“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:
Posted 14 days late by Voodoo on behalf of High Tide (with minor embellishments by Voodoo):
4 5 pax posted in the gloom for the last pre-Christmas edition of Meathead. Voodoo was scheduled to be the Q, but had a work Christmas party planned for the night before. Being the competent, intelligent, planning-ahead kind of HIM that he is, he asked YHC to be his back-up Q, even going so far as to provide the weinke for the workout (not very difficult since it was identical to last year’s version). YHC then lost said weinke and drafted a new one, only to find the original immediately prior to the workout. We ended up going with the new weinke since it was new (and laminated).
After a solid disclaimer and full body warm-up (most likely, HT didn’t make that clear in his text), here’s the Thang:
12 Days of Christmas:
Performed in the usual fashion, with each day being cumulative, so Day 2= Day 2 exercises + Day 1 exercises, Day 3 = Day 3 exercises + Day 2 exercises + Day 3 exercises, etc. Total reps were as follows:
Naked Man Moleskine:
13 pax congregated at the largest, most expansive, and most luxurious AO in all of Area 51. That’s right, Calvary Church. Hoover was fresh off of a 4 mile ruck. Flipper and McGee pulled in on two wheels. It was all very dramatic. The clock struck 7 and a brief, yet thorough, disclaimer was given and we were off. Run all the way across the street/driveway to another massive parking lot.
Circle up for COP:
The Thang:
Line up along the first parking line and bear crawl 10 spaces, then perform 10 CDDs. Lunge walk 10 spaces, then do 10 jump squats. Repeat each once before arriving at the median.
10 count for the Q to catch his breath, then mosey out to 51 and down to McAlpine Elementary. #DayZero
Partner up at the playground in back. Partner 1 performs 5 pull-ups and partner 2 runs suicides on the basketball court. Flapjack and repeato for 3 rounds.
Mosey over to the soccer field for deconstructed burpees. Partner 1 runs to the second trash can and back while partner 2 performs called exercise. Flapjack and repeato until the required number of reps has been attained:
Mosey back to Calvary and circle up for some plank work, then mosey to the hot box and grab some wall for peoples’ chair. Everyone holds the chair and performs air presses until each pax has run to the tree and back. Halfway through, wall pax switch to BTTW. [Note: somewhere in here, Spackler asked YHC for the first time if the weinke was empty. Not really, but not enough time to do any of the additional work I had written up.]
Mosey back to the start for some Mary:
Still some time left, so line up on your belly and run out and back sprints x 2, then a single out sprint. Time
COT: thanks to Flipper for the strong take out
Announcements:
Moleskine:
15 pax (including an FNG – Juicy Fruit (Owen W.)) posted at Elizabeth Lane Elementary for the last Meathead before we start sharing the parking lot with over-achieving and underappreciated teachers.
Warm-up:
The Thang:
For all sets below, rep recommendations vary by KB size: <=35 is 5 reps, 35-45 is 3 reps, >45 is 1 rep. Adjust intensity by adding reps or bell size as needed. There’s plenty of rest, so focus on quality reps.
Singles set:
Repeato at the top of the next minute with the right arm. EMOTM for 10 minutes. After the first 2-3 rounds, High Tide reminded the Q that we did 3 reps on the clean/squat/press complex, so that suggestion was made to the pax.
Pull-up set at the playground:
EMOTM for 10 minutes.
Partner up by bell size for a doubles set:
Partners flapjack every :30 seconds for 10 12 minutes. If this is too easy, use a bigger bell or increase reps.
Time. Thanks to Stone Cold for the take out in COT.
Announcements:
Moleskine: