Author Archive Champagne

Pre- Blast – The Inital Launch of The Brave

logoSo you are getting ready for the upcoming Spartan or Tough Mudder race and wondering where is the best place to post to get ready. Or are you looking for more running with some fun “distractions” thrown in for good measure. Or maybe you are just a glutton for punishment. Look no further – you have found your spot – The Brave – starting Friday October 10th, will launch Fridays at 5:15am for a full hour of fun. We will launch from The Vine (same location as Swift, Bagpipe, Stonehenge).

YHC will be Q this week.

Also, keep an eye out for preblasts and tweets as we will do pre-work “clinics” as well.

This week, meet at 4:55 am at The Vine and we will mosey over to the exercise trail for some rope climbing instruction lead by Madame Tussaud

See you in the Gloom

AYE!!!

Mud Anyone?

21 of Area 51s finest decided to enjoy the early fall temps and a nice helping of starfish stew in prep for next week’s mud run – the F3 Big game (since YHC can’t use the real name of that big game or the NFL will hunt YHC down and sue him)

Temps were great and the rain was mostly gone with only a slight mist making it perfect beat-down weather.

Disclaimer provided – no FNGs so it was quick and simple

Little baby jog around track

25 wide arm merkins

Little baby job around track wiht some high knees and butt kickers thrown in

25 wide arm merkins
warmed up enough

The Thang:

Starfish or maybe rename it the HYRDA at Hydra

Center Station – concession stand area – 10 jump-ups, 10 decline merkins, 10 dips

Station 1: Traverse monkey bars (this will come in handy next weekend) with 10 knees to elbows at the end. Arm walk on parallel bars with 10 dips at end.

Station 2: Bearcrawl across outfield grass to infield on the far left field (actually behind Zima’s house the beer provider for the mud run trip home), Bearcrawl or lunge walk back to fence.

Station 3: 13 double merkin burpees on the football field

Station 4: 13 jump lunges per leg – far right between the baseball fields

Station 4: 10 pull-ups at the other playground behind the school

Start at the your station, complete it, go to the center station complete it, move on clockwise to the next station and rinse and repeat until YHC called time.

Few minutes left so don’t want to forget Mary

50 x flutter in cadence

Done

NMM

Solid work out there today. Completely left in the dust by YHC’s group before making it half way thru the first cycle. Lots of Larry Birds out there today – Bushwood pushing the pace, IH and Snowflake crushing the pullups, DK putting on another bearcrawling exhibition. Everyone was pushing it today – great to see. And its a privilege and honor to lead this group and workout. Thanks for the opportunity.
Didn’t hear a lot of chatter out there today – was too busy chasing YHC’s group. If anything of interest (i.e. – funny) sound off in the comments.

Thank you Hops for the great sendoff – helps to keep us pointed in the right direction.

For those keeping score: Most if not all made it 2+ rounds thru the HYRDA – 2.5+ miles, 100+ jump ups, 100+ dips, 100+ decline merkins, 50 wide arm merkins, plus lot of other fun stuff like burpees, bearcrawls and pull-ups.

Announcment:

PAY for Mud Run Transporation – see email from Gummy – don’t make him hunt you down.

Matthews Elementary Tutoring – see preblast: http://f3nation.com/2014/09/19/calling-all-area-51-pax-matthews-elementary-needs-you/

If you are interested, please HC by this weekend. If you have any questions, please let myself or Frasier know.

Champagne Out.

Calling All Area 51 Pax – Matthews Elementary Needs You!

Area 51 F3 is partnering with Christ Covenant Church to help students at Matthews Elementary during their after school program. There is a real need for a positive influence and positive role models for many of their students. There is a particularly large need for male volunteers. They have a large number of female volunteers but are in need of more male volunteers. This is where Area 51 F3 Pax – YOU – can have a real impact. We are sending out this message for all of you who feel called to volunteer and make a difference in some child’s life by only volunteering a few hours each month. The impact will be significant.

The Details

The students, Stingers as they are called, will need to have someone who can dedicate about 30 to 45 minutes either weekly or every other week. The times we can be there is between 3:10 and 3:50 or the child’s lunch time. We are targetting Wednesdays as our days to be there.

You will need to sign up as a volunteer with CMS in order to be part of the program. The process is easy.
Just follow this link and sign up http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/cmsdepartments/cpfe/volunteers/Pages/default.aspx

There will be a training session at the school in October which will be mandatory for all volunteers (Sidekicks as we will be called).

You will be required to go either weekly or every other week, as a minimum. This is a request from the Asst. Principal – she would like to see consistency in the lives of her students.

You will assist with homework, sign off on agendas (if Parent approval has been given) and generally spend some quality time with your student.

Again this is a great way to make an impact in the lives of young people and a great way for F3 to give back to both Christ Covenant and Matthews Elementary.

As if often the case, you may get more out of this than you put into it. There is nothing like seeing the smile on a kids face after you have opened their minds to new ideas and possibilities.

You need to make a commitment by September 28th so we can give the numbers of volunteers from F3 Area 51 to the coordinator of the Sidekicks.

Below was pulled from a flier that is going out to the students/parents as well as all Sidekicks:

Stinger’s Sidekicks

Program Purpose

We know that raising a child is hard work! Unfortunately, parenthood never came with a user manual!
The purpose of Stinger’s Sidekicks is simple. Just like you, we want our students to enjoy learning while becoming successful, productive citizens within the community.
By creating new, respectful, positive and meaningful relationships with a sidekick, it is our hope that your child will have a renewed love for learning while gaining a role model and friend. It is our hope to provide another person in your child’s life to provide individual attention and support no matter how that may come.

Program Specifics

All Sidekicks will complete the CMS volunteer application process and become a registered volunteer through Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.
• All Sidekicks will assist the child with homework if and when applicable. Sidekicks are also permitted to sign off on the student’s agenda if consent by the parent has been granted.
• Sidekick will maintain responsibility for student during the allotted time in which they are assigned. Generally speaking, Sidekick time will either be during lunch/recess or after school.
• Sidekicks will meet with students in “open locations” such as the media center, gym, cafeteria, and playground. Sidekicks should not meet in locations that are secluded from groups of students/staff.
• Sidekicks are committed to the entire year of participation in the program and will work with the same student throughout the course of the year.

If you are interested, please HC in the comments below, or you can email either Champagne (bdbrigsg@gmail.com) or Frasier (skibum_trent@hotmail.com). Also please reach out to us if you have any questions.

And finally, if you have other volunteer ideas for Matthews Elementary, please let us know. We will loop in Slim Fast and Geraldo, as they are also site Qs at the workout in Matthews Elementary. Again, this provides us a great opportunity to give back to the students as well as to the school that lets us workout on their site.

Thanks Champagne and Frasier

Zero Original Thought Went Into This

With the BRR behind us, its Mud Run prep time and instead of coming up with something new, YHC just stood on the shoulders of those who came before him. And pretty much smoked himself in the process.
21 of Area 51s finest decided that the weekend would start off better running around the Centurion AO.

First had to move our cars out of the faculty parking spots – don’t want to upset the school.

Disclaimer given and we are off.

The Thang:

2nd F jog down to the greenway for a mini murph:
5 pull-ups
10 merkins
15 squats
Rinse and repeat 5 times.

Mosey/Run to Pallantine Hill
Triple Nickel:
Run up hill
5 double merkin burpees (YHC favorite weapon of choice these days)
Run down hill
5 jump squats
Rinse and repeat 5 times. – crowd pleaser

Mosey to Panera parking lot.
Run up stairs across top and down the other stair
Run to middle – 10 hand release merkins
Rinse and repeat 2

Mosey to the picnic area at Catholic
10 jump-ups
15 decline merkins
20 dips
Rinse and Repeat 3 times – another crowd pleaser

Mosey to School entrance
Bear Crawl up ramp
Frog Hop back to stairs
Rinse and Repeat x 2

Jog back to cars
Enough time for some Mary
Flutter x 50 in cadence (yes that is 100)

NMM
Lots of issues hearing today but I think most figured it out as we went.
Great work by everyone today – will see more of these types of workouts as Mud Run closes in.
This one was smoker or at least it was for YHC. Legs are slowing getting back to normal after the BRR.

Didn’t hear a ton of chatter this morning – but pretty sure I missed lots – shout out in the comments below.

Solid work on a very humid day. And welcome FNG Puff. Tell Trucker and Spread Eagle they need to come with you if they are going to EH. Glad to have you out. Keep coming – as Hops said it will get easier. It won’t get easy but it will get easier.

As always it’s a privilege and honor to get the opportunity to lead this great group of men into the gloom in the am.

Announcements:
Mud Run sign-ups do actually close this time Sept 15th.
Tutoring needs at Billingsville and AG – contact Chelms aka tator-tot
Frasier and Champagne Qing tutoring at Matthews Elementary – more to come look for a preblast

Think that is all – if something was missed – shout out in the comments

Champagne Out

Lacking in Creativity – Exceeding in Pain

running

13 of SOB’s finest denied the fartsack and threat of weather to do some stuff around the Ballantyne AO.

Disclaimer was given and off we went.

Little baby jog down to parking lot next to Lochness for COP.

SSH x 20 in cadence
IW x 15 in cadence

YHC then decided enough of COP and IW are boring anyway.

The main Thang.

Mosey to Lochness and directions were given.

First the pain stations:

First Station – first building – 25 derkins with feet on wall
Second Station – second building – 50 flutters from top of wall
Third Station – picnic tables – 15 step-ups per leg
Fourth Station – exercise trail – 10 dips
Fifth Station – execrcise trail – 10 pull ups.

Then the options (actually Frehley’s had some suggestions and helped with this)

Red Pill – Run a lap, complete station one, run another lap to station two, complete and rinse and repeat with a lap before the next pain station until time was called at 6:55.

Blue Pill – Run the first lap, then work from one pain station to the next, excluding the extra laps thrown in, and continue until time was called.

6:55 move it back to the launch point (YHC was the 6 – trying to get in one more lap)

COT.

Moleskin:

This one was a smoker. Great work by everyone. Thanks for allowing YHC to lead. This is a great AO with tons of options. This one got the pax a little spread out, so missed out on much of the mumble chatter – shout out below if anything interested happened.

There was a flyby from Honeybee, Bratwurst and Haggis – but they had places to go and people to see so no time to hangout and visit. Also Wingman pointed out to YHC what was probably the biggest moth YHC has ever seen. Luckily it was dead or it might have chased us off.

For the spread-sheeters – no matter the pill you chose, you were probaby between 3 and 5 miles today. Great work again by everyone.

There were also some beasts to did the Pre-KB – but it was too dark and YHC was doing the prerun with Fraiser and was more concerned with keeping up with him. Shout out below so you get credit.

Thanks again for the opportunity to lead this great group.

Announcements:

Mudrun signups still open – go ahead and sign up. F3 Nation already has over 600 and counting – lets show them what we can do.

Tutoring in Areaa51 – we are partnering with Christ Covenant this fall at Matthews Elementary and will be needing pax – who can help between 3:10 and 3:50 once or twice a month – looking to start Sept 16th and shooting to make Wed F3 day. They really need men to step up. They said they mainly have women who are volunteering to tutor and be buddies right now. If you are intereted and feel called, please reach out to me at bdbriggs@gmail.com

Champagne out

Double (Deck)er Fun

13 of the finest SOBs posted for a little something different south of 51. Thats Sons of Ballantyne for those wondering.

Disclaimer provided- granted lack of attention means not sure all heard it.

And we were off

The Thang:

Fellowship pace run to Metlife building

Circle up between two parking decks next to putting green
Instructions were given:

Partner up similar speed

Each will run to a parking deck taking the ramp to the top (4 stories and roughly .5 miles) back down the stairs for given number of times then meet in the middle – plank until your partner returns
And do given number of merkins in single count cadence

Round 1 – 1 cycle up ramp to the top and down the stairs, meet in the middle and do 10 merkins.

Round 2 – switch decks and run 2 cycles up deck ramp to the top and down the stairs, meet in the middke and do 20 merkins.

Round 3 – switch decks again and run 3 cycles up deck ramp to the top and down the stairs, meet in the middle and do 30 merkins.

Round 4 – switch decks again and run 4 cycles up deck ramp to the top and down the stairs, meet in the middle and do 40 merkins

If time was still remaining begin laddering back down.

At 6:52 time was called and everyone headed back to launch point at fellowship pace.

Moleskin:

YHC knew we would’nt make it all the way up the ladder and back down. Actually no one made it all the way thru the 4th round. Brisket and Younglove came close with right at nine trips up the parking decks. The point was to push as hard as you could for the entire time.

Great work by everyone today. This one was tough. YHC came up with the idea while a recon mission in the AO yesterday.
There are lots of parking decks there and YHC thought we needed to put more of them to use. There are actaully 7 decks in the AO so expect to see more of them in the future.

Thanks for the honor and privilege to lead this great group of men today. Lots of great work out there today. Everyone pushed it hard out there this am and the humidity was terrible.

Also some good 2nd F in the middle. Quote of the day from Frehley’s – “Are we doing abs? YHC – No. Frehley’s – Well I’m going to do some. I need to do abs. It will be bad if i don’t get to do abs.

Announcements:

BRR runs Thursday evening 7:30 pm Night Train and Sunday morning 6:00 am Rum Runner.

Mud Run signups still open. Time for Area 51 to step up. Lots of free agents so no need to have a complete team

That’s all I’ve got. Comment below on anything YHC missed.

Champagne out.

Stonehenge Pre-blast

There will be pain and suffering tomorrow – please be sure to bring your smoke boots.

Come ready to fly – we lauch at 6:00 am

For those wanting to get in some BRR prep – there will be a group doing a pre-run launching from The Vine at 5:30 am tomorrow – fellowship pace – estimate distance 3ish miles.

You have been warned.

See you in the gloom.

The Hydra (Starfish) Monster was at it again

18 Hearty Area 51 souls braved the 100% nice S. Charlotte humidity for another crack at the multi headed monster Hydra.

Disclaimer was given and off we went:

The Thang:
COP all in cadence
25 x SSH
20 x IW
20 x Slow Squats
15 Mtn Climbers
Mini – pusharama:
5 x slow merkins
5 x staggered right hand
5 x staggered left hand

Time for the main event:

Number off by 4.
Center of the Starfish was the concession area and 10 jump ups.
Station 1 – near the far woods – 25 x wide arm merkins
Station 2 – far left playground – 15 pull ups
Station 3 – behind the far batting cages – 25 x jump squats
Station 4 – end zone of football field – 15 x double merkin burpees
Goal was to make 3 rounds before time was called.
For those keeping score that was:
75 wide arm merkins
45 pull-ups
75 jumps squats
35 double merkins burpees (audibled to 10 after second round)
120 jump ups
2.0+ miles

Moleskin:
Solid work by everyone out there today. This one was hard and it looked like everyone was pushing it, and I think most made all three complete loops. Hydra pulls a solid crowd each week and its an honor to lead this group of men – thank you for the opportunity.
I didn’t catch much else to comment about – was too deep in the pain cave making excavations. Shout out in the comments of anything of interest.
Until next time – Champagne out.

Announcements:
Haywood Stock – see post on F3Nation site
F3 Dads – Header needs a Q this Saturday – Beatty
Mud Run registration still open – please sign up – we need to show up
Young Life Mud Run – Kid Friendly – check it out: YLMUDRUN.com
Remember Pele and all other brothers in the PAX that are suffering in your prayers.

Its a Little Humid today

25 of Area 51’s finest weren’t frightened away by YHC’s pre-blast setting the stage for The Murph, and denied the fartsack to bring it today.

And it was HUMID. Felt like YHC had taken a shower by the end.

The Thang:

Disclaimer – given early to provide time needed for the main event.

5:30 – time to get after it.

1 mile run to McAlpine Elementary, around back to the play ground.
Note: there are some strong runners in the Area51 Pax. Haze, coming off of a 3 mile pre-run and Spackler #Runner Clearly Guinness makes you faster.

100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats – broken into 10 sets of (10, 20, 30)

Then 1 mile run back to launch point.

Moleskin:

It was stupid humid this am, making this painful workout even more so.

Solid work by all pax today pushing themselves and getting better. One of the best things about the Murph, it is you against you.

Tons of Larry Birds out there today – Lobster Roll – possible rename to sneaky beast. Dude quietly rolls in and crushes it, then heads back about 15 minutes ahead of the rest of the pax. Solid work brother.

Spacker, Haze, Rock Thrill running back as if they hadn’t just completed 300 squats.

Spread Eagle and Hard Hat pushing it, even though both were self admitted non-runners. Hang with us a while brothers and F3 will change that. Iron Sharpens Iron.

Also have to call out Rock Thrill and Danielson for doing some type of facing squats in unison performance there near the end, very nice and slighly frightening.

Solid work by both Red Rocks and Billy Jean, two FNGs EH’d by Brushback – painful and solid first post brothers – keep coming out. You will get hooked, YHC promises that.

As always, its a privalege and honor to lead you men in the gloom.

Announcements:

No F3 Dads this Saturday – will resume next Saturday

Convergence at the Rock Friday for July 4th. Hops, Bull Dog, and Dora on Q. All other workouts will be converging there. Come on out and bring any and all FNGs in town for the 4th. Great way to start the day. Its also pre-work for the hotdogs and beers to be consumed later.

US Lost – BOO – but Tim Howard is a BEAST.

Thats all I’ve got. If I missed anything sound off in the comments.

Champagne out.

Pre-Blast – Anvil is doing the Murph

Michael Patrick “Murph” Murphy (May 7, 1976 – June 28, 2005) was a United States Navy SEAL officer who was awarded the U.S. military’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. He was also the first member of the U.S. Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War. His other posthumous awards included the Silver Star and Purple Heart.

Murphy was killed June 28, 2005 after exposing himself to enemy fire and knowingly leaving his position of cover to get a clear signal in order to communicate with his headquarters. He provided his unit’s location and requested immediate support for his element and then returned to his position to continue fighting until he died from his wounds.[1]

On July 4, 2005 Murphy’s remains were found by a group of American soldiers during a combat search and rescue operation and returned to the United States. Nine days later, on July 13, Murphy was buried at Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton, New York, Section 67, Grave No. 3710,[12] near his home town of Patchogue, New York.

John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

Most of us have read all of this before, but I think its always a good reminder to read and understand what a hero is. One willing to sacrafice it all for his brothers.

Tomorrow we honor “The Murph” by doing the Murph at Anvil. There will be no COP or warm up, so come stretched and ready to get after it. At 5:30 – its go time.

For those that haven’t done it before, here it is:

Run 1 mile
100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats (broken into 10 sets of 10, 20, 30)
Run 1 mile.

Aye – see you brothers in the gloom.