Tag: RAMM Gears

16 feet and 8 wheels gathered in the pre-dawn at RAMM for a Good Friday tribute route. After Johnny McEnroe emerged from the podcast vehicle, Hardywood and Two Ferns had a bromance hug and No Tools’ quick diversion we gathered for some fairly clear instructions. Here they were, whether they were followed or not is a different story.

Route:
Stay on 2 roads today, Commonwealth and Monument. Travel north on Commonwealth to Monument and turn left. Go west on Monument until Staples Mill and turn around. Travel back to Commonwealth and turn left. Continue to Broad Street and turn around. Travel back to Monument and turn left. 4 Milers run to Hamilton and turn around, traveling back to Commonwealth and back to VSF. 5 Milers to Cleveland. 6 Milers to Roseneath.

Moleskin:
YHC thought of this route last year but Sippy beat me to the Good Friday Q signup. Thus, this route has been in my back pocket for a while. The directions were moderately understood until it was disclaimed we were traveling in a cross as a tribute on Good Friday. YHC believes that helped get everyone where they needed to be today.

Almost everyone missed the Cleveland turnaround. One group due to Lab Rat chatter, another purportedly due to EF Hutton chatter. Lab Rat chatter was an exhiliarating discussion of whether he can adequately do a Cleveland impression or a Grover impression. After quick debate on whether or not Grover was the muppet with the phallic nose, we realized we missed the turn and turned around. Luckily it was a great morning for everyone to do 6. Two Ferns proclaimed proudly that he found Cleveland and immediately returned. TYA relied on technology to tell him so. Either way it was a great day for a run.

Strong gears crew today with Mr Rogers completing the foresome. At least he didn’t have to convince a bunch of strangers to go out and ride today.

Announcements:
– Cville is happening. Send names to Lab Rat.
– Breaking Bread is happening on 4/24. Volunteer and let Lab Rat know.
– Exhibition wheelchair basketball game tonight against VCU at the Seigel Center. Two Ferns may have the VIP hookups. Great date night opportunity. 7:00 PM start.

Splinter out

16 Pax showed up to go fast today.

Today’s route was an out and back on Grove heading east.  4s turn around at Meadow, 5s at Harvie, and 6s at Belvidere.

YHC took us out.

YHC opened with the riddle of the Caddy Shack Sphinx continuing the golf theme from yesterday.  “What is the shortest distance between two points?”  Of course I am referring to a “line in the opposite direction”.  Labrat answered incorrectly and went right into the lumber yard.

With many of our routes heading west, YHC thought it was time to push the limits to the east and head into the rising sun (perhaps an actual rising sun in June).  Pace was solid all around with various packs running together.  Saab and Toga ran about a tenth of a mile ahead of me and it became apparent that they couldn’t read the dark street signs noting the turnaround.  They would loop back like they were turning around, but it was only to illuminate the sign and then turn around again and keep heading east.  YHC called it a “Crazy Ivan” based on the classic scene in The Hunt for Red Oktober.  Note to Pax, place care in dropping submarine references in close proximity to Lab Rat as it can draw him out of his usual silence.

Announcements:

Lab Rat is looking for names of people in C-Ville.  He is going to start cold calling potential Pax based on names in the Charlottesville phone book, so help him out if you have a contact so he doesn’t need to resort to that.

17 descended upon Mary each to run their selected distance,

Prior to the saying “let’s go,” TYA was gone in an instant.

With some of the PAX running to Three Chopt and return,

It would take a lap around Mary as a 4-miler to earn.

5 and 6 milers however, had a different route to take,

Down Iris, up Towana, and for some – a lap around a lake.

Dutch and Phonics were, without question, the ones to try and out pace

Although the remaining PAX were strong in running their own race.

Rigid-Bleeder on his bike, and TwoCan in his tights,

And Splinter with his junior-size vest that would reflect any lights.

TYA and Circle K demonstrated their intrepid nature and nerve,

As they ascended Towana and rounded the curve.

It was at that point the PAX ceased moving on its way,

as the screeching of car tires indicated a near-miss of Circle K.

As we concluded another run around Mary among the slight glimmer of light,

We were reminded to see TwoCan regarding a “plus-plus/platinum” option when swiping right.

Saab abides

17 of Friday’s Finest and 1 FNG showed up for some miles, but left with so much more.  YHC switched things up today with a scavenger hunt with a St.  Paddy’s Day theme.

Pax divided into Team Honey Do and Team Sippy Cup.  Each team was given their clues and they needed to map the most efficient route to the way point, find the prize, perform an exercise, and move on.  First team back to the shovel flag with all four prizes and all of their team wins.

Clues were provided to mask the location, but here is where we ended up going.

Entrance of Windsor Farm – Secure a Legend pint glass.  Perform 4 Boo-Yah merkins for each member of the team.

Head to the Civil War embankment take the trenches and the hill.  Fine the Guinness by the cannon.  5 burpees.

Stellas – Bailey’s – 40 flutter kicks

Arthur Ashe Statue – Jameson – 20 American Hammers

Return to the AO with varying mileages.  The other team did the same route, but in the opposite direction.

Team Honey Do was victorious today finding all ingredients necessary for the Irish Car Bomb.

Fudd was Team Honey Do’s MVP.  He had an ability to sniff out liquor like a truffle at distance.  It was remarkable.

Saab was so overwhelmed with the desire for Guinness that he took both team’s stash.  Regretfully, he had to double back and put it back in its place for the other team.

FNG Tim was originally named Lulu due to his TYA endorsed tights.  After his departure, we renamed him Spanx.  Hopefully we will see him out here again.

YHC got the Pax off to a good start for St Paddy’s Day.  Enjoy!

9 runners converged on a final run before the onset of winter, again.

Reverse Carillon routes – 4, 5, 6 mile variety.

Wilson took us out.

NMS:

YHC was perplexed when he showed up this morning to an empty parking lot with only Flatline’s truck in the lot.  Taking Swirly’s parking spot, YHC was able to get a commanding view of the AO as runners began arriving.  At first, it was very odd to not see the usual suspects for Friday’s run.  Was I in an alternate dimension in which I had Swirly’s parking spot and no Pax?  I was soon reminded of Belmonte this weekend.  Good luck to the men running this weekend!  You will represent well.

It was great to see the new regulars come out in force today.  There are still two months remaining for the perpetual Friday Lockjaw Q, so come back out next week too.

Honeymoon, thanks for pushing me on the 5 mile pace.  We had a No tools sighting as he biked past us for some brief conversation and sped off.

Great work today!  Way to push it.

12 descended upon Mary to pound out varying degrees of miles.  This is more or less what transpired (probably less)…

Having spotted a late night text from Lockjaw stating he was under heavy sedation from Nyquil, YHC leaped from his Sir Harington and raced to MM to ensure the route was secured.  Having agonized at great length (< 1 minute), the state of the PAX (ankle injuries, pending renal deliveries, flu) drove the decision to choose the proverbial Old School route.  (This involves up and down routes along Grove of varying lengths….I’m sure there’s a TYA back blast out there that describes this route in more detail…feel free to read it.)

NMS:  Nostalgia aside, Old School has never been a favorite of YHC for the simple reason that one has to pass the starting point and keep going.  Compounded by the fact that I was low on energy and enthusiasm, it would have been too easy to just stop at MM during the first pass had Sippy not been holding the bar so high – as he is often prone to do.

Other observations and useless thoughts:

• Apparently it is possible to run either while expecting, or while dealing with a severe ankle injury.  Highly impressive effort on the part of both those gents (you know who you are)
• A little trash talk will get even the most fatigued and miserable PAX moving…thanks Honey Do for making me step it up.
• Tomato in a ski hat with a large pom-pom, just sayin’
• Speaking of tomatoes, Splinter and I glanced over with envy at the instructor who was leading the tomatoes in a series of stretches.  This prompted Splinter to recall a very humorous scene from the movie Couples Retreat…I’m sure he’d be happy to share the link

Saab abides

17 Rolled in for a Spring Time Run/Bike in Winter

Today we did the reverse route of the February 4 CCV/UR route.  Continuing the haiku theme:

This time in reverse
Down and back up in darkness
Found a new classic

Marv took us out.

17 showed on the 17th day of February in 2017

The Thang

Follow the Q down the road a mile to Thomas Jefferson High School.  (YHC Note: this is the only themed tie into President’s Day).  Line up fastest to least swift.  Partner up with the fastest taking the slowest and so forth.

Partner 1 runs the track while Partner 2 performs various arm, chest, and ab exercises.  Swap and Partner 2 runs.

Full out sprints of 400, 800, 800, and 400.

Quick ring of fire.  Run on back to Mary.

Splinter took us out.

NMS

YHC likes to mix up our running so a diversion over to the high school track was in order.  Speed work answers the question of “how to get faster” and the Pax delivered today.  Mumble chatter was a minimum during the workout as the Pax was focused on running and recovery.  Splinter was so fast he blew his keys out of his pocket and temporarily misplaced them.

Post run chatter focused on TYA’s sudden awareness of his need for a Subaru, the perils of low ceilings above hotel treadmills, and Saab’s recruitment of a Pax consisting of assorted house plants in the gym.  Saab was missed on a running day – get better soon.

Lockjaw

9 showed today for another Lockjaw Friday run.

No 4 milers today.  5s and 6s headed West on Grove and rambled the neighborhoods around CCV and into UR.  A nice hill workout on the way home.  6s did a loop around the lake.

This may be a new classic for the portfolio based on mumble chatter.

Toga took us out.

17 strong showed up for some running and biking through our fine city’s streets.  There was a chill in the air.  If only there was an app to predict the weather….

The routes – Carillon routes backwards (Nollirac) in 4, 5, and 6 mile distances.

YHC

A Pax favorite in a forward route, this reverse routing satisfied all.  6 milers found the need to commit to 6 early on which was a new dynamic.  There was academic debate among the Pax to determine which route was hillier.  Personally, I think the reverse route was hillier.

One thing for certain, the reverse route brings 4, 5, and 6 milers together for the last 4/10ths of a mile of everyone’s routes which is great for camaraderie.

It was good to see Ricky Bobby out after some time off.  Double Bags did a great job committing to today’s run and covering those miles.  Well Done!

TueKan disappeared somewhere en route.  The Pax speculated that he had been “swiped to the right”.  Speaking of disappearances, the 6 milers were met by a voice out of the shadows of the Carillon suggesting their pace today was sub-par.  Was it their inner voice speaking or a concerned citizen?  Sounds like a conspiracy.

Announcements:

-Marv can predict the weather with some degree of accuracy.

-February HDHH February 15 – Unless TYA is selling a house, I will Q this one.

-Saab Q tomorrow – This has been advertised as a strict kettle bell workout without any self-deprecating humor.