Monthly Archive May 2022

New Spreadsheet, Who Dis?

That title is atrocious, and I apologize.  It’s Monday night and the words aren’t coming as fluidly as they usually do.  Anyway, today marked the start of a new kettlebell program for Swole/Meathead/Olympus and I was tasked with coming up with something.  With the exceptions of grilling meats, investment portfolios, and playlists, things rarely go well when I am in charge of them so hopefully this works out.  I picked elements from several MMA conditioning kettlebell programs I found online and did some tweaking to come up with a cardio endurance phase, a strength focus phase, and an explosive power phase.  Today was week one day one of the cardio endurance phase.

Warmup then straight into 5 minutes of alternating 20 swings and 10 merkins with the goal of getting as many reps as possible in the allotted time.  This quickly became an absolute grind, but that’s what endurance workouts are, and it was still better than running.

Next up was three rounds of single leg deadlifts x 5 each leg, 10 halos each direction, and 8 reverse lunges each leg.  The goal was to alternate lower and upper body while remaining in motion and blending strength with cardio.  It may not be perfect but it’s grounded in more actual science than anything the CDC has done in the past 2.5 years.

Over to the playground for 5 rounds of pullups x 5, merkins x 10, and swings x 20.  Watching Hoover and Turkey Leg do pullups on the children’s playground next to each other is quite a site.  It’s basically like a Humvee and a Miata lining up to drag the quarter mile, which at this point is probably the plot of the next Fast and Furious movie.

Finish up with some heavy carries and Mary.

This program is based on the principles of training for combat sports, and I would place the first iteration solidly in the welterweight division.  It had enough pop to make you feel it and smack you around a bit, not like those featherweights that buzz around and annoy the bejeezus out of you.  They may hit you 100 times but it’s basically like being smacked by a toddler.  There was enough motion to tax the cardiovascular system as well, so it wasn’t like a heavyweight bout where two huge lummoxes stand in the center of the ring and trade blows without much movement.  Don’t get me wrong though, I love when two lummoxes throw all boxing technique out the window and just hammer away at each other like Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in a court of law.

The playlist was a sampling of some of the greatest music ever recorded, and that’s not hyperbole.  I just wish we had more time so we could’ve got to more songs.  Check slack for details on a convergence next Monday for Memorial Day as Hoover has begun to put the info out there.  Preliminary decision was to hit Basecamp at 7 am with bootcamp and kettlebell options.  I never sleep well the night before a Q and the creative juices aren’t flowing with much viscosity this evening so I’ll wrap this up.  Mercifully the school year is coming to a close and vacation season is in sight.  Let’s get out there and have ourselves a summer.

It’s a Hard [Rock] Life for Us

Exactly a year ago I q’d a rock-themed workout at Da Vinci. Why not run it back??

Props to One Niner for the pre-run. Disclaimer and we’re off to the CFA parking lot for a warmup.

Rock Pile #1 (behind the auto shop, next to the apartment building)

  • 10 curls (in cadence) and 10 heavy humpers (air humpers with rock) x 3 sets –> Quizzical look from an innocent bystander as to why a group of men were circled up thrusting rocks in the air from their lower torsos
  • 10 ground pounders (in cadence) and 10 heavy freddies (freddie mercury with a rock) x 3 sets
  • To Failure: Curls, then ground pounders once you can’t do any more curls
  • Mosey doing 10 jump ups by the fountain, al gore and mountain climbers on way to next rock pile

Rock Pile #2 (nail salon parking lot)

  • 7’s with a rock: 6 merkins, bear crawl push the rock to the other side and do 1 squat with the rock, carry the rock back across. 5 merkins with right arm on the rock, bear crawl push the rock to the other side for 2 rock squats. Continue until 1 merkin and 6 squats. LBC’s with rock until the 6 is in.
  • People’s chair with rock overhead, bring rock down and then out in front with arms straight (in cadence), 10 flutter kicks with rock (in cadence) x 3 sets
  • Rocks down, take a quick lap around the parking lot. Realize that we don’t have enough time to make it to Rock Pile #3 (by the Montessori school), so stick with same rock pile for last set

Same rock pile, new exercises

  • 25 tricep extensions with rock
  • Play a little game of rock scissors paper: Choose a partner. Both in plank position. Play rock scissors paper. Each round: loser does 1 Rockee (burpee with a rock), winner does 1 Merkin. Stay in plank and play 10 total rounds. Every tie, both do a Merkin.
  • To Failure: Shoulder press, then flutter kick with rock press once you can’t do any more shoulder press
  • Mosey back to launch. Stopping for 10 merkins (in cadence) by AT&T parking lot while I scoped the 5k finish line to see if we could dash through it on our way back

Moleskine

  • One Niner nearly shattered the glass during People’s chair with a rock. Sigh of relief when he clanged that rock against the brick wall. Props to One Niner for the 2.5 mile prerun
  • This Omnicron’s first indian/native american/first nations run. Congratulations
  • Jerry World must have a twisted mind because he really enjoyed this workout. Probably more than I did, considering how sore I am feeling the day after
  • Gilbert wins the award for heaviest rock and consistently pushing for the most reps to failure, followed not far behind by Jerry World.
  • Teddy’s a silent killer at these workouts, save for the few gasps of exasperation towards the end of the workout. That’s when I know it’s been a good q.
  • Was hoping we could crash the 5k by going all-you-got through the finish line and douse each other in gatorade. Hopes were dashed when I realized we were running into hundreds of eager 5kers making their way from the finish line (in front of the new gym in Blakeney) to the starting line (next to Old navy). Not gonna lie, it felt very satisfying running against traffic, 5 minutes away from reprieve knowing that these suckers still had to run their own races that lay ahead of them.
  • Someone pointed out that Gilbert was the only one wearing an F3 shirt, so I guess we missed out on a marketing opportunity. Maybe we should just always work out with at least 1 SOB shovel flag..

Announcements/Prayer Requests

  • Memorial Day Murph at The Body Shop: Firestarter converging for that
  • YHC shared how important moments in COT are to our mental and spiritual well-being. Sacred spaces to ask for help, share burdens with each other and be grateful for the blessings we have
  • Pray for Kirby’s sister in law who was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in the mouth
  • Pray for my sister Rachel and her battle with bipolar. Pray for her husband Mike
  • YHC took us out in prayer

Where is everyone?

YHC pulled into the lot at Calvary this morning with about 5 minutes to spare and found Big League Chew and The Worm waiting for me. Considering my late arrival, I was perplexed by the paucity of the pax. Where are my regulars? Where is my co-site Q? Will SACS have more pax, leading to a text from Cheese Curd, taunting me? These questions would have to wait since I had a workout to lead. I was unloading my bells and chatting with BLC and Worm when an unfamiliar vehicle arrived and out climbed Grimes, son of Philmont.

Warm-up:

  • SSH x 20 IC
  • 10 swings
  • Windmills x 10 IC
  • 10 swings
  • IW x 10 IC
  • 10 swings

Main Event:

  • Racked squats – 4 sets of 3 per side
  • Heavy swings – 5 sets of 15 reps
  • Lawnmower row ladder – 4 sets of 3 per side/2 per side/1 per side
  • Heavy deadlifts – 5 sets of 10 reps
  • Upright rows – 5 sets of 15 reps (YHC realized that 12 would probably have been better here, but once you start, you have to finish)
  • Reverse sit-ups with bell anchor – 4 sets of 10 reps
  • Static Holds – :20 with bell(s) overhead, :20 with bell(s) racked, :20 with bell(s) by your sides for 3 rounds (4 for Grimes)

The End. COT with the Meathead pax that joined us as we wrapped up.

Announcements:

  • Functional Strength Challenge this Saturday at Olde Providence Elementary at 7:00. Max snatches in 5:00, max pull-ups, max deadlifts. Join us and test yourself. We haven’t been training for this event, so it will be a good chance to establish a base line.

Moleskine:

  • Thanks to the pax that posted this morning. The Worm is a regular and was attending his third kettlebell workout in a row after hitting Swole and Skunkworks. BLC was making his first post at Meathead in over 4 years based on my records. Grimes was making his second post of the week after joining us for Swole on Monday.
  • Since we’re between programs, I pulled the weinke together with a mix of exercises pulled from the KBOMG program we just finished. I tried to mix it up and give the pax a full-body workout without overdoing anything.
  •  The plan is to have a new program ready for Monday. I’ve outsourced spreadsheet creation, so you really can’t blame me for the next program! I hope you’ll join us in the gloom.

Welcome, Bulgarian Goat Bag!

15 burly men (including 1 FNG!) showed up at Covenant Day School this morning to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Area 51’s inaugural gear workout. To celebrate the occasion, Stone Cold and Horsehead invited High Tide and YHC to lead a kettlebell clinic.  After a thorough disclaimer, here’s what went down in the gloom:

Warm-up:

  • Obligatory SSH x 15 IC
  • Prying squat (coach through it and do ~3 reps)
  • Halo (3 each way)

Clinic Time:

  • The first exercise we tackled was the Big Daddy, the Swing. Almost every workout includes the swing and it’s the foundation of the other ballistic movements. YHC walked through the setup: grip the bell with the fingers, just above the meat at the top of your palm; bell should be in front of the pax, not beneath them; hike the bell back and use your hips to power it up to chest/chin level (we don’t do any American swings in F3). We then walked through a few exercises, including the hinge vs. squat movement – pretend there’s a wall behind you and touch it with your six, don’t squat in front of it. High Tide walked the pax through the long jump exercise (try it with a squat and a hinge – the distance is pretty much the same). We did a few reps and then High Tide brought out Dan John’s famous “Bulgarian Goat Bag Swing” exercise in which the bell is held by the horns against your abdomen and the hips are hinged. This was a crowd favorite and led to a lot of mumblechatter. This removes the arms from the equation so the pax can focus on the hinge movement. We also did some dead stop swings (parking the bell between reps), some 1-handed swings, and some 2-handed swings. We talked about the fact that the top of a swing is like a standing plank with your body rigid. Remember: “Hips drive, arms guide!”
  • Next up was the Clean. The Clean will get the bell from the ground to a racked position safely and efficiently. From there, you can press it, carry it, squat it, etc. Cues for the lean include keeping it close to the body, don’t overpower it so it slams on you, and think about rotating the bell around waist level. The bell should ultimately end up resting on the V formed by the elbow, arm, and chest, not on your shoulder. Your fist should be under your chin. This is the “rack” position.
  • Next was the Press. From the rack, with the bell below your chin, press the bell up. Keep the forearms vertical and don’t allow the elbows to flare out. Keep your lower body tight so you don’t leak energy (or noxious fumes). If you’ve got too much weight or you’re smoked, you can use the push press or the jerk to get a few more reps. These exercises allow you to use your legs to get the bell moving.
  • Everyone’s favorite squat was next – the Goblet. High Tide had the pax do 3 vertical jumps. Where your feet land naturally should be your approximate stance for a squat. He then had the pax squat down with their hands sliding down the insides of their legs. This was a tip he’d learned from StrongFirst instructor Dan John that may allow you to go lower into the squat than you originally thought possible. Some of the cues for the squat were: stay tall, sit between the legs, and to make sure the shoulders and hips move at the same time (don’t allow yourself to bend at the waist or lean forward and compress your shoulders toward your knees).
  • After walking through the goblet squat, the pax were encouraged to partner up with someone with a like-sized bell for some doubles work using the Armor Builder complex – 2 double cleans, 1 double press, 3 double front squats. The idea was to give the pax some experience with the heavier weights of doubles and to give them ideas of how they can use multiple bells.
  • The next exercise up was the High Pull. This is a good transition exercise between the swing and the snatch as it teaches you to pull the bell toward you, which is something you will do subtly while snatching. Some cues to remember: keep the forearm parallel to the ground when pulling, elbow the guy behind/next to you, and don’t hit yourself in the face with the handle.
  • The last exercise was the Snatch, which is a great cardiovascular and strength exercise. We started with the bell at the top and threw it at our zippers, playing chicken by hinging our hips at the last minute. Cues to remember: keep your grip loose – if you overgrip the bell, you’ll tear your hands up (true of the clean and high pull as well), give a slight pull around face level and then punch your hand through the bell so you meet it at the top – don’t let it swing over the top and slam on your forearm, and the bell should be locked out overhead at the end of the swing, not in front of you.
  • Next we did the Cook Drill to show the various carries that can be done with a kettlebell – waiter, racked, and suitcase. Add a second bell in the same or a different position to make it even more fun! Just because we don’t run doesn’t mean we can’t move!
  • We ended with a few rounds of the Voodoo complex: swing, high pull, snatch, clean, squat, and press. 1 time through with each side is 1 rep. We did a ladder up to 3 reps per side before running out of time. We’ll have to do the TGUs next time!

Announcements:

  • The 2022 Functional Strength Challenge will be held at Olde Providence Elementary on Saturday, May 21 at 0700. Max snatches in 5:00, max pull-ups, and max deadlifts. All are welcome! Come out and test your limits.

Moleskine:

  • Thanks to Horsehead and Stone Cold for their leadership of Skunkworks. As I mentioned above, it’s Area 51’s original gear AO and where most of us were first introduced to kettlebells. The workouts typically consists of stationary kettlebell exercises mixed with sprints, so it’s a great combination of strength and cardio. If you enjoyed today, start posting and sign up to Q! That’s what keeps these workouts we all love alive!
  • Thanks to High Tide, who prepared the weinke and knows more about kettlebells than just about any other pax in all of F3.
  • Welcome to our FNG Kyle, a/k/a Bulgarian Goat Bag. Horsehead basically named him during the workout and there was no going back. He’ll probably be introducing himself as BGB at future workouts, so be sure to ask him what it stands for!
  • It was great to see so many pax at the clinic, including some faces I haven’t seen in a while (ahem, Header and Funky Cold). #kotters Don’t be strangers!
  • If you want more professional guidance, please check out the StrongFirst YouTube channel or Dan John’s YouTube channel.
  • Please feel free to sound off below with any additional comments.

 

Sandbags and Fun Part 2

I have updated the 1/26/2018 back blast for todays workout.

15 5 men showed up to check out the new location for the hardest South Charlotte AO…..THE BRAVE.

The Thang,

Get in teams of 2 …since there is only 5 we will stay as one group. Be honest with yourself and your partner and get someone with similar speed.

Each team Grab 2 a sand bags (ranging from 40-80 40 and 50 lbs) and lets mosey.

Head behind the corporate buildings across from Brazwells “insert name of new bar” and run down the path stopping at each of 4 walls for 5 double merkin box jump burpees (Mermaid introduced me to this horrible exercise earlier in the week 4 years ago… Everyone thanks you).

Gather at the fourth wall and head to Room 101 (The parking garage hooked to the new Wells Fargo building). Head to the basement for instructions.

At each level one partner 2 pax will do a sandbag exercise and the others will do 10 burpees. The burpee partner pax are is the timer. keep doing sandbag exercises until he they are is done. Once complete run up to the next floor and exchange the bag. The other partner take turns and now someone else does 10 burpees while the new sandbag man men does the exercise. Repeato until you are at the top.

The sandbag exercises are as follows: Squat, Thrusters presses, and bent over rows.

We made it to the top and came down the stairs and did it all over again. From there we did the same exercises but down the ramps to level 4. At this point we were out of time and headed back to the launch site.

 

Old Moley..

I was impressed with the crew of 15 5 pax. There was no complaining about the sandbags and just a bit of good natured ribbing.

You never know how a workout like this will go. Will people give it there all. Will we be able to stay together…..

This group of PAX gave it there all. Everyone worked to encourage make fun of their teammate and the other teams everyone. As I was in the six most of the I didn’t get to hear a lot of the mumble chatter We stayed together and Here is what I know….

I am pretty Sure Thin Mint and Mario were out front killing it as always didn’t show up.

Fraiser and Haggis got in some second F and did some modification to keep some injuries from flaring up but pushed hard non the less didn’t
show up.

Nard Dog and Flipper kept going throughout the hour with one of Flippers large sandbags. They also dogged it just enough to not leave YHC to far behind. Thanks Fellas didn’t show up.

Mary Kay and Billy Goat must have been killing it, as I didn’t get to see them much. Great work fellas. Glad to have you at the Brave keep coming out didn’t show up.

I think these final pairs are correct…but correct me if I am wrong (lack of oxygen during the workout has my memory cloudy).

When I was able to catch Teddy and Tuck their form on the burpees and sandbag exercises looked to be top notch all the way through. Teddy mentioned his love for the Double Merkin Burpee box jumps and that he was hoping we would do some more as Mermaid didn’t give him enough earlier in the week four years ago.

Wingman and Turkey: both of these men were running fast and burpeeing (is that a word….It is NOW) faster. didn’t show up.

Bunker and Wild Turkey: I feel that bunker has a head made for sandbag workouts. They slide effortless over his freshly shorn skull. Every time I saw these men they were head down and pushing it. didn’t show up.

Tuck is now taking YHC’s place as one of the three Brave site Q’s didn’t show up and only runs now.

I would like to thank all of the men that have participated and pushed me at the Brave during my time as site Q, four years ago. I have seen many men, including myself, get better from posting at the brave week after week. I appreciate being given the opportunity to lead by Madam Tassauds and Champagne, who didn’t show up.

Frehley’s Comet did show up this time and we spent a lot of time talking about how much better and younger we were 4 years ago.

Picasso did show up and gave it his all. He has maps for sale if you need one.

Doc’a McStuffins’a did show up and said some things in an accent that I no longer understand. Good to see you out in the gloom.

Great group today and we had “fun”. Thanks all for playing along and letting me lead.

Announcements:

The Brave now meets at Brazwells “insert new bars name ” every week.

Select Each Image Containing a Skunk to Proceed

Pax:

Stone Cold, Smokey, Chicken Wing, MAD, Lois, Funky Cold, Horsehead

7 Skunks got CAPTCHA’d at the Ye Olde Covenant of Christ this Tewesday morn.

 

What happened:

  • Walking disclaimer
  • Run around the back – hide and seek with MAD
  • Modified Joker ™ no contact sets on the Beetlejuice turf playground – swingset abs, derkins, pullups – 3 rounds
  • Run up and down the big hill some with KBs at the bottom – thrusters, swings, etc . . .
  • Sprints on the lacrosse field with KBs at the end – swings, snatches, lawn mowers, I forget . . .

 

What didn’t happen:

  • Curls
  • Tricep extensions
  • KB Indian run
  • KB toss
  • KB Imperial Walkers
  • Wet butts in the grass

 

Moleskin:

It’s been a while.  Is this thing on?

It seems that backblasts have been deemed unnecessary for 2022, as shown by the A51 website.  Since being abandoned by the Wax Pax, the site now is updated about as frequently as Stone Cold’s MySpace page.  I, for one, don’t think that backblasts are unnecessary.  Especially when compared to truly unnecessary things like such as:

  • Raspberry anything
  • Road Cyclists (except you guys, yeah)
  • More than one flavor of BBQ sauce
  • Country w/ a rap interlude
  • Feelings
  • Kale
  • Fire Ants

Maybe it’s time to right the ship.  Bring back backblasts.  Text STOP to unsubscribe, but I think you guys are  missing out.

How else would you find out about Funky Cold’s discount Amazon knee brace with the gel donut insert or Smokeys uncircumcised winter beanie w/ matching oven mitts in 50 deg weather?   What about Stone Cold’s accusations of yours truly starting a Monday run workout for out of shape lubbers and never posting a single time for it.  BTW – check out the Chubby Hubby run, which allegedly meets on Mondays at the Old Bell lot.  Details are in the text thread that I silenced alerts on a few months ago.  Or how about all of the various frisbee injuries plaguing the Sardis Road crew?   I think they have a 50 percent survival rate at Joustbee these days.  I’m not seeing that reported anywhere else.  Just saying.

Anyways – we had a good time out there this morning.  Not too much of a good time, mind you.  I wouldn’t want to get reported to the Nathans by Cheese Curd for standing around.  We got after it.  Sweat was produced.  Hills were climbed.  Mistakes were made. Somebody palmed the top of my head during BOM and I was ok with it.

So get out there and work out with your friends.  Call up your old friends who don’t post anymore and get them back out too.  They’re missing out, and you are too.

We’re doing an intro to kettlebells next week to try and drum up some interest.  Come on out and take a spin.  We will have plenty of bells to share.  Lois has promised to do his Slim Fast voice impression for the first 8 participants.

 

Until next time

 

Your friend,

Horsehead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The real reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Let’s cut to the chase (or is it chaise?) here, Cinco de Mayo is about as much of a holiday as Administrative Professionals day.  No offense to any administrative professionals reading this backblast.  I’m sure you do an exemplary job of being some over-paid executive’s work spouse and/or legal guardian but to offer up a holiday to you and not to say first responders, teachers, and/or the dude stocking your groceries in aisle 11 is a bit of ball tap IMO.  But I digress.

Cinco de Mayo is not a real holiday, settled.  But we Americans are loathe to pass up an opportunity to appropriate someone’s culture, bastardize the hell out of it, and then somehow claim it’s about freedom and independence.  Yeah, well you put a man on the moon six times and all those countries using the metric system can suck it.  So what is the reason to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?  One word, losers.

Settle in for a brief history lesson here kiddos.  You see, back in 1858 two political parties in Mexico couldn’t get along.  They were named, wait for it, the liberals and the conservatives.  I shit you not.  Since these groups couldn’t get along, they decided the only way to settle their differences was through kumite civil war.  IMO, roshambo would have been a far more efficient way to get things done but what does a middle-aged white guy in America with the power of the internet know?

Getting back to it, wars are expensive and like any self-respecting country you take out loans you’ll never repay.  The post-civil war Mexican president placed a moratorium on Mexican debt payments after the civil war which upset the loan sharks known as Great Britain, Spain, and France.  All three converged on Mexico like a bunch of fat kids at an ice cream buffet.  Great Britain and Spain were cool with just getting paid later and worked out an agreement to that effect.  But France had a different idea.

Like the ole bait and switch tactic that Napoleon III used to go from being elected president to declaring himself emperor.  France stated their intentions were X and then decided to do something else.  Like invade a country with the intent to install a monarchy.  What could go wrong?

As one might assume, this went over about as well as the Q calling burpees at Hydra.

Enter May 5th, 1862 or Cinco de Mayo if you haven’t been following along.  France has gone from loan shark to invading army, with a fighting force now at the metaphorical gates of the city of Puebla.  The French general approached the city and, dismissing the opinions of his men, attacked from a weaker position. By mid-afternoon that day, the French fighting force at Puebla had exhausted all of their reserves, in both men and material.  The French general fled the battlefield by 4 PM that same day, having taken a beating so bad he would return to France in disgrace.

Therefore, Cinco de Mayo is not about Mexican independence, but instead about the French losing one battle to the Mexican army.

Losers.

But not the men of Hydra, no losers out there today.  No sir-ee.  Here’s what went down.

The Thang:

Warmup: IW, Merkins, Mt Climbers, Peter Parker, Parker peter, low slow squat

Run to the church, partner up. Grab one lifting rock for both of you
Partner 1: run the loop around the church
Partner 2: called exercise
Curls/Tricep Ext/Presses/Squats/Good morning

Go back to the school, line up abreast at the end of the parking lot just past the trees, on your bellies,
AYG to the other end
People’s chair, 25 air presses IC,
20 merkins
20 jump squats
Mosey back to the trees
We did this twice

Mosey back to launch for some Murray.

 

Mole-skine:

17 was the magic number and a good crew today.  It should be noted YHC flummoxed a perfectly regurgitated rehearsed disclaimer, and we had an FNG (poor guy).  Sprockets was also back in town #kotters(?).  YHC must have done something right during COP, because 100% of the pax did the first exercise.  Imperial walkers, but still it was 100%.  #winning

The nonsense at the church was a true time killer, but YHC also was able to AMRAP each exercise with the distance of the loop.  Either that or my partner was just slow.  Brandy and Foghorn were on fire today, lapping just about everyone of the pax.

Our FNG was named Marty.  After the actual Marty from Ozark because he’s a financial planner.  And I’m sure he launders money for the Mexican government cartel to keep the loan sharks French away.

Announcements:

  • Q Source Thursday and Sunday
  • Skunkworks is hosting an intro to kettlebells on May 17th, if you have little to no experience with kettlebells or want a refresher, head over to Skunkworks

Thanks to Cottonmouth for the take-out

#SYITG

 

 

 

 

Post credit scene:  Upon the return of the French general to France, he urged Napoleon III to withdraw from Mexico, cut losses and consider the dream of the second Mexican Empire dead.  Eventually, Napoleon III listened.  But only after 30,000 troops were dispatched, a puppet monarch installed, and the U.S. began providing political and military assistance to Mexico to expel the French (which meant we were about to go full Mike Tyson on a plane f*ck around and find out mode).  The installed monarch was eventually defeated, captured, and executed.  Losers.

It should be noted that this was the last time any army from another continent invaded the Americas.  Because, you know freedom and independence.  (and tacos)

Cleaning the Rat Traps

YHC arrived somewhat early…site Q Magoo was first in…not including the dude cleaning out the rat traps around SCMS.  Next on Mike Rowe’s “Dirty Jobs”.  Looked like the rat cleaner’s bucket was fairly full; apparently the deluge last night chased the rats into the traps.

Rousey was LIFO…after pulling into the wrong lot initially.   No disclaimer needed for the veteran crew.

Didn’t recognize Hammer’s vehicle…took him a while to disembark; though the 3 identical Clempson stickers across the back window were a dead giveaway.  Question for the pax: Have you ever seen just 1 Clempson sticker/emblem/etc on a vehicle?  I haven’t – it’s always 2 or more.  YIPTAY!

Anyhoo, we launched, and below is a bit of Thang but mostly Moleskinney.

COP at the daycare at corner of Strawberry/51.  Ironically named “Cadence”.  Speaking of Cadence:  exercise movements of the pax and Q should actually match the cadence.  Hence the name.  #freeadvice    Snuka, you listening?  #cadencematters  Counting cadence actually helps your breathing, too…true story.

We then headed towards Davie park, stopping for some pain stations along the way.  Thunder broke out the workout hankie.  It’s summertime, men.   Speaking of workout hankies – who else in SCLT employs such accoutrements besides Thunder & Frehleys?  Seems like Haze, Jet Fuel…maybe High Tide?  Others?

Did some burpees a few different times.  Also explained why wide-arm merkins are aka Larry Craig’s.  Don’t google it.

All were pushing hard.  Macarena was purposeful…as he’s getting married in 3 weeks!  Congratulations and God’s grace and blessings to you and your fiancée.

Limey was out front a good bit, sporting his John “Bluto” Blutarsky shirt.  Outstanding.

No idea how much ground we covered…probably 2.27 miles; did the aforementioned burpees and other stuff.

Also, reminisced about how stupid we were when we used to forage through the woods from SCMS to Davie Park.  I think Joker or Callaway started that silliness.  Yep, Callaway.  Remember him?  If so, call him and re-EH him.

Speaking of EH’ing….who have you not seen in a while?  Call him, too.  Generally not a good thing when a man fades from the pax.  Slow fades can be lethal.

Reminds me of an old Hebrew saying: “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”

Praying for all you men to draw near to God, and to pursue those that need friends and brothers.

Thanks to Magoo & Thunder for tapping YHC to Q.