Schwetty Bells

Schwetty Bells

I slid in sideways at 5:29 with the AC/DC pumping on the pill just in time to get the blood pumping with the bros.

Warmup: 30 swings

The Workout:
10 x 10 One Hand Swings Each Hand
10 Merkins between each set

10 x 10 Snatches

5×5 Goblet Squats
10 Carolina Dry Docks between each set

10×10 Lawnmower rows each hand
10 Two hand press between each set

4 MOM (Flutter Press, Protractor, Freddy Merc, 20 Merkins IC)

Moleskine:
Lots of jaws flapping when I showed up with a full minute to spare.
Voodoo had an idea of what was coming when I tipped my hand that it smelled a lot like my Foxhole Q on Monday, only twice the reps.
Witch Doc and Bulldog were tearing through the snatches. (Made a note to pick up a kettlebell scale at Muscle Driver). The snatches were by far the worst of it, however, the lawnmower rows with the push presses takes a ton of strength and energy too. Double H went out with a dizzy spell and YHC offered him the Muscle Milk from the console to reinvigorate the male, however Witch Doc shut him down and told him that it would kill him instantly. That only led to Brown and I discussing what animals we would eat in the yard on the way back into the house after this insane workout. I went squirrel, but Brown justified a rabbit because the rabbit eats more veggies and that would satisfy the Witch Doc’s prescribed food groups. Check this out and see if it’s a happy medium? If nothing else it’s hilarious. www.savethebros.com

Clearly Not a Professional

10 PAX, including a guest from Raleigh made the right choice and accepted the #DRP at Peak 51.

The Thang:

  • SSH x 25
  • Merkins x 10
  • IW x 20
  • Diamond Merkins x 10
  • Squats x 20
  • Wide Arm Merkins x 10

Mosey to the Playground for the following circuit, after 2 rounds take a lap around the track, six sets in total, 3 laps.

  • Pull-ups x 5
  • Merkins x 10
  • Squats x 15

Jog over to the hill behind the baseball field, stopping for some Mary.

  • Flutters x 15
  • LBCs x 16

Hill Work:

Jog up the hill for  some ladder work, 1 CCD at the bottom, 6 Squats at the top.

Peoples Chair:

Mosey over to school and grab some wall for 2 rounds, fist with arm raises and the second arms out in front of you. Finish up with BTTW.

Mary:

Return to the parking lot for some

  • Rosalita x 15
  • Dollys x 15

Moleskin:

  • With all the BRR workouts of late, YHC wanted to keep it simple, and keep the PAX together for the work. We still wound up completing close to 2 miles anyway.
  • YHC apparently needs to attend Q school again or Q more often, due to the lack of consistency of my cadence and non-cadence counts. Thanks to Swiss Miss for keeping me in check.
  • Joker assumed YHC was making it up as I went along, Although entirely possible, I assure, there was a draft of the Weinke.
  • Welcome Yukon Cornelius from Raleigh, come back and visit any time.
  • Kotters to Drop Thrill, good to see you again.
  • Thanks to Freedom for taking us out.
  • Thanks for the opportunity to lead, please sound off with any mumble chatter.

Announcements:

 

 

 

More Burpees

16 men showed up at Stonecrest movie theater expecting the usual beatdown they get from The Maul, but they just got more burpees. Here’s what we did:

The Thang:

COP – IW X 20, Merkins X 20, Mountain Climbers X 20, Burpees X 10 OYO

We moseyed to down the Murderhorn and did Burpees X 10 OYO

Run over to the club house parking lot and 10 Burpees OYO.

Split into 2 groups. Group 1 headed over to the picnic tables and did two rounds of 25 dips and 25 Durkins and Group 2 went over to the playground for 2 rounds of 15 pull-ups and 35 Merkins, flapjack once your 2 sets are complete.

LBCs X 20 to wait for the 6, Burpees X 10 OYO

Group 1 headed over to the picnic tables and did two rounds of 25 dips and 25 Durkins and Group 2 went over to the playground for 2 rounds of 15 pull-ups and 35 Merkins, flapjack once your 2 sets are complete.

Flutters X 20 to wait for the 6, Burpees X 10 OYO

We then moseyed over to the bottom of the Murderhorn, Burpees X 10 OYO

Run up the Murderhorn and Flutters X 20 to wait for the 6. Burpees X 10 OYO

We then moseyed to the parking lot and circle up, 10 burpees OYO and LBCs X 20, Dollies X 20, Rosalitas X 20, Flutter X 20, bicycles X 20.

COT

Moleskin:

Painful. That’s all there is to say.

Announcements:

SOB BRR team still in need of a van driver.

Mud run sign ups opened Tuesday night. Sign up today.

 

Which way to Base Camp?

With both site-Qs out of town, I found myself with the keys to the Base Camp kingdom. Based on comments afterward, I think my visa has been revoked. Not sure if I will be welcome back any time soon…

The THANG

Warmup

– Warmup run around the parking lot mixing in various forms of leg stretching exercises (high knees, butt kickers, skipping, etc.)

– No shovel flag to be found so we gathered around the barren flag pole for a little COP consisting of SSH, IW, Merkins and squats.

– COP had to be quick so we could get to the main event down on the football field.

The Main Event: Blimps (helium edition)

Down on the field, all PAX line up abreast (aka. next to each other, aka. shoulder-to-shoulder) at the end zone. Sprint to other end zone for exercises. When all PAX done with exercises, sprint back across field for next set of exercises. Continue on as follows:

  • 100 yd sprint — BLIMPS (5-Burpees,10-Lunges (5 each leg), 15-Imperial Walkers (single count), 20-Merkins, 25-Plank Jacks, 30-Squats)
  • 100 yd sprint — BLIMP Remove Squats
  • 100 yd sprint — BLIM Remove Plank Jacks
  • 100 yd sprint — BLI Remove Merkins
  • 100 yd sprint — BL Remove Imperial Walkers
  • 100 yd sprint — B Remove Lunges
  • 100 yd sprint — BL add Lunges
  • 100 yd sprint — BLI add Imperial Walkers
  • 100 yd sprint — BLIM add Merkins
  • 100 yd sprint — BLIMP add Plank Jacks
  • 100 yd sprint — BLIMPS add Squats (should have full Blimps on this lap)
  • Rep count: 55 burpees; 100 lunges; 120 imperial walkers; 120 merkins; 100 plank jacks; 60 squats; 11 100 yd sprints

Finisher

  • cool down lap run around the track and up to main parking lot
  • 30 LBCs (led by Lorax!!!)

Moleskine

  • First and foremost, yes – I agree – a backblast should ideally be posted the day of the workout. Unfortunately for me (or you, as the case may be), I have spent the last 2.5 days digging myself out of email purgatory given my recent vacation. Despite my best intentions, work had to be done. I’m sure you can all relate. Well, most of you anyway…
  • Well done, men. I am an infrequent visitor to Base Camp, but each time I come I am always impressed by the strength found at this “moderate” workout. This is supposed to be an AO dedicated to easing PAX back into action – couch to 5K style – back from injury – or just back from a crazy weekend. Instead, each time I find myself wondering where the real Base Camp is since this must just be a different “non-moderate” workout all together.
  • Ok, given that I was the Q. I accept full blame for this workout not being moderate today. But hey, we all need a push every once in a while. Just to prove to ourselves that we can do it. And I did lead off with the disclaimer – advising you to moderate at your own risk or something like that…
  • Knight Rider – crazy fast
  • Margo, Abba – strong and fast as always
  • Thunder Road – continuing to push the limit each and every time
  • Lorax – leading 1 exercise of mary doesn’t count as a vQ, but you did prove you are ready. If only I knew a site Q or 2 that might sign you up soon.
  • Zuckerberg – excellent post game discussion, and glad we ended it when we did. Might need to give you my nickname if that went any further.
  • Balk – welcome to the PAX. Excellent work holding fast the “middle of the pack” (your self-proclaimed pace)
  • Tawney – haven’t met you before, but meant to tell you that my first dog was named Tawney. She set the bar high. Therefore, you must be a very fine fellow.
  • Philmont – you finally made it to Philmont, didn’t you. What’s your next goal and does it warrant a name change? Doesn’t matter – The Philmont is who you are.
  • Big Tuna – yes, still out running your weight class.
  • That’s all I can remember, please chime in below so we can make your site-Qs jealous of the fine time they missed this most excellent morning.

Announcements

  • If it was important, I’m sure it’s in the email of the week. See Simba if you don’t get the email. And while you’re at it, get on Twitter, follow @F3Area51, find your friends and see what sort of stuff they’ve been saying about you behind your back.

#Preblast for DevilsTurn

The PAX will leave the 4 Mile Creek Greenway parking area (Rea Rd & Bevington) at 0515 tomorrow.  Our path will naturally bring us back by the lot around 0520 for those running late.

@HoneyBee has unwisely turned over the reins to YHC for tomorrow.  We’ll not deviate from the plan to continue in the hills of the Piper Glen neighborhood, but we’ll give everyone something new to think about.  First, there will be no chalk lines, but cones instead.  Cones for directions you ask?  No, cones will serve a different purpose.

You are guaranteed to get in the full 4, 6, or 6.5 mile option tomorrow, but you’ll not be running it along for more than a few minutes at a time.  How you ask?  Well come to find out.  What is suggested is that you use that Marathon Pace you’ve been targeting from the calculator at http://runsmartproject.com/calculator and use it to find Threshold Pace instead.  You’ll be glad you did.

Burn the route https://www.strava.com/routes/492638 into your mind.  If you don’t, then YHC will have some printouts for the Preblast challenged.

Creative or Confusing?

Prior to Dromedary proper, 2 men set off into the darkness to run in large complex circles.  They happened upon a bald man in a black truck snooping round the AO and then were almost run over by someone driving on the sidewalk.  After these encounters, 1 man (Stump Hugger) set off in his vehicle for a “meeting” and became labelled First In First Out (FIFO).

The other man (Bratwurst) joined 5 other men mulling around the parking lot and once 5:30 struck, the disclaimer was disclaimed, and warnings were voiced, the 6 man wolfpack entered the darkness.

After crossing the large parking lot and finding where all the buses in Union Co. park, a COP was called and the warmup began.  10 counts each of merkins, mtn climbers, low slow squats, Mr. Miagi’s, IW, and reverse lunges.  Now warm, the PAX continued onto the football field where Bratwurst almost refusniked due to the slight moisture present on the grass.  After some chastening, he was brought on board for the first real COP.

Exercise 1: 8 count burpees x 10.  We experimented with and without a called 8.  YHC recommends saying the 8, Bratwurst finds it confusing.  The rest of the PAX didn’t seem to care and just made fun of us for arguing about it.

Exercise 2: 10 x a yet unnamed move described by Bananas as “the roll around on the ground and stand up exercise.” It was actually intended to be a reverse burpee with a heals to heaven, situp, and deck squat, then reverse back to the ground.  It hypothetically could have been done to a count of 6, but the moves all strung together.  At this point, Enron and Silicon almost denounced F3 due to this exercise’s seemingly pointless nature.  However, they stayed for no reason other than to see where this train wreck was headed.

The two exercises were repeated a second time through.  Bratwurst Q-jacked the second reverse burpee set and tried to call cadence, which was actually worse than the first time making 6 moves into a 9 or 10 count.  However, since he is co-site Q, he was given this leeway.

Before moving to the next set, we virtually had to peel Chanel off the oversized tractor tire located on the side of the field.  He may have been caught later trying to load it in the back of his workout mobile.  If you get a call from the Union Co. Sheriff, you know why.

The PAX then headed over to the hill by the baseball diamond for sloppy 11’s.  Bottom was plank up-and-downs (probably a better name for this) and top was jump squats.  The mumble chatter was non-existent during this portion of the workout as it was intense.  However, there were basically 6 Larry Birds out there today as everyone kept in near perfect sync.  Once complete, a couple 10 counts brought the heart rate back to a manageable level.

An AYG sprint up the hill led us to the benches where 3 rounds of 20 dips and LBC’s were performed followed by a partner up for leg throw downs in the middle of the field.  Although suggested by Bananas, this move was not coupled with a squat which would take it in a whole different direction.  2 rounds each of the exercise meant that the person laying on the ground basically got rained on from the person standing up.  Very distracting while trying to lift your legs aggressively.

A quick jog back past all the idling buses to get some diesel in the lungs brought us back to the original launch point in time for some Mary to finish things off.  Dolly, Rosalita, Mason Twist, J-Lo’s, Monkey Humpers, Heals to Heaven, and a sprint up and down the parking lot completed the mayhem.

The Moleskine:

Pretty much an experimental workout today with some strange exercises.  There is probably a reason that no one recommends reverse burpees.  They are just awkward.  Some of the other experimental exercises had some comedic factor, but it seemed that once 5 or 6 reps were completed, the laughter died off as the pain set in.  Hopefully, today shocked a few of those under utilized muscles or at least made you laugh a little.

Announcements:

– October Mudrun preblast is up Link

 

 

Death Valley heads off campus

16 PAX enjoyed/endured a soggy run up 51 to the private park (or so the signs say) at the C/O of 51 and Raintree for some running, hills, and partner workout.

The Thang:

Mosey up 51 to the park at Raintree

COP in the parking lot:

Side Straddle Hop X 10

Imperial Walker X 10

Merkin X 10

Mountain Climber X 10

Head up to the field: 10 merkins at one goal post followed by a bear crawl to the following post…10 more merkins and jog to the goal posts at the other end….repeat…back to the starting point.

Partner up on the goal line into groups of 2 PAX:  First group calls out an exercise and takes off down the field and rounds the opposing goal post.  All the while, the remaining PAX on the goal line are performing the named exercise.  Each group (8 total) takes their turn.  For some reason, there were a lot of burpee/burpee variation involved here.

Wheel barrow carry with same partner down the field….switch mid-way.

Mosey to the other end of the field and to the bottom of the grass hill:  A variation of the ladder here.  10 merkins at the bottom, 9 at the top, 8 at the bottom, etc. until you get to 1.

Short mosey to the picnic table for a ladder of step-ups and dips.  Started at 8 and went down to 1.

Back to home base for a bit of Mary.

Moleskin:  First off, props to Stone Cold and Semi for giving me the heads-up on the Park General at Davies.  I had intended to head there but was told it would likely cause an altercation with the lady that has her “pay to play” class there Wednesday mornings.  I certainly wasn’t looking to get my *ss handed to me at 5:30am by some female drill sergeant in front of this group.  Likely something I would never live down.

I was stoked to get a few props on my choice of tank-top right out of the gate (Thanks Sky Walker and Puddin’).  Puddin’ mumbled something about not being able to “pull that look off” which I immediately questioned.  There was some grumbling about the run to the park and something about “this not being Fast Twitch” (ie, Sky Walker…he was quite chatty this morning) but overall most kept the complaining to a minimum.  The fields were wet but it was nice to go to an off campus party for a change.  Stage Coach had a sweet idea to take the longer and hilly way back to home base which drew some heckling from the group.  Lastly, it appears Semi Gloss took Spackler up on his suggestion from Fast Twitch to up his wardrobe from youth to adult size.  Well played.  We all thank you for that.  Thanks for letting me lead you all on my virgin Death Valley Q.  Enjoyed it and look forward to doing it again soon.

Announcements:  Joust is back at Charlotte Christian this Friday on the new fields.  Semi’s BRR team is in need of a driver.

 

First-rate with the Frisbee …But We Suck at Basketball

In honor of the 2nd Annual Raven Hill Frisbee Golf Tournament happening tomorrow we called upon the services of Frisbee to lead us through the workout rigors this morning.

The Thang:

Warm-up lap with all kinds of crazy leg antics mixed in.

COP
•    SSH x 20 IC
•    Imperial (a.k.a. Empirical) Walker x 20 IC
•    Monkey Humpers x 15 IC
•    Flutter x 20 IC
•    Mtn Climber x 15 IC
•    WWII Sit-Ups x 10

Gather on goal line.
Everyone gets a turn hucking Frisbee (it has to go 20 yards or more or else we incur a 10 burpee penalty).  Run to where Frisbee lands, and the dude who threw leads us in a called exercise.

Suicide (20 & back, 50 & back, opposite 20 & back, opposite goal line & back).

Run to basketball court (pause for some planking on the way).  Everyone takes a turn shooting a free throw.  Make it = 10 merkins.  Miss it = 5 burpees.

Run back to track.  2 laps with pain stations on both ends (20 merkins on one end; 20 LBC’s on opposite end).

Mary & done.

MOLESKINE:
– Only one penalty was incurred on the Frisbee portion of the workout (great job men)!
– BTW …where was Winterplace this morning???

– 0 for 9 on free throws!!!

– Finally, in the immortal words of Dr. Stancil E.D. Johnson (psychiatrist and Frisbee enthusiast …and a member of the International Frisbee Hall of Fame AND the Disc Golf Hall of Fame …a pioneer in competitive disc golf and the history of the sport …author of the 1975 classic, “Frisbee:  Practitioner’s Manual and Definitive Treatise” …and Disc Golf Instructor at California State University, Monterey Bay), “When a ball dreams, it dreams it’s a frisbee.”

Post Vacay Blues

18 endured the Le Spackler post vacation blues.  Pretty sure it was bad for some, worse for others and just maybe easy for a few.  I aim to please.

The Thang

We headed straight out the gate down to Rosecliff.  Stopped.  No COP.  Just a simple leg stretch.  Led the pax down Brownlee’s Pond to Coburn (aka Spackler’s Knoll).  Partner up.

Partner 1 – run down SK and complete 10 squats at base and back to top

Partner 2 – run down Brownlee’s Pond to end and complete 10 squats and back

Flip, flop a bunch of times.

Down to base of SK.  Backwards run up SK and forwards down.

Mosey to Bevington – keep partner for CMIYC down to Rea and back #urwelcome

Mosey back to school with a few AYG’s on the way and a round of Indian Run.

The skinny

Ahhhhhhhh, nothing like returning from vacation and making FT your first stop, right Buttermaker?  Went down like nails for YHC.  What wasn’t going down like nails was the nice cold beer I was drinking poolside in Kiawah when Purple Haze tagged me for the lead this week.  Well played Haze.  Alcohol speaks volumes sometimes.  They are all lies.  I wasn’t ready for today so thank you all for putting up with a few more breaks than usual.  I sure as h*** didn’t feel like there were enough.

This is all I know about today – I’d say we should all pitch in and buy Semi Gloss new attire – aka longer shorts and actual Men’s size shirts – but he wouldn’t wear them.  Throw a wig on that guy this AM and he resembles – https://youtu.be/H7B2VMCHXpA

That is all….simply bc I was deep in my own **** this morning and wasn’t paying attention.  Boom.  Tell a friend.

 

Announcements

Jevlar is now back at Charlotte Christian

 

 

 

 

Turnaround – Every now and then I get a little bit lonely

14 PAX struck out from the Vine Restaurant at 0515 on Tuesday morning for the weekly group Speed therapy session known as Swift.  1 more PAX somehow found us in the gloom.

The Thang:

  • Early, early (++) crew of Outback and M. Tussauds were out doing something.  When 4 more PAX pulled into the parking lot at 0500, those 2 were no where to be found.  Apparently, they were out for an early 3 mile therapy session.
  • Early (+) crew of 4 pax found a way to spend 15 minutes running around for 1.5 miles.
  • Full crew left promptly at 0515 for 1.0mi easy warm-up over to the Ballantyne Corp bridge over Hwy 521 near Bank of America and Snyders Lance.  Commence with 4 drills and strides.
  • Stretch, shed shirts (most of the crew), get a Garmin tutorial from HoneyBee, and get the workout plan from the Q.  All run at I-pace / Interval pace / 2mi Race Pace / VO2max – find yours at http://runsmartproject.com/calculator.  Route is stay on Ballantyne Corporate and head towards Ballantyne Commons / Premier deck.  Turn around half-way through interval.
  • 5minute out & back, 4min jog recovery
  • 5minute out & back, 4min jog recovery
  • 5minute out & back, 4min jog recovery
  • 3minute out & back, 2min jog recovery
  • 3minute out & back, 2min jog recovery
  • Grab shirts, head back to COT, but…
  • Time for one final effort up to the 4-way Intersection of Ballantyne Corp & Brixham Hill.
  • Mosey back to COT.
  • Totals between 5.6mi and 6.5mi for the main crew.  Bonus miles count on your own.

The Moleskin:

  • YHC was not looking forward to this one, but it’s pretty amazing how the body adapts.  Just when you think, I can’t go faster than last week’s 5minute Threshold intervals, you speed it up about 30seconds per mile and still hold it for 5 minutes. Just when you think, but we only did 1 of these I-pace intervals for 5 minutes a few weeks ago (and the 2-1-30 seems so short now), you push through 3 and still have energy for more.  Just when you think I shouldn’t wake up at 4am and go push myself today, you did it anyway and now have some success to look back on.  Well done PAX!
  • Turnaround – because “Every now and then I get a little bit lonely.” Out and back is a favorite for keeping PAX together.  It helps to make sure you are honest with pace in the beginning because if you go out and run the “out” too fast, you’ll get caught on the “back” and become someone’s road “kill”.  Also because most of us only ever have Frasier to chase, the out and back immediately gives you a target to chase down and make your road kill – a feeling to remember in the BRR when you hit those long stretches with only 1 other runner in sight.  There is the negative with out & Back of those sharp turns that mess up the “pure” pace, but it’s a price to pay for all of those other benefits of a way to run intervals as a diverse group.  If you hit the targets, everyone should be starting and finishing as a group.
  • While sometimes the recovery wasn’t so “easy”, the goal is to keep moving for these longer recoveries.  It’s not an easy run pace (which could be too fast), it’s a slow recovery.  Just keep moving and keep loose.
  • The usual suspects of Frasier, HoneyBee, and Haggis were out front on the “out” and still picking up PAX on each “back”, but SIB FNG Gecko was pulling out strong performances and would refuse to be caught.
  • JRR Tolkien fresh off 12 trips up the Mutha yesterday perhaps got too ambitious at the beginning intervals and felt the effects catch up with him, but still is ludicrous to think he wouldn’t help dominate with someone’s BRR team.  Someone sign this guy up!
  • Champagne anticipated and stared down the 5 minute intervals with as much pleasure as YHC looks at a 2 Pood Kettlebell.  However, 5 minute intervals did not prove to be his Kryptonite, and he just knocked them out of the way.  If Champagne is not attending #F3FightClub to get rid of that rage, then perhaps he needs to get with Chipotle and workout some sparring sessions.  But YHC looks at sparring sessions with Chipotle as longingly as much as Stump Hugger looks at an elevator door, or runaway car, or crack in the sidewalk, or 0350 on the alarm clock.
  • Abacus picked wisely with Van #2 not having to arrive for his 0730 start time, but he has been consistently putting in the early miles at seemingly every opportunity.  I feel bad for the poor tomato he passes at 2am on the BRR while moving past her and barely making a sound.  There will start to be Bigfoot sightings reported after that.
  • Somehow Long Haul’s sense of direction is better than his timing.  With Preblasting a location veiled in secrecy, YHC didn’t expect any latecomers to find us.  Perhaps it was a credit to his network of construction cameras on every building giving him the lay of the land.
  • Strange Brew led the shirtless revolt amongst the Swift PAX again today and it was either Brew or Honey Bee making gestures to Bagpipe PAX with “want some of this”?  In the end, it seemed only Frasier was comfortable showing the skins at COT or perhaps trying to get a sunrise tan to stop glowing in the dark.
  • Tootie, Abacus, MT, and HoneyBee even stayed around longer today at #F3TimeKeeper to hear YHC mumble on about Moses undergoing a 40 year transformation in the Wilderness.  Each morning is a special opportunity to lead at Swift and the group at #TimeKeeper is always open. Come join us as we talk about a new historic figure each week and how each of us can be challenged by what challenged them.

Getting a little less lonely,

Brat