PreBlast: Balrog II
Balrog I, the SOB region’s first #CSAUP event, lived up to its name. It was a complete beast. So intense that Honey Bee moved to a different region and Pebbles hasn’t been seen since. The overwhelming consensus, despite reason, was that we must do this again. Enter Balrog II.
Key Details
Date: Veteran’s Day, 11/11/17
Time: Main Event 0700 – 1100 / Lunch & Drinks @ Hickory Tavern Ballantyne @ 1100
Start/End Location: Hickory Tavern Ballantyne
Format: 13 mile loop course with five 20-minute pain stations (distance does not include mileage covered during pain stations)
Course Options:
- Full course from Hickory Tavern Ballantyne: 13 mi
- Join at Elon Park ES ~8AM: 8.5 mi
- Join at Blakeney Shopping Center (main fountain area) ~8:45AM: 6.0 mi
- Join at Stonecrest Shopping Center (movie theater) ~9:30AM: 4.0 mi
Course Map:
Misc:
- PAX will stay together. No man left behind.
- Water will be provided at pain stations
- Bring fuel so you don’t bonk
- Bring shovel flags (it is Veteran’s Day afterall)
- Bring change of clothes for lunch
- Finger foods provided at Hickory Tavern free of charge (thank you Kid Rock)
- Still evaluating possibility of event shirt order
- Donations collected will benefit the Patriot Military Family Foundation (PMFF)
If you were not there last year, you may be asking yourself, “Why would I do this?“. 33 PAX of all shapes, sizes and abilities answered the bell in 2016 and the positive feedback was overwhelming. The 2nd F was unparalleled. For a lot of us it was the hardest thing we had ever done, and we left looking forward to next year. That time is now. With your help we can make the sequel even better. Like Sharknado 2 or Speed 2: Cruise Control. But with merkins.
-TUCK
The Eighth Amendment
19 months ago, 13 unlikely heros achieved the unthinkable by scaling all seven Ballantyne parking decks in a single 1-hr #F3TheBrave workout. After that feat, Bissell, sensing the SOB’s were ready for an even more colossal challenge, went ahead and (mostly) built another deck (the eight); this one the biggest and baddest of them all. Here lies the story of how 18 men from 4 regions authored the Eight Amendment.
Now, the Eight Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, but that most definitely does not apply here. YHC is referring to the eight parking deck that Bissell has constructed on N. Community House Rd. (#1 in below pic) since our last epic adventure in November of 2015. Truth be told, it is still under construction as evidenced by the construction workers that were arriving to work as we arrived… to work. YHC has had his eye on this project ever since ground was broken last year, watching as it slowly inched toward the sky and waiting patiently for the day that it was complete “enough” for us to exploit its ultimately EIGHT levels of goodness. As we now know, that day was Friday, June 9th 2017. It was clear to YHC that a deck of this caliber (a full three levels bigger than every other Bally deck) needed a name, one commensurate with its badassery. Leading the maiden voyage, YHC had the privilege of doing the naming. After much though, it was christened #Room101, a reference to Orwell’s book ‘1984’. “You asked me once,” said O’Brien, “what was in Room 101. I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows it. The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world.” ‘Nuff said.
The Thang
Huddle up at The Vine at 0515 to quickly lay down the challenge and provide blueprint. The basic framework is to run up the ramps of each deck, performing a called exercise at the top of each ramp. A different Q was tapped for each deck ahead of time. Muscle-up and over the wall that is just after the top ramp on 7 out of the 8 decks. Stairs back down after reaching the top, then on to the next deck. In an effort to create pace equilibrium within each deck, exercise reps were assigned in an inverse relationship to each man’s current 1-mile race pace. Less than 6 minutes = 7 reps. Between 6 and 6:30 minutes = 5 reps. Greater than 6:30 minutes = 3 reps. And, we’re off. Disclaimer: forgot. COP: nope.
Lots of ground to cover in 1 hour, so take the most direct route to #Room101 through the golf course (actual route from Wingman’s Strava below). Thanks to a couple fellas for the headlamp assist. Box jump up 7 consecutive retaining walls on hill behind destination #1. Ignore construction workers and enter #Room101 through side door accurately labeled with a Room 101 sign.
From there we followed the plan and it went off without a hitch. Here’s a summary of who Q’d each deck, and what type of exercises they called:
Deck 1 (#Room101): Tuck / 8 levels / Mary
Deck 2: Argonaut / 4 levels / Squats
Deck 3: Bunker / 4 levels / Merkins
Deck 4 (Met Life Building): Thin Mint / 5 levels / Jumps
Deck 5 (Woodward Building): Mr. Bean / 5 levels / Plank-based
Deck 6 (Harris Building): Wingman / 5 levels / Lunges
Deck 7 (Premier Building): Mario / 5 levels / Mary
Deck 8 (Ballantyne Village): Fire Hazard / 5 levels / Burpees
Arrive back at The Vine at 6:17. Close enough! Mission Accomplished. All in all 8 decks were smashed and 10k traveled with 479 feet of elevation change. Your move, Bissell.
Eight Notes
YHC loves it when a plan comes together, especially one this ambitious. This was truly a team effort. We stayed together the entire time and encouraged each other along the way. Feeling very grateful for these men so here are a bunch of thank you’s and T-claps (and one apology).
T-claps to Argonaut, Tolkien, Joe Schmo, Thin Mint and Reborn for a multi-mile pre-run.
Thanks to the seven Q’s that helped out with this one. YHC was able to enjoy the workout more without having to remember 33 exercises.
T-claps to Mr. Bean, Pop Tart, Wingman and Fire Hazard for posting at both the original triumph back in 2015 and this latest one. You guys rule.
My apologies to those guys that were a little uncomfortable w/ the pics/videos that YHC was taking along the way. The plan was to try something new and make a promotional video to get the word out about #F3TheBrave (YHC’s favorite workout in all the land). Mission accomplished on that as well, but post-workout it became clear to YHC that some guys would have preferred a more anonymous / undocumented experience. Didn’t anticipate that reaction and YHC feels bad if some PAX were unhappy during the workout.
Thanks to Mario, Fire Hazard and Thin Mint for the opportunity and honor of leading this fine group of men.
Thank you Tolkien for the take out.
Announcements
Chopper VQ at #F3daVinci this Saturday 6/15! (Blakeney Chik-fil-A / 0630)
SOB Summer Shirt Pre-Order link is live. New MudGear v3 shirts available.
PreBlast: Memorial Day 2017 – SOB Murph Convergence
“The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree” -Thomas Campbell
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” -Joseph Campbell
“The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men.” -Minot J. Savage
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived” -George S. Patton
“Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future.” -Elie Wiesel
“And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.” -Joseph Rodman Drake
“It was the transcendent fortitude and steadfastness of these men who in adversity and in suffering through the darkest hour of our history held faithful to an ideal. Here men endured that a nation might live.” -Herbert Hoover
Join the Sons of Ballantyne on Memorial Day (5/29/17) for a “Murph” convergence workout to honor and remember all those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
The Murph commences at 0700 sharp from the top of the Ballantyne Village parking deck.
– 1 mile run to fitness trail near Loch Ness (route map below)
– 100 Pull-ups
– 200 Merkins
– 300 Squats
– 1 mile run back to top of Ballantyne Village parking deck.
– Optional 20 lb weighted vest
Bring your shovel flag and gratitude.
The Truth About Inconvenience
Once upon a time, several hundred bootcamp workouts were planned and executed in the Laniakia Supercluster of galaxies, more specifically in and around the Stonecrest shopping center on planet Earth. Gallons of bodily fluids (some of them sweat) were poured out on the ascent of the #murderhorn, various Stonecrest fountain walls and across bleak parking lots. And it was good. Great, even. Over time, though, there were whispers. The local human population began to wonder if, perhaps, there were other hills, walls and parking lots somewhere beyond the normal area of operations. Somewhere entirely less convenient, where a big chunk of the workout would be wasted traveling to and fro. This hunger for inconvenience/inefficiency and the desire to fix what ain’t broke eventually grew into an obsession among the PAX. But who among them would have the courage to mosey past hundreds of yards of perfectly good asphalt, ideal hills and a wealth of walls? To do things way over there that could/should be done right here? Enter YHC.
23 PAX gathered at #F3RebelYell to learn the truth about inconvenience.
Thang
Dynamic stretching: high knees, butt-kickers, shuffle l/r
Mosey behing Michael’s/Harris Teeter/Target. Run towards Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, stopping at every speed bump for 5 jump squats.
Run up hill to the right and onto Elm Ln. Proceed South, crossing over Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. 20 jump-ups or muscle-ups on retaining wall on left side of road next to St. Matthew.
Continue South on Elm Ln. Left on Williams Pond Ln. Right into Robinson Farm shopping center.
Sevens. Run up stairs to the left of Bradshaw Social House. 6 diamond merkins on breezway. Run down other set of stairs. 1 burpee in the couryard. Repeat, this time with 5 diamond merkins and 2 burpees. Continue until 1 diamond merkin and 6 burpees. Mary while waiting for the six.
Mosey across Elm Ln to the Camfield Corners shopping center.
Suicides. Starting at the Southern end of the parking lot, run to the 1st line and do 3 merkins, then run back to the start. Run to 2nd line and do 6 merkins and run back to the start. Continue, adding 3 merkins at each subsequent line. Total of 7 lines and 84 merkins. 50 flutters IC while waiting for the six.
Mosey North on Elm Ln, stopping for 20 jump-ups or muscle-ups at that same retaining wall next to St. Matthew.
Mosey back to launch, stopping for 5 jump squats (again) at each speed bump behind Target/Harris Teeter/Michael’s. Plank for the six.
Lunge walk stop sign to stop sign in front of Regal Cinemas (~100 yards).
Thine Only Moleskine
We did it! We did stuff way over there that could/should have been done over here. But why? Why all the recon and <gasp> extra running? After all, Stonecrest ain’t broke, right? The truth about inconvenience is that it is essential. By going the extra mile (literally and figuratively) we keep things fresh, avoid burnout, find potentially great features (#BenNevis, #TheVillage, #theLC, #TamarronBurgundy, etc) and challenge each other creatively. Wild Turkey, Hairball and others do this for us week in and week out. They keep it fun and keep it fresh. They show the PAX that they care enough to drive around on their own time searching for the next #murderhorn, walk creepily around an elementary school looking for the next #LochNess or wander aimlessly in the woods at night with a headlamp looking for a cut-through from ESPN-U to that playground in The Meadows (there isn’t one).
So get in your car and explore. Do some recon on your lunch break or during a pre-run. Pull up Google Maps and rule out the familiar. Search backblasts for keywords like “Robinson Farm”. When you get no results, you’re on the right path. Take it from YHC, there is a real sense of pride that comes with finding something new after hundreds of workouts have taken place in the same 2 or 3 square mile radius. Most importantly, if you have never Q’d before, do it! It will change the way you look at the world.
Thank you Heartbreaker and Strawberry for the opportunity to lead.
Announcements
Sign up for Church on the Street (COTS), a worthy cause if there ever was one. Reach out to Strawberry w/ any questions.
If you find yourself doing nothing on May 20th something has gone horribly awry. There is an embarrassment of riches on this particular day, so get out there.
- 0600: Stonehenge
- 0630: Fredo’s VQ at #F3daVinci
- 0730: Run! Ballantyne 8k
- 0745: Run! Ballantyne 5k
- 1200: CLT Craft Course – 7.5 mi run, stopping at 6 craft breweries (Sign up)
Please EH someone for the New Guy Workout at Stonecrest on May 24th. Hoping to have a huge turnout of FNG’s and PAX that have fallen away from F3.
Can’t Spell TUCK without “UC”
24 men gathered in perfect conditions at #F3Dromedary for ~2.5 mi, 80 burpees and other festivities during YHC’s first Q in the UC. Blood and sweat were left behind, but no tears.
Thang
Dynamic stretching through parking lot (high knees, butt kickers, karaoke).
Circle up at far end of parking lot for COP:
- SSH x 20 IC
- Merkins x 23 IC (each PAX leads 1 rep)
- Squats x 23 IC (each PAX leads 1 rep)
- Mountain Climbers x 23 IC (each PAX leads 1 rep)
Follow perimeter road behind high school and partner up. Partner 1 runs backwards clockwise around “globe” traffic circle, Partner 2 runs backwards clockwise around small utility building between the schools. Meet in the middle for 10 partner-slap merkins. Flap jack. Repeat. Mary while waiting for the six.
Mosey back to center of main parking lot for Starfish Burps: a standard 4-armed starfish, with all the burpees. 10 burpees in each corner (rotate between one-legged left, one-legged right, backwards and 8-count) and 10 regular burpees each time at the center. 80 total burpees. Mary while waiting for the six.
Mosey close to launch for Webbicide: a standard suicide, but instead of touching each line the pax does an increasing number of merkins at each line. Run to the first tree in the center median, do one merkin, run back to start, run to next tree, do two merkins, and so on until you get to 9. Mary while waiting for the six.
Moleskine
Since moving from the Blakeney area to Waxhaw in December, YHC has been looking forward to his 1st Q in the UC. It was a tough one today. The backwards running took a toll on the legs and the all-burpee Starfish was a gasser. Thanks to Hollywood and Fire Hazard for the push. And thanks to Transporter for finishing everything early and leading Mary.
T-claps to Bratwurst, Doc McStuffins, Hollywood, Soft Pretzel, Bunker, Family Ties and Fire Hazard for joining YHC on the 3 mi pre-run and 1 mi post-run from/to The Chimneys. Abacus joined in for a bit as well. That is something we can definitely keep going if there is interest. We can also have shorter pre-runs for those that don’t want as many miles. Hoping that some of the newer Chimneys PAX join in. There’s no reason we should be driving in from a mile away! If you wait until you think you’re “ready” it will never happen. Give it a try. You’ll be surprised by how quickly your body adjusts. But wear a headlamp 🙂 Side note: YHC has found that the best strategy when it comes to all things F3 is to consistently say “yes” and allow yourself to be pulled out of your comfort zone. If you do this, you will be amazed at where this journey will take you.
Thank you to Bratwurst and Enron for the opportunity to lead.
Announcements
LegalZoom is starting a Tuesday running workout at Cuthbertson Middle at 0515. Bratwurst is on Q for the first 2 weeks. All invited.
Union County is hosting Q School this Saturday the 29th at Sun Valley Bojangles in Indian Trail
Final PreBlast: F3 BROlympics
If you like information then you are going to love this preblast.
The excitement is palpable in the BROlympic village as we stand less than 36 hours from the 2017 F3 BROlympics opening ceremonies. The event Q’s have gone to great lengths to guarantee that this will be a #csaup to remember. In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, here are the details.
What: 10 individual events developed to test strength, speed, stamina, physical toughness and mental toughness. Participation in each event is optional. A point system will be used to determine an overall champion, with the top three competitors receiving awards.
When: Saturday, April 22nd 2017, 0600 – 0800
Where: Community House Middle School track (9500 Community House Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277)
Who: All men of F3, regardless of region
Schedule:
- 0530-0600: Check-in and warm-up (there is not an extensive group warmup due to time constraints, so arrive early to get sufficiently loose)
- 0600-0610: Instructions, Parade of Nations (F3 Nation), COP, Invocation
- 0610-0630: 1 Mile (2 heats)
- 0640-0700: 100m Prelims (OYO)
- 0715-0720: 100m Final
- 0730-0750: The Phlegethon (2 heats)
- *0610-0750*: Open Stations OYO
- 0750-0755: Official Scorer results tabulation
- 0755-0800: Closing Ceremonies: Awards, Name-o-Rama, BOM
Events (Revised):
- 1 Mile (2 heats)
- 100 Meters
- Preliminary heat is run OYO
- Top 8 competitors compete in Final head-to-head heat
- Max Burpees in 2 Minutes
- Chest to ground / Feet clear ground / Arms overhead
- Football Throw for Distance
- 2 attempts per PAX
- Keg Toss
- 2 attemps per PAX
- Enter throwing circle under control
- Throw keg w/out leaving circle
- Max Kettlebell Snatches in 2 Minutes
- Arm lock extension
- Switch arms as necessary
- Max Sit-ups in 2 Minutes
- Partner holds feet / hands behind head / knees bent
- Elbows touch knees and shoulders touch ground on each rep
- Max 135 lb Bench Press
- No time limit, but once initiated cannot rest the bar on the rack or chest
- Head/shoulders/butt on bench, feet on ground
- At least 1 forefinger in contact w/ “power ring” on bar
- Bar must touch chest / arm lock extension
- Max Tire Flips in 90 Seconds
- *The Phlygethon (medley event with 1 minute plank, 100 meter sprint, 20 burpees, bear crawl to opposite side of track, 40 single-arm kettlebell swings, 400 meter kettlebell carry to finish)
* A “river of boiling blood and fire” in the 7th circle of hell in Dante’s Inferno.
Scoring:
In each event, first place receives 100 points, second receives 95, and it continues to fall by 5 points through fifth place, which is worth 80 points. From sixth to 20th place, the drop is 2 points: sixth is worth 78 points, seventh is 76, and so on. Then from 21st place on, the drop is 1 point: 21st gets 49 points, 22nd gets 48, etc. This means that participating in an event guarantees you points, and skipping means leaving points on the table.
During the awards ceremony the top three competitors in each event will be announced, as well as the top “respect” competitor in each event. The three competitors with the most total points will bring home the hardware.
What to Bring:
- Shovel flags
- Any 40-50 lb kettlebells that you have
- Watch/Phone to time yourself and your partner
- Water (we will also have some on site)
- Old workout gear / F3 shirts for the F3 PAX that live at the Charlotte Rescue Mission. These guys MUCH appreciate our donations and truly wear them with PRIDE.
Event Map:
The Phlegethon:
See ya bros!
-TUCK
Big Ass Triple Nickel 10K
14 PAX gathered at #F3TheBrave for a single triple nickel in a double tribute to Mermaid. Most PAX got in at least 10k with over 550 feet of elevation gain (that’s a lot).
Thang
Brisk mosey up Ben Nevis to corner of Ballantyne Commons Pkwy and Ballantyne Meadows Dr. Plank for 6.
Brisk mosey to intersection of Ballantyne Meadows Dr and Valley Spring Dr. Plank for instruction.
Big Ass Triple Nickel
Start is current location and end is playground near Dovehunt Pl cul-de-sac. Distance between two points is 0.36 mi. 5 pull-ups at playground, 5 burpees back at start. Repeat 5x. When done, sweep back for the six or perform mary. Meet back at the starting point no later than 6:05. Total triple nickel is 3.6 miles.
Mosey 1.2 mi back home.
Moleskine
Thanks to Mermaid for the inspiration for this one. YHC has been wanting to Q 10K at #F3TheBrave as a tribute to Mermaid who Q’d exactly that at YHC’s first ever #F3TheBrave post back in September of 2015 (backblast). At that point YHC had never run 10k and Mermaid showed YHC that it was possible (barely). Mermaid also invented the Triple Nickle, so this was a double tribute of sorts. It was a pleasant surprise to see Mermaid at the workout this AM and great to run with him for a bit.
It was truly a great effort by all this AM. Anyone who has been back in that neighborhood knows that those hills are NO JOKE (YHC had 634 feet of elevation gain). 10k at a bootcamp is difficult in and of itself, but combined with those hills it was a #smokefest. Fun fact: my trunk was loaded with pavers and YHC was THIS CLOSE to having the PAX carry 2 each throughout the entire workout, but came to my senses on the drive in.
Beaker (the young one), Mario and Tiger Rag killed it on the opening run up Ben Nevis and set the tone for the rest of the workout. General was flat out flying on the Triple Nickel. The weight loss (which was sorely needed) is really paying off. Mermaid, Squid and Buckeye set a fast pace that Fire Hazard and YHC did our best to stay within eye shot of. Family Ties needed every last minute but he finished all 5 laps. Proud of him for grinding it out when he could have easily stopped at 4. T-claps to Tiger Rag and General for running a 6th lap to stay with the six. Mario set a new PR on the “trying not to poop” activity type on Strava and almost had to use Frehley’s towel. Good thing this didn’t turn into a “mud” run.
Thanks to Squid for taking us out, and Fire Haz for driving YHC home. Alas, my key nub is gone forever, unless Kid Rock can find it for me once again.
Announcements
Q101 @ Pineville Police Dept – tomorrow 4/15 @ 6AM
PreBlast #2: F3 BROlympics
We cordially invite you to F3 BROlympics
What: 10 individual events developed to test strength, speed, stamina, physical toughness and mental toughness. Participation in each event is optional. A point system will be used to determine an overall champion, with the top three competitors receiving awards.
When: Saturday, April 22nd 2017, 0600 – 0800
Where: Community House Middle School track (9500 Community House Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277)
Who: All men of F3, regardless of region
Events:
- Warmup (COP / mosey around track)
- 1 Mile
- 100 Meters
- Preliminary heats of 8 PAX (1 in each lane), with as many heats as it takes to move through all competitors
- 1 final heat w/ the top 8 competitors
- 200 Meters
- Administered the same as 100 Meters, except that there is no final
- Max Burpees in 2 Minutes
- Football Throw for Distance
- 3 attempts per PAX
- Max Kettlebell Snatches in 2 Minutes
- Max 135 lb Bench Press
- No time limit, but once initiated cannot rest the bar on the rack or chest
- Max Tire Flips in 90 Seconds
Max Strict Pull-upsKeg Toss- 3 attemps per PAX
- Phlygethon (medley event with 1 minute plank, 100 meter sprint, 20 burpees, bear crawl to opposite side of track, 50 single-arm kettlebell swings, 400 meter kettle bell carry to finish)
- Awards Ceremony
- COT
Scoring
In each event, first place receives 100 points, second receives 95, and it continues to fall by 5 points through fifth place, which is worth 80 points. From sixth to 20th place, the drop is 2 points: sixth is worth 78 points, seventh is 76, and so on. Then from 21st place on, the drop is 1 point: 21st gets 49 points, 22nd gets 48, etc. This means that participating in an event guarantees you points, and skipping means leaving points on the table.
During the awards ceremony the top three competitors in each event will be announced, as well as the top “respect” competitor in each event. The three competitors with the most total points will receive bragging rights and a custom award.
More PAX means more competition and 2nd F. Come on out and help make this a great event! Please bring your 40-50 lb kettle bells and shovel flags.
Tolkien and Tuck: the Real April Fools
Weeks ago, J.R.R. Tolkien, Wild turkey and YHC decided to pull a little April Fools Day prank on the Saturday SOB’s. Tolkien and YHC each signed up to Q at our respective “home” sites where we site Q: JRRT @ Stonehenge and YHC @ da Vinci. Then, on 4/1 we would show up at the other guy’s site as a surprise Q. In the week leading up to 4/1, the faux Tuck vs. Tolkien trash talking began (primarily on Slack) on Monday as a trickle and eventually accelerated to a dull roar by Friday. Friday was particularly brutal, with a barrage a personal attacks centering around old and embarrassing Facebook pics. In the end it wasn’t really a fair fight, as Tolkien conveniently left a treasure trove of pics on FB for YHC to use as ammunition #selfieking #nofilter #lookatme #crazyfatkidkimjongun. Somewhere along the line a challenge was set: 20 burpees times the attendance differential for whichever of us had lower attendance at his home site.
On Saturday morning, YHC woke up early and hid Tolkien’s da Vinci weinke in 4 parts around the Blakeney AO. YHC didn’t really think through the fact that the weinkes wrapped around pavers looked like… something illegal. An elderly woman happened to witness the placement of one of the weinkes, causing YHC to wonder if Tolkien and company would be greeted by the boys in blue. Thankfully that did not happen. Read more about Tolkien’s da Vinci adventure here.
After da Vinci was taken care of, it was off to the Stonehenge AO. YHC parked in a dark corner of the Vine lot and waiting for Tolkien and the PAX to come moseying by at 0600. Then, to the surprise of some and the indifference of others, the switch was made. Tolkien handed off his weinke, which was nicely laminated. One side had a nice drawing that cannot be spoken of. Here is Tolkien’s weinke, exactly as presented and exactly as performed:
The Thang:
– 2 minutes straight WW2 sit-ups OYO @ The Vine parking lot
– 10 burpees @ The Vine parking lot… plank while wait for 6
– 10 burpees @ surface lot in front of Lochness Lake
– Quick warmup… 20 SSH, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 windmills
– 10 burpees @ surface lot in front of Lochness Lake
– 10 burpees @ South wall next to Lochness Lake
– 10 burpees @ West wall next to Lochness Lake
– Mosey to base of ‘Bagpipe Hill’ Segment on Ballantyne Corp Place
START: Snyder’s Lance entrance > END: Johnston Rd Overpass bridge
- AYG run forwards up Bagpipe Hill Segment, 15 Carolina Drydocks at top. Plank for 6
(Free breakfast for whoever BEATS my 43sec Time. Strava must verify)
- Mosey to bottom of Bagpipe Hill, 15 Carolina Drydocks at bottom
- BACKWARDS run up Bagpipe Hill Segment, 15 Carolina Drydocks at top. Plank for 6
- Mosey to bottom of Bagpipe Hill, 15 Carolina Drydocks at bottom
- BACKWARDS run up Bagpipe Hill Segment, 15 Carolina Drydocks at top. Plank for 6
– Mosey to the Premier Parking Deck closest to the helicopter-pad
I’m trying to get you kicked out of your own workplace parking lot Tuck!
- Up the stairs, down the stairs 3x. Each time at top and bottom, do 20 hip slappers on the wall (10 slaps each hand)
– Mosey to the Ballantyne Village Parking Deck (go down the grassy hill to bottom)
- Up the stairs, down the stairs 3x. Each time at top and bottom, do 10 donkey kicks on the wall (we actually did hip slappers again)
– If time permits: AYG sprint back to The Vine, plank for 6, 2 min WW2 sit-ups OYO
Moleskine:
Tolkien’s workout was a tough one, for sure. The multiple rounds of burpees were not appreciated by the PAX. Nor were the consecutive backwards runs up Bagpipe hill. All in all it was a solid beatdown. The most surprising thing of all was the lack of gear. Who knew Tolkien had the chops to pull it off?
In case anyone is still reading #doubtit the attendance differential was 0. Not that we were going to do the burpees, but would have been nice to have bragging rights. We had 15 at each site, which, for all of our shenanigans, is about average. For the record, Bunker had an early morning commitment or he would have been at da Vinci.
Let’s not forget that Tolkien owes Nard Dog breakfast for besting his Bagpipe Hill PR on Strava. Lucky for Tolkien, Mario and Tuck (and a 3rd YHC can’t remember) had GPS issues.
The quote of the day had to be from Cheddar, who muttered “Why?” during COT. That must of been rhetorical, as there certainly is no answer for that.
It was great to get out to Stonehenge. Fun group of guys and one of the best AO’s around. This whole thing was fun, albeit ineffective at getting more PAX to come out. Nice change of pace at least. Thanks to Tolkien and WT for being co-fools.
Announcements:
SOB Brolmpics – Apr 22 – Come out and compete against yourself and others
March Pull-up & Merkin Challenge Recap
#DeathMarch has finally come to a close. It was a major grind for those that stuck with it. T-claps to Triple-7 (respect) and Transporter for hitting the pull-up and merkin rep requirements for all 31 days! (Preblast). YHC is happy to have survived, not the reps (pulled out due to injury) but the many death threats that filtered in. Here’s a recap of the top performers:
31 days (100%): Triple-7 and Transporter
30 days (97%): Damascus and Poptart
29 days (94%): Bunker
28 days (90%): Mermaid
27 days (87%): High Tide and Rube
26 days (84%): Escobar, Flipper and McFly (Respect)
25 days (81%): Fredo (Respect)
24 days (77%): Bottlecap
T-claps to Mermaid for completing the most reps overall. That wasn’t the challenge, but still worth noting. Here are the top 3 in reps for each exercise:
Merkins (5,800 goal): Mermaid (6,265), Triple-7 (6,150) and Transporter (6,058)
Pull-ups (850 goal): Mermaid (1,200), High Tide (1,132) and Flipper (960)
YHC heard a rumor that Bunker was doing merkins during the Palmetto 200 in which he was running over 30+ miles in 24 hours as part of the #winning Clandestine SOBs F3 Ultra team. Amazing. YHC is sure there were others that went to great lengths to get their reps in, considering travel schedules, family commitments, fatigue and injury. Inspiring work, gentlemen.
Thanks to Madame Tussauds and Argonaut for helping put this together.
Until next time,
-TUCK