Tag: DownRange

One hit the roads for the sloppiest, wettest run in some time. That said, conditions remained 70 and sunny. According to the fish swimming in the street, the following might have happened:

Today was a day for turkey trotting. YHC woke up early and by accident. Launch time moved to 4:00 a.m. Normal route to Broward on the way out. Run included substantially flooded roads, especially the mall parking lot (3-4 inches!). YHC detoured on the way back to add a loop around the office park and another loop around the lake. Somewhere north of 6, or enough for this turkey to declare a trot was had.

Number, name, and YHC said thanks.

NMS: One benefit to running in Florida is warmth. 75-80 and rainy, or in other words, magnificent conditions. Not too hot, not too cold. When returning to the hotel, the desk clerk asked,”Is it raining?”

“Uh, yeah.” (Shoes squeaking, shoes squeaking…and water dripping from clothes).

One pax joined on the shores of the Pacific Ocean for his favorite version of The Clinic each year. Temperatures in the air were 70 and sunny. Ocean water slightly warmer at 63 (actual air temp 48). According to the county workers emptying trash cans on the beach, the following may have happened:

Slightly earlier start than usual. 4:45 a.m. due to Pacific time and restlessness. Run from hotel down walkways to drop off circle.

COP:

SSHs, dead man hang, yoga stretching, Imperial walkers, 20 merkins, and a handful of LBCs.

Mosey to the rock pile / jetty. 20 decline merkins, 20 dips.

40 yard cycle. Run about 40 yards on the beach. Stop. Perform about 20 of an exercise.

Merkins, flutter kicks, LBCs, hello dolly, squats. Do this for about 1.0 mile.

Attempt to jump over very small creek that empties into Pacific Ocean.

Continue with above cycle for .5 miles.

Turn around at the rocks. 1.5 miles back, finishing at the original rock pile / jetty.

Run back to the cliff base, then up the path (aka Charmian) to the top. VSF at the outdoor fire pit.

Number, Name, and a quick one-man COT.

NMS: YHC has been traveling a ton and had hoped to exercise last week in the mountains of Colorado. A late night altitude headache scotched that plan, so it was refreshing to be back at sea level for a couple of days. Few places more beautiful than the Pacific Ocean shore in The Gloom. Looking forward to returning in the spring.

One PAX hit the mean streets of Broward for a slightly elongated edition of The Clinic. Temperatures were 70 and conditions sunny. According to the police officer on stakeout in the hotel parking lot, the following might have happened….zzzzz.

Route: Circle to Peters to office parking lot to office building to drop off the kids to La Quinta to mall parking lot (hi to the people paying $100 / month to do…well…to do what we do for free), out to Broward Blvd. and reverso back home).

5.5 or so. Name, number, YHC said a few words of thanks, and good luck to my friend Omar traveling to Jamaica this week.

NMS:

When exiting one’s own office building at 05:07 a.m., it’s comforting to see the security person in the parking lot (actually, it’s a little weird). But, it’s more comforting to see someone stretching in the parking lot. AWESOME. We might have our first FNG. With Pavoratti on a business trip, YHC thought The Clinic might have a visitor. But, late night activities no doubt intervened. Here was a genuine runner getting ready to exercise…and as YHC ran around that side of the lot, he saw the telltale signs of a man not preparing to run. First, the little orange glow. Then, the waft and the sweet smell. Then, the Mr. Pibb bottle. The dude was stretching, but alas, for this individual, an early morning fat one and some soda were the choices of the morning.

Onward…

One PAX launched early for the latest edition of The Clinic. Conditions were 70 and sunny. According to Helen, the following may quite possibly have happened:

Mosey from the hotel to the man-made lake for the COP

SSHs, IWs, DQs, Dead Man Hang, stretch to the sky, LBCs, WWIIs.

Circuits around the lake. YHC estimates the small circuit around the lake is about the same as a track (1/4 mile). As YHC will tell anyone, YHC hates track work. YHC wonders why anyone would use a track, ever, for anything. Just a horrific invention. So, YHC did essentially track work with 6 stations. 20 reps of each, except as noted.

Station 1: merkins
Station 2: LBCs
Station 3: Rosalitas
Station 4: Decline merkins (10 reps)
Station 5: WWIIs
Station 6: SSHs

Three loops.

Mosey the long way home. YHC estimates a mile.

Name, number, YHC said a quick prayer for some folks who are struggling.

Announcements:

Breaking Bread: thank you to the men who carried food this weekend to the Southside Medical Respite, and to the men and women who did the cooking. The bar for a good meal was set really, really high by your brothers and their families. YHC definitely is looking to get invited to both Oyster’s and Gomer’s next family dinner. Wow. Sign up for November and December is open. We need YOU to help with dinner for 8-12 people. With 24 nights each year, this is a great way to make a contribution to F3’s leadership in the community. YHC thanks you in advance. And, if you can, bring a bag or two of fruit. These folks do not get much produce, and they really appreciate it.

Beer Mile. Saturday at 7 (that’s p.m., for those who were asking at First Watch). Suggested weekend itinerary:
1) Watch “All Quiet on the Western Front” Friday evening. Develop a solid disdain for war.
2) Attend a minimum of three workouts Saturday morning (example: Breakfast Club, then Dogpile, then The Crucible), then,
3) Kids’ events Saturday morning into early afternoon, late afternoon nap (well deserved), and
4) Top the evening off with 4 beers and 4 laps and puking and then,
5) A well deserved slumber “in bed” by 8:30 p.m., assuming your definition of “in bed” is “asleep on Faceplant’s front lawn.” Temps should be in the 50s at bedtime, dropping to the high/mid 40’s by the time you wake up wondering where you are and why your M hasn’t taken you home, then,

5.5) Find said way home, and,
6) (Promise yourself and your M that you will) Grow from this experience (note F3 Nation recommends that you use Caps when “Growing”),
7) Build communication with your M,
8) Learn to say the words “Do as Daddy says, not as Daddy does” to your 2.0s,
9) Remind yourself that, after an evening of sleeping outside, attempting to whisper the phrase “Please, Bodo’s, can you turn down the microphone?” during church on Sunday, will not go over well with the M. It will not be a whisper, and only you will think you are funny.
10) Remind self that YHC has warned you.

NMS: YHC’s pal Omar is a stoic fellow, never complaining, though YHC suspects he’s hurting. Keep him in your prayers as he travels home for a funeral. He lost a 20-some year old cousin to an industrial accident. The cousin was crushed by some concrete blocks, apparently unsecured, perhaps by the cousin himself, that fell off the side of a truck. Apparently, this happened on Day 2 of a new job working for the cousin’s father, who owns the construction company. Yikes.

Great to see Helen, who must be at least 75 and is still working at the hotel, back at work. Say what you will, but being at work at 5 a.m. is not something YHC aspires for at that age. Has to be a challenge.

UpChuck spits the bit.

One solitary soul marched out and took in the new day at The Clinic. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to the Lexus salespeople cleaning up from the prior night’s festivities, the following likely happened:

Route: north around the circle, cross Peters, east through the parking lots, north to the Mall, and further north to Broward Blvd. Take a slight detour on the way back to make it over 5 miles.

Number, name, YHC took himself out.

NMS: Same old, plus a shiny new Lexus awaiting YHC on the hotel doorstep. Awaiting, meaning, if anyone wants to buy it, it’s for sale. Apparently, the Lexus people are learning the new features on the 2023 models.

Announcements:

Faceplant is trying to make friends by drinking and running.

Breaking Bread: we are looking for Qs for November and December. One for November on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, and then both days of the Christmas weekend. No better way to take in the holidays than giving. Dinner for 8-12 people. 5:30 p.m. Sign up on the Q-Sheet as far to the right as possible. YHC appreciates your help in advance.

YHC posted to Urban Assault in Winston Salem on 8/19. Super pumped to pick the day they attacked the hills of downtown. Backblast posted on F3WinstonSalem.com is below:

IPC is Coming (Maybe?)

Date: 8/19/22

PAX: Fudd (from Richmond), Wobegon, Crash, Gretel, Lamb Chop(!), Spicoli, Post Hole, Greenspan

Warmrama:

SSHs, Leg Stretches, Whirlies, Abe Vigodas, Cherry Pies, Let’s Go!

The Thang:

Mosey up to 6^th Street where our hilly journey was clarified.  We would mosey west on 6^th Street, stopping at each red light for an IPC-lite exercise.  Stops along the way yielded:

• Hand-release Hurpees x 10 (which, really, is 30 merkins + 10 burpees)
• Bonnie Blairs x 25
• Bonnie Blairs x 10
• Side-straddle hops x 50
• WW2s x 25

Lamb Chop exercised his mouth along the way, petitioning a turnaround as he apprehended where we were headed.  After a bit farther mosey down Pilot View, YHC acquiesced and we moseyed back towards home.  Left on Jersey, and back up 4 ½ street, right on   Along the way, we performed:

• Merkins x 30
• Burpees x 10

Upon arrival at home, the cup check:

• Merkins x 5 at mid, low, high, mid, wide, mid, and diamond hand positions each

Finished.

Announcements:

• The Shmed 5k and FunRun, August 28^th. All proceeds to benefit Crisis Control.  Sign up at https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/WinstonSalem/Shmedfest.
• Spicoli has Q at Impossible Situation tomorrow.
• Opportunities to serve with both Giles’s move and GreenNest tomorrow.

Prayer Requests:

• People struggling with addictions.
• Lamb Chop’s M’s pregnancy.

NMM:

• The theme was moseys with IPC-type exercises intermingled based on the timing of traffic lights, i.e. fortune.
  • Lamb Chop asked when IPC was so he could be ready to mock and complain.
  • In a turn of concern, the F3 Greenwood website is down. It would be terrible if they couldn’t get the dispatches out on the 2022 version of their torture rack.
• Post Hole debated on coming this morning based on the “hills” pre-blast. He was a happy he conquered the sack.
• Fudd is on his way from Richmond to Asheville for a meeting and stopped in Dashland. He’s been training for BRR and it showed.
• Wobegon got YHC out for an EC run where we commiserated on the fun of the West Virginia Ragnar last weekend and dreamed on how to deepen the DashPax’s 3^rd T-claps to the Na’ntan.
• Spicoli rolled in on Spicoli Time but in time to join us for the critical stretching portion of the warmups.
• Crash was having memory problems, thinking that he had been on Pilot View at previous UA Q by YHC; it was in fact a Flatline Q, which is half the distance that Bailey Park is, but still worth forgetting.
  • The goal was to reach Hanes Park before turning around. We’ll have to try again next time.
• Gretel was the quiet man this morning, just getting it done without any whining.
• YHC’s cadence on Abe Vigodas was a little aggressive initially. I dialed it back to a more reasonable pace.
• We intersected a couple of OGs (Lemming and Woodpecker) around Foot Hills on the return trip to Bailey Park who comment that “You boys are a long ways from home.” They didn’t know the half of it.
• A great regret was not getting to the 50 pull-ups YHC had planned. #Cobains.

Great job, men.  Everyone have a good weekend.

Post Hole, the keys are on Pilot View; they popped out with YHC’s phone.

POST AUTHORGreenspan

In the misty gloom of Windy Gap a handful of F3RVA natives rallied a few brothers in Christ to beat the fartsack and embrace something glorious. Here’s how the first morning of the annual men’s retreat kicked off:

The THANG:

WARMERAMA:

• Circle up on the Basketball Court
• F3 Welcome & Disclaimer for the FNG’s
• Review of the Core Principles and Credo
• Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom

COP #1:

• Mosey and partner up for a DORA
• x100 Merkins
• x200 Squats
• x300 LBC’s
• Moving partners bear crawl up the hill and mosey back around the loop

COP #2:

• Indigenous People’s Mosey to the back parking lot, last man completing x2 Burpees before sprinting to take the lead

COP #3:

• Line up for ELEVENS
• Ball Dippers (2-ct), descending 10-1
• WWII’s ascending 1-10
• Run between sides of the lot

Mosey BTTF for COT:

• Counterama #7
• Namerama
• Announcerama (see Below)
• YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

NMS:  About 400 men gathered on the mountain in southwest NC for the retreat, this being the 47th year of annual meetings of the Fellowship. Last year YHC attended for the first time on invitation from Greenbow and there was no question that we would return. YHC was blessed to bring along Seadoo this year, and we enjoyed Doozy’s company along with a handful of other Virginia men. It is without any doubt the most spiritually refreshing experience of my adult life. Feeling exceptionally thankful, YHC, DTH

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121:1-2‬

Day 2 of a great downrange weekend with DTH and Greenbow, several FNGs to introduce to the F3 brotherhood.

Well when you’re on a mountain what else can you do but run up and down if?

COP

DQ’s – 5 Burpees, Helicopters – 4 Burpees, Hillbillies – 3 Burpees, Copperhead Squats – 2 Burpees, ? – 10 Burpees

Mosey to an area we call the old infirmary Partner up (YHC played the shadow for one group)

Partner 1 Bear Crawl up grass hill, Partner 2 does exercise, switch. Exercises are Dips, Derkins, Step ups

Mosey to big hill do some Lunges, Butt Kickers, High knees, and Murder Bunnies to get there

On the big hill Elevens with American Hammers and Scrunchy Frogs This hill is so steep that an audible is called to make the higher side a descending run, so each set is one light post shorter. Once you get to 5-6 stay at the bottom for 6-5 then start going back to the top

Mosey BTTF Numbers / Names DTH took us out

NMS:

With a big hike coming up later in the afternoon YHC was asked to not do elevens with Ball Dippers, squats and Bernies on the big hill like last year. YHC decided that was probably a good decision but needed to still incorporate the big hill. Welcome to F3 Nation to all our FNGs this weekend today YHC got to name Mountaineer who is 61 (respect, respect) and normally does Cross Fit back home in WV near Morgantown.

One PAX launched earlier than some, later than others to enjoy a soupy August morning at The Clinic. Temperatures remained 70 and sunny. According to the President of The Gambia, who was assigned to overwatch, this is what happened:

5:12 am: send final taunting text to Gumbo to get his butt out of bed.

5:12:20 Launch. Run today was just about 316,800 inches, or 5 mikes. YHC’s Apple Watch Series 11 is very precise.

06:02:21

Number, name, YHC took himself out under the watchful eye of the President’s security team.

NMS: The Gambia, really. YHC thought the two dudes with darkened SUVs were picking up the Dolphins. Nope. Hip bulges suggested otherwise. YHC, being a social fella, chose to make friends. Nice fellas, those Gambians. YHC gathers that south Florida is pretty laid back for presidential security.
Intelligence nugget: no boxes of Gambian presidential documents were identified during the workout.

UpChuck spits the bit.

YHC posted in Cville at the OG AO Blackout. 13 strong were there. Good to see guys like Boss and Blister who YHC hasn’t seen in 3+ years till posting. PAX suggested we can take Vinny back, but said you’re stuck with him. Always good to post DR and get a Big data point.