While scouting, YHC discovered a spooky clearing in the woods behind Jack Hughes Park. Knowing it would be dark and spooky back there, i decided to bring my old battery powered lantern, placed stealthly beside the trail that led to the clearing.
Then the below workout took place:
Things just fell into place for the Q at Rock Zero. For the last month, YHC has had on my home calendar to locate an AO needing a Q for August 4th. However, the issue was that it could not be an AO that YHC had posted at this year (Lexington Ky remains the only Saturday AO I have posted twice to in 2018). Just before I started to reach out to other regions for assistance on this one, I saw the post from Flipper in the South Charlotte Slack. Looks like the Gypsy truck gets to stay home this weekend and enjoy the welcoming humid conditions in my home region of Area 51.
0645 AM Pull into the opposite side of the AO and drop off my trusty coupon that has helped me through the last few Qs. (More to come on this one)
0650 AM Locate the launch spot or group of guys standing around because there was no shovel flag to be found. (BTW..If you have never posted at the RockZero, give yourself a few extra minutes to find the location. This AO is at a local church and the parking lot is bigger than most malls that YHC has been to.)
0655 AM Hoover comes rolling in from the pre-run.. Sorry bud.. We are going to get a few more miles in for you.
0657 AM Still no shovel flag and we will need it for this Weinke.. But no problems, like any good gypsy; I come prepared and return to the truck where I happen to have a spare Shovel flag ready to be planted along our route.
0700 AM Disclaimer: The reason I had it on my calendar for so long to find a post to Q on 8/4 was my one year anniversary of two life-altering events. One was my 1 year in F3 and by no small coincidence after smoking for nearly 30 years it was also my 1 yr for not smoking cigarettes.
I let the PAX know it is my 1 yr on not smoking and I plan to smoke myself during the workout. They can join me if they wish, but if they do, they cannot sue me, F3, of the church. No one disagreed or left, so YHC started the Rock Zero workout for 8/4/18. It went a little like this.
Warm up run:
Ole’ Glory 1M F2 run to the corner of Elm/ 51 and back (No pax member is to be out in front of the Shovel Flag)
Post our flag
COP:
Grab the shovel flag and mosey to the front parking lot
Post our flag: Thang 1: Gypsy Rock with a Hose (hopefully by now, most of A51, SOB, Mint Hill, UC, and Lexington, KY have had an opportunity to utilize the gifts our Unionville Fire department bestowed upon us. If not, just post at my next Q and you can enjoy this favorite coupon of mine as well. There are 9 of them out there in the gloom)
All Pax members grab a rock and line up. Person right of Q starts with the hose as timer dragging it to the far side of parking lot and back as PAX performs called exercise. PAX put the rock down and everyone takes a step to the left getting a new rock and new pax as the timer.
Return rocks after one rotation.
Grab the shovel flag and mosey to Soccer fields
I am not a professional and as such do enjoy the minor comforts available during a workout. Personally, I hate wet feet and the fields were soaking wet, so YHC called an audible to the parking lot.
Post our flag: Thang 2: (Dora 1,2,3)
Pair up: Pax 1 performs set exercise with Pax 2 runs to far parking space to complete 2 burpees and return to swap out with Pax 1
Continue until completion of called exercises or Q calls Omaha
0745 AM with most the PAX somewhere in the middle of the Crab Cakes, YHC calls Omaha
Grab the shovel flag and AYG 1M run to ELM and 51 then back to the launch site.
LBCs for the 6 or ping-pong back.
Post our flag and begin 7 MoM
MoM:
Some mubblechatter on this one. As the Q, I hold for beginning exercise until everyone is in starting position. So from time to time, there may be a 2nd or 3rd call of “Starting position” before declaring “Exercise”.
Dollys, Rosalittas, Heels to heaven, and American Hammers.
DONE!!
Announcements:
August 18th Speed for Need Surfers for Autism
Crane relay October 26th. Must sign up by August 25th (No Exceptions)
Sign-ups for the Santa Ruck on 12/1 have started:
Registration at: https://www.facebook.com/events/418207928670932/
See Geraldo for more details.
Moleskin:
A solid group of men this morning.
Every one of us required encouragement from the pax to the left and right to finish up one part of an exercise or another. WE held strong to the motto of leave no man behind but leave no man where you found him. All of us pushed our limits in one way or another at RockZero on 8/4.
I saw Ruckers running and Runners carrying essential material. I saw “Hate-Hates” running side by side with “Respects”. I saw the men of F3 encouraging each other to get right and finish strong. I saw a Fellowship so strong that an F3 Nation Gypsy could come out in the Gloom and feel right at home beside my brothers under the eyes of our almighty Sky Q as we took turns carrying our Great Nation’s flag.
1 yr of F3 for YHC in the history books.
(to many individuals inside F3 to thank for guidance and accountability along the way.. but a specific T-Clap to my pax brother Christmas who introduced me to F3 and also made sure I was not giving up when it was so easy to stay in bed during those cold winter days. It makes a huge difference when you know someone is waiting on you either for a ride to Post or is in your driveway waiting for you to get in the car)
What will year 2 bring?
Flipper: Thank you for letting me lead your AO and thank you to the PAX of Rock Zero pushing me to finish.
Respectfully,
Gypsy
19 men shoved off for adventure! Mario and Thin Mint left for an adventure date.
Disclaimer!
Run from the Vine to Ballantyne Village parking lot
COP:
Side-straddle hops (IC) x 20
Imperial Walkers (IC) x 15
Low, not-so-slow squats (IC) x 10
‘Mericans (IC) x 10
Ramp BLIMPS
Up the Ballantyne Village Parking Garage stopping at each landing for:
5 Burpees
10 Lunges (each leg)
15 Imperial Walker (both sides)
20 ‘Mericans
25 Plank jacks
30 Squats
Down the garage steps to the basement, up the grass hill to the cones.
The Beast!
6 rounds, 6 stations & 6 repetitions
Rd1 – Carolina dry docks
Rd2 – bomb jacks
Rd3 – American hammer
Rd4 – ‘Mericans
Rd5 – Dolly
Rd6 – Burpees
Stairway/Heels to Heaven
Starting at the basement do 1 Heels-to-Heaven, climb a flight of steps do 2 Heels-to-Heaven repeat and complete all the way up and down.
Potpurri
50 calf raises
10 Rosalita
10 Box cutters
20 Side the Kid
Cone Party
Bear crawl / sprint run
Lunge walk / sprint
Ring around the BoA
Sprint the length of the bank and jog rest of the way around x 3
Back to launch – 10 ‘Mericans
Moleskine
First, off kudos to Cul-de-Sac for being a faithful pre-runner. It’s a great way to start your engines and we’ve had some great 2nd/3rd F conversations.
Today, the gloom was especially gloomy – dank and foggy. I decided staying on the blacktop was the best way to avoid injury and destroying Ballantyne’s beautiful landscaping. (I love how the sprinkler are on every morning even after a thunderstorm.) We also had two FNGS, a kid and a few RESPECTS. So, I decided staying mainly in on place for a true boot camp. We did manage 2.5 miles.
Other questions & observations
Who had the better head scarf: me or Goldberg? (I was accused of looking like the Blind Melon bee girl.)
Dash got bored at one point and asked to watch a movie in the car.
Both are FNGs put in a noble effort and faked the exercises as well as most vets.
Toolbag won a race against Dash, but he lost the math test.
Happy birthday, Goldberg
Announcements
Crane Relay
Paintball War SOB v A51
Isabelle Santos
Great Wolf Lodge
6 men posted for this mornings Area 51 workout. Site Q’s were well represented. Maybe they didn’t trust me and both Huggie Bear and Abacus posted to make sure I didn’t take this thing sideways. We had 50% Hokies with Joker and Turkey Leg joining me. O’Tannenbaum rounded out the bunch heading in on 2 wheels right on schedule.
Weak disclaimer with a bunch of veterans around.
Mosey out to sidewalk and down past the track. Circle around into the bus lot for a quick COP. Standard fare: SSH, IW, and Merkins.
Head back across campus to the rock pile. Grab a lifting rock and bring it back to the entrance of the soccer field parking lot.
5 reps of Curls, OH Press, and Tricep extensions. Head to playground
5 Pullups and 5 Split Leg Squats (each leg). Head to wall by school entrance
5 Donkey Kicks, People’s Chair with 50 OH presses. Head to track.
5 Decline Merkins on the bench, 5 Step ups (each leg), Hot lap around the track. Mosey back to rocks.
Now, on your own pace repeat for 4 more laps, doing 10, 15, 20 and 25 reps of each exercises. With the exceptions being pull-ups – 7, 9, 11, 13 and the People’s Chair stayed at 50 air presses.
A little Mary at the end until the PAX was in. Everyone was pretty smoked and we still had 15 minutes left.
At rocks do 2 rounds of 15 Good Mornings, 15 Tea Bag Squats and 15 Lougaines
Take rocks back. Plank work by the cars to finish out the last 2 minutes.
Done.
Strong work by everyone today. Joker said he was broken by the end of the 5 cycles. Temps weren’t that high but humidity sure was. PAX were drenched in sweat, time to hydrate.
As promised I kept everyone of the muddy, swampy fields and kept things on the pavement for the most part.
Thanks to Abacus for the takeout this morning and for the invitation to lead out here.
-Alf
Received an email from the MIA Fault Line that he was looking for a Q. My Site VQ was long overdue so decided to give it a woo. Here’s what we did:
Warmup lap: left out of the parking lot, right onto the long driveway and went around the entire parking lot. Stopped somewhere in the rain to circle up and:
Mosey to the sheltered picnic tables behind the rock pile just in time for the rain to stop and temperature to rise 20 degrees.
Alabama Slammer (think this is what its called)
o Grab a partner
o P1 does 20 merkins while P2 does 20 squats
o Switch
o P2 does 20 merkins while P2 does 20 squats
o Drop down to 19,18.17 -10
Mosey to Rock Pile
Mosey over to track near parking lot
Reverse Indian Run (ended up being a bad idea with some major hot laps)
Mosey to parking lot and partner up
Mary
Moleskinny:
I think Pop Tart does an hour long Pre KB workout prior to every Kevlar workout while listening to 90s boy bands. It was a weird site to see.
Fault Line – Missed you out there but thanks for choosing me as Q this week.
Be on the lookout for September 15th Paintball vs. SOB.
Great work today guys.
Christmas
For starters, yes I realize that I called the sh*t, poop. It was anticipated that today’s Brave edition would utilize one of the many parking decks with the looming rain upon us. However, I’ll look for any opportunity in the summer months to take advantage of cooler temps over the hot box. 12 men arrived via automobile and 1 on foot (Uncle Rico), this will be important later.
That being said, none of them were Goonie who texted me last night proclaiming he would be at The Brave…and then probably followed that up by polishing off 12 beers, causing him to fartsack.
Warm-up – There was none
The Thang
Moleskin
The weather held out for us but for some including YHC on the way home, the bowels did not…Great work by the PAX covering some ground today and mixing in some strength and HIIT. Water/sweat and technology don’t mix very well and that remains a fact as of this morning.
Takeaway from a discussion in COT: Keep in touch and stay connected with PAX, friends, family, co-workers etc. You never know what someone is struggling with and solitude can further fuel the internal fire and struggle that some may be dealing with. Stay connected and potentially help someone who may need that connection to hold on and keep going.
Annoucements
8/17 – The Brave converges w/ Cerberus at 530 for a Dredd led workout
8/18 – Come wash away the wear and tear of the week with the CLT Craft Course II, and run and brew event hitting 6 breweries. Respect to anyone that polishes off a Porter, Stout or Double IPA at all 6
8/25 – 4yr Indian Land Anniversary celebration at the re-launch of The Reservation
Over & Out
-General_
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER…SORRY FOR THE DELAY, FELLAS. ENJOY!
The rain held off for the 16 Pax that showed at Dromedary at Marvin Ridge HS for what’s come to be a predictable Q for YHC. Plenty of partner work, Lifting rocks, short distance running, and an Awesome Music selection was on tap, but I had the back-up Rainy Day workout plan with the all things “Rain” playlist too. Until next time, fellas!
Warm up around Parking Lot.
20 x SSH
20 x IW
20 x Mtn Climbers
A little stretching prior to the beating:
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Calf Stretches
Shoulder Stretches (Huggers, Arm Circles, Tricep Stretch)
THE THANG:
Now the fun begins at 5:36am…
Merkin Ladder…1 up to 10. A lot of groaning to start us off. Some quit…or should we say “Modified as Needed”?
Now transition to Parking Lot 7’s, but using the entire length of the MRHS lot.
(1) Dry Docks/(6) Merkins…etc
with (1) Burpee at Top/Crest of the Hill halfway through each segment.
This was more challenging (brutal) than I envisioned. Sorry fellas…I tried to encourage as much as I could as we ran past each other. Circle back for the Six to finish together.
Mosey to the Rock Pile and select a Lifting Rock (always choose wisely!).
Partner up for:
P1 (150) Curls/ P2 Run 1/2 way up the lot to the curb and back
P1 (150) Tricep Ext / P2 Run 1/2 way up the lot to the curb and back
P1 (150) Overhead Press / P2 Run 1/2 way up the lot to the curb and back
Return the rocks while 1/2 the Pax does some Mary at the start.
Transition to Jack Webb’s in the lot with Merkins and Air Presses. Some thin skin and soft knees were realized at this point. By the time we got to about 5 Merkins, I saw more than half the Pax quit and suddenly need to “stretch”, or should we say “quit”. I don’t blame you, fellas. It was hot, humid, and we were worn out. Some stood up for Air Presses but didn’t quit, so at 8 we all stood up. At least you all made it through the workout and didn’t bail after SSH!
MOLESKIN:
Nice work by all. Though I bust chops for “Modifying as Needed”, we all know modifying is better than doing nothing. I truly appreciate all of you and your courage to show up every day. We ALL start off out of shape, sluggish, self-conscious of our lack of fitness, but when we stick with it, great things happen. The ragging never ends though! I love leading this group of guys at Dromedary, whether I’m on Q or hanging back to encourage a few to keep working hard. We all need encouragement every day, and in the Gloom especially. It’s the glue that keeps us all coming back, accountable, and knowing we all have each others backs if/when needed. We will all need it one day…just ask for help.
Announcements:
SandBox Prom on 8/31 in Concord NC. F3 has been asked to be Security/Encouragement to the families participating.
YHC took us out in prayer. WE ARE BLESSED MORE THAN WE DESERVE!
GF
16 PAX showed up today ready to work and attempt to beat the calorie count record. Unfortunately, we were missing Recalc, so we do not have an official measure on the crapple watch. But, based on Rubbermaid’s analysis (more mileage and equivalent elevation change), we will deem that the record was broken today.
Warmup:
Thang:
At the hill we did 16 intervals of 1:30 of up/down hill and 0:45 of called exercise
Headed back to start scraped Deflated off of the ground and completed:
10 x SSH
10 x SSH
and then said goodbye to Big10
Moleskin: