Author Archive Retread

The Usual PJ Route

DATE: 2023-01-09 AO: Blakovery Q: retread PAX: bunker, Kielbasa, Dosey Doe, tuck, wingman, goonie, picasso, HazMat FNGs: None COUNT: 8 WARMUP: THE THANG: PJ in the fog. MARY: ANNOUNCEMENTS: use slackblast COT: some discussion on weight as it relates to cookies and beer.

New Slim Fast Hill but no Coffee

14 of F3’s finest pax assembled in a middle school parking lot at 0515 for this week’s installment of Mountain Goat. Conditions were pretty close to optimal with clear skies and a temperature of 47F. We were joined by A51 Board member Cheese Curd for a surprise audit of the AO. Nevertheless, we straightened our running attire and headed out for a warm-up (almost) mile up Strawberry to Rosecliff to Browne’s Pond to Coburn. After stopping for a bit of stretching, it was time for the main event: New Slim Fast Hill. New Slim Fast Hill is a 0.4 mile segment starting at the low point of Coburn near the creek and extending to Cary Ridge. It features some challenging hills and had us sucking wind at the top. Instructions were to run hard to the top and recover to the bottom. After three rounds we made our way back to the launch point. A Mountain Goat staple for many years has been the stretch of Raintree Lane from the clubhouse to Four Mile Creek Drive. This was one of Slim Fast’s favorite BRR training methods, but we’ve retired it due to increased traffic.

  • Cheese Curd was out front with Slim and Sensei and circled back to pick up the Six all morning. Bravo.
  • Insomniac arrived on two wheels but shook off his tardiness and delivered a strong performance as usual.
  • South Paw effortlessly chews up ground with his long stride. He’s just beginning his running journey, but has serious potential to do great things.
  • Gullah punches the clock every week and keeps getting faster.
  • Face Paint has had the misfortune of starting his Mountain Goat career with Five Knolls last week and more hills this week. Keep up the good work.

We typically meet at the Arboretum Starbucks for coffeeteria after Mountain Goat, but our quest for caffeine was denied this morning. Apparently the barista didn’t want to serve a bunch of sweaty middle aged dudes at 0630. The gears started turning and we sought out alternatives, but alas, no coffee was to be had. Panera – not open until 0700. Same deal with the bagel place.

Two MG regulars are on IR and we wish them quick healing and a full recovery. Shout out to Lois and Tweetsie, aka The Boot Brothers.

 

Achieving Peak Performance

Seven Pax gathered at Matthews Elementary for their weekly dose of Peak 51. After a thorough disclaimer, we moseyed to the bus lot for COP, which consisted of 11 IW IC and 11 LSS IC.

The Thang

Four corners in the bus lot with 10 HR merkins in the middle after each visit to a corner. 1st corner – 20 Carolina dry docks, 2nd corner – 20 flutters, 3rd corner – 20 jump squats, 4th corner – 20 LBCs. The first time through was so good, we did it again, but with regular merkins in the middle.

Mosey to the hill behind the baseball dugout. 7s on the hill, with LBCs at the top and jump squats at the bottom. Mosey to MUMC for a few sets of parking lot sprints with a mixture of ab exercises. Mosey back to campus, stopping at the benches at the front entrance of the school for two rounds of 20 dips, 20 step ups, and 20 derkins. We made sure to use our best form under the watchful eye of the surveillance camera.

Moleskine

It was a perfect morning for a workout, and the Peak 51 Pax represented with strong 1F and 2F performances. Smokey went all Ron Burgundy on us, doing 900+ reps of each exercise and leading the way along with Lumberjack. Apparently, you don’t want Tweetsie on your team at Top Golf. Word on the street is that Sensei is a more accurate golfer. Lois is enjoying an extended celebration for his 40th birthday. The Wall was locked in and putting in the work. There was likely more witty banter, but that’s all YHC can recall at the moment.

A Safe Place

13 Pax gathered in the well lit Gloom of Matthews Elementary for the second November 2018 edition of Peak 51.

YHC arrived at 0516, just in time to see the Spartans off and hoping to secretly transport the Weinke to its destination in the lower parking lot. Much to my chagrin, Bernie clocked in earlier and caught me in the act. Keeping a massive Weinke under wraps is no easy feat.

We moseyed to the parking lot behind the school, where the Pax caught a glimpse of the magical Weinke board and its 12 exercises. The concept was equal parts simple and terrible. Perform 15 reps of exercise 1, run a lap around the track (watch out for the mud on the back stretch!), consult the Weinke for the next exercise, perform 15 reps of exercise 1, then 15 reps of exercise 2, run a lap, and so forth. Exercises were as follows:

  1. LBC
  2. Merkin
  3. Heels to Heaven
  4. Carolina dry dock
  5. Low slow squat
  6. Flutter
  7. Lunge
  8. Diamond merkin
  9. American hammer
  10. Mountain climber
  11. Burpee
  12. Smurf jack

Witch Doctor completed the entire Weinke, and the remaining Pax ended somewhere around 9, 10, or 11. Mumblechatter was low initially, but picked up as we embraced the suck and put in a solid 45 minutes of work. A great time was had by all.

Couple of announcements this morning:

  • Vagabond CSAUP, Saturday Nov.10.
  • Speed for Need: Let Them Soar 5K right here in Matthews, on Saturday Nov. 10.

 

 

 

A Case of the Mondays

14 Pax kicked off the final Monday of July with a trip to The Matrix for some AMRAP action.

THE THANG

Four stations set on the MRES campus:

#1 – Select a lifting rock (good work everyone, YHC didn’t see any pebbles) and complete 25 reps each of shoulder press, flutter press, and curl.

#2 – Brisk run to playground for 5 burpees and 5 pull-ups.

#3 – Slightly less brisk run to track for 2o reps each of LSS, LBC, and flutter followed by one lap around the track.

#4 – Run to back of school for 20 step-ups and 20 merkins.

Repeat the circuit as many times as possible until 0613. Return rocks, gather in parking lot for COT.

MOLESKINE

McGee, Purell, and Rachel led the way, completing five laps of the course. YHC would call them Larry Birds, but that description is quite dated. Everyone else completed three or four rounds. Great work by Red Riding Hood posting for his second week of F3. YHC was bringing up the Six, and didn’t catch much in the way of mumblechatter. Something about Rachel running people off the road in Ireland. Pop Tart and YHC agreed that we hate Mondays. Pro rolled in hot at 0531 and exited his car before it stopped moving. All in all, it was a typical morning at The Matrix.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

September 15: A51 vs. SOB paintball battle

October 26: Register for The Crane Relay

Thursdays at Waverly: Please join McGee for his new (W)AMRAP workout. Friends don’t let friends post alone.

 

 

 

 

Yes, Mountain Goat BBs Still Exist

11 gnarly goats gathered and galloped into the thick, humid Gloom for this week’s #trackFriday edition of Mountain Goat. Conditions today were hot, muggy, and quite frankly gross. But we ignored all that and became better, stronger, and faster.

The Thang

1600 meter warm-up followed by dynamic stretching.

400/800/1200/800/400 ladder at I-pace with 400 meter recovery between each rung.

800 meter cool-down.

Ye Olde Moleskine

First of all, YHC must apologize for the recent dearth of backblasts after my Mountain Goat Qs. Sometimes when you Q a running workout, there’s not much to report. That’s no excuse for not posting a backblast and recognizing the dedication of the Pax who wake up early Friday mornings and make Mountain Goat a great site. My bad, sorry about that.

Today’s Weinke was simple yet brutal given the high humidity and low 70s temperature. It hurt, especially the 1200, but in a good way. Fleetwood led the way this morning and even put in a few miles on a solo pre-run. YHC is pumped to have him on my BRR team. With Slim Fast DR, Insomniac was given the keys to the magic towel and teamed up with Sensei for a solid effort. Sensei may have been dragging him around the track just a bit. Kotters to Beefeater, great to see you this morning, running as strong as ever. Jello was a great driver last year, but having had a taste of the BRR he wanted more, and has become quite the runner in 2018. Word on the street is that he’s a HC for Kilowatt’s team this year. Day-Z crushed it as usual and was engaging and informative as always. Gullah and Kilowatt got it done, respect-style, with committed, tireless efforts. Awesome to have Stye join us as a site FNG (I think). What can I say about Lois? The man, the myth, the legend. He’s getting stronger every week and never has a shortage of humor and good cheer. Thanks for the excellent take out as well.

Announcements
  • Convergence on Monday (6/18) at The Big House (Pineville police station) to celebrate the life of Dumpster Fire’s brother, Tom Maxim, and to stand with DF as he mourns the recent loss of Tom. Please join if you can and, if not, keep Dumpster Fire and his mother and entire family in your prayers. Pre-run @ 0500; Boot camp @ 0530; Celebration of Life Convergence
  • American 4 Miler on 7/4: Speed for Need race and F3 convergence. See Slack or Twitter for details.

 

 

The Battle of Slim Fast Hill

11 Pax kicked off their Friday with a hearty helping of hills at Mountain Goat. After disclaiming the Pax and welcoming site FNG HIPAA, we moseyed to Raintree Lane and gathered at the gravel parking lot for dynamic stretching. The usual assortment of heels, toes, butt kickers, and high knees helped to loosen up the wheels in preparation for the main event: a few trips up what is now referred to as Slim Fast Hill. Slim Fast Hill is a 0.29 mile (thanks Sensei) stretch of Raintree Lane from the gravel lot to the intersection at Four Mile Creek. It has two fairly long hills that leave most gasping for breath and begging for mercy. It’s a grind. But we do it because it makes us stronger, both physically and mentally. We attacked Slim Fast Hill on three separate occasions before heading back to base, but not without stopping at Rising Meadow to cap off the morning.

  • Strong, determined running by all this morning. HIPAA more than held his own and we look forward to having him join us next week
  • Lois has dialed in his Slim Fast impression and will be taking his show on the road to colleges throughout the Carolinas
  • Insomniac arrived after we departed and embarked on a #sadclown run. Great to see you at COT!
  • Lest we forget, Slim Fast and other Pax and friends are conquering the Smoky Mountain Relay today and tomorrow. Best of luck to them.

10 Pax, 2 Starfish and a Triple Nickel

10 of the region’s finest Pax gathered for another installment of Peak 51 on an unseasonably warm and humid February morning. After a quick but heartfelt disclaimer, we moseyed to the well-lit parking lot behind the church for a couple of laps and a brief COP (10 SSH and 10 IW).

THE THANG

Partner up (this took longer than expected due to some counting difficulties) and line up at the lower end of the lot. Partner 1 runs suicides to each light pole on the left while partner 2 merkins himself to swoleness. Flapjack. Partner 1 runs suicides while partner 2 flutters himself into oblivion. Flapjack. Partner 1 runs suicides while partner 2 performs low slow squats. Flapjack.

Next on the Weinke was a mosey to the school parking lot for a Peak 51 classic, the starfish. Today’s starfish consisted of 20 merkins, 20 LBCs, 20 Carolina dry docks, and 20 jump squats in the corners with a serving of 5 burpees in the middle. This was so crisp and refreshing the first time, YHC decided to double down and do it all again. Double starfish!

Mosey to the hill behind the baseball dugout for a triple nickel: 5 HR merkins at the top, 5 LSS at the bottom, 5 times up and down the hill. Mosey to one of the school’s outer walls for the People’s Chair with 50 air presses. Recover. Back on the wall for PC with 50 air presses. Mosey back to launch for 2 minutes of Mary, consisting of dollies in which my cadence was too slow for Slim Fast’s liking, and 25 LBCs OYO.

MOLESKIN

Strong efforts from everyone today as the conditions felt more like May than February. Great to have Snoopy back out in the gloom and equally great to meet Laces Out. This must have been The Mouth’s first ever workout without dropping a TWSS. YHC is disappointed in this fact, and expects more next time. We learned that Lois and Sensei made a new friend while visiting Benny at the hospital. During this encounter, they adopted a posture best described as Crouching Sensei, Hidden Lois. Smokey was convinced that Snoopy and Cocktail are brothers, but alas that’s not the case. However, Cocktail does have a brother in F3 who lives in Fort Mill. YHC also recalls hearing something about The Mouth’s 2.0 suffering a “wrist boner” while snowboarding. Not certain how one goes about that, but it sounds painful. There was likely more moleskin-worthy mumblechatter, but that’s all YHC can recall.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Let’s continue the awesome level of support for Benny. He’ll need our help once he’s cleared to go home.

Contact a Pax who hasn’t posted recently and encourage them to come back out to the gloom.

Thanks to Slim Fast for taking us out, and thanks to Lois and Sensei for the opportunity to lead.

It’s the Week of Weinke Sharing

14 of South Charlotte’s finest gentlemen gathered at the most frequently used AO in the land for a mid-December edition of Mountain Goat.

Quick disclaimer given to the veteran crew before a warm-up mosey down and back on Strawberry Lane, then continue moseying to the track. Once at the track, commence dynamic stretching consisting of heels, toes, high knees, and butt kickers.

THANG

400 meters at repetition (R) pace, 400 meters recovery, 800 meters at R pace, 400 meters recovery.

Rinse and repeat until time is called.

MOLESKINE

This must be the week to share your Weinke. YHC was schedule to Q at The Matrix on Monday, but came down with a case of the winter plague Sunday night. Being a conscientious Pax, YHC messaged the planned Weinke to Pop Tart in the event YHC was unable to make it. While YHC was cocooned in the FS Monday AM, Pop Tart bestowed YHC’s Weinke upon the Matrix Pax. Fast forward to Friday at 0500, and upon arriving at SCMS, YHC was summoned to Slim Fast’s driver-side window. Turns out he’d been afflicted with the unwanted funk and won’t be able to Q today. He was kind enough to pay his Weinke forward before heading to an appointment with Miracle Max. Rest up and get well soon SF! Thanks to Nomad for stepping up and guiding Sensei this morning. The two of you fell down only three or four times. Not bad. Just kidding, you were flawless.

Total mileage ranged between 5 and 7 miles for the Pax, with Purell and Fleetwood leading the way. Benny was held back by a cranky IT band, otherwise he would have been up front as well. Lots of strong efforts and determination on display this morning. The 400/800 workout is a grind, and it hurts. But we keep going because it makes us stronger, faster, and better.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sign up for the Joe Davis Run for Recovery, which takes place on January 6. 5K or 10K option. All Pax that attend Mountain Goat can easily knock out a 5K. Sign up today. Just do it. It’s the right thing to do. 2018 Joe Davis Run for Recovery

Thinking about BRR 2018

On the first day of December, 14 Pax made the trek to South Charlotte Middle School for their weekly dose of Mountain Goat.

Warm up: 

Two laps around the school parking lot followed by dynamic stretching (toes, heels, butt kickers, and high knees).

Thang: 

Pax were instructed to head out of the parking lot, turn left on Strawberry, turn left on 51, turn right on Rea, run to Colony, then turn around and run back to the intersection of Rea and 51. Repeat the Rea-Colony-back to Rea portion and meet at Rea & 51 at 05:55. Return to SCMS for COT.

Moleskine: 

YHC saw a tweet earlier this week stating that registration for BRR 2018 opens Monday, December 4th. That started YHC thinking about hills, and initially YHC thought of making today’s Weinke a series of hill repeats. But it being the holiday season and YHC being a Pax of good cheer, that idea was shelved for another day. Instead, we ran about five miles at a sensible pace, covering ground both flat and hilly. Slim Fast made an early departure, hopefully arriving home before his 2.0s had a chance to break out the kegs and M/D 20/20. Lois will be submitting a letter to the City of Charlotte regarding their leaf clean-up maintenance schedule after twisting an ankle. Hopefully the ankle is not feeling too bad. Joker led the front of the packers in some boot camp exercises rarely seen at MG while waiting for the rest of us. Some may call this an attempted Q-jack, YHC calls it stepping up. #Leadership. We were grateful and humble recipients of at least two drive-by honks. Our form must have been especially strong this morning.

Announcements:

Area 51 Christmas party is Friday, December 8 at Seaboard in Matthews. If you haven’t signed up, do so ASAP and make life easier for those organizing this event. Area 51 Christmas Party 2017!

SOB Holiday party is Saturday, December 16 at Red Barn Events in Waxhaw. 2017 SOB Holiday Party Pre-blast

2018 Joe Davis Run for Recovery is Saturday, January 6 at Walter Elisha Park in Fort Mill. 2018 Joe Davis Run for Recovery