One Last Mosey
Death Valley – Nov. 9, 2011* – March 11, 2020
Pax List: Callaway (Original DV Site Q, R), Stage Coach (past DV Site Q), Smokey and Dollywood (current DV Site Q), Floorslapper (wannabe DV Site Q), Runstopper (Q-jacker, respect), Tweetsie, Smokey (R), Point Break, Cheese Curd, Brautwurst (SP?), Bounty Hunter, Bomber, Snuka (R), Spackles, powered by Tito’s, Hops, Lorax, Red Card, Marge, Stone Cold, Ocho Cinco, Pinstripes, Mermaid, Kuechly, Far Side, Good Hands, Strawberry, Puddin’ Pop, Pop’s Gray Shirt (R), Clover, High Tide (R), Checkpoint (R), Hoover, Geraldo, Alf, Hairball, Icky Shuffle, Wild Turkey, Voodoo, Mighty Mite, Witch Doctor, Bananas, Hopper (R), Sanka, Wanker, Sensei, Slim Fast, Busch, Dollywood, Jet Fuel, Bounce, Uncle Leo, Hammer, Deep Dish, Gummy, Cottonmouth, Baracus, Lois, Bugeater, Bug 2.0, Bug’s work gloves, 49er, 49er’s water bottle.
* memories are hazy on the exact start date. This was before the internet, when BB’s were shared by email or group text. Callaway says a couple of months after A51 launch, which was Sept. 2011. The Shore says Jan. 2012. Stone Cold remembers Spring of 2012. Joker narrowed it down with laser-precision: “I remember it was a bit chilly in the morning.” I can verify it was before Feb 2012, cause that’s when I started, and that’s where I posted. So some time in Nov. is as good of a date as any.
Thang:
Gopher Loop around the dirt road, round back of the baseball field to the haunted trail over to Davie. COP on Dragon Lady Field, minus the Dragon Lady. Back through the woods because 1) it wouldn’t be a DV sendoff without a trip through the woods, and 2) it wouldn’t be a DV sendoff if we spent it at Davie.
Pax-led Mary while the 6 comes in, then Stone Cold leads an homage to Donkey Kong with various ways to touch the ground and other Pax and Jack Web 1-10.
Quiz time with Joker, 4 corners, mosey to front lot at school, lay down on the asphalt and talk to the guy next to you while Joker does Mary alone in the middle.
Ball of Man, Lord’s Prayer, lights out.
Old Moley:
For better and/or worse, it was 2013 all over again. Actual cadence counts, ill-advised nature walks by moonlight, partner wheel-barrows, bear crawls, unruly mob of 50+ chattering school girls. A dysfunctional family reunion, but a fun one. Special shout out to Callaway, the original Death Valley Site Q and founding co-father of A51, for making his way out to the gloom again. He and Joker just wanted to lead workouts closer to home but because of their leadership and unselfishness, A51 and all its daughter regions were born.
On the surface, DV can be summarized thus: Hundreds of men worked out at a nondescript middle school at 0530 for 8 years. That’s what we did, but that’s not what happened. Today was about celebrating What Happened but also a reminder to enjoy What’s Happening. Love on your wife, tickle the kids, call your parents, wrestle with the dog, ignore the cat.
And play with your friends at 530 in the morning.
5 Pax at LRC for Launch of New App Feature – Name Change Request Form
5 almost 6 Pax for LRC for a 6 mile stroll across the standard loop led by Renzo. As Pax were getting ready to start, we see Mad Dog rolling out put the EH on to join the LRC crew, but he decides to bypass and head to Dromedary. Next time.
Hooch got his prerun in prior to launch time of ~4 miles and completed total of 10 by end of morning.
Smithers continues to push pace and hit sub 8:30 pace for today, Easy Button took the lead and pushed the pace all day and was crowned Standard Loop All Time Leader by Strava when all said and done. Deflated continued to hobble along and do further damage rehab to his aching knee. All in all good group and pace continues to improve.
Renzo Out!
Announcements:
- Alert: Be sure to check out new functionality on F3waxhaw.life app which allows for Name Changes. Click link here and complete form to submit. Multiple Name Change Packages available (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Dana). Be sure to have credit card ready!
Thrive Challenge – March 2020
The Thrive Challenge is always a different F3 workout, no cadence, no COP, no Mary.
This is you vs you to set a baseline (If your first time) to compare back to at a future challenge or hopefully crush your last challenge if not your first.
It goes like this…
Perform exercise 1 using whatever time you need to still have the best form you can muster. Once complete you will run, walk or crawl a predefined lap around the perimeter of the parking lot which is about 1/3 of a mile.
Get back and complete exercise 2, do lap, etc.
Get through as much as you can until time is called. If you cheat or cut corners you are only hurting yourself and your baseline. I don’t care if it takes the whole time to get through one or two things, that will be the baseline you will work towards crushing the next time. For example, bend those elbows on a merkin, and do the full rep, don’t race and “bounce” the merkins, etc.
The THANG:
Mountain Climbers – 100 (count each leg as one, i.e. civilian count, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. if you have posted you understand how for some this is the challenge. #SMH)
Lap
Calf Raises – 150 (50 regular, 50 toes pointed in, 50 toes pointed out)
Lap
Merkins – 100 (25 wide, 25 regular, 25 narrow (elbows close, also called “perfect/Ranger Merkin”), 25 diamond)
Lap
Burpees – 50
Lap
Carolina Dry Docks – 100
Lap
LBCs – 100
Lap
Jump Squats – 100
Lap
Dollies – 200
Lap
Squats – 100
Lap
Rock Hoppers – 100
Lap
Russian Twists (American Hammer) – 100
Lap
Burpees – 100
Lap
Burpees – 200
Results (current in bold, if you had prior results they are in italics):
Shepherd – 25 Squats – 21 Squats
Gypsy – 86 Rock Hoppers – 41 American Hammers
Hair Band – 56 Dollies – lap after dollies
Bernanke – lap after Dollies – 65 Dollies
Christmas – 1/2 lap after squats
Madison – 1/2 lap after squats
No Regerts – 1/2 lap after squats
Full House – 25 Rock Hoppers – 30 Dollies
Glass Joe- 106 Dollies – 4 Squats
Kilt – 1/4 lap after LBCs
Unplugged – 82 Dollies
Moleskine:
Solid work by all out there this morning!
Results always vary for many valid reasons… Lack of sleep, not hydrated well, but more importantly as you get stronger you will be able to have better form in many of these things and that could take a little longer.
There is nothing wrong with being a little slower while having better form.
For those also doing the 2020 March Madness challenge you also knocked out your 150 Merkins since there is a Merkin in a good form burpee. So sayeth everyone but Madison.
While there is not much actual leading at this type of beatdown it is still awesome to see everyone pushing themselves and an honor to be a part of a group of men trying to accelerate, AYE!
Hair Band
2 Man 9 Hole Scamble at Bushwood CC
2 Man 9 Hole Scramble at Bushwood CC
15 Pax rose early this beautiful morning with hopes of enjoying a casual round of golf at Bushwood CC. They would soon realize the 2 man scramble they signed up for would have them screaming FORE!!
- 20 Imperial Walkers in Cadence
- 20 Low Slow Squats in Cadence
- 20 Mountain Climbers in Cadence
- 20 Merkins
The Last Drop of Lightning
There’s only so much lightning in every bottle and once it’s gone, it’s gone. Tomorrow we pour out the last drop and put DV on the shelf.
There’s 8-ish years and 32 pages of backblasts if you want to get caught up before tomorrow. Go back to the era of your first DV post and enjoy a few. Then text a few folks on that pax list to come join us. Should be a good time.
P.S. Bring a headlamp, old shoes, and a keen sense of balance.
Happy Birthday, Hawks Nest.
I think O’Tannenbaum might have been nearly 5 minutes early to the workout. Amazing. He said he got up in plenty of time, was bored and didn’t know what to do with all the extra time. Other pax do pre-runs or something. But not OT, nor YHC.
Anyhoo, 14 other pax joined us, were quickly disclaimed with a mention of the 2nd birthday for Hawks Nest (actual date: 03/13/2018 – only reason I know that is Alf put it on the shovel flag).
Gloss was there a little early, doing his unseemly pre-workout stretching routine on the curb. Not sure why he bothers as he doesn’t do any of the exercises. Didn’t even realize he’d peeled off from the pax until we returned to the launch lot. #cobains
It was quieter without the banter coming from the other 2 members of Trifusenik. Wish Doc McStuffins (original co-site Q) could’ve joined us. Can’t wait to have him return to the gloom soon.
On to the Thang & Moleskinny:
We only went about 1.75 miles. For those pax wanting more mileage, Fast Twitch launches at 0515 from the same lot.
We did a few burpees, some backwards bear crawls, some Walthar N’Djaiye’s, and other stuff. Not YHC’s finest effort but tried to keep moving & working, no 10-counts (those should be outlawed, as should SSH’s and plankjack’s).
Here’s some skinny — Deep Dish was at the first DV at SCMS…pallets and all. Deathvergence, Swan Song, Funeral, Final downpainment, etc is tomorrow for DV. Come one. Come all. It will be……interesting.
Hawks Nest may be the newest A51 workout? Except for the resuscitated Olympus. When did WAMRAP start? Regardless, it remains the finest A51 Tuesday bootcamp workout.
Hammer, Marge and Lewinsky greet each other with a “Go Tigers” exchange all the time. #GAR
Good to have Ickey join us at the Nest.
IHOP’s ready to Q, he’ll be on the Q schedule momentarily.
Tried to canvas much of campus this morning except the track and football field. Should have called something on the Q’Bert steps…next time.
Speaking of next time – Leprechaun is on Q next week on St. Patrick’s Day. True Story. You’re welcome. Bring all your offensive Irish jokes. Lep’s not Irish, by the way.
Burpee 101: Intro to Burpees
22 guys showed up for some burpees, burpees, and uh, more burpees. Whipped out an extended DiCCCS today, with an added C for Coronavirus. 3…2…1…mosey!
Warmup:
Quick mosey around the lot and circle up for:
All IC: 15 SSH, 15 Imperial Walkers, 10 Potato Pickers, Calf Stretches (with obligatory fill-in Damascus groans), stay in plank while instructions given for:
Deconstructed Burpees: 4 corners
- 10 Squats
- 10 Merkins
- 10 In and Outs
- 10 Bobby Hurleys
Repeato – Gazelles pick up the 6
Now that we know how to do a proper burpee, prove it! 5 burpees OYO
Mosey to the bus lot
It’s been a while since we’ve done this exercise so…5 burpees OYO
Circle up on the basketball court
The Thang:
Pyramid
- 5 Burpees OYO
- 10 Merkins – “On my down. One! Dangit, every time…Down!”
- 15 Hand Release Merkins – <Insert groans here>
- 20 Mountain Climbers IC
- 45ish second Plank
- 20 Plank Jacks IC
- I may have “forgotten” the Hand Release Merkins here – no one called me on it though. Curious…
- 10 Merkins
- 5 Burpees
Mosey to the school and find a spot on the wall for a little 11s action. Start with 1 Donkey Kick then run back to the basketball court for 10 Squats. Wall for 2 DKs and courts for 9 Squats. Repeato until we’ve swapped. This one took a bit more time than I thought. I actually asked Posse at one point if this was dragging on too long. His response was “11s always take too long” which I took to mean “carry on”. For those who finished a bit ahead, Zin led with some Mary, including some stupid Hip Dip, hippy dippy, hippity hippity hip hop dip exercise that I never want to do again.
Mosey to the track for a few laps. 5 burpees on each of the long sides and 10 V-Ups and 10 Heels to Heaven on the short sides. 2 rounds of that and we’ve got 3 minutes left. Mosey back to the COT for a Burpee Minute!
Moleskin:
I don’t like burpees. I won’t say I hate them, but it’s a pretty strong dislike. I also know burpees, if done properly, are a great full body exercise and if I could only pick one exercise to do, it’d be a pretty good one. So we did about 40 burpees plus however many you got in during the Burpee Minute at the end. If you really want to up your burpee tally you can reconstruct the deconstructed burpees and that’ll give you another 2o. Oh, but it could’ve been worse. As mentioned above, the 11s took much longer than I anticipated (the run between the wall and the court seemed shorter in my head). I was really hoping to close us out in front of the school with a lightpost/burpee/suicide run. Ah well, there’s always next time.
RE: Coronavirus – We did a good job with elbows instead of fist bumps and a wide berth COT. I know many believe it to be overblown by the media and I’m not going to argue, but it never hurts to take some precautions
Announcements:
- Speed for Need – Dash for Down Syndrome 5k is on March 21st. About 7 PAX signed up right now but could use a lot more. Sign up with code: SFN2020 at https://dashfordownsyndrome.raceroster.com/registration/28122/entry
- Christ’s Closet – Fold-o-rama this Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00
- Gladiator – Once a month, higher intensity workout – Zin on Q this Saturday at Cuthbertson Middle
- Coffeeteria Convergence – Following Homecoming/Commitment/Gladiator – Cuthbertson Middle from 7:30 to 8:30
YHC took us out #cradletograve
2-4-8
After a pretty intense Sunday running and MTB with Wolverine I wasn’t sure if I was going to be up for the Q this morning. Foam rolling, CBD Recovery, pre-workoout drink and out the door we go. Of course I get there and Hollywood is already out running. Not sure how much he ran first.
DiCCS given and we headed out about 30 seconds early and Bottlecap come flying in as we’re headed around the corner. He caught up pretty quickly.
Warm-up
A quick mosey over the the HS parking lot next to drivers ed cars.
SSH x 30
Calf stretch
done!
We did a preview run of the course we were running 800, 400, and 200’s which was around the outside of the HS parking lot towards roundabout then all the way around the wooded island. Pulled some smaller rocks the the curb for later. Back to the driver ed cars to start.
The Thang
Round 1
800 meter run – The usual suspects of Wolverine, Hollywood, Transporter to off like a bat out of hell. Gerber was feeling a little QUAD soreness so not his usual self. We finished the 800 at the rock pile so we could do Mary with rocks, Hammers, Big Boys, V-up, J-Lo, and side planks
400 meter run – Carb Load and Bottlecap up front with the normals. We finished the 400 at the rock pile so we could do Mary with rocks, Hammers, Big Boys, V-up, J-Lo, and side planks. Once we recovered we ran a second 400.
200 meter run – Smithers and Foundation were much stronger in the sprints. Since Smithers lost all that weight he’s light on his feet. Great push. We finished the 200 at the rock pile so we could do Mary with rocks, Hammers, Big Boys, V-up, J-Lo, and side planks. Once we recovered we ran a second 200.
Round 2
800 meter run – The LRC group of Deflated, Foundation, Smithers, and we can’t forget about Rubbermaid were steady and started to gain on the front guys. We finished the 800 at the rock pile so we could do Mary with rocks, Hammers, Big Boys, V-up, J-Lo, and side planks. This is when Bottlecap started to do his own exercises
400 meter run – As you get older you get wiser they say. Recalc knows how to get a head start as you start to explain the round. If you’re not cheating your not trying. We finished the 400 at the rock pile so we could do Mary and I added in some curls to mix it up. Once we recovered we ran a second 400.
200 meter run – The last 200 we let Colbbler get the to top of the hill before everyone took off. I think there were few guys that caught him. We finished the 200 at the rock pile so we could do Mary and added some curls. Once we recovered we ran a second 200. A little chatter started about not doing any merkins.
Start heading back the back way with 8 or so minutes to go. We stop at Rudy’s shed and I hear the time keeper “3 minutes to go”. Not like we don’t all wear watches. We did 5 big boys at each light and Bottlecap once again decided to do his own thing and do merkins. Had to get those merkins in while the rest of did a merkin free workout. Don’t worry Zin I won’t leave you out. Thank you for being the time keeper and most of all thank you for keeping all that we do light hearted.
Announcements
Gladiator – This Saturday at Cuthbertson led by Zin
Speed for Need on the 21st in Ballantyne
Please keep the families mentioned this morning in your prayers.
Flash Backblast
Chicken Little pulled a fast one on me and asked me a month ago to Q today knowing damn well it was the first workout after day-light savings. Well played Chicken, well played. Handed the DICCS out and off we went.
Mosey around to the front of the middle school for warm up.
Warm up
20 x SSH
15 imperial walkers
15 Merkins
20 x Mountain Climbers
Calf stretches
The Thang
Head over the path near COT that leads to Transporter shed/Rudy poop palace. Alternating exercises at each light. 20 speed skaters at the first light, 5 burpees at the second light. Rinse and repeat all the way to the end of the path
Grab some wall for Mike Tysons. Complete 7 MT’s on the wall and run back up the path towards COT stopping at the first light for 5 burpees. Return back to wall for 7 MT’s, head up to the 2nd light for 5 burpees and back to the wall for 7 Mt’s. run back up to the 3rd light for 5 burpees and finish at the wall with 7 MT’s.
Mosey to the middle school cafeteria area. We started at the shelter area at the side of the school near the buses to do one exercise and then ran over to the cafeteria for another set of exercises. Repeated until all 4 sets of exercises were complete. I’m not up to speed on the lexicon so I don’t even know what exercise we started with, but I can tell you it sucked. Here’s what we did at the cafeteria area
Round 1: 40 dips
Round 2: 30 step ups
Round 3: 20 irkins
Round 4: 10 derkins
Mosey over to front of middle school and partner up. Partner 1 run half lap around the parking lot. Partner 2 start exercise. Complete 200 dips, 100 step ups, 50 derkins.
After this there are only 3 minutes left. Deadwood whispers to me that we should do 1-minute burpees. Good idea Deadwood. 1 minute of burpees x 2. Done! Head to COT
The Moleskin
Thanks to a great group of guys who joined me way too early this morning to run around the school grounds. I hope I made it worth your while to wake up that early. We had two announcements this morning where two members of our community were taken way too soon. It makes you stop and think just how fragile life is. So be sure to spend some extra time with your family this week. Love them and kiss them because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Announcements:
- Christ closet 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.
- March 21 at Blakeney – Speed for need. Need runners – see Zinfandel for details
- Gladiator work out – Saturday at 6:30am @ Cuthbertson
- Pray for Wise family who lost their husband/father.
- Pray for Wright family who lost their son.
- It was determined that 5 announcements are all Frack can handle before shaking.
It’s weird when guys just park at a school and sit there.
7 pax gathered for the 10th episode of Swole. There was a smorgasbord of kettlebells lining the bus parking lot at 530 so we did a quick warm up.
10 Windmills
10 Arm circles forward
10 arm circles backward
The Thang
Not sure if it’s because we wanted to challenge ourselves or are tired of waiter carries but most pax started the kettlebell work with 10 turkish getups as a substitute. Most pax gave it a try. All were challenged.
5X5 Double cleans heavy
5X5 Double Squats HEAVY
14 rounds of 10 1H swings with a 20 sec break
30 seconds of elbow plank
30 seconds of hollow holds
1 min of glute bridge
615
COT
Moleskine:
Voodoo has the biggest yoga mat I’ve ever seen.
It was my first time seeing MAD in the last few months. He was looking pretty strong as he works he way back from injury.
The title of this backblast was inspired by the gentleman in a red sedan that arrived at about 6:08, stopped at the edge of the bus lot(not in a parking spot), and sat with the car on until we all left.
Announcements:
Meathead will meet at South Charlotte Middle School(instead of Calvary) this week(for one week only) as we say good bye to Death Valley. 0530 as usual. If you don’t have a kettlebell, come anyway, we have you covered.