is now hospitalized due to severe complications from COVID

    Wishes to everyone. Merry Christmas fellas.

    Saab Abides

  • Feels like Christmas in July

    5 Runners came out for warm Christmas Eve morning for a great day for a run.

    Route – Head to Honey Meadows and turn around at 23 minutes to get back in 22 minutes.

    Opus, Bulkhead, and Helix got in 5 miles while Spike & YHC were feeling strong for a little bonus time to get in little over a 10K

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • The 12 Kettle Bell Pains of Christmas

    5 Davillians on a below freezing Christmas Eve Eve came out to swing around their Kettle bells.

    This how it sent donw

    COP (ALL IC) – SSH, DQ, Hillbillies, Flutter Kicks, Dolly, Rosalita, Arm Circles

    THANG

    The 12 Pains of Christmas – 12 Rounds, 12 Different exercises , 12 reps, with a lap between rounds:

    1. Slingshots
    2. Halo
    3. Deadlift
    4. Swings
    5. Goblet Squats
    6. KB Burpees
    7. KB Flutter Kick
    8. Situp + Press
    9. KB Leg Raises
    10. Clean
    11. Press
    12. Clean + Press

    Quintuple check – Donkey Kicks, Incline Merkins, Swings, Merkin Rows, Murder Bunny to the median and back. 3 Rounds

    Numberrama, Namerama, Announcements, YHC took us out

    MOLESKIN

    Fun morning. Enjoyed leading!

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • Twas the eve before the eve of Christmas

    Twas the eve before the eve of Christmas

    Seven pre-Christmas warriors joined YHC for what will not be an annual work out.

    At the request of Hitch YHC prepared a Christmas music playlist to accompany the workout. YHC is not a DJ and relied upon the Spotifiy gods to recommend holiday season themed workout tunes, and a mashup of obscure songs that make brief references to the Christmas season ensued.

    In writing this now YHC realizes that no disclaimer was given at the start as to YHC’s lack of professional training credentials. We started off with some light stretching, right leg over left leg and hold it, then left leg over right leg and hold it. Followed by a dead man hang and then on up to touch the sky and stand on tip toes. Next to get the heart rate going a few side straddle hops were added in.

    The PAX was good and stretched out at that point and we moseyed on over to the amphitheater with music in-tow. The first stop and exercise on the Christmas themed tour was 50 box jumps on the amphitheater steps.

    Next we moseyed on over to the shorter version of the rusty cage and did 50 jerkins. Then moseyed on over to pick up some holiday themed coupons and did 50 overhead presses. Left the coupons in the circle then on back to the rusty cage and did 50 knee raises. From there we did 50 lunges then jogged the rest of the way back to our coupons. Picking the coupons back up we did 50 squats to overhead presses with the coupons – always making sure the coupons touched the ground.

    The Christmas music was cheering our hearts and warming our blood and we continued on with the workout. We put away our coupons and moseyed on over to the Carillon bricks. Keeping with the theme of 50, we did 50 supermans, 50 WW2s, 50 flutter kicks, 50 side straddle hops, 50 mountain climbers, and the cheery on top was 50 burpees. With just enough time to spare we mosyed on back to the flag and wrapped things up.

    YHC was sure to put on the thickest of skin this morning as the PAX can be a tough bunch to DJ for, but everyone was in good spirits to hear some new holiday tunes… maybe one will make it to your Christmas sing-along this week!?! Who knows!

    YHC took everyone out sharing a story from a family tradition in YHC’s family of the oldest grandchild having to lead the family in grace for Christmas Eve dinner. YHC is the oldest grandchild so YHC has the distinct honor to say grace every Christmas Eve. On the first Christmas Eve that YHC was old enough to lead the charge, YHC didn’t actually know what to say, BUT YHC did know one prayer and that is the Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer.

    The Prayer is more of a prayer for battle and less so a blessing to kick off Christmas Eve dinner, so much to YHC’s family’s suprise when the following words came out of YHC’s mouth – it left the table with jaws open in confusion but everyone was ready to go to war.

    Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.” …and now let’s eat Christmas Eve Dinner!

    Prayers go out to Hitch and his unfortunate car break in this morning – we hope nothing was stolen! Thankfully they did not take the speaker else we would have been without our Christmas tunes!