Monthly Archive July 2017

Why Did the Chicken Cross Hwy 51?

We opened with a disclaimer in the darkness of the CC parking lot. At 5:30 sharp  25 PAX jogged up to Olde Town Village Center.

Warm-Up (with some D+ cadence from the VQ…definitely a work in progress)

  • Side Straddle Hops x 20
  • Imperial Walkers x 20
  • Windmill x 20
  • Carolina Dry Dock x 15
  • Cotton Pickers x 15

We then made the trek across 51 to Carmel Commons

Speed Bumps 

  • Stop at each speed bump (approx. 7) around the shopping center and complete an exercise x 4, each followed with Mary waiting on the six
    • 1st round – Merkins x 10 at each speed bump
    • 2nd round – Mountain Climbers x 10 per speed bump
    • 3rd round – Carolina Dry Docks x 10 per speed bump
    • 4th round – Mountain Climbers x 10 per speed bump

We then jogged behind the shopping center to tackle the hill

Hill Work

  • Began with 6 jump squats on side A of the hill and 1 hand release burpee on side B, alternating until finishing with 6 HR burpees on side B. I know there is a name for this, but it is escaping me at the moment.

We then moseyed around the shopping center, successfully crossed over 51, and met up for Mary at the launch spot

Mary

  • We went around the circle with the PAX leading various Mary exercises and finished up with a minute plank

Moleskin

  • Great job today by the PAX. I appreciate you guys being a part of my VQ, I’ll work on the cadence for homework.
  • Thanks to Shoe for the nice prayer to take us out.

Announcements

  • The Brave and Centurion are converging next week at Charlotte Catholic – start time 5:15

 

Dulverton Drive

Posted on behalf of Queen

 

6 fine esteemed gentlemen showed up at Hydra on a mild but humid morning. After a brief disclaimer, we started it up.

 

SSH X 25

IW X 20

Low Slow Squat X 10

Mountain Climbers X 10

 

Mosey over to the playground.

P1 runs to the dugout while P2 does Merkins, flapjack until 100 merkins

P1 runds to the dugout while P2 does pull-ups, flapjack until 50 pull-ups

 

Mosey to the big tree with benches surrounding it.

20 step ups, 15 dips. Flapjack

 

Mosey to the Windyrush/Rae Rd corner.

Run down Windyrush to Foxworth, 10 Carolina Dry Docks at each street lamp on the left side (5 lamps)

 

Stop at Foxworth for Mary

Partner back up for plank situps (15 situps per partner)

Rosalita X 16

Freddie Mercury X 14

 

Jog up Foxworth and take a left on Bedfordshire. Stop at the corner of Bedfordshire and Dulverton Dr. There was a port a-potty on that corner, but I looked back and realized Semi-Gloss wasn’t part of the PAX (I was thinking of you brother).

10 merkins, run down Dulverton, 10 merkins, run up Dulverton, 10 merkins run down Dulverton, 10 merkins run up Dulverton, 10 merkins. Plank up at the end.

 

Mosey over to the Matt Ham’s house on Dulverton

5 burpees in his driveway. (taking a page out of Chico’s book)

 

Mosey back down Foxworth and through the woods to the football field.

Run 100 yards

Run 100 yards back, AYG

 

Mosey back to the start

Done

 

Moleskin

For those of you that hate the Foxworth hill, I figured Dulverton would be a nice change of pace. A quarter of a mile straight up. The downhill wasn’t bad. Going back up was rough (think Summerlin, maybe worse). Sleepy seemed to handle the Dulverton hill with ease. Nice to see Fireman Ed, been a while, glad you made it out. Floor Slapper (Mr. 5:32) actually showed up a few min early, caught me off guard. A lot of you know Matt Ham from Windyrush or Hope. He can probably squat around 700 pounds, but he’s always been too scared to post. I figured we’d take the workout to him. So I texted him a pic of guys doing burpees in his driveway at 6:00 AM.

 

Announcements

Flutie Flakes said that F3 New Hampshire is going strong. If anyone’s ever in the area, he said they have a wonderful Saturday morning workout. Thanks for Jet Fuel for taking us out.

Organic Waterade® +

One short of a dozen brave souls ended up taking on the hills and thrills of Ballantyne this morning, the main event started at 5:15am, but the story starts an hour before….

Eyes Wide Shut

After a night filled with dreams of waking up late and missing the workout, the morning presented itself at 4:10, a full 20 minutes before the usual “pre-run” alarm. These alarm-less wake-ups are both curse and blessing: cursed because they withdraw precious minutes from the sleep bank, blessed because the the chance of arousing the M out of her slumber are reduced, especially blessed this morning because it gave YHC time to add some ice to the Yeti and stop at the office for some cups to serve the Organic Waterade + (recipe below).

Sara, Plain and Small

After a pit-stop at the office, dropping off the ride (and the cooler) at the launch, getting an awkward “We’re not running with you” wave from Outback and Madamme T, it was time to run over to the Sara’s YMCA to find Joe Schmo. If you haven’t been to the Sara’s Y, it comes highly recommended by Tuck, YHC and several others as a great place to compliment your F3 regimen with some weight, grip, and other training that requires cool gear. Also, a great place to EH folks. YHC EHed one of the employees this morning, TBD if he shows.

The American Kitchen

The small pre-run was a meager mile or two and ended at the Vine. The crew was rounded up, a disclaimer given, and we began, kind of.. Joe Schmo stopped off to pull a Mario/Transporter in the bushes behind the Vine at 5:14, and at 5:15 a gray F-150 pulled up with Uber inside. This was Uber‘s second F3 post ever, his first was in February or March. (at that rate, we won’t see him again until Christmas). In response to all this last minute PAX chicanery the whole crew ran 2 laps around the Vine parking lot until everyone was ready.

Setting the Oven to Keep Warm

Only a short distance away is a well lit parking lot across from Duckworth’s. We circled up and performed the following exercises:

  • 20 Side Straddle Hop
  • 10 Low Slow Merkin
  • 10 Phelps Merkins
  • 20 Low Slow Squat

The Curious Case of Benjamin Nevis

We kept warm after the warm up and ran West on Ballantyne Commons to the base of the Ben Nevis hill, stopping occasionally for planks and phelps merkins. The instructions were given:

Run at your 1/2 mile pace up the hill to where the neighborhood entrance directly after the Gateway daycare is. Upon arrival perform rounds of 10 jump lunges, and 10 merkins until the last man arrives and gets 2 rounds of the lunges and merkins in.

Early arrivers to the top included: Joe Schmo, Doc, General, Fire Hazard, Frasier (probably others as well).

Driving Hard in the Valley of the Spring

The crew moseyed into the neighborhood to the cul-de-sac at the bottom Valley Spring Dr., various plank / merkin at the base of the hill as we ensured the 6 was in. Vally Spring Dr has two side roads on the right hand side (on the way up) that split the road roughly into thirds. The instructions were given:

  • Run forwards hard to the first side road.
  • Run backwards hard to the second side road.
  • Run forwards hard to where the road hits the main neighborhood road.
  • At the top perform rounds of: 10 jump lunges, 10 merkins

Top performers included: Haggis, Joe Schmo, General, Doc, Frasier, Firehazard

Hunting for Doves

From the top we scurried back down the hill, but hung a left down Dove Hunt Pl, and through the the cul-de-sac and to the neighborhood playground. Instructions were given to partner up:

  • Partner A: 10 pull-ups (good form)
  • Partner B: Flutters until Partner A is done.
  • Repeat the above for 3 rounds, flutters until last pair is in (which was several flutters)

After each completing those 30 good looking pull-ups, the group moseyed over to the base of the Dove Hunt Pl hill. Instructions were given:

  • Run forwards hard to the second car on right.
  • Run backwards hard to where Dove Hunt hits Valley Spring.
  • Run forwards hard to where the road hits the main neighborhood road.
  • At the top: various planks.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

We scooted out of the hood and across Ballantyne Commons to the opposite side of the road to stride it out down the Nevis hill. The focus here was on building good controlled speed on the downhill. We gathered the PAX at each cross road and performed 20, 15 and 10 merkins OYO. We eventually made our way to the entrance of the Ballantyne Village shopping/dining area, and took a few strides of walking recovery before the next segment of the workout.

Ready….Go

Into the BV Parking Deck we went, to the basement floor. Instructions were given to sprint up the westward ramps, and walking recovery up the eastward ramps, we gathered all the PAX for before each sprint. There were three in total, PAX were encouraged to give 110% effort on the sprints to earn the walking recovery. There were a total of 3 sprints, the winners were: Argonaut, General, Haggis on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd sprint, respectively. Quality efforts from everyone on those.

Coasting

From the top of the BV deck, we took in the sunset sights for 3/10ths of a second, enjoyed the breeze, then headed back down the deck ramps, and back to launch for a total of ~ 5 miles. Those who arrived first were greeted with some heavenly ounces of Organic Waterade +, a 2.0 version of the famed recovery drink popularized by Firehazard at the Hurricane Mud Run Ragnar Trail Race last year. Plain water for the others when the ‘Ade was gone. There’s nothing that water is that Waterade isn’t.

Shutting it Down

Good run from all this morning. Folks ran hard and rotated duties staying with the 6 (T-claps to Fire Hazard, Haggis, Frasier and others YHC didn’t see). The hope today was to give the folks training for hilly races a chance to work on some hill speed while keeping the less run focused engaged by frequently re-grouping to pound out some calisthenics. Good luck to all the Spartan racers this weekend. Bring back the bling.


Organic Waterade +
  • Ingredients
  • 1 gallon, Clean Cold Water
  • 1% of 1 teaspoon, Organic Banana-Orange Fruit Juice
  • Instructions
  • Mix and serve in a recycled paper cup.

Rope-A-Dope @ Fight Club

I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion’.” – Muhammad Ali

Its started out slow for Fight Club as we pondered over many, bumps, bruises and breaks…but when that bell rang at 5:30am all of that was left on the pavement.  A big loop around Foxhole and some necessary shoulder stretches and we got things moving!

Warm Up – Partner Up

200 J/C

100 Hooks

200 U-Cuts

After the heart rate continued to climb and the shoulders were warm, we moseyed to the back of the school yard for a little manly sparring.

4 – 3:00min RD – Close contact sparring, stay within the white box or do burppees

30 Sec LBC’s in between RD’s

Mosey back to the front of the school for a little rope-a-dope.

20 Yard rope drill – all uppercuts

Sprint to the center line for in and outs

5 mercks

Sprint to the center line for in and outs

1 Burpee and back on the rope

Ended the day with 10 merks 10 LBC – 9 mercks, 9 LBC…so on

Really great morning with these guys, I encourage more members to come check out Fight Club each week is getting tougher and tougher!

 

Drippy Running

18 PAX at Devils Turn this morning for some hills and dripping sweat.

The Thang:

After an adequate disclaimer, the week we continued with the theme of hill, hills, and more hills… the route today took us to 5 Knolls: Down Rea Rd, left at 5 Knolls road, and then as many repeato loops as needed to satisfy that running itch before heading back for COT.

Moleskin:

IT IS HOT… IT IS HUMID… WE BE SWEATING

Only 3 at the early miles option this morning for a 5a pre-run (Hairball – emerging from a baby coma, Depth Charge – the faithful pre-runner, and YHC – wanting some miles).

The rest of the PAX launched from the parking lot at 5:15, with at least 1 experiencing the joy of 5 Knolls for the first time today (Thanks for joining the crew today Shock and Awe).   Today, the group maintained a semblance of an actual warm up until reaching 51 (Turkey leg must have been off his game). After negotiating the red lights, everyone settled into their normal pace groups.  The run at 5 Knolls can be deceiving as it lulls you into a comfortable pace early on and then hits you with a steep hill just before the u-turn — as Wild Turkey aptly noted from his last experience of smoking the legs on the first loop… a lesson learned which made his run today a much better experience.  JRR Tolkien should take some notes here.  YHC still feeling the damage from Swift earlier this week, took on a “moderate” pace for today.  Others, clearly feeling recovered from their respective workouts this week, took on a whole different approach and gave their best impressions of Olympic athletes.

Thanks to Das Boot for taking us out today at COT.

 

Announcements:  Several BRR teams looking for drivers.  If you’re not running the BRR, please consider helping your fellow PAX out with your driving skills.

Old Site Q Returns

19 PAX, no FNGs, decided to climb #F3Peak51 on this hot and humid morning for their DownPAINment and once properly disclaimed, we got down to work.

The Thang:

Mosey around the church parking log and circle up in the lower parking lot for COP.

COP:

  • SSH x 20
  • Merkins x 10
  • IW x 20
  • Low Slow Squats x 15

Partner up, Partner 1 runs  a lap around the parking lot while Partner 2 does called exercise, flapjack. 3 rounds, Flutter Kicks, Carolina Dry Docks, and LBCs.

Mosey  to the track, staying with you partner, run in opposite directions, when you meet up, 10 hand slap merkins, and continue until you meet again, 10 hand slap merkins. Plank for the six, then repeato.

Head over to the hill behind the baseball field for Jacob’s ladder, 1 merkin at the bottom, 6 squats at the top.

YHC noticed we still had some time left, so let’s circle up for our dear old friend Jack Webb, up to five and back down.

Mary:

  • Flutter x 15
  • Rosalita x 15
  • LBCs x 15
  • Heels to Heaven x 15

Moleskinny:

  • Great work by the PAX today, the Peak 51 regulars never disappoint, always put in the effort and plenty of 2nd F to go around.
  • I might be biased as a former Site Q but Peak 51 is an awesome AO. We can cover  a bit of ground while not leaving the AO, we covered 1.8 miles per Slimfast’s GPS as YHC’s watch stopped in the middle of the workout.
  • Slimfast not only did the pre-run with YHC, Nomad, and Benny, but he he pre-ran the pre-run. #RunningMachine
  • Benny’s put some serious mileage in this week posting at Horsey McHorseArse, Fast Twitch, Donut Run, and pre-running today, great job.
  • Shake N’ Bake was  a leading the way on the partner loops around the parking lot #LarryBird.
  • Nice to meet Elizabeth today, who’s been back from injury and training for a 5K in September.
  • Jack Webb always brings a smile to the faces of the PAX, you’re welcome.
  • Thanks to Slimfast for taking us out.
  • Thanks to Sensei and Lois for the opportunity to lead, it was an honor and please sound off with any #mumblechatter.

Announcements:

  • Team SPEARHEAD Red, Light, & Blue GORUCK evnet benefitting the Charlotte Bridge Home August 19th, registration information here:  http://executionengines.com/gettingitdone/red-light-blue006-registration/
  • BRR team needs drivers, see Slimfast.
  • SPEED FOR NEED Isabel Santos run Saturday 9/30. Double down with Stonehenge and run the 5K.  Two racing chairs running that day, Fire Hazard and Buckeye are leading it for SOB.

Old School Bootcamp

Due to credential issues I (Drano) am posting Snoopy’s written out BB. Copy and Paste…

The Thang:

Disclaimer Given

Mosey around the parking lot and down to track. SSH X 30, IMPERIAL WALKER X20, ½ LAP AROUND THE TRACK, THEN MERKENS X 10, ½ LAP AROUND TRACK, PARKER PETERS X 10. We then mosey to the concession stand where the morning’s breakfast menu was posted as follows: JUMP SQUATS X 10, IMPERIAL WALKERS X 20, PETER PARKERS X 15, MONKEY HUMPERS X 20, BERPIES X 10, FREDDY MERCURY X 20, NC DRY DOCKS X 15, FLUTTER KICKS X 20, DIAMOND MERKENS X 15, LBC X 20, MERKENS X 15, SSH X 20. In between each we ran from concession stand down 3 flights of stairs to the bleachers and back up. We moseyed over to the parking lot where we did: LEG LIFTS X 20, DOLLY X 15, ROSALITA X 15 AND PLANK 6 INCHES FOR 60 SECONDS. Grand Finale… 5 BURPIES

MOLESKIN:

To my surprise, Fireman Ed had also been booked to Q for today. It’s a good problem to have. Great to see Cocktail come out to his first Basecamp. Only my second Q so I screwed up the cadence a few times but no one seemed to mind. Great effort by all.

The Fat Boy Speed/Strength Course Recap: July Edition

The Fat Boy Overview

  • An obstacle course containing a variety of pulls, carries and other movements focused on testing speed, strength and to a lesser degree, endurance
  • Takes place one Wednesday a month at the Fat Camp AO (Elon Park Elementary) 515-615, during the months of July – August
  • Course remains the same each month with the goal of improving your time over the course of the 3 month period
  • Times will be recorded each month and posted and top times regardless of the month ran will be eligible for the awards below
  • Places 1 – 3 for the respective weight classes; Jr Mac Weight Class (199lbs and below), Grand Mac Weight Class (200lbs+) will be awarded:
    • 1st Place: Golden Brick Trophy
    • 2nd Place: Silver Brick Trophy
    • 3rd Place: Bronze Brick Trophy

Intro

Well the weather decided to cooperate with us on the July running of the Fat Boy Speed/Strength course, although 530 seemed much darker vs. the weeks in July. The gear round-up however was a last minute fire drill but all the stations were set and the Fat Boy read to crank for it’s 2nd running. 13 PAX assembled for a brief warm-up and walk-through of the course where all questions, whether stupid or valid, could be answered. Feeling primed up, Argonaut was the 1st to sprint off into the Abyss and we were off:

The Thang

  1. 10 Deadlifts (35lb plates)
  2. 100yd Sprint
  3. Sandbag pull-thru’s (down), Sandbag carry (back)
  4. Sled over-hand/under-hand pull (down), backpedal drag (back)
  5. Fireman’s Carry (45lb plate x2) down & back
  6. Agility Ladder w/Dumbell Merkins (25lb x2)
  7. Box Jump (up & over) x10
  8. Mosey to Parking Lot for 30yd Hairburner (45lb plate)
  9. 100yd Sprint to Freedom (Finish)

13 PAX thru, times and weight recorded, legs blasted and onto COT

Moleskin/Results

Solid group this morning for the July Edition of the Fat Boy. As always, I appreciate your support and participation as we put this on to help push each of you and have some fun while keeping the competitive juices flowing. Several 1st timers thru the course included Heartbreaker, Strawberry, Peppermint, Birdcage, Sauerkraut, Erector and JRR Tolkien who all put up some solid times in their 1st run thru. Similar to the June group, there was plenty of talk afterwards about technique and things that everyone could do differently to shave off some time for the next go around in August #nomorerookiecard

From the June group, tclaps to Dark Helmet, Fire Hazard and Argonaut from improving on their June times (-14 sec, -23sec and -9sec respectively). Bounty Hunter is saving his best for August now that his travel/vacation/fartsacking schedule has slowed down. Fallout’s been training night and day for triathlons, biking and swimming more miles than I drive to work in a week but will be throwing some weighted backpedaling into his training regimen for an August redemption.

Top 3 Thru July x Weight Class

Jr. Mac (199lbs & below)

  1. General – 5:50 (and no my timer Peppermint is not $100 richer and I did not skip an obstacle…or 2)
  2. JRR Tolkien – 6:24
  3. Fire Hazard – 6:39

Grand Mac (200+)

  1. Peppermint – 7:25
  2. Bounty Hunter – 7:32 (June)
  3. Dark Helmet

August is Championship month and the Brick Trophies will be doled out. Hope to see you all out again on Wed, August 23rd to chase down that man in front of you on the leaderboard and go after the best time that you laid down today or last month. For all of you animals hiding out waiting for the final month to come take on the Fat Boy, August is your last chance to do so, so make it happen.

Over & Out

-General

Rice in the crack

7 men who know the value of a good beatdown posted  at Gumby anyway for some of the physical and aural stretching YHC brought.   After suggesting towels and rope, and noticing some rice in the cracks of the concrete next to my mat, we got things going.  Here’s the official version of what went down:

On your 6 (Hero Pose) and focus on breathing to open with the Devo:  Five Things Forgiveness Is Not
BY RICK WARREN — JULY 11, 2017
“Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do” (1 Corinthians 13:5b CEV).

Shift to Tabletop and stretch here with Cat/Cow/sidebends.

Following poses for a few breaths each:

  • Plank
  • Cobra
  • Down Dog
  • Forward Fold

Then back through poses until Down Dog and 3-legged Dog – Right side, followed by Low Lunge, and twist.

Repeato Left.

Repeato sequence Right/Left.  Adding Crescent Lunge at the end this time.

Back through Sun Salute to Mountain.  Then on your 6 for Dead Pigeon.

Knees to chest to massage lower back, then rock and roll up to catchers pose for ankle/toe/groin stretching.

Plank to Warrior 1, 2 and Peaceful Warrior on right. Then Side Angle, try to open chest each exhale.

Repeato Left.

Back to 6 and straight leg w/rope to stretch hips: 10 R/L with Right leg.  Repeato Left leg.

Savasana/end.

 

Announcements:

Next week, if Playoffs is still AWOL, we’ll have round-robin of stretching: each Pax leading his favorite (or most hated) stretch.  YHC will bring the Devo.

Mark your calendars for next anti-Gumby: Kinetic Field Trip, Friday August 11.  Join Slack “Kinetic-Trips” channel for details.

 

Moleskin:

Kudos to Lois (fellow J-schooler) for the catchy title.  The scouts must have been doing some merit badge that involved rice, because there was a lot of it in the expansion cracks of the concrete floor.  I noticed it and blurted out, “There’s rice in the crack.”  (some things are better left unspoken)

Kudos also to Fireman Ed, for not only sporting the long sleeves but also inspiring me to run through the low lunge w/twist a second time.  I needed it.  Hope y’all felt the same.

Apologies to the Pax for my brain fart when I started the music.  I said “Rick Warren” when I meant “Warren Haynes.”  I corrected it later, but I think the confusion had already set up like concrete.  Anyway, for the record: Ravi Shankar is to the sitar what Warren Haynes is to the guitar.

Thanks for the privilege of leading, gents.

Swiss Miss

Intensity

We opened with a long jog across the strip maul from the cinema to the far side of Target.

Warm-Up
Side Straddle Hops x 10
Mountain Climbers x 10
Imperial Walkers x 10
Mountain Climbers, right hand up x 10
Low, slow squat x 10
Mountain Climbers, left hand up x 10

Route 66
Run the alley behind Target stopping at each speed bump for burpees. Starting with one and adding one until you finish at 66.

Fountains, HIIT 1 – Legs
45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest
Jump squats
Romanian deadlifts
Front lunges
Side lunges

Front of Pearlz, HIIT 2 – Arms
45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest
Carolina Dry Docks
‘Mericans
Thrusters
Curb dips

After a lengthy mosey back to the cinema we resumed the our high-intensity intervals
45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest
HIIT 3 – Core
LBCs
Toe-tap crunch
Chippy cross
Elbow plank

Hill Work
Partner up, run the hill behind the cinema. After each descent, perform 10 hand-slap ‘Mericans. Repeat five times.

Maulskine
When I first started F3, my only goal was to survive. Next, I decided to focus on form and completing full number of called exercises. (No one likes the guy who only does 8 of 10 called burpees just to run to the front of the pack.) My current focus is intensity. High intensity interval training is a the perfect way to jack up the heart rate and push yourself. I’d say from the relative lack of mumble-chatter this morning that others were pushing themselves to the limit, too.

Announcements
Speed for Need

Happy Hour tonight