3 men showed up for impromptu extra mileage. One continued to the track to do his own thing (JRR Tolkien). The others (Gumbo and YHC) returned to greet the PAX. However, were a little late and barely got back in time.
After some incoherent babbling about the plan for the day, 23 launched off into the dark to head to the track for 60 minutes of unrelenting tempo pace.
During the warmup, some of the PAX were remarking that the warmup was no longer a social gathering where the legs were gently warmed to running speed before cranking up the speed at the hill. Now it seems there a bunch of bad arses out there pushing it from the word “go”.
I think this means people are nearing their final state of readiness for the thing they call BRR. Congrats men, you have trained hard and it is paying off.
This will be a short Backblast due to the fact it has all been said. You are ready!
15 Mountain Goats gathered at South Charlotte Middle School for another installment of Mountain Goat. Warm-up at 0500 and launch at 0515. Format was to run an extended distance at a theshold-ish pace… which is about 1-1.5 min/mile over your mile race pace. Here is how it went down:
Total 5 to 5.5 miles. EXCELLENT JOB BY EVERYONE!!
Moleskine:
This is a somewhat new format. YHC wanted to work on pacing, especially for those planning to run in the BRR… and to maintain a pace faster than a “fellowship” pace for an extended distance.
We learned some points from the run, and will definitely like feedback from the PAX… but I would like to propose that we add this to our rotation to practice longer distances as sustained paces that are moderately “uncomfortable.”
It is absolutely AWESOME that Tweetsie and Lois keep coming back! They are attending multiple workouts in Area 51, and giving 100% every time! They are “in-training” for BRR 2017… we confirmed that this morning… (I didn’t hear them deny the challenge!!)
T-Claps to Geraldo for keeping Lois company during the run, and Frasier for keeping Tweetsie company! Iron Sharpens Iron, and Geraldo and Frasier showed that this morning!
Great to have Dumpster Fire join… Quick story… when I was coming off of Rosecliff onto Strawberry, I passed a lady walking her dog. Then as I rounded the corner, there’s this guy with no shirt on lying in a driveway stretching. So as I pass, I’m thinking it looks like Dumpster Fire, but then I’m thinking it’s a homeowner that is just out getting ready to run… IT’S DUMPSTER FIRE!! He hops up, and all I can think of is… “What in the world did that lady think when she saw Dumpster Fire lying in that driveway?” And why in the driveway??? I will expect DF to give his side of the story!!
Pele… you continue to rock!!
Great to have Draino back out for the festivities. Venus… always a pleasure to have you join!
Voodoo, Daisy, Sensei, The Mouth, Nomad were strong as usual… and great to have Retread back from his extended vacation!
Announcements:
Booyah here, Today was hacker’s 51st Birthday and rather than fartsack it to rest up for his son’s drivers license test, he decided to show up early and run 22 pax around Matthews Elementary. Man what a bunch of burpees. And now, here’s Hacker.
Warmup
Run over to parking lot
behind school
35 side straddle hops
30 imperial walkers
10 four-count merkins
20 mountain climbers
run over to field near baseball field
— form partners
— one cone and back
— two cones and back
— three cones and back
— First Set: 100 merkins/80 low squats/40 burpees
— Second Set: 100 wide arm/80 jump squats/40 burpees
— Third Set: 60 diamonds/ 40 sister mary katherines/25 burpees
— Plank it up in between
Mary
35 LBCs
20 Flutters
Moleskin(Booyah’s reporting again)
Sensational Birthday Q from Hacker. This is supposed to be moderate and it was a moderate as 300 Merkins, 200 squats and 105 burpees can be. We welcomed FNG Daisy Duke this AM. He works for Habitat for Humanity and was pretty fast until round two of Hacker’s Moderate workout. Also, Strikeout made his F3 return after two years of Achilles rehab and said he felt pretty good. Great crowd this AM. Thanks again to Hacker for the Birthday Q.
8 men met in the humid gloom to get stronger. After a thorough disclaimer, this is what went down:
THE THANG
As YHC fell asleep last night age 44 and woke this morning age 45, the number of the day was….45.
COP
SSH X 15
IW X 15
Mountain Climbers X 15
Total = 45 reps
MAIN EVENT – LADDERS + SWINGS (THE SWINGING LADDER)
45 swings to get things started
9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of each called exercise, for a total of 45 reps
30 swings after each 7, 4, 1 rung for total of 90 swings to accompany each exercise
(1st 2-Handed, 2nd-1-Handed, 3rd -American Swings)
Called Exercises:
Goblet Squats – 45
Snatches R + L (9 on each side, 8 on each side, etc.) – 45 each (90 total)
Upright Rows – 45
Lawn Mowers (Bent Over Rows) – 45
45 swings to finish things up
Total Swing Count: 450
45 SECONDS OF MARY
Plank-O-Rama for 45 seconds (regular, hands/legs up, 6 inches)
SOUNDTRACK BY BERRY, BUCK, MILLS, STIPE
Wolves Lower, Gardening at Night, Carnival of Sorts, Radio Free Europe, Harborcoat, Driver 8, Begin the Begin, These Days, I Believe, Superman, Finest Working, Orange Crush, Electrolite, (Reserve: Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Bandwagon, White Tornado, Tighten Up)
COT
Thanks for the take-out Wild Turkey
YE NAKED MOLESKINE
Well, that was a grinder. YHC had a heavy leg work-out planned weeks ago. However, as YHC has his first GORUCK event in 2 days, last minute audible was called to try something less leg-intensive. A partial test drive last night had YHC almost give up around snatch ladder number 6. Thinking it was just the heat/humidity/late night fatigue/loneliness, decision was made to proceed on today. Turns out YHC was smoked very early. The swings were supposed to be a welcome break from the exercises, but YHC had trouble completing the 30 reps called each time. A goal of 450 was too ambitious. Would have been much better for a 60 minute work-out. Honest swing count today was closer to 375, due to running out of time at the bottom of the last ladder, and then minus any modifications that may or may not have been made…
All the PAX were working HARD this morning and the sweat was dripping from the first set. There wasn’t much rest today so it was a good cardiac work out too. It was a great group today, with some meathead vets and some F3 vets who chose meathead to get a break from the running.
Welcome to Lulu (FNG) (Dominic), brought out by Witch Doctor. This was a brutal work out and you did great hanging in there for 45 long minutes. Keep coming back. It may not get easier, but you will get stronger, and it get’s more and more fun. Dominic is a recent biology grad from Boca Raton and currently works at a yoga studio, hence the name. He admitted to recently buying his first pair of lulu lemon apparel. I can concur that it was probably worth the money.
There was not much mumble chatter today. The most visited topic was the BRR. There is growing interest in forming a Meathead team. Just 2 weeks to decide…. Oh, and I think I heard the 30 swing count questioned at least 2 or 3 times. There was, in fact, a good bit of 2nd F after the COT. Some of the PAX are world travelers.
Hope the R.E.M. soundtrack was ok with the PAX. YHC chose a birthday Q to be of service and because it’s one of the best ways to start another year – waking early to push physically and mentally with my brothers, and connect with God spiritually. The music was admittedly selfish, but hey, YHC wanted to hear R.E.M. today, so there you go. No apologies. But next time there will be variety.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Blue Ridge Relay (BRR) in 2 weeks. Some teams need runners or reserve runners or drivers.
Despite being told to “bring your running shoes”, 12 regulars opted to show up at Hydra to get their day started right. No new faces, quick disclaimer, and a brief warm up in the worst parking lot in South Charlotte. I mentioned up front that you were going to need a partner for a majority of the workout and you could immediately see the PAX sizing up the group and trying to make the wisest decision.
The Thang:
Cop:
SSH X 20
Mountain Climber X 20
Diamond Merkins X 20
Get with your partner for a partner run down to the shopping center on the C/O of Rea and Colony. Partner 1 runs and partner 2 does 5 squats. Repeat until getting to the far end of the parking lot.
Stay with your partner (had 6 groups of 2). Line up and the first group calls out an exercise…takes off for a loop around the building and back to the end of the line where the PAX are performing the exercise that the group called. Group 1 gets back and group 2 calls out an exercise…etc.
Exercises here included:
Burpees
Handslap Merkins
Suicides
LBC’s
Air Squats
And I’m forgetting the last one????
Mosey up to the parking lot by The Lodge and stick with your partner:
Total of 150 merkins and 125 dips. Partner 1 starts the exercise and partner 2 runs. Flap jack until the required number has been completed.
Leave the parking lot and start headed back to OP Elementary on Rea:
Detour for a Indian Run (2 groups of 6) down Chadwyck Farms Drive. Circle up at the bottom for some Mary. Continue on WindyRush and regroup at the bottom of Summerlin. Resume the Indian Run up the road until back into the OP parking lot.
Merkins X 10
Diamonds X 10
Wide Merkins X 10
Low Merkins X 10
Incline Merkins X 10
Moleskin:
Apparently my comment yesterday about “bring your running shoes” got people all up-in-arms. Before long I was getting hit over text, email, and Twitter about what exactly that meant. It meant nothing more than we were going to get mobile and get in a few miles. Bounce and Frosty Paws overcame their fear and set their alarms anyway. Gummy was the only one with a legitimate concern considering he runs in and back home (2 miles each way….impressive).
As noted, we started off with a game of Catch Me if You Can. Or in the case of Spackler and Bounce…Don’t Catch Me. Spackler made it all the way to the destination without Bounce catching him a single time. A+ for the effort, Bounce….D- for the result. While in the parking lot some guy walking his dog happened upon us right as Spackler was telling some story to the PAX about an Olympian speedwalker (yes, that is apparently an Olympic sport) who pooped himself during the race and then collapsed on the track. The dogwalker seemed less than amused with our choice of topics. In a side note, the guy finished 7th….not bad considering the circumstances.
We also learned that Pop knows an alarming amount of information about a shop over there called The Mole Hole. He was quick to point out that it was a “boutique” for women and has clothes very similar to Lilly Pulitzer (I had to look up how to spell that). If you have any questions, you can Google it, or just message Puddin’.
Even with the threat of running, we covered just under 3 miles per my watch. This was only the 2nd or 3rd time I’ve posted all month due to work and vacation. That combined with turning 40 on Monday, I was feeling a bit out of shape. Strong group out there today. Thanks to Good Hands and Pop for pulling me off the bench to lead.
Shout out to Frosty Paws for, albeit a bizarre takeout, it was still a takeout.
Announcements:
Young Life Mud Run on Sept. 17th at the WhiteWater Center – See Frosty Paws for details
5yr Anniversary at Anvil on 9/14 with a 5:15am start.
23 men showed up to Death Valley in an anti-BRR style workout.
To keep the spirits high I brought 3 of our Charlotte Eagles Wooden crosses, each weighing in about 130 lbs.
We stayed in the parking lot, broke into 6 groups of 4
1st round, 3 of the groups run with a cross (1 lap around the parking lot) while 3 do a called exercise as they wait for the group running to get back and hand it off.
Round 1: Running Group with the cross stops twice at each end of the lap, doing 10 squats each time. Exercise group doing Jack Webbs till the group gets back.
Round 2: Running group with the cross stops and does 10 over-head presses- exercises group doing jack Webbs
Round 3: Running group with the cross stops and does 10 squat thrusts. Exercise groups does burpees until the handoff
Round 4: Running group with the cross stops and does 20 squat thrusts. Exercise group does planks till handoff
Round 5: Running group with the cross stops and does 20 squat thrusts. Exercise groups does jack Webbs.
Finish up with some PAX choice Mary…
Moleskine:
I appreciate everyone being willing to try something a little out of the ordinary.
I thought Buttermaker’s group was really killing it, way to push the pace.
Shout out to Fireman Ed on the group of 3, that looked very rough.
(Online tool for backblast looks different so am modifying/adapting as best as I can)
Shortly MLB teams will be infused with a crop of top farm players that are focused on stepping up and making the big league squad. It brings hope and new life to the big league organization. Such was the case at RY this morning. 3 FNG and two that returned for post #2 (Lochte and Keister)
Thang:
Disclosure provided
Mosey to lot:
SS Hop, Imp Walker, Low Squat, Bulgarian Ball Bust, Peter Parker, Merkin.
Mosey to Cantina 1511 lot. Series of “there & back” loops:
-Buttkicks there, side shuffle, back run, side shuffle (x2)
-Lunges there, Carioca, reach backs,Carioca (x2)
-PARTNERS 10 hand slap Merkins each, run there, 10 partner sit ups each, back (x3).
Mosey to fountain. 15 dips, run to stone benches 15 jump ups, loop around 1 building (x3)
Plank
Run to theatre wall, People’s Chair:
-right leg, left leg, 30 air presses
-right, left, 42 air presses.
Mosey to grass hill:
-20 LBC, bear crawl to top, 10 Merkins (x3)
10 Burpees OYO
Mary: Heals, Freddy, and Protractor.
Moleskin:
-several convergence ops coming including Labor Day and later in Sept. Watch newsletter for detail.
-fun to see new guys pushing it, and thanks to the vets for support.
-fairly friendly FNG names today, caught the Pax on a good day.
-10 count by Heartbreaker at the end with Protractor-ouch!t the Pax on a good day.
-McGee may have added extra for each “done, what next?” Do another and pull FNG with you! (Great job). And thanks McGee for taking us out COT.
-fun and honor to lead/Q! And thanks Heartbreaker and Strawberry for site Q, much appreciated.
Today was the first day of school for the host school of The Charge’s AO and the kids are surely ready to get back at it. So, we followed suit and focused on some F3 basics. Here’s how it went…
Disclaimer given and run to student drop-off with a short high knees and butt kicks. Continue run to small BB court where we circled up for:
COP
Recover and Run to Stadium Steps for Modified 7’s:
Burpee at bottom (increment), Carolina Dry Docks at top (with no decrement = 7 each round); [1,7; 2,7; 3,7, etc.]
Plank when done, then:
Mosey to football field, with a stop for calf raises on steps (crowd pleaser!), circuits on field:
Mosey over to track for a couple of laps, with some arm work to break it up:
Mosey to launch for some Mary:
LBC x 15 IC; Oblique each side x 15 IC
Then, QIC learned not to turn control over to Baracus with 2 minutes remaining. He led us in:
COT
Take out by Baracus
Moleskin:
Thanks to the PAX for working though and enduring YHC’s virgin Q. It was great to lead this group. Good work put in by all.
On this back to school day, YHC needs to sharpen his espanol as Baracus’s counting in Spanish almost got me lost
No announcements
12 Brave men report for duty at the Maul. Apologies in advance – my phone did not save the list of the PAX and poor memory so sorry for anyone I missed.
The Warm up in cadence
15 Navy Seal jacks
15 Merkins
15 Windmills
15 Imperial walkers
The Thang
Part 1:
Run to the back of the Movie theater and partner up.
Parter 1 cycles through ~15 merkins, LBCs, squats and dry docks
Partner 2 run the pavement around the back of the movie theater
Both touch the wall and run up the hill
rinse and Repeat 4 times
Part 2:
Make you way to the field near the road and line up arms length apart in the plank
Last man runs/jumps over the over legs.
Keep going until reach second power pole
Part 3:
5 Burpees on your own
run a little further
10 Diamond merkins in cadence
run a little further
20 Dolly’s in cadence
Run to the bottom of a hill
20 Rosalletas in cadence
run to the top of the oil
20 LBCs in cadence
run to the bottom
20 toe tap crunches in cadence
Warm Down
Form a circles, on your back and hold legs at 30 degrees
First person runs around the circle pushing down the legs
Repeat until everyone has run the circle.
Time up.
Thanks for the lead gents.
OB
14 total for the workout. The Indian Land people came out for the Black Diamond today. The parking lot was full of some unfamiliar cars; YHC is usually pretty good at playing automobile Jeopardy game.
I’ll take Alliterative Domestics for 100 Alex. “This blacked out, backed in Tesla is usually on two wheels and brimming with colorful kettlebells”. Answer: What is the Voodoo Vehicle?. (that was easy…ya… it was the $100 question), or , Same category, for 200, “This two tone #builtfordtough black on silver F-150 is bigger than it’s driver’s social media presence and is often filled with orange home depot buckets”, Answer: What is the Tolkien Truck (also easy). I’ll take The DMV Knows My Nickname for … ok, enough of that.
Good to see a few rare faces (rare to YHC at least). Billy Lap was taken to collect any stragglers (only 2), a brief disclosure given, warmup neglected, and we were off. Here’s what went down.
Split the men into 2 groups of 7:
– Group 1 (let’s call them Foxtrot Company, led by Fire Hazard #tclaps)
– Group 2 (let’s call them Alpha Company, led by Argonaut)
Each group would do the segments below, switching and repeating between the Run and the Gauntlet, so each group gets a total of 4 runs and 4 times through the gauntlet.
33 seconds on, 12 seconds off, rotating through these exercises:
1. Muscle-Ups (on a chest high bar)
2. Goblet Thrusters (Single 24kg/53lb Kettlebell)
3. Pull-Ups (Dead-hang)
4. Toes to Bar
5. Clean and Jerk (Barbell, 95lbs total)
6. Heavy Swings (36kg/80lb Kettlebell)
7. Dumbbell Burpees (Pair of 20lb dumbbells)
8. Dead Lift (Barbell, 225lb)
Run Out down the slope for 2 minutes 30 seconds, leader calls “turn around”. PAX turn around and run back up, aiming for a negative split.
(The “slope” is about a 40-50ft gradual fall/climb over 0.3 – 0.4 miles)
After round 4 of the Time-Based efforts through the Gauntlet and the Run, the 7 men from Alpha Company (Group 1) line up behind the deadlift’s. The men from Foxtrot Company (Group 2) circle up in the parking lot and rotate leading some core work.
Each PAX through the gauntlet as fast as possible, doing 4 quality reps at each station. After someone finished, give your self a short break then relieve one of the PAX from Foxtrot Company’s Mary circle and get in line to sprint the gauntlet. Continue Mary until all had completed the gauntlet. Some good assorted Mary:
– Crunchy Frogs
– Roll-Up Vs
– 6-inch Plank Jacks (surprise, surprise)
– H2H
– La Rosalita
– and many other fan favorites.
When done, mosey down to the lower parking area (about 250 yards from launch), circle up for:
– 20 Phelps Merkins (see link scroll halfway down )
– 15 LBCs.
– Lay on your stomach…wait.
– Ready, Set, Go. Sprint to launch.
– Count, Name, Take-out.
Today’s Black Diamond was one of those workouts (as are many others) that can be easy or hard depending on how much you push yourself. The 14 dynamos that comprised this morning’s PAX ensured a difficult workout by pushing each other, it would have been a flop as a Black Diamond otherwise and could have been a very easy workout if folks didn’t push for more reps in the stations, or more meters on the run. Hopefully, today’s effort was enough to both cause some good cardiovascular discomfort during the effort (build that strong heart), and some good hypertrophy and muscle breakdown that’ll hurt tomorrow (build it back stronger). Hard to recall all the quality individual efforts today as the PAX were broken into 2 groups, and YHC had salty sweat in the contacts that occluded my view after round 2 or so. Same sentence can apply to all: good work!
Thanks for the opportunity to lead. Pebbles has next Black Diamond, stay tuned to the @F3BlackDiamond handle (don’t hold your breath for the retweet).
Happy Birthday Fire Marshall Bill, Argonaut Out.
Many convergences where mentioned:
– Labor Day at the Maul (stay tuned to Twitter for times)
– September 14th at Calvary Church (stay tuned for to Twitter for times, or ask Goonie)
– Indian Land convergence / honoring deploying service member (Bounty Hunter’s bro-in-law, ask Bounty Hunter for details)