Tag: First Watch

River Road & Ridge

  • The Angels Eyebrow…or something

    A handsome septet of FW regulars welcomed this SOJ tourist into their lively gloom chatter, everyone anticipating something challenging and fresh, which is of course the Tryhard motto. Here’s how they (miraculously) earned ZERO burpees:

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey loop around the lot and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • The usual DTH top to bottom IC Reps

    THE WESTHAM EXICON ABC’s:

    • YHC mosey’d the PAX over to the entrance of Westham Parkway and explained this morning’s novel shenanigans would be to complete x20 reps for each letter of the alphabet as the PAX runs to the end of the parkway and back, periodically stopping for each letter/reps (while expertly avoiding getting run over). Having not pre-planned the exercises, the PAX was advised their help may be needed, as there would be a x10 Burpee penalty for any letter we could not match up with an exercise. 
    • All letters successfully paired with exercises, maybe a little over half called in candence, so NO burpees!

    Mosey BTTVSF for COT:

    • Counterama # 8 (plus Upchuck who had completed some Clinic work)
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Not dissimilar to the sweatfest of the F3 Beatdown Deck, this high rep and movement combo turned out to be a solid beatdown. As a relatively simple challenge that keeps the PAX together well, YHC imagines this could be easily completed at any AO in a pinch. Twill be added to YHC’s personal battery of beatdown options! Also amazing resilience of the FW gang assisting YHC with a few exercise options to avoid ANY burpees! Also excellent mumble chatter as always with the FW gang. It was suggested since we traveled in the opposite direction of the “Devil’s Taint” perhaps this route could be the “Angel’s Eyebrow” (or some other body part …YHC can’t actually recall, but it came from the murky depths of Handshake’s mind, so who knows). Great Coffeerama with Upchuck and some others at Starbucks. As always, appreciate ya’ll permitting YHC the honor to lead. Yours AYE! ~DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • Summer Tour ongoing
    • Sat – Upchuck & TYA at the Bridge
    • 8/11 – F3 Family Float on the James
    • 8/17 – Pickleball Tourney
    • 8/18 – 6-8am Holy Water Bootcamp
    • 8/21 – 100th Bday Q by Upchuck at FW
    • 8/28 – New AO at Mosely Elem
    • 9/4 – Kickoff Ruckhenge QSource
    • 9/20&21 – 10 Year Anniv (multiple events)
    • 10/25-27 – F3 Family Camping
    • 11/2 – F3 Daddy Daughter Dance

  • I’m not sure that’s a road…

    Three First Watch regulars watched as our visitor, Boberry, took a new route to the parking lot (hopefully the Church doesn’t have a Ring doorbell). Once the group was assembled, this is what went down.

    COP – SSH, Ukrainian soldiers, hillbillies, merkins, reverse crunchies, and arm circles.

    Next, mosey around the church and then a Dora – merkins, LBCs, and flutter kicks.

    Over to the church steps for 3 rounds of dips, chair sits, and balls to the wall.

    Then it was off to the parking lot.

    1. Run the length of the lot with a merkin count down from 10 to 1
    2. Several rounds of karaokes
    3. Several rounds of skipping, Bernie Sanders, lunging
    4. Some runs with American hammers at the end
    5. Burpees on every other parking space.

    Back to the flag for a merkin ring of fire.

    Numberama, nameorama, and Last Call took us out.

    Announcements:

    • Homegrown Half this Saturday at Robious Landing Park. See Slack for details.
    • Sign up for pickle ball tournament.

    Always fun to lead this crew. With many of the FW regulars out leading other AOs, the mumblechatter was kept to a minimum.

  • Need to work on our biceps

    6 men decided not to fart sack with the excitement of a coupon (no disc golf) workout.

    COP: Mosey to typical COP spot next to church. DQs, helicopters, HRMs, FMs and arm circles.

    Mosey with coupon to back parking lot.

    4 Corners: 10 Sit and Press, 20 rows, 30 2 count Mountain climbers, 40 Side straddle hops Mosey to covered area so we can enjoy some smooth concrete.

    Dora with 100 derkins, 150 coupon squats and 200 2 count flutter kicks (coupon up for first 100 although Senor Frog did not want to let that coupon go). Mosey across front lawn, avoid the sprinklers and go to end of Henrico’s smallest park.

    Triple check with run to River, bench press and bicep curls. For some reason curling the block was a challenge for some of us, myself included. Perhaps I have soccer arms. Mosey to home base.

    End with American hammers and some stretching.

    For those in West hoe, there are a few spots left for Tuckahoe takeover next week. It was an unusually quiet group even with Handshake. Perhaps the heat is getting to all of us.

    Thanks for letting me lead.

    Fireman Ed

  • Middle-Aged Dudes, Randomly Assorted

    Eight social media stalkers gathered in the adequately paved church parking lot for this week’s iteration of First Watch. After offering appreciation to each for the birthday wishes, we took a left out of the parking lot and commenced our journey. When we passed the back church driveway and kept heading west on River, there was a collective sigh from the PAX.

    The Thang

    Traveling COP today. Right turn on Gaymont with the first stop at the bottom. Circle up for Helicopters, DQs, IWs.

    Mosey up to Kingston for some more COP, then halfway down Kingston for more. Pencil roll by request in the sprinklers to cool off. Work our way to Kingston and Ralston for the first main thang.

    Partner up for Dora. 100 merkins, 200 monkey humpers, 300 american hammers. Pace car ran up Ralston to the well lit American flag.

    Short set of balance exercises where most of the PAX failed.

    Head back up Ralston, stopping near the top for more balance exercises. We will call this warrior 1.5. Once again most of the PAX failed and the man walking nearby likely chuckled.

    Right on University to the bottom. Partner up for 11s. Exercises were booya merkins and PLTs. After careful consideration, YHC decided to make this a traveling set of 11s, stopping at various places on the way back to the church to do our sets. Finish up in the parking lot with our last set then 2 minutes of Mary before Handshake called time.

    Oh yeah, we saw a Prius so of course we had to do 5 burpees.

    Numbers, names, YHC took us out.

    Moleskin

    Wojo announcing his age made YHC reflect on the fact that it’s been over 9 years with this group and 10 birthday celebrations along the way. The majority of them have started with the camaraderie and fellowship of this random assortment of middle aged men. Today was no different. A Jets fan, someone who shuts down the bar, a radio announcer, a salesman, a financier who barely talks, a carolina fan, someone who always does what his partner says (never more true than today), and a hobbyist woodworker; all convening for no other reason than to make himself a better man. Happy to have the opportunity to lead today and for many years into the future.

    As TYA has once said. I bet you’ll quit before I quit.

    Splinter out.

  • Road Trip

    An all-star cast of characters emerged from early morning gloom. A couple of yogi’s, a few reading in their trucks, and the Fuddster coming in hot.

    Off we went to the small park for some warm ups and yoga taking the rest of the warm up down Westham.

    We did the Westham challenge down Club Vista: Large SUVs = 10 HTH; European Cars = 3 Burpees. All was working out well until we stumbled upon a cluster of Audis.

    By way of avoiding a newly placed fence, we made our way to the practice fields for Triple Check 1. Partner 1 bear craws out to a set location and the other do do plerkins – three time through for everyone.

    We did a second set of Triple Checks with lunges, monkey bumpers, and elbow planks.

    Some 4 corners got us moving with 10 WWIIs, 20 Carolina Dry Docks, 30 4-count flutter kicks, and 40 LBCs.

    The mosey back to the flag was orchestrated with a Lindsay along the way ala box cutters and squats.

    YHC took us out.

    Coffee was fine as always with more revelations.

  • We’re All Gonna Die!

    Seven regulars plus Whitesnake hoping for a tour of the taint set out to defend the planet.

    Here’s what transpired:

    Traveling COP (SF-Westham-Glen Pkwy-Keller-Crenshaw)

    • SSHs
    • IWs
    • Copperhead Squats
    • Helicopters
    • LBCs
    • APDs
    • Carolina Dry Docks

    Mosey to hillside across from the Modlin Center

    Bernorama

    Round 1

    • P1 – Bernie up the hill and run back
    • P2 – Merkins
    • Flapjack

    Round 2

    • P1 – Bernie x 2
    • P2 – Jump Squats
    • Flapjack

    Round 3

    • P1 – Bernie x 3
    • P2 – Freddie Mercurys
    • Flapjack

    Mosey to Intramural sports field

    Booyahrama

    • P1 – Runs across field and back to P2
    • P2 – Bear crawl
    • Booyah Merkins x 10 and continue across field repeating until P1/P2 are finished
    • Repeato with Crabwalk/ Booyah WWIIs
    • Repeato with Polar Bear/ Booyah Burpees

    Mosey near exit to River Rd

    Cockroachorama

    • Boxing Cockroaches – 20 x 3

    Mosey west on River Rd

    • Merkins at UR entrance
    • Monkey Humpers at Saab’s entrance

    Mosey to Guardrail

    • Incline Merkins
    • Dips
    • Derkins
    • Dips

    Mary

    • American Hammers
    • APDs
    • 1 Legged APDs R/L

    Numberama, Nameorama, COT

    MOLESKIN

    Great to have Whitesnake lose his FW virginity, though he’ll have to come back to explore the taint.  As the PAX moseyed down Westham there was an oddly awesome looking object shooting across the sky.  Theories ranged from comet to an airplane through fog to an alien invasion.  Alas the US Space Force confirmed it was Elon Musk rocketing away from your mom’s house.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Convergence tomorrow at Forrest Hill Park

  • 70 and Sunny!! Let’s Go!!!

    12 big dogs woke up a little earlier than yesterday, ready to attack the day. Let’s Goooo!!!

    Warmarama: Slow mosey to the back of the church parking lot, Helicopters, DQ, Helicopters, Arm Circles, Imperial Squat Walkers, Jazzercize, Cherry Pickers, Merkins, Hand Release Merkins, Pencil Roll, Alabama Prom Dates, Inverted Scorpions, LBC, Flutter Kicks, 6Inches

    The Thang:
    Triple Check1
    Squats, Merkins, Run x 3

    Triple Check2
    Squats, Hand Release Merkins, Bernie x3

    Love Hill1
    Bear Crawl, Lunges, Broad Jump Burpees, Runner to the top and back (Switch, Repeat)

    LoveHill2
    Broad Jump Burpees, Broad Jump Burpees, Broad Jump Burpees, Runner to the bottom and back (Switch, Repeat)

    BTTF
    4 Minutes of Mary (Sorry Splinter)
    Numberama: Namerama
    YHC took us out.

    NMS: Yesterday at Hoedown our friend Cal Worthington (downrange) requested a good AO with a bit of mumblechatter. As luck would have it, First Watch would be close by. No other AO can match the mumblechatter and overshare that one would find at the 5am First Watch AO. Well done boys, you did not disappoint. Did anyone ask Cal what he does for a living or how he got his name? Coffateria always great.

    Other news:
    Last Call is having a really really great week.
    Kubota promises to post more.
    Ronnie’s opening argument was on point!
    Splinter will do his Mary exercise tomorrow at 45MOM
    Cal will tell anyone who wants to know about his F3 name, just ask and ask again
    Strong opinions about VQs and Rucking…..

    See you in the Gloom
    Oyster




  • Thanks for Coming Out

    Twelve oarsmen launched from the Huguenot Shipyard for the 5th Annual, 1st Inaugural First Watch Deliverance workout. Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to the toothless City Proper/SOJ combo hillbillies eyeing us, the following might have happened.

    04:30 Secure the AO. Kubota (aka, Q-bota on site).

    04:35 YHC on scene.

    04:40 Lockjaw

    04:50 First Water.

    Progressively crowded dockyard, and some stragglers asking themselves,”What time does the 05:00 paddle start?”

    Posey (paddle-mosey) over to the North Bank. Circle up.

    Warm-a-rama

    Dead Man Hang
    Helicopters
    Don Quixote
    Copperhead Squats
    ‘Mercans
    LBCs
    Flutter Kicks
    Inverted Scorpion Kicks
    Scorpion Kicks

    Triple Check.
    Partner 1: Bear crawl to that thing out there that Kubota pointed at in the darkness. No. That thing. Nope – the other thing. Yep, that one, nope, that other one. OK, got it.
    Partner 2: punching bag
    Partner 3: Wilson’s Dying Cucarachas

    Back in the boats.

    Etes -vous prets? Partez!!! Sprintervals d’eau. Intermittent hard paddling, followed by light paddle. 6 rounds.

    Somewhere along the line, Bacon Bits’ boat is swamped in the gale. Takes on water. Persists. Adapts. Overcomes.

    Paddle upstream to the American Flag. Moment of quiet contemplation. Pictures. Fanfare. Celebration.

    Slow paddle enjoying the sunrise. Back to the VSF, passing two actual shovel flags. And, scene.

    Announcements:

    Summer Tour continues.

    Wildcat. Monday. El Alamo. Be there for the man. Life may be you against you, but it’s easier and better when we are there for each other.

    Breaking Bread for June. Someone had to drop out for the last weekend in June. Who can step in and help out? (Remember: There is no Hot Potato for Breaking Bread – if you need to drop, pass the word and find a replacement).

    July 4: Convergence at Forest Hill Park.

    August 21: 100th Birthday Celebration. Come join us. First Watch. 05:00. Stamp your Tour Card.

    NMS: No better way to start a day. Paddling by headlamp. Quick workout. Amazing sunrise. Coffeteeria. Plus, a cameo appearance from BT over coffee.

    Thanks for coming out, fellas. Never gets old.

  • SOJ Takeover: First Watch Edition

    First Watch has always been one of my favorite spots in Richmond, so when SOJ Takeover was proposed, it was my first choice. Excellent dudes and always a good time with plenty of banter and 2nd F after a beat down. 

    Five men answered the 5a call this morning. Here’s what went down:

    Mosey to Parking Lot

    Warm up — Parking Lot

    • Few laps around the parking lot 
    • Circle up
      • Side Straddle hop — 20x
      • Dead Man Hang — C/L/R
      • On your six,
        • Leg out L/R
        • Roscoe’s mom L/R
        • Pull leg to chest L/R

    Thing 1 — 11s @ Far End of Parking Lot

    • Hand Release Merkins
    • Jump Squats
    • Run width of parking lot

    Thing 2 – Four Corners, Stacked

    • 10x Burpees
    • 20x Carolina Dry Docks
    • 30x LBCs
    • 40x Squats

    Thing 3 — DORA

    • American Hammers 100x
    • Heels to Heaven 200x
    • LBCs 300x
    • Timer Lunges across parking lot
      • 5x merkins
      • Bernie back

    COT

    • 10 Year Convergence & Pediatric Cancer Awareness Fundraiser
    • Prayer Requests
      • All those battling cancer or have friends/family impacted by cancer 

  • PDGA – Westham Open

    5 tremendously talented individuals showed up for the inaugural Westham open. I was told the 5-hole tourney would be on ESPN the Ocho but no cameras or spectators were around. Maybe better publicity next time.

    COP: DMH, DQ mosey to Club Vista Lane, 25 merkins, mosey to College Road, 25 WWIIs. Mosey to hole 1 at the famous Spider disc golf club. Helicopters before we start.

    Hole 1 – Throw disc, bear crawl, etc. until your disc is in the basket. Every shot gets 3 burpees.

    Hole 2 – Throw disc, lunge, until your disc is in the basket. Each shot gets 10 jump squats.

    Hole 3 (really hole 18 because hole 3 is hard to play at 5:20 in the morning) – Throw disc, crabwalk forward, etc. Each shot gets 5 CDDs.

    Replay Hole 1 – EF Hutton has a shot within 4 feet of the hole; that young fella learns quick. He gets the one birdie.

    Replay Hole 2

    Mosey back to Club Vista – 25 wide grip merkins, to Westham – 20 diamond merkins. To home base.

    Finished with Freddie Mercuries and American hammers.

    Ef Hutton wins the tourney with an average of par and the tourney’s only birdie. Congrats and you will receive a prize to be determined at a later point in time.

    Prayers for Fudd’s sister and Splinter’s mother and Fireman Ed’s father n’ law. Enjoy the humidity.

    Fireman Ed