8 men harkened the call of hill sprints. Here is what we did –
The Foxworth Forty
Partner up and run from Olde E to Foxworth.
Partner 1 runs the Foxworth Hill with increments of 1 burpee per trip up.
While Partner 1 run up and back, Partner 2 does 40 reps of each exercise: merkins (during 1st trip), squats (next), LBCs (next), then repeat.
Ten rounds gets you 55 burpees, 400 merkins, 400 squats, and 400 LBCs.
(And I think more than a few pairings got more than that)
Add 2.5 miles of run in and back, plus hill sprints… good times.
NMM
YHC answered the call to the bullpen late last night; Kirk and the 2.0s were yodeling at the porcelain. Be sure to ask him how BRR training is going.
40x reps is a challenging number for the length of the trip up and back. But it’s the right number. Expect the starting number of burpees to be increased to cope with the quick initial turnaround. You’re welcome.
This workout yielded a rating of “half-shirt off” from Iron Mike.
Announcements
There is a relay race on the Blue Ridge Parkway sometime in the coming weeks. Show up at Ghost Runner or the Cuda Run Thursday night and tell them you’re in the market for something called the grandfather mountain leg. I’m told it’s all downhill.
Thanks to Swiper for the take-out; health and care for the sick and injured is always a great intention.
And as always, thank you for making SOFAWIB your preferred destination for discomfort every Tuesday morning.
Chipotle (a/k/a Chippy) decided to sleep in on his Q day but truth be told the summer vacations by yours truly (Frehleys Comet), Dolphin, and Mr. Bean have jumbled the schedule responsibilities a bit. So being the great man that he is, Chipotle is stepping up for this coming Sat (8/29) at Stonehenge. I’m sure there will be a few Merkins involved…
Frehleys took the first half of the Q and Hagis the second half. This combo delivered from what I hear…
Warmup: SSH x 15; Squats X 15; Imperial Walker X 15, LBC X 15, Merkin ladder X 55 reps(10x9x8….x2x1) with 5 count planks between each of the 10 sets.
Workout: Mosey to knee wall at the pond. 3 sets of 3 exercises @ 15 reps. Derkins (2), Incline Merkins (1), Step-ups (2), and Squats (1). 3 sets X 10 of 8-count Burpees. Mosey to fitness trail and broke into groups of 4 at 4 stations. Pull-ups X 10, Dips X 10, Supine pull-ups X 10, Bunny Hops and high knees over ground beams X 5. Mosey to lower parking lot for and partnered up for partner pushes and pulls (lock arms and hands on shoulders – push partner across the lot while other partner resists; same routine with pulls. FYI, great leg burn of done correctly.
Hagis took over.
Ran around the upper parking lot twice. Started at 1 curb for bear crawls across 2 parking spaces followed by 2 merkins, 2 more spaces followed by 4, etc…across the parking lot until finishing with 18 merkins. 90 merkins total. Mary with LBC, Flutter, Dolly, and Freddie Mercury @ 15 reps each. Mosey to the end of parking lot by the street near bottom of the hill leading to the bridge over Johnston Rd. At the bottom of the hill, 5 sets of 8 count burpees with reps of 10, 9, 8, 7, 6. Between each set, 30 seconds of sprints up the hill with each sprint at a faster pace than the previous one. Mosey back to the launch stopping one for more Mary.
11 men of south charlotte either did not know of #speedvergance, decided to post knowing of the #sv or a few deciding they were not Nascar’s but more Formula one racers. Either way, YHC decided to take the keys from the site Q, put the car in neutral and back it down the driveway. Once on the street, we smoked the tires and here is how it went…
The Thang
Warm up run from South Charlotte Middle to Rain Tree Rd (.75 miles). Turn left on Windbluff and make a stop at the top of the second hill (past the road hump at the bottom).
We now had our spot for 7’s, hill top to hill top (each round trip was .6 miles)
Start with 6 merkens at the top of Windbluff and 1 squat/ jump squat (can’t remember what I called vs what I did).
Gather at the corner of Windbluff and Rain Tree 20 merkens and LBC while the 6 comes in. Also a Gummy 10 count (IW)
From there we rain to the intersection of Rain Tree and 4 mile road (.7 miles) 20 merkens and LBC’s while we wait for the 6. Another Gummy 10 count
Sprint (AYG) from 4 mile road to the bottom parking lot on the left (.35 miles) 20 merkens and LBC’s while waiting for the 6.
Run from the lot up to Hwy 51 (.75 miles) 20 merkens and LBC’s waiting for the 6
Take Hwy 51 back to South CLT Middle home (.75) 20 merkens and DONE!
Ye Old Moleskin:
– I started by saying we went Rogue, but 11 guys showed. So I think this one goes in the books as an official workout and the #speedvergance, well…it’s gummy’s job to decide where those #’s go.
– Pleasure to take steal the reigns this AM. I have never Q’d Fast Twitch, so I spend most of last night looking at maps trying to find the worst “highlights” of Rain Tree. Hope you liked it. Much more tolerable of a workout knowing what kind of suck lies ahead!!
– Sorry Alf, I know you would have taken this one today, but sounds like there will be plenty of time to do a fly by of Skunk Works while they are such close neighbors on Tuesdays.
– If you are not wearing a GPS, the Mid pack and 6 did 6 miles today. Mr Brady probably got a few more rounding up the 6, keeping everyone together.
– Again, I am not sure why this week was selected as a #speedvergence, but here are my ideas:
1) Frasier is tired of splitting up joint custody and just wanted Swift and Fast Twitch to hang out for the morning….no fighting please
2) Bratwurst missed all of his FT buddies
3) Some guys just LOVE running in circles
4) I might have missed the BRR leg that is flat
– All kidding aside, I promise to try to become a better runner one day and I know Bratwurst is the guy to do that, just not 16 days before BRR
– I am amazed to see 3 drivers become BRR runners this year. Kudos to Semi Gloss, Geraldo and new to the line up High Tide!
– Thanks Mr Brady for taking us out
Announcements
Speedvergance today…..#RIP
30 men arrived at the Vine for the regular installment of pain that is Bagpipe. Small group for pre-run. Unknown to all but he, Hops is 43 today. A fact the veteran would keep to himself until COT. Wise move as he knows YHC likes to celebrate birthdays. The planned weinke would have to suffice. PAX disclaimed. Off we went.
0.4 mile mosey down Brixham to the Bull Ring.
COP
SSH x 15 IC
10 Burpee OYO
Quad Combo: Plank with 10 count/Plank Walk Left/Right x 15 IC/Elbow Plank with 10 count/Merkin x 10 IC
Bull Ring Lap
25 Merkin OYO/AYG for 1/2 Bull Ring/10 HR Burpee/AYG to end of Bull Ring
Plank-o-rama. Gather the PAX while in plank.
Mosey across Bally Corporate and up the hill toward the Lance building entrance. Circle up in Lance lot.
Mary: Flutter x 15 IC (cadence by Escargot)/Hold/Heels to Heaven x 20 IC (cadence by Margo)
T-claps for helping with cadence men, YHC’s voice was shaky this AM due to the crud and a ride on Fury 325 that involved screaming on Sunday.
Hill Sprint
25 Merkin OYO/AYG through Lance entrance and up hill to the bridge/10 HR Burpee/AYG back down. Seat Plank followed by Plank-o-rama to wait for six. RAH/RLH/Flapjack/Low Plank/RLH/Flapjack Legs/10 count/High Plank/Hold/10 count/Merkin x 10 civilian cadence
Mosey through Lance lots with a Crazy Ivan onto the exercise trail. Enter Loch Ness and go left to parking lot. Mary to gather the group: LBC x 20 IC/Hold/Protractor/6 inches/Hold/10 count
YHC gave PAX 2 options: mosey to parking deck to finish up or stop in the Vine lot and complete additional Mary. A few takers on option 2.
Mosey to parking deck closest to the Vine. Plank-o-rama to wait for six.
AYG to top of deck. Recovery plank. 10 Burpee OYO. Mosey down stairs and exit parking garage. Continue mosey down the hill to the launch lot.
Civilian Count Merkins to 10: Regulary/Offset Left/Offset Right
COT
YHC asked Dear Abby about a backup QIC as the numbers swelled the closer we got to 0530. He indicated that indeed there was not a backup QIC planned, but he would be happy to take half the group. The call was YHC’s and the group stayed together. Stops at the Bull Ring, Brixham Hill, and the parking garage made for a full weinke and a good bit of running with AYG sprints mixed in. We covered 3.08 miles per YHC’s Garmin. Strong work by the PAX today with high humidity. Lots of burpees, merkins, and plank today. Get that core strong and it all gets easier men. Dory, Pebbles, Hops, Beaker, Cane, Margo, Lorax and others in good strong form today and out front. Big Tuna and Morning After showing fast twitch to finish up with AYG sprint to launch. Their call. All PAX pushed hard and with a group this size it is hard to take note of all physical feats of strength. Not sure about you men, but I am smoked and just now stopped sweating.
The Crazy Ivan occurred when YHC took a hard left turn to catch the exercise trail off the Lance lots. Typical move is to pick it up off Bally Corporate, but switched it up today. Hops was quick with naming the near miss the Crazy Ivan and referenced The Hunt for Red October. As noted above, Hops owned up to his 43rd birthday in COT. Happy birthday brother. You are old. Thank you for all that you do for F3 and your A51 brothers. Hope your birthday is a good one and you enjoy some time with your M and your boys.
Announcements
Cane and YHC had to bolt home after name-o-rama to get the kids to school. Sound off below with anything or read your weekly email.
10/24/2015 Mud Run registration is OPEN. It closes 09/12/2015. Register now and review the instructions on the preblast found HERE.
No SF in sight as Goonie wrested the LIFO title from someone’s grasp, and 25 duly disclaimed pax followed YHC into the Base Camp gloom.
The Thang:
Circled the parking lot to collect Goonie and then jogged down to the track for a partial lap. YHC planned to do COP on the football field, but thought better of diving into that swamp and head instead to the baseball diamond. It is still baseball season after all, even for Chicago Cubs fans and it’s almost September! #LETSGO
COP:
Imperial Squawkers x 10 IC
Merkin x 10 IC
Burpee x 5 OYO
Low Slow Squat x 15 IC
Freddy Mercury x 13 IC
Jog to homeplate for the following:
Lungewalk to 1st Base – 5 H-R Merkins
Broad Jump to 2nd Base – 10 Jump Squats, 5 H-R Merkins
High Knees to 3rd Base – 15 LBCs, 10 Jump Squats, 5 H-R Merkins
Bearcrawl to Home Plate – 20 CDDs, 15 LBCs, 10 Jump Squats, 5 H-R Merkins
Mosey to Right Field Line and partner up for the following:
Partner 1 – Old school Sit-ups x 15 while Partner 2 planks with hands on partner’s feet. Flapjack. Rinse & Repeat.
Handslap Partner Merkins x 13 IC. Rinse & Repeat
Partner Push to 2nd Base. Flapjack back to Right field line.
Partner Pull to 2nd Base. Flapjack back to Right field line.
Prairie Fire Mary x 10R, 10C & 10L. Flapjack.
High knees to 2nd base.
Bound to right field line.
Bearcrawl 1/2 way to 2nd base, crabwalk rest of the way.
Backwards run back to Right Field line.
AYG run to 2nd base.
Circle up for 6 MoM
Slow Flutter x 13 IC
American Hammer x 10 IC
Cumberland County Viaduct x 10R IC, x 10L IC
Jog back to launch lot for COT.
Ye Olde Moleskine:
Great crew at Base(ball) Camp today. Good to see some old familiar faces (i.e. Smash & ABBA) and lots of new faces including a few who were posting for just the 2nd or 3rd time (i.e. Destiny & Balk). Grateful to Simba and Fireman Ed for tapping me to Q. Hope I didn’t disappoint the pax. YHC enjoyed the 1.5 mile pre-run with Simba and Horsehead. #2ndF It was a good cool down after the 86 degree temps at the Hops home last night with a deceased A/C unit. #mercy
Methinketh the Imperial Squawker and the bounding could use a little work on form, but otherwise the pax was getting after it in the gloom. T-claps fellas. It should never get easy, perhaps a bit easier but that’s when you need to push yourself even harder. If it ever gets easy – it’s not worth doing.
Sound off with any observations as it’s hard to notice much at the darkest AO in all of Area 51.
See you in the gloom again soon men.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
Announcements:
Sign up for Mud Run – Oct. 24 – connect with Mermaid for info.
BRR – just 3 weeks away – but teams still need runners and drivers. See Turkey Leg for details.
15 of A51’s finest toed the line today at The Matrix while visions of new teachers and homework danced in the 2.0’s heads. YHC is foregoing the BRR, so I’m thinking more about MudRun. Pushing, pulling, legs, balance and running were the order of the day.
The Thang:
Warm up jog around the field – admiring the gleaming cinder blocks recently freed from the briar patch – but leaving them for another day
COP (all in cadence)
SSHx20
IWx20
Cook Squatx20 – really forces hips back and chest up for the squat
Mtn Climberx20
Merkin x10
Jog to the playground for the 1st circuit and lap
3x(10 pull ups + 10 hand release merkins + 20 LBCs)
Lap around the school and to the stumps
2nd circuit and lap
3x(20 squats + 20 flutters + 20 split squats)
Lap around the school and to the small back playground
Mary (in cadence)
LBCx20
Flutterx20
HTHx20
LBC right and left x10 each
To the wall for People’s Chair and lung walk recovery – 3 times
Indian Run around the front of school and big field
AYGL to cars from lower lot
Moleskin
1) Floor Slapper was back to his old ways rolling in at 0532 – at least he didn’t park in the lower lot today
2) YHC’s second post back from vacation and business travel – working out with the PAX is so much better than sad clown. There might be something to this F3 thing…
3) Lots of mumblechatter during COP but things seemed to quiet down during the circuits and laps.
4) Matrix PAX definitely getting stronger out there – great work by all
Announcements
1) Couple of BRR slots open for those who want a challenge. Alf has a flat set of legs that total like 1.6 miles or something. Distance got shorter every time he mentioned it. TL has got a “real man’s” BRR slot promising something like 221 miles on it. Email TL if interested in any of the slots.
2) Labor Day convergence of Monday work outs on 9/7 at SCMS
We’re now “official” with a tag and making the website and all. We’ve lost our Outsider status. If A51 was grandpa, I doubt we would make the will or anything, but we’re at least named in the obituary as surviving relatives. For whatever that’s worth…
Relatively simple plan for tomorrow:
Partner up and run to Foxworth (right out of OP, right on Summerlin, right on Abbotswood, right on Windyrush – stop at Foxworth +/- 1 mile)
Foxworth is a short, steep hill. It’s also a Strava segment, and one of the steepest in the area at 6.3% grade: Foxworth Hill on Strava
Partner 1 runs the Foxworth Hill (up to Bedfordshire) with 1 burpee per trip at the top (for example, on the 6th trip up, 6 burpees).
While Partner 1 runs, Partner 2 does 40 reps of each exercise: merkins (during 1st trip), squats (next), LBCs (next), then repeat.
At 6:07, stop and run the mile back the way you came (Nascar style, all lefts).
Hill repeats combined with high reps focusing on major muscle groups, should be easy…
Special invite to those running BRR…should be hillier than a middle school track.
Back to School Special for 5 Lucky gents!
Warm Up
SSH x 25 IC
MTC x 20 IC
Merkin x 15 IC
LBC x 15 IC
Squats x 15 IC
Up to the baseball field for some fun and games
Start at home plate, run to R field 10 regular merkins, C field 10 regular merkins, L field 10 regular merkins.
Peoples chair on the chain link fence for people’s chair. Shoulder press and Jabs IC x 15
Head to the dugout for 25 dips
Rinse and repeat 2 more times
Mosey to the Mill Bridge playground. Partner up.
P1 Run the lot
P2 decline Merkins
P1 Run the lot
P2 Bench Step ups
Plank
P1 Run ½ lot
P2 Burpees
Plank
P1 Run ½ lot
P2 Burpees
Head back to the POC stop on the way back for planking as we wait for the six
Hit the parking lot for some Mary
LBC
Bicycle
Protractor
Russian twist
All in IC. Not sure of the numbers
We covered over 2 miles today. Congrats Men! It hit Mop Top pretty hard today. I guess that what a summer off will do to you. He must have been on a mission trip and growing out the summer beard. Hopefully the school schedule will be in full swing by next Monday so we can have our 8 Pax back. Bratwurst, Beano, and Atlas all brought it today. They didn’t let workout be effected by the school days.
Bratwurst, thank you for taking us out. You are a great man!
Posted on behalf of Doogie:
Run to school with 10 burpees at speed bumps
Circle in parking lot
Side straddle hop x 20IC
Merkins x 20IC
Mountain climber x 20IC
6 inches
Repeat
Run and pick up rocks, run to track and circle up
Bicep curls x20
Tricep x20
Shoulder press x20
Pass rock left
Repeat
1 mile run
Circle up with rock
Lbc x 20
Russian twist x 10
Flutter kick x 15
Pass rock left
Repeat
1/2 mile run
Return rocks
Plank, right arm up, right leg up, regular
Left arm up, left leg up
Run back to start
Moleskin:
20 began but only 17 stayed for the deflowering of Doogie’s virgin Q-ing experience (hopefully they weren’t too turned off by his inexperience)
Workout began at the Carmel park parking lot with a run to the middle school parking lot, stopping at the speed bumps for 10 burpees each.
Group assembled in a circle for side straddle hop and then murkins, followed by mountain climbers, followed by 6 inches…….followed by murkins followed by mountain climbers, followed by 6 inches (the patterns begin) Unfortunately Doogie’s miscues of “rest” vs “recover” didn’t help with the clarity of the work out
The group ran and picked up rocks and then assembled in a circle at the track. Began with Bicep curls x20, Triceps x20, and Shoulder press x20…..then pass rock left and repeat, Bicep curls x20, Triceps x20, and Shoulder press x2 (the patterns continue)
Then a mile run around track which sprinkle and Kirk led (no surprise)
Back in a circle on the grass, (except Kirk who didn’t want his white shorts to get wet for fear his unmentionables may become visible to the group) for a rock-assisted Lbc x 20, Russian twist x 15 and Flutter kick x 15….and then pass rock and repeat (the pattern concludes)
Half mile run around track
Finally the rocks are returned and we circle up for planking despite Skywalkers fear that we won’t finish in time. Nonetheless, first is right arm and right leg up then left, with Filmfest defending that the group is not a bunch of dogs.
Last, quick mosey back to the park
Commentary by Bushwood:
Great lead Doogie! The first one’s are never easy! Also, good to see the matching couple of Sprinkle and Cheesecurd out today. Y’all looked cute wearing the EXACT same outfit, complete with matching red visors.
Announcments:
Something is going on at the Whitewater Center on 10/4. Basically a big scanvenger race that benefits many charities. Also, Dredd will be there.
3rd F study starting on Monday, 9/21, at Panera in Southpark immediately following the Monday workouts. Leaders are Semi Gloss and Bushwood so you know it will be flat out amazing.
Sign up for the Mud Run on 10/24.
Area51 #SpeedVergence August edition will launch from the Community House Middle School parking area at 0515 on Tuesday morning. Get up a few minutes early, for we’re only 10minutes from South Charlotte Middle & 7minutes from the Vine in Ballantyne. Park on the North side of the school in the bus lot.
FastTwitch always has more PAX than Swift week-to-week, but who travels the best? Swift boys don’t travel well, for we know about the paltry 4 that went up to SIB for last month’s SpeedVergence. However, this is the 4th invite sent out to FT for this workout, and FT has sent no one, ever (not counting Frasier’s split custody). Let’s have some predictions on turn-out for this one in the comments below…
The THANG:
*Interval Pace – described as just plain “Hard” running. A great goal to shoot for, and why this is a good Race predicting workout, is to do all Intervals within a few seconds of each other. Pick a starting goal and hold it for all 5-8. If you have a recent race, or take a past race even, plug it into the calculator here at http://runsmartproject.com/calculator, then go to the Training tab to get the “Interval” training pace. If you click on “Interval”, you’ll see:
Variety: VO2max Intervals (see below).
Intensity: Generally in the range of 95-100% of VO2max or 98-100% of HRmax. Intervals are “hard” but not all-out running by any means. Usually at a pace that you could maintain for about 10-15 minutes in a serious race. Intervals are best if they involve runs of 3 to 5 minutes each (800m and 1000m workbouts are typical), with jog recoveries of similar duration (not necessarily, equal distance); relative to the runs they follow. If a workout calls for “hard” runs, then go by feel and imagine 5k race pace, as the intensity of each run.
Purpose: Stress your aerobic power (VO2max). It takes about two minutes for you to gear up to functioning at VO2max so the ideal duration of an “Interval” is 3-5 minutes each. The reason not to go past 5-minutes is to prevent anaerobic involvement, which can result in blood-lactate build-up.