Soggy Track Work
Today Horsehead turned 40. He didn’t do 4o burpees. Didn’t even really seem to entertain the idea for a second when it was mentioned before COT.
So this was my first Q at Base Camp. Always a good steady group of guys out there and this morning was no different. 5:30 Disclaimer was followed by a short mosey around the parking lot and circle of for COP.
SSH x 15 IC
IW x 15 IC
Alternating Lunges x 15 IC
Romanian Dead Lifts x 10 each leg OYO. This was for Geraldo, because these are so much more fun with a ruck on. Plus I like doing them.
Merkins x 10 IC
Plank Jack x 10 IC
The Thang:up
Mosey down to track. No moon, no stars, heavy fog, extra dark and wet track. Perfect.
Lunge walk 50m and mosey to the corner. 10 Jump Squats. Run to next corner, 10 CDD, Run to next corner, 10 Heels to Heaven, Run to next corner, 10 Merkins, run back to start. LBC’s while we wait on the six.
Repeat track loop with 15x each exercise. Then 20x and then 25x for the last round. Did Flutter’s, Freddy Mercury, and other assorted Mary while waiting for the six after each loop.
Lunge walk 50m and run back up to Semi-Gloss’s office.
People’s chair with 30x Air Presses IC. 10 Donkey Kicks. Repeat
Mosey down to baseball bleachers. 3 rounds of 10x step ups each leg, 10 dips, 10 supine pull-ups.
Head back to the office for another round of People’s chair with 30x air presses IC.’
Circle up in the lot for Dolly, Old School Sit Ups and a 10 Burpee closer.
Done.
Moleskine
A great way to start off a Monday morning. Hammer strolled up on COP 5 minutes late. Good thing we didn’t go far! Chin Music read the weather forecast for this past Saturday morning and dressed for sub-30 degree weather. He was still fast out there. Abba was hauling around the track leading on every lap. Geraldo kept a nice steady pace with the ruck even after hitting the Ruck half marathon just 2 days ago. I believe it was Windex who had to drop some weight 30 minutes into the workout. Maybe it was the People’s Chair that got things moving.
Thanks to Goonie and Drano for leading a solid AO and allowing me the opportunity to Q.
Thanks to Insomniac for the solid takeout.
-Alf
Announcements:
Joe Davis Run signups – See preblast
Area 51 Christmas Party – Seaboard in Downtown Matthews on Friday 12/8. Sign up via pre-blast.
Charlotte Marathon Relay – SPEED FOR NEED – FINAL PREBLAST
PAX –
This weekend is it. Charlotte Marathon Relay with SPEED FOR NEED. Tolkien has been putting in extra hours (is that even possible?) getting 20 riders and runners ready to go. The weather is clear but a bit chilly.
We encourage all co-running, co-pushing and cheering on the course for any and all legs. There will be four chariots and teams at various but similar paces. We have estimated the times at each EZ. A lot of effort and planning has gone into this, but like all Marathons, S#!+ happens on the course that may impact timing. As pushers we have committed first and foremost to the safety and enjoyment for the kids, sometimes that takes extra time.
ORIGINAL PREBLAST BELOW
On Saturday November 11, SPEED FOR NEED and F3 Nation will be pushing the most riders ever in one day! 20 WW2 veterans (95-102yrs old) will be honored on Veterans Day, along with kids and others without the ability to run themselves will be joining us to run the Charlotte Marathon Relay.
For those who don’t know, the marathon relay is a 5 leg relay race covering the entire 26.2 mile marathon course. The legs are ~4 to ~6 miles long and have fixed transition areas along the course.
SPEED FOR NEED will start off the race with a Rider in each of the 4 Chariots and at each transition will change runners and riders. The initial teams have been set and captained by Bratwurst, Scabby, Subway, and Alf. In some cases other relay teams or single runners will be running along side the SPEED FOR NEED racing chairs. All are welcome to sign up and join. We expect each of the chairs will be moving at different paces as well.
You don’t want to miss Charlotte’s biggest day of racing and the biggest day for SPEED FOR NEED participants. If you need some inspiration watch a few of the epic Youtube videos posted of past races and events:
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrkevinmyoung
How can you support?
- Run with us
- Run with us and carry a shovel flag
- Cheer us on from the sidelines
- Give the kids a high five as we pass and let them know how awesome they are
- Thank our Veteran riders for their service to this country on Veterans Day
- Bring friends, family and other F3 brothers to run or cheer
- Send JRR Tolkien or Scabby names of kids in your community who can participate as riders in this or other events.
Sign up and official event details here: http://runcharlotte.com
A huge thanks to JRR Tolkien for his tireless efforts and leadership to the cause #HIM.
-Alf
Area 51 Christmas Party 2017!
Who can believe it’s already November and time to start locking down the Christmas event schedule. While I wish I had the ability to share a dry, witty pre blast (see Ickey Shuffle) it ain’t going to be that good. What you will get are all the details on how to join us to have a great time.
Area 51 will be hosting the Christmas party at Seaboard in downtown Matthews! It should be a great event to enjoy some fellowship with the guys you have been working out with all year without actually having to workout. And you get to bring your M with you so she can meet the guys with all the funny nick names that you talk about.
The Date: Friday, December 8, 2017 at 7:30 PM. You have nothing better to do that night.
The Location: Seaboard in Downtown Matthews. You all asked for something relatively close with the ability to Uber in an out should you need to. We got that.
The Alcohol: Cash bar – the venue serves all the wine and craft beer you and your M can pay for. Just drink responsibly and tip your bartender. Plus they are supposed to start brewing their own beer in the back building this month!
The Food: We will have hors d’oeuvres covered. If you would like more you are welcome to bring in any food to Seaboard and there’s a chance of a food truck or two out front if the weather is decent.
The Price: All that for $20 a person! (That’s $40 a couple for you math majors) Just go pay our PayPal account and note its for the Christmas party, your F3 Name and M’s name should she be joining you.
PayPal link: paypal.me/F3Area51 (This will show as Keith Hendrix)
Or use email address: area51bizq@gmail.com When you send the money, use the Friends & Family option to avoid additional fees from PayPal.
The Dress Code: Plan on Snappy Casual or Festive or Just NOT your smelly workout gear. It’s a bar in downtown Matthews, so don’t over do it, but at least try to make an effort not to embarrass your M. For some of you that may be too late, but try anyway.
Also: This party is different than the SOB party (which is on Sat 12/16). It’s OK if you are an A51 guy and come to Seaboard. It’s OK if you are an SOB guy and go out to the Barn. It’s also OK if you are ambiguous, like Devil’s Turn, and want to go to both parties. Just don’t go to neither.
Sign up, Pay up, Talk it up, and HC or ask questions below.
-Alf
You got duped by a tweet
15 Men showed up at Anvil this morning. Based on the Twitter exchange some may have had a weird curiosity about how this morning was going to play out. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a standard Anvil beatdown.
Mosey around lot picking up Abba, his toboggan, and oversized windbreaker rated for 20 below. After about a quarter mile circle up in one of the hectares that make up the Calvary parking lot.
COP: 20 SSH IC, 20 alternating lunges IC, 20 merkins IC, plank work, 20 Mountain Climbers in cadence.
The Thang:
Mosey to the Rock Pile near the front of the Church and grab a lifting rock. Head up to the long straight parking lot along 51.
- 3 sets of 15 curls and 15 goblet squats. Run to other side of lot and back.
- Plank work
- 3 sets of 15 triceps and 15 good mornings. Run to other side and back. On the way out drop down and each median on to chest and back up. (Burpee like, but not burpee)
- Plank work
- 3 sets of 15 OH Press and 15 Teabag squats. Run to other side and back. Drop down to chest and back up going out and coming back.
- Plank work
- 3 sets of 15 lateral raises (on six) and 15 flutter presses. Run to other side and back with 3 jump squats at each median.
- Plank work
Carry rocks overhead back to rock pile.
Zigzag way back home with 15 merkins followed by cross parking lot sprints.
Mary – Cumberland County Viaduct – for hops and some Freddy Mercury.
Done.
Moleskine:
A great morning to post. It was cool with no wind and a great group of men all pushing hard during the workout. There was some chatter with McGee and Snucka on the Southern Gentlemen/Northern Aggressor plank work. Maybe you southern gentlemen need to go ask your great great grand pappy who kicked who’s butt in the Civil War. Rachel, McGee and Mermaid were flying up and down the parking lot all morning with Snucka not far behind. Runstopper was mostly blinded by the fogged up glasses or no glasses. But he did have a headlamp for those dark corners of the the Calvary lot. I am pretty sure Ickey skipped out on all of the chest to ground work as it too closely resembled a Burpee which I hear he is not doing in October. Good thing November is coming soon.
I will have to give the proper Respect status to Snucka and BOG in the Backblast here as the new format does not let me call them out in the PAX tag list. Maybe we can get that to a permanent designation on their tag?
Thanks to Hops for the takeout. Always well done.
-Alf
Announcements:
F3 Golf this Friday.
A51 Christmas Party on Friday December 8th at Seaboard in Matthews. Stay tuned for details.
Charlotte Marathon Relay: SPEED FOR NEED Style
On Saturday November 11, SPEED FOR NEED and F3 Nation will be pushing the most riders ever in one day! 20 WW2 veterans (95-102yrs old) will be honored on Veterans Day, along with kids and others without the ability to run themselves will be joining us to run the Charlotte Marathon Relay.
For those who don’t know, the marathon relay is a 5 leg relay race covering the entire 26.2 mile marathon course. The legs are ~4 to ~6 miles long and have fixed transition areas along the course.
SPEED FOR NEED will start off the race with a Rider in each of the 4 Chariots and at each transition will change runners and riders. The initial teams have been set and captained by Bratwurst, Scabby, Subway, and Alf. In some cases other relay teams or single runners will be running along side the SPEED FOR NEED racing chairs. All are welcome to sign up and join. We expect each of the chairs will be moving at different paces as well.
You don’t want to miss Charlotte’s biggest day of racing and the biggest day for SPEED FOR NEED participants. If you need some inspiration watch a few of the epic Youtube videos posted of past races and events:
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrkevinmyoung
How can you support?
- Run with us
- Run with us and carry a shovel flag
- Cheer us on from the sidelines
- Give the kids a high five as we pass and let them know how awesome they are
- Thank our Veteran riders for their service to this country on Veterans Day
- Bring friends, family and other F3 brothers to run or cheer
- Send JRR Tolkien or Scabby names of kids in your community who can participate as riders in this or other events.
Sign up and official event details here: http://runcharlotte.com
A huge thanks to JRR Tolkien for his tireless efforts and leadership to the cause #HIM.
-Alf
A hit and run sort of a workout
Pulled into the dark DMZ lot around 5:24. One-Eye and Pothole still in their cars, looking like they were about to get out to get the day started. PAX started flowing in by car and on foot. Then about 5:28 tires get locked up, horns start blasting, that heart sinking sound of rims grinding against the sidewalk. Luckily no cars touched and no one was hurt (not that the guy who caused the drama stuck around to find out)
With the drama behind us 13 PAX were disclaimed and mosey down Camila to the middle school. Several comments about potentially running into Camp Gladiator. Seriously, if you know a man doing this, you need to EH him right away. If he still has the need to part with $125+ a month, I can recommend several well meaning local charities and shelters. Or the Kirk & Bushwood family college funds. I think between them they have 47 children. I don’t know. I lost count. I think the 5th kid is free at UNC, plus there are tons of available seats at UNC home football games. I think the recycling center will pay more for that ticket than stub hub. #ShotsFired.
Anyway – great to see Kirk back out after the newborn, glad all are doing well. He still started out hot and won the first lap on the track.
So back to the mosey down Camila. We did that and circled up in the well lit parking lot for some Squats, IW’s, and lunges.
Everyone grab a line in the parking lot and plank. 10 merkins, civilian count, plank walk left. 9 merkins, plank walk right. Keep repeating until 1 merkin. Shake it off and mosey over to the track. At some point here Aqua Fresh chooses the correct path and after coming in late joins the PAX. He still owes us 15 Imperial Walkers – slacker.
Hop the fence onto the track because it’s too dark to see the open gate 30 feet away. Stand around for directions. Run 400M then do 5 burpees, (Here’s where Benefactor pulls his best Chelms impression and starts to take off early, we hold him back) then run 300M and 10 burpees, 200M and 15 burpees, 100M and 20 burpees. Some plank work then mosey back to the start.
A few rounds of peoples chair, with air presses then foot raises. Mix that in with step ups/dips/derkins.
Back to the track for some mary: Freddy Mercury, Heels to Heaven, Flutter, LBC.
400M dash around the track with 20 burpee finisher. Plank for the six.
Mosey back to front parking lot and plank on a parking line. This time 5-4-3-2-1 CDD’s in cadence with a plank walk left and right in between.
Head back to launch passing the fire truck and ambulance on Camila. Nothing to see here.
Back to launch for some more mary (flutters and protractor) plus more burpees because, why not.
Moleskine:
Solid group out there hanging tight on the track sprints. Hannibal said he hadn’t done a boot camp in a while and not much since BRR. I am sure he will feel this in the morning. Bout Time and Rachel were crushing the track/burpee combos and didn’t seem to be breathing that hard.
My last Q at DMZ was 16 degrees so this was a solid upgrade and we didn’t have to run 5+ miles to keep from freezing solid. I don’t get up this far much, but it’s always a good crew and mix of Metro/A51 Pax. Solid leadership from One-Eye and looking forward to see what Aqua Fresh brings to the mix.
Sign up for Isabella Santos race this weekend
Sign up for F3Golf.com on October 27.
Thanks to Semi for the solid take off as we prepared to embark from the lot.
-Alf
That time we did burpees after running up a hill
15 men posted at Fast Twitch this morning (See Haze – I listed the workout). They all did this despite my promise of awesomness at the workout. I am certain all were pleased with their choice to attend.
Disclaimer given. Notice that if you got lost to stay where you are and we will come find you. Just like your mom used to say when you went to the department store.
Clock hit 0515 and we rolled out down Strawberry Ln.
Stop towards the end for some imperial walkers and low slow squats with inside voice cadence count. Head on down from there to the bottom of the Coburn halfpipe.
The Thing:
Partner up with like speed. P1 runs one way to the stop sign, P2 runs the other way to the stop sign. At the stop sign P1 does 10 Romanian Dead Lifts each leg. P2 does 10 burpees. Run back to the middle for 10 handslap merkins. Flap jack. Continue this with increasing counts of RDL’s and burpees of 15, 20 and 25. Everyone was super excited about doing all those burpees. Pretty sure no one grumbled a complaint.
Muster back at the bottom of the hill when everyone finishes for some plank work. Head back towards school. Stop when we get to Strawberry Ln for some mary while we wait on the 6. LBC’s and Protractor.
Head back towards school but stay straight when everyone wanted to go left into the parking deck. Settle up at the speedbump by the Pre-School.
Slim-Fast claims it’s 400M from this speed bump down Strawberry until the 2nd speedbump you pass. We sprinted it. Once down and once back. Was going to do a few more, but traffic was a little hectic at that hour. Apparently RFYL runs out of water in all 7 bottles they carry and bolts right after 6pm to refill.
Mosey into the lot for a few more 100M sprints to kill the last few minutes.
Moleskine:
Solid crowd of Fast Twitchers this morning. The tandem of Rachel and LaRonda were cruising around Coburn. Might be the combined 3 lbs of body fat they share. Haze started out claiming he wasn’t doing the 25 burpees and then put on his big boy pants and did them anyway. A few others shameless and needlessly audibled to LBC’s and poetry recitations. Not saying who that was but it might rhyme with Mummy and Force Fred.
Benny, Fault Line, Run Stopper and One-Eye weren’t far off the lead. I think Runstopper was making up time on the burpees (t-rex style). Good to see Fireman Ed getting some work in. After all we launch like 300 yards from his house, no real good excuses. Hopper and Fault Line argued over who was older. I think they took out their dentures and compared them to see who had the most rings on them.
Announcements:
Sign up for F3Golf.com on October 27.
Sign up for Isabella Santos 5K on September 30. ($5 off with code AGENDA) <—– You can thank Dear Abby and the CLT Agenda for that.
Convergence on Wednesday with Death Valley and Anvil at Cavalry Church. Come for 1F at 5:30 and some 2F/3F at 6:20 to 6:50.
The October schedule of Fast Twitch is going to be solid with Q’s by Turkey Leg, Thin Mint, Rachel, Fraiser, Tolkien, Usain Bolt, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Carl Lewis. Some of those are true. Come and find out.
Thanks to LaRonda for the takeout.
-Alf
AYG to CLT Catholic and back
23 men gathered in the gloom for a “lazy Q” per Semi Gloss – who admittedly through down about 10 merkins last week to spice up his AYG horseshoe and dead stinkin’ fish repeats.
The Thang:
Run – AYG to CLT Catholic and to the top of the parking deck and home. Get as far as you can and turn around at 28ish minutes.
Moleskine:
This was Mermaid’s brainchild and the 3rd time I have done it. Never gets easy.
Tolkien took off like he stole something. Bout Time, LaRonda, Hairball, Purell, Rachel, Lorax and YHC kept together on the way out (not so much on the way back) and Brady was right behind going through the parking deck. At about 2 miles in I remarked that someone should break from the Peloton and chase down the leader in the Yellow Jersey. Then I sort of felt a little bad for the racist undertones of the comment considering Tolkien was the leader. And he was shirtless. And well, he’s Asian. But then I googled it and according to this Wikipedia map, he’s Yellow. Then I felt better, because if you can find it on the internet a) it must be true b) It’s not racist and c) People from Greenland, Alaska, central Australia and Siberia apparently have no race.
Public Domain, Link
Anyhow, it’s hard to say what everyone did out there, but Strava shows some strong times. Gummy thinks Haze is on PED’s. Retread and Benny put in a strong run followed closely by the Callonwood neighborhood duo of Fault Line and Pop Tart (who I think made it through the whole workout without pooping)
Good to see Hairball and Rock Thrill out again. That baby takes up a ton of time Hairball, mostly when you should be sleeping. Congrats again!
Sign up for Golf
Sign up for Isabella Santos and Speed for Need
See me for CLT Marathon S4N relay race.
Thanks to Tolkien for the takeout.
-Alf
Hump Day Humpers
15 men posted at Anvil this morning looking for their hump day beat down (including the monkey humpers).
Haze was there first. He drove. He lives half a mile away, but in his defense, it’s all uphill. The Wall lives in the same complex and rode his bike in. A safe, easy ride except for the last 10 feet of parking lot where he almost met an untimely demise on the grill of Wolfman’s car.
5:30 bell rings and all are in safe. Disclaimer – Check.
Mosey.
COP: Merkins, SSH, Wide Arms, Lunges, CDD, and Low Slow Squats.
The Thang:
Mosey to hot box for 15 dips and 15 incline merkins
Mosey to rocks for 15 bent over rows and 15 OH Presses
Head around to entrance 4 (I think). Pass by the nice little hill that has been off limits since I Q’ed there a year or so ago and some guy, who couldn’t drive a stick, got stuck on the hill and couldn’t get in gear so he complained to #Management. Keep going around down to concrete barrier for 15 old school situps and 15 heels to heaven. Plank for six.
Down to base of North Face for 15 Jump Squats, up North Face, & hump 15 monkeys.
Hang a right down to that entrance on Rea. 15 Burpees.
Backwards run ~100 yards back up hill, and head to picnic tables. 15 split squats each leg and 15 derkins
Bust it back to hot box and wall sit until the six arrives.
Repeat that whole thang on your own pace with 20 reps of each exercise.
Air Presses x 80 IC while doing wall sits and waiting on everyone to finish the lap.
Head back to rocks for 20 curls and 20 tricep presses. AYG around to North Face and then back to launch. 5 burpees because we had 30 seconds left.
Moleskine:
Site Q McGee was happy because the workout contained Burpees, Monkey Humpers, and Jump Squats. Does life need any more than that? He was unhappy with the fact that Rachel kept leaving him in the dust. Brilleaux and Lorax weren’t far of the leaders pace and pushed hard. Scabby showed during COP (surprise!) and ran well. McGee is still looking for him to do those 100 burpees completed before he arrived. Snuka, our sole Respect, smoked it out there. Haze debated if 20 burpees at a time was excessive. Maybe, but he did them anyway, I think. Fault Line looked fresh after sleeping in the last few days and opting for some afternoon runs in the unusually cooler August temps. Dear Abby promised I would get a write up in a coming Agenda article: Top 10 free workouts for men held Wednesday’s at Calvary. McGee is unemployed but still planning on drinking his old company’s booze #Genius. I think Champagne only gave 1 criticism of form – to McGee, but that’s to be expected with McGee. Good to see Thunder Road and Hammer grinding through it. 3 miles isn’t too bad for BRR Season. Could have been more!
Thanks to McGee for the takeout.
-Alf
Announcements:
- F3 Golf Tournament coming the end of October. Be on the lookout for details.
- Give2Give campaign during the month of August to support the LEAP activities this Fall and Spring. Big matching $$ out there so donate now!
https://f3.mudgear.com/products/give2give-the-f3-leap-fundraiser?variant=47018970451
Ghost Runner mid-summers review
OK – so I haven’t sent out a backblast for Ghost Runner all season. Kind of hard to actually say what happened when you have a dozen guys strung over the course battling the heat each week. (I suppose I could just make some junk up like Bushwood’s Donut BB each week.) Any how – if you want to know what goes on at Ladies Night at Vintner, you’ll have to post to find out.
We have had solid groups every week of around 10-12. Some BRR runner’s and some other’s just looking for an evening run and a some quality 2F. If you haven’t come you should try it and hit the 4 mile loop or step up to the 6 mile loop (Purple Haze LOVE’s the hill on 4-mile Creek)
But the important thing here is that next week Vintner’s is hosting 21st Amendment Brewery paired with Pop-Tart’s. No, not this Pop Tart, this Pop Tart. I don’t have any clue why you would pair beer and Pop Tart’s, but I also don’t see why the hell not?
Looking forward to see you all out there. I might have to pick up a few boxes of these for BRR.
-Alf