Tag: DownRange

  • Lead From Within. Lead From Without.

    A lucky 13 from F3RVA converged in Buckingham with 23 other F3 Charlottesville, F3 Lynchburg, F3 Capital and Bridge brothers to celebrate the one year anniversary of The Bridge. In short, those who know, know. Some things just can’t be explained. The Bridge is one of those things. I always love posting at The Bridge, and today was no different. The energy was palpable. The brotherhood was real. The bond was everlasting.

    When I arrived at 7:01 – launch time was 7:30 – I was not surprised to see my RVA brothers already there, ready to go. Shortly, clown cars from all over arrived, including a solo clown car for our brother Major Payne from F3 The Capital. To say I was pumped to see everyone and celebrate this day is an understatement. It was Christmas morning, in a sense.

    On top of the organic energy, a film crew was on hand to capture F3s involvement with The Bridge. We were ready to hit the ground running.

    07:30, it was time to start. Circle up. Slaughter start = 11 Burpees.

    Warm-o-rama: YHC decided the best way to involve and introduce everyone was to call members of the PAX to the center of the ring, one at a time, to lead an exercise 10-15 total. SSHs, Scorpion Kicks, Carolina Dry Docks, HR Merkins, Burpees, Peter Parkers, Grass Angels, Australian Grass Angels, LBCs, Imperial Walkers, Jump Squats, and more…

    Circle of Doom: The Bridge has a nice track, and we made full use of it. Partner up – different nano regions. Partner one runs the track until they reach their partner, then switch. Partner 2 performs called exercises. Exercises are Bear Crawl, Triple Jump Squats, Lunges. Rinse and repeat until the exercising partner reaches the start/finish line.

    Modified Forest Gumps: New partners. PLTs x 10 to each side and 10 Dealer’s Choice. In between rounds PAX performs 10 BooYah Merkins.

    Merkin Balloon Toss: Partner up. PAX tosses water ballon and performs 5 called merkins each round until a winner is declared. Diamond Merkins, Merkins, Carolina Dry Docks were called.

    Tug-O-War: Round 1: Bridge v C’ville. Bridge won. Round 2: C’ville v. RVA. RVA won. Round 3: Hodge Podge v Hodge Podge. Round 4: Bridge v. All-Stars. Bridge won again! 2 for 2. Boom!

    American Hammers (Ivey) x 20.

    Announcements: F3RVA will Q at The Bridge the 4th Saturday of every month. BRR teams are beginning to form.

    NMS: Today we converged to celebrate a very important milestone – 1 year of F3 at The Bridge. At The Bridge, we talk with these mean a lot about leadership, and its meaning. I wanted to demonstrate leadership as a true vulnerability, and not being out front without meaning. We started by forming an inner circle of the men from The Bridge, with all other PAX standing directly behind them. Leadership starts with vulnerability and trust. You cannot lead until you know that you can trust those around you, that you are accepting of help and support. The outer circle is there for you. You cannot lead by yourself. You cannot lead until you can be open, free and trusting.

    Next we switched places. Now The Bridge PAX was on the outside. An equally important component of leadership. You are there to lend unconditional support. To catch a brother when he falls. Champions don’t show up to get all that they want. Champions show up to give all that they have. The same goes for leadership. As members of F3 and The Bridge, we must give all that we have. We must be selfless. We must get back up when we fall down.

    The men at The Bridge are doing very special things. It is a true honor to be a part of it. Thank you all so very much for being here to celebrate and honor. It meant the world to me.

  • That Move is Not Legal

    One PAX again for a Wednesday run at The Clinic. Temps were 70 and sunny; conditions were 85 and fully saturated. According to the dude going left at the intersection, who then stopped, reversed backwards through the intersection, and then turned right, the following directions were given and then followed:

    Exit hotel along the east loop (past DHL), cross Peters, right through YHC’s office complex, left at 78th, another left on 78th (yeah, deal with it or show up on-site and you can see for yourself), and left on Federated to Broward. Reverso BTTVSF.

    Number, name, YHC took himself out.

    Announcements:

    Soccer at 10:30 Saturday plus relatives in town = likely no UPC for The Bridge.

    Bunch of guys on sick / DL. Let’s remember to invite them to 2nd F…lunch, HDHH, etc.

    Breaking Bread: We need Q’s to announce the open dates for this summer. We need one family for June 26, one for August 27, and one for August 28. Why not you? Sign up now!

  • You Can Bet on F3

    YHC posted in Black Rock, NC this morning, despite the low prior probability of a beatdown. Recon revealed that the AO was not listed on the Q sheet, the last backblast was in 2018, the last tweet was in 2021, and could not determine if there was anything different planned for Memorial Day. At 05:29:30, YHC started to put the manvan in reverse to head back to the fartsack when a car pulled in – was it a PAX member? The car was covered in stickers but no F3 sticker. It was a PAX member, 2 weeks new to F3, didn’t know any exercises, but knew where the coupons were. YHC was ready to take the Q but then the Q pulled in hot, who then led a solid beatdown featuring many of Montreat’s superb facilities.

    Crayola sends his regards to Rosco, who YHC met last time posting in Asheville. Crayola also knows YHC’s second cousin. It turns out that if you post in the mountains and you are related to one person, you really are related to everyone. Over the years, YHC has come to appreciate the connection that F3 provides. We don’t always need it, but it is there for us if we move or are traveling. Posting downrange also enhances YHC’s appreciation of F3 RVA. YHC was sorry to miss the all-star lineup at the convergence but was at the Virginia War Memorial in spirit.

    Back home now, YHC tried to remember all the non F3 RVA AOs visited, all featuring excellent hosts and fine men of F3. You can count on them to be there for you.

    • F3 Alpha (East Cobb, Roswell, Alpharetta, GA): Galaxy, Hogwallow, Rubicon, The Wreck
    • F3 Asheville (Asheville, Black Rock, NC): Basecamp, Grey Eagle
    • F3 Atlanta (Atlanta, GA): Hot Tin Roof
    • F3 The Capital (Arlington, VA): The Patriot
    • F3 Carpex (Cary, Apex, NC): A-Team, Danger Zone, Phoenix
    • F3 Chicago (Chicago, IL): CoJack
    • F3 Churham (Chapel Hill, NC): Bastille, The Goat, Ramses
    • F3 GrandStrand (N Myrtle Beach, SC): Timeshare
    • F3 Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, VA): StankHill
    • F3 HOU (Houston, TX): The Hogg
    • F3 JAX (Jacksonville, FL): The Stampede
    • F3 MeCa (Charlotte, NC): B.O.M.B.
    • F3 Nashville (Nashville, TN): Titan
    • F3 NOLA (New Orleans, LA): Bohica, The Uptowner
    • F3 Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ): Piestawa Trail Run
    • F3 Puget Sound (Seattle, WA): MOHAI, VHS

  • Foggy in Wildling Country.

    2 Davillians headed far north of the wall to Richmond Co. for a foggy run.

    Run was just around 5 miles that included roads around the rappahannock river.

    Great mumble chatter about life, kids, and the landscape.

    Spit on That!!

  • Damn that was hard

    YHC was up in Baltimore without an AO within 2 hours. So what do you do? Talk one of your co-workers to meet you in the parking lot at 5:30 am. Challenge was accepted and according to those loading the shuttle for BWI here is what went down.

    Mosey around the hotel. COP 20 each SSH, LBC. 10 each: Merkins, DQ’s, Helicopters, Imperial Walkers, Flutters, Box cutters, Drydocks.

    Triple check with 2 PAX? 1st person run to end of lot 2nd alternate between WWII’s and hand release merkins. 3 turns each

    Triple 2- Alternate between SSH’s and Squats. Runner same length.

    Run around hotel stopping for exercise at every lightpole.

    Triple 3- Runner around the hotel . Alternate between 10 Drydocks and 10 LBC’s.

    YHC took us out in prayer.

  • Circle Up

    One PAX launched early and stayed late for the latest edition of The Clinic. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to Handshake’s whining about The Clinic, the following most definitely happened:

    COP: run 1/2 mile, SSHs (x94), ab exercises (20 of the following: WWIIs, asphalt angels, rosalitas, 4-count flutter kicks) and 14 reverse crunches.

    Four corners: 3 rounds, 10 merkins, 20 WWIIs, 30 squats, 40 SSH (4 count)

    mosey to the DHL building: 6 driveway lamps, do 20 of an ab exercise (WWII, hello dolly, flutters, reverse crunches), then run the loop…after 4 rounds, interrupted by security approaching, so a quick mosey to…

    Lake Florida: 2 loops with the following stations:

    WWIIs, dips, derkins, squats, rosalitas, flutters – 20 per stop.

    mosey BTTVSF.

    number, name, mumble to self.

    NMS: Long week, longer trip. Spent the time thinking about my aunt and the honest, selfless devotion she made to setting an example for others. Her words at her birthday party last December: ”I pray each morning to my God that I can do what’s right and set a humble example.”

  • Selfies by the Sea

    One PAX pulled off the covers of The Fartsack and hit the surf for the latest edition of The Clinic (on tour). Air temperatures were 70 and sunny. Water temperatures were 59 and high tide. According to the walker taking selfies in the dark, the following might have happened:

    Mosey on Niguel Road to Ritz Carlton Drive to Beach Access Road.

    COP:

    SSHs x 50 (in honor of The Carpenter starting a new AO)
    WWIIs x 20
    FKs x 20
    LBCs x20
    Merkins x10
    HRMs x10

    Mosey to the Surf (noting the walker on his way across the sand)

    Down the hill, left (south) at the sand towards the jetty. 1/4 mile run on the soft sand.

    Derkins x20 on the rocks. Squats x20.

    Run north on the beach. Highest tide. Soft sand and dry or hard sand and wet. YHC choose a mix, then gave up on the soft sand and took the wetness.

    At the 1 mile point, surprise the dude taking selfies at the water’s edge with a solid “Good morning.” Reminder: Taking selfies in the dark on the edge of the ocean is not a risk-free venture. No iPhones were injured in the making of this Beatdown.

    Continue north, alternative merkins, squats, and ab exercises. Turn at the cliffs. Run back, mixing running in ocean and hard sand. Conditions were cold, wet, and eventually sandy (in the shoes).

    At the jetty, revers-o, then north to access road, up the monster hill (short, but ~15% grade?), and back up the stairs to RC Drive, Niguel Drive, and BTTVSF.

    Announcements:

    YHC reminded himself of the Sad Clowns running alone in Charlotte, the blood drive, PAX members families in need, and the awesome guys (Hutton, Bootleg) who conducted Breaking Bread this weekend.

    June 4th, let’s head to Buckingham.

    NMS: The Clinic is on the road this week, doing a little West Coast / East Coast comparison.

  • Introducing…

    F3RVAs newest AO. The Sugar. One posted after numerous EH attempts failed. According to the gentleman with the top hat and bow tie who greeted YHC at 0530, this may or may not have happened.

    The Route
    Head south on 3rd, under the overpass (or was it over the underpass?), to continue south on Little Sugar Creek Greenway. Meander around for three miles, briefly passing a few locals doing plank merkins and bear crawls. YHC joined for a few merkins then continued on to Freedom Park. Reverso then BTTVSF.

    Number, name, YHC took YHC out with a few passerbys wondering what I was doing.

    Moleskin
    This is a recurring running route that YHC has done for the last 10 years or so, every time I visit the Queen City. No meth labs, but I did try to get on the local news as the route took us right by the courthouse where there is apparently a big trial today.

    I will not be here every week, but every week I am here anyone and everyone is welcome to join. Heads up to the PAX that a portion of the greenway appears to be under construction from Spring 2022 – Spring 2024. That’s right. Two years. We will have to modify the route for the next few years.

    Satire lives on!

  • Last post on the isle

    YHC arrived to Swansboro Park to find another traveler, his 2.0 and 3 Carterico Natives ready for a beatdown. YHC is thankful for the hospitality Carterico has shown over the last week and I enjoyed the work put in. After no warm up. We ran, stopping occasionally to do Merkins, WWI’s, Flutters, Back scratchers, Dollies, Box cutters, Plank jacks, Etc. Then we ran BTTF.

  • I picked the wrong group

    YHC posted for this beautiful morning with the men of Carterico. I pulled up to parking lot as the clock struck 5:30. The PAX split into 2 groups and I just followed the one closest to me. This was the running group. Logged 3.6 miles stopping to do various exercises every 5-10 minutes.