Second unofficial week is in the books, as eleven men showed up to answer the challenge: PRE-BLAST
The Thang:
Partner up – size matters
Take a right out of OP onto Rea and run to HT, loop around the first pillar, and back to OP (+/- 1 mile). Run behind the school, past the play ground and concession stand, to the football field.
Partner 1 – runs back past the concession area to the playground for 10 pull-ups and then runs back to the concession area for 20 dips and 20 derkins. P1 runs back to the football field. Sumo squats while waiting for your partner.
Partner 2 – runs out the trail to Foxworth and up the hill. At the top (intersection with Bedfordshire), P2 does 40 LBCs, runs down the hill for 40 Freddy Mercury (single count, i.e. 20 each side), and runs back on the trail to the football field. Sumo squats while waiting for your partner.
When partners meet at the football field, partner carry to midfield and back (switch as needed). Partners flapjack – P1 heads to Foxworth, P2 heads to the playground – and that’s one set.
Stop at 0606 and run the HT mile again with a left into OP for COT.
Moleskine
Unofficial week two and a new attendance record with 11. It was hot and humid. Iron Mike and Spackler shed the shirts for COT. It’s too light outside
Everyone has heard “Under promise, over deliver” – right? Well, the estimated mileage was a bit light, but what’s a mile between friends? It turned out to be a little too run heavy at 4+, but we’ll get it dialed in to something in the 2.5-3.5 range. STRAVA or it didn’t happen
We had odd numbers, so Swiper went solo, which meant no partner carries, and therefore, the team of Spackler and Brushback are this weeks Kings of SOFA. I believe every group got in 2.5 sets, and a few got in the full mile to finish.
There were a bunch of guys getting after it this morning with a three teams clustered together. Voodoo was carrying the mini-bombox like a football – high and tight. Strong work from my partner, Icicle, in only his 2nd post back from a 2-month IR stint. Found out during the partner carries that he’d had a back injury – but he pushed through without incident.
Appreciate Starfish giving the chauffeur treatment to the dynamic duo of Butter and Butter’s Hair. Sundancer brought the clowncar and the tunes – playlist:
Star Wars main title – John Williams
Frizzle Fry – Primus
Bulls on Parade – Rage Against the Machine
Batman – Bob Schneider
Sad But True – Metallica
Call Me – Blondie
Southern Hospitality – Ludacris
One Big Holiday – My Morning Jacket
Roll in my Sweet Baby’s Arms – Chris Thile
New Born – Muse
Dirty Blonde – The Bad plus Joshua Redmond
Hero of the Day – Iron Horse
Appreciate everyone making it out today! We’ll be running a modified Murph next week – same time and place.
Kirk
The pax of Day Zero/Area 51 will be hosting a running of the Murph on Sunday, June 28 — the date that marks 10 years since Lt. Michael P. Murphy was killed while serving in Afghanistan.
Lt. Murphy is said to have invented this workout, which he called “Body Armor.” He completed it while wearing a 25-pound flak jacket. It was later renamed in his honor.
We’ll launch from the South County Regional Library parking lot at 7 a.m. to begin the one-mile run down to McAlpine Elementary.
There, we will complete 100 pull-ups, 200 merkins and 300 squats.
To finish, we’ll trek one mile back to the library. Plan on dedicating an hour to the workout. Whoever finishes first will lead the early finishers in mary, tabata or more merkins, according to his discretion.
It’s become kind of a cliche to complete the Murph workout and it’s been written up in all sorts of magazines. We want this to be more meaningful. I hope you’ll consider donating to Charlotte Bridge Home, which helps veterans returning to this area transition to civilian life and employment.
They accept payments online, so please think about dropping in $10 or whatever you can. I’ll collect checks payable to “Charlotte Bridge Home.” If you’d rather bring cash, I’ll be glad to accept it and write a check on your behalf.
Sound off in the comments to HC. Hope to see you there.
24 men kissed their families goodbye, laced up their shoes, and rendezvoused at the shovel flag for a Fast Twitch throw down.
The Warmup:
Mosey from the parking lot to the Davie Park entrance. Plank up. A proper disclaimer was given here.
The Thang:
Sprint to first street light, jog to second, sprint to third, etc. all the way down the side street. 6 lights total. Down and back twice with merkins in between sets.
Mosey down to the corner of Rea Rd. Squats x 25
Mosey to second entrance to Calvary.
7’s on entrance hill. Squats at bottom. Merkins at top. Backward run up the hill, run forward down.
Plank when finished.
Mosey to baseball field. Partner up.
P1 does 1 leg lunges on benches. P2 run to light pole and back. Flapjack. Rinse and Repeat with other leg.
Mosey to corner of Rea Rd. Merkins IC
Mosey to Davie Park entrance.
LBCs (Thanks Hopper)
H2H x 20 IC
Flutter x 15 IC
Mosey back to parking lot.
Done.
5.2 miles
Moleskin:
Prophet Purple Haze stepped out on Twitter yesterday and called for a Fast Twitch throat chop in the morning. He named it, claimed it, and the PAX were rewarded accordingly.
T-claps to Yogurt for pushing through injury as long as he could and almost making it back to the AO. YHC led his 2.1 last week into a broken wrist, so I’ll keep my distance from the rest of your family. Heal up soon, brother!
T-claps to The Big Hairy for making an ambulance run to pick up Yogurt. As the story goes, Yogurt refused to get in any car driven by The Big Hairy until Haze convinced him otherwise. When the Prophet speaks, you listen.
Great effort by everyone out there today. YHC smoked himself so hopefully everyone else got their money’s worth too. Always a pleasure to lead!
The “what and why” for starting this workout are at the bottom, if you want to take the time, otherwise here is the plan for tomorrow:
The Thang:
Partner up – size matters
Take a right out of OP onto Rea and run to HT, loop around the first pillar, and back to OP (+/- 1 mile). Run behind the school, past the play ground and concession stand, to the football field.
Partner 1 – runs back past the concession area to the playground for 10 pull-ups and then runs back to the concession area for 20 dips and 20 derkins. P1 runs back to the football field. Sumo squats while waiting for your partner.
Partner 2 – runs out the trail to Foxworth and up the hill. At the top (intersection with Bedfordshire), P2 does 40 LBCs, runs down the hill for 40 Freddy Mercury (single count, i.e. 20 each side), and runs back on the trail to the football field. Sumo squats while waiting for your partner.
When partners meet at the football field, partner carry to midfield and back (switch as needed). Partners flapjack – P1 heads to Foxworth, P2 heads to the playground – and that’s one set.
Stop at 0606 and run the HT mile again with a left into OP for COT.
Should be +/- 3.2 miles depending on number of sets including stops that target upper body, lower body, and core.
Workout named for the newest featherweight member of F3 Columbia that I carried up McDowell Street a few times at Muthaship Monday. (Choose your partner wisely)
SOFA WIB (which needs a new name): What is it and Why start it?
We’ve all got a story about our involvement with F3, and since mine plays a part in wanting to start this workout, I’ll share it. I started with F3 a little over two years ago. I’m one of those former high school athletes that came “straight off the couch” because someone EH’ed me. I knew I needed to get in shape. I showed up at Core on a Saturday morning, and some Respects were running circles around me (at a non-running workout). I almost passed out. Literally.
A few weeks later, a friend heard I’d started F3 and invited me out to WIB (Workout In a Bag) on Tuesdays at Freedom Park. After a few excuses (“5:30 is too early”, “I hate running”, etc.), he eventually cajoled me into coming out. The first workout was “The Escalator” – basically a partner version of The Murph broken down into smaller parts (spoiler alert: that’s coming next week). I was fortunately in a paincave for most of that experience with only three remaining memories: 1) hating him for convincing me to go, 2) laughing at the incessant mumblechatter, and 3) walking part of the mile back as the six. The leaders that day finished it in +/- 37 minutes, something I couldn’t imagine. I was dead last.
That did not sit well with me. Walking during the last mile was the worst. I was pretty much determined to keep coming out to get better, so I did. One week I showed up, and my buddy didn’t. I got partnered up with Sauerkraut, who I’d never met. By the end, I couldn’t even plank for partner derkins, and he’s not only “not complaining” but encouraging me to keep going and do what I could. I didn’t realize it while just trying to survive, but that was iron sharpening iron. WIB became my regular post – the one I wouldn’t miss.
Months later, I had gotten a little stronger and a little faster, completed my first mud run, etc. Guys from my mud run team used WIB as our team training, where we would race and challenge each other. During a standard boot camp, everyone follows the Q, but with a set circuit , it was a giant competition.
That’s the plan for this workout: there will be a pre-blast announcing the workout, which will often involve partners. It will be non-stop, typically a continuous circuit, that will accomodate FNGs struggling to finish (like I was) and challenge F3 badasses – because you set your own pace. Need a push? Find someone faster and try to keep up.
When I moved south of Fairview, I immediately saw that A51 lacked this type of workout. Not long after that, Team Southbeach won the Busted Paw, somehow (inexplicably) giving Cindy the creative license to write this:
Diary of the Busted Paw – entry 2
Despite all the ballwashing BS, there is a valuable truthnugget in there: Competition will drive you to work harder than you will on your own.
That’s the what and why, and what I hope this workout will become. There will be running – at least two miles, but it’s not a “running workout”. It may even, eventually, incorporate kettle bells or plates. There will be partner work. It will never be easy, but I expect there will be encouragement amongst the trash talk, as the goal is to push each other to get better.
I’ll see you in the gloom.
Kirk
Sorry for the delay in this back blast. 37 men showed up at Bagpipe for my 37th Birthday. Couldn’t have planned it any better than that. YHC had a group of friends post (2 of which were FNG’s) which was pretty cool.
THE THANG
COP
SSH x 37
IW x 25
Merkin x 37
Mountain Climber x 37
Split group into 2 teams. Half went with Mic Check and the other half followed YHC.
Mic Check’s Group
3 sets of the following:
Pull ups / Merkins / Supine pull up or dips
Hill Ladders
5 – 6 count burpees (1 Hill)
10 – 6 count burpees (2 Hills)
5 – 6 count burpees (3 Hills)
10 – 6 count burpees (4Hills)
5 – 6 count burpees (5 Hlls)
Team sprints with merkins and mary while you wait.
10 more 6 count burpees on the mosey back. AYG home.
Margo’s Group
Partner up and circuits around Loch Ness. Partner 1 runs a lap and partner performs an exercise
Round 1 – 20 jump ups / 20 Dips / 20 Decline Merkins
Round 2 – Squats until your partner finishes
Round 3 – 20 jump ups / 20 Dips / 20 Decline Merkins
Round 4 – 17 Burpees
Mosey to parking lot for some 30 yard sprints from the belly position.
5 Merkins – Sprint
10 Merkins – Sprint
5 Merkins – Sprint
5 Merkins – Sprint
Elbow Plank – Sprint
5 Merkins – Sprint
Mosey back to cars for Mary
LBC x 37
6 count burpees x 10
Flutter x 20
6 count burpees x 10
Moleskin
Strong showing today including 4 FNG’s. Thanks for coming out (Canadian Bacon, Estrogen, Left Out & Piranah) and looking forward to see you guys again soon. This was my first time on Q at Bagpipe and I was a little nervous about getting lost out there so I decided to keep it simple and stay close. It’s fun to Q on your birthday and thanks for the opportunity to lead.
2 dozen (or so) PAX gathered for a hearty down payment. Here’s what ensued:
The Thang:
Mosey to the EFCA. Warmup (SSH, Merkins, Over/Unders, Mtn Climbers). Partner up (speed matters). Hustle out of the gate to Tottenham/Kingswood, stopping at every street (on the right @Kirk, #badlistener) for 15 diamonds and 15 over unders (4 count).
Squats to wait at Tottenham. Looked like human whackamole off Tottenham.
Bottom-ish of the halfpipe. Partner A runs one way and B the other for 7s (burpees aka #flyingsquirrels and diamond merkins), with plank-shakes and merkins (10) at the bottom of each hill.
Mary to wait.
Mosey back to a neighborhood (mosey for some, AYG for others). Mary to wait.
AYG back to COT. Mary to wait.
Moleskin:
@Kirk hates running though can run very fast. Weird.
Good to see @Skywalker back in the gloom. Looked like a @Mudgear advertisement out there with his #BackInBlack gear.
Strong work by all. @Bushwood was on YHC’s heels but youth prevailed, at least for another day.
TClaps @Orlando AKA @Froggie for running into the workout. YHC thought it was a 5 mile entry. Turns out it’s .21 miles, #sigh.
TClaps to all for taking the #TonyHawkHalfpipe head on. She’s mean and demands respect.
Announcements:
F3 Dads, Sat. 0900 Beattie Park
F3 Area 51 WIB – Old Providence Elementary, 0530, Every Tuesday until eternity. WIBSOB (WIB South of the Border) is unapologetically the hardest workout in A51. Or is it even in A51? Bordertown confusion…Don’t miss it.
Thanks @Skywalker and @Hops for letting a #hatehate Q.
4 PAX made it out to McKee Rd Elementary to post at Area 51 AO. YHC was first one on site and planted the SF in the soil as the others started to pull into the parking lot. Large pile of limbs in the parking lot as school recently cleaned up the landscaping along the front entrance to the school. Fortunately for the PAX, no logs and other coupons that we could utilize. No worries as YHC had plans to introduce everyone to a friendly game of Pinball, as recently unveiled at the Commitment AO by Ice 9 and/or Stump Hugger. BB always provide fertile ground for work-out ideas.
With everyone on site that was to post for a humid June morning, YHC inquired of the other PAX as to the time as my Timex is currently out of operation. With confirmation that 0700 start time was upon us, YHC led the PAX on short jog over to the track and we made one loop with some high knees, backwards run, and butt kickers mixed in.
Circled up in the track infield for COP:
Time for everyone to try their hand at the aforementioned Pinball. Idea is that Q will indicate the next destination for a set of exercises. PAX will head off for the called destination at pace each feels comfortable with. Early arrivals will then circle back to the 6 and take off again for the destination. Idea is to keep the group together while also providing stronger runners a little extra mileage if they so desire.
First destination was the NC Landmark play area at the back of the school. PAX set out and we met up at the logs for the 1st round of exercises, as follows:
Next destination was the playground at the other end of the school around back. PAX took off once again and we met up at the called destination for the following:
Getting warmed up now, so we headed out once again for the front of the school and met up at the front wall near the bus parking lot. Time for a round of People’s Chair and Balls to the Wall:
One more playground on the premises that we had not visited, so we headed over to the front of the school. Once there, we completed the following:
With everyone having so much fun, YHC decided we had time to visit one more destination. PAX were instructed to head over to the rock pile by the soccer fields. With all the PAX gathered around we each grabbed a lifting rock and circled up for a little heavy lifting:
Deposit your rocks back on the rock pile and mosey down to the end line of the soccer field. Line up along the goal line. Karaoke to midfield with left shoulder leading and then flapjack with right shoulder leading for 2nd half to the other goal line.
5-6 minutes left, so we headed back to launch point for 6 MOM, PAX choice and led:
COT
NMM:
Announcements:
Swift will launch from the Vine Restaurant (which is not closing this month – that’s the D’Vine Wine Cafe in the Ballantyne Village) at 0515 on Tuesday morning.
Come for an early treat at 0500 for a little more than a 1 mile mosey.
The Thang:
8 bros met at the VSF at Elon Park Elementary School in South North Carolina for their weekly dose of iron + pain at Foxhole.
The Thang:
Grab your bells and mosey to the plush astro-turf field. Circle up for a brief disclaimer.
COP:
25x SSH IC
15x IW IC
Turkish Get Ups (4x L, 4x R)
Partner up. P1 does merkins while P2 does farmer carry to the end line. Flapjack. Repeato with squats.
Tabata: :30 on/:30 off
Repeato
Mosey back to the launch lot for the Finisher:
YHC with the takeout
NMM:
Leo planted the flag, OT was quietly meditating on the curb – ready to destroy another Monday workout. The silence was broken with a disclaimer and 15 PAX were off for a jog around MRE.
Run to back of school, plank to gather – 40 merkins.
Continue around school, plank to gather – 30 merkins.
Run to the parking lot to circle up for a warm-up and Burpee ladder IC:
SSH (30); 10 burpees
Imperial Walker (30); 9 Burpees
Da Fluttah’ (30); 8 Burpees
Low Slow Squat (30); 7 Burpees
Mountain Climber (30); 6 Burpees
LBC (30); 5 Burpees
Single Leg Flutter (R) (15); 4 Burpees
Single Leg Flutter (L) (15); 3 Burpees
Mosey on over to the wall, some planks to gather up, Right foot high, Left foot high; 20 Merkins.
Split into 2 groups. Group 1 Peoples Chair with 60 air-presses; Group 2 run to the other side of the school for 20 Derkins. – Flapjack until 5 sets are complete.
Split into 3 groups for interval sprints: 7 rounds and time expires…
Mosey back to the parking lot and circle up with 30 seconds to spare for 30 Mason Twists.
Announcement: F3 Dads this Saturday 9:00am, Colonel Francis Beatty Park – bring the 2.0’s -it’s a blast.
We welcomed FNG ‘Drive-by’: a school teacher who drove past the Matrix every day, and had to stop in to see what it is all about. Hope to see you again, Drive-by.