25 strong for another hot and humid edition of Fast Twitch: BRR Training Season. YHC arrived at 0505, and was greeted shortly thereafter by Rachel, who just turned 40 (but runs like he’s 20) bearing the Fast Twitch shovel flag. Swiper regaled us with tales of Chester’s questionable attire and later chastised Fault Line for his musical selection. You just knew it was going to be a good morning at Fast Twitch.
After delivering a Hops-approved disclaimer (yes, I do care about your personal safety), we were off to the cozy confines of Raintree. Mosey up Woodfox, take a left on Rounding Run and regroup at Rising Meadow for instructions.
As you probably deduced from the title of this back blast, today’s workout had a few decidedly non-Fast Twitch elements. That wasn’t by design, but rather a case of Qdrenaline resulting in temporary short-term memory loss. YHC was about halfway up the Providence Hill Suck Strava segment when I realized I had forgotten the first item on the Weinke. Yeah, we were supposed to run a triple nickel on Rising Meadow. Maybe next time. If you’re a glass half-full kind of guy, then you’ll appreciate the fact that without this miscue, you wouldn’t have been able to spend as much time with the RFYLers or experience a bit of Death Valley. Not much to report in the way of mumblechatter as YHC was leading from the Six this morning. I’m sure all you faster guys have some hilarious stories to share in the comments.
Announcements – The new website,f3southcharlotte.com, is live. Post all BBs here going forward. Reminder: select A51 Region when tagging your workout. Area 51 is a Saturday workout.
Thanks to LaRonda for taking us out and thanks to Rachel and Purple Haze for the opportunity to Q the finest Running/Bootcamp workout in South Charlotte.
Pre run option at 5am – have fun.
5:15am main event: leave Vine for approx 1 mile warm up to suitable stretching spot.
Dynamic stretching per our Guru Bratwurst.
Intervals through Ballantyne Country Club as follows:
2 mins hard, 1 min recovery.
1 min hard, 30s recovery.
30s hard, 30s recovery.
Repeat. We will double back in the recovery periods so that we stay together.
Pace guideline – two options:
We will cover 6-7 miles. If you have the skills, please program your watch.
Another weekend down the drain and on to Monday we go. YHC was up late with the baby which is the perfect combination for waking up at 415 to take care of business and arrive in time for the 500 pre-run. 500 on the dot and YHC and Argonaut headed out for a 3.1 mile new route carved out by Argonaut a few weeks ago maintaining a strong sub 8min pace throughout.
Ever since school has been out for the summer, Elon Park Elementary has become home to a slew of odd characters:
Warm-Up
The Thang-a-Lang
KB Swing/Merkin Combo-thon
KB Swing / Burpee Ladder
Pull-Up Negatives
COT
Moleskinny
Fire Marshall Bill showed up this morning hoping for a larger group so that he would have somewhere to hide. No sir, with 3 PAX there is absolutely nowhere to be unseen. The guy was all talk anyways, setting the pace on the burpees and punishing through all of the merkin variations, even that Tony Horton bullsh*t plyo merkin that he’ll be reminiscing while putting in a long day at the office. When Argonaut’s at a workout, you better bring it because you know he will. Pace and route on the pre-run were solid and he had about 25lbs on my less than masculine bell. Small group today allowed for us to get a lot in and left us nowhere to hide = maximum effort for 45min and makes it easier to remember all the PAX that showed up when writing a backblast. Great work swingers.
Announcements
Over & Out
-General
15 or so men showed up in the pitch black parking deck at Horsey. Some had read the pre-blast and showed up anyway. Some didn’t. It didn’t really matter as instructions were quickly re-hashed in the 20 seconds before the clock struck 5:15 and it was on. 1,100 feet of climb this AM! And that was a bit less than Rachel and Lee would have hit. Not sure how many other weekly F3 workouts can claim that kind of elevation gain in an hour.
The Thang:
The Triple Lindy Challenge:
Moleskine:
I pulled in 6 minutes early only to see a figure running down Old Bell. Apparently Swiper needed an early start to get an early finish to do something else early that was not likely that important. Or maybe it was. The point is, I never talked to him so who knows. I did see him on Round 1 coming up the Wilby hill for his 3rd run up and that was it. How much he did or didn’t do is on his own conscious, maybe he left to hang out with Chester.
Bad news for Lee was he was out in front all morning. From the gun he was gone. So any toxic clouds Swiper left behind him were going to hit Lee smack in the face. He powered through and still crushed the course.
We were spread out from there, so the details of everyone gets a little hazy. A few items of note.
Orlando pulled the wily veteran move at the bottom of Blue Ridge Dr, Stretching out his calves to take a break from running up and down this nonsense.
Thin Slice had a jersey on this morning with Pony written across the back. A few weeks back he Q’ed with a Horse jersey on. At the time it seemed kinda cool that he had that Horse jersey. Now combined with the Pony it’s a little bit weird. But hey – whatever you’re into.
Black Jack (recommended by PAX this AM to rename to Slim Jack) along with Hollins and Ann & Hope (recommend by me to change to pretty much anything but a sunken ship or defunct New England department store) were running well all morning and would have completed Round 2 with a few extra minutes added to the clock.
Fault Line and Duct Work seemed to partner up behind The Mouth and his High Viz Vest or they were drafting from him. Either way, no one got hit by a car so the High Viz worked.
Here’s where it get’s a little weird. Prohibition claims to have seen a friend of Chester (but not Chester) out and wearing nothing but a jock strap. Not sure if anyone can corroborate this story or if it was just in Pro’s dreams. He did smile a little smile when he said it, which made me uncomfortable.
This backblast is not going to win the annual backblast challenge at Horsey. I’d give it a C+ or B-. But if anything you got what you came for at Horsey this AM. Hills. And lots of Hills. Plus this Backblast is published on the same day, so I should get some credit for that.
Thanks for joining me this morning and thanks to Duct Work for the takeout.
-Alf
16 PAX came out for a return from vacation workout that included an opportunity to demonstrate athletic ability on field while playing Ultimate Merkin Frisbee. As expected many of the PAX prove that beyond working out, very little athletic ability exists.
Warmup (Cadence Counting Progressively getting worse by YHC):
Thang:
Streetlight Shuttles (Terrain: concrete)
Ultimate Merkin Frisbee (Terrain: wet flat grass)
Moleskin:
Announcements:
5 of Area 51’s finest respects (and 17 other guys) showed up to Centurion on Friday to fit 60 minutes of pain into a 45 minute workout. The dripping mess, also known as a Ball of Man, at the end of the workout was testament to their success.
Thang
Moleskin
Someone wondered if Tony Horton had stepped in to Q when we were doing the arm circles. Admittedly, P90X is the first thing YHC did when he got off the couch about 3 years ago and, while it is cheesy, it is still a damn fine workout for guys who haven’t found F3 yet. While the Plyometrics DVD still gives me nightmares (Double Airborne Heisman at the next COP?), those shoulder warmup circles are still one of my favorites and seemed appropriate for the wheel barrows on tap this morning.
Teamwork / divide and conquer was the plan for the day. In this case it was about anticipating a big crowd at Centurion which is the standard as of late, but spending the whole workout in teams of 2 made for some great fellowship as well. Wheel barrow up a turning flight of steps definitely took a little practice to get used to. More than one smacked a shoulder, rib or hip in the corners but everyone had it together by the 4th trip. Some dismay at being separated from our newfound friends so soon after the wheel barrows. There was also some discussion as to what base was reached with our partners during that first round of wheel barrows before we broke up, but that got uncomfortable pretty quickly and was thankfully forgotten (until now).
Checkpoint was the first to complain at the sudden split from his first partner, but he quickly forgot him (what was his name again?) when he partnered with the speedy Lorax to crush everyone in the partner work by the stadium. They were so far ahead in fact that they missed 30% of the instructions on round 2 (“do the same thing as before”) and ran an extra lap of the stairs. Having to run back the way you came after meeting your partner made sure the faster guys got to run a little more. This helped keep the teams together but had the added benefit of discouraging any slacking off which would result in your partner having to pick up your slack. In every day life, I run into plenty of people who are willing to let me pick up their slack. At Centurion (and in my experience in F3 as a whole), there is none of that. Each and every man was seen pushing himself to his limit, and then pushing beyond that limit (along with some mumblechatter) when subsequent rounds were called, to make sure he carried as much of the burden as he possibly could.
Bout Time, Rachel, Checkpoint, Lorax and Brilleaux were regularly out front and calling Mary or Plank-o-rama until YHC could arrive to take back over (thanks, guys). Too many other strong efforts out there (and too much weekend fog clouding YHC’s brain) to name them all. Also typical of Centurion, we had a mean collection of Respects all tearing it up. If full-contact basketball with a height cap of 6’2″ was a thing, these guys would make an intimidating team. Can’t really think of anywhere else a team of 5 makes sense. Still, impressive stuff.
Udder, although he did not show up, got his Site Q points reaching out to me the night before and asking me to remind the PAX to bring reflective gear and lighting if we were going to be off-campus on busy streets. YHC let him know we would only leave campus briefly and would stick to the sidewalk (most of us) on our way there and back. Definitely appreciate him reaching out and think it sets a great example for what us as Site Qs and Qs need to be doing. We know from the disclaimer that we are not officially responsible for the safety of those at our workouts. However, if you are the leader of a workout or a site at which an accident occurs that may have been prevented by a simple Tweet or Slack message, I can guarantee that you are going to at least feel somewhat responsible. No one wants that. If people decide not to pay attention or to listen, that’s on them, but please remember to take that minute to send out a reminder if your weinke calls for it.
Announcements
7 men arrived on time to #DMZ.
The Thang:
Warmup run to Carmel Prez Parking Lot
Warmup: SSH, Squats, Mtn. Climbers
Mosey to Benches
Partner 1: Run .25 (x3)
Partner 2: Jump Squats (x2); Wall Sits
Partner 1: Run .25 (x3)
Partner: HandRelease Merkins, Bentarm planks
Mosey to Playground
10 “toes to bar” while Partner holds boat
Mosey to Benches
COM: LBC (x25), Dolly (x25), WWII Situps (x15), Holes-To-Heaven (x15), Boone-LBC (x20), 30 sec Boat
Mosey to Parking Lot
100 yd sprints (x8)
Way Home: Catch-Me-If-You-Can-Burpee
Moleskin:
15 PAX enjoyed the Sweet Celebration of the 4th Anniversary of what has come to be known as The Outland! What better ingredients for a kickin’ party than a Lot of Heat, Humidity and Sweat! LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!
Pre-Thang
4 & 5 Miler Pre-Runs – Madison, GJ, EE, Shake’N’Bake, Stacks (on Wheels)
** Disclaimer Clearly Given **
HairBand Half Miler Mosey around Hill to Bus Lot including forwards, backwards, Karaoke R/L, Shuffle R/L, High Knees, Butt Kickers, LSS while 6 catches up
COP
25 x SSH IC
10 x Burpees OYO
25 x SSH IC
10 x Burpees OYO
10 x IW IC
Single Bus Cheese Weave Run & Back (1 bus in lot, had to use it!)
25 x SSH IC
10 x Burpees OYO
10 x Slow Windmill IC
25 x SSH IC
10 x Burpees OYO
The Main Event
Indian Run to Elementary School Playground
Along the way PC @ 1st Elementary School Wall w/ 50 AP
Lunge Walk entire length of chain linked fence
At Playground
1 Set Includes:
5 x Pull-Ups
10 x Merkins
20 x LBC’s
Repeato x 3
Run Full Lap around track
Repeat Sets x 3
Start Mosey back to Middle School
Lunge Walk Length of Fence
1 min Water Break
Stop by wall for PC w/ AP x 50
Mosey to MS Parking Lot Island Starting Line
4 cones approx 20 yards apart
Start at Island, run to cone #1
@ Cone, perform 5 x BombJacks, 5 x Burpees, 20 x Flutter (each leg one)
Backwards Run to island
Repeat for Cones 3, 4 & 5
5 Minutes of Mary
PAX Call!
Can’t remember all, but included
20 x Back Scratchers IC (CT Favorite)
20 x LBC IC
20 x Roselita’s (en espanole)
20 x Freddy Mercury
25 x SSH IC
10 x Burpees OYO
DONE!
MOLESKIN:
4 Years Ago A Few Good Men ventured from the inner loop of I-485 and traveled South-Easterly for what seemed like thousands of miles looking for a site suitable to begin a F3 Expansion site capable of transforming the lives of hundreds of Men. Tired and Exhausted from the Journey, Counter Top and Zip-A-Dee ended up settling on a plot more suitable for a landfill that actually includes a County Dump on site. Nice Job Guys! Fast Forward 4 years and the Men of UC still seem to enjoy the land of the Misfit PAX and continue the rich tradition of the planted shovel flag, the sweat fest of the workout in Sun, Rain, Snow and Fog, and the land that has transformed hundreds of men into better leaders, better fathers, better friends and just better Men!! Aye!
I think HH is probably the closest to the original group today followed by YHC by a few weeks. Some talk and “Fake Hype” by Madison of a possible showing by the Founding Father CT, but all for not. Madison was feelin the Pre-Run today and kept the pace brisk!
Great to see Happy back in Action after a new job has kept him away for a few months! Drop Thrill as well! DT has moved South of the Boarder but still made it for the AO-iversary! And Great to see you and Bullwinkle trucking through the entire workouts! Injuries happen so it is great to see you overcoming them brother! Shake’N’Bake has released the inner-runner and has lost nearly 40 lbs since beginning F3! True Inspirational Beast transforming right before our eyes #Motivation. GJ was Loud…. again! HH continued his traditional Refusal of 90% of the workout but did not get injured which is key!
Shepherd is getting older (Respect), and I think along with that we need to give him a little leeway for total reps counted vs total reps completed!! Lumberjack is super tall and has to work harder to reach the ground! Arsenal and EHarmony have been knocking out these workouts and putting in work! Dr. Rhythm has excellent form and brought his FNG 2.0 today to one day become a F3 Ninja-Warrior! It is great when we have a bunch of kids (2.0’s) out working with the men! Hey one day they will be the ones changing our diapers!
Announcements:
Shout Out Anything I missed!
Great Take out by DT!
I am always Grateful for the Men around me that help make me better. You are many of those men!
Double E
It was the perfect balmy morning for some broga! 9 PAX joined in for some solid stretching. Ready Mix joined us for the first time and was unprepared, not having his own mat. Good thing Swiss Miss was there. As you all know, Swiss Miss is an avid garage saler. “Early bird gets the worm” he was once quoted as saying. And he scored not too long ago with the purchase of a solid yoga mat for “like $2.00” or so he says. We couldn’t figure out if he purchased it or just swiped it out of someone’s open garage. Either way, Ready Mix was grateful.
THE THANG:
Knees up and Windshield 5 – 6 times back and forth
Prayer twist – left elbow on right knee
Back to runner’s lunge
Up to Warrior 1 – Warrior 2 – Peaceful Warrior – Warrior 2
Turn to face side of mat and forward fold
Move hands to right ankle and hold for 5 breaths
Move hands to left ankle and hold for 5 breaths
Back to center
Warrior 2 – Warrior 1 – back to Mountain Pose
Sun Salutations – 2X OYO MEET IN PLANK
Prayer twist – left elbow on right knee
Back to runner’s lunge
Up to Warrior 1 – Warrior 2 – Peaceful Warrior – Warrior 2
Turn to face side of mat and forward fold
Move hands to right ankle and hold for 5 breaths
Move hands to left ankle and hold for 5 breaths
Back to center
Warrior 2 – Warrior 1 – back to Mountain Pose
Sun Salutations – 2X OYO MEET IN MOUNTAIN POSE
Right ankle on left knee for 5 – 6 breaths
Left ankle on right knee for 5 – 6 breaths
Sit on floor with legs extended straight out in front.
Bend knees but bring the soles of feet together
Use elbows to push knees toward ground for 5 – 6 breaths
Right foot out left foot to right knee for 5 -6 breaths
Flapjack for 5 – 6 breaths
Walk fingers RIGHT.
Walk fingers LEFT.