Alot to be Thankful for.. 9 PAX at AGS to Shake It Out..

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Before we get into the specifics of this morning’s shakeout run workout, I’d like to reflect on a few takeaways from yesterday’s race. Yesterday morning was perfect in comparison to last year’s balmy 36 degree tundra trot.  A brisk 47 degrees yesterday morning, allowing PAX to shed some layers and nix the gloves. Minus the slight wind, I’d say the sky Q threw us a bone and created some optimal conditions for some magical runs to happen in Southwake. Rolled into the Purple Cobra AO meeting spot to clown car with Full House, 187, and Redenbacher. As we roll into Ting, we see a swerving bicycle toting several flags on its way to the basketball courts…Banana Seat in the house. Parked the car and then shortly headed to warm-ups, with about 30 PAX ready to get after it, and several more there for support every step of the way. Always amazed to see the photos after the race at how big the group photo gets year after year, and equally impressed with the new faces that come into focus year after year.

Let’s face it, this race has significance for so many reasons. We train here, we live here, we know every nook and cranny of this course and we know who we were with when we ran it. This race is significant mostly because its personal. Every PAX who has posted in SouthWake has a memory along this course and if you have been around long enough, you know the sense of community and the overwhelming sense of support when you see familiar faces along the route on race day. Not to mention, nobody puts an exclamation point on this race like F3 Southwake. Shovel Flag escort for every PAX up that ramp to the finish. There is nothing like it. Leave no man behind and the race isn’t finished until the last one is in. That’s what is special about this race. The journey we take every morning as we wake up to get those PRs isn’t easy and we push each other to accelerate in all phases. The sacrifices we make as individuals to rise out of that fartsack in the crazy morning hours and make each other better men collectively mentally, physically, and spiritually is that much more gratifying when you scroll through all of those pictures and strava feeds after the race.

A huge shout out to our non-running PAX for the support yesterday. All were strategically placed throughout the critical areas of the course offering encouragement, positive energy, and a few choice phrases to entice jailbreak speed up the ramp to the finish. Banana Seat, Slide Rule, Blue Hen, Flannigan, Dovetail, Skidmark, Shredder, Gump, Dauber, Wallaby, and WebEx. I’m fairly certain I may be missing a few, and for those that YHC may be missing, you are appreciated by everyone running yesterday.

The PRs yesterday were aplenty. Safe to say the training paid off and then some. If I were to create awards from yesterday, they would be as follows:

Best Comedic Duo Performance: LipStick and Mrs. LipStick- First congratulations to Mrs. Lipstick. She did an incredible job finishing I believe her first half and also doing it while going 13.1 with LipStick selfie sticking most of the way. Anyone see the FB video? TV gold right there. At many points while I thumbed through the pics, it appeared that she wanted to throttle my boy, Lipstick, but great job again to his M for pushing through. Lipstick, love you buddy.. great support out there.

Most Improved: UTI is absolutely crushing it. 6 Halfs under his belt and the times keep shrinking like the average number of exercises Midget performs during workouts.

WOW Award: True to his name, ShamWow just absolutely killed it yesterday. Knew going in he’d have a good run with the training he put in, but dear lord, I think he may have set the bar to a whole new level with his performance yesterday.

Dig Deep Award: Wasn’t able to witness this finish, but heard Breach tracked down the 2:00 pace group with about a mile left to finish with a sub 2. Way to push.

HSHM Rookie of Year: Aquaman not only went sub 2 in his first half, but he flirted with a sub 1:50. Though his body may have broken down a bit at the end, he put in a very gutsy run and has grown exponentially this past year. One to watch next year for sure.

Iron Horse Award: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when I reach 50, I want to be like Yogurt. This guy is an absolute Beast. A podium performance yesterday with Alpine pacing his run. This guy is a grinder and as mentally tough as he is physically. Incredible run yesterday.

Excellence of Execution Award: If you were a WWF fan from back in the day, Brett Hart dubbed himself as “The Excellence of Execution.” Very methodical and executed moves with precision and efficiency. Here’s the thing about 187 that I love. He is about as efficient as they come. Shows up, puts in work, and then you later look at the Strava feed and think… “Oh, Damn. No he didn’t..” It probably takes YHC longer to pick up his jaw from the floor after seeing some of these runs than it is for 187 to run these races. Another podium performance in his age group. Incredible.

Youth Gone Wild Award: Remember that guy, Cupid? He started posting here and there when he started F3. Then we wondered what the hell is he doing running all hours of the day. Started running with Pikachu before and after Run the Quay at about a 9min pace. Well, I want to introduce you to 7:45/mi for 13.1 pace Cupid.

Under the Radar Awards: Who is this Katniss guy? I thought he didn’t like running or think he could run earlier this year. Amazing sub 2 performance yesterday. Silently, he has accelerated and another one to keep an eye on at his next half. There is also that other guy, Dahmer, who has silently put in some strong work on these HSHM runs to also get himself a sub 2 finish.

Don’t Call it a Come Back Award: Though the training hasn’t been perfect from week to week, Forceps has made his way back to healthy runs in recent weeks, finishing very strong up the ramp yesterday. I anticipate we will get him back to full speed in the upcoming months.

Double Down Award: Full House, I’m not sure what you were thinking putting back to back halfs on your calendar this month, but I’m sure glad you were out there yesterday. Coming off of a strong sub 2 Richmond Half and putting in some strong miles at HSHM yesterday. I appreciated the push at miles 10 and 11 to keep me going.

Mumblechatter I Wish I Was a Part of Award: Only saw the trio of Emeril, Dawgpound, and Cowboy finish the race, but after hearing about a few conversations they had during the race, I so wish it would have been recorded for prosperity purposes. Hearing how Emeril was ‘inspiring’ Dawg and Cowboy throughout the race makes me think we should somehow do a documentary next year.

Houdini Awards: Unfortunately, I didn’t see them prior to the race, but H1N1, Fonzie, and LED absolutely smoked it yesterday. Very strong training performed by those guys leading up to the race and it all paid off yesterday.

2020 HSHM Headlock Award: Fresh off a Solid 5k performance yesterday, Master Shake has HC’d on next year’s Half Marathon.

That Shower is Gonna Hurt Award: Last but not least, Redenbacher not only PR’d yesterday by over double-digit minutes, he did so with exploding nipples. I didn’t see how bad it was until the hairpin turn as he was passing me. His shirt looked like a crime scene and made me want to place a smiley face beneath the 2 red circles across his chest. All in all a strong run for him yesterday as well.

To round out yesterday’s race, I also wanted to give a big shout out to M4L, Pikachu, and Snap. Looks like 3Alarm had a great race as well and was made possible by y’all helping him navigate the course. Additional kudos to Nemo, Boy George, Lipsync, and Coal Ash for solid 2:15 , 2:30, 2:45 pacing.

One other thing…I’m proposing now that we make Freddy’s the official post HSHM race venue. If anyone has yet to experience the triple steakburger and fries, you ain’t living your best life. Yogurt, UTI, Aquaman, Bullseye, M4L, and Redenbacher can all attest that a 2nd F at Freddy’s is where its at for the perfect grease bomb to complement your PR. Heck, we should book Crosby and Bender Street now to play at this cathedral of burger heaven.

With all the great things that happened yesterday, I figured it would be a good idea for a shakeout run this morning with some much needed stretching. 9 PAX showed, most of which had run yesterday.

Warm Up: Light jog around the soccer fields to the back Ivan lot. Circled up for Good Mornings, Daisy Pickers, Michael Phelps, Prison Squats X10. Lunge Walks and Frankensteins to the far side of the lot. Hillbillies and Moroccan Night Clubs X12. Squat hold while YHC explained the route.
The Workout: A light 2-3 mi run up Stinson to Raleigh, Left on Rogers, right down Main Street. Right on Main St. back to Raleigh St. and back to the flag for Stretch O’ Rama.

Mary: Stretch O’Rama with each of the 9 PAX calling out a stretch exercise for a 10 count. With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, we then executed a plank o’rama, while PAX shared what they were thankful for this year and as we approach the upcoming year. And yes.. as Redenbacher was present, plank o’rama did include some “Nipplers.”

Announcements: CSAUP- Dec 7th, Holiday Party- Dec 14th, Wrightsville is just around the corner. 2nd F at Dunkins post-AGS.
T-Claps (Recognition): Outstanding job by PAX all week up to and including the race.
Prayer: Continued prayers for Quiver and his family, Crab Legs, and those still on the mend. Safe travels for all those travel this week for the holiday.

Always and honor to lead. What a day yesterday, not only for F3 SouthWake, but for the community to see once again what what we are all about.

Nooks and Crannys

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Before becoming an official South Wake AO, this Sunday morning meet up was an accountability run for Mookie and Deadbolt. They probably met on their own some, but then started inviting others. I was one of the early PAX to join them on Sunday mornings for this awesome sunrise run. So, when Mookie requested a Q, I jumped on it.

When I rolled into the parking lot and planted the flag, Master Shake and Forceps were already chatting it up. Seinfeld’s “Bro” episode was mentioned. Something about chafing.
Warm Up: With the temperature hovering about 30 degrees, we got busy quickly with SSH 25x. Then some right over lefts hammy stretches followed by some left over right hammy stretches. Full static squats, with feet flat on the ground. Arms out front, feel the stretch in your calves. Crumb Snatcher wandered freely as we warmed and prepared for the run. Sporting a new headlamp, she was easy to spot when it was time to roll.
The Workout: The goal of today’s run was to explore some of the details—the nooks and crannies, as pre-blasted—of the Bass Lake Loop, which is generally considered to be the most difficult part of the Holly Springs Half Marathon. We hopped on the greenway, following it around the softball fields and up to the flag poles, then across Grigsby and down the toward Bass Lake. We covered lots of non-HSHM topics on our journey.

Back to HSHM, we discussed slick or icy bridges, hills, and mulch. This greenway will likely be your fastest section. Go ahead and enjoy the speed. There’s not that much effort to gain some speed. This speed offsets the hill climbs you are about to do.

First hill is up to the picnic shelter on the far side of Bass Lake. I explained how to divide this hill into two pieces. The first climbing section levels off a bit at the bench. A short “flat” section to catch your breath. Then, a much longer slog to the top. On the down-hill, again, enjoy the speed. Little additional effort to run fast, but big payoff when offsetting those climbs. Forceps remembered HSHM performances past.

Next hill is from Bass Lake, up through Sugg Farm. Most importantly is to watch your footing. There are lots of roots and plenty of loose rocks. Otherwise, it’s just digging. Shorten your stroke and don’t look any farther then 10 feet or so on front of you. The climb levels off before you reach the opening to the pasture. More steady up hill ’til you reach the cedar tree right before the entrance gate. Once you reach this point, you’ve completed the climb out of Sugg Farm!

Cruise ’til you get to Womble.

Arrived back at the start. Forceps rolled on to get 11 miles today. Master Shake and I chatted for a minute, then headed out.

Mary: none
Announcements: none
T-Claps (Recognition): Nice work fellas!
Prayer: Keep PAX healthy and strong.

Double Feature, Double D Birthday, and a Double Dose of Fellowship @ Dunkin

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Lots of miles in SouthWake again this week as many PAX are locked in with focus on the HSHM, while some are also tapering headed into this week’s Richmond Full. YHC got a mid-morning message from Pikachu on Saturday, looking to co-Q a 3mi option with some Yoga and asked if we could include that in the pre-blast. With that, a double main event was in play, along with some EC and 6-mi run.

With the extra hour of sleep, surely there would be new faces showing for Sunday’s installment of AGS. This morning managed to bring out a few…

Arrived to Womble about 9 minutes late for the 4mi EC that started at 5:10am. UTI was already in the lot staying warm inside the confines of his Corolla. Pulled in, planted the flag, gave a quick apology for my tardiness and then we were off. Headed up Stinson, then on to Grigsby following the HSHM greenway to the back of the new development and then back up the other side of the neighborhood near Sugg before heading back to Womble. Exchanged some great mumblechatter with UTI on a wide array of topics. As we arrived back to Womble, I lost feeling in my thumbs and instead of stretching, quickly reached for my gloves that I left in the car. Quickly began resuscitating my thumbs by breathing life into my knuckles. Damn it was cold this morning… A balmy 37 degrees.

Paced a bit back and forth and like clockwork in the lot, while Master Shake rolls in and then immediately followed by Pikachu. At that point, a rare Slide Rule appearance starts to take shape. Then Oboe and hey wait a minute…Coal Ash? Quiver got the memo on the 3mi and yoga and decided to join the party. Finally, DoubleD rolls in to start his birthday off right with a run and some fellowship.

6am hit and we were off around the soccer fields for the following warm up.

FNGs: None

Warm Up: Led PAX to the back Ivan lot to circle up for sets of 12 of the following exercises: SSH, Prison Squats, Good Mornings. YHC’s cadence count was a bit quick this morning, likely the result of the cold weather. Butt kickers to the curb, where we switched to Frankensteins to the end.

Circled up one last time for Fazio Arms 12F\12B. Led PAX back to the flag with a squat hold, while explaining the route.

The Workout: For the 6mi run, PAX took Stinson to Holly Springs Road and then onto Jones Park, through Veterans, and then out to the neighborhood that is on the EC route for Paradise City. YHC instructed PAX that when they entered the neighborhood, we’d take a sharp right along the power lines and then circle around to the side street-Arctic Ridge Way they use as part of the Half Marathon route, and proceed back put to the greenway onto Veterans and Jones. When we made it out of Veterans and onto Jones, PAX took the new side path up to Rhamkhatte. When we conquered Rhamkhatte, we then proceeded down Bass Lake and a right onto Stinson before meeting back up at the parking lot.  Pikachu and Quiver joined us for the first 1.5 miles and then headed back to get about 25 minutes of Yoga. Strong runs by all PAX with frequent circle backs to pick up the 6. As we arrived onto Stinson, YHC mentioned to Coal Ash if he remembered the time before Deadbolt had a boat and ran regularly on Sundays, but specifically the time he pulled both of us up Bass Lake at AGS and then decided to incite a jail break up Stinson to the lot.

He says, “yeah- I remember that,” just as he eyes UTI, Slide Rule, and Double D about 100 yards ahead. He then says, “You think we can catch them?” To which I knew I had a little left in the tank, but probably not enough to go full blast. After about 70 yards, YHC died off but kept an 8:45 pace up the hill, but saw Coal Ash get after it and before I knew it, he was running along side of those gazelles. He caught em, and upon later Strava review had me PR’ing that segment. Always get a great push from Coal Ash, especially up the hills. Coal Ash then circled back one final time to pick up Master Shake.

Now knowing what I know from last week, Master Shake found another gear I hadn’t seen before. Almost as if someone clicked another speed on his blender setting for the last 1/2-1/4 mi. Today, YHC knew enough that he wanted to see someone else chase him down at the end, so I stopped my morning run at the lot. After exchanging a few fist bumps with Oboe, UTI and Pikachu, I see Slide Rule, Coal Ash and Master Shake jockeying in for the last strides of their run, with Master Shake having a Glengarry Glen Ross moment…This dude is closing and getting stronger week in and week out.
Mary: May have taken our great group birthday pic with DoubleD. Didn’t catch her name so not sure.
Announcements: CSAUP-Frosty Dec 7th
T-Claps (Recognition): All PAX getting miles this morning with the time change.
Prayer: Prayers for M’s who are expecting, those PAX with new infants. Continued health to those PAX training for races. Prayers for Slide Rule and his upcoming exam on Wednesday. Another year older and another year younger\stronger, special prayers for a great year ahead for DoubleD. Happy Birthday! #respect.

2nd F at Dunkin. Good mumblechatter. Slide Rule enjoyed a fritter. Thanks for the coffee, UTI!

Shaken..Not Stirred, but Strong despite the added Water

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Pre-Blast called for a 5-mi ‘shake out’ run this morning at AGS. Arrived to Womble this morning and fittingly see Master Shake parked and ready to go. The weather humid this morning, almost a complete 180 from yesterday’s perfect 51 degree dry forecast. Parked toward the tennis courts was a truck I hadn’t seen before and out emerges Martini, fresh off a distance PR at U-Turn yesterday. I know Halloween is a few short days away, and a ghost in the form of Pilgrim now comes into focus. He’s got a half planned and is meeting Bernie this morning for some miles, who is just a few strides away.  Nemo pulls in and we have 4 PAX for this morning’s run at AGS and conducted the following warm-up.

Warm Up: Quick jog from end to end of the lot, with alternating lunge walks, butt kickers, and carioca. Circled up for Imperial Walkers X10, Deep Squats IC X10, Hillbillies X10, Fazio X10F\10B. Squat hold while explaining the route.

The Workout: Shake Out Run.. PAX proceeded down Stinson and up to the stop sign at the Bass Lake Road intersection. Moved left on Bass Lake, past the Dauber Cathedral (Lowe’s Foods). At Holly Springs Rd, we took a right and headed down to Linksland, where we took a right and then an eventual right on Salem Ridge. At the end of Salem Ridge, proceeded back up Bass Lake onto Stinson and then took a trip back to the flag via Ivan parking lot and the back side of the baseball fields to complete the 5mi run.

Mary: Stretches OYO
Announcements: HSHM in a few weeks. HSHM channel on Slack.. be on the look out for segment runs during the week via ShamWow and that determined Aquaman.
T-Claps (Recognition): All PAX for first battling the humidity and then the steady rain that came down as we reached Salem Ridge. Nemo for picking up the six. Martini for following up his strong U-turn performance with his first AGS appearance.  Acceleration alert on Master Shake. During the last 1/2 mi to the flag he took off in a gear YHC can only describe as blender setting- Liquefy. This guy is showing up every week and every week getting stronger.

Prayer:

YHC shared a few takeaways from yesterday’s long runs. OK- Let’s start with that WTF Half Marathon that started at 3:30am yesterday. Insane- Yes. Completely Pointless- No… The story behind this one is deeply rooted in accountability. About a year ago, Pikachu and Skidmark started an AO called Crazy Time, which had a 4:30am start on Friday’s and ended, leaving enough time for some EC and then eventually patronage to Cletus or Ivan. This AO has since been on hiatus, but in August-September, posts of 8 mi EC’s started to proliferate on Slack, which prompted YHC to ask Pikachu the question…”Why don’t you just do a Half Marathon EC.” To which Pikachu responds, “Is that an HC, Mookie?” I then replied with the following, “Not this month, Pikachu, but sometime in October around HSHM training time. Here’s something you may not know about YHC. I am a man of my word and although it sounded crazy, I did suggest it, and to the point that I wrote down that this would happen in October. So last week when Pikachu was at AGS, I verbally HC’d for yesterday as a promise to him, but more importantly as a promise to myself to commit to this insanely early run. In the process, I even managed to headlock Redenbacher and M4L for the run.

The moral of the story is this, it’s only crazy until you do it. Yesterday was a lesson in accountability and commitment. The fact that we had 4 guys doing a 3:30am half marathon was impressive, but not as impressive as the parking lot at Ting as we arrived back to the lot and onto the ramp in the final 1/4 mi. With all the cars parked, I could have sworn race day came a few weeks early. The PAX in SouthWake have always inspired YHC and in race season, like it is now, its a pretty incredible time to witness all of this positive energy amongst PAX to become not just better runners, but better individuals, who accept challenges together and convert the crazy into a commitment to be better men, better husbands, fathers, and contributors in the community. Amazing, Men! I’m all out of adjectives.

Additional prayers were sent for those PAX battling injuries and those training for races for continued health. Those experiencing marital challenges and all unspoken. YHC took us out.

10 PAX for AGS

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EC: Fonzie, LED, H1N1, Redenbacher

FNGs: None

Warm Up: Standard Mookie Warm up…light mosey around the lot and  alternating butt kickers and high knees, which then morphed into a set of carioca. Squat Hold while YHC explained the route.

The Workout:

Standard Half Marathon route from Womble to the Greenway, around Bass Lake (counterclockwise),  up through Sugg Farm, and back to Womble for YHC, Nemo, and Master Shake. Yogurt ran essentially the same route after CoT.

Bernie and Pilgrim completed their power testing at the Womble loop.

H1N1, LED, and Fonzie continued on toward Ting and back after EC to get in 9 miles total.

Oboe rucked with breathtaker +20…solid work Oboe.

Mary: Not today, we were short on time when we arrived for CoT.

Announcements: Check Slack and Facebook.

T-Claps (Recognition): All PAX for showing up to get some miles. Oboe for a solid Ruck.

Prayer: Continued prayers for Bernie and his family and all unspoken requests.

YHC took us out.

You Show Up and So Do I…

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Remember those episodes of Mr. Rodgers we used to watch as kids? They had a magic word with every episode. Later through mainstream TV in the 80’s and 90’s, shows like Saturday Night Live and Nike commercials featured Eddie Murphy and the “Admiral” David Robinson, providing parodies like Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood, where each provided comedic satire mimicking Fred Rodger’s word of the day. Well, Southwake….Today’s word of the day on this Sunday was…Ready?….ACCOUNTABILITY.

Full disclosure in this backblast in an effort to be completely transparent with PAX who continue to inspire me on a daily basis. YHC put up the pre-blast yesterday afternoon advertising a 5mi EC with a 6mi Main Event. The alarm was set for a 4:20am rise. Hit snooze twice.. Something about those 18 minutes, made YHC feel a false sense of security, knowing that I had enough time to make it to Womble in time to plant the flag and get PAX started for this morning’s run(s). As YHC finally woke, the back wasn’t feeling right. Same feeling from the week before. Surely PAX would understand if I ‘mailed it in’ this morning and decided to stretch instead of running EC. Last week I got a mile in and had Maybelline lead PAX on the designed route. In retrospect, stretching was the logical option, but after reading Aquaman’s FB post on discomfort this week, I should have planned better and ultimately would have been fine continuing on the route.

Arrived late to EC- about 4minutes. As I drove down Stinson across that set of speed bumps I know all too well from Cletus and Ivan EC, I had convinced myself that I’d plant the flag and tell LED and H1N1 that I just didn’t have it this morning.  They were the only PAX with an HC and a planned route that started at 5am heading into this morning. I had convinced myself that I would save it for the main event and even had a line…”You guys go ahead on your route. I’ll stay back and stretch and prepare for the PAX at 6am.” As I made the right into the Womble lot, I see the light up vests and headlamps. “Damn it, Mookie…If you can’t Q it, don’t do it.” And with that gentle reminder, YHC mumbled, “If you are showing up, so am I..suck it up” and pulled into the parking space next to LED’s truck. No more excuses… These guys were now waiting on YHC. It wasn’t just H1N1 and LED. We had Pikachu, Bernie, and Cupid, making a 6 pack for this morning’s EC run.

Asked LED if he had a route. He and H1N1 were doing the escape route to Ting for around 7-8 miles. Perfect. The remaining 4 would follow and circle back when we got to the Paradise City EC neighborhood. I think the last time I saw LED and H1N1 all morning was in that parking lot. Those dudes exited Stinson with a purpose and as we reached Jones onto Veteran’s Park, those light up vests faded to black. Cupid, Bernie, and Pikachu kept YHC honest. As I sat back in a comfortable 9:10 pace, I could still see them and knew if I kept them in sight, I’d be holding my own on the run. As we made our way out of Veteran’s, YHC lost them them on the ‘Boardwalk’ into the PC neighborhood. Light up vests then proceeded back toward YHC and at that point knew they reached the turn.

Made it back on the ‘Boardwalk’ and on to Veterans. Pikachu called an audible and indicated that we could bypass Veteran’s and venture toward Holly Springs Road by way of Rhamkatte Village. Also determined at that juncture to ride on the left side of Pikachu instead of behind, while also picking up the pace to be in front. Something was brewing inside of Pikachu and had enough wits to be above the fray instead of below…At that point, YHC’s back issues from earlier subsided. Guess its a part of getting older and just takes longer to warm up. Made our way through Rhamkatte and onto Holly Springs Road. Asked for a route confirmation… Do we go straight down Bass Lake to Stinson or do we get back to Womble via Holly Springs Road-Raleigh, Grigsby-Stinson?….

Neither. We ended up going Bass Lake to Earp, Left on Raleigh and then Grigsby and onto Stinson. All EC PAX arrived back to the lot and were greeted by an AGS regular- Master Shake. While YHC switched out Hokas, Pikachu made a pit stop, Cupid did some stretching, Bernie adjusted his earbuds.

And….then here it is.. just what in the hell is going on here at AGS?  In rolls DoubleD, followed by 187, Lipstick, SkidMark, Pablo, and an FNG UTI headlocked at Dunkin Donuts after the Saturday Dad’s Workout. Second FNG in 4 weeks at AGS.. Honestly, only in F3-Southwake do we see FNG’s showing up to first workouts getting 6 miles, having only run 3mi ever as their longest run prior. What’s even more impressive is that they keep showing up after and in impressive fashion.. Look at Master Shake- think he is on 4 straight weeks of AGS.

Walked over to greet Skidmark and mistakenly asked if he was ‘Getting 10mi this morning.’ His standard was vastly different than YHC’s standard this morning as he replied with a, “No Mook, I’m getting 18.” Yeah- note to self, next time YHC asks how many miles Skidmark, 187, Bernie, Pikachu, Lipstick, and Cupid are getting on a weekend day, just take the number YHC has in mind and multiple by 2….or in Pikachu’s case..muliple by 3. Good Lord, Pikachu…31 miles at 8:40 pace? Seriously? #Respect

6:00am hit and we were off with the following workout.

FNGs: Welcome, Juul!

Warm Up: Light jog around the tennis court lot. Circled up for Imperial Walkers X12, Hillbillies X12, Good Morning’s X12, Fazio Arms 12F\12B, Prison Squats X12, One extra Prison Squat with a hold for Morocan Night Clubs. One final squat hold to explain the route.

The Workout: Bernie and the additional gazelles (Skidmark, Cupid, 187, Lipstick, and Pikachu) had a planned 18 mi run, which would take them down and up Stinson, with a right onto Bass Lake, Left on Salem Ridge, Left on Linksland, and down Holly Springs onto Starbucks and the U-Turn route. YHC decided to change this morning’s planned route to mirror the first 3-4 miles of Bernie’s route so that PAX could run together for part of the way. The only exception to this morning’s 6 mi route was a slight detour within Rhamkatte for a lap and then back onto Holly Springs Road to Raleigh, Grigsby, and Stinson to the lot. Kudos to Pablo and DoubleD for picking up the six throughout the 6mi route.

Mary: Stretches OYO after the run.
Announcements: F3- Family Cookout next weekend. Sign up sheet on FB and Slack.
T-Claps (Recognition): All PAX getting quality miles this morning 6-18-31 mile distances. Also to Redenbacher, Full House, and UTI for completing a preview 1/2 marathon this morning. Also T-claps to FNG-Juul on his first workout and Master Shake for making AGS a ‘thang’ this past month.

Prayer: COT was conducted before the Main Event. Continued prayers for Pikachu’s friend, Josh whose grandmother passed last week. Continued prayers for Bernie and his family. YHC took us out.

Men- Listen up. I want you all to know that every one of you, those I’ve come to know well these past 2 years and those I’ve met a few times in the gloom..Whether you know it or not, you all continue to inspire YHC. Truth be told, I had no desire to run and workout this morning and is sometimes true from week to week. In fact, as stated earlier in this backblast, I am sometimes totally reserved to ‘mail it in.’ The power of ‘showing up’ is a real thing. It’s one thing to ‘show up,’ but it’s not just a matter of ‘showing up,’ its a matter of ‘showing up’ with intent. Every one of you showed up with the intent to make each other better this morning and every morning I make my way out of the fartsack and into the gloom. It’s what I enjoy most about morning’s in the gloom. You are the first faces I see, and the one’s YHC knows will be there in those times of discomfort (including rounds of DoubleD inspired Coyote Ugly’s) whether its in the gloom or in life. The Richmond Marathon and Holly Springs Half are just around the corner…. After what YHC witnessed this morning, there is no question…F3 Southwake is ‘Showing Up.’ Always an honor to lead on Sundays and looking forward to many more in the upcoming months.

Decisions…Decisions..

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For this morning’s edition of AGS, YHC sent a pre-blast full of options, which included a 5mi EC at 5am, a 6mi Main Event (complete with a Rucking Option) starting at 6am. On Sunday’s its usually a rest day for most PAX, but in late September, it becomes a redemption opportunity for those that missed U-Turn or for some, it’s an opportunity to catch up on mileage. I like to think its an opportunity to start the week off right, exchange some quality mumble, and provide some accountability. The best part about this AO is the PAX that show up. You just never know who is gonna roll in that parking lot every week. The lineup has its usual suspects with some becoming regulars, but for the most part, there are always a few surprises.

For the 5am installment, as planned both LED and Fonzie are parked and ready for their 5 (onto 7 miles). Planted the flag and as I walk back to the car for a last swig of Gatorade, headlights hit my backside. Turn around to find Maybelline, who is gonna keep me honest this morning. As I greet him, I ask, “are you getting 10-11mi today?” He replies with, “We’ll see how I feel.”

Confirmed with LED, Fonzie, and Maybelline my planned 5.0 mi route. We’d go down and up Stinson, right on Bass Lake, left on Salem Ridge, left on Linksland, left on Holly Springs Rd. Follow HS Road all the way to Raleigh St. and then back onto Stinson to the Womble tennis lot. Hills- yes, but not as many had we gone in the opposite direction. YHC and PAX proceed on the route until about a mile in. YHC is now finding it more difficult to just get up and run, now finding the importance of the need to stretch to be a necessity. For that reason, YHC held up at mile 1 feeling the back starting to stiffen up and proceeded back to the lot for some much needed stretching. Maybelline has seen the route several times and had taken the lead with LED and Fonzie to ensure they were following the route as it was drawn up.

As I walked back and proceeded to the soccer fields, a faint glow was seen in the distance. A light up vest in the pitch dark, cruising a a steady speed. Maybe Pikachu, maybe not..As 5:45am approached, Maybelline, LED, and Fonzie returned soaked. The humidity was thick this morning and was suffocating at times. LED and Fonzie proceeded forward for there final 2 miles, with Maybelline circling around the lot to get his even 5mi’s.

At that point, the 6am crew was starting to roll in. Dauber- with ruck sack, Boy George- with a breathtaker. For the 3rd week straight, a Master Shake appearance, followed by Forceps. Nemo rolling in early and then another surprise of the morning….Double D? Yep- he was there. H1N1 pulled in and then a sweaty Pikachu looking to get some extra miles with PAX. And then from the shadows emerges Yogurt for a solid 13 PAX.

6am hits and started off with the following warm-up

Warm Up: light mosey around the lot. Circle up for Imperial Walkers X12, Hillbillies X12, Good Mornings X12….”wait, why is he giving us 12 counts?” Yogurt knew why and offered that he may merlot if the Brady 12 count continued.. broke the circle and continued a light jog to the other side of the lot, with Frankensteins on the return, alternating lunge walks and butt kickers, which then morphed into a set of carioca. Circled back up for Fazio Arm Circles 10F\10B, but continued with a final set of Prison Squats X12. Squat hold while explaining the running route. Dauber and Boy George already had their rucking route solidified. Later learned it was 3.25mi filled with 4 dozen frogs and quality mumblechatter.

As YHC explained the route, LED and Fonzie had just finished up their 7 mi run and would proceed with COT following the running route description.
The Workout:

For this morning’s Main Event, we’d peel out of the lot heading left onto Stinson and then a right on Raleigh all the way to Earp St. At Earp, we’d proceed right to Bass Lake and then all the way down to the lake. When we reached the lake, we’d proceed straight up the Bass Lake killer hill and do a semi-circle around the lake and back onto the greenway until we emerge adjacent to the baseball fields. From there, PAX would proceed down Grigsby and then a right on Stinson back to the lot.

Strong paces by the lead PAX, H1N1, Maybelline (who apparently was feeling good 10mi run today!), Yogurt, Pikachu, Nemo, and Double D. Later discovered that there was a slight misinterpretation of the route and were short changed by missing the Bass Lake Killer hill. No worries though as all PAX got their 5-6mi monies worth this morning. It is also important to note another improved run by Master Shake and Forceps, who decided 5-6 miles wasn’t enough. He wanted 7 and that’s what he got. Also big shout out to Nemo, who reached 100mi mark for the 3rd consecutive month.  Great work by all this morning!

Mary: Stretches OYO
Announcements: F3 Family Cookout.
T-Claps (Recognition): Nemo 100mi mark reached for 3rd consecutive month. Maybelline and Pikachu getting 10 and 15 miles within the stale fart humidity this morning. All PAX making this morning count despite the unfavorable running conditions.
Prayer: Pikachu’s friend Josh, who’s grandmother is challenged with health issues. YHC took us out.

A Tale of Two Runs..

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Here it is, Fellas… It’s late September. Temps are starting to drop in the morning. The leaves are starting to change. Holly Springs Half Marathon is 9 weeks away… Over these next 9 weeks, decisions are being made. Maybe you are not signed up yet. Maybe you are signed up, but you haven’t yet fully committed to the training, or maybe you are thinking about it, but the longest you have ever run is a 5k or 10k.  Maybe you have signed up and you are know starting to really focus on the training regiment. Whatever your situation may be, there is always a certainty in SouthWake at this critical juncture in the calendar….Accountability.

If you are on the fence about doing the 1/2 or even starting your training, my advice is to ‘just show up.’ Put your stamp on it. Sign up\Show up. Make it official. Lock it in. Put the date on the calendar. You want to know why? Here it is…. There are guys in your F3 brotherhood that want to see you complete this thing you didn’t think possible. They want to see you succeed. They want to see you hit that goal time, and in the end, they want you to experience this Holly Springs signature event together with them.

For that reason, this is the one event that is on YHC’s calendar every year since starting F3. Its on the calendar. It’s on there the day the following year’s race goes on sale, and stays there for the entire year as a constant reminder of an agreement you make with yourself. This is the time of year where mileage continues to increase, a seamless transition for those fresh off of BRR, but for those that didn’t participate in BRR, a time to focus.

Last week’s AGS run focused on the escape route out of Womble. This week’s would focus on the Bass Lake entry route from the new greenway. YHC’s pre-blast provided 3 options for this morning’s run. A 5:05am 5mi EC, a 6am 6mi Main Event Lake Run, and a Rucking option, for those with a ‘Breathtaker’ to soak in this morning’s sunrise.

YHC rolled in at 5am and was quickly greeted by LED, Fonzie, and UTI, who were ready to roll. Planted flag and gave out 2 options. The ‘escape route’ through Jones Park and Veterans or the Rhamkatte\Holly Springs\Linksland\Salem Ridge\Bass Lake Hill route. LED and Fonzie leaned toward the less hilly option. 5:05am hit and we were off.

Proceeded out of Stinson and then onto Raleigh St. as we made our way onto Jones and Veterans. YHC was the six during these 5mi as LED, Fonzie, and UTI were taking full advantage of the weather change, running at a brisk pace. Great work by all PAX picking up the six several times during the run. As we made the final push back to Womble, YHC started to see some cars cycling in to Womble.

As we made it back to the parking lot, YHC sees Master Shake rolling in.This guy is on fire this week, selecting mostly run-centric AO’s- AGS, PC, and R4TJ. Not too shabby for a guy who’s longest distance was a 5k before joining F3 a week ago.

In the near distance, the Cupid mobile sat unoccupied. Forceps next comes rolling in, followed by Nemo, who has effectively EH’d cotter, Bullwinkle, who had just pulled in. Bobby Dall, then Full House. Yep… even an Oboe appearance.

A dozen PAX, not a 1/2 dozen… A Full Dozen, who were all treated to a great run, amazing sunrise, and quality fellowship. 6am hit and we were off with the following warm up.

Warm Up: Light jog around the lot. Circle up for SSH X12, Imperial Walkers X12, Hillbillies X12, Prison Squats X12, Good Mornings X12 IC, Fazio Arms 10F\10B, Standing Frankensteins X12 IC. Squat Hold while YHC explained the route.
The Workout: Standard Half Marathon Greenway, Bass Lake (counterclockwise), Sugg Farm exit to Womble.
Mary: COT conducted before Main Event run to include LED and Fonzie, who had just finished up their 5mi earlier with YHC and UTI.
Announcements: F3 Family Cookout. UTI has BreathTaker. Encourage PAX to bid to ‘Bring the Pain to Crain’ and determine where he posts with Breathtaker this week.
T-Claps (Recognition): Cowboy and Forceps for donating and getting UTI to post as AGS. UTI for a strong 5mi EC run and follow up Ruck this morning. All PAX getting it down this morning and holding each other accountable throughout the run.
Prayer: Prayers for Shredder and his family. Continued prayers for Bernie and his family. All PAX on IR and those returning back to the gloom for continued health. YHC took us out\’in’ before the run.

I Read the Article, So I Decided to Try It….

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Pre-Blast advertised a 2+ mi EC, leveraging the new greenway behind the newly developed homes along Grisby. It’s time to up the mileage being offered at AGS with HSHM just around the corner. Today’s Main Event would be a review of the Womble escape route along the 1/2 Marathon Course, were YHC would be taking PAX through Jones and Veteran’s Park, including the neighborhood that encompasses part of Monday morning’s Paradise City EC route. 3 out and 3 in….

Rolling in for EC, I see a dry UTI parked and ready to go. I stress the ‘dry,’ as what I witnessed today after the run may have been quite possible the most unbelievable display of ‘ringing out your shoes and socks. Could have filled a kiddie pool, no joke. The man works hard out there, that is for sure. EC was a nice even paced route along the new greenway. Halfway in, YHC forget to press play on his Garmin, but after everything was said and done, 2+ miles as promised. Did some light stretching as PAX started to roll in. We had DawgPound with Cowboy riding shotgun. And then a car I had never seen before….

Out of the car emerges an FNG, who had read the recent article in Holly Springs Magazine. He said, “I read the article and figured I’d try it to see what it was all about. I figured if I didn’t show up today, I may never try it and this morning was as good a day as any.” As we were getting to know the FNG a bit better, in rolls Oboe and then followed by Nemo. With a few minutes before 6, YHC delivered the disclaimer. All signed sealed and delivered were were ready to go with 25 seconds left.

6 o’clock hit and we took off with the following warm up.

Warm Up: Light job to the back of the lot. Lunges to the middle of the lot. Circle up for the following…. GM’s X10, Hillbillies X12, Imperial Walkers X10, DawgPound Mountain Climbers X10 (as re-learned at Ivan this week…YHC still did them wrong according to Dawg), Fazio Arms 10F/10B, Prison Squats X10. Squat Hold, while explaining the route.

The Workout: Womble Holly Springs 1/2 Marathon escape route, with slight Main St.\Raleigh St. detour. PAX headed out of with a left on Stinson, followed by a right on Raleigh St. Followed that all the way to Holly Springs Rd, where we headed through Jones and then onto Veterans Park. As we ventured out and into the Paradise City EC neighborhood route, PAX were seen periodically picking up the six. Did a quick loop, and DawgPound, FNG, and YHC exchanged some quality mumblechatter. During the run we learned that the FNG is an avid reader, works for the same company as Cowboy as a Technical Developer for Flu Vaccines. Additionally, we learned that his longest run prior to today was a 5k a few years back. Well today, he got his money’s worth and put in a solid effort. At the conclusion of the run, he even indicated interest in running the 1/2 as his company is a sponsor. He now has plenty of instant accountability. Whether he knew it or not, he had it the moment he stepped out of his car this morning. Strong finish at the end by PAX picking up the 6 and remaining PAX as we entered back on Stinson. DawgPound and I trailed a bit behind as we were confirming characters from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. YHC had never seen it before, but apparently since our FNG’s name is Carl, this triggered recall for Dawg specific to this cartoon. Hence, the makings of another quality name in F3-SouthWake.

Banana Seat, Princess Cut, Oboe are some of my favorite names ….but this one this morning from Dawg may be up there….Welcome- Master Shake.

As we arrived back, circled up for COT and watched in awe as a now very saturated UTI began ringing out his socks and shirt. It was a humid morning, but a solid run and can’t wait for the upcoming Fall training runs to start. Today was the first of many tours of the route as we set our focus on November’s Half.

FNGs: Master Shake
Mary: Stretches OYO as we did count off and name-o-rama
Announcements: Paradise City tomorrow 5:45 Fitness Test
T-Claps (Recognition): All PAX, especially our newest member Master Shake, showing for his first workout getting a mileage PR.
Prayer: Prayers for Shredder and his family. Additional prayers for UTI’s co-worker, Carolyn who is battling cancer. YHC took us out.

Broken Promises, Re-Runs, No Regrets….

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Pre-Blast the night before offers up an ‘easy’ run for Sunday’s edition of AGS. YHC sends out early knowing that Bender Street is in play Saturday night at Bombshell. Midget SC’s and YHC knows what’s up. There will be some Billy Jean choreography playing on FB before the night is over…and yes- no Midget come 6am.  The thing is, YHC sends these pre-blasts for a reason. They may not resonate with all PAX, but they have meaning to what the workout will be the next day. The picture depicts a solitary sad clown flying a kite. For YHC it has meaning. This was the last picture taken before making the decision to hit the reset button… A do-over of sorts.

Every time I roll into that parking lot at Womble, I hit the reset button. I reset what happened the week before and I prepare for what is coming at me in the week ahead. The intent is always to advance forward. When I roll in, I know I’m getting at least 6mi as Redenbacher is parked. No signs of life, but I know he is there somewhere getting 3-4. Plant flag and Boy George Rolls in. He already has scheduled run. Unaware, he has 10 miles lined up and asks if I’m considering Soul Crusher. I reply with an unfortunate no. The rain from the prior days cancelled out that option and we’d be taking it to the streets for hill work. Just as I finish up that dialogue, DawgPound quickly inquires, “Are we really doing Soul Crusher? …because if we are, I’m getting in my car and leaving.” I’ll admit, I don’t know everything about running, but I do know that muddy trails make for injuries and with 2 weeks to BRR, none will happen on my watch. With that, YHC already had an alternate plan. Unfortunately, this may very well be the 4th week in a row we couldn’t put the lake in play due to rain, but given the upcoming BRR, hills would be the perfect formula for this morning’s run. UTI and Oboe quickly join and Cupid rolls in with Backstroke (canine 2.0), who does a perfect Lipstick impersonation 2 minutes before the start. Now its a Sunday as Maybelline and Nemo emerge.

6 o’clock hits and we were off with the following warm up….

Warm Up: Light jog around the Womble lot. Circle up for exaggerated prison squats (2 count on the down 1 count on the up) X10, Good Mornings X10, Imperial Walkers X10, Hillbillies X10, Mountain Cljmbers X10, Frankensteins to the far end of the lot with alternating Butt Kickers. Carioca to the starting point. Squat Hold to explain the route.

The Workout: With Cupid and Backstroke the only ones to Ruck this morning, YHC provided the running route for the 7 PAX looking for miles. This morning’s route would offer 3, 4, and 6 mile routes as they would be Hill segments on Library Hill, Cemetery Hill, and Bass Lake. All 7 PAX opted for the 6 mi option so were ALL IN on the 3 segments. With a sly look and shades of sarcasm, UTI opens up and says “nice to see you are original and repeating what you did last week.” SHOTS FIRED…It must be told that UTI is an avid reader of YHC’s backblasts. While a reader, he wasn’t yet a do’er so today he’d be in it for the long haul. He later proclaimed that his comments were meant to somehow talk me out of the intended route. One thing about YHC is that he is stubborn and when its layed out in the circle, it gets executed. Route would start at Womble Tennis lot and continue through the baseball fields. As we made our way out of the fields, we would advance right onto Grigsby, then Raleigh and eventually onto Main St., where we would detour to the Library. At Library Hill we would continue on the down slope all the way to the speed bump warning. With all PAX at the speed bump line, we’d all ascend at a strong pace to the top.

This is where it got interesting, as Oboe, as if shot out of a cannon, set the ‘standard’ on that segment along with strong efforts by all PAX. YHC then directed PAX to drop off their library books and advance the long way around the lot to the drop off and back up toward the DTT AO meeting spot onto Earp. As we approach Earp, we proceeded left to the Cemetery. At this point, we had Nemo, UTI, Maybelline, and Oboe ahead with YHC, DawgPound, and Redenbacher at the crossroads of really? and yep- let’s do this… Nemo came back to pick up the six and now it was on… Strong push up the hill with Redenbacher finding another gear to the top. As we all stood triumphant at the top, we looked ahead and realized… WTF.. this thing is a damn half pipe. Rolling with it, we descended and climbed to the the stop sign at Main St. Continued up Earp and then a right on Bass Lake. At that point, YHC knew his perfect 2 month streak of 1 hour 5-5+ mi AO’s was in jeopardy. With Bass Lake left, I inform UTI and Maybelline that we may be over if we make it all the way to the Bass Lake lot. We had 17 min left at that point, so we’d be cutting it close with 2 and change left. PAX continued on Earp, circled back for the 6 and then proceeded down Bass Lake. As we made our way down, DawgPound made a detour down Stinson, with remaining PAX moving forward. Told UTI, who was ahead, we’d stop at Salem Ridge and then head back, leaving us 200 yrds short of what YHC had planned. All PAX made it to Salem Ridge and extended beyond to the lot before proceeding back up Bass Lake.

At this point, I’m not sure what happened, but the push from the remaining PAX was incredible. Maybe it was the right song in a play list, maybe PAX wanted to get back to the lot before 7:15, but somehow we found a groove in that last segment and pushed each other to an 8:43 pace before hitting Stinson. Finished the route to the flag, some getting a 10K, others 7 and 9 with EC.

Overall- just flat out strong efforts.

Mary: Stretches OYO
Announcements: ShamWoW has PC tomorrow.
T-Claps (Recognition): All PAX getting miles in on a Sunday. Maybelline 2 weeks in a row putting in some quality hill work post-rehab
Prayer: Noah’s Ark and his M, Michelle. Continued prayers for health and healing. Those on IR. YHC took us out.