Cigarettes and Cliffsides

Cigarettes and Cliffsides

I’ve spent the last 20 minutes trying to figure out how to get 9 names into that silly “Tags” box so they can get their full credit on here. My creativity might be a little spent by now. But hey, the ‘blast is the 3rd most important part* of Qing the #Horsey, so here goes nothing:

What were you doing at 4:30 this morning?

Here’s what the 9 Horsey Pax, plus some imitators, were up to:

Snots: Straight-razor shaving his head to reduce any possibility of drag, so he could smoke us all on the uphills (spoiler: it worked)

Titan: Stretching out his injured coccyx in preparation for his first real run since the #campandjog event in June

Horsehead: Pull-ups on the home gym to get the muscles flexed in case @Chester was out in the sunlight

The Mouth: Picking out the reddest red shirt he had so he wouldn’t get lost while moseying around Blue Ridge on his own

Egypt: Last-minute changes to his “Map My Run” route to maximize @Chester sighting potential

SS Minnow: Already dressed, ate, had coffee and motoring down I-485 in his big-daddy pickup so he could post at a workout more than 15 miles from his home just because a teammate said it would be a good idea

Federalist: Talking. A lot. To anyone in his house who would listen.

Turkey Leg: Practicing the phrase “You know, nobody really even knows what a consent order is”

Mr. Brady: Expertly applying nipple tape to protect during a shirtless run

Stone Cold: Helping Mr. Brady (without gloves)

Two of those are true, and the rest are figments of Egypt’s imagination. If you chose SS Minnow and Mr. Brady, you’re the big winner. Minnow is already the BRR Team Captain of the Year for trekking all the way from Harrisburg (that’s somewhere outside of Charlotte, but we don’t really know where) for an 0515 workout. He even got there early and did a pre-drive of the potential course. Of course, he is 63, so he goes to bed at 7:30 and gets up at 3 a.m., but still, it’s impressive.

And even though Brady and Stone Cold didn’t do the Horsey workout, they showed up on the course at various points and then hung around during COT long enough to get a #nippletape mention here. You gotta see it to appreciate it (or not).

What we did (as if you’re still reading)

• Warm up run to the flagpole
• Big loop, down Mountainview, to the end of the high part of Old Bell (past yucca – to the actual old bell at the end of the cul-de-sac), back out and to the right, past Chester’s, to the end of Wilby, back up and to the Flagpole
• Repeat, in reverse
• Group run to bottom of Wilby, right on Sardis, and right on Dovershire Road. Loop around Cliffside and Chadmore, and back out and to Wilby
• Up Wilby, left at Chester’s, all the way back around to the flagpole. Add in a little until the 6 is in.
• Pledge, and speed mosey back. 6.64 miles on YHC’s watch; lead dog Snots got around 7

More Moleskin

So, about @Chester. Snots and Minnow, both virgins to the #Horsey, were anxious to see him and I think got their wish while it was still mostly dark. YHC made the mistake of looking over on the way back when the sunlight was out, and it wasn’t good. I will never do that again. Some things you just can’t unsee.

More cigarettes. After COT, some dude in a white CR-V came screaming into the parking lot in between 2 Pax’s cars that had their reverse lights on, as if he was late for his 5-mile run on the greenway. 5 minutes later, after he finished his smoke while standing alone in front of his ride, he got back in and drove away. Not sure where “smoke a cig in a nondescript greenway parking lot with some random dudes in it at 6:15 a.m.” fits into most people’s daily schedules, but it ain’t on mine. At least he was fully clothed.

T-claps to everyone who powered through that humid mess today. Especially Minnow for making such an effort to get there, Snots for leading the way, and Horsehead for, well, for being Horsehead. @Fishwrap, we still miss you and want you back.

Until next time.

(*) Most important part is just showing up. Second most important part is the Pledge at 0608. Third is the ‘blast. Fourth is not losing anyone at the intersection of Wilby and Mountainview. If you’ve been there, you know what I mean.