I’ve spent the last 20 minutes trying to figure out how to get 9 names into that silly “Tags” box so they can get their full credit on here. My creativity might be a little spent by now. But hey, the ‘blast is the 3rd most important part* of Qing the #Horsey, so here goes nothing:
What were you doing at 4:30 this morning?
Here’s what the 9 Horsey Pax, plus some imitators, were up to:
Snots: Straight-razor shaving his head to reduce any possibility of drag, so he could smoke us all on the uphills (spoiler: it worked)
Titan: Stretching out his injured coccyx in preparation for his first real run since the #campandjog event in June
Horsehead: Pull-ups on the home gym to get the muscles flexed in case @Chester was out in the sunlight
The Mouth: Picking out the reddest red shirt he had so he wouldn’t get lost while moseying around Blue Ridge on his own
Egypt: Last-minute changes to his “Map My Run” route to maximize @Chester sighting potential
SS Minnow: Already dressed, ate, had coffee and motoring down I-485 in his big-daddy pickup so he could post at a workout more than 15 miles from his home just because a teammate said it would be a good idea
Federalist: Talking. A lot. To anyone in his house who would listen.
Turkey Leg: Practicing the phrase “You know, nobody really even knows what a consent order is”
Mr. Brady: Expertly applying nipple tape to protect during a shirtless run
Stone Cold: Helping Mr. Brady (without gloves)
Two of those are true, and the rest are figments of Egypt’s imagination. If you chose SS Minnow and Mr. Brady, you’re the big winner. Minnow is already the BRR Team Captain of the Year for trekking all the way from Harrisburg (that’s somewhere outside of Charlotte, but we don’t really know where) for an 0515 workout. He even got there early and did a pre-drive of the potential course. Of course, he is 63, so he goes to bed at 7:30 and gets up at 3 a.m., but still, it’s impressive.
And even though Brady and Stone Cold didn’t do the Horsey workout, they showed up on the course at various points and then hung around during COT long enough to get a #nippletape mention here. You gotta see it to appreciate it (or not).
What we did (as if you’re still reading)
More Moleskin
So, about @Chester. Snots and Minnow, both virgins to the #Horsey, were anxious to see him and I think got their wish while it was still mostly dark. YHC made the mistake of looking over on the way back when the sunlight was out, and it wasn’t good. I will never do that again. Some things you just can’t unsee.
More cigarettes. After COT, some dude in a white CR-V came screaming into the parking lot in between 2 Pax’s cars that had their reverse lights on, as if he was late for his 5-mile run on the greenway. 5 minutes later, after he finished his smoke while standing alone in front of his ride, he got back in and drove away. Not sure where “smoke a cig in a nondescript greenway parking lot with some random dudes in it at 6:15 a.m.” fits into most people’s daily schedules, but it ain’t on mine. At least he was fully clothed.
T-claps to everyone who powered through that humid mess today. Especially Minnow for making such an effort to get there, Snots for leading the way, and Horsehead for, well, for being Horsehead. @Fishwrap, we still miss you and want you back.
Until next time.
(*) Most important part is just showing up. Second most important part is the Pledge at 0608. Third is the ‘blast. Fourth is not losing anyone at the intersection of Wilby and Mountainview. If you’ve been there, you know what I mean.
13 or 14 started at Carmel Rd. Park, we picked up 2 or 3 more at Carmel Middle, and by the end, we had 16 for an on-the-move mash-up of arm, leg and ab work.
The Thang
What else happened
So, it’s been a few days, but I’m pretty sure 11 dudes showed up, and I know we spent time on the baseball field and on a really dark street, and this is probably close to the rest of it:
COP in main lot, respecting the natural circle that #DMZ pax always form at 0528: SSH x20, plank jack x15, seal jack x15, squat jumps x15, mericans x15
Mosey through Carmel Rd Park, and to the immaculately-maintained baseball field that Hannibal somehow didn’t even realize existed. Divide into 3rds for 10 sumo squats jumps at 2nd base, 5 pull ups at the 1st base dugout, and 5 at the 3rd base dugout. Marvel at the Pax’s ability to do pull ups using the shingled roof of a baseball dugout. Thanks Titan for the inspiration, probably 4 years ago. Repeato until the Q calls time.
Repeato, but with dips at the dugouts, until Q calls time.
Head over to #@Church @CharlotteCLT, cross Colony. Think we’re turning right on Tufton Brae for a brief COP in the cul-de-sac before heading to Mill Pond for the #MainEvent. Quickly realize the road is going on, and on. Stop at the end, where it changes names and doglegs left, for COP: wide-arms, flutter, Michael phelps. Ask someone if this road ever ends; One Eye says yes, and he seems trustworthy, so we head left in search of the end.
Find the end. Learn later that road is called Loch Lane. COP of something down there, then run back to the midway point. AYG back to the end, with 5 burpees at the start and finish. Return to the end of the Loch, with 5 burpees at each driveway on the right. Turns out there aren’t many, so that was easy. Return with 5 hand-release mericans at each driveway on the right (new right). There are more, so it’s not as easy.
Regroup for COP: diamonds (yes, Orlando, the index fingers and the thumbs are supposed to touch), Boone left and Right, and more squats. Mosey out, head south (!) on Carmel, to find Tufton Brae and prove YHC isn’t insane. He’s not, and the street is even shorter than he thought. COP with something I can’t remember.
Head home, stopping for some People’s Chair and air presses at @#C@@#%%Clt#NC, then back to the sandlot for 5 pull ups and 10 jumping lunges. AYG back to base. 2.4 miles.
Thanks for the keys, OneEye. My glutes were still sore on Wednesday, which suggests we did more squats than usual. Or that I have a weak ass. Or both.
Jamboree, I hope you thawed out eventually, though I doubt you would have admitted you were cold.
The moon was big, almost full and orange, a site FNG was ready to roll, and Kirk was nowhere to be found. Swiper asked for clarification: “So, we’re going to run to HT and then stay there?” Yes, exactly. Let’s go.
The Thang
Moleskin
So, last week’s PB motivated YHC to skip his weekly #crunchybabycrack of Ring Run, and instead post much closer to home at the wildly popular SOFAWIB.
And apparently, when you show up at SOFAWIB and increase the attendance by 25%, you get invited to Q the following week.
And apparently, you’re required to write a pre-blast, or Swiper hijacks your Q. So here I am.
0530 under the light of the SUPERMOON, @ Ye Olde Providence Elementary by the Marsh.
…and to steal a line from a recent Nash BB: Times I saw on the clock: 0509, 0526. At 0509, OK, I’ll get up in a minute and get my Q-face on. At 0526, Holy crapola, the workout starts in 4 minutes, and I live 2.5 minutes away, by Maserati. Time to get moving.
Fly in HOT to the Carmel Rd Park lot at 0534, no one around. Quick headlight scan of the Church @ Charlotte lot in case they’re hanging out there. Nope, these are chiseled Carmel Road Park pax, which means only 1 thing: They’ve vacated this awesome city park/church AO and are heading to the home of the Cougars (#cougarpride!).
YHC found them, as expected, 1/2 way down Camilla, having stopped at each speed bump for 10 burpees. Park the #swagjeep in the principal’s spot at CMS, apologize profusely, and wrestle the Q back from One Eye, who was planning on 41 more minutes of burpees.
The Remaining Thang
Nekkid Man Moleskin’
19 Pax were curious to see if we really would try to run a 16-mile roundtrip in 45 minutes, and instead kicked the teeth off the Gaywind Hill (hee hee..).
The Thang
NMM
In the days of the original Wagon Wheel singer, that S stood for “sergic,” as in “Lysergic acid.” Fortunately for us, it’s a much simpler, 4-letter word in F3 land: Slow. And we can do slow.
14 guys with 26.2 on their mind and 1 with 13.1 on his showed up at the Cap’n Jack statue very early (for a Sunday morning, anyway) for the first running of the Wagon Wheel.
The objective: run a long way (that’s L), pretty darn slowly, even if it’s hard to shut down your testosterone-fueled rabbit urges (that’s S), for some prescribed distance (that’s D). Egypt was told his job today was to “MANAGE THE FREAKIN PACE” (yes, in all caps), and Egypt doesn’t ignore things in all caps, so he managed the pace. The Slow mantra stems, in part, from OBT telling us it’s best to train with some long and slow runs, and OBT’s run like 3 (three) marathons, so Egypt listens to his advice.
He told the assembled baker’s dozen that the average pace would be north of 9 minutes, probably south of 9:30, and that he would not give chase to any rabbits that decided to break away. He kept his promise, thanks in large part to the steady partnering from Birthday Boy Uncle, Furyk, and (when he wasn’t sprinting ahead to catch up with the showoffs) Fishwrap, letting the breakaway pack do their thing. It’s a free country, and a Sunday morning, afterall.
Course was lovely (though those damn hills are still there), weather was ideal, pace was good. The breakaway pack reported finishing at 9-even, though they did inadvertently (or so they claim) cut the route short by about 1 city block at the end (it’s Brevard, not Caldwell, boys. Come on, the streets are even in ABC order uptown – even Uncle knows that). The instruction-followers finished their 13.08 miles in 2:01.:04, which is exactly a 9:15 pace. Exactly.
Pesci, Egypt considers himself redeemed from past transgressions now.
Word on the street is that Silent Bob posted for the half-marathon training run at 0630 (7.5 miles), only to find himself alone. Which brings to mind the ancient question: “If Silent Bob runs for an hour by himself and says something, does anyone hear it?”
Pleasure to lead you this morning, gents. Oh Dredd, next week it’s 14 miles, so you might want to get at least 1 in this week to prepare.