- When:10/23/2018
- QIC: Chelms aka Tater Tot
- Pax: Alf, Astro, Chelms, Duct Work, Full House, Gummy, Iron Sides, Lorax, Purple Haze, Rachel, rosie, Turkey Leg
Copyright Infringement – Alpha Stallion
Somehow, the Fast Twitch site Q got the “brilliant” idea to ask YHC to Q the hardest workout in Area 51 – he may get fired this week. Not sure if site Q asking me to lead or me accepting was the dumber decision although likely me as the site Q figured it would be a taper week with me on Q (or maybe not). The site Q hasn’t seen me because I generally don’t do running workouts anymore (although I am huge fan of Ragnar now). I generally now hang out at best mid-way during boot camp and in the way back for running portions. I even tried to switch with Swiper, who had the Hawks Next Q, but he wouldn’t take the bait (or help an old man out).
So, Monday night and I am asking myself how I can lead this crew when I can’t see most of them during the workout. I remembered a Spooky John post from last year about “Leading from Behind” and knew I had the answer. Here is an excerpt from his back blast
[“Leading from behind” was a thing a few years back, right? Something out of Harvard Business School so it MUST be legit. That’s right, now I remember. Just a quick call up to Foggy Bottom and I should be set.
Me: Hello, I need Mike (1)
Operator: Who?
Me: Rex! You know, the SECRETARY!
Operator: Sorry sir, he is a little busy right now. You have heard there are a few things going on right now right?
Me: Uh… yes, but this is important. I need to learn to Lead from Behind and I hear you are the guys to teach me.
Operator: Sorry sir, that is SO last administration. These days its all about MAGA!!!
Me: Hmmm… MAGA doesn’t really fit with my theme ma’am.
Operator: Well, how about America First?
Me: Well — -not really. These guys I work out with are all about being third or something like that.
Operator: THIRD!!!??? Our boss calls third the second loser.
Me: Yeah, well I don’t think he would quite get it. So, no more “Lead from Behind” experts up there anymore???
Operator: No.
Me: Alright, I’ll try elsewhere. Thanks for the effort and good luck with the world and all that.]
(1) Updated from original post to reflect current office holder, who replaced Rex Tillerson
Herds of horses (yes HORSES, what could be better?) are lead by an Alpha Stallion. And guess what? He leads them FROM BEHIND. Oh yeah. That works. The Alpha Stallion might even bite a beta horse or two just to keep them in line. No biting but I did nudge a few guys to run faster. Seriously look this up and feel free to call me Alpha Stallion from now on.
Oh, and we ran 6-8.5 miles (Rosie said he ran 8.5) doing a merkin/burpee ladder on Raintree with merkins at each intersection X4 (first intersection = 4, 2nd intersection = 8, etc) and burpees of round X 1 (1 burpee after round 1, 2 after round 2, etc). Rosie and a few others got close to 6 in while the rest finished at least 5. Strong work. Alf was disappointed because only an Ethiopian marathon runner could have finished all 8 legs in one hour but I say set the bar high and see what you are capable of – might surprise yourself.
Rosie out front all morning but he should be at 19 (I am almost 3 times his age – damn). Ironsides kept me company in the back while Full House tripped on a toy a few weeks ago at Fast Twitch and was nursing a sore knee. Alf will be nursing a bruised ego all day since no one finished all 8 rounds but everyone pushed hard and got in at least 6 miles. Surprisingly, Haze was not grumpy this morning and Gummy didn’t complain much (or I was too far back to hear them is more likely). Strong work by all 12 (even Gummy).
All will be good with the world if I can just get my wife to call me the Alpha Stallion.
PS – Hopefully, Spooky Jon (the original Alpha Stallion) will not read this and sue for royalties. This is my 2nd Q in a three day stretch of Q’s so creativity is hard to come by. Post at Anvil tomorrow for completion of my tri-fecta, especially if you don’t want to run a lot tomorrow.
Chelms aka Tatertot author
The suck of climbing that hill to Providence Road over and over was overshadowed only by the dread of the long run to Windbluff and climb back from the clubhouse to 4 Mile Creek. Also, we normally stop at the 4-way after the climb so my spirit was broken by having to press on through. Solid plan Alpha Stallion!
Really thought Rosie would make it to Smokerise.
Also, where is Purell?
Chelms’ pace out of the gate was faster than anything he did the rest of the way. The jokes were too easy. Solid plan out there though – the fast guys got to get after it and those of us in the back were still in the same neighborhood. Ironsides said it best – at least he didn’t find himself alone in Beverly Crest at 5:55 this week. Hat tip to Ductwork for pushing and pulling me the whole time – the run back from the creek (twice) was awful. Haze is right – having to keep going once you hit that stop sign is demoralizing.
Update to a question I posed a few weeks ago – Full House’s nickname is based on his last name, Olsen. Solid.
Was good to make my first Fast Twitch Post since BRR. It’s still hard and it seems everyone just gets faster and faster. The crew at Hawk’s Nest where I have been hanging out is scared of the high mileage. And maybe getting lost in Beverly Crest with 20 minutes left. I think by now I have run 1,000 miles on Raintree Lane… and I haven’t like any of them.
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