Border Crossing
Tough finding a spot to park at the Vine between the Bagpiper and Swiftee cars. Bunch of dudes out this morning ready to get some work done. Men of Swift already in the gloom. That left 20 for a Bagpipe beating. YHC has not Q’d this one in a while and was excited for the opportunity. A great AO with endless options. Thorough disclaimer given concisely prior to leaving out of the launch lot. A bit about what went down follows.
Thang
Shortish mosey down Conlan Circle, across Brixham Hill, into the Corporate 1 lot.
COP
SSH x 10 IC
Imperial Squat Walker x 10 IC
Mountain Climber x 10 IC-hold plank
Merkin x 15 IC-hold plank
Floyd Money Mayweather Alternating Rib Shots x 10 IC
Mosey down the steps to the concrete track around Loch Ness. Continue to patio at Corporate 2.
Hand-Release Box Jump Burpee Circuit Repeats
5 Hand-Release Box Jump Burpees/10 Carolina Dry Docks. Run clockwise around Nessie. Stop at last light/picnic table. 15 Jump Squat. Run to patio at Corporate 1. 5 H-R Burpees/10 CDD. Run to Corporate 2 patio. Plank-o-rama to regroup.
Repeat x 2 AYG
Plank-o-rama at finish. Imperial Walker x 20 IC
Mosey counterclockwise around Nessie and exit at hotel into parking lot.
Mary
Flutter x 10 IC/Hold 6 inches/Dolly x 10 IC/Hold/Heels to Heaven x 10 IC
Mosey across Brixham Hill back up Conlan Circle. Cross Bally Commons up Costigan Ln to, you guessed it, the parking deck.
AYG Plank Start Sprints x 2. Two levels each. Mosey over to the Exit Stairwell and descend into the basement level. Plank Start Sprint to street level. Plank-o-rama. Merkin x 10 IC. Squats OYO.
Mosey back down Costigan. Cross Bally Commons Pkwy. Down Conlan Circle to launch lot.
High Flutter x 25 IC. 1 minute of Burpees to close it out. Done.
COT
Moleskin
Solid crew of guys out this morning. Great to see some men I do not see regularly and meet a few new guys, like Napster and Kirby. 4th post for Napster. He crushed the workout. YHC thought he was like 25 years old. Shocked to learn he is 42 in name-o-rama. Keep posting. Kirby coming of injury and 3 months on DL. Keep posting.
Threw in the Imperial Squat Walkers for second time in as many Q’s. McGee was not a big fan. His comment was much like Gummy’s on the previous occasion. If memory serves, “Not so sure about those Imperial Squat Walkers. They are supposed to be easy. What the heck.” Next exercise, Imperial Walker x 20 IC. Your welcome McGee. Let me keep going on McGee just for a moment. AYG reps of H-R Burpee circuit called and McGee asks what will follow. Tells YHC he can only go AYG pace if it is followed by Mary. And he keeps asking what time it is. McGee, I have offered you my spare watch on more than one occasion. After the AYG set, YHC told him we were 12 minutes in. We were actually 20 into the workout. Alf set him straight on time. Those two guys were pushing the pace on the circuit. All pushed hard.
Additional observations:
Tuck looking strong after a long DL stint. Keep up the work brother.
Red Rocks getting after it. His M.O.
Slum Lord may not own a shirt. Dude is a Respect and completely ripped.
Blackbeard starts his hunting beard Thursday. Will be easier to recognize.
Morning After, Bucky, Fault Line, Wild Turkey, Mighty Might, Dumpster Fire all pushing hard. Just like every time I see these guys. Good work men.
Wingman challenged McGee and some other guys on the sprints. Hard to keep track of the Larry Birds on these. You know who you are. Strong work at the end of the workout.
Pleasure to lead this fine group of men in SOB-land. Great to see you all. Thankful for a 6-week stint of pain-free work. We cannot take the ability to get out and do this work for granted. It is a gift and can be taken with your next step. The workouts make you stronger and give you the opportunity for fellowship with your friends and fellow PAX. Being stronger makes you better. Be better. Bring that strength into your daily lives. Help someone else to be better. EH your co-workers, friends, neighbors. Pass it on. T-claps to Tolkien for the takeout prayer.
Announcements
09/14/2016 (TOMORROW). A51 5-Year Convergence workout. 0515-0615 at Calvary Church, site of Anvil. KETTLEBELLS NEEDED. Food donations for Calvary Food Pantry. Food list HERE
Southern Discomfort 10/22/2016. A51 CSAUP event. 2nd Annual. Margo and Gerber co-Q’s. Final logistics to follow. Multi-AO painfest. Block it off on your calendar and plan to attend.
SOFAWIB PB – Recovery Day
We finally get back to working out, full body. No more soccer arms. Fast Twitch is sure to be at 2-3 ppl by month’s end. #SOFAWIBRising.
Here’s what we’ll do:
Run to the cannons and back. Partner up.
Partner A does 7 pullups, 14 derkins, 28 dips while Partner B runs to the main school entrance and back. Flapjack. Rinse & Repeat.
At 6:05, we take off for the cannons and back.
Sundancer will have the tunes, won’t you Prancer?
See you in the AM. Bring a FNG to the SOFAWIB.
#PreBlast – Hit the road running again…
Just a few short days after a number of PAX hit the mountains of the Blue Ridge Relay, we’ll be back at it on Tuesday morning in Ballantyne for the weekly running interval workout known at #F3Swift. Even if it is just to stretch the legs again, we’ll be running middle distance intervals, so come join us and stay in shape for Fall season.
The THANG:
- 0500 – Early bird warm-up with Easy running. Start from the Vine Restaurant parking lot in Ballantyne.
- 0515 – All PAX leave the Vine lot and head over to North Community House near the Met Life building. Easy running on the way, then some extended drills to get all your BRR and Spartan body refreshed.
- 0535 – 5 rounds of the following: 3min at Interval pace, 2min jog recovery. Interval pace is a VO2Max “Hard” interval run at a 2mile race pace – calculate your’s here based on a recent race time – http://runsmartproject.com/calculator.
- 0605 – Head back to the Vine for COT. Optional to get in 2 more rounds on the way back by taking the “long” route.
- 0615 – COT and then optional extra cooldown
- 0630 – Optional 3rd F at the Einstein Bagels.
SYITG,
Bratwurst
Seeking Lows and Highs
Wait…. the Panthers play at 830 tonight. Maybe we should stick with the cancel plan.
Disclaimer given and 8 non-BRR brethren strided off into the morning gloom in search of 4 miles and OCR obstacles.
Frehleys: Can we do Pull-ups today?
Wingman: Sure
The Thang:
Run to fitness trail and discuss the improvements (thanks Smokey). Now please build a bridge to the greenway.
Group 1: 10 Pull Ups
Group 2: Imperial Walkers
Flapjack
Mosey to Kid Pond Loop
10 Decline Merkins on the fishing dock ropes. Decline.
Bear Crawl the Bridge
Two Times over the Patio Wall.
Bottom of Bagpipe Hill
All you got to the top. Plank waiting on the six.
1 min wall squat on the bridge
20 air presses in cadence (up/down)
1 min Al Gore, wave to traffic
Mosey to the corner of Ballantyne Commons
LBCs waiting on the Six
20 Monkey Humpers In Cadence (Crown Pleaser – people are gonna see us.)
All-You-Got to the Entrance of The Golf Glub
Plank on the six
Cross the Street to the JJ Red Hots Fountain
20 Dips On your own
Reapto
Mosey up toward Ballantyne Commons
wait an usual amount of time for the light.
Fahvra does merkins on his own.
Across the Street and to the BV deck
To the Top and plank. 20 Heels to Heaven at the top.
20 Fluttah
Back to bottom
10 Step Ups at the appt Fountains
Mosey to the Base of Ben Nevis
All You got to entrance of neighborhood
10 Merkins at each entrance, Wait on six
Back to bottom, same thing
Time is running out. Head toward Home.
30 Merkins on the Way at various stations
20 LBCs
Circle-Burp
The Course
https://www.strava.com/activities/705816110
Thine
Thanks to the group that showed up this morning. We were all about the same pace but needed to let Favrah break free every so often. YHC had planned on Ballantyne Meadows hill too, but we ran short on time. A few 10 counts but we needed them. Tried to find the lowest point and the highest. I think the bottom of Ben Nevis ended up being that point.
Gloves Sure Would Have Been Nice
As usual, I forget to confirm the Q for today until late yesterday. I had a fellow Pax marked down but he hadn’t posted all summer so I had some doubt he knew he was on the schedule. He just got done with the BRR, so fartsacking was on the agenda for all our BRR brothers. I tried to brainstorm last night, but my brain was too focused on grilling at the pool. We moseyed around the back parking lot and circled up.
COP:
20 x SSH
20 x IW
15 x Merkin
Head over to the block pile and grab a cinder block per person. Partner up and line up along the grass next to the parking lot.
Exercise 1: Death Crawl
Place the blocks on the starting line. Assume a push up position with your hands on the middle beam of the block. While holding that position, Partner 1 crawls with the blocks while Partner 2 runs a lap around the parking lot. Flapjack. Two rounds each.
Exercise 2: Death Crawl From Hell
Same concept, but now your crawl is going to go Right-Left-Push Up; Left-Right-Push Up while Partner runs lap. Flapjack. Two rounds each.
Exercise 3: Death Crawl So Bad It Was Banned From Hell
This is exactly the same as the last two, but worse. Right-Left-Row Right-Row Left-Push Up; Left-Right-Row Left-Row Right-Push Up while Partner runs. Flapjack. Two rounds each.
Grab your block and line up abreast next to parking lot facing the long end of the field. Partner 1 performs shoulder press, Partner 2 runs to opposite end of the field. Flapjack until you hit 200. Then, Partner 1 performs curls, Partner 2 runs to opposite end of the field. Flapjack until you hit 200.
Put blocks back and mosey to launch point.
COM
40 LBCs on OYO
10 x can opener on each leg
10 x V-ups
10 x V-ups, again
Moleskin:
Sorry for not being very inventive, but I hope it was a worthwhile workout. Only a few of the guys were there last month when I did this, but I did forget to preblast that everyone needed gloves. I was trying my best to slow down Lobsta Roll, but it didn’t work. From now on Lobsta, Orange Whip and McGee are not allowed to partner up with block work. I think they all did 200 of the curls and presses by themselves. Or they cheated. I apologized to Huggie for repeating a workout, but he told me he was going to get me back next time. That doesn’t sound good. And I think McGee fell asleep during the crawl because he was so bored. And Joker has the death crawl mastered so he just did presses the whole time. I think he is concerned his shoulders are not as developed as Squid’s.
Thanks for the takeout Chin Music.
You’re gonna need a bathroom with handrails
Today was leg day. If you missed my tweet the night before….bahahahahahahahaha!!
Here’s how it all infolded:
Prying squat x 5
Good Morning x 10
Swings x 10
Lower Body super set 3×12
Goblet squat
Dead lift
STOP
12 swings
Sumo
Lunge
STOP
12 swings
Side to side lunge
Reverse lunge
STOP
12 swings
Good Mornings
Goblet Reverse Cross Lunge
STOP
12 swings
1 Arm RDL R/L
Goblet Lunge
STOP
12 swings
Partner Up: Doubles 3×5
P1: Rack Squat
P2: Rest
Flapjack
P1: Suitcase Lunge
P2: Rest
Flapjack
P1: Deadlift
P2: Rest
Flapjack
20 swing to squat
NMM – No Mary at Meathead
moleskin:
In honor of fellow pax making the idiotic decision to run 209 miles, in the dark, uphill, downhill, on gravel, in a smelly van, with other swampy dudes, and no sleep, we Meatheads took the better, and just as tough, option of posting for leg day. All legs. By Friday, all of us were looking for a bathroom with handrails to sit down and stand up to take care of business. We’re all better now because of it. Thanks to YL for taking us out.
Brick layers guild
Grabbed 2 bricks each and headed to the parking lot for the warmup. Entire workout incorporated the brick.
SDH x 30
Squat x 20
Curls x 50
Tricep kickbacks x 40
Run to the “clock” 3 push ups on every quarter hour. Plank walk between
Run down the farm to the park for some four corners
1st corner – 10 burpees
2nd corner – 20 squats
3rd corner – 20 merkins
4th corner – 50 speed curls
Bear crawl to next corner
Flapjack
Bearcrawl to next corner
Flapjack
Sprint to the flag
Announcements: Let me Run is starting up at Huntington Farms Elementary. It’s the boys version of “girls on the run”. Volunteers needed
No Trespassing? What?
6 PAX that decided spending their weekend running in the woods and sleeping in a van with a bunch of men sounded awful and instead decided to post up at DZ. All veterans to tossed out a pretty weak disclaimer and got mobile.
The Thang:
Quick COP:
SSH X 20
Mountain Climber X 15
Head out to 51 and head about 1.2 miles up the library on the C/O Rea and 51
Cruise into the library parking lot
Get in groups of 3 for hair-burners
1st PAX pushes the plate while PAX 2 and 3 lunge walk behind. Switch until getting to the speed bump toward the end of the parking lot.
Repeat to the starting point.
Stay in groups of 3 for some lifting and running.
PAX 1 runs the length of the parking lot while PAX 2 and 3 do called exercises.
Round 1 – PAX 1 Runs, PAX 2 curls the plate, and PAX 3 squats
Round 2 – PAX 1 runs, PAX 2 shoulder presses with the plate, and PAX 3 merkins
Round 3 – PAX 1 runs, PAX 2 tricep extensions with the plate, and PAX 3 LBC
Finish at the library for one more set of hair burners the length of the parking lot.
Grab the plates (switching between PAX) and head back towards the AO via the Calvary parking lot.
Quick Mary of:
Freddie Mercury
Flutter
and something else that I forget
Back at the school finished off in our groups with 100 dips and 100 derkins
Partner one does the exercise and the other 2 run the parking lot. Switch until getting to 100
Skin:
I decided to try and mix it up a bit so made my way to Dick’s the other day to pick up the plates. I knew they would be met with resistance based on who I knew would be there but decided to go with it either way. I dropped the plates at the library on the way to the AO and didn’t notice the “No Tresspassing during non library hours” signs. There was a lot of chatter during the run about where we were going. McGee was convinced it was Calvary and others even thought I’d try to make it all the way to Davies. Not with Bounce in tow…simply wouldn’t make it. When I pulled the weight plates from the bushes the mutiny really began. There was a lot of “hell no” type of comments primarily coming from Spackler’s direction. A few observations and I’m sure I’m missing many…
- Props to Spackler for making it. Say what you want about him, but he is committed. After his text to me around 11pm the night before detailing his antics, I thought there was a 50/50 he would make it. He got out of his rig looking like 10lbs of sh*t in a 5lb bag, smelling of a mix of bong water and cheap brew…but he made it. Good for you Spackler…you are solid like that.
- Bounce is always the first guy in the parking lot whenever he posts. What time do you get up?
- Bounce was also apparently early because they didn’t take his VIC coupon for his ankle brace which he was a bit bent about.
- Spackler and Dear Abby couldn’t pull into the AO at more opposite speeds. Spack pulls in like his wife is riding shotgun and about to give birth and DA glides in like he is coasting on fumes.
- Bounce, Spackler, and I were contemplating bailing DZ and going to Flying Biscuit for breakfast and beers until Haze showed up. We didn’t think he would approve.
- McGee apparently has a girlfriend. Well done. Let’s take this offline
- I 100% thought either DA or McGee (likely McGee) was going to floor Bounce. He was running his jaw at a rapid pace. First he insulted DA about The Agenda and then got into it with McGee about the dumpy track houses his company builds. Just stop Bounce…just stop.
- Speaking of DA..we had to pit stop at the Calvary bathrooms because DA had DA #gross.
- Haze was the only one that thought carrying the plates back to the AO sounded like a good idea (other than me). A lot of “guys…there are 2 25lb weights between 6 of us..we can do this”. Always the cups half full kind of a guy. Hugs, Haze.
- Great to crop dust The Rock boys and even better to know that Hopper is still alive. Good to see you, bro.
- Spackler wanted to taunt the boys at The Rock with a chant of “Bunch of P*ssy’s but then he realized there was a juvenile involved. #selfcontrol
- I beat Haze.
All in all it was an hour well spent. Haze…appreciate the takeout. Appreciate you guys and Bounce posting up. I don’t recall any announcements.
Announcements:
Bounce wants to get in on a BRR team next year. Direct message him.
Enjoy the weekend.
Butter
Plenty of relays, no van of sweaty dudes required
YHC, still sore from Thursday’s all-leg Meathead beatdown from Brown, joined 8 other PAX who don’t do that whole run through the mountains thing for some relay work of our own.
The Thang
Warmup
2 Laps around our short track with High Knees, Butt Kickers, Karaoke and some walking lunges thrown in there.
Circle up
30x SSH IC
20x IW IC
15x Mountain Climbers IC
10x Low slow squat
5x Super Slow Merkins
Only 5 Merkins in and the peanut gallery is already complaining. Sure, it may have been about 10 seconds on each down, but still…
Grab a pair of bells for each group of 3, it’s time for some grinders!
The Grinders
Two lines, 50 yards apart, like that missed Graham Gano field goal that set my fantasy football dreams back on Thursday of week 1. If you ever read this Graham, it’s okay, there’s plenty of time left this season, I’m still playing you on my fantasy team. Come on out and work out with us some Saturday! Please don’t send Luke to beat me up…
Anyways…
Round 1
Partner A – Curls with the Bell
Partner B – Lunges
Partner C – Running
4 handslap merkins at each flapjack. 2 turns at each end
Round 2
Partner A – Swings with the Bell
Partner B – LBCs
Partner C – Running
No handslaps, was feeling nice… or soft. Lets go with nice. 2 turns at each end.
Round 3
Partner A – Lawnmower Rows with the Bell
Partner B – Tricep Press with the Bell
Partner C – Running
4 handslap merkins at each flapjack. 2 turns at each end
Round 4
Partner A – Carolina Dry Docks
Partner B – Squats
Partner C – Farmer’s Carry with the Bells
No handslaps, 2 turns at each end.
Somehow there was room for mumblechatter. Did YHC get soft? Time to dish out the pain…
The People’s Relay
With a lot of the Area 51 crowd running their relay, let’s have one of our own.
Line up in the People’s chair.
1 PAX steps out, does 5 merkins, the rest of The Herd does air presses in time with the merkins, then returns to the wall, cycle through the entire line.
Deep Dish went for some slooooow merkins, which was greeted with a few grumbles from The Herd. But TClaps for pristine form on those merkins.
Snoopy can’t count or something and does a round of 10 merkins. I don’t know if he was trying to out do Deep Dish, make some enemies, or if he really just can’t count.
Shake it out, line it up again…
Aaaaaaand, Snoopy, not to be outdone by himself, does 20 merkins…. The PAX thanked Snoopy with a chorus of mumblehate and we move on.
A little bonus work
Mosey out to the concessions area, do a little trio of exercises.
Step ups, Dips, and laps around the bases, 2 rounds of each.
There’s something about Mary
Back to the field, grab the bells, some people *cough* Snoopy *cough* looked like they needed the extra credit.
2-10x Flutter Press (bells for extra credit)
2-10x Russian Twist (bells for extra credit)
2-10x Freddie Mercury
Then, to wrap up the time, and because YHC is still a bit sore from earlier, stretches
10x Through the Tunnel
10x Windmill
Countoff, Name-o-rama, announcements, BOM, and off to get coffee.
Naked Moleskine
YHC, home for the week instead of the usual stomping grounds up in DC (Still waiting on F3 expansions to get up to the DC Metro…) was taking it nice and easy until a reminder message from Pele came in, you’ve got the Q this week. Somehow, it was next week in my head, but no matter, off to get a workout or two in before the Q. With Meathead being all-legs, Deep Dish and YHC knew that we weren’t going to be getting a lot of distance at Ascent this week. Still threw in a good bit, just in 50-100m chunks.
The three teams for grinders were pretty well balanced, so plenty of mumblechatter going on there. Something about college football, the Panthers game, flying headbutts…
Funny how the People’s Relay works, when everyone is watching your merkins, the form was top-notch across the board… none of those weak head-bobs here, even after all the air presses and handslap merkins.
Moon River was going for an inside-the-park home run on the bases there. I don’t know what Gullah said out there, but it got the Moon River rolling.
Always a pleasure and an honor to take the Q out at Ascent/Olympus. YHC Out…
Announcements
Kettlebell Clinic 10/8 @ The Rock
5 year convergence on Wednesday @ 5:15 am
Honoring Our Fallen 9/11 Heroes
5 men showed up to start their Saturday morning off right. I found Tuck over by the familiarly shaped fountains, even though the website says Starbucks. I think he should change the location description to what he shared with me. He can explain if you want to know. Circle up for a little COP.
20 x SSH
20 x Low Slow Squat
20 x Merkins
Mosey over to the stairs over by the BR. We stopped at the bottom of the set of stairs. I reminded the Pax that 2,977 people lost their lives on 9/11 15 years ago tomorrow, including 343 firefighters and 60 police officers. In honor of their sacrifice, we set off to run up 110 flights of stairs, the same number in the World Trade Center. The firefighters had 50 lbs of gear as the ascended the stairs, so we couldn’t replica their heroism. We did run up and down 110 flights, so running down 110 certainly added to the pain. We had some inspiring Lee Greenwood, Survivor, Rage and Metallica to motivate us while we climbed.
Mosey back to the start for name-o-rama.
Moleskin:
Thank you Triple 7 and Bevo for your service to this country. I was super impressed with the effort, especially since Bevo shattered his femur while in the service. I’m not sure how he was able to ascend the stairs, but incredible. First time we had met, and I thought his name was Debo from “Friday”. My bad. It was funny to see him jump a little when he heard the Audi racing by his head when we were warming up. And thanks for the takeout. Very inspiring. Nice to see Triple 7 double down again. Not sure how he does it. He even came knowing we were running 110 flights. I think Bunky wanted to do 220 flights, but time ran out. And Tuck was coming back from IR and made it the whole way through, with little complaining.
Thanks Triple 7 and Tuck for letting me lead. I know the workout wasn’t too exciting, but I figured it was the least we could do to honor those that lose their lives.