Epic.
ep·ic adjective \ˈe-pik\
a: telling a story about a hero or about exciting events or adventures
b: extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope
Runstopper is right; this is gonna be epic!
The Thang:
Candlewyck has once again answered the EH by agreeing to host Area 51’s 2nd Annual pool party (some folks never learn), and the conditions look perfect.
Saturday, June 14, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
COP:
Hard Commits (HCs) are needed by the Pax asap – not later than Monday, June 9! Click here to HC.
Cost is only $10 per family.
Each family is to bring a dish, according to last name:
BYOB – no bottles or glass, please!
A few large coolers with ice would be nice for shared use, so please bring one if you can.
Bring cornhole & other games if you have ’em.
Bring Shovel Flags!
Also, please comment below if you can help with post-party clean up!
COT
Moleskin:
TBW (To Be Written, as we know it’ll be…epic)
I’m sure I’ve forgotten to list something you need to know, so sound off in the comments. Aye!
13 hearty Area 51 pax posted on this gorgeous morning for another installment of Ascent moderation, curious as to what the Q had in store. Here is what they experienced:
The Thang
Lap around the 1/8 mi track with butt kickers and high knees thrown in, then mosey to the open field for
COP:
Mosey to the Playground
Playground 10 –> 1
Decreasing sets of 10 to 1, planking between each set to keep pax together
Plank-o-rama
Lunge walk halfway to Concession stand, mosey the remainder
Concession Stand 10 –> 2
Decreasing sets by 2’s from 10 to 2
Mosey back to field
Field Work & Mary
Mosey to school building
Time’s up
COT
Announcements:
Young Life Mud Run – Sept 20 – promise of more mud this year!
F3 Golf – May 29 – signup briefly extended
F3 Pool Party – June 14, 6-9 pm – Candlewyck Pool – check your email for an evite – $10 per pax for entire family
KB Clinic – 1st session today (awesome). 2 more sessions, Saturday’s, The Rock, 6:00-6:45. Learning clinic for KB use, not a workout. More info on website.
Moleskin:
Well, YHC got his wires crossed last week with Runstopper over who would fill in for an ailing Passport. Runstopper tweeted out first, so YHC was left with a weinke and no where to go. Luckily (unluckily?) for the pax, Gummy got called up to the big leagues (The Rock) today, so YHC was able to fill in today and put the weinke to good use. (Full disclosure: YHC tried out the workout on Low Tide, and he hated it. Probably not enough running. #whippersnapper)
Today’s workout focused mostly on strength and core, two essential elements that we probably don’t spend enough time on. Plus, YHC is still trying to nurse his Achilles back to good health, so running was to be avoided. (Jump squats may not have been the best idea either…) The pax seemed to embrace the weinke in large part, with the occasional mumblechatter that is the hallmark of a good workout.
Great job by all today. Remington Steele was crushing just his 3rd F3 workout, as was his 17-yr old 2.0, Squid (#triplehate). Great partnering on the pullups – they’re hard for everyone, which is why we work them most every week at Ascent. Also, t-claps for pushing yourselves but being smart about modifying as needed throughout the workout.
So, the comment of the day belonged to Jackie Chan (2.0, 10). We’re sitting a coffeteria, talking about basketball, which JC loves, and Passport offers that he and Strange Brew played basketball in high school. When JC asks who Strange Brew is, and SB is pointed out, JC replies, “who, the guy with the crazy hair?” Once recomposed, it was decided that SB’s lockes may be worthy of a Pantene commercial or, at least, merit a rename to Rapunzel!
Thanks as always for the opportunity to lead. It’s an honor.
HT
The Thang:
COP
15 each: SSH, slow merkins, IW, slow squat
Mosey to field sideline for 11s – merkins near side, squats far side
Circle up and on your 6 for Ring around the Mary – pax calls Mary and bear crawls or lunge walks around circle until back to his spot while rest of pax does exercise OYO count (except Scissorhands calling protractor; well played, brother).
Mosey “anti-clockwise” (as Bulldog would say) around school to playground.
Ladder mini-Murph: 1 pull-up, 2 merkins, 3 squats, 2/4/6, 3/6/9, 4/8/12, 5/10/15, and back down
Indian run: Rea, Summerlin, Abbotswood, Windyrush, Foxworth, OP. Pax-called exercise at each street sign. Burpies, Merkins, Peter Parker, 6 (or 8) count Manmaker, and several others YHC can’t recall
Circle up on field for some Jack Webb (up to 7 and back down)
Two minutes left: Rosalita IC
One minute left: LBC OYO
Time!
Mosey back to parking for COT. Great sendoff by Monkey Joe.
Moleskin:
T-claps to Pele for pushing through the pain of an injured foot. Heard some mumble chatter about Runstopper with Jack Webb, but not much else . . . well, except when Scissorhands called for burpies at first traffic sign along the indian run. So much for my unspoken goal of a burpie-free workout. We made sure he was not in the lead position at any of the rest of our stops. Nice Q-jack in the last 2 minutes by Geraldo: declined to provide Q-requested 10 count, and instead called for more Mary.
T-claps to High Tide for helping me both before and during workout. (Beginner mistake/senior moment: I forgot to put on my watch and realized it too far from the house to swing a U-ee and still get to OP on time. HT was timekeeper. Any complaints about too long/short need to be directed to him.)
This was my first Q, only one year and one week after joining F3 Nation (#laggard). Definitely an honor and a challenge. I hope the intensity was sufficient to push, but moderate enough not to discourage.
Announcements:
New moderate-intensity workout at Matthews Elementary launching Thursday, May 1. Geraldo and Slimfast are site Qs. Look for details in upcoming pre-blast.
If you haven’t, sign up for F3 Golf. (#beatadeadhorse)
(posted by High Tide on behalf of Swiss Miss)
10 of Area 51’s finest assembled on the grounds of Olde Providence Elementary for one of the least moderate workouts that Ascent has to offer. Quarterly, we assess our progress by running a CrossFit benchmark workout called Cindy. She lasts 20 minutes exactly, so we find ways to occupy ourselves for the other 40 minutes. Here’s how we kept busy…
The Thang
Mosey to the tiny ballfield on the far right, just to give the usual field a rest, and circle up
COP (in cadence)
Mosey to the playground while YHC cues the music (playlist of mostly 90’s dance)
Cindy
Rinse & Repeat for 20 minutes (Keeping track of your number of completed sets, which you’ll use to benchmark against past & future efforts)
Mosey back to the little field to catch our breath with some Mary
Mary (Q’ed by 2.0 Low Tide)
KB work
Rested up and with abs sufficiently tightened, grab your KB and partner up with someone having a like sized KB, while YHC switches playlists to 80’s rock
Flapjack
Rinse & Repeat until each partner has completed 5 sets of each
Without partners, complete the complex with the declining number of reps each time, 10, then 8, then 6, …
Now buff and a little tired, we turn it back over to Low Tide (triple hate) to bring us home with
Time
COT
Announcements
New moderate workout on Thursdays will be beginning very soon, with Slim Fast and Geraldo as site Q’s. Location is TBD.
Strong closing from Byron.
Moleskin
Strong work out there today by the entire pax, including FNG Drop Thrill (Wes Connell). Our quarterly Cindy workout is the hardest, least moderate workout we do at Ascent. It is easily modifiable, and it also provides us with a tremendous benchmark opportunity to see the progress we’re making in both strength and endurance. So, that’s why we do it, despite the intensity. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment and motivation for continuing your work when you see a new PR or continue to perform at levels that previously were unattainable. T-claps, guys.
Some good mumble chatter and 2nd F out there today. It began when YHC called for a mosey to the COP area while the pax were carrying their KB’s (and YHC had already prepositioned his KB’s #smarterthanIlook); continued with strong encouragement and comments during Cindy; Low Tide caught some T-hate with his Mary Q, which he loves; and YHC continued to promise and then be questioned about when the workout was going to be easier (having promised a relaxing KB workout after Mary – how can you relaxingly swing iron??). Good times.
At the end of it, it seemed everyone had a good benchmark, had a good workout, had fun, and hopefully will have some mild, satisfying soreness tomorrow – the hallmark of a good workout.
A special welcome to FNG Drop Thrill, who had been EH’d by Byron & BLC for sometime before posting today. Really glad you joined us today, and look forward to seeing you at future workouts.
Thanks, as always, for the opportunity to lead.
First part of tomorrow’s workout (4/5) will be our quarterly baseline – Cindy.
Second half – we’ll throw around some iron, so please bring your KB (kettlebell). Bring an extra one if you have it.
Aye
16 pax – fully stretched & disclosed – took on Hydra in the balmy gloom. (ah, how I miss the cool, crisp mornings already…but I digress)
The Thang
COP
Number off and form groups of 4
Four Corners
Complete 2 sets at each station, return to transition area for 5 burpees, and rotate clockwise to the next station.
As all groups were completing a full circuit, Runstopper led the pax through some Plank-o-rama.
Then the call to Rinse & Repeat (crowd pleaser)
Most groups completed 2 more stations before time was called for Mary, and again Runstopper occupied us with some elbow planking (foreshadowing)
Mary
Time
COT
Announcements
New 3rd F began yesterday at Morrison Cafeteria – Wednesdays at Noon.
Another 3rd F is beginning in May in Ballantyne – Iron Horse on Q
Moleskin
Good 2nd F out there today. Lots of mumble chatter, comments/coveting of YHC’s socks (crowd favorite)(#getyourown), etc. Shock of the day was before we began and the pax learned that YHC was not a professional trainer. #disclosure Good reminder of why this is way more fun than #sadclowning at the Fern.
The number of pax made for perfect 4-man “teams” to attact the Four Corners today, and that was an unexpected but enjoyable addition. Hopefully that provided some supplemental Mud Run training, most groups were starting and finishing together. Lot of strong effort out there today.
The workout plan today was designed to be simple, with counts & stations, and focus on strength, selecting exercises that involved more effort than stamina and incorporating most muscle groups. YHC commented to his team that he must have been feeling especially strong when the Weinke was cast, as the 2nd sets were generally tough. The CDDs and Situps were not too bad, but most everything else tied for worst, IMHO.
Thanks for the opportunity to lead today.
And, thanks to Skywalker for closing us out today.
(posted by High Tide on behalf of Gummy)
11 men gathered in the OP parking lot in search of a moderate Saturday morning workout. Here is what they found:
Mosey to front field for warmup
Sideline to Sideline
Mosey to school wall for alternating people’s chair and BTW (plank alternative)
Mosey to church across the street to find the rock pile, everyone select a rock and circle up again
Partner up
Indian run to the hill in the neighborhood.
Mary – LBCs, Flutter, Dolly
Triple Triples (moderate version of Triple Nickels)
Run up hill, 5 squat jumps at the top, run down the hill, 5 merkins at the bottom, repeat 3 times
Mosey through woods to back field for partner work
Mosey back to the parking lot
5 burpees OYO
Done
Moleskin:
The only thing missing from the Olde Providence AO has been a nice rockpile. I’ve been surveying the area on the way to HT for weeks and finally found a nice pile of rocks in the church parking lot across the street. We made good use of the rocks and got some running in – all moderate, of course. Kotters to Crab Cake who is back from the DL (ankle). It didn’t look like he lost anything during his time off. Welcome to FNG Room Service – nice work out there this morning.
Announcements:
Still looking for one more for BRR team – contact Baracus.
New 3rd F starting April 2 in Southpark – Hops, Semi Gloss and Splinter on Q.
New moderate working starting soon on Thursdays. Slim Fast and Geraldo are site Qs.
8 pax assembled on the Olde Providence premises to claim the promise of low reps. Here is what they found:
The Thang:
COP:
Suitably warm and limber, mosey to the playground
Playground – 10 rounds, reps counting down from 10 to 1
Lunge walk to concession stand for refreshments
Concession Stand – 10 rounds, reps counting down from 10 to 1
7 burpee broad jumps on the field while moseying to the woods
Mosey through the woods to the Hyrdra Hill
Hill – 3 trips up and back – declining reps of 15-10-5
Mosey back to field for plank-o-rama
Plank-o-rama
Jack Webb – 5/20 & 6/24 only
Time
Mosey back to parking lot
COT
Moleskin:
Great work by all today. YHC kept the reps low and upped the intensity to provide us with a little bodyweight-strength training to go along with our metabolic conditioning. We were pushing the moderate boundary at times, but we modified as necessary to keep it manageable (barely).
Many of the pax were distracted today by YHC’s running socks, and not because we were running that much either. They are quite fine and do seem to be helping with the Achilles issues, so there’s that. Sierra Trading Post has them reasonably, thereby curing you of the greenish-hue you were sporting today.
Kotters to Low Tide, who emerged today from his Winter hibernation. Thankfully, as a new member of the Randolph Middle School track team, he was conditioned well enough to hang with the pax today. Regrettably, YHC did not plan for LT to lead the pax in Mary with his favorite exercise, the Protractor (crowd pleaser). Fear not, YHC has a Q or two in the near future.
YHC believes he overheard that Kotters were also due to Mater today, who may have also taken a few weeks or months off, presumably to winterize his garage of fine automobiles. (Low Tide took a shine to the ‘vette today…)
Thanks, guys, for the opportunity to lead today and for playing along with my foolishness and attire. Looking forward to working you all into the Ascent Q rotation. You proved again today that you’re more than capable!
17 pax post for a Beast of a workout today, and YHC was celebrating his 1 yr with F3. Here’s what I’ve learned:
The Thang
COP:
(Passport substi-Q-tion)
(the High Tide rolls in)
Mosey to Track:
The Beast:
Run from endline to endline line (120 yrds), stopping every 20 yrds (6 stations) for 6 reps of called exercise. Recover at far end until next called exercise (6 total).
Mosey to baseball fields for Circuit:
Mosey to outfield
Mary:
Climb the hill to the parking lot. Resist the temptation to do 11’s on the hill. Check.
COT
Moleskin:
After looking forward to his 1st F3 anniversary and Q’ing to celebrate it, little did YHC expect that he’d be LIFO to his own Q. Thanks to the warmup by Passport and the japing (thanks for the vocab word, TR. what is this week’s word?) support of the pax, the workout was saved.
YHC always forgets how time consuming the Beast can be. Much was audibled and left on the Weinke undone. Rest assured, it will be used at a future workout near you.
Missing pax – YHC’s recording cut off during our name-o-rama, so we’re missing 2 pax + FNG Peg’s civilian name. Sound off and be counted in the comments. Aye!
Thanks, as always, for the opportunity to lead. It’s an honor. And, thanks for celebrating a year of F3 with me. I hope you are getting as much out of it as I am. Aye!
9 pax ignore the threat of precipitation, eager to see what Hopper has in store for his virgin Q, with a High Tide chaser. Here’s how it played out:
The Thang:
Hopper on Q
COP:
Mosey to Baseball Field to “Run the Bases”:
Mosey to Concession Stand for 7’s:
Mosey to Playground & partner up:
Handoff to High Tide
Mosey to the football field for The Beast:
Mosey to the front field
Mary
COT
Announcements:
Ascent has open Q’s the next 2 weeks, 3/8 & 3/15. Passport is tentative on 3/8. Let High Tide know if you’re interested.
High Tide has a USMC Mud Run spot that he needs to relinquish. Let him know if you’re interested.
Moleskin:
Great work by all the pax today, and a special shout out to Hopper, making his inaugural Q. If you hadn’t known it was his first, you sure couldn’t tell it; he performed like a veteran. Well done! Looking forward to adding you to the Ascent rotation!
To start off the workout, we had some competition for the LIFO award. Relo pulls in while we’re on our 2nd lap of the track. Mumblechatter ensues about who might pull in later to take the LIFO award from him. His successor arrives while we’re in the COP, FNG Haystack (see below).
FNG Haystack is the latest to join our merry band from the office of: Strange Brew, Passport, Run Stopper, Weeblo, & IPA. Haystack was telling us about himself, and nothing was really jumping out at us. He was wearing a bright orange sweatshirt and shoes, so we settled on Citrus. As we were departing, he realized he’d lost his keys, somewhere on the wide open fields of Olde Providence! Playground? Baseball field? Football field? Front field? A search party ensued, and his keys were found on the football field. As YHC was jogging home (yes, YHC ran into and from the workout today – first time ever) and was reflecting on the size of the AO and trying to find a small set of keys, it really seemed like a “needle in a haystack” moment. So, YHC decided to exercise his Q-powers and rename Citrus as Haystack. Like Tumbler, Stump Hugger, Premie, and many others, events of your first workout often provide the best naming material.