University of Richmond
~20 runners partook in the latest iteration of The Fist. Options ranged from 4 to 6 ascents depending upon mileage.
Today’s run served as a prep for the BRR. For those not signed up, consider it an early training run for next year’s BRR.
Well done everyone.
Saab abides
4s, 5s, and 6s took off on different routes only to converge on a common point at Westham Parkway and Baldwin, taking the same route down by the canal and home.
Kudos to Bleeder and Lugnut in their bonus runs into and away from the AO.
Announcements:
17 stallions arrived extra early this morning in anticipation of the route. A quick overview was provided and off we went.
Down Lakeview/Westhampton Way towards the batcave, taking Ridgeway. Take a right on Fairway View and keep on going as the name changes to Robin and then Iris.
Cross Three Chopt and stay on York taking a left on Maple. At Patterson, take a left and pound out the long gradual uphill to Three Chopt. Keep going.
4s/5s take a left on Horsepen to cut through the fraternity gate, across the parking lot by the baseball field and to the lake back to the VSF. 5s take an additional lap of the lake.
6s continue on Patterson taking a left on Westham Parkway. Take a left on University Drive, pick up the trail at College and back to the VSF with a finishing loop of the lake.
Marv took us out.
This route seemed to be a crowd favorite. So much so that Bleeder didn’t want to leave the route and extended his run. This will have to come back soon as a part of the rotation, perhaps even with a name (that’s when a route truly becomes a classic).
On the Iris climb, the Pax ran right into a pack of 25 or so fast runners coming down, all with headlights. It was like running into a flock of birds. Everyone had different approaches. Move to the side, standing one’s ground like a rock, or weaving through the pack.
Announcements:
-VQ for Hitchhiker coming up in September
Time to Taper,
Lockjaw
The Devil’s Pitchfork made a long overdue appearance for 20 stalwarts…
Route: Take UR exit to shopping center then veer right at Westham Station
4 Milers: Take Highland up to River then return
5 Milers: Take Highland, Old Bridge Lane, then Panorama…return
6 Milers: Highland, Old Bridge, Ridge Road…return
x Milers: (Some took a mix of the above…)
Saab abides
Twenty arachnids emerged from the dusk for some fun around UR. A few of the regulars expected intervals and were disappointed. Others were not expecting intervals and were not disappointed. Alas, off we went to follow the prescribed out and back route with some loops:
Count all fingers and toes, disclaim given names and YHC took us out.
Moleskin
YHC has wanted to introduce Glenbrooke Circle for quite a while but never got around to it. Today was the day. Given the recent trend of bringing laptops to describe routes, printouts seemed in order. While the route was fairly straightforward for the regulars, visual cues via a map without street names was the perfect accompaniment to some perfectly clear verbal directions.
4s didn’t complain as they got lost and likely did 5. 4.5s appreciated the extra excursion up Summit. 5s were spot on at just over 5 miles. 6 milers were probably a little short. YHC owes you next time.
Great to explore a new route. Will add this to the annals for a future repeat. Rumor has it Keymaster (a.k.a. “Hi Derek”) may Q a future Spider Run for those interested in laps around the lake.
Big Data counted to 20 today. Nice work gents.
11 warriors posted on a perfect summer day for a run. Route was Mount Henrico.
NMM
It was high 60’s and raining at the start of the run. It was supposed to be raining all night, but didn’t start til 515 or so. A little chilly waiting in the rain with no shirt on, but perfect once the running commenced Having battled through the heat and humidity of late, it felt great to be able to push and not lose steam.
Sippy was in the lead by himself this morning. Although he has done this route a dozen or so times, he managed to get a little bit lost. He did make his way to the top of mount henrico, but by a more difficult route, going straight up the patterson hill.
Vinny posted a few second late, and didn’t make it too far before contributing last nights dinner to the ducks. Kudos to him to continue on and do some laps around the lake.
Don Draper appeared from nowhere at the end of the run. He was looking for us at the start, but couldn’t figure out where we launched from. Now he knows.
TYA OUT
17 arrived for YHC’s favorite run that forces repeated climbs out of the U of R lake basin via designated roads (aka fingers). Some stuck with a few fingers, some went for the whole fist, and some took a finger that was in the entirely wrong place. Either way, it was a tough run and everyone performed their best.
Saab Abides
14 warriors posted on a perfect July Morning. Relatively cool weather for this time or year. Route was up the hill, to St. Christoper Road, right on Patterson. 23 minute out, 22 minutes back.
NMM
Great weather for a run this time of year, humidity was down and it actually felt a little bit cool out there.
Lug and YHC were chasing each other the entire way. Great to have someone to push you along when you want to take a little breather along the way. Thanks to Lug, I made it back to the flag in 21 and a half minutes. Honestly, most of the time was made up in the last hill. Took me 5 minutes to climb and four minutes to descend. I was helped along a little bit by Splinter catching up with me on the way down. Since I thought it was Lug, I was all but sprinting down the hill.
Glad to have some of the vacationing guys back. Gomer pyle back from Europe, and Swirly from down at Holden beach. Bleeder didn’t make an appearance from the Jimmy Garroppolo islands. Can’t wait to hear how his trip went.
Everyone, including Saab, loved the creativity of this route…
Prayers for Helix’s daughter.
TYA OUT
12 Dog Park Lovers posted for a new kind of Spider Run in the peaceful gloom this morning. YHC wanted to change things up a bit (to Saab’s liking) and decided to get off the pavement for most of the route.
The routes are as follows:
Everyone exits campus via UR Drive, Campus Drive, Boatwright Drive to a left on Edgehill Rd to Bandy Field. 1.15 miles
Run as many laps around Bandy Field as you wish. Each lap, if you stay on the trail and don’t cut corners, equals .7 miles
Return to VSF as you came. 1.15 miles
Total route distances:
3 Laps Around Bandy Field = 4.4 Miles
4 Laps Around Bandy Field = 5.1 Miles
5 Laps Around Bandy Field = 5.8 Miles
6 Laps Around Bandy Field = 6.5 Miles ( we just named this route the “Sippy Cup Route”) Well done, Sippy!
Numberama, Namearama, Announcements and YHC took us out!
Announcements:
Please pray for Double Mint’s Father as he has an upcoming surgery.
Please pray for the family of the Triathlete that lost his life at Robious Landing this past weekend.
Independence Day Convergence at Tredegar at 7am!
NMS:
Saab came in to the parking lot from his early extra credit run and saw YHC’s laptop, with a map brought up on it, on the hood of his new Chevrolet 1500 Silverado. Eyes rolled and he asked me to give him the route early so he could decipher what to do, whether to follow YHC’s directions or go off on his own. Saab obliged YHC and took on the Bandy Field route with a few sighs, head shakes and more eye rolls.
Lockjaw posted to a run that he wasn’t Q’ing! World may end today! YHC believes Lockjaw was tricked into posting because he saw YHC’s name on the Q sheet and thought YHC was going to call a new, top-secret route that only Lockjaw knows about. He even wore a special shirt for that top secret route. Sorry, Lockjaw, that route will have to wait.
YHC thought it would be a good idea to keep everyone within eyesight of each other since most Spider Runs and RAMM runs separate the PAX right at the beginning. YHC never really sees the 6 milers and most of the 5 milers at a normal run, so this route was to keep everyone on the same field. YHC hoped everyone would set a goal of how many laps they could try to finish before the downhill jaunt back to the flag. There was a good group of 6 milers today who ran the field counter-clockwise and the 4.5/5 milers ran it clockwise which meant there was a lot of meetings and greetings. Sippy got in the whole 6 laps for 6.5 miles!
Lug Nut did not get lost but TYA did. He quickly recovered, though.
Saab said the surface of the path on Bandy Field was too hard. Asphalt is hard, also. Just sayin’. Not sure where else we can run. YHC will have to find some mud to run in next time.
All in all, it was a great morning!
Have a great day all!
Kubota
Swirly’s board 6/25/19.
10 strong posted this morning for Spider Run and here is how it went down..
Oak route 4.5.6 milers .
The humidity was 100% out there this morning but that did not hold back the 10 that showed up to attack the day. Saabski and Kubota ran from their houses so they got some extra in – well done ! 7 – eleven set a personal best she ran farther today than she ever has 4 plus miles – awesome job!! 7 eleven gets credit for today’s BB title. She has been working extremely hard this summer to prepare herself for the next step (College Athletics) there really is no faster way to reach gold status in Swirly’s book than to give life everything you got. I am so very proud of 7 -elevens efforts and am confident that what ever lies ahead for her she will have the strength, fortitude, and desire to achieve her goals. My good buddy Circle K smiles alot – now you know why (it’s not only the coors lights ) 🙂
Super job by all who ran this morning – Tobit freaken killed it up Boatright catching up with Saabski and Faceplant – well done dude.. Lugnut crushed it and he didn’t get lost (Unbelievable ) ! Singer and TYA made it look easy out there and could have kept going… It was a pleasure to be out there with all of you.
Thanks to all for the anniversary wishes – i really appreciate that. I am truly blessed and have much to be thankful for !
What is it you want ? How dedicated are you to achieving it ?
See y’all in the gloom..