Tag: DownRange

YHC couldn’t find any news of a Thanksgiving convergence at F3 Alpha (Marietta, Georgia), so posted to The Galaxy at the usual 0530 and found the PAX gathering for a Tweaker beatdown. Blue provided coffee afterwards. PAX wanted to know unique things about F3RVA. YHC told them about monthly challenges, particularly the Merkin challenge. There was some interest.

Solid beatdown. After a COP, grab a coupon, and proceed to an escalator with the following exercises, with a run across the parking lot in between each set.

5 burpees

10 Werkins

15 Peter Parker Merkins

20 Donkey Kicks

25 WWIII’s (Press, Sit Up, Overhead Press)

30 Plank Jacks

35 Curls

40 Overhead Press

(There were two more rounds that YHC didn’t get to; pretty sure no other PAX did, either.) Afterwards, YHC went to Cochran Shoals Park for some miles on the trails along the Chattahoochee.

Happy Thanksgiving, F3RVA!

Last time YHC posted here, got my butt kicked in 7 degree weather with an insufficient headlamp. This time, YHC was ready after running with the big dogs at Spider Run and kettlebells at Circus and proper equipment . Mission accomplished. Tclaps for Animal and Olan Mills who worked a 6 mile trail run into a 50k Saturday. They have a 50miler in Moab in a couple of weeks. Switch went to Radford and knows a bunch of runners in Midlothian, so be on the lookout SOJ. AO Hogwallow, F3 Alpha in Roswell, GA

https://www.strava.com/athletes/3759667

YHC posted downrange while visiting family. YHC’s first cinderblock purchase was for $2.37 which didn’t seem too bad, but that means they were probably $0.33 last year. The BB tells it all: https://www.f3alpha.com/backblast/2023/10/30/birthday-q-3/

Having missed CSU parents’ weekend last week due to work commitments, YHC travelled north of Denver to spend the weekend with @Spinal Tap. What better way to start a Saturday in a college town than a beatdown in the snow with the gents of F3 FoCo at Twin Silos Park (AO: Abduction). Here’s how it went:

Mosey to Pavilion for Warmarama: 90 SSHs, 45 Imperial Walkers, 25 Mountain Climbers, 17 high knees

The THANG: Repeato the 90, 45, 25, 17 for four rounds of various exercises

90: (copperhead squats, merkins, Bobby Hurley, sumo squats)

45: (lunges, reverse lunges, step ups)

25: (werkins, diamond merkins, Apollo Ohnos, called for time)

17: (booyah merkins, jump tucks, something else, called for time)

Mosey BTTF for numbers, names and COT.

NMMS: Great time in the snow and glad to see that the HIMs of F3 FoCo are keeping my 2.0 coming back to the gloom! It’s pretty remarkable that you can go basically anywhere in the country and find some great folks getting after it at 05:30.

Make it a great one!

20 Buccaneers including 2 FNG’s and 2 Downrangers set sail on the Tampa waterfront of Julian B. Lane Park. The Pig Jig festival workers observed the following :

F3 intro and disclaimers

Warmarama : Father Abraham – weird combo of Copperhead Squats, Jazzercise, and SSH done to the tube of Father Abraham (didn’t make sense to me)

20 SSH IC

THE THANG :

Line up for Indigenous Run with three 50 lb sand bags spread out among the PAX. PAX at the back sprints to the front. Rotate sandbags among PAX. Traveled about half a mile.

Arrive at a bridge going over river canal

AMRAP for 10 minutes of the following : 10 Merkins at bottom, run to top of bridge, 10 Merkins at top, run back down. Repeato and continue sharing sandbags among PAX for the travel 

Mosey to high school parking lot

Rotate between 5 workout stations for 45 seconds of an exercise with 15 seconds rest in between. We did 3 rounds of the following stations : Burpees, Star Jacks (squat jump into a SSH with legs flared out to the sides), Apollo Ohno’s, Peter Parkers, Flutter Kicks

Line up for Indigenous Bear Crawl. PAX at the back does 10 burpees then sprints to the front. Repeato until all PAX have done burpees 

Mosey BTTF

Circle up and hold Plank. Do 2 rounds of the following : 10 Shoulder Taps IC, 10 Merkins IC, 10 Single Count Merkins OYO

DONE

Numbers, Names, YHC took us out

NMMS : This is the only AO in Tampa and was just planted 3 weeks ago. They have AO’s in St Pete, Clearwater and surrounding cities but this is the first one specifically in Tampa. They’ve averaged 20 or more PAX every week so far. Great group of guys. Tough Q and great fellowship 

Got to post downrange in F3 The Capital this week while traveling for work. Great to meet the PAX and learn a few new tricks. Here’s Monk’s Backblast, using their Slackblast app within Slack:

Thank you @Boberry for hitting us on Slack and showing up at #apollo. It was great to meet you.
WARMUP: windmills, imperial walkers, hillbillies, arm circles, Michael Phelps, SSH, cotton pickers, down dog/greatest stretch/cobra, Fellowship lap  

THE THANG:  Grip, Rip, and Roll (GRRs) to 15 yard line & back Sitting up on your six, set a cinder block by your side. Grip the cinder block. Pick it up and place it on the other side of your body. Now place your hands on top of the cinder block, roll into a plank on top of the block, then roll to the ground.  Partner-up, one partner runs to 50 yard & back; 50 reps Blocko Motor City Shuffle (BMCS) – With Cinder Block In Hand, Lunge with OH Press x2, First Part of Blockee, Merkins on block x5, Plank Jacks on block x5, second Part of Blockee (thruster), squat. = 1 Rep!  For the record, this exercise ends with a block thruster throw, Frog Hop to Block. It was dark, so the idea of throwing cinderblocks around seemed completely stupid and worse than pointless.  

MARY: Pretzels (by Boberry); LBC’s  ANNOUNCEMENTS: Dad’s Camp; Grunt; maybe something else I forgot  

COT: Life is full of good and bad experiences, experiences that seem bad but good comes after them, and experiences that seem good but turn out badly. And these experiences can come in close proximity to each other, especially if you’re in high school. For example, my daughters’ volleyball team did not play to potential yesterday evening and were lucky to come out with a win. But over the long run they are raising the bar on their school’s athletic program, which historically punches below its weight … b/c to its credit the school emphasizes academics. Student-athletes are sometimes the best students b/c they have no time for activities of no value. Another quick story: One of my daughters is preparing for SAT at the “last minute.” She went through a fit of frustration over it, but maybe lack of time is a benefit. Now she must focus and get it done. And a few nights ago, she freaked out w/ tears over an assignment but after 20 of this was having fun doing it. And on and on and on. So try to keep perspective on the uncomfortable bits.  

4 running PAX came together for a Sunday Funday run. YHC already knew Legz from working at The Hotel Roanoke back in the mid 2000s and a previous post earlier this year, but got to run with a couple others I haven’t gotten to meet before. Got to chat with each of them a bit during the run. Legz, and Freddy Mac both recently did the Blue Ridge Relay and are seasoned runners. Rapino is no slouch, he started doing triathlons 25 years ago. Very inspiring, as he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 12 years ago, but no way you could tell.

We met up at the Sweet Donkey Cafe near Roanoke Memorial did a nice route around South Roanoke and then into the city. YHC had to relieve himself and cut off into a parking garage. Rapino decided that was a good idea as well and saw that YHC had found a drain to go in and Rapino was impressed by this classy move, as opposed to just using the wall. We made our way back towards Memorial Hospital, and cut through River’s Edge park back to The Sweet Donkey.

6 miles logged and some stayed for coffee. A good time was had by all.

YHC had finished a little pre run but no other PAX at the post time of 630 at Star City @ Wasena Park . Thought maybe they changed it to 7 and failed to update, or maybe due to the weather. Even though it had stopped raining for almost an hour. Decided to keep myself busy running up and down the steep hill around the corner up to Wasena Ave. Came back at close to 7 and still no other PAX. These Roanoke guys must be a bunch of softies, it was barely a drizzle.

YHC skipped the warmarama since I had gotten plenty of running in.

Broad jumps across the parking lot and bear crawl back.

I wasn’t getting into it with the right intensity so I decided to kick it up a notch. Grabbed the weighted vest and did a set of stiletto squats on the curb. Run a lap and repeat.

Ran into the neighborhood and made the climb up to Wasena Ave again. Found a nice hill and did spider man mountain climbers at the top and merkins at the bottom. Bernie Sanders up the hill each time. Did this 6 times.

Made my way back to the truck and still no other PAX. Did a couple more sets of stiletto squats and merkins.

Put the vest away and hit the greenway. Did about 2 miles stopping 6 times for chair dips.

Back to the flag for some stretching and that was it.

Shortly after, I received a text from one of the regular PAX. Turns out they audibled to a parking garage due to the weather. I learned my lesson. Always reach out beforehand when downrange, to confirm details of a workout.

One jackrabbit launched in the pre-dawn Gloom for the latest edition of The Clinic, San Diego-style. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, and the other wild hares, the following hop-along might have happened.

COP: jog from front entrance to putting green in the mist. Wave hello to the trailing security guard.

SSHs, DQs, IWs, WWIIs, LBCs, squats, merkins.

Route: Front 9, somewhere around 4,400 yards, according to the Apple app (course distance 3,400 yards).

Rotation: merkins, squats, WWIIs, and flutter kicks (real ones: locked knees, pointed toes). Substitutes are monkey humpers and LBCs.

Number, name, YHC took himself.

NMS: YHC checked in late, after dark. No way to see the course in advance. Apparently, the course is hilly. Like, BRR hilly. Uphills starts at about hole 5, or roughly halfway through the run. Mamma-jamma. ~1,500 feet vertical, which is, apparently, a lot. Over about 1.5 miles. South Florida this was not. Welcome to the cliffs of San Diego. Memo to self – run the front 9 backwards.

One intrepid adventurer moseyed through the latest edition of The Clinic. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According YHC’s daughter providing overwatch from the hotel balcony, the following might have happened:

Route: Northbound on Va. Beach boardwalk (concrete walk) starting at about 23rd street, past Neptune, quick stop for the memorial to the Naked Warrior Monument, reverse at the Boardwalk end, then southbound past the start to somewhere prior to the pier. Call it 3 or so in total, which is YHC’s minimum for a “workout.”

YHC blames Fudd for the short run. Well, “a Fudd” and the prior night’s pizza.

Number, name, YHC took himself out with a little note of thanks to those who provide overwatch and air cover, whether civilian or military.

Announcements:

Saturday, we converge and celebrate 9 years.

Saturday, we sit and sip.

NMS: YHC was in Va. Beach with his daughter for some travel soccer this weekend. This excuse provided the opportunity to watch soccer and the Blue Angels simultaneously. YHC is not going to tell you which was of greater interest. If this is multi-tasking, YHC likes it.