Author Archive BTB (Bob The Builder)

SPEARHEADs get back to their roots in a new AO

(6) SPEARHEADs woke up to the sound of rain on their windows, but they still made it out of the fartsack and over to our new Tuesday AO.  And it was worth it!

The Thang

Form up at Sardis Rd & Old Bell Rd Greenway parking lot
One 40 pound sandbag team weight
Team Leader – Hoff.  Navigate team to point 10 on map.  15 minute time hack

Arrive at point 10, 30 seconds late.
Look for a log – found one. Picked it up – full of ants.
Brush off ants from under shirts.

Pile of rocks – everyone grab a rock.

Rock overhead press x 20
Hold rock overhead until failure

Continue up path towards Boyce Park carrying rocks. Continue to look for logs.
Arrive at Boyce Park

Decline merkins on bench with ruck x 10
Bear Crawl to next bench
Crab Walk Back

Stash rocks in the woods for later

Continue down path towards greenway.

Hoff finds a log that he likes. Pick up the log.
Team left sandbag behind! Angler and Clueless return for sandbag.

Ruck log back to start point, stash in the woods.

COT

Thanks to everyone for braving the weather this morning to post.  It turned out that it did not rain or storm at all during the workout, so it was perfect!

I wanted this workout to be much more fast paced, but the lack of a decent hardwood log in the general area of point 10 made for a difficult time keeping the workout moving as we searched.  Like anything – this workout will get better with time.  We need to learn the area and experiment a little more.

This new area has so many different places to go and things to do.  The greenway goes all the way up to Harris Blvd.  The Cottonwood Nature Trails have a lot of ground to cover.  There is a cross country 5K course on the other side of the greenway at McAlpine Park.  The possibilities are endless!

Gulfstream made the trip down from Highlands for a little SPEARHEAD recon.  He and Winnebago are launching SPEARHEAD Highlands tomorrow morning at Highland Creek Elementary – 0445.  It sounds like they have some pretty cool stuff in store, so don’t miss that!

Thanks again for letting me lead, I look forward to next Tuesday!

Diddy Kong and Stories From Chicago circa 1993

4 SPEARHEADs greeted 1 FNG (Angler 2.5ish) and a 40 pound sandbag in the gloom Thursday morning for a ruck around the block.

The Thang

Angler lead the group down over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house.

Brief pause to reflect on good times with Grandma.

Continue on through the neighborhoods and back out on Camilla

COT

Moleskin

Great morning with the group.  Four miles overall distance (real men round down)

Welcome to our FNG from Austrailia – Angler’s 2.0, or 2.5, or something like that.  Hard to keep the count straight…  He was bestowed the name SANDBAGGER due to his unyielding grip on that sandbag for 90% of the ruck.  The name Diddy Kong was thrown around due to his DK’ing of the sandbag, but sandbagger seemed most fitting.  If he is half as strong as his dad, he could have probably carried that sandbag for another 20 miles no problem.  We hope you have a safe trip back to Austrailia, it was great to meet you!

Clueless told us an interesting story about his last experience in Chicago…  What happens at SPEARHEAD stays at SPEARHEAD.  Seriously.

Always a pleasure to join you guys for a ruck, looking forward to next time!

Land Navigation Training – Part 1

Written for Angler by BTB

This week is ANGLER WEEK at SPEARHEAD!

On Thursday, (8) men posted at 0445 with their compasses in hand and their minds ready to learn.

The professor was posted in the front, and class was in session

The Thang

Learn the principles behind:

• Direction – Degrees, Minutes, Seconds
• Baselines – True North, Magnetic North, Grid North
• Azimuth / Back Azimuth

Learn the parts of a Lensatic Compass:

• Cover, Base, Lens, Sighting Wire
• Handling, effects of electricity and metal, accuracy
• Various methods of use including whole body and thumb and cheek

Group moves to football field
Line up on goal line

Measuring your pace:

• Count your steps over 100 yards. Repeat x 4. Average the results. This is your pace.
• Adjust your baseline pace for: Slopes, winds, surfaces, elements, clothing, and visibility (and rucks of course)
• Discussed conversion factors and how to apply your baseline pace.

COT

Next Thursday morning will be Land Navigation Training – Part 2 (Practical Application).  Location TBD.  Bring a compass and a string.  We will be practicing what we learned by navigating between points using only a compass heading and distance.

Moleskin

Angler, being a Vietnam Veteran from the United States Army, has a lot of training and practice in the art of land navigation. In GORUCK Challenge 815, Angler was a shadow, and he saw that the team made a lot of avoidable errors in navigation. SPEARHEADs will be prepared from now on.

This training was great, and will be the beginning of a series.  After next week, we will try to do some training on map reading.  Once we have learned that, we will make plans to go out to an orienteering course and practice what we have learned.

Radar was able to use his field experience from the military to add to Angler’s lesson.  It is great to have such good resources at our disposal.  I can’t wait for next week to put this all to the test.

Thanks to everyone for coming out.  What a great community we have here at SPEARHEAD!

The hardest part is showing up…

Five SPEARHEADs had the motivation to post this morning, regardless of the sound of pouring rain on their roofs.

The Thang

Sprint to football field with rucks
Low crawl End-Zone to End-Zone – 120 yards
Bear crawl back – 120 yards

100 x 8 count body builders in End-Zone

Sprint across field and back – 240 yards

100 x burpees in End-Zone

Low Crawl across field – 120 yards
Bear crawl back – 120 yards

Truck Pull ::
Hook tow strap to the front of BTB’s truck.
Four PAX pull strap while one PAX drives truck.
Alternate driver.
Continue to pull truck around track for one mile.

Form one rank in end-zone.

Sniper drills across entire field – 120 yards
Bear crawl back – 120 yards
100 x 8 Count body builders in End Zone

Pull truck up hill to parking lot

*Wake up from your bad dream*

Announcements

Remember – What Happens at SPEARHEAD STAYS at SPEARHEAD

Great work out there today guys, this was great fun.  Thanks for posting in this weather, it was nasty.  One week to the custom!

I know the workout was pretty easy today, but we will make sure to give you one last hard one on Tuesday.

Everyone needs to RSVP to Challenge Week activities here – http://tinyurl.com/SHRSVP 

If you are participating in the custom, purchase your custom shirt and patch here – tinyurl.com/kralxeg 

 

Seafood and Ancient Chinese Remedies

(Written by BTB for Liquor Cycle)

A new business idea was born at SPEARHEAD this morning, as seven future business owners and one LIFO rucked through the gloom.

0415 – Liquor Cycle and BTB arrive on site to scout out the path.  Path looks good!

0445 – Rucks up and launch!

The Thang

Thursdays at SPEARHEAD are generally a ruck, with or without coupons, on the streets of our AOR, but today was different.  Liquor Cycle never fails to excite, and our mission was to get OFF the streets.

Head out from Carmel, through the neighborhood, out on Sharon View.  Enter Old Providence Swim & Racquet Club (ignore the posted no trespassing signage as we pass).

Notice the glowing eyes in the woods that seemed to be staring at us and ready to pounce…. Continue on.

Enter the McAlpine Creek construction area behind the racquet club.

Notice an open mussel shell on a rock by the creek.  ** CLICK ** inside Liquor Cycle’s head – CHARLOTTE SEAFOOD COMPANY was born!  — Proceed to register web site and LLC from iPhone. — Keep rucking.

Follow the creek off-road in the construction site until we reach Colony Road and Morrowick.

Pass a pile of logs and stop for a moment to think of Hoff and his hurt knee.  Hoff had planned to post today, but decided NOT to because we told him there would be NO log.  He said that the ONLY remedy for his torn meniscus was to carry a log and a loaded ruck… We determined that this was an Ancient Chinese Remedy that the medical community had not yet adopted.  We decided to leave the logs alone in memory of Hoff.  We continued on.

Exit construction and follow Morrowick to Colony.

Colony to Carmel.

Carmel to Camilla.

Camilla to Thornbridge,

Thornbridge to Carmel.

Carmel to Camilla.

And back home to CMS!

5.1 Miles this morning at a great pace of 16:30/mi (average)

COT

Moleskin:

Great work today, guys.  2ndF is always great on Thursdays, and today did not disappoint.

Our pace was awesome!  When Liquor Cycle and I planned the route, we did not expect to get through the creek area that quickly.  Ultimately we added 1.5 miles to the original plan to fill time!

Charlotte Seafood Company should be up and running soon.  Liquor Cycle is the CEO.  I heard Clueless might be interested in employment with them as well..  Not sure.

It was good to have Dora out this morning, carrying nothing but a cup of coffee – coach’s orders.  It was good to get to talk to Dora one last time before he heads to Fort Bragg for the Heavy tomorrow.

Donkey Kong gets credit for posting this morning, but we didn’t see him until we got back for COT.  Apparently he forgot what time we started.  He rucked while we were gone, so it counts!

Good luck to Dora, Checkpoint, and Donkey Kong this weekend at Fort Bragg Heavy.

BTB and Gulfstream will be shadowing the Bragg Heavy, so watch @SPEARHEADf3 for updates and pictures.  We will post whenever possible.

Thanks again for posting, and always remember that carrying a log is THE BEST way to recover from injury!

Announcements:

Please RSVP for Challenge Week Activities – http://tinyurl.com/SHRSVP  

Purchase custom shirt and patch combination for the challenge – http://tinyurl.com/kralxeg

Picking Up The Pace at SPEARHEAD

10 SPEARHEADs came out in the cold this morning to continue work on rucking speed and pace.

The Thang:

• 0345 – Extra credit ruck launch – 3 Miles
• 0445 – Launch from back parking lot
• 10 Men, 40lb Sandbag, Full Water Can
• We followed the same route from last week.
• Our goal this week was to end with 6 miles, but the addition of a new coupon (water jug) seemed to put a slight damper on the pace.
• 5.9 miles was our final distance with an average pace of 15:20/mi

Moleskin:

• Strong work out there today.  At times we were moving very quick, and it was tough to keep it up with the coupons in tow.
• We have started to see some new faces around SPEARHEAD over the last couple weeks as training ramps up for the Custom Challenge, Custom Heavy, and other non-F3 challenges that the PAX are participating in.  It’s been great to get to know some new PAX and welcome them in to the fun and fellowship that comes along with distance rucking.
• Dallas sent Gulfstream down from the North to get some intel on the confederate squad.  We enjoyed having him, but we had to keep our civil war secrets to ourselves for the duration of the ruck.
• I know some of you would rather be carrying 150 pounds each of trees and whatnot instead of focusing on speed.  Hoff will be sure to quench that thirst for you very soon….
• At one point today, Hoff picked up a dead Christmas tree from the side of the road and carried it a few blocks.  Mighty Mite carried a log he found in someone’s trash for about two miles.  These guys were just looking for ways to make their morning more painful.  Strong work, guys!
• Thanks for letting me lead two weeks in a row, I enjoyed it and I hope that you got something good out of it.

Announcements:

SPEARHEAD Civil War workout is coming up in February.  The North SPEARHEAD will face off against the South SPEARHEAD.  Contact your team’s general if you want to participate.  The Hoff is leading the South, Dallas is leading the North.

DREDD is coming down to Q SPEARHEAD South on 1/17, I hope we will see everyone out for this special guest Q!

 

Getting Back To Our Roots: Setting The Pace At SPEARHEAD

(7) men emerged from their fartsacks this morning to get back to their rucking roots at SPEARHEAD.

Thursday morning workouts began on 8/29 as the PAX were preparing for what would become GORUCK Challenge Class 815.  Thursdays were designed to get some miles on our feet, test our shoes/socks, and generally practice good moving form and coupon management.

Culkin, the proven master of the Thursday distance workouts, lead us through the gloom, into sprinklers – strapless and without kidneys. (See 8/29 backblast)

Today, we decided to get back to our roots.  The goal was distance and pace.  We covered 5.84 miles total, and here’s how it happened.

The Thang:

• Rucks up in the back lot + 40 pound sandbag coupon.
• (6) men headed to the entrance of the school while (1) – Angler (hurt calf)- stayed behind to keep his focus on selection quality push ups, sit ups, and a little ruck work around the track.
• Start the timer at the front gate.
• Head down the hill on Camilla, go around the culdesac,  turn right on Morrowick, turn right on Morrowick Circle and up the hill/around the circle, Left on Morrowick, Left on Camilla, back to the starting point.  This was just over a 2 mile loop.  Logged time.
• Rinse and repeat – 2 mile loop again.  This time we beat or original time by 15 seconds.
• 6AM – Head out on one mile loop – Camilla, Right on Lori, Right on Colony, Right on Carmel, Right on Camilla, back to the back lot.  Just over 1 mile.
• Total Distance – 5.84 Miles

We maintained approximately a 15:30/mi pace during the timed portion of the ruck.  15:48 overall including work in the parking lot.  Maintaining this pace will meet or exceed the selection standard for ruck time; however, we were not individually loaded down with as much weight as the selection standard requires.  Overall a great performance.

 

Moleskin:

• Today was about covering distance, and learning to judge our rucking pace.  Getting a feel for how long it takes to go certain distances is important for time hacks, and will help us be better leaders in a challenge or otherwise.
• Angler is definitely the most faithful member of SPEARHEAD.  He posted today but did not ruck with us due to a calf injury.  Instead, he attempted the selection standard push ups and sit ups on his own twice, and then rucked over 2 miles on the track at his own pace as to not overdo his calf.  This man is a beast!
• While our focus was on pace, today was also a good wake up call to remind the PAX to watch their footwear.  Due to the quick pace and longer than usual distance, there was some talk of hot spots on the feet.  As the challenge nears, we will continue to take time to focus on speed and distance so that you can tune in your footwear choices.
• Thanks for letting me lead you men, it was an honor and a pleasure.

Announcements

• SPEARHEAD Happy Hour in South Charlotte will be the first and third Tuesdays of the month after work at The Lodge on Colony Road.  See the Social Schedule for more information and to order your official SPEARHEAD Happy Hour/2ndF T-Shirt.
• BREW Ruck is 1/11/2014.  Sign Up Now at the web site.
• The SPEARHEAD Patch Challenge continues in January.  Earn your patch this month, as next month there will be a PATCH HOLDER ONLY event announced.
• SPEARHEAD Civil War is coming up on President’s Day weekend.  Schedule C is the event Q, while The Hoff is the South Team Q and Dallas is the North Team Q.  Contact your area team Q if you are interested in participating.

Follow @SPEARHEADf3 on Twitter and www.SPEARHEADf3.com for future announcements.