Tag: Spider Run

With our bodies still adjusting to DayLight Savings time, a group of eight SNOR’s (Slight North of the River) Guys went, well…down towards the river. The enjoyment of the sunrise and light from the last few weeks has been replaced by turning our clocks back what seems like 9 hours or so as the group started, and finished, in the dark.

Granted, the sunlight at 7pm later that day helped with some yard chores that were called on…so that was cool. But man, starting and finishing, again, in the dark feels like we are going backwards as a society.

Anyway, the route was pretty easy…take Cave, Bat down to the river. Go upstream 22:30, make a U-turn and head back to the flag. We should theoretically call this the Bodos route.

If you know, you know.

See you, truly, in the Gloom sometime soon.

11 regulars showed up for this week’s edition of Spider Run. Routes were posted last night but YHC reviewed once more. With routes reviewed and the clock striking 0530, off we went.

Routes

4s: https://onthegomap.com/s/evnobahu
5s: https://onthegomap.com/s/cb254isl
6s: https://onthegomap.com/s/45nsgsib

Numbers, Names, Announcements and YHC took us out.

It’s GameDay for the VCU Rams as they take on the Spiders in a late season Richmond Area Honda Dealers Capital City Classic. Tip off is at 7pm. The line is the Rams -14.5. The Rams won the last game by 41, but -14.5 is pretty thick for a road team.

That said…

Thirteen fellas showed up YHC to Jericho run around the Robins Center and then trundle around the south portion of the Westham neighborhood.

The Thang…

The Jericho run is based off the Old Testament story of some group of Old Testament people (Israelites?) marching to the city of Jericho and then parading around the walls seven times. Trumpets are blown, walls fall down, the guys take the city. I try to replicate that as much as I can when I travel on the road…having run around arenas in Dayton, Charleston, New Mexico…plus other fun runs up and down the strip in Vegas, around “the country’s favorite city park” in St. Louis and downtown Annapolis.

We headed clockwise around the lake…then up a “kinda burner hill” (1-800) to the Robins Center. Run around the Robins Center….counterclockwise the first time, then turn around and clockwise.

Take the parking lot to the baseball field and out of campus to College Dr. College to Lakewood, Lakewood to Wood…then Baldwin…but not left on Baldwin, but RIGHT on Baldwin. That turns into Hampshire…Hampshire bends it’s way to Ridge Top.

4s–Realized that Wheeler is super tough to see off of Ridge Top. So the 4s ended up heading with the 5s and 6s to Chandler…they went Chandler to Gardiner, to Wheeler to the bridge. Over the bridge to Boatwright, up Boatwright and back down to College Dr to UR Drive to the flag.

5s–all the way up Chandler and back down. Ridge Top to Devon to Waveny to Wood…that will then get you back to the flag via Lakewood and the parking lot.

6s–A bit of a mess. YHC had to make sure the 4s and 5s knew where they were going and lost contact with the 6s. 6s ended up going Ridge Top to Patterson, back down, right on whatever street that was that the former F3 guy got caught with all the bombs and weapons. Back down Westham, right on Woodberry, left on Sweet Briar, left on Rock Creek, left on Baldwin. Baldwin back to the flag the normal way.

Thanks for the Jericho help, boys. Go Rams.

Pretty busy morning on Baldwin, just east of Westham for a group of hearty souls looking to get some exercise in the gloom. This one is going down as the Spotswood Run…here goes…

Go through the parking lot by the baseball field to College. College to Lakewood to Wood to Baldwin. Cross Westham on Baldwin and take a left on Rock Creek if you are a 5…go one more to Stuart Hall if you are a 6.

Head South to Spotswood…go into that pocket neighborhood. 4s & 5s go one lap of Spottswood, 6s go two. 4s come out of the neighborhood and head back to the flag as quick as possible.

5s and 6s go Forest to Ziontown Crossing to University. 5s cross Ralston and stay on University and head back to the flag from there. 6s head down one more street, take a left and then head back to the flag.

Be aware of women walking their dogs right next to a strategically placed porta-potty. Just sayin’.

Ten vibrant and enthusiastic men showed up before the snow did (and as of 8:35am (haha! 8:35am for this post, suckers! Who’s procrastinating on posting now, huh??) still hasn’t) in the bowels of the University of Richmond on the 11th day of February, 2025.

A good chunk of the PAX…dare I say Hall of Famers (OBT, Bleeder, TYA, Swirly, BT…they could easily be compared to Ruth, Cobb, Cy Young, Christy Mattewson) went off for a Ruck with their dogs to places unknown to YHC. Good for them for getting a 45 minute traipse around Henrico.

The 6s ran the good ol’ Mt. Henrico where the views are always dazzling, if you enjoy looking over Parham Rd into the lobby of a Blue Ridge Bank. The air always does seem a bit thinner up there but the feeling you get when you are at the summit of Julian and Parham is pretty amazing.

There were no 5s on the route…Hitch did his own thing…possibly down river and back as that was an option.

Still waiting for snow.

Fifteen, including many elder statesmen, gathered in the darker than usual commons bowl for this week’s iteration of Spider Run. After claiming the Q last week, there were many inquiries of whether or not intervals were on the docket. Not today fellas, just a good ole Spider Run classic. Glenbrooke Circle route was called and off everyone went:

The Route

• Alongside the lake, across the bridge, and through the trail
• Up University, across Ridge, then left on Ralston
• Take a dump in Kubota’s yard
• Right on River, right on Glenbrooke Circle
• Left on West Glenbrooke Circle
• Right on Summit and back down
• 4s return
• 5s take a right and continue, clockwise, around Glenbrooke Circle then return
• 6s do the Glenbrooke Circle and add the Windsor on the James loop as well

Numbers, names, YHC took us out.

Announcements

• Frozen Triangle 6am @ Dogpile Saturday
• See Shakedown for assistance with the Healing Place 10k training

Moleskine

Mentally strong group of runners and walkers today. Running may have been not as strong for some, but the camaraderie made up for not meeting peak performance. Always great to have such wisdom in our presence guide us as we start the day.

Marv is happy metal detectors work.

Splinter out

Seeing that Spider Run was without a Q and knowing he would be out of town, Splinter sent up a bat signal asking someone to take the Q. YHC answered the call.

ROUTE: https://onthegomap.com/s/92rldot6

Everyone out the batcave towards Westham Station Road to the end. Turn right up South Ridge Road to the light at River Road. Turnaround and head back down South Ridge.

4s: Return to the flag.
5s: Right on Ross Road to the Taint, back out to South Ridge and then return the flag.
6s: Right on Ross Road to the Taint, back out to South Ridge, left on Old Ridge, right on Highland all the way to River. Turnaround at River back down to Westham Station and return to the flag.

Announcements

1. Healing Place 10K Training Team starts this Saturday, 2/1, and continues until the Monument Ave 10K. This is a great opportunity to support men in recovery. See YHC, Shakedown, Swiper, TYA if you want more information.
2. Frozen Triangle on Saturday, 2/8. See Slack for Details.

Numbers / Names / YHC took us out.

Bakers dozen arrived for SOJ takeover week. The route was plain and simple, run to SOJ, out and back, return in 45 minutes. Ruckers rucked.

Cold, brisk morning and a lonely 4 mile route for YHC. Careful of eye freezing. Don’t forget your foreskin neck warmer in these temps.

-Singer

With the New Year comes a renewed sense of commitment to our health, our minds and the hills of the Greater Tuckahoe area. To that end, it was terrific to see 15 fellas out for Spider Run this week…especially since all signs pointed to the fact that last week was a no-show week for the 4s, 5s and 6s (the ice was pretty bad and a few of us were out of town…plus there was the water shortage deal).

YHC set out to mix things up, if only a bit…trying to find some of the hidden hills of the area. Today, we landed on Spottswood, right off Forest.

Here’s how it went…

The first part was the opening to Mt. Henrico (baseball field to College, to Lakewood to Wood to Baldwin). The 4s peeled off at Rock Creek, the 5s and 6s to Stuart Hall. Everyone then ran to Spottswood, which is halfway up Forest on your way to TES and right by 1-800s abode.

4s and 5s ran the Spottswood loop once. The 6s ran it twice.

The 4s then went up Forest to Lakewood and Back to the Flag. (Not to be confused with Cooper Flagg).

The 5s and 6s got over to Ziontown which led the 5s to University back to the Cooper Flagg.

The 6s went a bit futher down Rawlston, to Kingston to Gayton to University back to the Cooper Flagg.

Go Rams.

Seven very suspecting gentlemen gathered in Spider Run’s perfect hiding spot for the last hill workout of the year. Given the Q signed up with clear intent for what was in store today, YHC was glad to see 7 show up. 0530 rang and off we went:

The Route

Mosey to the end of the bat cave and back, passing the start and heading up through the path towards Towana. Pucker was offered the choice of left or right, he chose left so the first three intervals were up Towana. 1 minute up with a 1:45 recovery back down.

Next three intervals were up Roselawn. Given YHC is a man of the people, Wedding Singer was offered the choice of left or right when we did our third interval up Roselawn. He was indecisive so we waited for a decision until it was necessary. After pressure, he chose left, so we continued on Roselawn then took a left on Campus.

This was a slightly longer jaunt than remembered, so by the time we got to our last interval hill, we only had time for 2. We made these our best effort up Bostwick, last one leaving nothing on the table.

Slow mosey back down Campus to UR Drive then BTTVSF.

Announcements, no wait, numbers, names, announcements before YHC took us out.

Moleskine

The PAX was sincerely confused this morning, passing perfectly good hills to take the flat path through the bat cave. Multiple comments were made before we turned around and headed back towards the fun. These three hills are good ones, with the last being one of the steepest around.

Props to Doozy who ran 8 yesterday and followed it up with hill repeats today.

Until next year!

Splinter out