Are You Going to the Beach Later Today?
YHC took the reigns for this week’s Firestarter and with 12 other motivated fellas kicked off the week. Initially there was a only handful of us but just like the mad rush as the church doors are closing for the start of a service, guys flooded in at 5:30. A full disclaimer was given and we slow moseyed from launch to provide time for the aforementioned last minute arrivers to fall in.
The Thing:
Moseyed to the 131 Main parking lot for a warmup of Steve Earles, SSH, Peter Parkers, 6 inches, Parker Peters, right hand by right foot with the right elbow dropped trying to touch the ground (a new favorite of YHC’s taught to him by C3PO that really stretches the hammy’s), left hand by left foot and big ol arm circles.
Then it was off up Bryant Farms to the rock pile by the Montessori School. Instructions were given to grab a lifting rock and follow YHC for curls in civilian count. The first set was 20 reps then quickly followed up by 19 reps then quickly followed up by 18 reps. It was at this point that the Pax realized the trend and Hops provided the title of this BB and asked YHC if he was going to the beach later today. Not today but hundreds of curls are always good for beach season in general. It was also at this point that One Star along with a couple of others regretted their rock choice. In order to allow for a dispersion of rock weight YHC instructed the Pax to shift one spot to their left. Unfortunately YHC was beside One Star and had to lift his boulder for 17, 16 and 15 reps…which sucked and YHC’s form was getting sloppy. We shifted again and made it to 10 reps.
At this point it was time to momentarily break up the curlfest and head to the playground up Bryant Farms. YHC split the group in half for:
Group 1 did 20 merkins while Group 2 did 10 step ups on the wall then flapjack and do for 2 rounds.
Then, Group 1 did 10 pull ups while Group 2 did 20 out & ins on the wall, then flapjack and do for 2 rounds.
Headed back to the rocks and instructions made to find your original rock. We finished our curlfest countdown starting at 10 and rotating over to our left a couple of times until done. Moseyed back towards Blakeney stopping at the wall as you enter the shopping center off of Bryant Farms. Big Tuna complimented the wall structure that we used at the playground so YHC figured that he would be equally impressed with this wall. Instructions were given to partner up with P1 doing 5 wall climbs while P2 does burpees until P1 finished the 5 wall climbs. Then flapjack and do for 4 rounds. YHC was out o’ breath after this and called some Mary and asked for friends to call some as well. OK, some breath has been recovered so we jogged back to launch for enough time for 1 minute of Al Gore and 1 minute of plank.
Moleskin:
Fun crowd and good to catch up with some guys that I don’t get to see and talk with as much as I would like. Good mumblechatter throughout and some good moans and groans at times which is always a good sign too. YHC likes to have workouts where there is a little time to mumblechatter and make it fun but also I hope to shut it down with some butt kicking at times too. Hopefully both were accomplished this morning.
Announcements:
- Crane Relay 8/13. If you can do a bootcamp you can run this relay. I realize that was stated by Frasier so consider the source, but the man ain’t wrong. It’s a great way to push yourself but in a great environment to do so.
- If you are in town July 4th keep an eye out for a special event Monday July 5th that will be 2.0 friendly but not require a 2.0, as long as you are a big kid at heart.
Thanks Wingman and Teddy for tapping me to lead this morning and thank you for leading yourselves with Firestarter.
How About Some Murderhorn Half Pipe Suicides?
4 Pax stepped out into the humid morning air ready to see what this week’s edition of The Brave had in store. Spoiler alert, it had over 4 miles with lots of various things thrown in the mix.
The Thing:
Half hearted disclaimer since all 4 were seasoned vets and we were off down Ballantyne Commons. Bang a left into Thornhill and continue into the tennis/playground area for a standard warmup. Mosey down to the rockpile to grab a lifting rock. The Murderhorn half pipe suicides worked like this:
20 each of curls, overhead presses and tricep extensions with your rock
Run to the furthest light pole at the top of the Murderhorn for 15 merkins
Back down to the rock pile for 25 squats with your rock
Run the other direction of the Murderhorn, towards the playground for 25 LBC’s
Repeat going to the next to last light post up the Murderhorn, etc. etc. etc. for 4 total circuits
What goes down must go up so we headed back up the Murderhorn stopping at every light for 15 jump squats then moseyed down Elm to Ballantyne Commons. At this point we were at about 3.5 miles with 1 mile to get back to launch and about 8 minutes to do so. YHC called 10 lunges (R=1 L=1) at every turn cut in. Wingman didn’t think we would make it in time. Happy Meal stated that the Q has to do 10 burpees for every minute over 6:30. Oh ye of little faith. Turns out they were right and we made it back at 6:32.
Moleskine:
Great group making an absolute suckfest of a workout bearable. I had a feeling that it would be rough, at least for YHC, but the hustle run back after the half pipe suicides was unexpected and a gasser. I told the group that I stole the idea from a workout that Teddy did at Nightmare on Elm with something similar. That following Saturday Mic Check told Teddy that his workout was the first to make him take a nap when he got home, so I figured that it must be good enough for The Brave. Also, it was suggested to rename that exercise the Mic Check Sleeper Hold. I owe the crew 20 burpees for being 2 minutes over. I didn’t have it in me at the time.
Announcements:
- Crane Relay 8/13. Sign up on Slack. It is going to be a great relay experience and without the fuss of a bunch of sweaty dudes crammed in a van.
Thanks Taco Stand and Sweetwater for the opportunity to lead and for overseeing the beaut that is The Brave.
It’s officially humid…
I appreciate the opportunity to lead the men of Base Camp this morning. YHC hadn’t been out to South Charlotte in a few months due to another Monday morning AO starting up right by my neighborhood. It was great to get back out and see what’s changed. Thankfully nothing had. Still a great group of guys and a really great AO as there are so many options…
Not much discussion early on as 10 PAX looked forward to another Monday morning boot camp in 98% humidity. Felt cooler until we actually started moving. Extended disclaimer provided to allow OT to get out of his car and off we went.
Here’s what went down.
The Thang
Quick lap around the bus lot and circle up at the front of the school.
Warm-Up Exercises in cadence:
- SSH x 15
- Imperial Walkers x 15
- Mountain Climbers x 10
- Merkins x 10
- Leg Stretches
Mosey pace down to Rosecliff Dr. (Burpess x5 at each speed hump)
WAVE 1: Triple Nickel on Rosecliff Dr.
- @ Bottom do 5 CDDs
- @ Top do 5 Jump Squats
WAVE 2: Merkin Clock Set
- Everyone gets into the Merkin position on the Rosecliff hill (Head represents the ‘hour’ hand)
- Starting @ 12 o’clock, 10 Merkins in cadence
- Repeat @ 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, 9 o’clock
Mosey back up to Fairway Downs Ct.
WAVE 3: Partner Up
- P1 completes called exercise while P2 runs to the cul-de-sac and back
- When P2 returns, flapjack
- Exercise 1: LBCs
- Exercise 2: Flutter Kicks
- Exercise 3: Heels to Heaven
Indian Run (Merkins x3) back to school and circle up @ the rock pile. Pick your poison.
WAVE 4: Rock Set
- 10 Curls, 10 Thrusters, 10 Tricep Extensions
- Run down to the ball fields and complete 10 pull-ups
- Repeato
Mosey back to Launch Point
Mary until time is called
- Big Boy Sit-Ups x 10
- Dollies x 20
Called time and COT.
Moleskin
- Mumble chatter was light throughout the workout but for whatever reason, I can’t remember a thing that was discussed.
- We did get to share a brief overlap with a few runners who, without a Q in charge, drafted in for about 10 LBCs before deciding they were really just a running AO.
- So much versatility at Base Camp. Appreciate Magoo & Thunder for having me out.
Announcements
- Prayer requests for Thunder Road and his wife Jane. Pray that the Lord places his arms around you both and leads you through the next few weeks.
18 Holes around the Horn
Quick write up…
Mosey to warmup with SSH/IW/MC 18 IC
Thang:
there were 9 stations strategically placed around the Front nine lot. Each station had 3 exercises labeled. Partner up with a Pax, grab a batton Golf Ball from the bucket. One Pax ran a lap while hte other performed the initial frst exercise on the sheet. Need to Pass the batton Ball other pax to run their respective lap. When you both finish the first exercise, you both run tot the next station Hole. For each hole you complete you get a par. If you somehow drop the Batton, you get an extra stroke added.
After completing the first 9 holes, go to the second exercise on the list and repeat through the back 9. nearly everyone seemed to finish at least 18 holes with a few heading to the bar for the 19th..
Finish up with the Bushwood Staple Fijian Fast Feet!
MOLESKIN:
While it didn’t seem like much, YHC remembers that we hit above 3 miles on what was like Short-Track racing.
The site continues to gain attention in Marvin with new and old faces showing up weekly. If you haven’t made it out, take the extra time to do so..
A Really Bad Idea
2 minutes before start time is when the DiCCS is given. By the Q. Usually. But that requires the Q to post. At the correct site. No worries, we got this.
3 pax at The Lycan got to explore the hills I’d been planning to visit the next time I Qed. Turns out that was this morning. Woohoo!
Warmup
Mosey to the back of the school, hit the handicap ramp then back up the stairs. Shine your headlamp in the parked car to freak out whoever was sitting in it. SSHs, calf stretches, Glidah stretches, mountain climbers, Merkins.
The Thang
Mosey down the gravel road past the baseball fields and find the little trail that leads to Hermitage Place neighborhood. They were nice enough to install some light posts around the roughly half mile loop. I needed to figure out what the hills looked like for the next set of exercises so for the first loop alternate 5 Merkins and 10 Squats at the lights. Turns out there’s a few hills in this neighborhood and I found a perfect one right near the entrance. After completing a bit more than one full loop we’re now at the bottom of the newly named Really Bad Idea hill, so we did some 7s: Mike Tysons at the top and Big Bois at the bottom. Yuck.
I promised Dunkin we wouldn’t do that hill again so we took the long way around with a few Merkins, Flutters (2=1, duh), and Walking Lunges thrown in for fun. Back out of the neighborhood and to the bleachers between the ball fields. Dips and Step-Ups. 30/20, then 20/10, then 15/5. Over to the playground. I used the excuse that the monkey bars were too wet so we could avoid doing pull-ups. Instead we headed to the swings to do some Swerkins. 10 OYO. Up the grass hill to the wall of the school for some “Chastain’s a Jackass”. 10 Donkey Kicks with a 10 second hold at the top. We worked our way down to 5 DKs and a 5 second hold before tapping out and moseying to the front of the school. With a few minutes left, some nicely numbered parking spots, and some suggestions from Gerber and Dunkin we did (in cadence) 9 Heels to Heaven, 8 Box Cutters, 7 American Hammers, 6 somethings, 5 Burpees, 4 Bomb Jacks, 3 of another thing, 2 things I don’t remember, and 1 Mike Tyson.
A final mosey back to COT and 30 seconds of Squats to finish us out.
Moleskin
The Lycan is a good site. Plenty of options with parking lots, playground equipment, neighborhoods, hills, and easy access to the offerings of the Floater. If you haven’t checked it out you definitely should. Get out of your normal routine and try something new. It won’t hurt (much).
Balls to the…
- blood drive
- Dad camp signup link drops today at 5, don’t miss out
Your humble correspondent,
Speed in your time of need.
Endurance running is a study in passion, in perseverance, in grit, and in determination. When we race, we ask our bodies to operate at the limit of their capacity for significantly extended periods of time. By the final third of every race our legs are heavy, our lungs are burning, our minds are exhausted, and we just want to be done. However, it is often in this final third where the race is won or lost. Whether we’re running for a personal best, trying to beat the guy we signed up with, or finally capture that elusive age group podium, our last chance to hit our goals come in the final third.
The next 5 weeks of swift will be focused on helping us maximize our potential and perform with strength in the final third of our races. It will feel a little different for long standing Swift veterans, but the goal is the same, making better runners through targeted training. In addition to training the body, this program is about training the mind. We will be building the power, but also the restraint, necessary to peak at the right time, and finish the race with excellence.
I will be updating this pre-blast weekly to share the next stage of the training, so that home or abroad you are able to work through the program and realize the benefits.
Week 1: tale of two 1600s
-Warmup to the bull ring via direct route and complete Swift-Staple dynamic stretching
-At the top of the bull ring, commence the following ladder:
-1600 w/ 800 recovery
-800 w/ 400 recovery
-400 w/ 200 recovery
-200 w/ 200 recovery
-400 w/200 recovery
-800 w/400 recovery
-1600 w/ 800 recovery
-Each and every one of us will run this ladder at different paces, however the idea here is to get fast in the second rep at each distance. Additionally recovery should be in the neighborhood of our usual “steady state run”. So, for me, I’m going to go for my first 1600 at 10k pace w/ recovery around 8:30/mile, my 800 around 5k pace and same recovery pace, my 400 around mile pace, and my 200 around an 800 race pace. When climbing back up the ladder I’m going to aim to take about 15-20 seconds a mile off the prior rep. So, if I run my first 1600 in ~6:50, my last should be around 6:30. (In order to develop your recommended paces, check out https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/ and use a recent time trial or near race performance to gauge your equivalent paces.)
Week 2: Ben for the win
-Warmup to Harney & Rushmore intersection for dynamic Stretches
-3X 8 Minutes at 5k-10k pace, 2 minutes recovery at 10k-90 seconds per mile
-Mosey to the base of Ben Nevis
-30, 60, 90 seconds up Ben Nevis (if you summit in 90 seconds, head back down) 30 seconds rest once the 6 is in, then go again. The effort on these should feel harder than your 1 miler by a good margin. Not giving a pace target here, but you should be thoroughly gassed by the end of 90 seconds. Repeato till 6:10.
-Mosey to launch
Week 3: You want me to run how long?
-Warmup to Community house
-4X1200 w/ 2 minutes recovery. First 1200 should be around 10k pace, then plan to progress 10-15 seconds per mile from there. So if your first 1200 is at 7:30/mile, your 4th should be down around 6:30/mile. If you finish early, run a 5th 1200 half way out and back, or sweep the six but stay above a recovery pace. Keep in mind, with the temperatures and humidity we’re seeing, you’re likely to be 3-6% off what pace you’d be running in the spring or fall.
-Progression Run Back to launch, starting around 10k pace and progressing 10-15 seconds per mile every .25 miles. If you arrive back near the launch early, extra credit all the way down to Rushmore and loop back around. The idea here is to finish your progression at or below the pace of your fastest 1200. If get to Rushmore and loop back at the last parking lot pass through before Harney, you’ll hit 2 miles half way back up the hill to the launch point.
Week 4:
-Warm up to the top of Ben Nevis
-Through BCC, 1 Mile at 10k + 30sec/mile, recover to the six for 2:00, 3 minutes at 1 mile race pace + 30 sec/mile, recover for 2:00 to the six.
-Each cycle, cut 5-10 seconds per mile for the 1 mile interval, keep 3 minutes at the same pace.
-Run all the way to Ballantyne Commons.
-Regroup with the six and run back to launch.
Week 5:
This week sees us returning back to to bull ring, and to the program from Week 1. Same 1600, 800, 400, 200, 400,800,1600 with half recovery format as we did a month ago. The only thing which we’ll shift is target paces. We will hold our first set of reps to the same 10k, 5k, mile race and .5 mile race paces. On the way back up, last time, we clipped 15-20 seconds per mile from the prior rep of that distance, and this week we should look to clip a little more. Check your times from last go around and plan to out-run them!
SYITG
-Flipper
F3 Dads Camp Ticket Release Update and Info
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The Inaugural (and likely valedictory) Horsehead Adventure Race
11 curious and most certainly uninformed men arrived at the Cathedral of the Patron Saint Mary Kay to subject themselves to the whims of an unqualified and unprofessional authority this morning. 1 additional lonely Meat Puppet was convinced into joining the party, as his Meat Puppet friends were home recovering from neck tattoo complications.
This was a non-traditional workout, with 3 teams of 4 each competing for a grand prize of both fame and infamy that would make El Guapo himself jealous. Team Captains were selected by age, who then participated in a moderately embarrassing playground style kickball team draft of which the selection order will remain on the field and in our hearts, but not on the internet. The final results were as follows:
Team Frehley (T 2nd):
- Frehley
- Horsehead
- Flipper
- Hoover
Team BLC (T 2nd):
- BLC
- Geraldo
- O Tannenbaum
- Jet Fuel
Team Runstopper (winner and supreme champions):
- Runstopper
- Proehl
- McGee
- Boerewors
Instructions were fairly simple, select one of the 9 numbered slips of paper from the discarded box of Kirkland’s Signature somethings in the hotbox and complete a task that earns your team an impressive 10 points. Return for another task, and keep it going until we run out of time. The team with the most points wins.
Tasks:
- Kettlebells w/ the Olympians – 50 swings, 25 flutter press, 12 squat thrusters
- 3 trips around the North Face loop– 25 LBC at the top of each loop
- Lap around the perimeter of the big soccer field w/ 40 merkins, 40 squats & 10 burpees
- Triple Nickel across the Parking Lot of Pain
- Jack Webb to 8 in the astroturf.
- 10 reps of a different exercise at each tree down the Avenue of Trees.
- Leg workout near the playground . 25 squats, 25 lunges, 15 Apollo Ohno, 15 monkey humpers.
- Bear crawl around the traffic circle near the rock pile.
- 7s on the hill near the big soccer field.
The total gamut of challenges was just over a 4 mile experience, and took our victorious Team C up to the final few mins to complete. The other two teams enjoyed a hard fought battle, but decided to call it quits after 7/9 tasks.
Winning strategy for Team Runstopper employed a combination of A) having Proehl on your team, B) tackling the North Face and Triple Nick tasks first, and C) dragging Boerewors around like a dog chained to a pickup truck bumper on I-77. Boerewors claims to have gone completely numb after the first trip up North Face.
I’m not sure what exactly happened on Team BLC, but they appeared to be getting after it. I think that they probably spent the entire time telling “getting after it” jokes about Jet Fuel and his recent honeymoon, but I’d frankly be disappointed if they didn’t. They appeared to be as disinterested in doing the North Face challenge at least as much as our team was, which I can respect.
Team Frehley hung in there, mostly trying to avoid sweating to death or making eye contact with that awful bloated Cat Tattoo that Hoover has right at human eye level. Seriously, that thing looks like someone buried one of my eyebrows in the Pet Sematary and it came back to life addicted to stale marshmallow peeps. The eyes follow you and everything.
That about sums up everything I experienced today. Saturday beckons, so I’ll end it here.
Your pal,
HH