It’s time the people got what they want from FT: An hour of AYG sprints up/down the nastiest hills in the 704, 6+ miles, and minimal exercises.
Shortly before the hashtag #MakeFastTwitchRelaventAgain started trending, over the last 6-8 weeks, some courageous hooligans took the wheel and started easing the ship back on course. #FastTwitchSwagger What’s in a preblast? A transparent glimmer of the horror to come. An easy way out or a gut check. Read on for what you need to know tomorrow:
To calculate the pace you’ll be running tomorrow, pull out your old TI-83 graphing calculator (or binary abacus for you old dudes). Turn on the calculator. Replace dead batteries. Find a small philips screwdriver and some new AAA batteries. Unscrew battery cover. Remove old batteries. Discard old batteries. Insert new batteries. Replace battery cover. Turn on calculator. Turn off calculator. Place calculator back in drawer. Put on running shoes. Run hard. Run fast. Haven’t put this method to test, but TL says it works.
Wear running shoes. We will be running. Don’t wear gloves, you won’t need them. Probably won’t even do a single merkin. If you’re into headlamps and vests, wear that – your call. We’ll be on sidewalks and streets the whole time.
The Thang:
Total: ~6.5mi
Important: We’ll depart 4MC to head back to campus at 6:03am. Know your pace. It’s 1.3 mi from 4MC back to the school. Modify the repeats from 3 to 2 and get a head start back if needed.
You’ll be there, or you won’t. If you are, you’ll only regret it for 1 of the 24 hours tomorrow – that’s like 4% of your day. Also about the equivalent percentage of correct picks on Purple Haze’s bracket.
Saddle up,
HB
Against better judgement, 23 of the QC’s finest rolled in to Death Valley this morning for a highly questionable, last-minute Q from yours truly. When the last guys finally rolled in around 0533 (#tightship?) we took off towards Raintree.
COP
IW x 25 IC
P. Parkers x 15 IC
Merkins x 15 IC
Low slow squat x 20 IC
Group into 3’s at the bottom of Woodfox (Firefox). P1 partner carries P2, whilst P3 sprints AYG to the top of Woodfox and back to the group. Flapjack and repeat until all P’s reach the top.
10 merkins OYO
Mosey to the bottom of Rising Meadow. Repeat partner carry circuit to the cul de sac running backwards instead. Repeat back down Rising Meadow with a forward AYG run.
Plankorama at the base of Rising Meadow
Mosey back to the base of Woodfox
Suicides back to Strawberry Ln. Forward AYG to Burning Tree Dr, back to Rounding Run. Backward AYG to cart path crossing, and back. Forward AYG to Strawberry Ln.
Mary til the 6 got there: LBC x 20 IC. Freddy Mercury x 15 IC
Mosey to the baseball fields. From home plate,
AYG to RF foul pole, 10 HR merkins, AYG back to home plate.
AYG to CF fence, 10 HR merkins, AYG back to home plate
AYG to RF foul pole, 10 HR merkins, AYG back to home plate
30 dips OYO on bleachers
Mosey back to lot
10 burpees OYO
Moleskinny
-Big crowd at the Valley this morning. Rolled in right as @gloss wrapped up his weekly maintenance rounds on the facilities. It’s really a service to all of south Charlotte #Tclaps
-The usual grumbles and groans about running at a bootcamp. Probably equivalent to the groans and grumbles about doing a bootcamp at a running workout. Be happy, the original plan threw in Smokerise and Windbluff #dealwithit
-Backward running be-lows. Ask someone who knows something about running why it’s good for you.
-Residents of the local unnamed neighborhood oft neglect to use turn signals. Keep yer head on a swivel.
-Some obvious mismatches on “partner with someone like-size” this morning. Strong work small guys. Weak sauce, clydesdales.
-Great seeing some new faces this morning. strong work all around.
-total distance covered = 3.2 mi
HB out
Join the Area 51/SOB March Madness pool Link
Alexander Youth Network cookout 4/2 4:30-5:30pm. Contact Joker if you’re available to join.
Saddle up, gents, it’s here.
Join in for the 1st (official) annual Area 51/SOB March Madness Challenge. The pool is run through ESPN. Sign up for a free username/password if you don’t already have one.
Pool link: http://games.espn.go.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2016/en/group?groupID=1189648
***Important:
Contact Hairball with any questions.
Good luck!
14 guys read or ignored the preblast and showed up at DT and laid some fresh tracks on a new route. Lots of nervous and looks awkward whispering prior to launch. “Can you believe someone let this guy Q?” “Are we really bucking the system and going somewhere different?” “Is this guy really going to name a route after a classic, memorable, hit MTV teen drama series star?”
Yes, yes, and yes.
The thang:
We went north on Rea, bout a mile or so and crossed 51. The 3rd left is a neighborhood and street called Five Knolls. It’s got some wicked hills. We ran to the dead end, turned around, and ran back to Rea. We did it more than once. Then we ran back down Rea.
Moleskinny:
Hills were the theme today. Big ones. In recognition of the critically-acclaimed (no idea what that means) MTV show – The Hills – we’ll (I’ll) call the route “LC”, short for the show’s OG star, Lauren Conrad. Why? Because HB was silly (awesome) enough to let me Q and I heard F3 is a judgement-free zone. Based on the eye in the sky, guys got anywhere from 6-7+ miles. The top guys fell just shy of completing 3 laps – the challenge stands for another day. This little nook tucked in the corner of 51/Rea may see some action over the next 6 months leading up to BRR. May even need some dedicated segments for Tolkien to skip work and sprint up.
Great work out there today. Another option for mileage and hills a stones throw from the AO. Thanks HB for the opportunity – it was fun while it lasted.
HB gave HB the keys to DT and we’re headed to some less fancy (steeper?) hills than the usual PG route.
The Thang:
Head north on Rea across 51, switch to left side of Rea. Take 3rd Left on Five Knolls Rd. Head down (and up) Five Knolls til you hit the dead end, about face back to Rea. One lap from the corner of Rea/Five Knolls to the dead end and back = 2 mi. Repeat as many times as possible and head the 1.1 mi back down Rea.
Here’s the breakdown, including the run to Five Knolls, and the return run back:
Adjust your laps accordingly to get back to the start by 0615.
Map for the visual folks: https://www.strava.com/routes/4257146
Come join for my first (and quite possibly last) DT Q tomorrow and see how this shakes out.
10 men fought off the fog, confetti, and late night celebrating and rolled into Carmel Neighborhood Park for a quick start, at 0530 sharp. Here’s what went down:
15 guys were either really tired this morning, or went to bed not knowing our CFP national champion. Notably, no proclaimed Clemson or Bama fans posted. Gummy proactively managed expectations yesterday listing his probability of posting as “doubtful.” YHC tossed out the notion yesterday that if Bama won, we’d head to 4MC, and if Clemson took the trophy, we’d be going somewhere new. In retrospect, no indication if we were taking the spread, or straight up, so technically we could have gone anywhere. The heisman winner sealed our fate with just over a minute left in regulation. 4MC it would be.
Rolled into SCMS to see an apparent rear-end collision between a large Ford SUV and a Toyota sedan. Didn’t see who parked first, so not sure if Pro pulled in tight, or if Haze backed in. Regardless, looked like one of these guys has some valet experience from a prior life.
The Thang:
Fast mosey to the base of Smokerise for some obligatory merkins/MCs. Onward to the 4way stop at Raintree/4MC.
Triple Nickel on 4MC. HR merkins at the bottom (stop sign down the left side of Raintree Ln), jump squats at the “top” (speed bump at the bottom of 4MC on the right side, down by the lake).
Plank up at the 4way til er’body got in. AYG out Raintree to Providence Rd and back. Lotsa chatter for a true AYG #justsayin
Single file Indian run 1.3mi back to campus with a jailbreak up Woodfox.
Moleskinny:
-Strong work from top to bottom today. Lots of Hokies up top. Not a new thing at FT, but noteworthy.
-TL ran away from everyone. Also nothing new to FT (or anywhere for that matter)
-Asked Gerber where he went to school, you know, for record keeping. He informed me he went to Carolina. Didn’t seem amused when I asked “which one?”
-great seeing Horsehead making the trek up from Wadesboro this AM. Hard to miss in his light up shoes.
-Sturnbridge Squad – Mermaid, Cain, Utah- looking strong today
-Ironsides making big strides in prep for his 1st half marathon this spring
Announcements:
– keep your peepers peeled for some VQs coming soon at Fast Twitch
– Per TL, if you run at FT, you will run the BRR. Get with him if you’re looking to join a team. I know at least one team with a spot
– Be vigilant about locking your car and securing valuables when you post. Don’t bring more with you than you need (I.e. Bring your license, leave your wallet at home).
– New parking location at Calvary AOs. See Mermaid’s tweet for more info: https://twitter.com/ogmermaidf3/status/686945414566678532
2015 wraps up today. Lots of guys put in lots of miles, training for lots of events, or just because.
Starting tomorrow, step up to the 1000 mile challenge. Simply, run 1000 miles in 366 days #leapyear. Front load it, back load it, break it up however you want. On average: just under 3 miles per day, 20 miles per week, or 84 miles per month.
If you’re curious, 1000 miles from Sbux coffeeteria gets you to Toronto, Chicago, almost NoLa, almost Miami, and about anywhere this side of the Mississippi.
“Why do it?” you ask. Why not? You’re putting in the mileage anyways. Side benefit: this time next year you’ll be the man that walked ran a thousand miles, and maybe fell down at someone’s door. (See: https://youtu.be/MJuyn0WAYNI?t=22)
Track your miles on your own. If you use a GPS watch or a smartphone, join Strava. It’s free, and easy (See Area 51 Club and F3 Nation Run Club).
Cheers to 1000 miles.
Hello. It’s me. While the rest of the crew was in California South Carolina, dreaming ’bout how Devil’s Turn used to be, 4 guys showed up at an off-the-books run this AM to light up the puddles in Piper Glen. We ran by Haze’s crib and must have called a thousand times, but alas, he didn’t answer. We headed to PG at a medium pace when it started raining buckets. The jagged sidewalk on Rea ain’t so sketchy with 6″ of water flowing down it. After hanging a Louie onto Old Course, the crew turned on the jets. At the bottom of OC, just past the road with the squatter house, we hit a barricade indicating the road was closed. Turns out the road collapsed. Like crumpled and fell into the woods, collapsed. Following an on-the-fly disclaimer, we found our way to THE OTHER SIDE (Hello, again). Not saying how we made it across – Strava knows the truth. Along the way it rained buckets – full on monsoon style. @Brew, hot off a flight from the great mid-north blazed his own trail. @Beaker, @Pro, and YHC stuck to the 6-mile loop. Rain and road closures kept traffic to a minimum, so we had that going for us, which was nice. Everyone made it back alive. @Pro “forgot” a towel…and his M’s driving his ride today. Poor gal. @Beaker hit it hard, despite a mild case of black lung. @Brew took us out. Soggy day fellas – T-claps.
18 dudes made a questionable decision and posted at #F3FastTwitch this morning. Rain tapering off made for a humid, dark jaunt through Raintree. Preblast posted yesterday laid out the plans for what was in store. No shortage of hills, mileage, or suck. #transparency
Tha Thang:
Warmup pace down Woodfox. Left on Rounding Run. Right on Raintree Ln.
COP at gravel lot – token merkins, squats, whatever… on to the fun stuff
Afterburners engaged, up Raintree towards providence
Rendezvous at 4-way stop (Raintree Ln/4 Mile Creek)
Mosey down #4MC to Whitethorn (blinking light)
Suicides up #4MC (AYG on the uphill)
A few of us did some plank-o-rama until the 6 rolled in.
Mosey back down Raintree Ln
Quick COP again at the gravel lot for 3 or 4 merkins
Onward down Raintree Ln towards 51.
Mosey down Windbluff, AYG up backside, stop at Shallowood, about face
Mosey back down Windbluff, AYG up to Raintree Ln.
Record speed indian run back to campus
6.24 miles, as promised
Da Moleskinny
-@Gerber and @Brady led the charge this morning.
-Heads up, A51- Gummy is making the rounds to subtly let everyone know the tiggers are on top. Looking like a powderpuff schedule remaining. Looks like #TheyreIn
– Raintree streets named after Caribbean islands doesn’t fit the 70s brady bunch theme.
-#4MC is a monster. #4MC x 3 was a real kick below the belt.
-Lots of dudes got points for leading a lap. Something about “clean air” up front. @Joker wasn’t there today, so not really sure what they meant
-Seemingly no takers on the modifications #strong, or the Strava segments #weak
-Pretty sure this’ll be the last time I’m invited to Q FT again. As usual, twas a real pleasure.
-TClaps to the site chaplain for a meaningful takeout.
Announcements:
-Convernence tomorrow (11/11) for Veteran’s Day at Anvil – 0530. @Gloss has the hairburners station. Quotes: “Worth the price of admission!” “Come for the show!”
-Joe Davis Run 1/9/16
-Christmas party 12/12 – Sardis Swim Club