Familiar territory, dog bites, and other tales from the gloom
Date: 2025-10-09 AO: sparta Q: hoover , Orange Whip PAX: geraldo, ductwork FNGs: None COUNT: 4 Nan’taan Hoover decided to incorporate a speed ruck into Thursday’s Sparta workout. Consider it sort of a maiden voyage, not to take away from Sparta but as a shake-up to the usual routine. Geraldo HC’d for backpacking, a route was planned, and Orange Whip decided he wanted the challenge of lapping the ruckers. That’s pretty aggressive, (8 miles in an hour aggressive) but I respect the gauntlet being thrown down.
Ductwork started with a run but gave into the dark-side and joined the ruckers at the Sportsplex. We ain’t getting any younger. He did regale us with a story of dogs chasing him in Guatemala and rabies shots in the US. Remind me not to get bitten by a stray dog in the future. OW hung around but really wanted to get that run in and took off with promise that he would see us again on the route.
For the uninitiated, as OW and Ductwork learned this AM, a speed ruck is a sub-15 min/mile pace under weight. Pretty much a guarantee to be in Zone 2 for your heart rate as evidenced by Geraldo’s post-ruck stats on Garmin. To put it another way, this is MAF training without the ultra slow running. Build endurance and add resistance training into the mix. Increase the weight as you see fit. Expect more of this as the winter approaches and the addition of coupons.
Plus the Nan’taan has tunes.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: holiday party, can-can brew ruck, 10/28 is Sensei’s birthday and the Peak 51 crew is planning something, plus a sneak preview of a December CSAUP. More to come on that last one …
COT: Peak 51 Q, Slim Fast took us out
Ductwork started with a run but gave into the dark-side and joined the ruckers at the Sportsplex. We ain’t getting any younger. He did regale us with a story of dogs chasing him in Guatemala and rabies shots in the US. Remind me not to get bitten by a stray dog in the future. OW hung around but really wanted to get that run in and took off with promise that he would see us again on the route.
For the uninitiated, as OW and Ductwork learned this AM, a speed ruck is a sub-15 min/mile pace under weight. Pretty much a guarantee to be in Zone 2 for your heart rate as evidenced by Geraldo’s post-ruck stats on Garmin. To put it another way, this is MAF training without the ultra slow running. Build endurance and add resistance training into the mix. Increase the weight as you see fit. Expect more of this as the winter approaches and the addition of coupons.
Plus the Nan’taan has tunes.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: holiday party, can-can brew ruck, 10/28 is Sensei’s birthday and the Peak 51 crew is planning something, plus a sneak preview of a December CSAUP. More to come on that last one …
COT: Peak 51 Q, Slim Fast took us out
Variety show
Date: 2025-10-09 AO: sparta Q: Orange Whip PAX: hoover, geraldo, ductwork, Orange Whip FNGs: None COUNT: 4 Two started rucking, two started running, and we met up along the way.
Sportsplex loop of 4 miles. 6 miles for the run.
Met up with Peak 51 and had coffee afterwards.
Good convos and a great morning to be alive.
Sportsplex loop of 4 miles. 6 miles for the run.
Met up with Peak 51 and had coffee afterwards.
Good convos and a great morning to be alive.
Green Monster
Date: 2025-10-08 AO: wamrap Q: Alf PAX: Mile High, double_e, Alf, Orange Whip, O’Tannenbaum, Ledbetter FNGs: None COUNT: 6 A great day for a few laps around the Green Monster.
Uncle Leo was wrong, but so was I.
Date: 2025-10-08 AO: meathead Q: Unplugged PAX: voodoo, flipper, The Worm, Uncle Leo, high_tide, Pepsi, MARTA, Soul Glo FNGs: None COUNT: 9 Nine PAX posted to Meathead this AM for another session and lesson in Norwegian athletic training. In this episode YHC decided to do many things wrong, even when he was right. My round count down timer was off and wrong. I made up a new exercise when I called ‘racked reengage rows’….huh? Mind you, I wrote the dang gum spreadsheet and still called the wrong exercise.
Success was found when the workout was so terrible that voodoo kinda cussed me, which I count as a win.
On a sad note: Uncle Leo was wrong about a math thing….yes our very own meathead abacus was incorrect when he said π/4 was not 45 deg but 90 deg. I was wrong about so many things this AM and I had O2 dep due the workout that I did not question our trustworthy & proven abacus. However, after further reflection and review, 45 degrees in radians is actually π/4. #nerds. Please allow Leo time to mourn this strategic state of events. Let him have privacy with with his family and radian calculator.
Facts of note from the terrible AI playlist: – The best rock band from Colorado is the Lumineers.. flipper said…”hey, ho. I don’t agree with that” – Slipknot is a great name for a band from Iowa if you have every been in Iowa in the bleak winter. – Good Charlotte is from Maryland. who new. Nothing good comes out of Maryland.
As our #1 Duke fan (Krzyzewski) would say….let’s get to the recap.
WARMUP: The usual -SSH, swings, LSS, prying, sprinklers, around the world, arm circles
THE THANG: Norwegian 4×4 – 85-95% Max HR 4:00 -Snatch 30/30 (L/R) -Renegade Row 30/30 (L/R) -Heavy Good Morning -Rack Reverse Lunge 30/30 (L/R) Rest 3:00 – includes complaining and mumble chatter whilst doing carries-brisk walking, jog in place, etc-
Finish up with some carries, a little squatting, and a dash of presses.
MARY: Elbow Plank Glute Bridge – in part (l/r) leg at π/4 radians (AHEM) Superman, Wonder woman, Ironman 10 Merkins for flipper
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Prayers for Jokers fam. COT: YHC took us and the Anvil Crew out.
Success was found when the workout was so terrible that voodoo kinda cussed me, which I count as a win.
On a sad note: Uncle Leo was wrong about a math thing….yes our very own meathead abacus was incorrect when he said π/4 was not 45 deg but 90 deg. I was wrong about so many things this AM and I had O2 dep due the workout that I did not question our trustworthy & proven abacus. However, after further reflection and review, 45 degrees in radians is actually π/4. #nerds. Please allow Leo time to mourn this strategic state of events. Let him have privacy with with his family and radian calculator.
Facts of note from the terrible AI playlist: – The best rock band from Colorado is the Lumineers.. flipper said…”hey, ho. I don’t agree with that” – Slipknot is a great name for a band from Iowa if you have every been in Iowa in the bleak winter. – Good Charlotte is from Maryland. who new. Nothing good comes out of Maryland.
As our #1 Duke fan (Krzyzewski) would say….let’s get to the recap.
WARMUP: The usual -SSH, swings, LSS, prying, sprinklers, around the world, arm circles
THE THANG: Norwegian 4×4 – 85-95% Max HR 4:00 -Snatch 30/30 (L/R) -Renegade Row 30/30 (L/R) -Heavy Good Morning -Rack Reverse Lunge 30/30 (L/R) Rest 3:00 – includes complaining and mumble chatter whilst doing carries-brisk walking, jog in place, etc-
Finish up with some carries, a little squatting, and a dash of presses.
MARY: Elbow Plank Glute Bridge – in part (l/r) leg at π/4 radians (AHEM) Superman, Wonder woman, Ironman 10 Merkins for flipper
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Prayers for Jokers fam. COT: YHC took us and the Anvil Crew out.
stamping the lots
Date: 2025-10-07 AO: skunk-works Q: Mountain Momma PAX: lois, smokey, Spyglass FNGs: None COUNT: 4 WARMUP: Lois – lots of everything THE THANG: Stamp the lots. Upper lot – 3 squats, 3 Merkins, 3 thpp Catch me if you can to the lower lot Mushchamp the crew to choose the exercises MARY: Rounds of core between stamping ANNOUNCEMENTS: Blood drive? COT: Diego’s healing Spyglasses friend who’s 9 day old went to be with the Lord
Shadow Selection week 1
Date: 2025-10-08 AO: sacs Q: Roulette , PAX: wildturkey, Cheese Curd, geraldo, hoover FNGs: None COUNT: 5 WARMUP: Ruck up and walk to the football field THE THANG: Evolution Adkins – “Eye of the Tiger – 18 Down” Honoree: SFC Bennie G. Adkins, Det A-102, 5th SFG(A). In March 1966 at Camp A Shau, Vietnam, Adkins fought through a 38-hour battle and 48 hours of evasion, rescuing comrades, holding mortar fire alone, retrieving supplies under fire, and surviving 18 wounds. Standards: 5 Rounds of ● 18x burpees (ruck on) ● 18x 4ct mountain climbers (ruck on) ● 18x 4ct flutter kicks (ruck overhead) ● 18x 4ct American twist (ruck held parallel to chest and swung) ** Buy out 200m lunges (ruck on) MARY: 1/2 Mile ruck ANNOUNCEMENTS: Beer Mile Date TBD, Food Drive Ruck, Christmas party COT: geraldo took us out
Meat and Potatoes
Date: 2025-10-08 AO: the-maul Q: war_eagle PAX: SweetWater, teddyf3, super trooper FNGs: None COUNT: 4 WARMUP: Mosey to Target for warmup and stretches. THE THANG: Partner rock work at St. Matt’s. P1 does called lifting exercise while P2 runs to 3rd light and does called core exercise. Then flapjack. Round 1 – 150 curls and 10 dying cockroaches Round 2 – 125 overhead presses and 10 H2H Round 3 – 150 rock squats and 10 JLo’s Round 4 – Due to time everyone did 50 calf raises on curb with rock. Then 50 more calf raises on a curb while returning rocks…you know for good measure. Head back but detour behind Target for 10 merkins at each speed bump (6). Finish with 5 minutes of Mary.
MARY: Yep, throughout. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Innvergence this Saturday. 6:00 at The Bull Ring. If you have ever participated in F3 this is a good chance to have a voice in SOB. Beer and Burpees this Saturday. See SweetWater for details. COT: YHC took us out.
MARY: Yep, throughout. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Innvergence this Saturday. 6:00 at The Bull Ring. If you have ever participated in F3 this is a good chance to have a voice in SOB. Beer and Burpees this Saturday. See SweetWater for details. COT: YHC took us out.
Oh the places we will go!
Date: 2025-10-07 AO: falcon-crest Q: Hops PAX: Emoji, Fotomat, puddin_pop, Snuka, Slingshot, IHOP, high_tide, Erin Brokavich FNGs: None COUNT: 9 Emoji & Fotomat came in late, we kindly waited (shouldn’t have but we did) and then launched….. and then the Q started struggling. Need to make this F3 thing more of a habit! Yikes. Anyhoo, we went 2.25 according to someone’s Strava-compatible device. Stopped periodically for some Mary and towards the end for some reformed rock work at Hope church. Puddin’ was reminiscing about Oktoberfest’s of yesteryear. IHOP is heading to the Cotswolds (not Cotswold), Snuka will be heading back to Guatemala in late spring/early summer, Slingshot’s headed to Charlottesville, Emoji’s headed to California, Puddin to Atlanta…assume High Tide (ran in, by the way – T-claps), Fotomat and Erin are heading to work in/around the Queen City. I’m going somewhere…any ideas? Mumblechatter was good, not great; but the owl chatter during COP was outstanding. Announcements: much blood was letted at last Friday’s drive – T-claps to MARTA, F3 Vampire and all who gave. Christmas party 2 months from today (12/7) at Hops’ home. Hoover is dressing as the abominable snowman and Gloss as Santa. We all know who the elves are. Closed COT with a prayer that we would all have eyes and ears for the needs of others. And then meet those needs. There’s an old phrase for this: “Love your neighbor”. And the Greek word for love in this is an action verb, not a feeling. Have a good week, men.
The distance
Date: 2025-10-07 AO: fast-twitch Q: Alf PAX: Benny, Runstopper, deep_dish, Alf, hopper, Astro (Kyle Kirchhoff), turkey_leg, jet_fuel, marge, gummy, ductwork, geraldo, tuck, flipper FNGs: None COUNT: 14 Showed up to a crowd of men at Crunch reluctantly crouched at the starting line.
Completely useless disclaimer was given and off to Arbo View and Bon Rea.
Some circles. Some straightaways. Some mumble chatter.
A little stretch at the end with the 3 extra minutes.
Thanks to Astro for the takeout.
Completely useless disclaimer was given and off to Arbo View and Bon Rea.
Some circles. Some straightaways. Some mumble chatter.
A little stretch at the end with the 3 extra minutes.
Thanks to Astro for the takeout.
We’ll keep an eye on it…
Date: 2025-10-07 AO: bagpipe Q: Roulette PAX: Starch, wildturkey, F3 Elsa, kirby, Blue Tent, Hawkeye FNGs: None COUNT: 6 WARMUP: Mosey toward Brixham park, stopped for some standard fare SSH, IW, around the circle plank, mountain climbers THE THANG: kirby was doing his best to get free medical advice from Blue Tent So we started off with three rounds of three exercises to make good use of the benches at Brixham park 10x Dips 10x Step-ups 10x Derkin Carolina Dry Docks Then in honor of Hawkeye we did a little 4 Corners of Core work, 5 burpees in the center each time, Big Boys, Flutter, Pistol Preztel Crunches, and Plank-ups Back to the Benches for some team work, another three rounds Bench presses, split squats, incline ‘mericans Mosey to Sara’s YMCA 30 yard lunge walk, Cocaine Bear back Mosey to Loch Ness Wall sit, Low dips, Calf raises, Diamond Inclines Mosey Home, circling back for the six every 100 meters MARY: Flutter, Pretzel crunch, Dolly ANNOUNCEMENTS: Invergence this Saturday, Bull Ring, be there COT: Show up, do the work