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Sprints, Ramps, Accountability…and another guy named Todd

Always great to Q outside of Any Given Sunday every now and then. Monday was my second time Q’ing Paradise City and have always loved the options at this AO. You have the ramp, rock piles, a tunnel, plenty of parking spaces, and a long line of guard rails, which are almost as long as the line of excuses Midget gives YHC when he HC’s, but never shows to the next day’s workouts.

This morning, YHC rolled in about 15min early. Several cars were parked already to get some EC. One I recognized was Full House, fresh of a solid Torch Run on Saturday. Particle Board was already in the lot with an FNG he had headlocked for this morning’s workout.   FNG introduced himself with Hospital Name-Todd…..Yes, men another guy named Todd. Now he was provided a quality F3 at the conclusion of the workout, but have to say F3- SouthWake is a breeding ground for HIM that regularly post with the hospital name of Todd- Maybelline, Norm, Coal Ash, Pablo, Wiggly, YHC, and now the newest member of our group who is now commonly referred to as F3-Utah.

Thank goodness for F3 names as you can imagine the confusion that this creates at the Wescott pool when the Wescott clowns Pablo, Maybelline, and YHC are present at the same time and one of our M’s shouts, “hey Todd” to the pool from the lounge chair.

Anyway…7 Todd’s… I digress. As Particle Board, FNG, and I were wrapping up our conversation the sweet sound of a diesel engine in the distance cut the humidity… Could it be?…..Heck yeah it was.. Roger Roger has returned from hunting wolverines in Alaska and has come to re-engage with this F3 thing we have in South Wake.. Welcome back, Bro. We missed you and glad you are here.  Next to roll in was Deadbolt, then Bufford, and Pablo. Just in time as Full House came rolling in from EC, along with Yogurt and Go-Gurt who had already worked up a lather on the way in.

Disclaimer provided the FNG. A quick 2 minutes to go for last minute stretches and we were off at 5:45am.

FNGs: Welcome FNG-Utah (named after Johnny Utah from Point Break. Hobbies included surfing and is also a Michigan fan- Go Blue! Name was fitting considering in Point Break , Utah was a former Ohio State quarterback turned FBI agent). Kudos to Pablo on the solid name and reference.

Warm Up: Light jog weaving through the parking lot around the medians, with alternating shuffles and butt kickers. Circled up for SSH X20, Imperial Walkers IC X12, Hillbillies X12, Mountain Climbers X12. Recovered on the jog to the guard rails adjacent to the basketball courts. Time to warm up the upper body with a Slide Rule special of Erkins, Derkins, and Dips X20 each. Recover on the jog up the hill beyond the tennis courts for a set of Jack Webbs in a 1 merkin to 3 air press ratio, incrementally increasing to 10 merkins and 30 air presses. Recover on the jog to the lot before the concession stand. Time to warm up the legs. YHC called for a set of 20 prison squats with a squat hold at 15 and 20 where we held for a 10 count in cadence of Morocan Night Clubs.

The Workout: Accountability sprints up the ramp. YHC called for a partner up by speed. Challenged PAX to partner with another HIM that was going to push them on the ramp for a set of 7’s. With 10 PAX we had 5 groups of HIM that were equally matched in speed except for YHC, who was paired with Pablo… we’ll get to that in a minute.

Pairings: Yogurt and Go-Gurt, Full House and Bufford, Roger Roger and Deadbolt, Particle Board and FNG-Utah, Pablo and YHC

Started at the bottom of the ramp and sprint all the way up to the concessions. At the top of Partner 1 performs 6 broke back merkins with Partner 2 in plank position. At the bottom of the hill Partner 2 performs 1 merkin all the way to 6 with Partner 1 in plank, until both partners share equal numbers of broke back merkins at both sides of the ramp. Strong pushes by all PAX with solid efforts up and down the ramp. For YHC it was more like Pablo pulling his partner up the hill, in what I can only imagine looked like a speed boat pulling a tug boat up stream. Just didn’t have the legs this morning.

PAX finishing early picked up the six and upon completion of the final set at the bottom of the hill, YHC led PAX to the middle parking lot area for a set of Build-A-Bears. PAX would bear crawl each parking space performing a merkin incrementally in the middle of each space, skipping a space in between before bear crawling the next space and performing 2 merkins in the middle and so on until we had a total of 10 spaces and 10 merkins.

Mary: Cardio Abs…. In the same lot, each PAX occupied a parking space with their backs to the far end of the lot. YHC called WWII’s IC X10. After performing this first set, PAX would remain on their six with their backs turned. On the word “GO” PAX would sprint to the other side of the lot. At the far end, PAX performed Homer to Marge X10… “GO”- turn around and sprint to the opposite end..LBC X15…”GO-turn around and sprint to the other end..Freddy Mercury X15..”GO- turn around and sprint to the opposite end… Circled up one final time for a set of planked Shoulder Taps X15..Ended with Have a Nice Day.

Announcements: F3 Family Cookout. YHC is looking for PAX to donate pasta and sauce as part of a non-profit charity Grow Our Kids for under privileged family’s. YHC’s PT-Erin Blankenship of Thrive Physical Therapy is running the Richmond Half and is targeting a goal of 680 items of pasta and or jars of sauce in support of this charity through Nov 1st. YHC will be at AO’s and collecting any donations that PAX may have.

T-Claps (Recognition): All PAX coming out and pushing each other and getting some EC in before workout.
Prayer: Continued prayers for Shredder and Bernie and their families. Prayers for those on IR and prayers for continued health for all PAX training for upcoming races. YHC took us out. Always an honor to lead.

Nutcracker, rock you like a….

Saw an open space on the Q sheet for Nutcracker, so I grabbed it, it is a great place to work out with many options. We had 12 total once we got started.

FNGs: None
EC: Flanigan
Warm Up: Mosey To playground, 15 SSH, 15 Imperial Walkers, 15 Hillbillys, 10 Sir Fazio forward and backward, 10 Merkins
The Workout:
       Thang 1: 11’s on the hill, find a partner, stay with partner, split the pax, half start at the top, half at the bottom.
First Round: Star Jumps and LBC
Second Round: Squats and Wide Grip Merkins
       Thang 2: Diego 123  Grap a Rock (Probably should have been a little more specific about rock size… 🙂 )
100 Triceps extensions
200 Genuine’s (Hold Squat and Do a Chest Press)
300 Curls For Girls

Did some arm stretches and Michael Phelps after all the Curls, and head to the flag for mary.

Mary:  15 Homer to Marge, 15 Freddy Mercury, 15 American Hammers, 15 Dying Coachroach, Have a Nice day
Announcements:  South Wake Picnic Oct 12th
Prayer: Pigpen and his M on the impending arrival of their Child going into Rex tomorrow, YHC with 2 on-site interviews at the same company today, Burgaw and other NC communities still recovering from last years hurricanes.

COT: 
     Count-a-rama:  12
     Name-a-rama: 8 Meh 2 Respect, 1 Hate

TClaps:  Breech for Breathtaker, again.

NMS:  As always my days are always better when they start with F3. The Q Sheet is pretty empty, so now is the time to step up and grab a spot, I and many others will help or co-q with you if you want to do your VQ or if you have not Q’d in a while.

Really bad COT Video…

Mystery Route at R4TJ

EC: Full House, Nemo, Redenbacher, Skidmark, UTI

FNGs: Nope.

Warm Up: Mosey to the top of ramp at Ting. Circle up, 10 x SSH and 10 x Daisy Pickers. We went over the route and headed out.

The Workout: The original plan was to keep the HSHM theme but YHC modified the route and we headed up Main Street and turned left on Holly Springs Road, left into Jones Park and followed the Greenway until we reached Wellspring Drive, took a right on Arctic Ridge Way for a quick out and back, and then proceeded back to Ting (last few miles of HSHM route). The route ended up a little bit short so PAX scattered a little bit at Ting to round off the mileage. Circled back up for CoT.

Mary:  MIA

Announcements:

South Wake annual family picnic is Saturday October 12th from 11am until. Bring your M, bring your 2.0s, and bring some yard games.
Sign up sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wdWIZv-meI2jnoS8Kgl0g5fCiBk9lBbIyXsDGdXTyyc/edit?usp=sharing

T-Claps (Recognition): Master Shake! Great job this week and getting the miles in this morning!

Prayer: Shredder, Crablegs, unspoken

YHC took us out. It was an honor to lead.

Norm’s Send Off

Norm is on his way down to South Carolina for National Guard Boot Camp
Before he left he Q’d The Nutracker this morning

 

FNGs:none
Warm Up:

SSH x 20

Sir Fasio Arm Circles 10 Forward 10 Backward

The Goodmorning x 10

Frankenstein x 20

Daisy Pickers x 15
The Workout:

Mosey to Rovisys on the way – Erkins x 15         Durkins x 15     Dips x 15

3 rounds of Merkins x 15 , run up the hill(some raced Pikachu), WWII’s x 15      mosey to handrails, Pax bridge handrails with pax bear crawling under to bottom

Mosey back with stops for low slow flutter x 20,   LBC x 20,    american hammers x20
Mary:
Announcements: Picnic—everyone bring mac and cheese
T-Claps (Recognition):
Prayer: Norm and his boot camp

9/11 Stair Climb

At 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, over 250 men gathered for the fourth annual 110-flight stair climb at Carter-Finley Stadium to honor the first responders who risked or lost their lives during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. South Wake represented well with almost 50 Pax posting.

FNGs: Welcome Side Piece, Smokey, and Swanson!

Warm Up: SSH x20, mountain climbers x20, good mornings x20

The Workout:

110+ flights of stairs.

What a Playlist!!

The music was fantastic choice this week.  I have already been contacted by numerous Pax for the playlist so here it is:

EC: Chips (I think), Mookie, Pablo, Buford, Particle Board, Katniss
Yoga EC: Dauber Emeril Dawgpound
FNGs:  Maybe next time
Warm Up:

Side Straddle Hops
Imperial Walkers
Hillbillies
Fazio Arm Circles
Good Mornings
Frankenstien Kicks
High Knee Pull

The Workout:

3 Turkish Getups Each Arm
7 Mickey Mouse Push Ups
5 Clean and Squat Each Arm
10 Overhead Press Each Arm
10 Sternum Pulls
10 Alternating Chest Presses
10 Lunge Isolation Each Leg
10 Pull across Body each arm
5 Man O Makers

At this point a challenge was laid.  If all the pax could do two minutes of Low Plank with see saw then we can remove one exercise from the circuit.

Well we all failed.  It was then modify for the last 30 seconds.  I think we failed again, but I was feeling generous.  The pax decided on no Turkish Getups.

7 Mickey Mouse Push Ups
5 Clean and Squat Each Arm
10 Overhead Press Each Arm
10 Sternum Pulls
10 Alternating Chest Presses
10 Lunge Isolation Each Leg
10 Pull across Body each arm
5 Man O Makers

At the end of this round the exercise was Mountain climbers.  Like the ones we did in high school where the foot moving forward actually touches the ground.  Though looking at this video that isn’t what see is doing.  I guess I was taught incorrectly in school.

When doing it the Dawgpound way it makes the exercise a bit harder.  Well we failed here too.  Couldn’t muster two minutes.  I was though feeling generous again.  The pax decide on no Mickey Mouse pushups.  I don’t know why they didn’t choice Turkish Getups again.

3 Turkish Getups Each Arm
5 Clean and Squat Each Arm
10 Overhead Press Each Arm
10 Sternum Pulls
10 Alternating Chest Presses
10 Lunge Isolation Each Leg
10 Pull across Body each arm
5 Man O Makers

Mary:

Mini Turkish Getups
LBCs
Homer to Marge
Some Yoga stretching

  • Downward Dog
  • Hip openers
  • Pigeon Pose
  • Runners Poss

Have a nice Day

Announcements:

Paradise City Fitness challenge
October 12th Family Picnic

T-Claps (Recognition):
Prayer:

All Pax in recovering from BRR and Stair climb.

17 AT THE NUT FOR A VQ

EC: Norm, Slide Rule, Pigpen

FNGs: Nope

Warm Up:

Jog around the parking lot and circling up back at starting position. 5 burpees OYO just for fun.

SSH X 20

Fazio F/B X 10

Daisy Pickers X 10

GoodMornings X 10

The Workout:

PAX moseyed to playground with an explanation of 4 different stations before counting off in 4’s.

Group 1: Pullups AMRAP

Group 2: BTTW

Group 3: Merkins AMRAP

Group 4: Sprints up the hill x 4

Once PAX finishes the sprints, rotate. After completing two rounds of this PAX moseyed over to the soccer field for some 11’s.

 

Lining up on the sideline of the soccer field started with a 10 count of planks, ran to other sideline of the field and completed 1 squat, ran back to the other side completing a 9 count of planks, run back to complete 2 squats. Continue until reaching 1 count of planks and 10 squats. Halfway in to this YHC realized planks were much too easy and should have switched it up. Noted for next time!

5 burpees OYO before moseying back to starting position for Mary

Mary:

Circled up and went around with each PAX naming a different ab exercise.

Announcements:

9/11 stair climb

T-Claps (Recognition):
Prayer:

Norm heading to Fort Jackson, SC in a couple weeks, kids going back to school, unspoken

F3 is a superpower.

So after a short sting, err stint on the IR due to a spider bite, no better way to come back to working out than to Q your first work out back. Downtown Train has been a little light in attendance so it was good to see Pax coming in from clown cars and running in from different directions.

FNGs: None

With No FNG’s we took a quick Mosey to the lower level of the parking deck for warm-ups.
Warm Up: 15 SSH, 16 Imperial Walkers, 10 Sir Fazio forward and Backward.

Warm-up complete time to start the warm-up.

The Workout:

Thang 1: A little venomous flavored Dora 123 in honor of my recent spider bite, but unfortunate lack of superpowers.                                                                                                                                                100 Peter Parkers, 200 LBC’s 300 Copperhead Squats

With that completed, we moseyed to the upper level of the parking deck

Thang 2:  Modified 11’s. with  HillBillys and Monkey Humbers with 5 merkins every time you cross the middle of the parking deck.

Still had some extra time so we did

Thang 3:  7’s  with Freddy Mercury’s and Imperial Walkers

Mary:  Pax Did Circle of Mary
Announcements:  9/11 Stair Climb, Labor Day Convergence at Sugg Farm Next Monday, Gump’s Pax Challange to Q 1 workout a Month till the end of the year
Prayer: Noah’s Ark M, all the 2.0’s starting school today

COT:
Count-a-rama:  12
Name-a-rama: 11 Meh 1 Respsect

NMS:  As always my days are always better when they start with F3. Men, if you have not Q, ‘d a workout take that challenge, I am sure if you ask someone would Co-Q your first workout and/or help you plan it.

False Advertising for Cobra

FNGs: none
Warm Up:

  • Quick Lap around the parking lot but not too long as the Q wanted to be sure he could cadence count
  • SSH x 20 I.C.
  • Fazio Arm Circles x 20 I.C.
  • Prisoner Squats x 20
  • Standard Merkins x 20
  • Mountain Climbers x 20 I.C.
  • Left foot over right stretches – reverse
  • Right arm across body stretches – reverse
  • Michael Phelps

Workout:

  • Pax Count was 14 – choose an accountability partner to hold you accountable on form, reps and everything else
  • Thing 1:  Deconstructed Burpee Ladder (reps were 16, 12, 8)
    • Squats
    • Leg Thrusts
    • Merkins
    • Reverse Leg Thrust
    • Squat Jumps
  • Indian Run to Bottom of Hill by Planet Fitness
  • Thing 2:   Play with cards you are dealt
    • Hearts – Side Straddle Hop (in Cadence)
    • Spades – Burpees
    • Diamond – Diamond Merkins
    • Clubs – Jump Squats
    • Face Card – Sprint to the top of the hill

Mosey back to flag for Mary / Cot

Mary:

  • Not much time but pax led Homer to Marge x 20 I.C. while YHC got his phone
  • Time’s up – 6:15 on the dot

Announcements:

  • Check slack and facebook but
  • 9/11 stair climb coming up at Carter Finley
  • Middle Creek Elementary Beautification service project Saturday morning – 187 has your Q
  • Southwake Picnic in October – more details coming

T-Claps (Recognition):

  • Welcome back for a short visit to our brother Roger Roger – we miss you in the Gloom every day
  • 187 for absolutely killing it
  • Extra Credit Crew was
    • 187
    • Axe
    • Dawgpound
    • Buford
    • Roger Roger
    • Warbucks
    • Deadbolt

Prayer:

  • Prayers for Noahs Arc M (Michelle) as she is getting treatment at the Mayo Clinic
  • The Rangers returning home (Per Darby)
  • Crablegs
  • The Carpex Pax member that lost his Mother
  • The Fishermen from Jacksonville and Fairfax Fire departments lost at sea
  • YHC took us out

What an honor to lead – thank you all

Recover on the Jog..

Paradise City has to be one of my favorite AO’s in all of SouthWake. Over the past two years some of the more memorable moments for YHC happened right there in that parking lot..like the time Chips almost made half the PAX merlot with a combination of WWII’s and wind sprints. That may have been the time someone questioned the complexity and the difficulty being offered at PC. Yep- Chips almost made me merlot that morning and may have been one of the hardest workouts ever delivered to YHC. Other more memorable moments were the 4 man Indian Runs where Emeril makes quick eye contact with you to partner up and then with the bait and switch, pulls in Lucky Charms and Warbucks to run with you.  Good Times!

And who doesn’t love a Banana Seat beatdown? Build-a-Bears for days. After that morning, I don’t think I could lift my arms for a week. Suicides in the tennis courts trying to match Brony stride for stride and who could forget the Return of Stark Q, where Dumbo went missing a few times. Felt like deja vu this morning, except Dumbo was completely missing and was really hoping he’d return. Unfortunately, fell victim to the fartsack.

Paradise City is also the physical place where Roger Roger tricked YHC into running a half marathon without even knowing it. At the time I hadn’t invested in a Garmin watch to track runs, so completely relied on the other PAX around me to know the routes and ran whatever they decided for the day. That morning we met in the parking lot and just decided to go out and get some miles. We talked and ran for a while and by the time we returned to Ting, he turns to me and says, “let’s do the ramp and around the back to finish up.” As we finished up past the basketball courts he asks, “how far do you think we went?” Not sure, 8-9 miles?, I say. “Well Mookie- you just ran your first 1/2 marathon.”

Paradise City also happens to be my first AO and home of one of my favorite phrases that I’ll credit Emeril with… “Recover on the Jog.” This has always been the phrase I hear heading up the ramp. So this morning with so many memorable Q’s and so much material to work with, YHC decided on a run-centric Q putting the ramp and tunnel in play.

Early morning EC’ers: Emeril, DawgPound, Buford, Cowboy, Full House, Lucky Charms, UTI got some extra miles for the main event. As they returned schwetty they were joined by Deadbolt, Wiggly and Steamboat, Snap, Katniss, Redenbacher, with a surprise visit by Midget. The morning got even better with DoubleD making only his second appearance ever to PC just to celebrate YHC’s 2-year anniversary. No FNGs so no disclaimer needed. 6am hit and it was Go Time!

Warm Up: Alternating runs, with shuffles and carioca weaving up and down the parking lot until we all circled up in the middle in front of the ramp entrance. Imperial Walkers X10, Hillbillies X10, Good Mornings X10 IC, Fazio Arms 10F/10B. One last set which was an exaggerated Prison Squat with a 2 count all the way down X10. Fellowship run up the ramp. At the top of the ramp performed clockwork merkins at 1, 2, and 3 o’clock (YHC messed up the count and short changed the PAX), “recovered on the jog” to the back of the lot on the downslope in front of the tennis courts for merkins at 4, 5, and 6 o’clock. Proceeded with the fellowship jog to the basketball courts for 7, 8, and 9, and then finished up in front of the ramp with 10, 11, and 12 o’clock. PAX held squat hold while I explained the first segment of the workout.

The Workout: Decided on some 7’s this morning with an exaggerated squat at the bottom of the ramp to start and 6 star jumps at the top. PAX continued until they were down to 6 squats at the bottom and 1 star jump at the top. YHC recommended PAX grab some accountability partners to push them up and down the ramp. Added a final instruction that if PAX ended early, we’d pick up the six and continue until all finished. Although I didn’t have Yogurt this morning to talk his typical trash talk about Tom Brady as we sprint up the ramp, I had Steamboat and he provided a consistent pace up and down the ramp with some encouragement from Emeril, who urged us not to let Snap lap us. If he only saw Snap laying down the hammer at Derek Davis this weekend, he’d know that I would easily concede him lapping me 2 times over. At least it wasn’t 3. Newsflash- Snap is fast…Very Fast.

While picking up the six, we eventually ended at the top of the hill where YHC kept the PAX loose with additional Star Jumps and Squats in cadence while waiting for the remaining PAX to finish. Once all accounted for, we split the PAX into 2 Indian Run lines and continued the lines all the way to the guard rails on the opposite side of the basketball courts.

At the guard rails, PAX performed some Erkins, Derkins, and Dips (a nod to Slide Rule). YHC then instructed PAX to remain in their lines and venture to the tunnel. Didn’t have a great name for this, but called it Mookie’s carwash. PAX lined up tight on opposite ends of the tunnel. PAX would wall walk B2W style to the opening and run out to the end of the paved path. PAX performed this exercise on each side of the tunnel and ran both paths. With 8 minutes left, YHC instructed PAX to the flag and circle up for Mary.

Mary: Mountain Climbers X15, Shoulder Taps IC X15, Pickle Pounders X15, Freddy Mercury X15, LBC X30.

Announcements:  Deadbolt has Purple Cobra tomorrow, while Pikachu has the Nutcracker. Should be a great Tuesday, Men! Get out there and post.
T-Claps (Recognition): All PAX who traveled out this morning to support this anniversary Q. Additionally, those getting EC on top of this 3 mile Q.

Prayer: Prayers for Noah’s Ark and his M, Michelle. PAX who are injured and recovering from injury. YHC took us out. Men- It has been an honor and privilege to lead you this morning and get to know each and everyone of you in F3-SouthWake over these past 2 years. Here’s to many more good times and quality years in the gloom.