Tag: RAMM Gears

22 of RVA’s Finest Road Scholars came forward to tackle distance with speed.  Four early bird runners, and six bikers did their thing, and the remaining runners did the following routes:

• East on Grove and North on Hamilton.
• Hamilton to Westwood and take a left.  Westwood turns into Malvern.
  • 4s take Malvern to Grove and home.
  • 5s and 6s head west on Patterson.
    • 5s take a left on Lexington and a right on Albemarle.  Left on Grove to the VSF.
    • 6s take a left on Seneca and a left on Grove to the VSF.

Marv took us out.

NMS

Perfect weather for top speeds this morning.  The 5s set a nice pace with Shakedown doing so despite this being his 4th straight day of running.  BT dropped it in low gear for the last half mile using Grove as his personal passing lane.  Offshore and Swiper make running fast look effortless.

YHC note:  Google brings back quite a few meanings for “doubel deuce”.  YHC was referring to the quantity of Pax in attendance today, however one member may have provided an additional interpretation with two Fudd’s en route.  Nice.

Announcements:

• Memorial Day Convergence – Be there!
• Summer Challenge begins tomorrow.  See Phonics backblast on the matter.
• YHC and Shakedown are going to meet our summer challenge with an amateur bike ride RAMMS.  Dust off the Schwinn and stay tuned.

Stay safe this weekend, have fun, and appreciate good friends and family.

Lockjaw

Eleven of RVA’s finest left the fartsack for what was certain to be a wet day.

We did the Kingpin route from Tuesday’s Spider Run, except we launched from the Mary.  We headed west on Grove to Granite and a left on Granite to Cary.  Dogleg left and take a right heading down Tempsford.

• 4s take the left fork and retrace their steps back to Grove to the AO.
• 5s do the left and right forks and then Granite to Patterson to Westmoreland to the AO.
• 6s do the left and right forks twice each (!) and then Granite to Patterson to Westmoreland to the AO.
• The three amigos showed up early and did a longer route.

YHC took us out.

NMS

A few observations:

• I have never seen so much standing water on Grove before.  Ran a bit down the median to take higher ground.
• In the dark on the Kennondale hill, I could hear whitewater rapids in the ditches.  If I had a creek boat, I could get to the bottom a lot quicker.  Also, one had to keep a lookout for tripping hazards (someone’s driveway spilled into the road) and cross currents similar to riptide running across the road.
• Sippy Cup suggested that this route could be aptly renamed Snake River since there is both a river and a fork.  Plus there is a bite to the hills.
• There was some deep water on Patterson.  Prior to today, I have never described my running style like a displacement hull.  I wonder if you can hydroplane while running?
• At one point, I waterboarded myself breathing in through my nose.

Announcements

• Puppy Pile is tomorrow.  Water, mud, and kids.  Its going to smell like a wet dog.
• Golf tournament today.  The heavy stuff probably won’t come down for some time so they are good for a few holes.

Time to Taper,

Lockjaw

17 men were almost rudderless with Lockjaw not manning the Q.  A few jumped on their bikes with the remaining (15?) taking off toward the Carillon or thereabouts…

• Welcome to Hitchhiker on his virgin RAMM.  According to Goose, he really enjoyed it…but apparently not enough to stick around for the COT
• Shakedown wants to join the ranks of the hairless for a very worth cause.  Let’s show him both our love, and our desire for him to stop having to ask:    https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/984556/2018
• See BT on how to properly apply a merkin (not the exercise, but the device used to cover one’s dong)

Saab abides

Twelve smugglers attempted the Kessel Run today.  Three more runners opted for extended distance pre-workout and another four were on bike.

Here is how we celebrated this “May the Force” edition of RAMM.

As a group, run a warmup through Windsor Farms for about 2.5 miles.  The route roughly resembles the Millennium Falcon in shape.

As we return to the VSF, the Kessel Run commences from the corner of Commonwealth and Grove.

4 milers – Head north on Commonwealth to Augusta and back for 1.7 miles.  Target a 11:20 pace or better.

5 milers – Head east on Grove to Belmont and back for 2.6 miles.  Target a 8:20 pace or better.

6 milers – Head west on Grove to Three Chopt and back for 3.1 miles.  Target 6:45 pace or better.

Labrat took us out.

NMS

With the Solo movie coming out and a RAMM Q on May 4, how could YHC pass this up?  It was good to run the first portion as a group.  Pax who never run together on a normal day did so today.  The 6 milers got the full Labrat experience.  Windsor Farms was perfect this morning.

The tempo work impressed me.  The 5s were 8:00 or less for their run.  6s dominated their route and I am certain the 4s crushed it as well.

Announcements:

• See Shakedown’s prior post for information regarding children’s cancer and his fundraising activities.  Wheelie has a similar effort (feel free to share that information here) involving biking many miles in June.
• Labrat mentioned something about drinking beer and being cornholed for money.  On his second pass at an explanation, it sounded more like a F3 corn hole tournament at his house in which teams would put in few dollars as the winner’s purse.  He would also brew some beer for the event.  Sounds a little different now, doesn’t it?
• The Ghost Flag will be at Hoedown on Monday, May 7.  Any challengers coming to take it?

Always Be Tapering,

Lockjaw

Haiku run for all

Upchuck is Cali dreaming

Workout on the beach

Shakedown feels better

Going to Beck – Odelay!

Got Devil’s Haircut

Labrat saw Flipper

He said he has hinging ribs

Is that possible?

YHC took us out.

Announcements:

• May 18 – Wilson’s golf tournament – for a good cause.  See him for details.
• May 19 – Puppy Pile for 2.0s – see pre-blast or Upchuck
• June 18 – Shakedown is raising money for a good cause and will throw in a haircut.

Time to Taper,

Lockjaw

Eleven relatively on-time steeds plus three early birds convened post-run to celebrate this week’s RAMM.  Routes were given to a small group while others filtered in:

The Route
Everyone work their way over to Monument.  West on Monument to Willow Lawn. Left on Willow Lawn then right on Patterson.  Left on Libbie then left on Grove.  Back to the VSF.

4 milers went up Commonwealth to Monument.
5 milers went east on Grove to Hamilton to Monument.
6 milers went east on Grove to Cleveland to Monument.

Numbers, names, announcements, and YHC took us out.

Moleskin
Chatter was lively in the 6 mile crew today with many questions centered around the CSAUP and its potential next year.  Phonics was keen to identify the luck we had in avoiding the NASCAR event this weekend.  That was not on YHCs radar when the date was picked.  That could have made Meadowbridge that much more interesting.

About half the PAX strolled in right at 5:30 and YHC did not feel compelled to repeat himself as representation was had from 4, 5, and 6 milers.  Hope everyone found their way accordingly.

I will state that the 6 mile route was clocked at 6.00 miles on the garmin this morning.  I can only assume the other routes were equally as perfect.

YHC is extremely thankful for being dragged out to F3 three years ago.  It’s a great story if you haven’t heard it and I’m thankful to Fudd for the persistence.  There are times I reflect on the people I know and the things I have done and realize none of them would have happened had I not discovered this group.  We rib each other constantly and push our physical abilities into new territories.  Sometimes I think the biggest benefit of this group are things we don’t talk about on a regular basis.  Sure, we make each other better by pushing ourselves to new heights but there is more to it than that.

My previous circles of influence were family, work, church, and perhaps my neighborhood.  If we didn’t share one of those circles it was unlikely an interaction would stick.  F3 is a new circle for me and it’s broader and more diverse than I expected it to be.  The F3 circle isn’t really a circle.  It looks more like our CSAUP route than a circle, weaving through different cross sections of age, industry and beliefs.  It’s those unspoken things that I think about from time to time and I’m thankful for all of it.

Announcements
– Dopile tshirt orders open to the end of the month
– Extra CSAUP tshirts available for those that want one.  I have a few M/L left.  No Schmediums.
– Colonial relay is off!  Think about them as they traverse the roads from Cville to Wburg.

Splinter out

15 by foot and 1 by wheel descended upon the AO ready to roll.  YHC used a new tactic to lay the route; a map.  We did the Setauket route today in the 4 and 5 mile variations.  6 milers were all sunning themselves on a beach, college tour, or whereabouts unknown.

Today’s pace was at a quick clip today.  I think Flatline and Spit were pushing the first pack and setting the tone for the rest of the 5s.  No one got permanently lost today and all returned to the AO.  YHC did see some take a slide down the hill as we cut through the tree line to Dover.  Note to all, there is a mulched path at the turn.

Wilton House seems to be doing well, through there is a construction site next door.  An empty lot where a house once stood?  What will they build?  Pax speculation includes a Wawa or Dollar General.  I have  my money on the Waffle House.

Labrat should be renamed the “Spy Hunter” after the video game from our youth.  I don’t know about any machine guns out front, but the oil slick and smokescreen combo produced by his flatulence left many gagging 30 feet back.  A couple weeks ago, EF Hutton got poked in the eye by a stick on the Grayson Allen route.  This week he choked down a direct hit of Labrat’s finest crushing his olfactory senses.  Perhaps we will plan on damaging the rest of his senses on future runs?

Labrat, somewhere out there Keymaster, Wilson, and Fudd are filled with a sense of deep pride.

Flatline took us out.

CSAUP is upon us.  One week and game time.

Time to Taper (when is it not?),

Lockjaw

A score of runners converged today for the first Spring RAMM of 2018.  YHC called the Grayson Allen route (Grace and Allen) in 4 miler, 5 miler, and 6 miler variations and the Pax was off.

Fudd did a fine job taking us out.

NMS:

YHC posts the Grayson Allen route around key Duke games as a rally against them.  The inaugural route was the day after Carolina’s victory and today’s was intended to give Syracuse a little extra edge.  This strategy worked somewhat, with the score within four points last night.

The 5 milers started off as a great pack for the first mile or so and then started to spread out.  We witnessed several omens, coincidences, and happenstances that YHC felt certain would lead to a Syracuse victory.  Perhaps these jinxs go both ways.

First, EF Hutton took a tree in the eye.  Not a twig, nor a branch, but a tree limb.  He seems ok.  Second, YHC called out what appeared to be a dead weasel or opossum on the side of the road.  Labrat confirmed it to be a dead hawk that we almost stepped on. Further along the run we came across a Delorean parked on the side of the road.  Very rare citing, much less so on the side of the road.

Speaking of parked cars, Labrat is a fanatic about punch buggy.  Usually he prides himself about getting one or two in.  Going down Grace and back through the Fan armed him with so many opportunities he eventually grew tired from his arm workout of taking swings at YHC.  I did get him on the Delorean though.

It’s great to see the turn out like this for RAMM.  While RAMM is always a crowd pleaser, a cool 20 runners is an impressive turnout.  CSAUP training in full bloom.

Anything interesting happen on the 4 and 6 mile routes?

Time to Taper,

Lockjaw

A mighty 16 woke up this morning, to be greeted with maps with squiggly lines representing this morning’s route.  This was Lab Rat’s 4th try to make the Serpentine route an instant classic.

4 Milers- follow 4 mile map

5 Milers- follow 5 mile map

6 milers- do what you like.  Just kidding, follow your map.

NMS- All mileages were represented today, along with No Tools and Ricky Bobby on the bikes.  Great morning for a run, and it showed by the splits.  Nice to run with Singer and Pucker for a bit, then catching up with Swirly.

Wedding Singer’s baby #2 is coming any day!  Keep us updated, Singer!

Moment of silence for the runner who was struck in Atlee last week, who died a couple days ago.

Apology of the week goes to Hardywood for presenting him with a Geography test before his second cup of coffee.  I should have just said “run with Saab”.

Lab Rat apologizes…