Tag: Sunday Funday

Remarkably, the pax extracted many variations of distances from the typical South/North bank route.

Saab Abides

6 chose to chill out for the latest edition of Sunday Funday. Conditions remained constant at 70 and sunny. According to the Kotter who was freezing in the parking lot, the following might have happened:

Route: Nickel Bridge to Buttermilk to Forest Hill, unless you are Chippendale and are too fast to hear the audible, in which case it’s unclear what he ran, or Saab, who ran 10 miles on roads, in which case YHC knows he ran elsewhere.

Numbers, names, and YHC took us out before Chippendale froze in place.

Announcements:

Loops on Friday. This event is awesome. Day after Thanksgiving. Starts at 7:00 a.m. Run a loop, bike a loop. On the roads or on the trails. Mileage may vary based on mode of transportation and media traveled. But, participants will start a new loop every hour and must complete a loop every hour. Hang with F3 brothers, friends, and family before, during, and after. Last person to complete a loop subject to the above rules is the winner.

Handicapping:

1 loop – you will not win

2 loops – you will not win

3 loops – same

4 loops – Meh.

5 loops – YHC supposes this is possible.

6 loops – Maybe, if it’s raining.

7 loops – You are getting warmer.

8 loops – YHC is putting his money here, subject to the moral hazard of TYA trying to win with 7 or 9 just to ruin YHC’s wager. He’s a crafty fellow. However, rumors have some other contenders coming from points west on 360.

9 loops – YHC believes this is over-doing it, but still possible.

10 loops – Someone else has to want to do 9 in order for someone to win with 10, and YHC doesn’t see it.

11 loops – Ask yourself: who brought a headlamp?

12 loops – Nah.

Whatever happens, you will make friends on this day.

NMS:

Great to have Chippendale back on the trails today. It’s been a minute. He’s a fast fellow.

Nice to run Forest Hill. YHC was chugging today. Good to chat with Offshore most of the way.

Eight was great for the latest version of Sunday Funday. Conditions were 70 and sunny. According to the spiders with webs hanging approximately 5 feet 8 inches above the ground, the following might have happened:

Route:

Buttermilk, T-Pottersfield Bridge, North Bank. 6.5 miles.

Numbers, names, and YHC has no idea (different guy) who took us out as YHC fled to walk his own pooch.

NMS:

Solid morning for a run, especially after the darkness burned off. Ripcord set the pace early. With his 5 foot 6 inch torso cutting down the spider webs, YHC experienced only a few higher webs on the early run. Through the twists and turns of the lariat and a stop for water, YHC found himself at the back of the pack when a true F3 gentleman destroyed the trail. Surprisingly, YHC was left behind gasping for clear air and had to stop again to rinse his whole body and clear his lungs of said mustard gas. YHC adapted, overcame.

Announcements:

Breaking Bread needs a Q for the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. November 26. Please sign up! This is our F3RVA collective volunteer activity. Make it a family event, and help out some folks in need.

Six stallions launched in the pre-dawn to conquer the shadows and the trails. Conditions were 70 and sunny. According to the dog being dragged around the trails by its anti-social owner, the following might have happened:

5 took the bridge to Buttermilk. Four stayed through T. Pottersfield Bridge to North Bank. 2 mastered the War Memorial Hill. 2 demurred. 1 took Belle Isle to North Bank. All proceeded in-line BTTVSF. 6.7 miles.

1 traveled solo on the roads at high speed. Call it 9-10 miles. He goes by the nom de trail, Saab.

Numbers, names, and Helix took us out.

Announcements:

Beer Mile. All support the remembrance of Shawn G. Hogan. Some prefer to do so in a non-carbonated, non-alcoholic, sedentary position. Others are considering giving it a whirl.

F3 Toucan (Two Can, To Khan, 2-Can, etc.) plead guilty this week. Good reminder to all of us not to lose track of our friends or get too wrapped up in things to remember we are friends who count on each other.

Breaking Bread:

Oyster and Gomer are carrying the load for all of us next weekend as we round out October.

We need Qs for November (Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend) and December (Saturday and Sunday of Christmas weekend). Your help is appreciated. Sign up on the Q sheet in the special location as far to the right as possible.

NMS: Even the smallest hand wave can sometimes be a sign of life. Start small, and build from there.

UpChuck spits the bit.

8 running buddies launched at 7 with 2 Sheilas in hot pursuit for the latest edition of Sunday Funday. Conditions were 70 and sunny. According to the suspect at large, the following might have happened:

Route: Buttermilk, cross at Belle Isle Oark (audible due to gunfire), down the trail to the river, skip over the rocks to Belle Isle, then the loop on Belle Isle, then North Bank, and back to the VSF. 6.5 or so.

NMS: Not every day that we hear a pair of gunshots (or have others report same). Not weapons seen. Multiple witnesses interviewed. All returned safely.

Names, numbers, Shakedown took us out.

YHC’s brain thinks we had 8, but is only remembering 7. Apologies. Who did I miss?

Five men convened at the Pump House parking lot to tackle a sweaty Sunday morning trail run. We started across the bridge to the Buttermilk Trail and headed down stream. Offshore is a fan of the WPA/National Park vintage style James River Park System posters and one of the landmarks he had yet to visit was the Pipeline Walkway so he and QIC decided to tackle it. Anthrax and Peta stayed up on the mainland and met back up with us at the Belle Isle parking lot. Helix wasn’t quite feeling the full eight miles so crossed at the Teapot. Sippy broke off early to make a prior commitment.

We all met up back at the Pump House and appreciated the beautiful but extremely humid morning opportunity to enjoy the great park system we are so fortunate to have traversing through the heart of our fair city.

QIC always feels better when he has the opportunity to end/start the week with a visit to the trails with likeminded companions.

Eight fleet-of-foot took off rapidly into the soupy morning.Temperatures were 70 and sunny. According to the Trail Mermaid, the following may have happened.

North Bank, T-Pott, South Bank.

Announcements: none were made.

NMS:

Seven faced obstacles while one progressed unhindered along the roads. Not more than 200 yards into the run, the group of 7 faced a climbing obstacle in the form of a “tree down.” This prompted a discussion of “How many fallen trees do we expect to come upon?” Vegas put the odds at an ever-moving line of 3, perhaps 3.5, albeit with an on-going discussion of the precise definition of what constituted a tree that has fallen:

Rules, as of now:

1. Tree must have fallen recently, and,
2. Tree must be blocking the full trail. Partially blocking does not count.
3. Tree must present an obstacle to the runner, thus resulting in the runner breaking stride. Example: running under a fallen tree at normal speed does not constitute a fallen tree. There were several of these.
4. Trees which had fallen near the trail do not count.

TYA noted that it was unlikely that, regardless of the size of the tree, his pace would be slowed. Quite possibly, his pace is that slow. Chippendale noted that, at the pace UpChuck/Offshore ran, there was merit to asking whether we had stopped to swim. No offense intended, but quite funny.

Prayers: for TYA, who has been suffering a sustained case of writer’s block since November, 2021. YHC offered to step in today to help a Brother out.

T&Ps, brother. Hope it clears up soon.

UpChuck spits the bit.

8 dressed properly to run the Sunday Funday loops this morning. Temperatures were actually 70 and conditions were sunny. According to the biker who tried to run down one of our runners, the following might have happened:

North Bank to T. Pottersfield to South Bank / Buttermilk.

Numbers, names, YHC took us out.

Announcements:

Sign up to run BRR. Sounds like we have 18 so far.

Prayers for Lab Rat who is dealing with Round 2. Let’s nail this once and for all. We are with you, my friend.

Prayers for YHC’s friend JB. Uphill battle with a serious health issue.

F3RVA continues to support groups of men working to improve upon unfortunate circumstances or prior choices. Let’s get guys out to The Bridge. HoneyDo did a solo yesterday, and we can do better. Pick a weekend – this weekend – and plan to help out. It’s a great experience and growth opportunity. The guys there appreciate it.

Second opportunity coming up. Shakedown and Offshore have spent several years helping with The Healing Place here in Richmond. A few of us have shown up for moral support as well. Now is our opportunity to demonstrate what “open to all men” means. Look for more information coming up from Shakedown on ways to become more involved with bringing these guys into the F3 world on a more regular basis.

NMS:

Excellent morning to get sweaty running the loop. It’s been a minute since YHC did a Sunday Funday after being a regular for years. Great to see so many awesome dudes.

Special thanks to Helix who drew the short straw and had to run with YHC today.

Great chatter at ETs. Food remains the COVID standard level. Meh.

Sunday Funday Final Exam Question. Discuss the validity of this statement: A tank top is better running attire than going shirtless.

UpChuck spits the bit.

This question roiled deep in the subconscious of TYA and six other truthseekers as they assembled at the Pump House lot for a pilgrimage along the James. Here’s how it went, more or less:

North Bank to T Pott (or Belle Isle) to Buttermilk – add quarry loop for extra credit.

Number, names, YHC took us out.

NMMS: Great weather for a trail run today, and it was good to run with Hitch as he gears up for his first half marathon. Big thanks to Shakedown for the lead on some new Australian thrash punk, and much gratitude to TYA for helping YHC to get into a suitably reverent frame of mind to serve communion at church this morning . 🙂

Typical Sunday Funday – What time does this 7:00 run start anyway? Head out across the bridge, Buttermilk to T-Pot to Northbank with various side quests for adventurous pax along the way. Great to have Speakeasy visiting from Daville and YHC was able to convince a fellow BMX racing dad to dust off his trail shoes and join us – he used to be an inflight rocket repairman but decided to use his genius for the power of good and now helps disabled veterans by developing prosthetic devices for special purposes. Welcome Brian Burkhardt aka Stark!