15 pax arrived at Calvary Church this morning for my Q. When contemplating my weinke yesterday at work, I wasn’t sure which direction to take it. With Flipper’s manifesto no longer providing the minimal guidance of light days and heavy days, I had complete latitude. As they say, too many choices can be paralyzing. Might as well go with an old standby – gear.
After a brief disclaimer and a welcome to our FNG (Rupert S., accompanying Boerewors), we moseyed around the parking lot to make Gummy happy. After that, we circled up for a little COP:
The Thang:
Split the pax into groups of 2. Group 1 performs a called exercise while group 2 carries various implements (large kettlebells, sandbags (40-80 lbs.), a tree limb, a keg). Each group gets a turn on the bells and a turn on the carries.
We broke it up a bit with 3 laps around the parking lot. Finally, we did two sprints, which were made more exciting by the slippery asphalt (I didn’t think it was possible to miss the cheese grater parking lots we usually find at our AOs). Gummy accurately called these out as time-killers.
Finally, we circled up for some Mary:
Time. Thanks to Gummy for the takeout in COT.
Announcements:
Skinny moley thing:
5 pax posted at Meathead this morning for some kettlebell work. For some reason, numbers are light these days. Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s all the running with BRR around the corner, maybe it’s the pax taking some vacation during the last gasp of summer. For whatever reason, they weren’t there and they missed out.
Chin Music, Header, and YHC met up at 5:00 for a 3 mile pre-run. They were kind enough not to dust me, but I definitely outsweated the two of them combined.
We circled up and YHC provided a legally airtight disclaimer. Seriously, Young Love would have been proud.
Warm up:
The Main Event:
Singles work #1:
Partner up for doubles work (Unplugged went solo and might have done some extra work):
Singles work #2 (try not to put the bell down during swings):
Pax choice: repeat doubles set from above
We had a few minutes left, so we did some pax-called Mary:
Time. Circle up for COT and a solid take-out by Header.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
He hated all this, and somehow he couldn’t get away.
-Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness (also TAF, who seems to be Chester’s favorite)
15 pax met up this morning at the greenway parking lot at Sardis Road and Old Bell Road, prepared for their weekly trip into the heart of darkness to kick the bully (Mount Yucca) in the shins.
After a brief disclaimer, 12 of us set off at precisely 5:15 (Federalist, Hoover, and Mr. Brady) met us on the course. As a veteran leader, well aware of his own weaknesses (namely, Oreos, IPAs, and running), I had devised a plan that required absolutely zero leadership. After all, this site basically Qs itself.
The plan was simple: start at the cul de sac at the top of Old Bell Road. Run down and make a right on Wilby and follow it all the way out to Sardis Road. Turn around and return to the top via Mountainview. That’s one lap, run as many as you can, then meet at the flagpole at 6:08 (that’s 6:08AM Eastern time, Cheese Curd!) for the pledge, then mosey it back to the launch. Everyone got in at least 2.5 laps. The leaders were somewhere on their 4th when time ran out.
Chester’s Moleskine:
We all know that no one comes to a Horsey backblast for details of the workout, so #cobains for the above recap. This morning’s fever dream started like all of the others, with a bunch of men standing around, looking at each other in a parking lot. Some of the visitors had already dispensed with their shirts, their semi-chiseled flesh glistening in the light of the moon, like a bunch of backup dancers from an off-brand Chippendale’s show at a motel near the airport. The others remained shirted, mostly in non-performance shirts sure to shear their nipples off by the end of today’s journey. On the run in on Old Bell, you hear a lot of strange noises from the darkened woods. Shining your headlamp into the bushes, it’s not uncommon to see glowing eyes staring back at you. Deer? Coyote? Man? Chester? Just keep running. Despite the other pax on the course, there is inevitably some time out there where you’re utterly alone in the darkness with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company. “Why am I doing this again?” “Why do my friends invite me to these workouts? Do they secretly hate me?” “Why did I eat that burrito for dinner last night?” “Why are my shoes so squishy?” [Those last two are not related, I swear.]
Horsey is as much a battle of emotions as it is hills. Keep the legs moving, tune out the weird noises, and ignore the possible sexual predators. Thanks to the pax for coming out this morning and helping push each other.
Random observations:
Checkpoint, the sole representative of #TeamRifty, was at the front the entire time. Mr. Brady was in second place from a speed perspective, but might have been first if the competition was volume of sweat wrung from his shirt post-workout. TAF has possibly the most impressive beard I’ve ever seen on a non-millenial. Part of me wonders if he has any small rodents living under there, like the brown wizard from the Hobbit. Despite all of his complaining post-workout, Gypsy is getting strong and is going to crush his marathon later this year. We might need to change his nickname to Waterboy if he keeps hiding water bottles everywhere. Cheese Curd is usually my speed, but he stayed just out of my reach today. You know he’s feeling good if you don’t hear any moaning noises while he’s running hills.
Alright, I need to get to bed. Sound off in the comments if you have any more observations or feedback. I’ll be sure to pass along any suggestions to management.
8 pax posted at Death Valley yesterday in the soupy gloom. Methinks they were there to see if I knew where the AO was, but they were kind enough to stick around for the workout.
Warm-up:
Mosey around the parking lot with a little carioca. This was a spur-of-the-moment call that almost backfired when YHC’s feet got tangled up. That would have been a record early Q fail.
Circle up at the start point for the usual:
The Thang:
Mosey to Davie Park and plank it up for the six. Lo and behold, Spackler and his merry band of Anvil pax show up as well. [If you want a more interesting backblast, head over to his Anvil post here.]
Partner up by AO. Partner 1 heads to the playground for 5 pull-ups, 10 merkins, and 20 split squats (10 per leg) while partner 2 runs to the fence, stopping at each light post (on the way out and back) for 5 merkins (35 per round). Flapjack and repeato until each partner does both parts of the workout 3 times.
We then moseyed up to the lush soccer field (it’s so nice I’m going to have to say it’s better than the Charge) for Four Corners with 15 heels to heaven at each corner.
We bid adieu to the Anvil pax and moseyed back to SCMS. Plank for the 6 at Strawberry and 51 and again at the launch. We might have done some Mary, but I can’t remember at this point.
COT – thank you for the take-out, Smokey.
Announcements:
Moley-moley:
“Running! If there’s any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can’t think of what it might be. In running the mind flees with the body, the mysterious efflorescence of language seems to pulse in the brain, in rhythm with our feet and the swinging of our arms.”
Joyce Carol Oates
Whatever, Joyce. I want some of the drugs she was on when she wrote that. We all know running blows and it’s all about counting the minutes or the miles until you can stop doing it. But since we’re all a bunch of crazy idiots that get up way too early to do hard stuff, 11 of us knuckleheads met up at Charlotte Latin (not South Charlotte Middle School) for my running workout VQ. No site Qs or shovel flags in attendance (sorry, Hops!).
After waiting for Alf to style his hair (gotta get it juuuuust right) and one of my better disclaimers, we departed the lot at about 5:16. Much to Gummy’s chagrin, we were late. We moseyed out onto Providence (without anyone getting hit by the swimmers pulling in aggressively) and down to Raintree Lane. Run into Raintree and circle up at the intersection with Four Mile Creek. I gave the pax their instructions a couple of times (Mr. Brady was very rudely talking over the Q) and off we went. Well, Rosie did his own thing, but that’s okay because he’s fast and young and we’d rather he ran off into the distance so we don’t have to be confronted with the fact that he’s faster and younger than the rest of us.
The Thang:
Split into groups of 3 (YHC was odd man out) and each partner runs in a different direction:
When you get back to the intersection, repeatedly perform 10 jump squats and 20 LBCs until your whole team is back, then each pax member does 5 burpees and switch legs. Repeato until about 6:05. Everyone should have gotten in 4x 1 mile out and back runs.
Mosey back to the start. Much to Gummy’s chagrin (I imagine), we were early. #symmetry Pax option to either join the Hawk’s Nest pax for Mary, do some more running in the parking lot, or stretch it out.
COT with Hawk’s Nest. Thanks to Pop Tart for the takeout.
Moleskine:
SYITG,
Voodoo
YHC rolled up early to WAMRAP. I didn’t sleep well for some reason. I wasn’t nervous about my Q since WAMRAP is a fire and forget workout. The only site easier to Q is Donut Run, which Bushwood does remotely via Slack messages, and only after someone asks for a route. However, after the second early morning wake-up, I started worrying I’d miss my alarm. That and the ensuing heckling might have been better than what actually happened.
The Thang: Mosey to the parking deck and plank at the base of the first ramp for instructions.
Round 1:
Round 2:
Repeat rounds 1 & 2 AMRAP-style. Backward run on the ramps and forward run on the flats.
At 6:11, run back to the launch. Complete 10 of each Round 2 exercise (we stopped after the third time through Round 1) and then some planking to kill time.
COT – Thanks to Flipper for the prayer.
Moleskine:
13 pax (excluding YHC) showed up at RockZero to see what the Q had planned for the next 60 minutes.
Warm up:
Lap around the church, ending at the parking lot across the street from where we started (which Gummy helpfully pointed out).
Circle up for COP:
The Thang:
Mosey to the baseball diamond (to make the pax think we were headed for the rocks):
Bear crawl to first base, lunge walk to second base, crab walk to third base, sprint home (sliding optional)
This was when Alf reminded the Q that we had an FNG and should try to impress him with our fitness level instead of doing a moderate workout. Thanks for the support! As we moseyed toward the front of the church, Alf started wondering out loud whether the Q had a plan.
Arrive at the big rock pile. Assign the mouthy Seminole fan (Nemo) the 75# sandbag that YHC had hidden in the bushes. All other pax grab a LIFTING rock and mosey over to the lot parallel to 51 (so many lots).
Pax line up abreast. One pax runs to the third island (after a few rounds, switch to second island) with the sandbag while the rest off the pax perform called exercise with their rocks. Exercises include, but are not limited to, the following:
Put the rocks/sandbag back and mosey over hill and dale to the hot box. 3 rounds of: 25 dips, 10 split squats per leg, 15 derkins with runs to trash cans at different distances. Last round, shave 5 reps off of the dips and derkins.
Mosey to the playground for 3 rounds of 10 donkey kicks and 5 pull-ups.
Mosey to another parking lot and line up abreast. Bear crawl 5 spaces, 5 CDDs, bear crawl 4 spaces, 5 CDDs, etc. all the way to 1 space, 5 CDDs. The idea was to continue the length of the parking lot, but it was massive and the Q was facing a mutinous horde. So, we audibled to lunge walks and jump squats for another round. Mercifully, we then ran to the bottom of North Face. This is where Nemo chimed in about how “old school” this beatdown is. I guess I need to get out more.
Plank at the base of North Face for instructions: sevens with merkins at the bottom and jump squats at the top. This was a near disaster, with pax flying down (or sliding in the case of Runstopper) and nearly crashing into each other. This is when the Q regretted the lack of a disclaimer this morning. #oops
Mosey back to the start for some Mary:
Time
Announcements:
Moleskine:
9 pax joined YHC on a cool March morning for some kettlebell action. My legs were sore for about 5 days after Alf’s deadlift-fest last week, so I decided to go a little lighter on the legs. 3 for the pre-run (YHC, Chin Music, and Header) – they ran at their 2nd F pace for me.
After a thorough disclaimer, we began thusly:
On to the Main Event, beginning with 5 reps per side of each of the following exercises. Complete all exercises for the left side, then move to the right:
Repeato for a total of 3 rounds
Next up is a little set I found online called 9 Minutes of Hell (#soundseasy). I broke out the #Fembot and we got moving:
Although there was no rest built into the timer, the pax made time to catch their breath.
Grab a medium size bell and head to the playground for 3 rounds of:
Back to the lot for some Mary:
COT: Thanks to Header for the takeout
Announcements: Meathead Q2 Q schedule release date coming soon. Keep an eye on your inbox and let me know if you need a switch or substi-Q.
Naked blister moleskine: