Tag: Spider Run

Sixteen Spider Run Stalwarts + 1 that was feeling the Bern gathered in the balmy 49° gloom for some hill fun. After the expected northern aggression’s comments about long sleeve attire, YHC declared our routes and off we went.

The Route
– Long way around the lake
– Across the bridge and up the hill by the baseball field
– Down the parking lot to College

4s
– Cut through fraternity row and take a right on Hampshire
– Hampshire turns to Horsepen and ascend all the way to Patterson
– Right on Patterson then right on St Christopher
– Straight across to Tapoan, not Towana
– Meander by the golf course back to the start

5s
– Left on College
– Right on University
– Right on Wood
– Quick left on Lakewood then right on Wood
– Right on Baldwin
– Baldwin turns to Hampshire then follow the 4 route

6s
– Stay on College all the way to Club Vista and take a right
– Right on Westham
– Right on Baldwin
– Cross Wood and stay on Baldwin then follow the 4 route

Numberama, Names, then start searching for Posh.

Moleskin
Phenomenal morning for a run this morning. Pre/post run mumblechatter was at an all-time high. So high that YHC couldn’t decide on an appropriate backblast title. Therefore, I have listed a few suggestions below. Rather than comment on the backblast (which no one will do anyway), offer an alternative title. It’s like a haiku without the haiku!

Posh Finds His Way Home
Hitchhiking on the Snowbank
Sufferin’ Succotash
This Run Sucks
I’m Bored So I Guess I’ll Go Vote
Marv Wins a Bet
I Said the Long Way Around the Lake

Announcement
HDHH the 18th which is a day before the 19th. Just sayin.

Splinter says sayonara!

11 gents braved the rain and chill for a morning run – simply because they could…

All run around the lake to the Bridget….

4 Mile: Robbins Parking lot to Lakewood. Lakewood to Westham. South on Westham then right on University. Take University across Ridge Road then take first left at Gaymont. Gaymont to River then downo South Ridge. Take Westham Station to shopping center then UR entrance, etc.

5 Mile: Robbins Parking lot to University to Westham. Take fork to the right then cross to Sunset. Take Sunset across Ridge to (Ma)Holmes. Take Holmes to Ziontown. Ziontown to Ralston, then first left to University. Take right on Gaymont then (see above).

6 Mile: Robbins Lot to Lakewood, Lakewood to Wood then Waveny. Left on Westham. Right on Lindsay, left on Forest, right on Ridge, then left on Ziontown then (see 5 miler).

Welcome Gruber (aka Gruber-balls, Water-Sac, Ben-Wah)

Many wishes for Sippy Cup to get well soon

Saab abides

Twenty one stud muffins emerged from their Dutch ovens looking for a cup of joe and a side of miles, and here’s what they got:

Tyler Haynes Commons to Westhampton Way/UR Drive (YHC had planned to venture along the Gambles Mill Eco-Corrider a/k/a the Bat Cave, but not yet open for business — audible called — anyone who does NOT have a broken ankle this morning can thank Shakedown for that);

Left on River Road, cut through shopping center parking lot and over Huguenot Bridge, left/East/downstream/thataway onto Riverside Drive

4s: to Rattlesnake Creek and reverso

5s: to Williams Island and reverso

6s: to Riverside Meadows and reverso; or follow Saab and Sippy up the hill on Stratford into the woods. Pro tip: whatever they say, do not get in the van.

NMMS: Prayers for Doozy’s mother in law, Gomer Pyle’s dad (surgery today), and YHC’s dad (surgery last Friday). Great run this morning gents, way to push on the flats and thanks for the chance to lead.

Doublemint

Fifteen undeterred

Cardinal Run, off we went

Embracing the gloom

A Surly Seventeen arrived at the UR Commons on what felt like a cool spring morning. Here were the routes that were (mostly) followed…

4 Mile: Robbins Parking lot to Lakewood. Lakewood to Westham. South on Westham then right on University. Take University across Ridge Road then take first left at Gaymont. Gaymont to River then downo South Ridge. Take Westham Station to shopping center then UR entrance, etc.

5 Mile: Robbins Parking lot to University to Westham. Take fork to the right then cross to Sunset. Take Sunset across Ridge to (Ma)Holmes. Take Holmes to Ziontown. Ziontown to Ralston, then first left to University. Take right on Gaymont then (see above).

6 Mile: Robbins Lot to Lakewood, Lakewood to Wood then Waveny. Left on Westham. Right on Lindsay, left on Forest, right on Ridge, then left on Ziontown then (see 5 miler).

Saab abides

Seventeen scintillating scalawags waited for instructions this morning, and then they came. Summit was the call, trying to resurrect a route from a few months back with some modifications. See above for the pic of the 6 mile route.

Route
– head west, across the bridge, down the gravel path and across to University
– University to left on Ralston
– Right on River, staying on the sidewalk
– Right on E Glenbrooke Circle
– Left on W Glenbrook Circle
– Right on Summit to the top
– 4s return the same route (closer to 4.3)
– 5s take a right at the bottom of Summit to continue on Glenbrook and complete the loop
– 6s follow the 5s but then take a left on Twin Lake (not Twin Team)
– Twin Lake turns to Melwood. Left on Charnwood.
– Say hey to Honeydo then left on Shadow
– Left on Twin Lake
– Right on Twin Lake
– Left on Glenbrooke circle, compete the loop then head back home

Moleskin
Plenty of just in time arrivals today, enough that many missed instructions. There were enough there to hear the 4/5/6 route that it was left a surprise to others.

Plenty of hills out there today boys. Hills and darkness. The world can be a beautiful place when not distracted by our creations.

Announcements
– Wedding Singer created a write in candidate for best group for the Monument 10k. If you sign up, add yourself to the F3RVA group
– Healing place is meeting at 730 after dogpile for 3 miles this week. See TYA for inspiration.

YHC fumbled through the prayer today. Apologies to all but my thoughts weren’t clear today. Next time.

Oh, and read Marv’s backblast from last Friday. Casting call for lead roles in the made for TV version will begin next week.

See ya.

– Splinter

The 1/21 SpiderRun had a very old school feel to it. A hearty crew of 19 veterans set out in the low 20s weather to jaunt around the Greater Tuckahoe Area. Here’s the thang…

Lap around the lake (Heading towards the baseball field). Back at the flag hang a right on Richmond Way and then a right up the hill. At the top of the hill, jump on College Ave towards Boatright. Head down Boatright past the football stadium (on the left) and all the way to Lakewood. We then go to a modified Fudd Run.

Lakewood to Wood…hang a right on Wood.

The 4s—Wood to a right on Baldwin. Baldwin kind of winds around, it turns into Hampshire, then a quick minute on Horsepen then Ridge Top. (The QIC now looking on googlemaps how this could be easily messed up. He apologizes) Anyway, RidgeTop to Chandler. Right on Chandler…all the way to the top of Chandler. Back down to Gardiner. Left on Gardiner, then through the bridge/natural area. Back on Boatright to College Ave. College Ave to the parking lot by Pitt Field. Then back to the flag. (Sorry Singer, my problem was that I was looking at Bleeder when giving directions and he seemed to know exactly what I was talking about).

The 5s….The 5s take the right on Wood. Then left on Baldwin. Then right on Westham and take that all the way to Woodberry. Woodberry hits Horsepen. Horsepen to Devon. Right on Devon, right on Ridgetop. Left on Chandler. Back down to Gardiner. Left on Gardiner, then through the bridge/natural area. Back on Boatright to College Ave. College Ave to the parking lot by Pitt Field. Then back to the flag.

The 6s….The 6s go across Westham and stay on Baldwin. Marv picks up Onions. Right on Rock Creek. Rock Creek merges into Sweet Briar, Sweet Briar to Woodberry. Woodberry hits Horsepen. Horsepen to Devon. Right on Devon, right on Ridgetop. Left on Chandler. Back down to Gardiner. Left on Gardiner, then through the bridge/natural area. Then right on Boatright all the way to the top to Three Chopt. Back down Boatright. College Ave to the parking lot by Pitt Field. Then back to the flag.

The QIC didn’t tell the quicker 6s about the Boatright detour…again, on him.

Hope everyone pulls for those VCU Rams this weekend.

Whose roads these are I think I know
Ten men with TYA thinking he was the bro;
Splinter trumps, all PAX belt out a cheer
Intervals were the way to geaux.

Turning left up Ridgeway to the top we steer
Three times repeating YHC commandeered
Roads were a river, almost a lake
Difficult, but not quite Mount Rainier.

Back down Roselawn, we jiggle, we shake
TYA glasses turned opaque.
Only two times up that Roselawn heap
Then turn right for goodness sake.

Three times up Toana and nary a peep,
U-Turn down Campus needing a Jeep,
Two times up Bostwick before I sleep,
Two times up Bostwick before I sleep.

Fourteen able bodied gentlemen gathered just in time for instructions to today’s edition of Spider Run. Moon Pie appeared just in time to hear instructions that made no sense. Regardless, off we went for a relatively error-free route that included:

The Route
4 milers – Head west towards the baseball field, up in front of the Robins Center and left on College. Right on Lakewood. Right on Wood. Left on Beechwood. Left on Westham. Cross River and head down South Ridge. Left on Westham Station and work your way back to the commons via the main entrance on River Road.

5 milers – same as 4s except add the down and back Ross after you cross over River.

6 milers – same as 4s except add the Cameron to Culpeper jug handle before heading down and back Ross. Also add Old Bridge to Highland on Westham Station.

Very few announcements then YHC took us out while making sure the seals heard our prayer.

Moleskin
Relatively uneventful Spider Run today. Very methodical execution from the PAX. Hitchhiker is building towards something as he ran from his house to Spider Run and then back. TClaps for seriously putting in the miles these days.

Six mile chatter centered around snow sports and the desire (or lack thereof) to participate. The steeds lost me on Highland and YHC was left with his thoughts the rest of the way.

Lug keeps pushing it too. He added Ross but didn’t quite see the bottom.

Swirly wore his favorite shirt but that didn’t keep him from getting temporarily misguided on Ross.

Welcome Moon Pie to his first Spider Run (YHC believes). Upon declaring his name during pre-run introductions, Hitchhiker came out of the blue and asked if Moon Pie had ever been to China. Stealing a line from the #daville regulars, “As usual, I have no idea what that means.”

Have a blessed day gentlemen. See you on Slack.

Splinter

A dirty dozen turned out for the last spider run of the year. The following routes were a little bit heavy on distance and carried a fair amount of elevation:

4 milers: Ridgeway to Fairview to Iris. Cross Three Chopt and head toward Grove. Take Grove and make a right at Oak. Take Oak to Cary and return.

5 milers: Ridgeway to Fairview to Iris. Cross Three Chopt and head toward Grove. Take Grove and make a right at Oak. Take Oak to Cary. Cross Cary to Hillcrest. Run to bottom of (West) Hillcrest and return.

6 Milers: Ridgeway to Roselawn to Campus Drive. Cross Three Chopt and head toward Grove. Take Grove and make a right at Oak. Take Oak to Cary. Cross Cary to Hillcrest. Run W/E Hillcrest loop adding Charmian-to-Pocahontas loop.

Saab abides