PAX
Madison (Q), Gypsy, Christmas, Arena, Retread, Funky Cold, Full House, Box Truck, Turkey Leg, Cage
The Thang
Disclaimer given
Leave AO & turn left onto Trade St. Follow Trade across new bridge & regroup on the other side.
YHC explained that the workout consisted of timed hill repeats until 6:05, and then we’d head back.
Run up the hill towards Squirrel Lake Park for 2 min and recover back down to the bridge. Repeat until 6:05.
The Mole Skinny
8/10 Pax were thinking “Safety First” and wore reflective gear and/or headlamps.
I’m sure somewhere on some obscure marathon training plan, it was either Hill Repeats or Timed Intervals Day. The guys who showed this AM are some of the toughest MF’ers out there. There’s nothing we can throw at them that will knock them off their game. We’ve tried The Board of Suck, tires, hill repeats, track intervals and even timed hill repeats.
We should feel honored to be the first people in all of Matthews to travel across the “new” bridge on Pleasant Plains. Just minutes after our workout ended, the barrels were moved and the “new” bridge was open to traffic.
I don’t know how many of the PAX listed above are training for Fall marathons (full or half), but they should be. They are solid, strong & fast runners, and it was an honor to lead.
No tires were injured in the making of this workout
Announcements:
Let Them Soar 5K is Oct 12. Speed for Need event. Come support the race and make a Track Commander’s day.
Contact Gypsy to Q Sparta
Thanks to Slim Fast for taking us out.
PAX: Bernanke, Woody, Hair Band, Bullwinkle, Gypsy & Christmas
That’s what she said. That quote was hear within minutes of the PAX leaving the dim warm dome light in their vehicles. I think it was because they witnessed YHC pulling the hose out of Gypsy’s truck. Various moans & groans could be heard. A witty comment or 2 was made and “That’s what she said” quickly followed. YHC signed up to Q Thrive a several weeks back and was excited to get back to one of the best bootcamp AOs in A51. YHC had no idea snow & ice would fall a few days before #Cantore, but Tuesday AM was cold & dry. Sadly, several PAX decided to fartsack and missed the fun that followed. That’s what she said. That quote was hear within minutes of the PAX leaving the dim warm dome light in their vehicles. I think it was because they witnessed YHC pulling the hose out of Gypsy’s truck. Various moans & groans could be heard. A witty comment or 2 was made and “That’s what she said” quickly followed. YHC signed up to Q Thrive a several weeks back and was excited to get back to one of the best bootcamp AOs in A51. YHC had no idea snow & ice would fall a few days before #Cantore, but Tuesday AM was cold & dry. Sadly, several PAX decided to fartsack and missed the fun that followed.
It went down like this.
Leave the parking lot and mosey down the side street to the far end. Circle up for SSH in cadence. Perform SSH until 6 joins the COP. (We did 50 IC)
Mosey down the street behind Carolina Courts to the other end. Perform Low Slow Squats until the 6 catches up. (We did 25 LSS)
Mosey down the street to the left of CC and stop at the 3rd corner for Mountain Climbers until 6 catches up. (We did 25 MC in cadence and then switched to Merkins)
Complete the 4 corners of COP by running back to the cars. Mix in a shuffle to the right & a shuffle to the left. Halt at the picnic shelter & find a partner
Mosey to side street #1 for station work (there just happened to be a 40ft firehose laying around).
Station 7 = American Hammer
Perform exercise at your station until hose gets back. Shift 1 spot to the left. Repeato until everyone has had a turn on the hose. #thatswhatshesaid
10 minutes left. Plenty of time for Dan Taylor & Jack Webb. Dan Taylor is Jack’s 2nd cousin on his mother’s side. It’s 1 full squat followed by 4 lunges. Jack Webb is 1 merkin followed by 4 air presses
Finish up with Mary – LBC x 20, Flutter x 20 in cadence
MOLESKIN
It’s been a while since the fire hose has been to Thrive. I’m sure the PAX would all like it to be a while before it makes its return. That 50+/- yards each way was a killer. Lots of chatter the night before about posting in the cold, moist temps. That’s all it was — chatter, because none of the talkers bothered to show. YHC heard at least 5-6 “That’s What She Said” references. They come all to easy when the hose is out (that’s what she said).
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Conviction needs Q’s
The opportunity to participate in a Speed For Need race is not something to take lightly. If you’ve ever been to a race that SFN is a part of, you see the joy that our riders & their families have from our efforts and willingness to finish second. Being part of a SFN event is touches the lives of so many people. If you’ve been to one, you have seen it firsthand. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity, your next chance is November 10.
The mission of The Exceptional Foundation of Charlotte is to provide a facility and programs for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to meet regularly and experience a broad range of social and recreational activities designed to promote healthy living, support social relationships, explore the arts, improve functional skills and foster community involvement. TEFC is celebrating its 2nd anniversary by hosting the 2nd annual Let Them SOAR! 5K on November 10, and you get to be a part.
Speed for Need was honored to provide racing chariots for Track Commanders Kyle and Connor last year, and we’re excited to participate in the race again this year. We’ve added additional Track Commanders this year and will be including a Ruck team to participate in the 5K. Again, we get to be a small part of a life changing experience for the TCs and their families.
You do not want to miss this opportunity to live 3rd, and to be the vessel that provides a lasting impact to people and their friends & families with disabilities. The Let Them SOAR! 5K launches from Christ Covenant Church, the AO for Skunkworks & Kevlar, and the race course takes you through the heart of Downtown Matthews. Details on the race as well as a link to register are below…you can participate by yourself, join a team, or even be a “Spirit Runner” (you get a t-shirt and don’t have to run!).
https://letthemsoar5k.racesonline.com/
YHC expected the regular group of regular attendees at Sparta this AM because it was not raining, and the screen shot of Spartan turned part-time weather man, Gypsy, showed 34% chance of rain — that’s 66% of no rain. We all thought we were in the clear, literally. Mother Nature decided otherwise & when the clock struck 05:15 this AM, YHC, Gypsy & Christmas tried to dodge rain drops as we headed out on our tour of Historic Downtown Matthews.
The Thang
There was a solid group of runners present this AM, so we threw out the Weinke and just ran. In the rain. Over downed trees, through mud, and in the rain some more. Two of us got 5.25 miles and 1 got 6.2. One got muddy, and all got soaked.
The Moist Moleskin
It was dry until 5:15. Then it started to rain, and it rained hard for about 50 minutes of our 60 minute workout. Although it was raining, most of the run went without incident. YHC intentionally avoided the 4 Mile Greenway because it was likely full of puddles. We ended up there anyway, and found a tree down on the path. There were no issues going up, over & around the mighty oak. It eventually stopped raining and headlamps were practically useless. On the trail, it was so foggy (moist) and damp that they provided little less than an amber glow in the gloom. The certainly failed to illuminate large piles of mud that were washed across the path. YHC found one the hard way, took a trip, and simulated a Pete Rose-esque type of slide though the mud. Thankfully, the mud was 2-3 inches thick, so road rash was minimal. (I was so covered that I had to hose off in the yard when I got home.) We got back to the AO to meet up with Peak 51, and it started to rain again. Hard. It sucked.
Announcements
sign up to Q Sparta. It’s fun
Christmas has his Birthday Q at Kevlar tomorrow – hope he doesn’t wear his birthday suit.
Great group of men, friends & athletes. As always, it’s an honor to lead.
The Matrix Q schedule is planned 12 months in advance, and if you’ve ever posted there, you are on the list. I was reminded at 9:30 PM (thanks Gypsy) that I was on the list for today. The news would normally have sent YHC into a panic, but a few cold brews at a neighbor’s cook out kept me from totally freaking out. It was too late to get too creative, so I decided to go with a meat & potatoes boot camp that consisted of lifting heavy things & running, & then lifting some more. I thought I had a good plan… Then the PAX showed up. The dudes that post at The Matrix are beasts. When I looked around the circle of HIMs waiting for me to give the disclaimer, I instantly had second thoughts about (what I perceived as) the lack of planning. I was just hoping to make a few of them break a sweat.
The Main Event
Disclaimer. Mosey from the cars, down & around the lower lot, back to the cars and out into the wet grass a/k/a the soccer field for COP.
SSH x 25 IC / IW x 20 IC / Hillbillies x 20 IC / Low Slow Squats x 20 IC / Partner up
Mosey to rock pile & grab a lifting rock. Mosey across wet grass a/k/a soccer field back to lower lot. The mosey call with a lifting rock was obviously a crowd pleaser because several broke their silence and expressed their (lack of) appreciation. Halt at the parking island for partner work.
P1 performs called exercise while P2 runs a lap. Relieve partner 1. Repeat
Drop the rocks & line up (with your partner) on the middle parking line facing the curb. P1 performs called exercise to curb & back while P2 planks. Flap jack
Return rocks to pile & mosey back to cars for 8 MOM
LBC x 20 IC / Dolly x 20 IC / Rosalita x 20 IC / American Hammer x 20 IC / WW II sit ups x 10 OYO
Time
Moleskin
The PAX began showing up early and kept rolling in even after we started our mosey. The guys are definite beasts, and many are training for the BRR or some other crazy event, so I was honored to lead them this AM. Lots of chatter in the morning soup known as July humidity. The constant sound of whatever nonsense comes from the likes of Alf, McGee, Prohibition, Lex Luther, Gypsy, etc. is considered some weird form of motivation. Keep up the smack talk — it builds camaraderie. The form on many went from bad to worse as the workout wore on. Guys need to pay more attention to the likes of Rachel and Squid. #strengthenyourcore The laps around the parking lot generated some friendly competition in the form of sprints. Christmas, Tulip, Drive By, Laronda & Tebow showed that they have a 2nd gear on the back stretch #sandbagging. Some, like O’Tannenbaum, Ocho Cinco, Grape Juice, Smedium, Cage, didn’t fall victim to the hype and kept digging & giving 100% the entire way. Despite the heat & humidity, no one mailed it in today. The guys came expecting to work, and by the looks of the PAX wringing out their shirts at the end, they got what they came for.
It is always an honor to lead, to be recognized by, and to be considered a friend by the gang at The Matrix.
Madison
Announcements
American 4 Miler is Wed. Bring shovel flags
Check social media for various convergences
TCLAPS to Squid for the solid take out
Downtown Matthews provides numerous scenic routes for the weekly running/bootcamp workout known as Sparta. Ironman training is on hold for a couple of weeks and YHC was on Q for the first time in what seemed like forever, so it was decided that we would visit parts of town that have yet to be explored in the early morning hours of our training runs. I was joined by the usual cast of characters, Arena, Arsenal, Horse Head, Gypsy and Thurston.
It went down a little something like this.
Give Disclaimer.
Leave Matthews Elementary and hang a right on Trade Street. Run for your life (literally) as you cross the intersection at John & Trade, cross the railroad tracks and hang a quick left into the public parking lot beside Seaboard. Circle up for COP.
IW x 20 IC / LSD x 15 IC / Merkins x 10 IC / Mosey
Exit the public parking lot via the back entrance. Hang a right. Run 1 block & hang another right (don’t know the street names). Cross Trade and mosey down Matthews-Mint Hill Rd to the Harris Teeter sign warehouse. Somewhere along the way there was a lot of grumbling about too much running at a running work out, so to silence thhe discenters, we gathered at the entrance of the Harris Teeter sign warehouse. When the six regrouped, we headed to the bottom of the hill and YHC called our first exercise. I called it a triple nickel — 5 burpees at the bottom of the hill, run to the top, 5 burpees & return. Repeat 5 times. (5/5/5) There was immediate discussion & debate on what a triple nickel actually is, but everyone worked hard despite the mumble chatter. Pick up the 6 and head back towards downtown with a detour onto the Novant Matthews campus.
My scouting trip at 7PM on the day before led me to believe that the access road was a good place to exercise — low traffic and plenty of options. This was half true — there are plenty of options for pain stations. However, between the nurse shift change and the people arriving for their outpatient colonoscopies, the service road has to be the busiest street in town at 05:45. Not needing any day surgeries, we took our chances anyway….
Starting at the 1st light pole, perform called exercise. Sprint to next light pole, perform called exercise. Repeat until the end. If the light was on your left, exercise = 10 Merkins. If light is on the right, 10 Squats. In total, we did approximately 100 Merkins & 100 Squats. To return to our starting point, the called exercises were sprint intervals — sprint to light, recover to next. Repeat until we were back at Matthews-Mint Hill Rd.
Time to mosey back to the AO, but first a quick stop back at the public parking lot for 2 sets of 20 dips on the rock wall OYO. When done, head back to Matthews Elementary for various stretching exercise & regroup with the guys from Peak51 for COT.
Moleskin
We covered 4.25 – 4.5 miles along the way, did 50 burpees, 100 merkins, 100 squats & 40 dips. The initial grumbles about routes & distance were quickly replaced by heavy breathing and sweat — a perfect Sparta workout (but I may be biased). Horse Head used his time at Sparta to advertise a Monday morning running workout — Horsey McHorseface. I guess he was just trying to keep his mind off of the burpees. Gypsy is a beast. He’ll be on a BRR team before long. In fact, Arsenal, Arena & Thurston should be on everyone’s short list for team members. Tell them I volunteered them, just expect Arsenal to wear long pants. I’m starting a clothing drive to provide him with some workout shorts. Arena showed up in the M-mobile due to a fender bender caused by a distracted driver, #donttextanddrive, but despite driving the mini van, he punched his man card by killing the workout. Thurston doesn’t say much. Or, maybe he does, but he’s so far out in front that I can’t hear what he says. I’m going to tie his shoes together on my next Q so I have a chance of keeping up with him.
We have a solid group of regulars and as the BRR approaches, our numbers are expected to grow. We hope to see you at Sparta next week. Expect a solid beat down because Gypsy is on Q.
Announcements
American 4-miler is 7/4. It’s a SFN race. Come support, push, race, or volunteer
Thanks for making Sparta part of your weekly F3 workouts. It’s an honor to lead but more of an honor to call each of you friends.
P200 training has me running more that posting at boot camps, but I took this as an opportunity to reunite with some of the best & strongest PAX in A51. The forecast called for sub freezing temps, but that’s okay – we’d warm up quickly. At 5:30, the 11 of us gathered in the parking lot for the disclaimer and took off for a warm up lap around the track, took a left out of the parking lot and down to the rock pile. Circle up for COP
SSH x 25 IC, LSS, X 20 IC, IW X 20 IC, Mtn Climbers X 20 IC
Partner up & find a lifting rock in the pile – 1 rock per team – for Rocks-anne
P1 runs down “Graveyard Rd” to the parking lot on the left and returns. P2 performs called exercise. Flapjack when P1 returns & continue the routine until the cumulative number of reps is completed.
Exercise 1 = O/H press X 200 – the PAX finished this too quickly & paid the price
Exercise 2 = Curls X 300
Exercise 3 = Bent Over Rows X 200
Mosey to courtyard between Worship Center & Lower School to meet Mary. P1 runs up the emergency exit stairs & back while P2 exercises. Flapjack when P1 returns. Rinse & repeat until total number of reps is complete.
Exercise 1 = LBC X 200
Exercise 2 = Fluter X 200
Mosey back to cars & circle up for more Mary, a/k/a Sally. Plank it up and follow the instructions in Moby’s “Flower” — Bring Sally up, Bring Sally down…… (you know the tune). We cut this a little short because I’ve always been told “if you can’t do it, don’t Q it.” We “Sally’d” for most of the tune then moved to our six for Freddie Mercury X 20 IC.
FIN
No Announcements
Moleskin
Having the opportunity to Q Kevlar on Friday was a welcome relief to logging miles for P200 training. Mother Nature spoiled us a few weeks ago with warm temps but she reminded us that it’s technically still Winter this week. The weather may have kept a few guys in the fartsack, but for the 11 that posted Friday, I’m betting they’re still feeling the workout today (Sat). I know I am…. Kevlar is a great AO with lots of options and the weinke I wrote out on Thursday took advantage of many of the opportunities it presented to us. I intended to stop by the hill for a brief stay, but we’ll have to save that for next time. The PAX crushed the first Rocks-anne set, the exercises at the rock pile, and caused me to audible to a higher number for the curls. Jumping from 200 to 300 reps led to several groans and some indistinguishable mumblechatter, but when you guys wear those tanks this Summer, you & your biceps will thank me. I think the emergency exit stairs behind the Worship Center may be the only set of stairs at an A51 AO & we put them to good use. Performing any exercise to “that Sally song” just plain sucks — especially when you do planks & merkins. Most of the PAX seemed to shift to some variations of yoga poses after the 1st chorus – think downward dog or child’s pose. As we wrapped up the workout, YHC mentioned the reminder email that Orange Whip sent the day before. This apparently reopened old wounds, and the PAX tasted the blood in the water. Proper contact info is apparently a sensitive subject at Thrive — just ask Cotton Tail — but no one seemed to matter. I think he & OW are still debating the issue as I type this BB.
Thrive is a great AO and the guys there are second to none. It’s always an honor to lead. I’m already looking forward to the next one – as long as Orange Whip emails me to remind me.
I check the weather app on my iPhone every night while riding the couch and contemplating the series of bad decisions I made during the day, most of which start with getting out of bed at 04:45 and going to do stupid things with a bunch of dudes in the dark – a/k/a F3. Wednesday night was not different. I can’t exactly say I was thrilled to see the forecast call for 90% chance of rain at 5AM, and I will testify that I considered a #fartsack Thursday morning.
I got up when the alarm sounded but wasn’t happy about it. It was raining and I would have rather taken an a** whoopin’ than have to run in the rain. I ran through a quick checklist of who might be there or who I might NOT be there so I could fartsack. That’s about the time Gypsy texted and said he was running in a poncho. Dammit Gypsy! That text saying you would be there now makes me HAVE to go…. Grrrr! My play was to do all I could to convince the Spartans to go to Dunkin’ and talk about running. When I pulled up and Gypsy was the only one there, I thought the plan was coming together nicely. I was willing to pay him any amount of money to turn our 1st F into a 2nd F. I’m pretty sure I had him convinced. Now all we had to do was wait until 5:16 on the clock, claim no one else was coming and we could stay dry. Wait….. What’s that???? Who is that coming down the road with their turn signal on????? NOOOOO!!!! Don’t turn into Socrates! I hate you, whoever you are! As the car entered the parking lot, I had to rub my eyes because I was sure they were playing tricks on me. But they weren’t. It really was Bullwinkle. It was hard to believe because 1) it’s a running workout 2) it’s not Fight Club 3) it’s 5:14 – he’s not late & 4) it’s still pouring rain. He has foiled my plan. Now we had to hold the 1st F because, #Accountability. We got out. I thanked Bullwinkle & Gypsy for coming (sarcastically & sincerely), because #Accountability, and we got to it as the rain began to slow and eventually stop.
Circle up for COP to get the blood moving – SSH X 15 IC, High Knees x 15 IC, mosey to the entrance of Col. Beatty Park
The Main Event started at the entrance of the park and consisted of 1 minute intervals of AYG sprints. At the 60 second mark, recover for 1 minute (recovery included backtracking to gather the Six). Repeat until we reached the main parking lot.
The 4 corners of the parking lot served as the field for the next 20 minutes of pain. Start in corner 1 – shuffle (lateral movement) to corner 2. AYG sprint from corner 2 to corner 3. 20 Merkins in corner 3. Shuffle (lateral movement) from corner 3 to 4 then AYG sprint from 4 back to 1. 20 Air Squats. That’s Lap 1. On Lap 2, shuffle the short side (corners 1-2 & 3-4) but high knee skip 1/2 way from corner 2 to 3. Recovery jog (70%) the 2nd half of the way. Backwards run 1/2 from 4 back to 1. Recovery jog the other half. Repeat exercises. Lap 3 replaced high knee skips with butt kickers and the backwards run with a full recovery. Move to playground
3 People = 3 exercises in rotating stations. Station 1 = supine pull ups. Station 2 = air squats. Station 3 = tricep dips. The Catch = Station 2 held the ankles of the person at Station 1 while each performed 10 reps of their respective exercises. Rotate thru stations until time to return to cars.
The run back to Socrates gave us the opportunity to run Light Pole intervals. AYG sprint to the light, recover to the next, then repeat the AYG sprint. There were approx 10 light poles. Slow mosey from park entrance/exit back to cars.
Circle up for COT, Name-O-Rama & Announcements. It started to rain again.
Announcements – Run Jen Run 5K is a SFN event on Saturday.
Deep Thoughts
I likely would have skipped Sparta today if not for the burden of being on Q. When one has the Q at a workout, it doesn’t always translate to him being there. #TrueStory But there’s a greater motivation that does charge him with being present. That motivation is called ACCOUNTABILITY. Accountability is what motivates you to get out of bed when it’s 4 degrees and you are the PAX, when it’s a VQ for a long-time PAX, or when you go to bed later than usual but told someone you’d be there. It’s what drives you to give 100% for the entire workout even when you don’t feel being there at all – and that 100% is measured differently for each individual. #YouVsYou Accountability is what drives you to step up and take on your VQ or to visit an AO while out of town. Accountability is what made and continues to make F3 successful. While F3 is free, open to all men, and requires no professional certification, it would stagnate or fail if not for each and every PAX being accountable. Consciously or unconsciously, you become accountable to your brothers in the PAX from the moment you stepped out of the car as a FNG. They count on you being there for them because you may be the #HIM they need to see that morning when they don’t feel like posting. You become accountable to your family because you have started the journey of working on yourself and becoming a HIM to everyone you encounter in your daily activities. You become accountable to yourself because you get up at 5:00 (or earlier) seeking a higher purpose for your life, for connection, or for any number of reasons that may be personal to you.
It’s accountability that keeps AOs (1st, 2nd & 3rd F’s) in operation and that keeps the PAX coming back. You owe it to your F3 brothers to give it all you’ve got because your effort may be what they need to see that helps them push themselves a little further physically, mentally or emotionally. We don’t come out to go thru the motions — no one wins when we “mail it in” or show just to be seen. You never know why the guy beside you showed up that morning or what he may be facing throughout the rest of his day, but you owe it to him as a HIM to be there for him.
Thursday morning was a perfect example for me. If not for Gypsy and Bullwinkle, I would have stayed in or returned to my warm bed and regretted it for the rest of the day. TCLAPS to everyone who made it a priority to post today, yesterday or will tomorrow. For me, it’s not me blessing you with my presence, but me being blessed by yours.
OUT
It was 5:24 when No Regerts and I pulled into Conviction’s AO, and I was surprised to see the lot scattered with HIMs looking for their weekly moderate workout. By the time 05:30 struck, there were 11 total and we were ready to roll. YHC gave a disclaimer that suggested the workout was created for the AO, not any individual and that each exercise could be easily modified to fit each man’s fitness level. With that out of the way, we were off.
Slow mosey around main parking island to loosen up the legs. Gather at the curb facing the school & line up shoulder to shoulder. The COT started with a series of High Knees from one side of the lot to the other and Butt Kickers to return to the starting position. We repeated this 3X
Circle up for COP
Now It’s Time to Get Real
Positive Characteristics: A Master number, the 11 is the most intuitive of all numbers. It is instinctual, charismatic, dynamic and capable when its sights are set on a concrete goal.
Negative Characteristics: The 11 can be anxious, shy, stressed, conflicted and scattered. When focus is not applied toward a goal, the 11 can be extremely self-sabotaging. As a Master number, the positive characteristics will turn into obstacles when not understood or used properly.
Why is this fitting? Because it accurately described the actions of the PAX despite my well-planned weinke. The exercises with the rocks reflected the “Positive Characteristics” — the exercises were instinctual, the group was charismatic and capable and the weinke was performed to perfection.
Not so for the pain stations in the bus lot. Per the description above, the PAX became stressed, conflicted and scattered despite my ability to clearly, concisely, & precisely verbally describe the instructions. The 11 clearly did not understand the vision I had in my head. For example, some pain stations had 3 people and some had 1 despite counting off in 2’s….
Regardless of the coincidental characteristics of the number 11 and the number of PAX in attendance, it was a solid effort by all who attended. If you disagree, Gypsy will refund your money.
It was an honor to lead. Keep doing great things