“Running! If there’s any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can’t think of what it might be. In running the mind flees with the body, the mysterious efflorescence of language seems to pulse in the brain, in rhythm with our feet and the swinging of our arms.”
Joyce Carol Oates
Whatever, Joyce. I want some of the drugs she was on when she wrote that. We all know running blows and it’s all about counting the minutes or the miles until you can stop doing it. But since we’re all a bunch of crazy idiots that get up way too early to do hard stuff, 11 of us knuckleheads met up at Charlotte Latin (not South Charlotte Middle School) for my running workout VQ. No site Qs or shovel flags in attendance (sorry, Hops!).
After waiting for Alf to style his hair (gotta get it juuuuust right) and one of my better disclaimers, we departed the lot at about 5:16. Much to Gummy’s chagrin, we were late. We moseyed out onto Providence (without anyone getting hit by the swimmers pulling in aggressively) and down to Raintree Lane. Run into Raintree and circle up at the intersection with Four Mile Creek. I gave the pax their instructions a couple of times (Mr. Brady was very rudely talking over the Q) and off we went. Well, Rosie did his own thing, but that’s okay because he’s fast and young and we’d rather he ran off into the distance so we don’t have to be confronted with the fact that he’s faster and younger than the rest of us.
The Thang:
Split into groups of 3 (YHC was odd man out) and each partner runs in a different direction:
When you get back to the intersection, repeatedly perform 10 jump squats and 20 LBCs until your whole team is back, then each pax member does 5 burpees and switch legs. Repeato until about 6:05. Everyone should have gotten in 4x 1 mile out and back runs.
Mosey back to the start. Much to Gummy’s chagrin (I imagine), we were early. #symmetry Pax option to either join the Hawk’s Nest pax for Mary, do some more running in the parking lot, or stretch it out.
COT with Hawk’s Nest. Thanks to Pop Tart for the takeout.
Moleskine:
SYITG,
Voodoo
At about 10:01AM yesterday Dancing Bear shares that Damascus is out as Q due to bad case of vaginitis (I’m afraid to google it). Banjo and I share a special bond as two bros that drink big ol’ stanky IPAs at the pool while our kids endlessly go down the waterslide. It’s allowed us to bond in ways most men will never experience, pinky’s out.
Posting with this damn vest I didn’t want to take on a whole Q on short notice but Banjo was willing to split and who am I not to partner up. Then a few hours later he told me he was eating 1.5 ribeyes and had opened a magnum of red wine. Will I be alone? Will his knee fill up with fluid? Will the gout flare up? Only time will tell….
Roll up at 5:17AM with already like 8 bros in the lot. Holy sheet how many guys are going to be here this morning? Swimmers’ 2.0 and now Bottle Cap’s 2.0….. oh man, Rudy’s 2.0…..wait, where you guys going…. and Rudy’s leaving.
60 seconds to start. DiCCS covered and an FNG is here. Let’s go!!!
THE THANG
Mosey around the lot, circle up:
1. 20 x SSHs IC
2. 20 x Imperial Walkers IC
3. 20 x 6” Plank Jacks IC
4. 20 x Squats CC
5. 20 x Merkins CC
6. Calf Stretch
7. 10 x Morroccan Night Club IC
Mosey to entrance for 4 corners, go around one time, I will call recover based on time.
1. 30 x Lunges
2. 30 x Monkey Humpers
3. 30 x Speed Skaters
4. 30 x Bobby Hurley’s
Mosey to front of elementary school, line up across for Bear Crawl, Dry Dock Webb. Call it after 8 rounds complete….
Banjo’s showtime….Mosey to playground for “Cindy”. 5 rounds with a run to the 2nd light in between each round. Rounds=5 pull-ups, 10 Merkins 15 squats.
Mosey back to parking lot. Gazelle partner with Clydesdale run do 5 x burpees at each end 5 x hand slap Merkins in middle. 5 rounds total
Partner up in 3s. 2 partners plank while other partner completes suicide type run.
Line up. Burpee Indian run. Then on your 6 for pistol LBCs until time is up. Complete.
Start with a thigh burner, loosen the shoulders and then get shredded….repeat!
THE MOLESKIN
I forgot how thick the air gets in the summer, like breathing through a freaking straw. Everyone keeps pushing through and it’s great to see so many guys getting further ahead in the ranks. That weight will fall off even faster in these summer months with the increased temp alone!
Thanks Banjo for splitting the Q! You don’t look like someone that would have any athletic ability at all honestly at first glance but after posting together for the last 11 months, you always push passed any comfort levels. This morning was no different, great mix of pain stations!
I hope to hear more about Rudy’s son and hope it wasn’t the pâté at dinner that set his body on fire the moment he touched asphalt this morning. I know I tried to sell you on the bidet upgrade to your throne while at Dreamchasers Friday night. I don’t post without a 10-25 minute bidet session, not kidding. The best $40 of your life and takes 5 minutes to install. Don’t believe me, can this many positive reviews be wrong??!??
Overall I don’t remember much else from the workout. The last thing I had to count was my Bear Crawl Dry Docks and thank you to BC and GF for counting rounds 7 & 8. I was spent! That “Cindy” at the playground is a welcome and dreaded exercise with the local jungle gym. Overall everyone got over 2mi + it wasn’t a complete debacle of people during each exercise = success!
I actually do remember now wanting to punch Banjo in the face after he called out burpee Indian runs. I heard quite a few people squeal as well but then I was like “bro you don’t even have a vest on!!” Not really but I thought I would go ahead and share the link to the 20lb man maker. Dana just got one and wore it Monday. Tupperware got one for his birthday, wore it once and maybe threw it away. Jingles and Transporter just asked for the link because they are sick and twisted people. Join the most exclusive club no one wants to be the only member, we call ourselves The Vesticals (name TBD)
Thanks to the 28 men that posted this AM! Leading these workouts is a true honor and we need some new faces to grab the bull by the horns! Step up, ask questions – you won’t regret it.
Welcome Blue Screen’s son, an FNG now named Motorboat and thank you for your service in the Navy!
Thank you to Goodfella for taking us out!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Speed for Need, maybe July 22, need 12 PAX to push chariots, great cause, Jeremy (Madison) will post details.
Fixing it for Christ July 19-22, goal to fix up 40 homes, food provided, details will be posted. Lou (Bottlecap) has details.
“Foreshadowing” has more definitions that I previously thought – thanks Cul de Sac (and nice work today). We did what YHC originally planned as a station/circuit, but then turned into a full workout. Even having Q’d dozens of times, it’s always incredible how fast 45 goes in the land of Bagpipe. Spanx was back after a hiatus, but clearly not a hiatus from fitness (he torched the field and encouraged others along the way…get that man on Q!!). Love having Big Tuna back in the mix. And Loogie continues to progress with his shoulder, giving him the confidence to expand his exercises (such as stealing Cooter’s bike). Speaking of Cooter, what an inspiration – so awesome having you out there bro, and bring that bike as long as you need. Kirby gritting through more “hurt vs injured” issues is always positive – good luck with that interview, and thanks for the takeout! Jazz Hands doesn’t say a word but really works & moves. Market Timer is the fastest back-pedal in SOB…ever notice that? War Eagle works out hard, and is always looking out for others, both during and after the workout – a Leader. Brexit showed up as an FNG at DaVinci a couple months ago and I’m sure has not missed a post since – love it.
Perhaps my favorite part of the workout was when, early on, I instructed any “fast guys” to do an extra lap around Loch Ness while we collected the Pax. And I look and who do I see coming around the bend as one of the “fast guys”?…Chipotle and almost everyone in the Pax!! One only guys that were not “fast guys” are those coming back from serious health/injury situation. #Mindset
Always an honor to Q. Today reminds my how important Bagpipe is. It’s there for many who are making their way back to peak form, and is also as tough a workout as any of us make it.
Announcements: Multiple service/volunteer opportunities on Slack. Tolkien is giving away huge shirts. Possible HH on Thursday.
11 PAX gathered at the Blakeney Shopping Center ready to run the Flat Branch route on a muggy Monday. It was 5:15am and we were off. Tuck and Woodson were quick out of the gate, took us off course, but QIC steered the crowd in the right direction. Bunker took charge of the fast guys and left me in my familiar place.
But this morning I was not alone.
Next to me was this tall young kid. I guess when you are short and old everyone looks tall and young in the gloom.
I had only seen him once before at Blakovery and he was so quiet and unassuming I had to ask him his name again. Ranger. He was a college guy. The only other college student I know in F3 is Rosie. But he is typically lapping me, even on a 5-6 mile run. Ranger quickly won my approval when he told me he was not a runner, that he did not like to run, but needed to get in running shape. Me too.
Turns out he is a veteran of F3. At the age of 13, he wanted to play soccer. He could lift a ton but had no cardio endurance. So he would get up early, in the rain, cold, heat, before the bus arrived for middle school, and run.
At the age of 16, his mom told him about F3. So he got up early one Monday and decided to post OYO at Base Camp. He received his name because he wanted to enter the military-jump out of planes or something.
When I was 16, I was more interested in listening to Howard Stern in the morning then running around with a bunch of sweaty old dudes. I think I lifted some weights in our basement with that 1980s Newberry’s weight The one, where you would put water or sand in the plastic plates.
Ranger is currently enrolled at Presbyterian College in South Carolina and plans to enter the military in a year or so as a Lieutenant. This summer he has to go to a few military bases and do alot of army stuff.
For some reason, I feel like this kid is going to make an impact on our world.
I felt fortunate this morning to hear his story. Quite impressive.
Thunder Road, Jello, Hammer, Hopper, Snoopy, Boss Hog, Swift, Damn Gena, Mr Magoo, Fireman Ed, Tatoo (fng)
We ran over to the rock pile pushed and pulled some rocks, and ran some laps
We ran to the track. Yo yo’d around the track more arms and legs
We ran to the stands more arms and legs
We ran to the parking lots and focused on some leg work.
Great work from everyone. Hopper and Fireman really pushed the pace, great work. Tattoo aka Ricardo Montobonds little buddy, was named, and Thunder brought us home with a great prayer.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve and lead. I’m up this Wednesday at Anvil, and Friday at Joust (there will be Ultimate Frisbee). Keep coming out, work hard, and Go Tigers!!!
6 cowpokes plus a couple extras chose to not recover today, cause ya know, it’s horsey season. Things got more awkward than Kawhi Leonard’s laugh when Brady asked “where are you running today?” Ummmm, up? I’d pretend I didn’t know where he planned to go, but full disclosure, I did run his alternate route (around a legit gold mine) a few months back…BEFORE horsey season. Lots of folks (including Chester) seemingly spooked by a faulty forecast for rain. The six guys that came for the hills got em. Short warmup jaunt up Old Bell to the bottom of Blue Ridge. Repeat the Blue Ridge hill to the non-luminated flagpole x5. Carry on around Mountainview up to the yucca x5, down and around Chester’s casa to Sardis and Wilby for 5x back up Wilby. OYO hills til 6:10 and back to the flag for the pledge.
Some observations. Never met Taff before today. 10/10 beard on the guy. Throw in the accent and the pickup truck. Did we just become best friends? Dude was grinding..
Prohibition and Egypt were twinsies in their matching 2015 Chicago Marathon shirzeys. It was cute. Pro disappeared for a while heading towards Chester’s house. Rough neighborhood to go unaccounted for in… Egypt was pushing the pace all morning with Federalist right on his heels.
Horsehead got snatched up like Jessica Simpson’s Maltipoo by an abnormally large screech owl swooping down from the trees.
Chester was M.I.A. Felt like you got cheated and only part of the experience. Lord willing, he’ll be back next week.
Brady and Funky Cold ran around for an hour and ended up back in the parking lot at the end. Parking’s getting tight in the Horsey lot. Get there early next week for prime parking.
Tater Tot on Q next week. Saddle up.
Hairball
Who: F3 Pax along with their Ms and 2.0s.(event limit of 80 people)
When: Saturday July 27th. 4:30-7:30 PM
Where: Park Crossing Pool/Clubhouse
10201 Park Crossing Dr, Charlotte, NC 28210
Why: Summertime is the time for cookouts, why not have on with all your F3 friends? Plus, this is the evening after the Crane Relay, come out and celebrate another successful event….or if you aren’t planning on running the Crane Relay, come out and celebrate a successful night of sleep.
FAQ:
Sounds awesome. I’m in. What do I do next?
Sign up and reserve your spots by sending $10 per person(pax + M + 2.0s) to Mighty’s PayPal
As previously mentioned, there is an event cap of 80 so if you know you are going to attend today, reserve your spot today so you don’t miss out!
What does my $10 buy?
A smorgasbord of traditional summer cookout delicacies(ie. Burgers, dogs, salad, chips, cookies, fruit, sodas, water etc.), access to the pool/clubhouse/cornhole/volleyball facilities, and a donation from F3 SOB chapter to the Park Crossing Club for being our generous hosts.
My 2.0 is a newborn, do I need to pay 10 bucks for them and count them towards the 80 person total?
Let’s say that 2 years old is the cutoff.
What can I bring?
If the above menu doesn’t jive with your tastes or dietary restrictions, you can bring any additional items to throw on the grill.
You can bring your own beer or wine in NON-GLASS containers. Cans, boxes, and plastic bottles are cool. Bringing any glass beer, wine, or liquor(looking at you Frehley’s) bottles could result in your drink being thrown away or you being asked to leave. Park Crossing is being very generous by letting us use their facility and we are going to take their rules very seriously.
Comfortable clothing for cornhole/volleyball or swimsuits for the pool.
Had to go up against the 17 yo VQ so figured I needed to come out strong and show that the extra 15 minutes and extra 3 miles matters. 8 guys agreed. We rolled out an excited bunch. Looking fly and of course being extra diccs safe due to some street running. A disclaimer was provided, happiness ensued.
Thang: Mosey to the clubhouse of Lawson 2.0. At your own pace. Which was quick.
–Circle up- SSH x nope , IW x not today, Mountain climbers x 10IC, Plank jacks x 10IC, chilcutt x 10IC, Merkins x 10IC. Run to the end of a faraway cul-de-sac.
–From that spot, run up the previewed hill**, out and back. At every light pole, complete 15 10 hand release merkins. At bottom, 10 burpees. We did this for 6 light poles and a long time. When finished, ran to a smaller hill and planked for a quick rest. –Next-some sprints up a smaller hill. Backwards/forwards running to stop sign. 10 jump squats before running up the hill. Did this 4 times.
–Run back towards the school. At each light pole, stop for 5 merkins. 6 poles in total. –At school, ran to front of high school. Derkins x 10 IC, bench Chilcutt x15 IC, dips x 20 IC.
–Head back towards start. At path, stop at each pole, 10 Dry docks, 12 merkins, 14 dry docks, 16 merkins. Then sprint back to home base to join the Flash crew. Done
Moleskin: Some thoughts about this morning. After Wolverine and Bottlecap took off their shirts, I was afraid that the rest of the PAX were about to follow. Luckily enough, the rest remained covered up as we all just needed something to soak up all the sweat. Disgusting humidity out there. Didn’t really help. Sneaky steep hill there in Lawson, but Rubbermaid has done the advance scouting and analytical breakdown of his community and noted that there was a 0.2% decrease in grade difference to some other hill or two. Maybe next time. Burpees to hand release merkins is rather unfair to the shoulders. Guys were out there running with noodle arms trying to shake out the pain. And what graduation makes their band members get to school in tuxedos at 6am to practice? Just mean.
Wolverine killed it out there today. At the front all morning. Probably needs to start going to Chiseled to get some more muscle definition though. Bottlecap was doing his best keeping up and almost destroyed himself in the process. Gave him a new low back exercise late in the workout to work on as well. #yourwelcome
Gerber is still coming back from his calf issues but is always right there at the front with his super long strides (compared to mine at least). Think he was upset that we ended 1 minute early as he still wanted to run though. Deflated was also sneaky fast today. Up at the front as well and getting faster and faster by the week. Didn’t even let the three layers he had on slow him down.
Legal Zoom and Centerfold, both of Clyent Dinner fame, made rare morning appearances to Ignition. Not sure running in this weather is much easier than running in 95 degree heat (just kidding, it is). Good work.
Foundation told me at Open Door (yes you should come) yesterday that he wouldn’t miss Ignition for anything. Seemed to waffle a bit after I told him I was on Q though. Is that a good or bad thing? Not sure but he was there. It may be because he’s been blacklisted from Flash after his site Q duties ended. At least I heard that from a friend of a friend. #secret
Rubbermaid crazily admitted to cheating modifying as needed but even still, felt that the 5ish miles was not enough and was ready to knock out another 8. Nobody else has ever not finished all of the assigned reps during a workout. Not once. Just shocked to learn that this occurred at Ignition.
Thanks to all who showed up today. Appreciate you all. Good first F fellowship and encouragement from the PAX as usual.
Announcements: Bottlecap’s annual 3v3 Basketball tournament, June 15. Middle school and up. See details in other social media site.
Tupperware on Q at Chiseled 6/12.
Watchtower-New site location, New Town tomorrow 6/11
The Thang
DiCCS given, Circle mosey as can see a couple pax coming in late and we would be going off campus to a land far far away
Warm-up, SSH 25 imperial walkers 25 and 15 Merkins
Mosey to the parking lot for some plank until the 6 catches up
Mosey across the road and then on to the Carolina thread to a new land and new adventure. Head down the trail about .4 miles across the bridge into South Carolina.
At the bottom of the bridge partner up
One partner is the runner to the ball
2nd partner do a combined
100 Burpees
200 Merkins
300 low slow squats
Mossey back to Millbridge parking lot.
Regroup and Mossey back to big circle at Nesbit Park
Circle up and clockwise call out a workout and run the circle while others do your workout until the end.
Moleskin
16 Pax + 1 FNG for a total of 17
We started out my plan was to head for Mill bridge parking lot to warm up but saw Pax heading in late. So, we did a circle back mosey and warmed up in parking lot. After that we headed for the Mill bridge parking lot regroup and head on to the destination.
Carolina Thread is a great trail I have wanted to work it into a workout for a while. It needs to be light out and the trail needs to be at least relatively dry. I had to have a backup plan for rain as the forecast was not good. I got out early and ran to the destination to make sure it was safe for the Pax. As I was heading out I had to come up with a destination for the runner and all the trees looked the same. I found a large Blue and Red ball on the trail this became our destination point. Although Mad Dog kept moving it further out.
As we reached the bridge that leads to South Carolina Recalculating informed me that he had a pressing matter he needed to deal with and was off to Rudy shed. He did ask where we would be I said a long time here and then back to Mill Bridge. When we were about done with our workout, Recalculating, Radar, and Posse (who was late because of my son) all returned. They also had a random runner with them that I thought was a new guy he continued.
We headed back after all the workouts I had some ladders planned in the Mill Bridge parking lot as we got close Jingles informed me the lot would be full and he was right. I had to audible and continue on to the big circle at Nesbit where we did a pass the workout.
Announcements
Named FNG from Jersey Jwoww
Fixing it for Christ 19-22 goal to fix up 40 homes, food provided, details from Bottlecap
DoughBoy thanks for taking us out.
Where does the time go?
Robert Hunter
Here we go again. The First Day of Summer and it’s time to meet up with your old friends & rivals from the North in the DMZ. BOTH Area 51 and Metro 1st F Qs have agreed to lead – 200% beatdown guaranteed. With talk of secession in the air, banners are called and looking for the pax of Olde Farm, Olde Salem, Olde Providence, RainTree, Free Range, Stonecroft, Stonecutter’s Ridge, Stonehaven, Wessex Square and even the King’s Wood to hold the line. Horsey will wait. See you Monday.