Monthly Archive December 2018

The Great Pyramid

Posted on Behalf of Polly –

16 Pax joined YHC for my Virgin Q at no better venue but the final SWIFT of 2018.

The Thing

  • 5:15- With a parking lot filled with 15 PAX in various states of readiness varying from the pre-runners with steam floating off their heads to the shivering cold crew rolling out of bed and into the lot.  The group headed out on a warm up mile across the road and down Rushmore into the Bull Ring
  • 5:25- Light stretching ensued under the usual program minus the skipping variations due to time saving needs as well as YHC’s inability to B skip or is that A skip; either way the skip with a kick feels awkward at best so it was removed from the warmup.
  • 5:30- The excitement that had been built from 5:15 up to this point quickly faded in the eyes of every PAX as they learned what the next 45 minutes had in store. 5K target pace distance intervals came as no surprise to the group but the duration came as a bit of a shock. 800M/1200M/1600M/1200M/800M/400M Pyramid with 200M floats between intervals and if time allowed some 100M sprints to work on leg turnover speed.
  • All steps of the Pyramid were climbed and the group had time to complete 2 100(FT)M sprints, the distance is under official review by Bratwurst, and one 400M back the other way towards the Vine happened under Thin Mints direction for extra credit. Or maybe to make up for the time he lost leaving the group mid-run, but I digress.

Moleskin

  • A great effort was put in by the entire group despite the look on everyone’s face when they heard the duration of the intervals. Everyone seemed to lock into a target time and tried to maintain that speed during each of the various intervals
  • Thin Mint blew past Bratwurst and YHC like we were standing still in an effort to find a place to drop the kids off. Luckily no storm drains were impacted on my Q.
  • YHC learned that its easier to just follow the internal roads around the ring that divide the space up into sections vs programing everything into Garmin ahead of time and having it go off consistently at different locations then everyone else is starting and stopping the intervals.
  • Gumbo must have decided running the opposite direction around the ring would make the intervals shorter.
  • Bushwood felt inspired this morning to branch out past Rea rd and made it to his Virgin Swift
  • Thanks for the Q Udder/Citgo, YHC will look forward to more opportunities in 2019.

Announcments

  • No Swift next week or the following, next date is 1/8/2019

 – Posted on Behalf of Polly –

The Seventh Annual Skunk Who Stole Christmas

14 pax came together to give Skunk Works a send off for 2018.  Just like the original, this years version of the Skunk Who Stole Christmas fell on 12/18… so consequently the next two Tuesdays are Christmas and New Years.   And just like the first time we went through TRs holiday creation (now tradition), the same three words can be used to describe it… “stink…stank… stunk!”

After some debate about the best location to perform this workout, we settled in and got going.  You have to maximize your time with this beast being difficult to get through.

Warm-up jog to the rock and back.  A quick explanation of how this works just like the song… each ascending day, do all of the exercises of the preceding days…with the exception of the burpee modification to help with time.

DAY 1      1 dozen burpees (count down by one each day)

DAY 2     2 Turkish Get Ups (1 ea side)

DAY 3     3 snatches (ea side)

DAY 4     4 renegade rows (ea side)

DAY 5     5 lunges (ea side)

DAY 6     6 shoulder presses (ea side)

DAY 7     7 clean & squat

DAY 8     8 Louganis

DAY 9     9 Russian twists (ea side)

DAY 10   10 1-handed swings (ea side)

DAY 11   11 Single Leg Romanian dead lift (ea side)

DAY 12   12 Two Handed Clean & Press

The Moleskin

To paraphrase Cousin’ Eddie… this workout “just keeps on givin’”.  A wire to wire suckfest every time.  But if nothing else, you know what you’re gonna get.

Stone Cold recommended we move the event to the parking lot from the grass field.  TGUs are much less comfortable on asphalt, but we were dry.  People spoke…Q listened.  

Not too many complaints about the Christmas playlist this morning.  Lois enjoyed the Christmas metal, Yeti and Smokey got their hands slapped for trying to take control.  Funky Cold enjoyed the Charlie Brown Christmas theme music.  Mr. Brady (I think) did his best imitation of Porky Pig singing along with Elvis’ Blue Christmas.  We closed it down, appropriately, with the Grinch.  

Chin Music kindly reminded me at time.  Many of us were so close to finishing…just wanted to push and try to finish.  Believe most got halfway through Day 12.  Nice work!

Thanks for the opportunity to lead today!  

Announcements:

  • Continued prayers for Huggie Bear post surgery to remove a brain tumor last Tuesday
  • Skunk Works will be closed for Christmas and New Years
  • Reach out to Funky Cold if you want to get on the Q list next year.
  • Joust will converge with Kevlar this Friday.
  • Memorial run for Gremlin at UNCC – Jan.19th


MNF Effect

COP

Merkins x 10 IC

Mtn climbers x 10 IC

LS Squat x 20 IC

10 HR burpees OYO

The Thang

Lacrosse Field:

Bear crawl across field; backwards run back

Partner up: Partner 1 run across and back; Partner 2: Called exercise (AMRAP)

Round 1: CDDs x 2 rounds

Round 2: Freddie Mercurys x 2 rounds

Round 3: Diamond merkins x 2 rounds

Round 4: plank hold x 2 rounds

Covered shelter tables:

Partner 1: run down to baseball bleachers; Partner 2: Called exercise (AMRAP)

Round 1: jump up into squats x 2 rounds

Round 2: Dips x 2 rounds

Track: Latin 400 (called exercise at each corner x 4)

Lap 1: 10 HR burpees

Lap 2: 20 merkins

Lap 3: LBCs

Lap 4: Flutters (DNF – time expired)

Mosey back to launch:

Recap:

The Panthers hangover was well played out amongst the Pax today. Numbers reflected that downtrodden Pax were unwilling to get out of bed.  Despite that 13 true men of valor got the H up and did hard work.  Job well done.

BEST>>CLOWN>>>CAR>>>>EVER

A bunch gathered to begin a work out, then out of no where comes this clown sound (literally),,,then you could see this tiny car with 4 grown (I use this word loosely) men with ten gallon hats on with the top down on this mini coop convertible.  Best clown clown car entrance ever, just as the clock struck 5:30.  I was so impressed I forgot the disclaimer and we started off on a mosey.

Warm up: 30SSH, 30 MC,  10 staggered Merkins Left then Right.  Mosey to the ht.

The Thang: Stolen from ICE (shopping for Pain): variations at each store front back to the start for mary.  R1- 5 Staggered Merkins.  R2- 5 Jump Squats. R3- 5 Merkin Shredders.  R4-3 burpees every other R5- I forgot.  Mosey across the street.  30 Dips IC, mosey around 10 more staggered merkins. Mosey back to Pets smart with quick stop for 10 Merkin shredders oyo.  

Finish the morning with group of 4 running worm burners around the parking lot with teams chasing the pushers with 5 merkins, 10 jump squats and 15 Lbc’s as they chase the plate (Sorry I didn’t explain it all that well) next time you are doing the exercise, catch the team member pushing the plate, if he is done take over, if not start the next exercise.  Mosey back to the beginning with some quick protractor and game.

Moleskin:  As usual Good fella led the pax on shopping of paid an led the mary on the return.  Solid push from Deadwood, Money ball and Bottlecap.  I saw solid effort from Leagalized and Posse as they pushed through the Merkin shredder. Although Shake took off early he still killed it with a 3 mile pre run.  Dough Boy brought it on the plate return with me, I was gassed he was not breathing.  Rudi was not going to let the plate get the best of him and give it 110. Good to see Gator Cub and Mad,  haven’t seen them in a while and got to see some new faces.   All and all great morning, great work by all,  clown car was a laugh! ASS Crack, Boytana, Lazy Boy and One star niner are too fun. 

https://share.icloud.com/photos/08ar0klkZW9QFzqUFRCVyajSQ#Wesley_Chapel,_NCSee 

Announcements- 

Keep huggie bear in your thoughts and prayers-

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080845aeab2da3fa7-support

[signupgenius.com]

Gifts that keep on giving

Showed up early to locate some rocks and found none, nada, zero, zilch. Back to the launch to meet up with today’s crew. The fishing hole got repd online but didn’t bring the record pax. No worries. No new guys. No disclaimer. No excuses. No running… meh maybe a little.

COP – IC x 10 – SSH, IW, LSS, CDD, Peter Parker, Parker Peter

Run to rock pile at library next to practice field and pick a lifting rock to get cozy with.

Line up abreast. Lunge/Thruster (lunge walk right then left leg and thruster) = 1. Down about 20 yards and back. Move to guy on your lefts rock. Repeato until you get back to your original rock.

7’s – 7 of each thing = 21 reps x 3 sets – ascending burpees each set. 1, 2, 3

  • Curl (lower half curl, upper half curl, full range curl)
  • Tris on bench (extensions out past head, skull crushers to forehead, close grip press)
  • Thruster (squat, press, full thruster)

Line up abreast again. Squat lateral walk – walk left with rock out front. walk back to right. Width of parking lot. ~10 yards. Move to guy on your lefts rock. Rock overhead this time. Repeato until you get back to your original rock alternating out front hold and overhead hold.

Mary IC x 10 w/rock – There were flutters w/press, American hammers, LBC, a round of slow merkins and one other.

return rocks and run back to launch. 

Last item with about 3 mins to go. Merkin challenge to failure. 1 merkin, jump hands to diamond merkin, 1 diamond, jump hands to wide arm Merkin, 1 wide arm, back to normal. next set is 2 each, and 3 and 4… go to 5 if you can. when you can’t jump hands, walk them in and out. when u tap out, go to elbow plank.

5 days later moleskin – I named this for obvious reasons. There was stink and stank and stunk. No thanks to YHC and Frehelys. All were silenced during the rotating rock lunge thrusters and side walk rock. Leg day does it every time. Merkin challenge at the end helped the pax to finish with a bang. 

No announcements. Marco on the take out. 

Privileged as always to lead. 

DMZ – Prime

Same day delivery on your backblast, faster than Amazon at Christmas. 

The backblast is becoming a thing of the past, sadly.  Truthfully, that’s the best part of Q’ing.  Or leading anything, really…telling its story.

It was colder than expected this morning.  Think everyone would agree with that.  Go to bed anticipating low 40s, and it’s mid 30s.  It’s little things like this that bother us.  Heck, it’s been those kinds of little things (cold, rain, or a bad night of sleep) that’s kept YHC from posting lately.  And it’s become noticeable.  Fortunately, having a Q on the calendar forces the issue.

At 0530 + a few seconds for Film Fest to mosey over (while watching in vain for a late arrival or two running in from FXE #lando), a group of 17 launched into the chilly gloom for today’s edition of DMZ.

Slower than normal start, moseying down Camilla, hanging a left onto Thornridge and a right onto Broad Hollow.  Mtn Climber warm up at the bottom before a true Jacob’s Ladder.  Plank for the six, then LBCs x 25 IC.

Mosey up Broad Hollow, left on Kimblewyck, left on Hartmill, right onto Sharon View, right onto Rock Creek.

Stop at the yellow fire hydrant, which we deemed the “top” to partner up. Also realized at this point that we were missing Upchuck (MIA).  Cold Cuts rescue mission failed.

 P1 – runs to the bottom for 10 jump lunges (each side) and backward run to the top.
P2 – 15 merkins, then squats until partner returns.  Repeato.

Hill was longer going up than down, which could be attributed to the backward running uphill.  Upchuck didn’t find us.  More Mary before beginning the mosey back up Sharonview, turning left onto Hartmill…when Upchuck reappears.  Lunges to allow him to re-join the group, then mosey back to Broad Hollow.  More LBCs (51 – crowd pleaser).

Jacob’s Ladder #symmetry, with most getting to 6ish before an Omaha to return to base.  Timing would’ve worked perfectly as we arrived at 0614, leaving a minute for more Mary.  Fin.

Not a ton of mumble chatter today, or YHC wasn’t listening.  One Eye, Cold Cuts, and Hammer led the way.  Hammer seemed way out front on the final Jacob’s ladder.  Total mileage of just under 3.  Almost an F3Naps morning.  Chappy was a little premature on the audible call.  SemiGloss wore a Benjamin Moore toboggan #odd.  Bunch of regulars missing and still 17 strong.  Started with 17 and ended with 17 – so despite another close call, still no drops.  Key is safely stashed under the mat, Aquafresh.  Thanks!

Twelve Strong for the Huggie Bear Challenge!

Warm Up  with a Mosey to the lower lot and around the Island (waiting for McGee to catch up).  COP SSH5 Burpees, Mosey across field to check wet status–X 4 with called exercise(IW, Merkins, Burpees) then COP for Peter Parker/Parker Peter and a few more burpees.

Mosey to upper lot by the Track for partnership work.  Called Exercise and run laps  150 Merkins, 250 Squats, while being accosted by some helicopter parents setting up for a school event.

Then we moved to the monkey bars for a segment of 10 Pull Ups, Standing Broad jumps, Lunge Walks, 5 burpees and 20 dips X 3.

Finally, 3 minutes of Mary and recover.

Prayers for Huggy Bear and a complete recovery!

O’Tannenbaum

Bags of Fun

Despite WUC’s other two AO’s running as scheduled, 9 men made the smart decision to venture to Wesley Chapel’s finest shopping center to start off their week right. There may or may not have been a proper disclaimer provided judging by the strange looks I got.

THANG: run around Chick Fil A and Dunkin’, narrowly get run over by the one car in the lot, to the back of the Target lot. Warm up consisted of, all IC, MC x15, Peter Parker x15, Plank Jack x15, plank, elbow plank, merkins x15

To other side of lot-Every third tree, 5 jump squats to the end (total 45). Back to beginning, same thing, yet 3 burpees instead of jump squats (27). Plank work, Mahktar NDiayes x15 IC

Mosey to Brooklyn Pizza-each pick up a sandbag and back to Target parking lot. With sandbag, run to 1st line, 10 shoulder presses, leave bag, run back to start, then grab bag and run to 2nd line, 10 shoulder presses, run back to start, etc-did this for 7 lines (70 presses). Then Jump squats x20 IC

Next- at each line, 5 squats with sandbags (35 total), back to start. Then Sandbag squats x 15 IC

Next -with sandbag, at each line, 8 bent over rows, leave bag, back one line, then grab and go to next line, repeat entire way (56 total). Then Merkins x 15 IC

Next-sandbag burpees, 2 at each line (14), bring bags back to start. Then 2 laps of mosey/sprint until time.

    

MOLESKIN:Great group of guys as always. Many I haven’t ever met or seen in a while. Sandbags were tough, especially since the one I had weighed what seemed like half my body weight. Always good to get out of the comfort zone and try something different(for me at least). Because the Wesley Chapel Target is the least crowded in all the area, it makes sense that they have the biggest parking lot. Somehow just running back and forth in the lot we got in almost 3 miles.

Goodfella, as usual, smoked everyone when it came to burpees. Got the onslaught of short jokes from the PAX during that time as well.

Short Circuit-heard it was his third time out and despite my disclaimer issues, had the innate ability to modify as necessary

Smokey- super fast, up at the front all day, despite back issues. Nice work.

Chastain-showed up at some point during the workout. Not sure when but jumped right in to work hard.

Ackbar-Almost didn’t make it due to lack of sleep from the Star Wars marathon on TV all weekend. Glad you did.

Deadwood was completely silent the entire workout.         Just kidding, he talked nonstop.

Banjo didn’t want me to be the only one so he came to make sure that Briarcrest was represented.  Following through on our Briarcrestian reputation, he gave it his all with no complaining to be heard.

Demascus-Found out that he does not know how to read a weather report. Thought it was 59 degrees when he arrived. No gloves, shorts, shirt. Very Recalculating of him.

Thanks again for the opportunity to lead

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Bible study-Wesley Chapel Brooklyn Pizza, Monday at 7:30pm

Legacy Sports-looking for leaders to help

DO NOT go in there

So this morning was like most, as the Q, I ended up cutting it a little close showing up in the nick of time as I was delayed by some “office work.” The “office”  ended up getting quite the work out itself this morning but I will come back to that later.

WARM UP:  quick circle around the lot, 20 SSH, 20 MC and 10 of the new Merkin Shredder!  ( hand release merkin with shoulder taps a the top)  Full extension and full retraction (no short arm merkins allowed with this move)

The thing:  Mosey to the entrance of Lawson,  5 merkin shredders at each light for the first ten.  Ten staggered merkins for the last 4.

The Main Thing:  11, 10, 9 etc pull ups at my garage rotating with variations of KB’s at the bottom of the cul de sac. 2 groups rotating a run up the hill.  This took till 606 so it was a brisk 1.5 miles home with Doc leading the way

Moleskin:  F.  During our visit to my house one of the pax had to use the office as well.  So after I brutalized the office this morning…It got nothing but worse from there.   During his visit, the printer was struggling and had a  paper jam, no tools in hand so the only option was to leave the printer jammed up.  I came back to an hostel M that was not happy that the printer was jammed up, my 2.0 even jumped in and added to the frustration . All of that and he was working with limited stationary.  It was tough morning for him,  that said,  I took all the heat and felt it was best to keep the M in the dark that the office was rented out to someone else this morning and that the paper jam was not caused by me. (PAX will remain nameless to protect the guilty)

The end result is everyone put in solid effort and we all were able to incorporate some muscles that we don’t typically get to work in f3.   Fun morning got almost 4.7 Miles in, Nice job gents!

The Widow Maker

5 brave men joined me for a cold wet workout this morning.  I have started venturing out to other AO’s to post as well as Q and I’m glad I did, this is a good site.  Yesterday I rode by the site and did some recon and found some good hills through a quiet neighborhood that would make for some good running.  Little did I know the local pax already had a name for one of the nasty hills… The Widow Maker.

The Thang:

Disclaimer given: General had to change shoes since I assured him and the Pax we would stay on the pavement. 

  • 2 slow laps around parking lot
  • 50 SSH IC
  • 10 Merkins

Lets Mosey – Headed across the street to the quiet neighborhood.  Approx 2 miles total

  • Top of every hill 5 merkins
  • Bottom of every hill 5 squats

On the way back I called a squat/merkin ladder Triple Nickel on the widow maker, it was not fun. 

Back to the school and head to bus parking lot

  • 5 burpees at first building
  • Lunge walk to next
  • 5 more burpees
  • bear crawl to last building
  • Merkin Suicides from start of lot to the start of the baseball field.  Atlas said, “we are running that far, do we really need merkins too?” why yes, yes we do and increase by 1 each time. Our last suicide we were at 10 merkins total and around 4.5miles in.  I promised 5+ miles and we had about 8 mins left, no problem!

Run back to baseball at top of bus parking lot. 

  • 20 Monkey Humpers (I dont even like typing that) at left field
  • 30 speed skaters (each leg) center field
  • 30 Monkey Humpers right field.

Start mosey back – 5 mins to go…

  • First light pole 1 burpee, second pole 2 burpees, third pole 1 burpee, back to 2 burpees……

One min…jail break back – Count off! 5.12 miles

Everyone pushed hard, stayed together and still managed to talk a bit.  Thanks to the General for the opportunity to lead. 

No announcements.