#Backblast: 1st Stonehenge of 2016: Loch-Ness Laps and Logs

#Backblast: 1st Stonehenge of 2016: Loch-Ness Laps and Logs

On the 3 year anniversary of the Stonehenge site launch,12 men overcame the warmth of their fartsacks and New Year’s Day hangovers to make good on their 2016 fitness resolutions in some chilly 30 degree weather. YHC was given the keys to Stonehenge from MicCheck, and hopefully the complaint box doesn’t overfill once he gets back from the beach.  The focus of the workout was to increase grip strength, improve core muscles, and create some muscle confusion through the use of heavy tree logs (part of a 100′ Poplar tree that was dropped ion my property a week ago).  There was less running than normal, but all PAX members were faced with the individual challenge of how hard to push themselves (log choice, partner choice) and doing some new exercises (16 reps of each, for 2016).  As many of you will be doing OCR Races and Mud Runs in a few months, grip and core strength are very important elements to success.  Here is what the PAX did:

The Thang:

• Mosey over to parking lot south of Einstein Bagel for some warmup exercises.  First exercise: was “The Wave”which was intended to simulate the human wave at a sporting event, as a joke, but just ended ups being rather stupid (#failednewexercise). It was however, the easiest part of the workout though.
• 16 SSH in-cadence / 16 sky-humpers in-cadence / 16 broad jump burpees (jump forward & back) in cadence
• 16 ab-crunches + 16 full sit-ups while Partner #2 planks holding Partner #1 feet (Flapjack)
• Mosey to Lochness lake.  On the wall seating wall, do 16 single leg pistol squats for each leg
• Mosey to exercise trail for demonstration.  New exercise: ‘Toes to bar’ – PAX hangs from pull-up bar, and touches toes to the pull-up bar, like a hanging ab crunch)
• Start ‘The Lochness Mile’ which is a total of 3.3 laps around Lochness Lake. After each set of partners selected a log, weighing anywhere from 25-67lbs, Partner #1 carries/runs log of choice around lake (grip). Meanwhile, Partner #2 runs to pull-up bar for 8 pull-ups & 8 toes to bar hangs (abs & grip). Run back to intercept Partner #1 carrying log. Before flapjack, both partners perform 16 dumbocrats each (8 derkins legs on top, 8 derkins legs on bottom, both partners pushing, Flapjack)
• In the open grassy area, Partner #1 performs 16 ‘Al Gores’ with the log, which are deep slow squats bear hugging the log, while Partner #2 does Russian twists (flapjack)
• Partner #1 performs 16 standing rows with log, back straight to eliminate injury. (log touches ground, log touches chest) while Partner #2 does laying straight leg toe touches (flapjack)
• Partner push to second tabletop (flapjack)
• Partner pull to second tabletop. (flapjack)
• Partner fireman’s carry to second tabletop (flapjack)
• Partner wheelbarrow to first tabletop (flapjack)
• Log throw to partner 16x each
• Finally ended with the log push-up pyramid (Partner #1 performs 1 merkin with one hand on the log while Partner #2 rests (flapjack).  All the way to 10 and back down to 1, switching hands. 100# total
• Ruck log back to the Vine Restaurant.

Moleskin:

STRONG effort from ALL the pax, and YHC truly appreciated the PAX willingness to bear with me and go with the flow on my virgin Q.  This workout was not easy, and was probably made for the likes of meatheads @Pebbles, @Loogie, @MadameToussads, @MightyMite (next time fellas). A few observations….

• WildTurkey, fresh off his holiday vacation, was ready to go.  After crushing a 12 mile run with the M a few days ago, he had called out @Mario on Slack, and forced @Mario to head out of town to a Hello Kitty Convention just to miss the workout.  WT did not disappoint, and was pushing hard as evidenced by the many bark stains on his bright yellow jacket post-workout.
• T-claps to Wild Board for posting.  Not sure he would have, if he was told ahead of time he would need to partner-carry FNG AstroVan ~230lb across the field. But as them pastors say in church, “You got to rise up!”
• If YHC saw correctly, Market Timer and Lex Luther looked like a Financial Regulator and Marvel Avenger were chasing them (respectively) as they were the only two PAX seen RUNNING with their large logs around Lochness (#thatsoundsweird). Something about the fact that they grabbed two of the heavier ones, probably incentivized them to move faster to end the pain. Tremendous work fellas.
• Frehley’s Comet hung toe-to-toe with partner JRR Tolkien the entire workout, and set the tone for 2016 by choosing the 57lb log and showing that his old man strength is still a force to be reckoned with.
• Dolphin was heard repeatedly complaining (#shocker) that YHC should never be allowed to Q again, while he was pounding out the log pushups.  Meanwhile, he was ahead for most of the workout. Some people just can’t be satisfied… #dolphinistheman
• Paper Jam had a serious look on his face, as he put in the work this morning… YHC is hearing rumblings that his VQ is coming up next, which maybe put him in a mood. Or it was the fact he wasn’t very pleased I cut down his friend the poplar tree. Hey man, it got struck by lighting, not YHC fault!
• Honey bee claimed Haggis in the parking lot as his partner once a partner workout was declared, thinking maybe today was a running workout. Knowing the workout (strength not running), YHC did not think this a good idea, but waited to see how it would play out.  Well, everything seemed to work out, since Honey Bee chose the 52lb log… Or wait, was it the 25lb log to carry (#lightestlog)? Maybe it’s my recent Lasic surgery but that log looked like a overgrown twig! Maybe YHC should just shut up, because Honey Bee runs 3hr marathon #dropthemicrophone.
• Haggis, fresh off a second place trail finish did his usual dominating of the workout, in short sleeves no less. YHC did not take ‘The Stone Man’ Haggis recommendation to throw the heavy logs over your shoulder, 1) mostly for injury reasons and 2) most of us were raised playing video games in the USA, not hauling stuff on a farm in rural Scotland
• Bevo looked more like an ox than a longhorn out there as he was making the nearly 60lb log look like it was weightless.  We’ll use settle on ‘Beast’ rather than a specific animal, especially given the sounds of intensity coming out of the man on the Lochness mile.
• FNG AstroVan made the trek all the way from Charlotte Motor Speedway down to Ballantyne for his first post (was first to arrive at workout as well). The guy has lost more than 60lbs in the last year or so, which is amazing.  Looking for great things from him in 2016, and look forward to seeing you post next time!

It was a pleasure to lead this group for my virgin F3 Q, sorry it took so long, but hopefully the writeup was worth the wait. Great effort again fellas and I hope you’re all sore!

Announcements:

• F3 Metro Muthaship Monday (1/11/16: 5:15am to 6:15am) – JRR Tolkien has the Q (shameless marketing plug). Would love to see some fellow Area 51 representation at the Muthaship (12 story parking deck Uptown) for one of the hardest workouts F3 has to offer, with/against the Metro’s top talent. Take yourself out of your comfort zone, and show up once to take your workout to the next level! Contact me for details.
• Joe Davis Memorial Resolution Run next Saturday 1/9/2016 (10k @ 8am / 5K @ 8:05am) … help A51 repeat as F3 Region Champs (top 5 scores count).

#stonehenge / #F3stonehenge / @JRRTolkienF3 / @F3Area51 / @F3SOB