Tag: SCCC

The frigid bell rang and four pax materialized out of The Gloom for a theoretical SOJ Takeover of the St. Christopher’s Country Club workout. However, the act of southern aggression was met with a swift northern counter-attack and Sasquatching of the would-be Q, NTB: If the interlopers were not familiar with the unique formatting, rhythm and rituals of the #SCCC workout (which Faceplant himself still hasn’t really mastered after three months), then how would the guests know what to do?

Long story short: I handled the Q. Here’s what was done:

Tabata #1: Alternating SSH / IW
Hot Lap #1

Tabata #2: Weighted Squats
Hot Lap #2

Tabata #3: Lawn Mowers / Shoulder Press
Hot Lap #3

Tabata #4: Plank Rotation
Hot Lap #4

Tabata #5: Player’s Choice / Wild Card
Hot Lap #5

Tabata #6: 4 Minutes of Mary
Hot Laps #6 and 7

Spreadsheets from the Gloom:

I honestly don’t have a lot for you here. There was some pro football talk, maybe some talk about the CFP game, but I was mostly focused on not getting hypothermia. A quarter-century of Charlotte winters didn’t prepare me for an apparent move north of the Arctic Circle.

The fact that Hitch was out sick meant I couldn’t give him the Christmas present that Santa belatedly misdelivered to my house. Maybe next week …

Would love to welcome the SOJ guys back anytime — as well as any of the pre-holiday regulars, like Faceplant, Oyster, Bodos, etc. The SCCC is always in the market for new members, there’s no dress code and your down pain-ment doubles as your initiation fee.

OBT

The Thang:

The gloom greeted us at Saint Christopher’s track with surprisingly pleasant weather—YHC came prepared to sweat, though it was nowhere near cold enough to use that as an excuse. A mysterious huddle of folks on the field caught our attention as we warmed up. OBT, ever the observant one, suggested it might be Seal Team… though their half-hearted effort could’ve been mistaken for interpretive stretching.

We launched into YHC’s favorite combo workout: Tabata and track laps. It’s part cardio, part strength, and all misery fun!

• First Four Tabata Rounds:

• Two alternating exercises in each round. YHC led with precision, and varying levels of grace.

• In between rounds, a lap around the track kept us honest (for those of you that don’t know it Hitchhiker has been holding out on us for a while. He is a speed demon on the track. No one can keep up with him.).

• Final Tabata Round:

• A round of Mary with an ab-focused arsenal led by YHC and OBT. Planks, crunches, flutters—you name it, we groaned through it.

• Grand Finale:

• Two laps around the track to cap it off.

Mumblechatter Highlights:

No F3 workout is complete without some quality chatter. Today’s conversation topics included:

• Music podcasts (OBT used to host one!).

• LEGO robotics competitions and the national dominance of Mary Mumford’s team

• Harrisburg, VA, and JMU lore.

• Live music gigs and the best of Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach.

• Cycling challenges—because apparently the track laps weren’t enough cardio talk.

Announcements:

• The Bridge this weekend: OBT and Upchuck are heading down Saturday. First-timers are encouraged to experience this impactful event. Don’t miss it.

Final Thoughts:

Thanks to OBT and Hitchhiker for showing up strong and making it a solid morning in the gloom. Until next time!

SYITG,

Faceplant

The Scene:

A crisp morning greeted the PAX at the St. Christoper’s Track, and spirits were high despite the cold. Hitchhiker, already in motion from Sunday Funday, was a man on a mission—faster, and fueled by an insatiable appetite for studying and, apparently, baking. Upchuck, recently recovered from a Thanksgiving cold , was a welcome sight, ready to sweat off our turkey hangover and chat about history, football, and, of course, pecan pie.

The Thang:

• Warm-up:

A round of much-needed stretching to shake off the Thanksgiving lethargy. PAX unanimously agreed: the stretching was a highlight, proving once again that flexibility is key in life and workouts.

• Tabata:

Each round consisted of 8 sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, targeting arms, legs, and core.

Between each round, we ran one lap around the track, because nothing warms the soul like a cold lap in the morning gloom. For the final round, we doubled the fun with two laps.

Mumble Chatter Highlights:

• History Class:

We dove deep into U.S. and Korean history, pondering how on earth you distill 5,000 years of Korean history into an elementary school curriculum. YHC with homework: to figure out exactly what makes the cut in that timeline. Cliff notes welcome.

Football Talk:

• Division I vs. II vs. III: Why do only some teams get to go bowling?

• The budding Virginia Tech vs. ODU rivalry: Who would’ve thought?

• UVA’s loss to Virginia Tech: Predictable, but still lamentable.

• The Hitchhiker Chronicles:

Hitchhiker revealed his new hobby: baking. Yes, the same man running laps at warp speed is now whipping up pecan pies and artisan bread. But beware—pecan pie is practically 90% sugar. Delicious? Absolutely. Dangerous? Without question.

COT:

Grateful for the opportunity to lead this morning and for the company of two great men. Despite the cold, the camaraderie and conversation warmed the heart. Hitch, keep studying and baking—we’re expecting snacks next time. Upchuck, as always love the conversation!

SYITG,

Faceplant

YHC rolled into Richmond’s finest Country Club (okay, it’s a private school track, but it’s our version of luxury) rocking the classic polo uniform, joined by three other well-dressed gloom warriors. It was a pleasant morning, full of sweat, banter, and lots of laps.

The beatdown? A familiar six rounds of Tabata, each followed by a lap around the track—with a bonus two laps on the last round for those overachievers among us. The first round was a delightful stretch session, which YHC would like to formally thank for being a gentle warm-up disguised as actual effort.

Midway through the workout, YHC and Hitchhiker’s extremely subtle conversational volume attracted the attention of runners doing speed work. Turns out, they recognized our dulcet tones (or maybe just our loud mouths) and stopped by to say hello. These friends of ours were knocking out 8×400 at a blistering pace. Impressive? Sure. But let’s not overlook the fact that we were doing calisthenics and running laps. Clearly, the harder workout.

As always, the mumble chatter was on point. OBT regaled us with tales from his recent Italian escapades, if you need travel tips or a trip planner, see OBT’s M for a schedule. Hitchhiker, meanwhile, announced his early return to work from paternity leave, officially cementing his assimilation into American culture by deciding that less time with his newborn was the way to go. There was also a spirited preview of the Thanksgiving family dinner drama we’re all pretending not to dread but secretly can’t wait for. And as always Bodos offered sage advice to YHC for all of life’s challenges – thank you Bodos!

YHC took us out. It was an honor to lead this esteemed crowd this morning.

Two of us showed up to a quite morning at the St. Christophers Track. The dogs with tron vests reported seeing the following…

It was a familiar routine, six rounds of Tabata with one lap between, with the last round having two laps. The first round consisted of stretching. The next few rounds consisted of a mix of curls, abs, merkins, triceps work.

YHC took us out.

YHC rolled up to the finest country club in town for a rainy morning workout. As the clock got closer to the starting time it was looking like it would be a solo workout, but what does YHC but a familiar car pulling up and Hitchhiker rolled up.

It was a familar routine, six rounds of tabata with one lap between, with the last round having two laps. The first round consisted of stretching which was a welcomed retreat. The next few rounds consisted of a mix of curls, abs, merkins, tricpe work, and we didnt let the rain detur us from sitting on the ground. THe rain sure did pick up when we got to our laps but all was good and spirits were high.

Lots of mumble chatter around higher education, writing books, and our careers.

YHC took us out.

5 bold brothers braved the extra hour to make bad decisions together on the track. Some came before 5:30 others came after 5:30 – but we all made it that is what matters.

The Thang:

We hit the track this morning in a state of confusion, thanks to that delightful daylight savings time change. Apparently, we were “well-rested,” but by the looks of us, no one had any idea what time it was, or even what day it was. It was the workout equivalent of showing up to work in pajamas.

1. Tabata #1: SSH / LT Dans (optional weights, because that extra hour was not gonna carry itself)

Hot Lap #1: We hit the track, thinking we had a jump-start on the day. LT Dans, as usual, humbled us by Lap 1. YHC learned why they were called LT Dans from OTB, and YHC shared how his cousin dressed up their son as LT Dan for Halloween.

2. Tabata #2: Burpees / WW2s

Hot Lap #2: Burpees gave us just enough oxygen to question every life choice that led us to this track. WW2s had us “resting” in prone position, where some of us considered just staying, hoping someone would “find” us at the next lap. The tough part was the getting up and getting down honestly.

3. Tabata #3: Rows / Flutters (weights raised high if ya got em’)

Hot Lap #3: The flutters were a teaser for the wide flutters that we had to do during Mary later on. Never done a wide flutter – don’t bother.

4. Tabata #4: Alternating Overhead Press / Triceps Press

Hot Lap #4: We waved our invisible barbells and tried to remember which arm was supposed to go up. The arms weren’t happy, but hey, neither were our legs. By this point, everything hurt equally, so… balance?

5. Tabata #5: Curls / Squats with Weights

Hot Lap #5: Nothing like daylight savings curls—these somehow made that extra hour feel more like extra weight. Squats were a bonus challenge as we collectively tried to remember how our knees used to work. Hitch asked why we say “curls for the girls” and we explained it had to do with getting ready for spring break in college.

6. Tabata #6: 4 Minutes of Mary – YHC learned that it wasn’t 4 minutes on the stop watch but 4 more minutes of Tabata, and that would have made it so much easier on the counting.

Hot Laps #6 and #7: Just as we thought we were almost done, we threw in the extra laps for the final burnout.

Moleskin:

We survived and thrived this morning, and remember PAX, the gloom doesn’t get easier—it just gets an hour earlier once a year.

COT:

We circled up, gave thanks for the day, YHC took us out with thoughts for others around us that are in need and being mindful of those needs. Plus giving thanks for what we have. Prayers for Upchuck for his upcoming doctors visit, and an extra prayer that he gets some good news from the test results. We all look forward to hearing what the doctors have to say.

It was an honor to lead this morning and as YHC heard it from one PAX member – it’s like taking a test with the principle in the room, but this principal can explain the meaning behind the exicon, so that is fun.

Five pax, including 4-time returning champion Oyster, made a dow-painment on their membership dues at the St. Christopher’s Country Club on Monday.

The Thang:

• Tabata #1: SSH / IW
• Hot Lap #1
• Tabata #2: Alternating Leg Bulgarian Split Squats
• Hot Lap #2
• Tabata #3: Alternating Shoulder Lawnmowers
• Hot Lap #3
• Tabata #4: Plank Rotation (Regular, Hand Taps, Elbow Taps, Shoulder Taps, Hip Taps, Knee Taps, Toe Taps, Elbows)
• Hot Lap # 4
• Tabata #5: Alternating O/H Press / Triceps Press
• Hot Lap #5
• Tabata # 6: 4 Minutes of Mary
• Hot Laps #6 and 7

Mumblechatter from the Gloom:

_ Hitch showed up unfashionably late, so much so that he missed the first Tabata set, the first hot lap and half the second Tabata set. The update on his quest for an Implement of Woe is the prices are holding steady on FB Marketplace. Some of the pax suggested a visit to Play It Again Sports on Broad.

_ Faceplant revealed that he once bought a pair of softball cleats at PIAS only to have to return them. He was surprised when the store declined to buy them back at the same price the sold them. An explanation of Retail Economics 101 ensued.

_ A lot of talk about pickleball this morning. Apparently, Hitch and Bodos failed to defend their Church Retreat championship over the weekend, a result that was blamed on Hitch showing up to play in hiking boots. We were all grateful he showed up in running shoes this morning …

_ More Hitch: Apparently, he wants to learn about American football. Can I propose a field trip to Saturday’s 2 p.m. clash between UofR and Towson at Robins Stadium? I’ll pay for Hitch’s ticket if anyone else wants to join, particularly anyone who went to a real football school.

I am surrendering the steering wheel and opening things up to other Qs next Monday; Faceplant has offered to take the first shot; others should feel free to sign up.

OBT