Awesome morning for a Stonehenge workout, 70 degrees and low humidity. Loogi was the 1st PAX I ran into this morning and the first thing out of his mouth was “We aren’t doing a lot of running are we?” My short cryptic answer “shouldn’t be too bad.” Future cue: Q wearing calf sleeves = running. 12 including YHC were primed and ready to go and off we went.
Warm-Up
High Knees
Lunge Walk (Extra Deep) – The only time Frehley’s Comet has been paid the compliment of going deep enough….sorry it came from a guy
Caraoke – not to be confused with the popular drunk amateur singing activity Karaoke
Toy Soldier
Full parking Lot Stride Build – 25%, 50%, 75%, Full tilt
Mosey to small pond next to Novant building, the 2.0’s pediatric center
The Thang-a-lang
YHC provided 2 sets of marked turf cones:
Set 1 – Exercises Including:
Set 2 – Rep Quantities (starting at 5 going up to 50 in increments of 5)
The PAX partnered up and each group of partners took a turn selecting a combination of Exercise cone and Rep Quantity cone, which all the PAX would complete. The caveat here was that the Exercise cone had to be chosen first and the Rep Quantity Cones were covered so there would be no cherry picking of hard exercises to low rep combos.
Example 1 – YHC chose the Hand Slap Merkins, partner Frehley’s blindly selected 35 reps. There was a possible combo of 50 burpees out there which luckily didn’t happen or else there would have been mutiny.
After each round of exercises, the PAX would take a lap around the pond + get in some Mary as we waited on the six, which included
10 TOTAL Rounds and then recovery mosey back to launch where we joined forces with 6 BRR Trainees/late Stonehenge arrivers opting for some miles instead.
Moleskin
Let us all take this time to remember 3 things:
Strong effort by the PAX this morning with Wingman, Mic Check, Cul-de-Sac and Shrink Wrap leading the charge on the running portion. Loogi was inspired and pushed my marathon trainee and FNG Gruden. Keep getting after it gents. Solid crew as always at Stonehenge and thanks to Wild Turkey and Nard Dog for handing over the reigns this morning.
Over & Out
-General
First of all let me preface this backblast with 2 notes:
Round 3 – The Final Chapter
Actually, the best of the 3 mornings that we have had from a weather and execution standpoint. The one week where I did not sh*t the bed and make Bounty Hunter set up the entire course as I scrambled last minute for gear or dropped a 2lb chocolate hammer and the gym next door. Complete darkness, low humidity and a breeze in the air set the stage for the Fat Boy Finale. Here are the results….drumrolllllll:
Jr. Mac Division (sub 200lbs) – Final
Grand Mac Division (+200lbs) – Final
Individual Recap:
Dark Helmet – attended all 3 of the Fat Boy editions over the summer and bettered his time each of the 3 times. Was the last competitor on the course today and edged out Bounty Hunter in a thriller. YHC asked both competitors to go again and received a total of 4 middle fingers…point taken. Congrats on the GOLD! You put in the hard work, got better each week and dropped your best time when it counted = name of the game. Display that trophy prominently in your home, I suggest the mantle in the living room above the fire place.
Bird Cage – hampered by a few injuries I believe that I overheard. 2nd go not as impressive as the first but nonetheless a strong effort and thanks for rallying the Massy crowd for the pilgrimage out to Fat Camp + the being a strong provider of camaraderie and comic relief.
Argonaut – Also bettered his time each of the 3 weeks and dropped a blazer this week just edging out the super ultra insanely competitive JRR Tolkien and robbing him of one more piece of hardware to put on his Great Wall of Greatness. Strong run sir, and thanks for providing the back-up gear + the Waterade (my doping sample).
Erector – 2nd time out was not the charm but good push and smart move saving some of your energy for the VQ at the Arsenal in the AM + double pre-run. Killer lead on the Blackhawk warm-up weeks ago, can’t wait to see what’s in store.
Sauerkraut – AKA Bat outta Hell, blazing out there this morning destroying your time from last month. I’m convinced that if you had one more month, there would be a good push for a brick outta you. Keep it up man, you’ve made tremendous progress since I initially met you at the Arsenal.
Kielbasa – AKA Ginger…just kidding, you considered opting out of the deadlift which I wouldn’t have blamed you for as a smart move when your ailing + the fact that you are a medical savant. Gutsy performance out there.
Fire Hazard – Blazer run from you as well, crushing your previous time despite a tough work/workout week already on the legs, mind and body. Once again, appreciate the gear that you provided and awesome push to earn the Silver Brick.
Bounty Hunter – Your assistance in engineering the course and providing the bulk of the gear to put this event on is much appreciated. Tough Week 2…I mean damn, downright dreadful but you got the monkey off your back and threw down a solid one this morning earning the Silver Brick and being oh so, so, so very close to knocking off the man that you hoped wouldn’t show…
Short Pole – I heard from Argonaut that this guy was easily in 1st place thru the 1st 3 phases of the course, crushing the deadlifts, sprint and throwing the sandbag around like a baby seal. The sled is a strong adversary and I also believe with a couple more of these under your belt, the top of the leaderboard would have been very interesting. Great work, thanks for coming out.
Kirby – Last on this list, but certainly not least. Bummed you were a late scratch with the soreness/injury. You also have worked incredibly hard to battle them and come back. It shows the type of man you are to stick around for the entirety and motivate the PAX and help with GEAR maintenance on the course. Heal up brother so you can get back at it. FYI Bourbon helps!
WINTER IS COMING….I leave you with that spoiler
Over & Out
-General
The Fat Boy Overview
Intro
Well the weather decided to cooperate with us on the July running of the Fat Boy Speed/Strength course, although 530 seemed much darker vs. the weeks in July. The gear round-up however was a last minute fire drill but all the stations were set and the Fat Boy read to crank for it’s 2nd running. 13 PAX assembled for a brief warm-up and walk-through of the course where all questions, whether stupid or valid, could be answered. Feeling primed up, Argonaut was the 1st to sprint off into the Abyss and we were off:
The Thang
13 PAX thru, times and weight recorded, legs blasted and onto COT
Moleskin/Results
Solid group this morning for the July Edition of the Fat Boy. As always, I appreciate your support and participation as we put this on to help push each of you and have some fun while keeping the competitive juices flowing. Several 1st timers thru the course included Heartbreaker, Strawberry, Peppermint, Birdcage, Sauerkraut, Erector and JRR Tolkien who all put up some solid times in their 1st run thru. Similar to the June group, there was plenty of talk afterwards about technique and things that everyone could do differently to shave off some time for the next go around in August #nomorerookiecard
From the June group, tclaps to Dark Helmet, Fire Hazard and Argonaut from improving on their June times (-14 sec, -23sec and -9sec respectively). Bounty Hunter is saving his best for August now that his travel/vacation/fartsacking schedule has slowed down. Fallout’s been training night and day for triathlons, biking and swimming more miles than I drive to work in a week but will be throwing some weighted backpedaling into his training regimen for an August redemption.
Top 3 Thru July x Weight Class
Jr. Mac (199lbs & below)
Grand Mac (200+)
August is Championship month and the Brick Trophies will be doled out. Hope to see you all out again on Wed, August 23rd to chase down that man in front of you on the leaderboard and go after the best time that you laid down today or last month. For all of you animals hiding out waiting for the final month to come take on the Fat Boy, August is your last chance to do so, so make it happen.
Over & Out
-General
YHC remembers scattering 5-6 Orange buckets + numerous other gear around The Brave site during my last Q, generating the backblast title of “Death to Props RIP.” These buckets were almost…if it wasn’t for my laziness this morning, part of the circuit. However, YHC settled for all body-weight obstacles and small cones as my only props although we remained out of Mall Cop’s jurisdiction doing our fitness on the fitness trails. 513 was on the clock before I received the inquiry from a handful of PAX, led by Haggis “Are we going to be crawling on the ground today?” My response NO = everyone go ahead and take your shirts off before we roll out. Quick disclaimer including “This is a hard workout, you should have prepared yourself for this” was given and off we went.
Warm-up
The AMRAP Thing
Complete course and AMRAP style with the caveat that 1 station is eliminated after each lap in the order that it is laid out on the course.
Moleskin
It was muggy, disgustingly thick this morning = perfect conditions to die during an AMRAP. YHC thought it a good idea to give the PAX some motivation by having everyone partner up #Accountability. Strong work per usual out of Haggis and Thin Mint as they managed to lead the way and also be the 6 in the same day. Doubtfire was giving Doc McStuffins (another one fresh off of a double pre-run the day before) a strong push as they were keeping a strong pace throughout. Fire Hazard managed to keep his emotions together despite having to run alone as Mario was closing down the gas station restroom. Squid and Tagalong (Brave virgin no more) were taking turns pushing one another throughout also keeping a strong pace as we were unable to catch up to them, great work fellas. Madame T (a winter person) and Nard Dog teamed up as the splash brothers, looking like they both went off the high board into the pool before during the workout. Sorry to let you down Nard Dog as I failed to double pre-run 2 days in a row…next week. Commish, solid work taking on The Brave this morning and continuing to push and finish up strong. Keep the tenacity flowing. Argonaut never fails to turn a difficult workout into an even more difficult workout throwing in some backpedal up the Bagpipe Hill….calfs are blasted but appreciate the push and display of accountability. You would make a great Brave Q at some point down the road…
leading into Announcements:
Solid group once again on a Friday.
Over & Out
-General
Another weekend down the drain and on to Monday we go. YHC was up late with the baby which is the perfect combination for waking up at 415 to take care of business and arrive in time for the 500 pre-run. 500 on the dot and YHC and Argonaut headed out for a 3.1 mile new route carved out by Argonaut a few weeks ago maintaining a strong sub 8min pace throughout.
Ever since school has been out for the summer, Elon Park Elementary has become home to a slew of odd characters:
Warm-Up
The Thang-a-Lang
KB Swing/Merkin Combo-thon
KB Swing / Burpee Ladder
Pull-Up Negatives
COT
Moleskinny
Fire Marshall Bill showed up this morning hoping for a larger group so that he would have somewhere to hide. No sir, with 3 PAX there is absolutely nowhere to be unseen. The guy was all talk anyways, setting the pace on the burpees and punishing through all of the merkin variations, even that Tony Horton bullsh*t plyo merkin that he’ll be reminiscing while putting in a long day at the office. When Argonaut’s at a workout, you better bring it because you know he will. Pace and route on the pre-run were solid and he had about 25lbs on my less than masculine bell. Small group today allowed for us to get a lot in and left us nowhere to hide = maximum effort for 45min and makes it easier to remember all the PAX that showed up when writing a backblast. Great work swingers.
Announcements
Over & Out
-General
A rugged 32, many sleeveless, descended upon the newly minted Blackhawk AO at Walnut Creek Park. Everything from guys showing up on foot to rolling up in golf carts and scooters was the scene leading up to 630. All we were missing was someone on a unicycle and roller skates joining in. Maybe next week… Shovel flag was planted, park nazi dealt with and 630 on clock meant GREENLIGHT for the launch of Blackhawk. Thanks to Ringer for leading the PAX in a moment of silence to pay respects to our fallen PAX “Cheech”.
Warm-Up (Ringer)
The Thang (General)
Moleskine
Impressive showing today for the launch of Blackhawk and T-claps to the SOB and Union County PAX for the support getting this off the ground. Tuck and MT, we appreciate the push and the recon getting us out this site. Lots of opportunity in this area and a Q’s dream of an AO with plenty to work with. Spread the word to surrounding neighbors, friends, co-workers etc to keep this site going strong. As always let us be thankful to see another sun rise and have the opportunity to come out and enjoy our time together. Continued thoughts and prayers for the family of Cheech and may he rest in peace. Appreciate all of the guys that paid their respects today by going sleeveless even if you had to dig into the bottom of your shirt drawer (Soft Pretzel) to do so.
Annoucements
While we did not utilize the trail system this week, stay tuned for updates on a future trail pre-run that we will be implementing in the coming weeks.
Also, cafe’terria ummmmm coffeeteria will be held at Free Birds diner after all Blackhawk workouts. We got the ok from the owner as long as we keep our stinky asses on the outdoor patio.
Q Schedule is wide open at this point. Please reach out to Atlas or myself if you are interested in pitching in.
Over and Out
-General
I am pumped to announce that there will be a new AO launching in Indian Land on Saturday 6/24. The new AO will be named “BLACKHAWK” and will take place every Saturday morning 6:30AM – 7:30AM @ The Walnut Creek Park Athletic Fields located in the back of the Walnut Creek neighborhood just off of Hwy 521 or Jim Wilson Rd. in Indian Land/Lancaster, SC.
This AO has a lot to offer for a solid beat down:
Come Join us on Saturday for the Shovel Flag unveil and the BLACKHAWK maiden voyage!
-GENERAL
Well democracy is one of the things that makes this country great. Democracy consists of four key elements: (a) A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections (b) The active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life; (c) Protection of the human rights of all citizens, and (d) A rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens. More to come on how this may be appropriate for a country, but not a group of ruthless, sweaty brutes.
Thanks to Nard Dog for organizing the pre-run, who in turn opted out of the pre-run. Tiger Rag set a blazing 7min pace for a muggy 2.5. We returned back to the launch point to 12 glum faces…make that 14 as Frehley’s and Cul-de-sac rolled in with the beautiful park job parking on the center of the line #compactspace(s). YHC gave a quick disclaimer as Cheddar ran up and 17 took to the asphalt up towards the Bull Ring.
Warm-Up
The Thang-a-lang
Mosey up to the bull-ring
Mosey back down towards the fitness trail stopping on the way for:
At the fitness trail break into partners and into 2 different groups:
Group 1:
Group 2:
Back up the hill towards the parking lot outside of Loch Ness for:
Mosey over to Stone Mountain Grill….and this is where democracy failed
Moleskin
Solid group this morning, YHC was glad to have a Saturday free from baby duty to hit Stonehenge and the best coffeeteria around. Thanks for the invite Nard Dog and Wild Turkey and for watching the six (ND). 3.3 miles covered this morning in a fairly tight group, great work pushing yourselves to chase the man in front of you. Camaraderie is one of the underrated things about F3 and it was strong this morning. Dwayne Wade may have looked like a Haitain drug lord at the NBA game last night in his getup but definitely takes a back seat to the side boob tattered beater that Fireman Ed was sporting at COT. Enjoyed it fellas!
Announcements
Over and Out
-GENERAL
Time to get those competitive juices flowing again and put your combination of speed and strength to the test. #F3FatCamp will be launching a competitive summer series open to ALL PAX and any FNG that will take place one Wednesday each month, June – August:
The FAT BOY course will be a GEAR based course designed for you to utilize a combination of Strength and Speed. This will be a timed course and will remain the same each of the 3 weeks which will offer both a U vs All other competitors and a UvsU opportunity. Come to all 3 weeks during the summer and work to improve your times or bring your best time during any one of the 3 weeks to see where you stack up. Whether you hit 1 week or all 3, the top time will be awarded the “FAT BOY” Golden Brick, one of the most prestigious awards ever created. Trophies will be presented to the following competitors:
The course will be set up at the #F3FatCamp AO (Elon Park Elementary School – 11425 Ardrey Kell Rd. Charlotte, NC 28277) on the dates listed above. 10min warm-up will commence at 530 and the competition will run from 545 – 615. Times will be recorded and posted on a leaderboard which will be updated after each competitive week.
For questions, reach out to Bounty Hunter or myself. Come familiarize yourself with the AO ahead of time. #F3FatCamp is a gear based workout that takes place every Wednesday morning 530-615 with 2 pre-run options. 1st pre-run launches at 500 and circles back to pick up the 2nd wave at 515.
SEE YOU IN THE GLOOM
_GENERAL
*ATTENTION*
We are changing up the schedule for Fat Camp, the Ballantyne area Gear/Strength/Speed workout will be changing times effective next Wednesday, May 31. Workout start time will be moved from 5:15AM and will still run until 6:15AM. You may be wondering, why are you shortening our beat down time. Well in fact Fat Camp will now feature 2 different pre-run options:
At 5:30 we will start the Fat Camp workout. Benefits to this change include:
Once again, these changes go into effect immediately starting on Wednesday, May 31. Look forward to seeing you brutes at Fat Camp this summer. Keep a look out for the PreBlast of our Summer “Fat Boy” course series that will feature a strength and speed combo course running once a month Jun – Aug which will push PAX against one another in competition in addition to providing a Uvs.U opportunity.
Over and Out – General