Monthly Archive May 2015

From the peak you can view the full range

With humidity over 90%, it was easy to forget it was just in the 60s, especially after about a minute of movement.  However, the Pax of Peak51 don’t shrink from a challenge, so 5:30 we set off, well most of us (see moleskin).
Here’s the thang:

Mosey around front of school to basketball court for COP:
SSH-20
Slow Merkins-20 (3 down/1up)
Hillbilly – 20
CDD – 15
LSS-15 (low slow squat)

Mosey to playground equipment and find a pull-up or supine pull-up bar of choice
Up & hold 5 count then 5-count descent
10 recovery Merkins OYO
REPEATO minus 1 Merkin each round until 1 Merkin,

Mosey to bus parking lot
Rock Hopper – Merkins – Jump Squat (hands touch ground and hands up at end)
Set of 10 each, then 8/6/4/2
LBC recovery until all Pax done
Put it all together: 10 burpies

Mosey to wall: People’s Chair with straight-arm raises: hands touch bottom wall and top wall in cadence 1 minute / 45 sec / 30 seconds

Mosey to grass in front of theater for some Mary
LBC X20
Dead Bug X10
Back Scratcher X15
One-legged Flutter X 10
Other-legged Flutter X10
Freddie Mercury X15

Mosey small parking area at side of theater
Lunge-walk to end, backward lunge-walk back
Speed skate half-way, frog jump back

Mosey to cars and circle up for two minutes of Merkin wave

Recover

Announcements

F3 Dads at Col. Beatty Park: Saturdays this summer 0900 to 1000.  Bring kids of any age for some fitness cleverly disguised as fun.

New running workout Fridays at S.Charlotte Middle.  5:15 – 6:15.  Name just announced: Mountain Goat

Joust/Kevlar new AO starting tomorrow at far west end of Arboretum.

Maniac driver warning: young white male in white car almost crashed with Pax driving to workouts two different times around 51/Fullwood.

Moleskin

The un-announced emergency response test that Horsehead put us through highlighted some opportunities for improvement.  For example, when YHC was on the phone with 911 for medical help, and the guy asked “what’s the address,” I had no clue.  I guess asking him to google it would be rude?  And Kilowatt volunteered to go to the road to meet the EMS truck, but when we cancelled the call, nobody went to  get him.  Fortunately, it was only a test, and HH was back on his feet for COT.  Learnings YHC took away: (for the Q) make sure someone has a phone and knows the address; plan a mid-workout swing by cars to get a swig of water if needed; don’t send a scout to the main road until EMS call confirmed; (for the Pax) bring water and leave at car, and bring something to eat just in case.  Others: please chime in with anything else you learned from HH’s test.

Start time is 5:30.  Not sure everyone knew that.  Not calling anyone out.  Just sayin.’

YHC’s goal was first to bring a good beatdown, and second to help sharpen the focus on the full range of motion for some of our movements.  Hope I was able to deliver.

As always, I had fun and was honored by the challenge of leading.

Thanks for the solid take-out, Slim Fast.

Going Off Campus

In YHC’s experience, The Charge is one of the finest AO’s around, with a nice turf field, stadium steps galore, and a soft track (it’s heated! it’s padded! it’s made from discarded F1 tires!). The draw to stay on campus is palpable, which makes it just the right time to venture off campus. 16 men gathered to do just that, they just didn’t know it until a few minutes into the Thang:

Mosey to track

SSH x 20

Merkin x 15

Mountain Climber x 15

Imperial Squat x 15

Drydock x 10

Freddie Mercury x 15

Mosey down track and jump gate to access road behind the stadium and back gate.

Scale 7 foot gate and escape the confines of PDS. Did everyone sign the waiver? Plank up for the six.

Starting at the corner of Jefferson and Lansing, run and do 3 burpees (a prescient call by John Deere) at every street light along Jefferson, turning right on Lansing and back to start.  YHC counted 30 street lights.  A whole lot of suck there, but at least the residents enjoy the benefits of a fully lit neighborhood. Sheesh. Core while waiting for the six.

Mosey out to Sardis and to Scout Hut across from PDS, stopping once for the six.

Partner up. Partner one runs to far end of the parking lot and does one burpee and runs back, while partner two does full squat presses with logs that YHC found from a fresh tree felling. Flapjack 3 times and put away the “green” coupons #allnatural. Seven more burpees OYO to make it an even 100.

Mosey back and do 3 minutes of mary to hit time and coming in right at 3 miles #Garmintime

NMM: Great work from the pax today. It was an adventure. Of course, the PDS maintenance crew opened the back gate shortly after we scaled it like Special Forces less the gear, less the guns, less the ammo, less the cahones, but scaling fences in the dark is still kind of amusing.

F3 Dads starting in June and F3 Dads Camp signup is on the F3Nation homepage.

YHC took it out. Thanks for the opportunity to lead!

Camelus dromedaries…….

Dromedary= an Arabian one-humped camel, especially one of a light and swift breed trained for riding or racing.

The Thang:

13 PAX

-Mosey to Circle up

-Disclaimer given

-Warm Up

SSH x 25 IC

Merkin x 10

IW x 25 IC

Wide Merkin x 10

Slow Squat x 25 IC

Diamond Merkin x 10

LBC x 25

-Indian Run Loop around parking lot

-17’s consisting of Merkins & LBC

Plank when done

-Mosey to Cafeteria

Exercise (15-Dips, 20-Dollies, 20- Flutter)

Peoples chair- Arm Raises x30

-Jack Webb- up to 5 Merkins & 20 Arm raises

-Partner work- Combined LBC- x100, Merkins- x100- One partner run small loop, one exercise

-AYG around Track, mosey to Launch spot

-Mary- Rosalita x25, Bicycle x20, Dolly x30, Heels to Heaven x20, LBC x20

-Burpees x15 on your own.

-Nice work by Dasher & Ice 9 for setting the pace on the 17’s

-Wasn’t going to do Burpees, but everyone seemed upset we hadn’t done any, so why not finish with them.

-Thank you to Bratwurst, Dasher, & Ice 9 for leading plank/mary exercise while we wait for the Pax.

-Was my virgin Dromedary Q, but won’t be my last. Great group, Excellent AO.

-Hope the work out was beneficial. I enjoyed.

-Announcement: -Keep the family that goes to Forest Hill in your thoughts, they lost 2 children in a vehicle accident.

-Big thanks to Strawberry for taking us out.

 

Preblast: Devil’s Turn Track Week

Devil’s Turn is headed to the SCMS track this week.  We start from the 4-mile creek greenway parking lot at the corner of Rea Rd. and Bevington Place at 5:15 am.

The plan is to warm up for 1 mile, reset/synchronize watches, and then proceed into at least a marathon pace run for the rest of the workout.  Yep, hit the pace and hold it.  You will be glad you did.

Go to http://runsmartproject.com/calculator/ and input a recent race result.  Then go to the training tab and get your Marathon training pace.  Memorize it and then do it tomorrow for ~50 minutes.

Everyone should determine when to leave the SCMS track in order to run the 2.2 miles back to the parking lot by 6:10 am.

See you tomorrow in the gloom for some good, old fashioned, running.

P.S. This is also a great workout to get pre-tired for the first edition of Ghost Runner at 19:30 ABC Arboredum.  http://f3nation.com/2015/05/26/ghost-runner-2015-edition/

P.P.S. #Redpill would be to post at #DevilsTurn, then at #GhostRunner, then at #TheBrave. (~17 miles in 24hrs) Who will be the first to take this challenge?  Extra credit would be to post at Wed. AND Thurs. #LibatedCamel sessions in between.  The gauntlet has been set.

 

Flooding the Dry Dock

The SF was conspicuously absent…as was Young Love; but nevertheless, we planted the VSF and 13 pax embarked on another iron-sharpening trek across Anvil.

The Thang:

Jog to entrance of church off 51 and back over to lot near launch point.

COP

IW x 25 IC

Merkin x 15 IC

Squat x 20 IC

Jog to base of NF.  Plank up then partner up for the following:

Partner 1 runs up NF and around cypress trees and back down to base of NF.  Partner 2 does double-merkin burpees. Flapjack.

2nd round was same run but jump squats at base while waiting on partner.

3rd round, which was educational for YHC (more on that in Moleskine), was same run with partner 2 doing CDDs.

Run back up NF and around church to long lane.

Lunge walk doing 5 H-R merkins at each tree on lane – 4 or 5 stops.

High Knees & Buttkickers down the rest of the lane.

Jog to the base of hill at the edge of the pitch for the following:

Jacob’s Ladder (7’s): 6 knee-tuck jumps, Backwards bear crawl up the hill, 1 H-R merkin; 5 knee-tuck jumps, backwards bear crawl uphill, 2 H-R merkins, etc., etc.

Jog to pavilion

Peoples Chair w/overhead press x 25 IC

Run to rock pile near ballfield.  Grab a rock for the following:

Tricep extension x 13 IC

Squat x 13 IC

Bicep curl x 13 IC

Run back to launch lot for 6MoM

Slow flutter x 13 IC

Makthar Ndjiaye x 13 IC

Knee-Up x 13 IC

CCV x 13R & x 13L IC

LBC x 25 IC

COT

Ye Olde Moleskine:

Perfect number showed for this morning’s downpainment at Anvil.  13 is YHC’s favorite number.  Appreciate Scabby & Bout Time letting me team up with them on NF….also appreciate that they’re both great runners so YHC didn’t have to do as many burpees, squat jumps & CDDs.

Speaking of CDDs…apparently YHC has been doing those wrong for 3 1/2 years.  Champagne, aka Chief of the Form-Police Squad, called me on it.  When he got to the base of NF and saw YHC doing what I thought were CDDs, he asked, “What are you doing Hops?”  To which I, of course, replied: “CDDs”.  He said, “No you’re not.  Your legs should be straight.”  Never too old to learn a new trick…or do the trick correctly….or have a fellow pax call you out on bad form.  #accountability

Moving on.  During the work on the lane with high knees & buttkickers heading towards the pitch, Alf mumblechattered something akin to “Nothing like warming up 20 minutes into the workout.” A workout is not a workout without the Q catching some grief.

Speaking of grief…the Jacob’s Ladder incorporating backwards uphill bear crawls was brutal.  I say this not as a braggadocios Q but because even Lobster Roll appeared to be hurting.  So either it was, indeed, a grievous call by YHC…or Lobster Roll was sick or injured or both.  Definitely some modification going on that one though YHC saw no modification from Ickey on the hill – nice work brother.

Must be noted that Mermaid, site Q for Anvil (who’s the other site Q?), stopped as we made our way to the base of NF to do some maintenance work on the rockbed leading to the pond.  #conscientioussiteq  Can’t teach that stuff gents….

Fairly young crowd this morning.  Van Pelt as WD (respect) and only 4 other “non-hates” in the pax.  Glad Van Pelt & Champagne posted…..lest YHC would have been the least-hated…or something like that.

Anyway, it was an honor to Q the pax as it always is.  Thankful to be among you men this morning in the gloom.

Announcements:

#F3GhostRunner starts this Thursday evening at 7:30PM from Arbo ABC – preblast: http://f3nation.com/2015/05/26/ghost-runner-2015-edition/

BRR – probably still some openings?  If not, there will be.  Ping Turkey Leg if interested.

USMC MudRun – Saturday, Oct. 24th – if you haven’t done one – you should.  If you have done one – do another.  Ping Mermaid for details.

HDHH tonight at The Lodge – keep an eye out for @LibatedCamel tweet for details

 

 

It’s Official Now

21 men including 1 FNG shrugged off the long weekend with a solid 5.5 miles across the track and Rain Tree.

The Thang:

Warmup lap in parking lot and track

COP – IWs, lunges

Mosey to track for 100M dashes x8

Off campus mosey Rain Tree, out to Rounding Run circle.  One lap around the circle as a group

Pair up.  Partner 1 runs clockwise, Partner 2 runs counter-clockwise around circle.  When partners meet somewhere in middle, perform called excercise.  Turn around, run back, and meet your partner back at the start point, where you do the called exercise once again.  Called exercises included 15 hand-slap merkins, 20 partner derkins, 30 partner derkins.

Indian run back to school

Mileage: 5.5

Moleskine

  • So Fast Twitch is official now!  After two years being flagless, Fast Twitch now has its own shovel flag, courtesey of Alf.  T-Claps!   Not sure if Alf is angling for Haze’s job, but he sure did a great job on the flag and it is much appreciated.
  • Are pigs flying?   The meathead returns to Fast Twitch – and true to meathead ‘gear’ form, he arrived a running watch and headlamp! By next week he may arrive in running tights.  Not to worry High Tide, we’ll turn those arms into pencils in no time.  Great to see you out there again!
  • Welcome FNG Ironsides!  You picked a good one to start out F3.  Maybe we’ll see you up at Muthaship in the near future.
  • Rain Tree appreciates Spackler singlehandedly making sure all the neighborhood trees stay watered.  Maybe go a little easy on the pre-workout hydration?
  • Due to the split-circle exercise, your mileage may have varied today – looks like between 5.3 and 5.7 from the various twitter reports.   Either way, you should have had a decent run.
  • Purple Haze – great take-out brother.

Announcements:

  • Ghost Runner evening run, starting up this Thursday; 4-6 miles meet at Arbroetum ABC Store, 7:30; bring a change of shirt for 2nd F at Vinters afterward
  • F3 Dads starts in two weeks; Col. Francis Beatty Park, 9am Saturdays

 

Getting to the Higher Ground

10 PAX launched at 0515 from the Vine Restaurant at the Ballantyne AO for the weekly Speed Fest known as Swift.  We almost picked up 2 more PAX on the way.  Here’s what we did:

  • Exit Vine Parking lot South towards Stonehenge intersection.  Check on advancing Snow Flake to make sure he attends the right workout.  Turns out he opted for the Bagpipe PAX today.
  • 1mi warm-up from the Vine, down Hwy 521 on the Left Shoulder while avoiding huge flat bed trucks, ducking Left into the comfort of the Ballantyne CC, avoiding car screeching around the corner (turns out to be Frehley’s Comet), and turning Right on Ballantyne Country Club Dr.
  • 0.5mi of drills to include toe walking, heel walking, high knees, butt kicks, and bounding.  Mosey to the bottom of the hill on
  • 30sec Hard up the hill, regroup and mosey down, 30 sec Hard up the hill, regroup and mosey down, 1min Hard up the hill, regroup and mosey down.
    • Rinse and repeat with 1st 30seconds Hard in the set alternating between backwards run and bounding.
    • 4 rounds in all.
  • Last time reaching Higher Ground we went a normal pace OYO halfway, and then AYG to the intersection of Pound Hill Ln.
  • Mosey back to the Vine arriving around 0618 and the Bagpipe PAX finishing up COT.

Moleskin:

  • It’s been a while since we’ve done a pure Hills workout by going Hard just on the Uphill portion. The terrain of the AO has a lot of rolling that is naturally incorporated into most workouts, but focusing on the uphill builds strength that produces speed and endurance for the BRR.
  • Opting for the 30sec and 1min repeats gives nice even numbers instead of trying to get in 200m or 400m.  This hill was definitely long enough to go the full 400m, and it has the full effect of a long hill like Ben Nevis.  However, this hill starts out steeper and then is more gradual at halfway, but the wider running area makes it preferred over the sidewalk at Ben Nevis.  Only if it was a little closer and more accessible.
  • Backwards running and bounding thrown in to add some variety and a break from the 1min Hard uphill.
  • Strange Brew, Abacus, and Frasier heeded the call for the extra 15min 2nd F pre-run this morning.  Despite the preblast, YHC had some toe issues to work out and made it a few minutes “late/early” depending on the perspective.
  • Outback is coming on strong, really strong.  And this was without Mr. Bean in attendance.  Hmm.
  • Abacus is right in the buildup from Observer at last years BRR to this years Anchor Leg at the BRR.  Keeps putting the sweat out there.
  • When Frasier runs (aka “leads the running”), everyone else follows.  None more than Haggis nipping at his heels.  Despite Frasier’s extra arm weight #strengthtraining (should he wear something on the other arm so his shoulder on his right arm doesn’t get too big?), Haggis doesn’t gain an advantage other than knowing he didn’t leave anything out there.
  • HoneyBee was wearing the Mizuno Sayonara shoes as he pulled away from the PAX – what if he wore the Mizuno Inspire today – would quotes flow during every interval?  Maybe at DevilsTurn.
  • Wing Man and Hard Hat must have been talking Strava today, for they represented half of the PAX posting some results today.  Other notables were Strange Brew, Honeybee, and YHC.  Somehow, Honeybee holds every course record on Strava.  He must rerun sections on the weekend just to make sure.
  • Dolphin returned to the Swift PAX for another round today.  Still experimenting perhaps, but he was scoffing at our hill today while saying something about running this in his sleep during his last “flat” Ultra.
  • Where is #Gunny?

Announcements:

  • 3rd F “Timekeeper” will be building into the Summer break when PAX don’t have to rush back to wake up the 2.0s for school.  Meet at Einstein Bagels for coffee / food / AC!

Burpees-Go-Round (posted on behalf of Morning After)

Mosey to the start

Side Straddle Hops x20

Imperial Walkers x20

Merkins, 10, 9, (Freehly’s groans), 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

Mosey to the lake/wall

OYO – Dips x20, Jump Ups x20, Derkins x20, Squats x20

Rinse and repeat

Mosey to the next lot

Partner up – Burpees-Go-Round.  Partner 1 – 5 burpees while Partner 2 moseys, Partner 1 Sprints and tags on shoulder… Partner 2 gives 5 burpees while Partner 1 moseys – continue for 4 burpees, each, 3,2,1.

Partner pushes up the parking lot

Partner pulls down the parking lot

Bear crawl half the lot, crab walk the second half.

Repeat the Burpees-Go-Round, except this time, start at 1 and work up to five – nobody likes me at this point.

LBCs x50

Curb Inclined Merkins x15

Ab Toe touches x20

Curb Derkins x12

Mosey back to the lake and wall

Dips x20

Protractor for a solid minute

Dips again x20

Diamond Merkins x10

Mosey back to the start

LBCs x25

Diamond Merkins x10

Mason Twists x20

 

 

A little humid today – good work by everyone.  Credit to Brisket for naming of the Burpees Go Round… perhaps the start of a regular exercise – one can only hope.  Also congrats to Pulled Pork and Patch Adams – both with new babies this past week… not sure why they didn’t make the workout this morning.

Pebbles and F3 Fort invade Centurion

The Fort Mill clown car drove in, the virtual shovel flag was planted and around 20 Centurion regulars joined the Pebbles fan club for the weekly weekend downpainment at South Charlotte’s best/toughest Friday workout.

The Thang:

Jog down Little Avenue around to parking loat at corner of Johnston Road for COP – 100 SSH (I was concerned that was the only exercise Pebbles knew as we approached 100 but thankfully he moved on).   We also did some mountain climbers, merkins and maybe something else.

Count off 1-4, grab some extra gear Pebbles had stashed, and head down to the field.  Partners 1-2 use jump rope for some resistance running across field while partners 3-4 peformed four corners with pushups and squats at each corner of the field.  Rotate and complete the exercise.

LIne up on side of field for some suicides and gassers.

LIne up at base of ramp up to street for partner carry up to top and back down steps   Rotate so that each many carries partner twice (#Abacusisheavy).

A few minutes of Mary before jog up to shopping center at corner of Carmel and 51.  Run 3 trips around the stair ciruit with Merkins in between each round before heading back to launch point.

Naked Moleskin:

Great lead by Pebbles even though I feared we had a mutiny boiling when we got to 95 of the 100 SSH’s.   He made sure we worked all the major muscle groups and got in some good cardio. Not sure why we had all the plates but confident I’m glad we didn’t have time to use.

Nice to see the Fort Mill pax show up in numbers to support Pebbles.   That was extra pressure to deliver but Pebbles came thru.

Announcements – Too late as I posted BB after the Memorial Day weekend convergences.

 

Ghost Runner – 2015 Edition

107 Days until the BRR and time to start the double down training!

Starting this Thursday Ghost Runner will launch from the Arbo ABC at 7:30 PM.

The goal for this workout is to simulate the BRR and get used to training on short recovery times by running Thursday morning at Devils Turn on your own, run Thursday night, and workout again Friday morning.  It will also help train at hotter temperatures than we normally get during the 5am hour.

There are links below to set 6 mile and 4 mile routes which cover the hilliest portions of Raintree.  You may choose to modify with more or less mileage, but this is not designed to be your long slow distance run of the week.  The average BRR leg is just under 6 miles and this is planned to mimic a BRR scenario.

6 Mile route – http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/723568587

4 Mile route – http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/723571175

You don’t have to be running the BRR to join us.  Maybe you missed the morning workout and want to make it up, come on out.  #Radar.  Maybe your morning was busy at Meathead and you just really wanted to run, come on out.  #Brown #HighTide.  Maybe you hit HDHH too hard and couldn’t get out of bed in the morning #DoIReallyNeedToListTheObvious

As added incentive we will discuss the merits of double down training over a well earned draught or two at Vintner’s in the Arboretum immediately following (call it 8:30 to 8:40 for those of you who can’t make the running portion of the event.)  Bring a towel, dry clothes, and maybe some deodorant to make yourselves somewhat tolerable to the other patrons at Vintner’s.

The post workout at Vintner’s is a not so subtle ploy to drive attendance at the workout.  I don’t see any of the workouts ending at 0615 offering such and opportunity.

(Using the Swift and FT tags to hit the most likely attendees and until the Ghost Runner tag is live.)

-Alf