Tag: The FORGE

11 humans and one canine posted for the The Forge episode in the Week of Wojo. While crossing the Willey Bridge you could just feel the punch of the SOJ humidity hit right in the face. YHC knew the PAX would get soupy this AM.

Mosey downhill to the circle, past the football stadium, stop at each parking lot light for 2 burpees. A lucky 13 = 26 burpees buy-in.

COP

• 12 DQs
• 15 Imperial Walkers
• 15 Russian shoulders
• 15 Arm Circles and reverso

The Thang

Mosey up to the nearest parking lot (Bus Loop according to Google Maps).

Exercise 1 – Triple Check

Teams of 3 performing

• Bear Crawl to the top of the hill, next parking lot
• Jump Squats
• WWII Sit Ups
• Plank-A-Rama for the Six

Exercise 2 – Dora’s

Mosey up to the next parking lot for Dora’s. Runners to the furthest curb

• 100 Merkins
• 200 Monkey Humpers
• 300 Box Cutters
• Al Gore for the Six

Exercise 3 – Inchworm/Lunges Combo

PAX performs 6 inchworms with Merkin Option and alternates with 6 lunges. Focus on stretching. 2 rounds between the landscape islands.

One final loop around the middle parking lot of Bernie Sanders up the incline of the parking lot, side shuffle to the right, run the straight away downhill, reverso side shuffle to the left. Mosey back to the Flag.

Numberama, Namerama, Seadoo took us out.

Annoucements

• T-Shirts on Sale – Check the BB or Lab Rat for Details
• Prayer Requests – Helix and Family, Wojo and Family, Speedy recovery to Hardywood, DTH and Seadoo’s Buddy (Ferguson and Family)

For the 4th Day in a row the PAX brought it on another run heavy boot camp. Mumble chatter suggests some Ground and Pound may be looming to round out this week. Just have to show up to find out.

Don’t flop Thursday away. Enjoy it fellas!

YHC arrived early only to find the Forge AO already teaming with Summer Tourists and FNG’s. All together 18 veterans and 3 FNG’s paid homage to another glorious sunrise in the best way we know how…

The THANG:

Mosey down to 2nd parking lot for COP #1:

• SSH x20 IC
• DQ x10 IC
• Body Builders (8ct Burpee) x10 IC
• No Cheat Merkins x10 IC
• DR W x10 IC

Mosey down to Handicap Rails for COP #2:

• Partner up, each complete x10 IC of each of the following:
• Copperhead Squat / Dips
• Copperhead Curl / Jerkins
• Copperhead Kneeling ShoulderPress / Cliffhanger Merkins

Mosey to Grassy Knolls for COP #3:

• Clock of Mary: On your SIX with legs pointing uphill (12 o’clock) and complete x3 WWII for every hour on the clock face
• Plankorama for the SIX

Mosey to front of Middle School for COP #4:

• Indigenous Peoples Curb Crawl: PAX Carousel Plank around island curb, last man completes 3 Burpees then bear crawls around loop to the front …continued until all PAX have completed a set of burpees
• YHC offered a Lunge modifier for those struggling with prolonged curb crawling

Mosey to Amphitheater for COP #5:

• Ascending 4×4’s – Complete x1 rep bottom, box jump to top, complete x2 reps at top, box jump to bottom…continue up to 5 reps. (4×4 = Start standing arms raised, drop to plank, complete x4 merkins, complete x4 2-count Mtn Climbers, jump back up and clap hands overhead)
• ABC’s for the SIX

Mosey Back to Flag:

• Bear Crawl Ring of Fire (Each man takes a turn to complete x10 Merkins while PAX planks, then between each set all Pax bear crawl head to tail in a circle x10 paces
• Flutter Kicks x50 IC
• Freddie M’s x30? IC before times up

COT:

• Counterama #18
• Namerama (x3 FNG’s)
• Announcerama (see Comments)
• YHC took us out in Prayer

A luck 13 posted to The Forge for a Thursday morning bowl of Gumbo…it was served steaming hot like this:

Long mosey down the hill to the end of the road circle for COP, including the following (all IC):

• DQs
• Helicopters
• SSHs
• Merkins
• LBCs
• Freddie Mercuries

THE THANG:

Lighpole Alley – To borrow from the other Thursday AO south of the river, the PAX formed up at the first lightpole on the road back to the top of the hill and YHC explained that this lightpole alley consisted of 7 lightpoles finishing over at the curve in the road (and base of the mountain). Rounds were as follows:

• Round 1: Perform 10 HRMs at Lightpole 1, run to Lightpole 7 and perform 10 more HRMs, run back to Lighpole 2 and plank for the SIX.
• Round 2: Same sequence but with 10 WWIIs
• Round 3: Monkey Humpers x10
• Round 4: Alternating Shoulder Taps x10 2-count
• Round 5: Box Cutters x10
• Round 6: Mountain Climbers x10 2-count
• Round 7 (no run): 7 Burpees

Climb the Mountain

As a PAX we climbed the mountain of the The Forge by various method – lunging, bearcrawling and running. We also stopped at each of the many lightpoles up the hill for some pain sessions, including downhill merkins, uphill WWIIs, APDs, Imperial Walkers and more. Sprint the last three lightpole lengths stopping at each for 2 burpees.

Triple Check

Partner 1 bearcrawls to the top of the first grassy knoll, does 3 burpees and runs back to the curb. Partner 2 is doing merkins of your choice – feel free to mix and match. Partner 3 is doing flutter kicks (or pillow fluffers…we miss you Carmen San Diego!). 3 rounds, you know the drill.

Short slowsey back to the Flag and do you best yoga warrior pose facing the gorgeous rising sun for 1 minute.

COT, Number-rama, Name-A-Rama and Marmaduke took us out in style.

Announcements:

• Next Tuesday is the Third Annual F3RVA HR Derby – don’t go to NoToll. We will meet at Huguenot Little League (behind Robious Elementary School). Bring a glove if you have one. If not, no worries. Come ready to hit some Dingers!
• Tomorrow is Amateur Hour at RAMM Gears – bikes of any shape or size or age are welcome.
• Saturday 0730 in DaVille No Excuse Workout — https://backblasts.f3rva.org/2019/06/01/preblast-no-excuses-workout/
• Puppy Pile – 6/30 — Marv has the Q
• SOJ Family Happy Hour – next Thursday 6/27 at Tavern 19 at Independence Golf Club. 6:00 p.m. They have a concert series out there so there may be a good crowd. The Hashbury Collective is playing.

NMS:

YHC arrived first and secured the AO and planted the flag. Doozy and DTH were close behind and DTH did his best Crocodile Dundee impression by whipping out his Forge Flag and letting Gumbo know – “that’s not a Flag….THIS IS A FLAG!”

The rest of the PAX cruised in and stretched out to the whirring white noise of LugNut’s ride. Takes a big fan to cool all those horses down. Alas it was 0530 and time to Mosey…Phonics and Scrum must have seen the PAX heading down the hill as they caught up to us for COP.

It was Sunny and 70s and the air was still and thick. Shirt was drenched by the end of the long mosey down the hill today.

YHC decided to make full use of the great long hill and bring a little Timberwolf to The Forge with lightpole alley. Doozy and Phonics destroyed lightpole alley and everyone was sufficiently winded by the time we made it back up to the summit with a few pain stops along the way.

Great partnering with Wilson, LugNut and Marmaduke on the Triple Check. And, great to meet Longpole for the first time. Next summer you summer tourists can see the rest of this massive AO.

Great job this morning men!

No More Gumbo For You!

With the storm clouds parting and standing water up to our eyeballs, nine hardened men of Faith gathered to reap Fellowship from whatever Fitness DTH had in store…

The THANG:

Warmerama: 

• KNOLLERCOASTER (x3 Knolls) – Everest on the way up (Alternating Lunge & Squat), Seal Crawl Across the top (sucked something fierce, so audibled to bear crawl after the first knoll), run to bottom, Complete x10 WWII’s
• Flutter Kicks for the Six

Mosey to Amphitheater for IC-COP:

• SSH x20
• DQ’s x10
• Imperial Squat Walkers x10
• Cherry Pickers x10
• Freddie M’s x20
• Big O’s x10 (each direction)
• Incline Merkins x10
• Decline Merkins x5 

Mosey to Soccer Field:

• Crab VS Bear Soccer, x20min
• Teams flapjack position with every goal
• Team that concedes a goal performs x10 Merkins (appeared most PAX completed merkins regardless)
• Not enough men to justify goalies

Mosey back to Amphitheater for Triple Check:

• Pace setter box jumps up & down
• Other two perform WWII’s & donkey kicks

Mosey Back to Flag:

• Wide grip merkins x10 IC & variable protractor pain to run down the clock

COT:

• Counterama #9
• Namerama
• Announcerama (see Comments)
• YHC took us out in Prayer

NMS: 

• Soggy warm morning to give CraBear soccer a go – The bad guys whooped the good guys 6-2, and YHC would love to blame Long Pole needing to pull an Elvis in the midst of play…but YHC’s team was already up a man. Long Pole returned to the game feeling “much better” and no longer wearing gloves…which apparently served a final and fatal purpose. Good to see a couple new faces to the Forge – Firemen Ed & Offshore. Keep posting gentlemen! 

10 Strong arrived for a high humidity beat down at the Forge!  YHC arrived on his old Rock Hopper (trail bike) expecting to see some tourists, but none were to be had.  5:30 we were off to the bottom of the hill to the Culdesac. 

POC: Arm Circles (just for Roper), DQ’s, Hillbillies, Russian Soldiers, Copper Head Squats, American Hammers, Freddie Mercury’s, Hand Release Merkins, 10 to 15 reps each.   

Stay in circle for a quick warm – 15 each of 2 count Mountain Climbing Merkins, Jump Squats, Burpees. 

Single file line for an Indian run from the Culdesac to top of hill, intersecting with Forest Hill.  YHC started in front, broke away to perform Burpees while the PAX caught up.  Once caught up, YHC fell back in at the end of the line, while the front person broke away for Burpees.  This continued to the top. 

Mosey over to the Grassy Knolls – A total of three knolls.  Start at the first one, bear crawl to the crest, run the length, then Crawl Bear down to the “landing” in between knolls.  Perform 15 Carolina Dry Docks, proceed up the second knoll, repeat all the way to end of 3rd knoll.  Wait for PAX, recover, then back in the opposite direction, with WWII’s in between. 

Mosey to the lower parking lot with multiple street lights positioned around the median.  Partner up, starting at first light and going up hill.  Partner carry to each light, stopping to perform 10 Booyah Merkins, before switching.  A total of 9-10 lights. 

Mosey back up top for a ring of fire – 10 each Merkins to your liking.  6:15! 

Number up, Namearama, YHC took us out. 

Announcements:

Summer tour-get signed up if you haven’t already (including yours truly)

6/19 HDHH/Roller Coaster 6PM.  Palani Drive rear parking lot.  Hills at 6, Beers at 6:45

The much anticipate Home Run Derby! 6/25 behind Robious Elementary.  Gumbo and Chris Berman (back, back, back) will be hosting. 

NMS:  Great to take the Q for the first time at the Forge.  I can’t believe the grassy Knolls have not been utilized to this point, so good to mix them in.  YHC was driving by around 9:30 last night with his daughter and explained to her that YHC needed to detour briefly to study those knolls.  It was already a late night; she was not impressed!  

Great work this morning, men!  The humidity made it challenging, but rewarding! 

Make it a great day, men!

A dozen of Richmond’s finest lumberjacks assembled at The Forge for an inaugural DTH caberama. With a 70 degree sunrise making mumblechatter merry, the PAX partnered up, collected their cabers from YHC’s truck, and at 05:30 on 05/30 a team of steely-eyed men was seen carrying heavy logs into the distance…

The THANG:

Mosey to COP #1: 

• Partners shoulder carry cabers down to the culdesac, stopping at each light post for x3 overhead press
• Circle up for SSH x20 IC
• Incline Merkins on cabers, x10 IC
• DQ’s x10 IC
• Derkins with feet on cabers, x20 IC
• LBC’s x20 IC
• Rapid Alternating Feet on Cabers x20 IC

Mosey to COP #2:

• NEW Partners carry cabers back up Love Hill, stopping at each light post to complete x3 caber curls
• Triple Check at the grassy knoll:
• Two men at bottom squat pressing standing caber back and forth, while 3rd man bear crawls up the hill and runs back down

Mosey to COP #3:

• NEW Partners shoulder carry cabers around school to soccer field
• Teams space well out on sideline
• Caber Toss Suicides: cross the field and back by tossing caber as far as possible (either as a team or individual tosses) running back together to touch baseline between throws 
• ABC’s for the Six

Mosey Back to Flag:

• NEW partner/caber carry back to the ST
• Stow cabers in YHC’s truck
• Circle up for hands-up low flutters x30 IC

COT:

• Counterama #12
• Namerama
• Announcerama (see Comments)
• YHC took us out in Prayer

NMS: 

• Beautiful morning to add a little CSAUP to the Forge routine. YHC has a LOT of oak trees at the house, so there has been a steady accumulation of 5-6 foot logs over the last couple months, with a Caberama in mind for a future Q. Couldn’t have asked for a better group of men to handle my wood… and special kudos to Wojo & Fire Marshal for their Caber Tossing competence. 

18 men with their college years in the rear view mirror (some farther than others) posted to THE FORGE on this beautiful Thursday morning for a serving of Gumbo. The menu was as follows:

Mosey down the large hill to the cul-de-sac for COP, including some Variety Mosey between various lightpoles (including high knees (I SAID HIGH KNEES OLLIE!), butt-kickers, backwards running and side-shuffles).

COP in the Circle all IC x19 (except 1 brain fart but the PAX got a Burpee to subtract that one — yes, Rosie, that works), including:

• SSHs
• DQs (19 slow DQs is a lot)
• Imperial Walkers
• LBCs
• Flutter Kicks
• Merkins (just a “Down” 1-count)

THE THANG:

Love Hill – Mosey back to the bottom of the straight away of the hill for FORGE’s Love Hill. Partner up and make our way back up to the Flag. Partner 1 runs up and back while Partner 2 starts climbing by exercise. Flapjack and repeat until reaching the Flag. Exercises were Lunges, then polar bears, then broad-jump burpees…repeat and recycle until getting to the top.

Mosey around the front of the school over to the courtyard and steps. Plank-o-rama for the Six.

Triple Check on the Steps – Groups of 3. 1 man does merkins, 1 man does flutter kicks, 3rd man box-jumps up the steps and does 2 burpees at the top. Repeato x 3.

Wall Work – Line up on the large retaining wall, perform 20 Donkey Kicks. Run across courtyard to brick wall for 10 Chicken Peckers. Repeato x2. Plank in the middle for the Six.

Mosey back around front of the school and circle up in the bus loop for Mary, including:

• hold six inches
• Hello Dollies x19
• Rosalitas x19
• Freddie Mercuries x19 (variety cadence – SLOOOW to FAST)
• American Hammers x19
• Alternating Shoulder Taps x19

AYG (All You Got) Sprint back to the Flag.

COT, Number-rama, Name-a-rama and YHC took us out.

Announcements/Prayers:

• Early Risers this Saturday – launches from Dogpile parking area at 0400 (yep, that’s right) and will hit the trails and link up with Breakfast Club. See Vinny if you’re crazy enough.
• Summer Tour sign-up sheet is up.
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-L8e9W24ygnU0suaGyKxzi1PgPqY1CBd57hLrKTZI-g/edit#gid=1083932325
• Scrum VQ next week at the FORGE
• Continued prayers for Swirly and his M and family
• Prayers for the Sexton-Ruis family (old neighbors of Handshake). The Wife/Mother recently lost her battle with brain cancer at the WAY-too-young age of 27. We say it often these days, but each day is precious men!
• Puppy Pile on 6/1 at 0700

NMS:

Today was graduation at VMI and YHC’s nephew (F3RVA – Shawshank) graduated. “4 and out the door” baby! Bleeder’s neice (I think?) was also among the graduating cadets. It was great to get back to Mother I and support my sister and my nephew today. In honor of Shawshank and all those in the Class of 2019, our counts today were all 19 (well, except the 1…oops).

WOW, did the memories and feelings come rushing back. There is something special about the Institute (cue TYA comment…). It was a great day!

Thanks to everyone who posted in the Gloom this morning at The Forge. It was great effort and great encouragement. No man was left behind this morning and no man was left where he started. We did some hard work and get a sweat going. Well done men.

A Kotters to McRib. Thanks for posting! Posh – I hope the quad or hammy is ok brother. Don Draper – Way to fly on the AYG sprint – I see you working. Fiona – great to see you back out after your first post on Tuesday — I hope we have hooked you.

Great job everyone!

No More Gumbo For You!

13 veterans and 1 FNG arose in the gloom to meet the challenge of The Forge today. This is what went down, more or less.

Long Mosey to the cul-de-sac behind the football field for COP, all IC: SSH x 25, DQ x 10, helicopters x 10, LBC x 25, HRM x 15

Working our way back up, stop along the way to the bottom of the hill for curb crawls to 5, repeato at 5 and back down. 1 Derkin, bear crawl, 2 incline merkins, crawl bear, 3 derkins … up to 5, repeato and back down. Some finished on one side of the road, some on the other; all began to sweat, and most stopped talking.

Continue working back towards bottom of hill, stop and partner up for 25 PLT x 4, each man. Then plank on the steep embankment facing up hill (12 o’clock) for clockwork merkins OYO: 10 at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. Some repeated at 12. Nothing wrong with extra credit.

At the bottom of the hill, switch partners. One man runs up to flag and back, while other switches between lunges and bear crawl as needed, change positions at meet. Continue until the team has lunge/bearcrawled the hill.

Alphabets – for the six and for a minute or so after.

Mosey to the front of the school and switch partners again. Proper Dora is called, to 100 or time. 1 man runs the bus loop while the other performs 1 merkin, 2 WW2, 3 squats = 1 rep. With only 15 minutes remaining, some teams got to 50, other in the 30s or 40s when time was called. Way to push to the end.

Announcements:

Field day this Saturday at Dogpile, see the preblast and your nano region captains for costume requirements.

Orange Crush VQ at Twin Team tomorrow.

Scrum VQ at the Forge in two weeks.

Flange took us out.

NMS:

Always a pleasure to lead such a fine group. You gentleman always bring an outstanding effort that makes it easy.

Welcome to Flush, who joins us from Crossfit, and crushed the workout. YHC takes it under advisement that Flush is not to be played in Poker.

The mumblechatter started strong, but died quickly in the curb crawl. The Q generally takes that as a sign that something was working correctly.

A much shorter drive this morning to The AO with PAX members and FNG’s getting a sit rep from DTH regarding the myth and legend of F3 RVA. Virgin Q at this AO for YHC and a smile to go with, 14 gentlemen posted to The Forge and what an AO to work with!! 0530.. time to mosey.

Down the hill to the back parking lot next to HHS for COP: x 10 Don Quixote’s, x 30 SSH, x 20 Copperhead Squats, x 20 Flutter Kicks, X 20 LBC’s, x 20 Freddie Mercuries, x 20 Imperial Walkers. Time to move!

With the track off limits, legally, modified Merkin Mile called. Run out to the 5th light pole approx 400 m and back. 12 Merkins after each out and back and repeat x 4. Mosey to wall near tennis courts.

Triple Check- partner up x 3. Exercise 1-run backwards up the ramp to stadium entrance, run forwards back. Exercise 2-Chicken Peckers. Exercise 3-Merkins. WWII’s while waiting for PAX to finish.

Mosey back up the hill to the Flag.

Number-ama, Name-r-ama, Announcements: Field Day May 11, Dogpile. See your nano regions captain for uniform attire. With several new PAX members and FNG’s this am, YHC took a few minutes to explain the Q-COP, workout, COT, and F3RVA.org.

YHC took us out!

Naked Mole Skin: AO assessed yesterday afternoon and man, lots of ways to get crushed here. Hills aplenty and only 1/4 of the AO was assessed. This AO will have minimum mumblechatter once the workout starts.

Dr. Tryhard, respect and congrats for EHing so many new PAX members. Awesome work and yes, the AO has an appropriate name!!

To those new PAX members YHC met this morning-welcome to F3 RVA and keep posting. Yes, there is pain involved but it gets so much easier and the 2nd F is truly a blessing! Obvious you men already have the 3rd F! Sea-Doo (originally Kamikaze) YHC changed your name after talking with DTH and Tobit and you were gone-welcome. Same to Rocket and The Chaplain! YHC has never named 2 FNG’s before so 3 is super and made my day!!

Lumbergh, way to push through triple check with just two of us. YHC sees your work!

Tobit, Handshake, Sugar Sock, Don Draper-way to support a new AO! Your leadership and effort are commended!

Keep posting and put in the effort!

Only those who post understand.

Loud and Proud,

Flatline