Monthly Archive February 2015

Oh. You are going to do those Burpees

26 Strong today for Kevlar

 

Mosey down and around church lot and line up on hill 

Warm up

Run in place 1 min

SSH 1 min

High knees 1 min 

The Thang

Knee Tucks 1min

8merkins/8mountain climbers/hill 1min

High knees with lunge intervals 1min

Squat jacks 1min

Ski abs 1min

Butt Kicks 1 min

5 Spartan burpees/ Hill 1min

Merkin Jacks 1min 

Repeat x4ish 

Jail Break back to Flag

20 burpees

 

Moleskin

I thought we would try something a little different today. The idea was to not stop once we started. We transitioned to each work out with out a break and that was accomplished for the most part. Some of the exercises got pretty ugly though. As Cotton Tail stated it was one of those work outs that you would get out of it what you put into it. Usual suspects for the mumble chatter mutiny. Wouldn’t be Kevlar without it. I challenged the PAX that I would do 20 burpees for everyone that I stopped before. I ended up doing 20. It probably should have been more. Half of the PAX did burpees with me while the other half did Mary. As I ran to get my phone I heard Stopper demanding that the PAX that didn’t do the burpees get up and do them. They did. Thanks for letting me lead.

 

Announcements

Q school

Golf

Day Zero Challenge

 

 

Hairburners…..wait…..um.

13 pax set out for some good old fashioned fun

Sussuidio, Hairball, Turkey Leg, Good Hands, Geraldo, Escargot, Sanka, Stone Cold, Buttermaker, Pudding pop, Tiger Rag, Header, Semigloss

The thang

COP

25X SSH CAD

20X Mountain Climbers CAD

15X IW CAD

Partner Hairburners and Cinderblock work.

Round 1

Partner 1 – Hairburner to 2nd basketball goal post

Partner 2 – Curls

Round 2

Partner 1 – Hairburners to 1st goal post

Partner 2 – Press

Round 3

Partner 1 – Hairburners to 1st goal post

Partner 2 – Tri’s

Mosey to baseball fields.

Partner 1 – Jog to the top and back

Partner 2 – Curls

Flap Jack

Partner 1 – 30 suppine pull ups 20 dips 10 Squats

Partner 2 – Jog up to the top.

Flap jack

Partner 1 – 150 Tricep extensions

Partner 2 – Jog up to the top

Flap Jack

Partner 1 150 Merkins

Partner 2 jog up to the top.

Flap jack

 

Jog back to Launch

People’s chair – AKA semi-gloss

150 Arm Raises

 

Mary

20 Freddy Mercury’s

25 Flutter – CAD

20 J’Lo’s

COT

Moleskine

Well the thought that I had in my head vs. how it actually came out are two separate events.  Normally I don’t have a weinke and everything goes well.  Guess this shows that being unprepared is better.  We started promptly at 5:31, Hairball was already questioning the q’s commitment to the pax.  After a brief COP where the jokes were rampant about the q, we stated the thing.  In my head I really thought that the Hairburner partner work should be okay.  Only thing I didn’t think about is how to get them back.  After realizing it and several confused looks from the pax we were able to fix and get back on track.  The second part down at the baseball fields was going well until some backlash came on the 150 call on the tri extensions.  Several members were not pleased with it and there was several instances of audible being called.  After the cinderblocks were put away we started the peoples, everything was going great until we got to about 65 and there was a ton of complaining.  Once we rounded the 130 mark again more disgruntled pax.  We closed in Mary and in true Hairball form there was a call for JLo.  You do NOT want to be known as the guy that does the J Lo workout.  Strong work out there today by everyone.  Everyone except the usual suspects were quiet.  The cold is starting to wear on everyone.

Pax brave slush at Hydra

[posted on behalf of Blades of Glory]

4 pax braved slush and ignored the call of the FS to stand up to the latest “winter storm”

Q-NA so BOG seized the moment for VQ

SSH x 20
Imperial Walker x 20
Mountain Climber x 20

Run around OP Elementary to benches

Derkins x 20
Dips x 20
Jump Squats x 20
Rinse & Repeat

Run to Wall in front of OP (covered, dry)
Wall Sit w/ Overhead Presses x 20
Wide Arm Merkins x 20
Carolina Dry Docks x 20
Rinse & Repeat
10 Burpees

Run around fields in back of OP Elementary “Grand Tour”
Round of Mary
LBCs x 20
Russian Twist x 20
Flutter x 20
Rosalita x 20
Freddy Mercury x 20
HTH x 20
10 Burpees

Run around back of OP Elementary to Playground
10 Pull-ups
10 Derkins
10 Prison Squats
Rinse & Repeat

Run back around school to “shelter”
Burpees x 10
“Soldier Walk”
Goose Steps (touching opposite foot with hand) x 15 steps
Knee Grab x 15 steps
Quad Pull x 15 steps
Burpees x 10
LBCs x 20
Russian Twist x 20
Freddy Mercury x 20
Burpees x 10

Moleskin:
Discussion about the fact that BOG, Curd and Chico seem to be snow day posters

Speculation about the “blood thinning effect” of moving South

Curd represented the Tundra with signature shorts

BOG wore no watch (it’s “snow time”) so Cheese Curd provided timekeeping assistance, much obliged.

Four Corners

11 of Area 51's finest toed the line this morning for a little tribute to Coach Dean Smith.
YCH and his trusty sidekick (THE BEARD) arrived a few minutes early to lay out the court with a little help (Thanks Icky Shuffle!).
As PAX rolled in, Mermaid tried to assign War Daddy status to Purple Haze but must have forgot Abacus
was in attendance. All were eventually trumped by Iron Horse!

The Thang:
We set off on our adventure for the day with a brisk mosey mixing in some backward runs and karaokes finishing in the large lot 
behind Calvary.

COP
SSH x 25
IW x 25
Crab cake x 20 (a new one for Anvil - seemed to be a crowd pleaser)
Count off 1,2,1,2...remember your #

Mosey to front lot on 51 for Four Corners (our Ode to Coach Dean Smith):

Two groups
Divided and marked with cones in the corners (2 areas)
Approx 40yds corner to corner
*** run between corners except animal set

First set:
1's
1 - jump squats x 20
2 - lunges x 20(10/leg)
3 - Peter Parkers x 20(10/leg)
4 - Parker Peters x 20(10/leg)

2's
1 - merkins x 20
2 - wide arm merkins x 20
3 - diamonds x 20
4 - carolina dry docks x 20
FLAPJACK

Second set
1's
1 - LBC x 20
2 - CCV x 20(10/side) Hops would be proud!
3 - flutter kicks x 20
4 - russian twist x 20

2's
1 - bear crawl from c1-c2, 5 burpees
2 - crab walk from c2-c3, 5 burpees
3 - frog jump from c3-c4, 5burpees
4 - dragon walk from c4-c1, 5 burpees
FLAPJACK

Half Time:
Both groups
- Defensive shuffle to Corner 1
- Spring to Corner 2
- Defensive shuffle to Corner 3
- Backwards run to Corner 4

Both Groups then repeated all but the ANIMAL set (OUCH!!!).

Mosey to courtyard at front of Calvary for some Peoples Chair with Arm Presses in Cadence.
Indian Run back to the Shovel Flag with just enough time for some Dollies and Rosalitas in cadence.

Moleskine:
I think we can all appreciate the 4 Corners a little more after today's workout!

Mumble chatter was on and off today - must be the weather or the O2 deprivation. The tweets came alive later in the morning once everyone cought their breath. 
YHC did sense a little "beard envy"...It's hard work!

As always, it was a pleasure to lead such a solid group at Anvil. Drop Thrill - getting strong brother!

PAX, Sound off in comments for announcements (technology fail for YHC)
AYE!

 

Calling for Six Inches

Six inches of what pray tell? Read on faithful reader. Read on. YHC was concerned about patches of ice, so today’s workout happened exclusively on the state-of-the art heated track and field at Providence Day School. And it went a little something like this:

THE THANG:

Warm up lap around the track, which included High Knees, Karaoke and Butt Kickers.

COP:

SSH; IW; Copperhead Squats; Merkins; Mountain Climbers

11s at 50 to the goal line:

Run to goal line 10 Jump Squats

TGUs at the 50.

Plank

Catch me if you can: Partner up and chase each other for a lap around the track.

First Round: 5 Merkins; People’s Chair w arm presses while waiting for the 6.

Second: 10 Monkey Humpers; People’s Chair

Third: 5 Burpees; People’s Chair

Elbow Plankorama. When you fail, run 100 yds and do LBCs at the other end until everyone joins.

Chowda came in 3rd place. Jolly good show.

John Deere and Tesla held out and started playing games whereby they were doing Six Inches, then regular planks and all sorts of other nonsense while we all did LBCs and wondered what the hell they were up to. But I must say it was an impressive display of planking–from what I could tell at 100 yards in the dark, that is.

Finally, they came trotting up and YHC let them call an exercise (burpee broadjump) while they ran 100 yds out and 100 yds back again. Next was Chowda’s turn for coming in 3rd place. Pretending for a moment he was the weatherman (let’s keep this back blast PG, shall we?) he called for six inches.

By this point in the workout, time was running short. So we headed back to the 50 yard line for quick

MARY:

ElbowCs (Side plank on elbow and crunch other elbow to knee) followed by Oblique crunches.

Exit sports facility and plank on road. Tesla 10 count and then jail break to

COT:

MOLESKIN:

Mud run registration ending soon. Sign up, if you’re going to.

Always fun to Q at The Charge. YHC hadn’t led in quite some time. Thanks to Baracus for giving me the opportunity this morning.

 

 

 

Bagpipe (Soft Pretzel posting on behalf of Outback)

32 men posted at the Vine on this fine snowy morning.  Eight wisemen took the Swift road and 24 harden souls followed a Kiwi to the Ballentine Village parking garage for a good old fashioned beat down.

 

First the disclaimer given

 

Thang

Mosey to the bottom of the parking garage.  The deal today was to run to each level and perform a called exercise and it all went down something like this:

 

COP

 

Warm-up Round

SSH x 25, run to next level

Imperial walkers x 25, run to next level

Four count merkins with holds x 5, run to the next level

Squats x 10, run to the top of the garage and plank

Run to the bottom and hold peoples chair with overhead press

 

Legs

Front lunge x 30 (15 each leg), run to the next level

Side lunge x 20 (10 each side), run to next level

Sumo squats x 15, run to next level

Burpees x 5 run to the top and plank

Run to the bottom and hold peoples chair with overhead press

 

Chest

Merkins x 30, run to the next level

Wide arm merkins x 20, run to the next level

Diamond merkins x 15, run to the next level

Burpees x 5 run to the top and plank

Run to the bottom and hold peoples chair with overhead press

 

Shoulders & Other

Donkey kicks x 30

Carolina dry docks x 20

Tricep merkin x 15

Burpees x 5 run to the top and plank

Run to one level down

 

Abs

Partner up.

Partner one does full sit up while other partner planks on their feet

Rinse and repeat for partner two

Jay-Lo x 10

 

At this point Mermaid reminded Q of the time (thank you!) and we headed back to the AO.

 

Moleskin:

A lot of hard work was put in at the Garage and this Q very much appreciated leading this fine group of men.  Special thanks to Mermaid and Big Tuna for leading the Plank’s at the top.

 

Announcements

Mud run sign ups

BRR

Something about 2015 Xmas Dinner (just kidding)

There were a few other items in which the Q failed to capture so apologies

I am 4th

4 Pax posted for some running, some HIIT, and some rocks. Something for everyone.

The Thang:

COP:
20 SSH
20 Mountain climbers
20 IW’s

Mosey to the back of the school. Audible called to use parking lot instead of snowy frozen grass field…

Line up to run 100 yards with a stop at each of the 4 medians/signs there and back.

5 Burpees = 35
15 CDD’s = 105
10 Jump Squats = 70
10 Hand Release Merkins = 70
20 LBC’s = 140

Run back to the track on the High School side for some more old school work:

20 Wide Arm Merkins
20 Rosalitas
20 Monkey Humpers

Run a Lap

20 CDD’s
20 Dolly’s
20 Squats

Run a Lap

20 Reverse Lunges
20 Freddie Mercury’s
20 I don’t remembers and didn’t write it down

Run to the rockpile and get a properly sized lifting rock:

Curl and Press x 20
Tricep Extensions x 20
on your 6
Overhead extensions x 20
Chest Press x 30
Russian Twists x 20
Curl and Press x 20

MOM
Protractor w/ revolving 10 counts

Recover

Moleskine:
Always a good time when you Q to find 3 serious #Runners standing around waiting for a good cardio/strength workout. I think we found something for everyone. Dromedary has a solid core of F3 vets and you could see it today. Snowflake, Bratwurst, and Dasher have no problem covering some ground and hitting the gas on the runs. Sorry to miss Ice 9’s Q today but we hope you get better soon brother. The Q is yours when you recover. Thanks to Snowflake for taking us out with a solid prayer raising up those in need….which is all of us.

Announcements: Sign up for Golf and be part of the movement as F3 grows. All Golf proceeds go to LEAP and we know what an impact F3 has in cities and lives.

Power Walkers

24 SOBs posted at The Maul this morning for some serious power-walking. 

The Thang

Warm Up

-30 SSH

-30Squats

-30IW

-30 Merkins

Hill work

-Cross the Road [what road is that anyway?] on the other side of the big hill by the movie theater, then enter neighborhood across the street

-From entrance to neighborhood, run down hill all the way to stop sign, drop and do 15 merkins, then run back up hill, do 15 more merkins, and finish with LBCs until everyone is done

-Rinse and repeat

-Rinse and repeat for a third and final time [#crowd pleaser]

Head back to the parking lot for a little plank-o-rama… you know the drill… including a special edition of “3 inches” for the men of SOB.  And thanks to Frehley’s Comet for a good laugh during this segment of the workout. 

Head over to the ledge by the waterfountain for some ladder dips and squats:

-5 dips and 5 squats

-10 dips and 10 squats

-15 dips and 15 squats

-20 dips and 20 squats

-Then back down the ladder… 15s; 10s and 5s

Mosey to the parking lot some some NASCAR speeed work done in pairs:

-Partner one runs quarter mile loop while partner two does merkins; then flap jack… team is done once reach 150 aggregate merkins

-Rinse and repeat, except with 100 combined squats replacing the merkins

Mosey back to our cars… rep out 30 merkins on your own…

Workout over

Moleskin[e]

Really enjoyed my time with the boys of ballantyne this morning.  Great group of men.  We kept things moving at a pretty fast clip, so not too much banter this morning.  I’m sitting on a heating pad as I write this, so I for one got my money’s worth.  Just a few random observations:

-I’m into the “aka” nicknames lately… inspired by Chelms aka Tater Tot, and others.  So, for your reading pleasure I’ve taken the liberty of adding aka’s to many of the PAX from today; for those that didn’t get aka’d… I just need a couple more workouts to get to know you a bit better! 

-Seeing Loogie this morning brought back more bad memories from the Thanksgiving football game.  I learned that day when you play against Loogies that flag football is actually a contact sport. 

-Speaking of the Thanksgiving day event, reminds me of Mic Check and his fast feet.  Rumor has it that he’s a bit of a boxer… or at least a bit of a trash talker with a quick jab. 

-Run Stopper brought the wearing of tights to a whole new level today.  Neon yellow in fact.  Better tell the M you’ve raided her wardrobe.  What’s next…. Flash Dance leggings?

OK gents… I’ve got to get back to work… wife and kids to feed..

#F3Swift – Carolina Cobra

8 PAX launched from the Vine Restaurant at the Ballantyne AO at 0515 on Tuesday, just as the Ballantyne Corporate Park was being turned into a winter wonderland.

The Thang:

  • Warm-up 1mile, then about 5 100m drills with toe-walking, heel-walking, bounding, high knees, hot coals (butt kicks)
  • At 2-mile race pace / I-pace / VO2max / Lactate Threshold (http://runsmartproject.com/calculator):
    • 5min Interval; 4min jog recovery
    • 4min Interval; 3min jog
    • 3min Interval; 2min jog
    • 2min Interval; 1min jog
  • Mosey over to the bottom of a good sized hill for:
    • 5x30sec hill effort.  Try to make the same distance or further for each interval.  Jog back down the hill.
  • Mosey on back to COT
  • Total miles 5.5 to 6+
  • Strava reports here: https://www.strava.com/activities/259206269 and https://www.strava.com/activities/259196699

The Moleskin:

  • #CarolinaCobra is the Carowinds coaster that heads out over some loops and whirls and then does a 180 and repeats the same thing.  All of the 5/4/3/2 Intervals were done as out & back half-way through each, and each interval also invoked the hilliness of the area.  Definitely a challenge to finish the interval up a hill.  This gave each PAX the chance to employ pacing – you shouldn’t get caught from behind on the “back” portion if you are running even, there is a challenge to try and catch the PAX in front of you on the way back, and there is the challenge to be even by arriving back at the start point at the end of the interval.
  • The PAX definitely got better at pacing as we progressed.  Frasier and YHC hard changed past all of the lot on the way back the first interval, but by the end of the next few, most were staying ahead and properly closing on the PAX they were chasing back to the start.  Frasier and YHC did have the advantage of turning around first (getting a jump on everyone at the turn) since we had the Garmin supercomputer chiming at half-way through each interval and the other PAX had to rely on feel or looking up into the blowing snow.
  • Speaking of blowing snow – the “out” part was straight into the wind and goggles could have been appropriate as the snow picked up and ice crystals were like tiny daggers.  The “back” part was a quiet storm with just the breathing of PAX being heard.
  • Goal for this pace is not lactic acid build-up like a 1mile race pace will accumulate.  The rest should allow less labored effort over the first half of the interval, but that will grow into being “breathless” over the second half.
  • The 30sec hill sprints seemed to be the ticket to close out.  The hill and the distance weren’t too steep, so that allowed for each PAX to concentrate on form the whole way.  Don’t need to break form (i.e. knees dropping, arms tiring) on something so short.  Definitely seemed to be in the wheelhouse of Longhaul and Cheddar, and M. Tussauds was pushing for that “BRR (or was it Brrrr) shape” towards the end.
  • If Wingman keeps coming out, maybe he can beat his M by more than 1 second next Half marathon (or perhaps that was just a lean at the line).
  • Nice to have some decent recovery, there was no “Six” today, so good to mix and chat on the recoveries to not make it feel like it was TOO much work…
  • Thank you for joining YHC on this adventure today.  It’s one of those memorable workouts that will stay in the memory banks for a long time, and it’s a pleasure to have done it with you all.

The Old Man And The Pax

Since Fast Twitch was shut down last week due to ice and inclement weather, the pressure was already on to lead a worthy workout this morning.  That pressure grew when YHC woke up this morning to read Twitter posts by certain pax buddies who shall remain nameless (fine….it was Haze and Pro) who questioned my ability to deliver a quality weinke given my age.  Oh, the humanity!!! So, I put in my dentures, changed my adult diaper and drove my ’85 Cadillac with the left blinker on the whole way to the FT AO……just hoping I could pull it all together.  Here’s what happened from there:

Warm-Up:

Quick jog around the SCMS parking lot with karoke left and right.  Circle up for:

  • 25 SSH
  • 25  low slow squats  (at some point Baracus flashed his headlamp on me while squating….#awkward).

And we’re off:

Run from SCMS to the intersection of Windbluff and Raintree via 51.  Two stops along the way for 10 plank jacks OYO.

Plank Up then Partner Up:

Partner #1 runs Windbluff to Providence Rd (1.7 miles, but with nasty hills) and back while Partner #2 runs the Rounding Run loop (about 1.9 miles).  But wait…no so fast (pun intended)…..partners complete 50 merkins before take-off and at landing/meet-up.

We gathered up the six at the end and headed to Smokerise Hill (correctly pronounced Smoker-ise Hill as told by Purple Haze). Mr. Brady amplty pointed out we had not been to that hill since pre-BRR…..I now remember why.

Run the distance of Smoker-ise, but stop at the valley of the street, the cul-de-sac, the valley (again) and the end of the street for 25 LBCs OYO per stop. Rinse and repeat, but with 25 Heels to Heaven per stop. Planking was had between lap #1 and lap #2 and at the end.

Indian Run formation to Rising Meadow, where we stopped.  I understand I broke a coveted precedent whereby no Indian Run is interupted before getting back to the school….mea cupla!  Again, chalk it up to old age.

Lunge walk then jog up Rising Meadow to flat ground.  OYO sprint from street lamp to cul-de-sac (maybe 100 yards), then rinse and repeat. YHC is still not naming names (fine….it was Hairball), but someone never learned how to count to three before running….#scratch.

Indian Run formation again to get us back to the school.  That’s a wrap!

Moleskin:

I have been a FastTwitcher now for about 9 months and this group continues to floor me….so many great flippin’ runners!  Slim Fast dominated the Windbluff leg and after a certain point I could not even see him ahead of me until we got back to Raintree. Mr. Brady cleaned up on both rounds of Smoker-ise.  PH was not far behind him!  Too many strong efforts to mention everyone, but t-clap worthy work today, boys….everybody!

I have to also admit this was the first time I have been anxious to Q a site…..again, due to the talent who shows up there every week.  Thanks so much for the privilege, PH and Turkey!

Kudos to Simba and Van Pelt for their first FT experience…..they both came ready and never let up!  Van Pelt is a Winston Salem F3er down here during the week to work, so please keep coming man!!  Impressive first showing for both of you!

I am not positive, but I think we covered about 5.5 miles today.  Sound off if you know!

I hear Bout Time has the show next week.  I am just psyched I Q’d before him rather than after as he would be a tough act to follow.

Old Man out…..and thanks again!

Hopper

Mr. Brady, thanks for the great take-out in BOM!!

Announcements:

  • Sign ups for USMC Mud Run close on 3/1
  • F3 Area 51 Golf Outing is on 4/30.  See Prohibition for more details.
  • This Sat is the Day Zero Challenge (funny, but every Sat at The Rock is a challenge….#justsaying).  One Hour of Pain is the theme and pax should plan to stick around to help clean-up the campus post workout.
  • Slim Fast was the bomb at the Charlotte 10 miler this past Sat and came in 2nd in his age group.  The man ran a sub 7:00 minute mile pace!!