Visiting Hours

Visiting Hours

Downtown Matthews provides numerous scenic routes for the weekly running/bootcamp workout known as Sparta. Ironman training is on hold for a couple of weeks and YHC was on Q for the first time in what seemed like forever, so it was decided that we would visit parts of town that have yet to be explored in the early morning hours of our training runs. I was joined by the usual cast of characters, Arena, Arsenal, Horse Head, Gypsy and Thurston.

It went down a little something like this.

Give Disclaimer.

Leave Matthews Elementary and hang a right on Trade Street.  Run for your life (literally) as you cross the intersection at John & Trade, cross the railroad tracks and hang a quick left into the public parking lot beside Seaboard. Circle up for COP.

IW x 20 IC / LSD x 15 IC / Merkins x 10 IC / Mosey

Exit the public parking lot via the back entrance.  Hang a right.  Run 1 block & hang another right (don’t know the street names).  Cross Trade and mosey down Matthews-Mint Hill Rd to the Harris Teeter sign warehouse. Somewhere along the way there was a lot of grumbling about too much running at a running work out, so to silence thhe discenters, we gathered at the  entrance of the Harris Teeter sign warehouse. When the six regrouped, we headed to the bottom of the hill and YHC called our first exercise.  I called it a triple nickel — 5 burpees at the bottom of the hill, run to the top, 5 burpees & return.  Repeat 5 times.  (5/5/5)  There was immediate discussion & debate on what a triple nickel actually is, but everyone worked hard despite the mumble chatter.  Pick up the 6 and head back towards downtown with a detour onto the Novant Matthews campus.

My scouting trip at 7PM on the day before led me to believe that the access road was a good place to exercise — low traffic and plenty of options.  This was half true — there are plenty of options for pain stations.  However, between the nurse shift change and the people arriving for their outpatient colonoscopies, the service road has to be the busiest street in town at 05:45.  Not needing any day surgeries, we took our chances anyway….

Starting at the 1st light pole, perform called exercise.  Sprint to next light pole, perform called exercise.  Repeat until the end.  If the light was on your left, exercise = 10 Merkins.  If light is on the right, 10 Squats.  In total, we did approximately 100 Merkins & 100 Squats.  To return to our starting point, the called exercises were sprint intervals — sprint to light, recover to next.  Repeat until we were back at Matthews-Mint Hill Rd.

Time to mosey back to the AO, but first a quick stop back at the public parking lot for 2 sets of 20 dips on the rock wall OYO.  When done, head back to Matthews Elementary for various  stretching exercise & regroup with the guys from Peak51 for COT.

Moleskin

We covered 4.25 – 4.5 miles along the way, did 50 burpees, 100 merkins, 100 squats & 40 dips.  The initial grumbles about routes & distance were quickly replaced by heavy breathing and sweat — a perfect Sparta workout (but I may be biased).  Horse Head used his time at Sparta to advertise a Monday morning running workout — Horsey McHorseface.  I guess he was just trying to keep his mind off of the burpees.  Gypsy is a beast.  He’ll be on a BRR team before long.  In fact, Arsenal, Arena & Thurston should be on everyone’s short list for team members.   Tell them I volunteered them, just expect Arsenal to wear long pants.  I’m starting a clothing drive to provide him with some workout shorts.  Arena showed up in the M-mobile due to a fender bender caused by a distracted driver, #donttextanddrive, but despite driving the mini van, he punched his man card by killing the workout.  Thurston doesn’t say much.  Or, maybe he does, but he’s so far out in front that I can’t hear what he says.  I’m going to tie his shoes together on my next Q so I have a chance of keeping up with him.

We have a solid group of regulars and as the BRR approaches, our numbers are expected to grow.   We hope to see you at Sparta next week.  Expect a solid beat down because Gypsy is on Q.

Announcements

American 4-miler is 7/4.  It’s a SFN race.  Come support, push, race, or volunteer

Thanks for making Sparta part of your weekly F3 workouts.  It’s an honor to lead but more of an honor to call each of you friends.