Category: Richmond, VA

  • The Salty Oyster

    Just a bit down range in the salty town of Chincoteague, the Old Salt rose early for a 5k with the 2.0’s. He tried desperately to wake them, but the appeal of the fart sack was too strong, since they crushed it at the beach yesterday. Undeterred, the Old Salt heads out on his own 5k adventure.

    The weather was 70 degrees and sunny with just the right amount of oppressive humidity. Rather than continue this awful third person narration, I’ll just say that this is where my head was at:

    I have an amazing wife and kids! I am blessed to have them! Blessed to be in better head space to appreciate them more:

    “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD.” Proverbs 18:22

    “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” Psalm 127:3-4

    I am so thankful for the difference F3 has made in my life! I am excited for what the future holds for the PAX. Time to go big!

    “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” Proverbs 15.22

    See you at the crossroads,

    Bone Thugs

  • I Wonder How it Would Work with Kettle Bells?

    COP

    • Arm circles
    • Helicopters
    • Don Quixotes

    Thang

    Borrowing from IPC’s week 1

    • 2 KB Burpees every 90 seconds
    • 25 Merkin Rows
    • 50 Boat/ Canoes
    • 75 Squat to High Pulls
    • 100 Sit-up Press
    • 125 Lunges (KB switch arms on each rep)

    Numberama

    Namearama

    Yardsale took us out

    NMS

    Had to adjust so times and quantities to fit it all in. Turns out it takes a little longer to set up with a KB as opposed to without.

    Why did I think this would be a good idea?

    Hard work was put in by all and it was good to see the PAX

    It was an honor to lead

  • First Stand Around and Watch

    4:55 a.m. two PAX sat in their cars, reading.

    YHC approached. YHC invited the PAX to a solid beat down. The PAX declined, preferring a restful morning at First Watch.

    YHC confesses that Kubota did invite YHC to “double post,” apparently counting a 10 minute stretch-fest at First Watch as a “workout.”

    4:56 a.m. YHC departed.

  • V-J 75

    7 gathered for a prime time celebration of the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII. Temps were sunny and 70. According to the After Action Report, something somewhat like the following might have happened.

    Mosey to the Near Circle, with a recon mission to the Amphitheater and a loop around the Circle for the COP.

    COP:

    SSHs
    4 burpees
    Hillbillies (5)
    2 burpees
    Dead Man Hang
    Arm Circles
    Freddie Mercury
    Flutter Kicks
    HRMs

    Mosey to the Edge of the Circle

    Burpee Road, only without the Burpees. Pucker suggested LBCs, so the PAX did 20 LBCs at each lamppost, illuminated or otherwise.

    Circle Up at the Small Parking Lot for a Prime Time Curb Crawl

    7 Pax. One Pax bear crawls across the parking lot and back while a different PAX suggests an exercise. Selected exercises were:

    Carolina Dry Docks
    Lt. Dans
    Flutter Kicks
    Mercans
    3 Other Exercises that all involved rocks in Swirly’s back.

    Mosey to Park Ave. for Burpee Road, this time with the Burpees.

    The PAX knows the drill. 3 burpees at each lamppost, run in between the posts. Turn around at the Police Memorial. Return to the Small Parking Lot.

    Circle Up at the Small Parking Lot for a Second Prime Time Curb Crawl. To enhance our mental dexterity, this time, the PAX switched it up. The PAX a) started at the opposite end of the lot and b) went in reverse order, thus creating a level of confusion just slightly lower than when YHC calls “Touch a Tree.”

    7 Pax. One Pax bear crawls across the parking lot and back while a different PAX suggests an exercise. Selected exercises were:

    WWIIs
    Arm circles
    Several Other Exercises that all involved rocks in Swirly’s back.

    Mosey to the Carillon for 14 HRMs, one for each year of the war (1931-1945).

    BTTF for 1 MOM (Freddy Mercuries, Gumbo-style).

    Annoucements:

    Shiplap wedding and reception at Lake Monticello on Saturday at 4. All are welcome with a +1 and kids. Remember to provide the code phrase to the guard at the gate: “We’re with the bride.” YHC also recommends any prospective attendees learn his birth name prior to crashing the party.

    Convergence on Monday, 07:00 at Gridiron, which is on Pouncey Tract way out in Short Pump. Light breakfast and coffee to follow. Donations for Crossroads Medical are the way to show your appreciation. Bring $$$$ on Saturday. Also, remember that the locals are an older group, so please wear your masks, observe social distancing, and be prepared to take long, slow walks around the parking lot with them while sharing stories about your grandparents’ experience in “The Old Country.”

    Second Annual First Inaugural is October 3 somewhere near where The Hardywood’s live (Think Cumberland Gap area). Clown cars encouraged. Sign up at a place that YHC is not familiar with and has no information about (check with Vinny). If you have ever been to a church retreat, this is different. If you have been to a 1st F, this is different. If you have been to a field with friends who are relaxing, having a beverage of their choice, tossing bean bags, and generally taking a break from 2020, this is that.

    NMS:

    Today marks the 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII (V-J Day). Many of you know that YHC’s father was a part of that generation (Great Depression, WWII, etc). The first international trip of his life was in 1943 to an exercise-laden summer camp in Canada. The second big international trip of his life was a 1944 all-expenses paid cruise to England, then a walkabout through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Bavaria, and Potsdam.

    Let’s remember a generation of men and women who united around a righteous cause and then took the time to put their country first, and their own needs second.

    Speaking of which, Handsy joined us this morning from Memphis. He’s working with his in-laws to move his brother-in-law to Tennessee. His brother-in-law is a chemical engineer (Master’s) and an MBA. He also is blind. Hats off to a guy spending his time to help his family. We look forward to welcoming him back soon.

    UpChuck spits the bit.


  • Iron Pax Hangover

    A quartet of toned studs arrived before the sun to take on the day at First Watch. As YHC arrived an attempted poacher was taking off after an attempt to hijack the PAX for a rival AO. Fortunately the PAX remained faithful to the temptation.

    5 am called and off we went. This is what was rumored to have occurred according to the paper carriers flying along the road.

    COP 1: Warmarama consisting of DQ’s, SSH’s, Cherry Pickers, Arm Circles

    COP 2: 7 of Diamonds – Burpees, Shoulder Tap Merkins, LBC’s, Monkey Humpers, Heels to Heaven, Mountain Climbers, Merkins

    COP 3: Lazy Dora with coupons: 100 Lt Dans, 200 Chest Presses, 300 Curls (called early due to time)

    BTTF: YHC took us out

    Announcements/Prayers: Labor Day Convergence on Monday at Gridiron, Florence Mother in Law going into surgery today, EF Huttons Father waiting for results on his scan tomorrow.

    Moleskin: Mumble Chatter from Week 1 of the Iron Pax Challenge. Calling Burpees almost lead to a mutiny from the PAX as everyone was still burning from the brutal workout. Didn’t have time to finish the Dora but good work none the less.

    Great to see the usual suspects at the AO this morning for some coupon work and a slow mosey around the church. Great work today gentlemen. Always good to get the workout in before the sunrise. Seize the Day boys.

  • Parking lot is full

    Pulling up YHC saw a full lot of PAX ready for the latest beat down. YHC wanted to log 2+ miles today so running was going to be a big part of today,

    Mosey to lo were lot for COP- 25 SSH’s, 10 DQ’s, 10 cherry pickers, 10 helicopters, 10 copper head squats.

    Mosey to track. 100’s. 100 of called exercise (first one there calls it and all PAX run) then run a lap wait for six. Exercises were Merkins, LBC’s, squats, SSH’s, shoulder taps, Wilson starfish, etc. I am pretty sure there were 2 more and we completed 8 laps (2 miles). Lunge up hill halfway then Bernie the rest. BTF for 1:30 of plank.

    Plenty of mumble chatter today. Good to meet Opsy from the GREAT STATE of OHIO! OH…… Go Browns. Announcements put in comments… YHC took us out in prayer. Prayers to family and all suffering from Covid-19.

  • IPC Week 1 @ Daville

    8 Davillians arrived at Atlee HS knowing there was a challenge this month but unknowning what was in store

    This how it went down

    Warmup – Run over to the MS since we thought there maybe some PAX there. False alarm so we headed back

    COP – DQ, Helicopters, Arm Circles

    THANG

    IPC Week 1 – Inspector’s Gadget

    EMOM (called by app)- 3 burpees

    3 Burpees (Begins Rd & EMOM timer)
    50 Hand Release Release Merkins
    100 Leg Raises
    150 Jungle Boi Squats “2Spoonz Style”
    200 Big Boy Sit-ups (aka WWII Sit-ups)
    250 Stationary Lunge Steps (ct ea leg as 1 rep)

    Scoring: Total elapsed time beginning with the 1st Burpee and ending with the 250th lunge step.

    Numberrama, Namerama, Announcements, YHC to us out

    MOLESKIN

    We had a little OT this morning due to the warmup run and so some PAX wrapped up earlier. With those that finished we had an average completion time around 35 minutes

    Like the rest of RVA, we got it done without a Proctor since it was pretty simple to set up the EMOM timer and YHC called out times to the PAX once completed.

    Looking forward to what Week 2 has in store (Mud Face is hoping it’s coupon related)

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • If you can milk and almond you can milk and alpaca

    8 men got after it this morning at Spider run. Run through the bat cave, over the river, take riverside east. Turn around at 23 and make it back by 45.

    NMM

    Little sticky for the run today. It was raining a little bit, but not enough to call you off. Saab and Faceplant took the six mile route. The rest of the PAX did between 4.5 and 5.5.

    TYA Out

  • Week 1 Fun

    10 PAX came out to Heartbreak Ridge, some knowing what was in store – others forced along for the ride. We did:

    No COP

    Front of school and instructions given. No Proctor (Conspiracy was unavailable) and we set the timer and were off:

    3 Burpees to start then 3 more Burpees Every Minute thereafter on the minute (EMOM). Exercises were:

    • 50 Hand Release Release merkins
    • 100 Leg Raises (Heels2Heaven)
    • 150 Jump Squat / Star Jumps
    • 200 WWIIs
    • 250 Lunges (single count)

    Back to flag then Announcements & COT.

    NMS: Well that sucked but PAX pounded it out. YHC was doing OK until we hit the 200 WWIIS which alone took 10+ minutes. Tater flew through and set the pace at just at 30 minutes. Rest of the PAX were clustered around 36-40 minutes. With no clipboarding allowed here in F3RVA (IronPAX actually suggested someone sit out and do this) it was you vs. you on form but as Gomer Pyle said most of the exercises don’t give you much option to cheat too much. Not sure if the 2nd part of the HRMs had a purpose but to annoy but hopefully no more of those. Worst part about all the counting and EMOM is no room for mumblechatter at all.

    Hopefully Week 2 gets the pax moving somewhat but the 100+ Burpees along with everything else Week 1 was definitely a challenge.

  • SOJ Conquers IPC Wk1

    A pumped up gang of mighty men converged at NoToll this morning to take on Week 1 of the Iron Pax Challenge. Along with the famed clipboard, DTH upped the gadget game with a whiteboard detailing the routine and Bluetooth speaker sounding off the EMOM timer. Here’s how SOJ set the pace for F3RVA:

    The THANG:

    WarmUp:

    • Mosey to the lush field and circle up
    • Welcome & F3 Disclaimer
    • DQ’s x10 IC
    • YHC demonstrated and led a few reps of each exercise in the planned routine

    IronPax Challenge Week 1:

    • EMOM (every minute on the minute), complete x3 Burpees, and meanwhile complete the following:
    • x50 HRRM’s (both hands off ground at bottom then one hand off ground at top of each merkin – we did a shoulder tap)
    • x100 Leg Raises
    • x150 Jungle Boi Squats (deep squats with touching both hands to ground between feet, then raised overhead with jumping feet off ground)
    • x200 WWII’s
    • x250 Lunges (single count)
    • Scored for individual Elapsed Time

    Cool Down:

    • Variable Mary and stretches

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 15
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took us out in Prayer

    NMS:

    • Impressive performance again from the SOJ pax with times ranging 21:36 to 36min. Tclaps to Fresh Prince, Don Draper, and Rosie setting the pace at something akin to a blur. The burpees every minute were annoying, but ultimately became a respite from the relentless pain of the gazillion routine reps. Don’t know about the rest of you but YHC has been wobbling around on spaghetti legs this morning! Also Tclaps to a few guy who did not let their form waver despite the high rep count (among others, YHC noted Snuff and Florence really honoring the form) – you may have come up with slower times, but you guys are winners at an entirely higher level!!! The IPC is really a powerful exercise of the F3 You-versus-You model — it really doesn’t matter what your ultimate finish time is, if you pushed yourself hard to do your best, then you are reaping what you sow. YHC really appreciates how many of you guys are stepping up to do the IPC this year – CSAUP sucks, but sure as hell is a lot more fun with you guys alongside! All my respect, YHC, DTH