4 Ignition regulars joined me in a brief running tour of what Lawson has to offer. Disclaimer.
Warm Up:
Run to end of Prickly Lane in New Lawson. On Lightwood Rd., 5 Merkins and squats every light pole until the street ends. 30 10 sec oyo stretch
Thang:
7s or Sevens–cul de sac on hilly Shearwater Lane to cul de sac of Lightwood Rd.-Burpees and Burpees
Back down Lightwood Rd-5 Merkins and Squats at every light pole until we reach Cuthbertson Rd.
Cross into Old Lawson onto Brough Hall, down Riverbank Rd.-10 jump squats every street on right, 10 dry docks every street on left until we reach the cool house with the red lights.
At the house-10 Mike Tysons, around each of the three loops that connect Riverbank and Trading Ford-at every intersection 10 Merkins, at red light house 10 Tysons
Run from there to Toteros Dr.-down the street, every street light 10 jump squats. At the end of the street, segment hunting sprint back to Riverbank.
From there, run back to home base.
In parking lot, 10 Merkins, 20 wall hip slappers, 30 donkey kicks-run lap around lot. Then 10 merkins, 20 hip slappers -run lap
Done! 6+ miles for the crew
Moleskin:
Realized that with 4 guys that regularly run 6+ miles at a mucho fast pace that we would be stretching out our legs a bit and offered up a nice old fashioned Ignition workout. Always good and motivating to have competitive PAX that push you, whether you are in front or behind. When Ignition was started, it was meant to be a workout that was uncomfortable and make you go past the limits of what you thought you were capable of. In the 2+ years of this workout, there has definitely been a growth not only in the number of PAX, but the willingness of those who never thought they would attend to come and push themselves out of their comfort zone. And I’m pretty sure I was out of my comfort zone for at least 45 min today. Btw if you ever Q ignition, don’t tell the PAX that they can run at 8 min pace for a stretch to lower their heart rate. It was like telling your 5 year old to not make a mess. They ran even way faster to make a point.
Decided to ditch the standard circle warmup today with a mile run with a quarter mile of merkins/squats combo. I’m sold. Do 15 SSH’s and IW’s really warm you up in 32 degree weather? The answer is no.
Hurry is a beast. Regularly out front all morning and the only way I was able to slow him down was to give him terrible directions as to where we were going so he would need to stop and run in a circle until I clarified. And make everything just short enough so he didn’t lap me and crush my ego.
Tool Time is also separating from the pack. I’ve noticed that I used to be right on his heels during workouts, now most of us can only stick with him for a while 5 minutes until he’s gone.
Gerber -Let him extend the legs today a bit with his 130 cadence. Once he gets going you really can’t catch up to him. But he loves the burpees and merkins too, so I gotta keep giving him what he likes.
Easy Button -Battling all day with me for rights to be the 6. Couldn’t really get a conversation going cause we were both struggling to breathe. But judging off Strava, if the Rooster happened tomorrow, he’s definitely moved up a couple of spots and at the front of the 1 and done A Team
Announcements:
See Flash BackBlast. Blood Drive, CSAUP, Being accountable, trusting in Him, Goodfella’s school registration & Rice and Beans were all on the list.
5:14 struck and Loafer joked that he hoped the Q showed. 5:15 and there was no Ralphie so I jumped in and started the disclaimer hoping he would arrive on 2 wheels. 5:16 we took off.
WARM UP
Mosey around Pet Smart over to the Target parking lot. Pax got a sneak peak at a dynamic stretching warm up I have planned for the Floater. Glad I tested it on them as I was able to work out some kinks. I was trying to figure out a way to keep heart rates up during the much needed stretching portion so this was my first try (since the Workout I debuted it at – Black Hawk didn’t count since there was only 2 of us).
Circle up in plank position. Calf stretch right over left with a merkin circle. Four rounds then we flap jacked for an additional four rounds.
Downward dog with a Carolina Dry Dock circle. I think we did 5 rounds. Lets go.
THE THANG
Mosey into the neighborhood up the hill to what I consider the road leading to the main road. Alternating 10 Ranger Merkins and then 10 Wide Arm merkins until you reach the “main road”/ stop sign. Swimmers, Smokey, and Sugar Daddy leading the way and doing a good job of circling for the 6.
Cross “main road” and alternate the following exercises at light poles:
Clarification question from Swimmers – so 20 total at each light. Yes sir.
I was worried throwing this many exercises at the pax along with a different number on one of them would throw them into a tail spin. But Kudos to the group as everyone jumped right it and nailed it. I think it helped that Damascus continues to fart sack. Speaking of Damascus….where in the hell is he??? Several pax have heard from him an excuse about coming out once he gets new shoes. Are they still on a slow boat from China???
Made it almost to the end of the road before I decided that was enough legs. Found a slightly up hill cul-de-sac for 7’s. Burpees and Dry Docks. Only got two rounds in before I realized we only had 20 minutes left and it will take us as long to get back as it did to get where we were.
Quick Mosey to another intersection before partnering up Gazelles and Clydesdales for Leap Frog. P1 Reverse lunges backwards while P2 Jail Breaks to a mailbox. P1 then “leap frogs” by sprinting to the next mailbox while P2 is reverse lunging backwards. Continued back to the “main road”.
At each light post up to the stop sign stop for 10 dry docks. Swimmers (I think) lead Mary.
Short Mosey to the hill leading out of the neighborhood back to Target. Run backwards up the hill and jailbreak back down. We completed twice with the Gazelles Squatting up top waiting on the 6.
Divided group into Gazelles and Clydesdales (sorry to the two guys that identify at Gazelles that I pulled in as Clydesdales… I needed even numbers). Clydesdales got a 2 light pole head start. If Gazelles catches them before COT – Clydesdales have 10 burpees. If no Gazelle Catches a Clydesdale – Gazelles have burpees. Apparently 2 light poles was not enough of a head start. Clydesdales did burpees with Sugar and a few other (but not all) gazelles jumping in too. 30 seconds left when I finished my 10 so I had everyone continue burpees until time.
MOLE SKIN
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Birthday Q! Well the planet made another rotation around the sun with me on it. And with the temperature below freezing I get to break out my signature workout. If you haven’t been to one I only do it when it is subfreezing.
The Thang:
I gave some sort of vague disclaimer and took off.
Mosey to to 131 main.
COP
22 ssh
21 Low slow squats
21 Hand Release merkins
10 each leg RDLs
Mosey to nail bar on Audrey Kell.
Stop and do 22 Rosilitas
Mosey to Audrey Kell high school.
Line up and Bear crawl to end on parking spot then sprint 2 parking lines. Repeat x3.
Now this is the part of the workout the signature comes in. 2 groups separate to give them time in algore position to come up with the best joke. Meet in the middle in plank deliver your joke. Each team grades it and the Q delives Burpees based on the score.
Flag carrier back to launch. This is 10 second sprint out and end up in the back of the pack.
Come in plus 2 minutes.
Mole skin
Everyone put out a 100% today. They had too or they wouldn’t stay warm. This was a lot of fun for me and I hope for them. Frehleys always gives the younger guys someone to chase. For almost 57 he is an American bad ass! Teddy shared with me that he normally runs up the hill to Audrey Kell and hates it. This gave me such joy. I have watched trickle in his journey of fitness really explode into a runner. After taking a fall on saturdy he still managed to get out and push hard. I am no stranger to taking a fall as well. Midriff in his wisdom dresses scantily clad and complains that his legs are cold. Cold legs must mean you can sprint faster though.
A true pleasure to lead these fine men today and glad to have spent my birthday morning with them. This is Q number 1 of 43 this year. I made a commitment to myself and my health that I would Q 43 workouts 1 for every year I have been alive. Looking forward to the next one. Ask the guys about the jokes. The last time I pulled this Q out Doc Mcstuffins owned the joke fest. I hope to see him out again soon.
diccs- not given
warm up – not needed
the thang- walk 3 miles-1 hr
moleskin
8 pax’s, 3 dogs and 2 2.0s showed up for a frozen walk through the creeks of Marvin. Zinfandel completed his 10 spot, dime bag, posting diez or whatever we are calling this crazy ass 10 post in 7 days obsession he decided to do. The conversation was great , the walk was perfect and Das Boots dog dropped a deuce in the clubhouse parking lot. Great day and all home by breakfast time
announcement
Zin- screwed up family photo
As noted in Part 1 of the backblast for the 5 year anniversary of Davinci there was a lot of great moments to call out from the morning. This is Part 2 listing those moments. Hop over to Part 1 for details on the actual workout.
Moleskin:
COT:
Thanks all for the hard work and good times this morning. I recall when I first joined F3 3 years ago that I was amazed that guys got up early on Saturday to workout. Not me I remember thinking. But after going to Davinci and Stonehenge a few times I realized that Saturday workouts are special. Maybe it is knowing that you don’t have to rush off for work or what but guys seem to really push it but yet socialize with each other. Both sites have a great combination of 1st F and 2nd F.
Thanks Midriff and Soft Pretzel for allowing me to lead this anniversary edition of Davinci.
This Saturday at Davinci marked the 5-year anniversary of the site. It was YHC’s honor to be on Q for the special occasion. The 13 Pax in attendance provided so much good mumblechatter and memorable things to call out that YHC needed to break the morning into two backblasts. This is Part 1 which is the detail on the workout. For the moleskin details on the morning tune in for Part 2.
YHC stole this workout idea from Tagalong who did a leg/core heavy workout a year ago when he was getting ready to go skiing. YHC is going skiing in a month so time to get those legs and core ready.
The Thang:
Mosey to the 131 Main parking lot for a warmup:
SSH, IW, Potato Pickers, Mtn Climbers and calf stretches
Head over to the rock pile behind the lash studio on Ardrey Kell and grab a lifting rock. The 13 Pax spread out abreast with clarification that half will be running down one side of the parking lot with the other half running down the other side of the parking lot (keeping it socially distant y’all).
10 lunges each leg with rock. Put rock down and jump over rock side to side 10 times (over and back = 1). Then run down to 3rd light and back. 3 sets of this.
15 goblet squats with rock. Put rock down and 15 Bonnie Blairs (over and back = 1). Then run down to 3rd light and back. 3 sets of this.
20 calf raises with rock. Put rock down and 20 monkey humpers. Then run down to 3rd light and back. 3 sets of this.
In order to even it out a little bit we did some 7’s with the biceps because curls for the girls. 3 sets of 7’s which equated to 63 curls with runs to the 3rd light in between.
Mosey back stopping at the First Citizens Bank for some core work. Partner up with P1 doing J’Lo’s while P2 runs around the bank doing 20 donkey kicks at the drive thru and then flapjack. Next round is P1 doing backscratchers while P2 runs around the bank and does 10 burpees in the drive thru then flapjack. YHC had one more core exercise on the weinke but cut it short in order to get in one of the exercises from the original, very first Davinci workout.
We headed over to the stairwell with the yoga studio at top. This was affectionately named Nakatomi Plaza in the original workout and YHC is committed to bringing that name back. Pulling from the original workout we did some “Welcome to the party, pal”s. 6 diamond merkins at the bottom of the stairwell up and over and down for 1 burpee at the bottom. Then 5 diamond merkins up, over and down and 2 burpees, etc. We made it through 3 rounds before it was time to head back to launch.
On the way back to launch we passed the Blakeney fountains. Apparently these were named Niagara Falls at the original Davinci. We will bring this name back as well.
Mosey to launch arriving at 7:31. Now, head on over to Part 2 for the Moleskin.
Area 51, Waxhaw, & Union Co have a new AO named Clean Slate. It launched from Porter Ridge High School (Indian Trail, NC) on 1/2/21, and it’s one of, if not the best, AO in the region. YHC was asked to lead a solid group of HIMs for the 3rd Saturday workout, and I’ll do my best to document the events of the morning for your reading pleasure.
YHC tried to arrive early to strategically place a coupon, but at 06:15, there were already cars in the parking lot. Several Pax were already standing around in the brisk 31 degree morning air eagerly awaiting what was to transpire across the 3 campuses of PRHS. 06:30 struck, a reminder of the Mission of F3 and DCCS were given and we were off and running. Literally.
The Thang
Mosey from the football field’s parking lot to the elementary bus lot for COP
Exercise 1 – The Cheese Weave
Exercise 2 – Playground Pull Set (3 rounds OYO)
Exercise 3 – 4 Corners (1 full lap)
Exercise 4 – Partner up and CMIYC to main entrance of PRHS
Exercise 5 – More Merkins
Exercise 6 – Free Throws
Exercise 7 – People’s Chair + Air Presses
Finish exactly at 07:30!
Moleskin
Solid effort by everyone this AM & lots of chatter right out of the gate. Fuse Box showed up wearing a brand new pair of New Balance shoes. A few Pax quickly noticed them and the chatter seemed to focus around his buying experience, his comfort level, etc. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought the Pax had a foot fetish. I think it was just shoe envy. YHC did my best to keep us out of the marsh-like conditions (out of respect for Fuse’s shoes). The chatter about the shoes died down about the time CMIYC when it turned to Posse bolting out front like he was shot out of a cannon. The Indian Run must be a new concept/exercise to the guys because it was an epic fail. Practice makes perfect…. Speaking of epic fails, the free throw shooting contest was….interesting. Lots of airballs & bad misses (but lots of laughs).
PRHS proves to be a solid AO with lots of options. It can thrive if we put effort into it & there’s not doubt that the Pax of F3 Waxhaw will make it successful. It was an honor to lead you guys. Thanks to Catfish for asking & for the solid take out.
Announcements (failed to record, so going off memory)
Cobbler tweeted me (is it “tweeted me”? That sounds….. weird) a couple days ago checking to make sure I was still set to Q this morning. Uh, what?! I was on the schedule to Q?! Well, had to come up with something quick. Thankfully, I found inspiration in the rain outside: have everyone carry water!
Initially, that seemed like a major challenge but then I thought carrying all that water would be a lot easier if it was in some type of container. So I bought a bunch of gallon jugs and was all set!
WARMUP
Invited all PAX to take a gallon jug, explained they had to take the jug wherever they went, then started off on a short mosey Back to starting parking lot for some quick SSH, IW, Windmills, Cherry Pickers, and Merkins.
THANG
Kicked everything off with a 20 minute TABATA: five exercises, four sets of each, 45 second work, with 15 second rest. At least we had some sweet tunes playing to distract us from the suck. The exercises were:
Atlas astutely observed out loud from his mouth that although we each had a jug of water we hadn’t really done much with them yet. Too true
So we picked up our jugs and moseyed to the parking lot on the opposite side of the baseball fields. Stopped briefly for a quick 25 heels to heaven holding our jugs to our chests. Back on our feet to the parking lot by the tennis courts where I had already identified six separate exercise stations. The exercises at the stations were: lunges, Mike Tyson, squats, shoulders taps, Peter Parker, and thrusters – added a seventh station for flutter kicks while the eighth PAX ran a lap holding on to their jug. Upon return of eighth PAX everyone rotated one station clockwise. If your hands weren’t on the floor you were holding your jugs.
After a full round of that it was time to mosey back to starting spot with our jugs, stopping only a couple times for gas pumpers, flutter kicks, and an easy 50 count of curls, presses, and triceps extensions with the jug.
Once back at the starting parking lot we got into a Circle o’ Planks: where all PAX drop into a plank in a circle and everyone gets to pick an plank type exercise in a round robin. Finished last 5 minutes or so in Mary then COT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Blood drives coming up in Waxhaw and SOB.
Waxhaw CSAUP on Feb 6. Running, exercises, many hours, followed by F2 and beer.
Eleven braved a cold icy morning at Calvary. Eight appeared on Floor Slapper’s schedule, one arrived an hour early and was napping in his vehicle, and one joined us in the midst of our warm-up run. Those at Anvil on the 13th may recognize the routine which was adjusted ever so slightly to extend 15 minutes, at least that was the plan.
Warm-up: Ran to oval. 15 each of side straddle hops, imperial walkers, low slow squats, mountain climbers, and Peter Parkers.
1st series: Ran to the rock pile at the North entry off 51. There with lifting rocks we did curls, presses, and triceps as we walked around the circle three times.
2nd series: Next we ran to the middle entry to north parking lot. Started there with 25 merkins, then ran to west end of lot and did 25 LBC’s, then ran to the other side of lot across from the start area and did 25 jump squats, then to the east end of the lot for 5 burpees. Then back around to the start and repeated four more times but lowered to 20 reps, 15, 10 and ended with 5 reps (remaining burpee reps were 4-3-2-1).
Planked to wait for all to finish, at least some of us did.
3rd series: Ran to hot box and partnered up. Partner 1 did step ups, while partner 2 ran to the 2nd light post and back. But before the swap, our hot box was commandeered by two women exercising (they were very nice about it). We adjusted to people’s chair on the wall with air presses briefly and then moved on to the next series.
4th series: Ran to rock pile past cemetery and got a lifting rock. Partner 1 did overhead extensions lying on back while partner 2 ran to the last tree island in that parking lot and back. Swapped. Repeated next with press and flutter, and then big boy sit ups with rocks.
5th series: Ran to bench/tables near Church entrance at start. All were iced over, so we couldn’t do step-ups and had to adjust on the fly. Thanks to Udder’s suggestion we ran an eleven series up and down much of the east Rea Road entrance road with LBC’s at the top and merkin’s. At finish, ran back to start and circled up for close out. Various Fitbit’s, Garmin’s and other trackers clocked us at four miles. Three joined us from Olympus there.
Announcements/Prayer: Jet Fuel has Rock Zero Q next Saturday (23rd). Mighty-Mite’s blood drive with anti-body testing. Hoover solicited runners for a 75 mile run to Greenville in September and said slots fill up fast so sign up early. Hoover was on a fast pace today prepping for it. Thanks to Udder for closing us out with a prayer. Thanks also to site Q’s Hoover and Geraldo.
“Engine start system malfunction” was what greeted me as I started my car and drove to Starbuck’s for coffee. I made it home and its since been towed to the dealer.