Tag: Spider Run

Fifteen elite athletes plus one crotch sniffer huddled for elaborate, but simple directions for today’s Spider Run. Even Flatline knew where he was going today. Routes were declared as follows:

Routes

• Everyone head up UR drive and take a right on Campus to Three Chopt
• 4 milers take the access road then a left on St. Christophers, right on Patterson
• 5/6 milers take a quick left then a right on Pepper. Left on Hanover, right on Ripley
• 5 milers right on Patterson
• 6 milers left on Patterson, right on Charles, right on West Marshall, right on some road, left on Patterson
• Everyone east on Patterson to a right on Maple
• Quick detour to the St. Chris track for one lap (opposite direction just to screw with people), waving to Gypsy and other F3 brothers getting track work in
• Back south on Maple, right on Grove
• Down Iris around the golf course and BTTF (courtesy Flatline)

Announcements

• Prayers were needed today for two acquatences of the PAX
• PAX is always here to offer assistance

Numbers, names, YHC took us out.

Moleskin

Picture perfect (albeit dark) morning for arachnid galloping. Given the declared routes were in the heart of owl territory, and YHCs group included 50% owl assault victims, Faceplant decided to run waving his arms above his head. He lasted 5 seconds before determining that would not last the entire run, accepting the risk was low as a redwood was running by his side.

Heck of a party at St Chris track in the morning. Only Gypsy will be able to comment if our clockwise running caused chaos after our one lap and then exit.

Great to see everyone this morning. Lend a helping hand to those around you.

Splinter out.

Four years ago after much prodding from Handshake YHC showed up for Thursday’s 45 Minutes of Mary. YHC is thankful for that invite and for sticking with it, so many fond memories and relationships that have been built, and it makes this YHC very thankful. Thankful for YHC’s F3-versay twin Lockjaw who ironically enough also shares the same F3-versary and was the Q on that first day at Mary. F3 impacts everyone just a little bit differently, for this YHC there is something primal and necessary for one to get up early exert energy in a pack, and forge social bonds. Saab should know, the social aspect of this group is an important component to YHC, as many an unsolicited stories are told on 6 mile runs throughout the greater Richmond area. You can get a lot of storytelling in for 45 minutes.

In honor of YHC’s F3-versary a luck/unlucky favorite workout made its appearance for SpiderRun. With chalk and dice in hand YHC got up extra early to mark out six lines on Ridgeway Rd and Robin Rd of varying distances up the hill. At the bottom of the hill was the Roll line. At 5:30 YHC announced to the PAX to pair up with someone of equal running abilities, dice were handed out and we mosey’ed over to the Roll line at the bottom of the hill.

Once at the bottom of the hill each pair rolls their dice, whatever number shows up is the number you run up to on the hill then turn back around and roll again – repeato until the clock strikes 6:08 AM. At precisely 6:08 the PAX mosey’s back to the flag (provided by YHC’s F3 grandfather Flatline). In honor of being one F3 year older YHC thought it appropriate to do some light stretching as a group before the bell tolled. Stretching seemed to be very welcomed by all the Spider-runners this morning.

Numbers, Names, and Announcements

Sit and sip, this saturday, 8th anniversary for F3RVA – 7:30 AM convergence start time.

Prayers for Flatlines family member that is sick.

YHC took us out.

Thank you all for being a part of my everyday.

Still not really even a hint of Fall in the air as 12 guys took their running talents through the hills of the Lower Tuckahoe neighborhood.

By the way…how about the new lights around the pond at UofR?? It’s like running in the daylight…for real. There’s lights and then there’s LIGHTS…and UofR went all in on their LED lights around the pond. Bravo.

Our route…

–Towards the baseball field. Through the parking lot to College. Left on College and Right on University. Take University all the way to Ralston. Left on Ralston. Ralston ends at River…go right on River.

The 4s…they are a bit like Moses…they get to the edge of the Promise Land (in this case, the Promise Land is Windsor on the James, which, if you own a house in that neighborhood and want to sell it, would be the Promise Land)….anyhoo, they get to the Promise Land and double back.

The 5s get to go into the Promise Land…do a lap around the neighborhood…and double back.

The 6s go into the Promise Land…do the lap, double back until Westham. Left on Westham, right on Baldwin, Right on Wood, Left on Lakewood. Right on College…then a lap around the pond…where we saw the incredible lights.

YHC took us out.

A week ago coming down Westham Station road, before we plowed up Panorama Drive, Faceplant said to no one in paticular “it’d be nice to see the sunrise on one of these runs” as he stared off over the Huguenot Bridge.

He was right. It would be nice to see the sunrise as it seemed we were right in the sweetspot of a 6:15am peak above the horizon by the sun. Thus, YHC, sent 15 men over the Huguenot Bridge this morning in search of that picturesque scene that all of us could enjoy, despite the oppressive humidity.

As it turns out, it was raining this morning.

And also, I feel like we’ve missed the window for the sunrise, at least for the time being. Or maybe there really was never a window and the lights we saw last week were just the lights from the Huguenot Bridge. Either way, we’re going to have to wait to see the sunrise at another time.

With the BRR this weekend, YHC thought it’d be a good idea to give everyone a nice, flat, tapering run to get all those participating in peak physcial shape for their mountainous journey Friday & Saturday. (For the first timers, the best route is the one that starts in Boone and heads down the mountain…especially if you get to do it in the middle of the night. Actually, all middle of the night runs are really cool).

The route–The basic up river route. 22:30 out and 22:30 back. Bat cave to Huguenot Bridge…right on the ramp off the bridge then a left on Riverside. That takes the 6s to Rustic, which sucks out loud when you take it up. Then we all come back to the parking lot.

Faceplant reminded everyone of the Beer Mile on the 29th of October.

Yep, a play on words, but none the less – true. Fifteen early morning mountain goats set off into the humid fog for parts unknown. UR to Westhampton Way to Glen Parkway to Westham Parkway and then take a left. Drop down to Westham Station where the fun begins.

Left on Old Bridge and a right on Highland. Come back to the fork for the following:

4s – Return to Westham Station and return via the bat cave.

5s – Up/down Old Bridge to Westham Station, up/down Panorama, and return via the bat cave.

6s – Up/down Old Bridge, up/down Highland (again) to Westham Station, up/down Panorama, and return via the bat cave.

Fudd took us out.

A nice steep climb up Ridgeway/Fairway/Robin/Iris to get the heart moving this morning. Cross onto York and take it to Granite. Take a right and pick up Tempsford. 4s go to the snake’s tongue and back. 5s do each fork and back. 6s do each fork twice and back.

Gomer Pyle took us out.

Announcements:

Convergence Labor Day at Dogpile

8 year anniversary at Gridiron on September 24

October 29 memorial run – see Faceplant for details

A fearsome 14 appeared for a run with a slight chill in the air. Here’s the thing…

Base Route (4,5,6’s): Up to campus drive, left toward Boatright. Take access road toward Bandy Field. Dog-leg across Three Chopt to Hanover…quick left onto Ripley, head toward Patterson, then head east on Patterson. Right on Maple, Right on Ferguson which then turns to Henri. Take Henri, cross Three Chopt to Iris on down to the golf course…..

4’s: Take Iris along golf course to Ridgeway. Left on Ridgeway along golf course then back to commons.

5’s and 6’s: Take Iris then up-then-down on Tapoan. Take right on Ridgeway to Roselawn. Left on Roselawn and back toward commons.

6’s: After getting on Ripley from Hanover, take immediate right onto Stuart. Take it all the way until it returns on Kensington and drops back onto Ripley.

NMS/Announcements:

• Crucible this Saturday (and every Saturday). Thanks to Shakedown for leading this effort
• The Bridge: 4th Saturday of every month. Please see TYA

Saab Abides

14 HIM posted to Spider Run this AM for a taste of Badwater through Westham. Temp was 77 with Houston, TX level humidity. Here’s what I remember happening:

YHC gave out directions for a meandering run Up Lakewood to Wood to University, where the 4 milers were supposed to pick up Sunset for the run through Westham down to Lakewood, Hollins, Woodberry, then a few more turns back to the VSF. The 5 & 6 milers were supposed to take Westham to River then back to Sunset with the 6 milers diverging to run past Kanawha before hitting Lakewood to pick up the same route north through Westham that the 4 & 5 milers had already taken. While some of the runners followed directions, others took wrong turns, either intentionally for various reasons, or unintentionally. Thankfully everyone made it back to the flag for numberama, namerama, and COT. YHC took us out.

NMS: When YHC was envisioning this run, it didn’t sound THAT complicated. However there were multiple comments suggesting that today’s route had more turns than any other in Spider run history. I’d have to defer to #BigData on that one. Noted for the future, however. While today did suck due to the heat and humidity, the PAX dug deep and performed admirably. Proud to run alongside you all. Thanks for letting me lead.

Never stop chasing the wabbit.

Fudd

Off to the lake and cut up next to the baseball field, beyond the Robins Center and stadium. Take a left on the illuminated trail and a left on Wheeler. A right on Ridgetop where the early morning’s air was abuzz with the sound of generators.

A nice long climb to the top and a right on Patterson. 4s turn on Pepper to bounce down Toanna to the shovel flag. 5s turn on Libbie to Grove to the access road to Toanna. 6s take a right on Harlan and a left on Roslyn to pick up Grove, the access road and Toanna.

Bone Thugs took us out.

Moleskin

The Pax circled up, but no Sippy and Marv. Just before we were about to call the search party they emerged down the road. An owl swooped from a tree and took Marv’s hat. Despite Marv’s best efforts, he was not able to convince the owl to relinquish the hat to its rightful owner. The owl moved with great stealth, speed, and precision, lifting the hat from a mid-stride Marv.

After the workout, Marv was able to reclaim his hat. We are not certain what deal he made with the owl. Perhaps we now know “who do you cook for?”.