F3 New Orleans

Author: Hawgcycle

  • Black Friday Murph

    The disclaimer was short and there was no warm-up.

    The Thang

    A Murph.

    • 1 mile run on the track around Pontiff
    • 100 Pull-ups
    • 200 Merkins
    • 300 Squats
    • 1 mile run on the track around Pontiff

    We partitioned the exercises in reps of 5-10-15.  I think we all modified the pull-ups in some form or fashion: jump pull ups, legs on the slide or step, not going all the way up, negatives, etc.

    Tool, still recovering, rode his bike to the AO and then did the exercises sans runs.  T-claps to Tool for keeping at it while injured.  Glad to hear he was able to run the Turkey Day race with no issues.

    Everyone pushed hard and finished strong.  The first mile was just a little over an 8:00 pace.  Below are our unofficial times:

    • Hawg – 43:16
    • JV – 43:41
    • War Eagle – 44:31
    • Rev Sox – 44:36

    The Murph is tough, especially the pull-ups.  Kudos to the men that came out to do it today.  That’s how we get better.

    -Hawg

  • A Transplant Thanksgiving

    The Thang

    My plan was to leave my vehicle at Morning Call and run to Stifler’s Mom for the 0530 start.  However, my penchant for tardiness and my not so blistering 11:30+ pace put me well behind schedule.  Fortunately I was able to contact Swampcock and he met me on the route.  Once we joined forces we sat out like bats out of hell headed for Morning Call.  Despite the super sonic pace Swampcock set, we enjoyed some good conversation.  We arrived at Morning Call a few minutes early and were later joined by Fracsac and Da Parish after their Okwata beatdown.  Swampcock set a new record for the number of Cafe Au Laits consumed at a single coffeeteria and then we jumped in the Explorer and headed back to Uptown.

    NMM

    This was a great way to start Thanksgiving Day.  I have a lot to be thankful for.  Like Swampcock, I am a transplant to New Orleans.  A lot of our conversation centered around our decisions to move here.  They were good decisions.  So many of the things I am thankful for are tied to this great city and the people that live here.

    -Hawg

     

  • What Some Men Will Do for Alfajores

    I’ve heard an alfajor described as an Argentine moon pie.  Which sort of seems insulting to something as tasty as an alfajor.  It’s like saying Messi is an Argentine Landon Donovan.  Sure there may be some basic similarities, but the analogy is lacking.  It’s like saying Jadaveon is an Uptown Rudy.  Anyway, the point is alfajores are delicious and I used them to get Yankee to post at Fight Club.

    Conditions:  40 degrees and blustery

    Warmup: SSH (IC) x 40*; IW (IC) x 20; Merkins x 15; Calf Raises (IC) x 15; Burpees x 15; But Kicks (IC) x 15; Low Country Crab (IC) x 15; Freddie Mercuries (IC) x 15; X Jumps x 15; Jump Lunges (10 each leg); Bobby Hurley x 10

    *Yankee showed up about half way through the warm-up so it was just me and Rev for the SSH.  I must say these were the most perfectly in sync and crisp SSH’s I’ve ever been a part of.  I only went to 40 because I didn’t want them to end.  It was magical.

    The Thang 

    Hit the ledge for an all leg chili pepper:

    • Round 1:  16 Channing Tatums; 8 box jumps aka Bongos; 16 Tatum Channings; 8 Low Slow Squats
    • Round 2:  12 Channing Tatums; 6 Bongos; 12 Tatum Channings; 6 Low Slow Squats
    • Round 3:  8 Channing Tatums; 4 Bongos; 8 Tatum Channings; 4 Low Slow Squats
    • Round 1:  5 Channing Tatums; 20 Bongos; 5 Tatum Channings; 20 Low Slow Squats

    Break out the Destrahan Dodecahedron (a 12 sided die with various exercises, many inlcuded in the warm-up, that I obtained at a Destrahan workout…those were the good ‘ol days.)  We cast the D&D Die to chose the exercises for the Fight Club Special

    Fight Club Special – run to the top of the levee and perform exercise #1 then run back down to the bottom to perform exercise #2.  Do this 5 times and that is 1 round.

    • Round 1:  Calf Raises x 30 and Peter Parkers x 30
    • Round 2:  Freddie Mercs x 50 and Peter Parker x 30
    • Round 3:  Jump Lunges x 10 each leg and Calf Raises x 30

    That was it.  We prayed and then I gave Yankee a box of alfajores for his troubles.  To my surprise he shared with Rev Sox.

    Thoughts

    • Fight Club needs your support.  Think about making the trip out there.  Rev Sox is working hard to EH locals, but the struggle is real.  Gremlin is a regular and we should work to keep this thing alive, if just for him and Rev.
    •  FYI – this AO is treacherous in flip-flops.  I recommend shoes.

     

  • F3 Mobile Launch – Saving the Best for Last

    Four New Orleans Pax descended upon Mobile as the final round of guest Qs.  Here was our line-up:

    Gabrielle – A beast of a man.  He’s helped lead an Uptown resurgence as those around him strive to achieve similar looking biceps.

    Jingle Vader – The name says it all.  A stalwart of F3 New Orleans.  No one has attended more workouts than this High-Impact Man.

    Rev Sox – A long time hold-out, but ever since he was finally coerced into posting at an F3 workout he’s been afire.  He is single-handedly responsible for bringing F3 back to America’s City.

    YHC – Unfortunately, I’ve really let myself go.  I don’t even own shoes anymore.  If only the Men of Mobile (MOMs) could have seen me in my heyday.

    Just before 0700 we introduced ourselves to our 3 native cohorts, YHC provided the disclaimer and we were off on a short exploration of this great AO.  I can’t say that we rode into Mobile with all the fury and fight of the Four Horseman that Grantland Rice made famous, but I can say that the two jogging stroller moms did peer once or twice at the bewildering panorama spread on the green plain below.  (Shout out to Rudy).

    Warm-up

    The Mobilites are on their own next week so YHC spent a little time going over how to count and then gave them the opportunity to lead some exercises in cadence.

    SSH x 10 (YHC); SSH x 10 (Plunge); Imperial Walkers x 10 (Sludge); Squats x 10 (Boots);

    Then we talked about saying recover when it’s time to get up…and if you want everyone to stay in plank, don’t say recover:  Peter Parkers x 15; Plank Jacks x 15; Parker Peters x 15…recover.

    Then we went over some different types of cadences:

    Tempo Merkins x 15 (3 counts down – 1 count up); 8 count Body Builders* x 10; Jack Webb (2-count cadence) up to 10.

    *I totally fouled up the body builders.  I knew I had the merkin and plank jack backwards after the first one, but I owned it and kept trucking with supreme confidence, as if I this were the way they are supposed to be done.  Fortunately, I brought along 3 men from New Orleans that were all quick to point out I was wrong.

    The Thang

    The Q was passed to Rev Sox.  During our two and a half hour planning session the night before, we had decided Rev Sox would Q some 11s.  However, during introductions, we learned the Mobilenniums had already done 11s.  Not to be deterred, we flipped to Appendix E of our game plan and chose plan C.3 – Global Warming.

    All pax in a circle holding an Al Gore.  Pax #1 starts 5 burpees.  When he gets to burpee #3, the pax to his right starts 5 burpees, so on and so forth around the circle twice.

    We then moseyed to one of many open fields where there were some benches.  Chong-Li delivered an epic beatdown during the New Orleans launch almost 4 years ago that included something we named the Red Hot Chili Pepper.  He did it under the I-610 overpass in City Park, I assume because he saw a bunch of tables and benches there.  1) Who would think that people would want to picnic under an interstate overpass? 2) Who would want to work out on abandoned picnic tables covered in bird feces?  Fun fact:  It’s been 4 years since the New Orleans Pax have worked out under that overpass.

    This was a modified version of the original Chili Pepper (in cadence).

    Channing Tatums x 16; Decline Merkins x 8; Tatum Channings x 16; Incline Merkins x 8;

    Channing Tatums x 12; Decline Merkins x 6; Tatum Channings x 12; Incline Merkins x 6;

    Channing Tatums x 8; Decline Merkins x 4; Tatum Channings x 8; Incline Merkins x 4;

    Channing Tatums x 4; Decline Merkins x 2; Tatum Channings x 4; Incline Merkins x 2

    Then it was on to the middle of the field where we circled up for half of a Dirty MacDeuce.

    JV on Q – Nolan Ryans (left hand down) x 12; dying cock roaches x 12; Bobby Hurleys x 12 – 1 lap.

    Gabrielle on Q – Arm Circles (6 forward, 6 back); Flutter Kicks x 12; Squat Jacks x 12

    This left us just enough time to play a little F3 Ultimate.  On each change of possession, the team losing possession must do 2 merkins, play doesn’t stop until someone scores.  Team that gets scored upon must do 5 burpees and sprint to the other end of the field.  YHC picked teams as I paired myself with the 3 Mobilesexuals.  I chose well as we thrashed the New Orleanians, scoring 3 times in about 4 minutes.  One might say we won because we outnumbered them 4 to 3, but I’m pretty sure we won because Plunge was on our team.  He may have been able to beat us 1 on 6.

    That was it.  We gathered our flip flops and headed back to the flag, arriving a couple of minutes late…Don’t ever let that happen again.    We enjoyed COT and then headed out for coffeeteeria.

    Naked Man Moleskin

    • Thanks to F3 Mobile for inviting us to take part in their launch.  We all thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these men.  I don’t know about the rest of Mobile, but these three guys are top notch.  They are going to do some great things in this city.
    • Rev Sox, who hasn’t been to a Saturday workout since his FNG posting felt like he was working out in the middle of the day with the 0700 start.  It’s much brighter at 0700 than 0530.
    • I was more than thrilled to see Boots’ choice of footwear.  Shoes may be the standard F3 attire, but who says that’s right?
    • Mobile is set up for success with both the AO and the coffee shop.  The AO has a ton of potential.  I didn’t see a place to do pull-ups, so someone may need to take that into their own hands and provide a solution.  Not a lot of inclines either, so you may need to get creative there, but there are tons of open fields, a pavilion, benches, etc.  The coffee shop was a local spot and had plenty of room.  It also had a stage, which opens up lots of possibilities.

  • 610 Stomp #160 – Going Back to Our Roots

    We got back to our roots this Tuesday….Bayou Root (cause the original route is scary) run 6 minutes, enjoy one minute filled with burpees (preferably 10) and rest, then rinse and repeat until the 45 minutes is up.

    If you enjoying running, come out to the Dome Patrol on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month.  We meet at the corner of Poydras and LaSalle and take in the the sights, sounds, and smells of the Quarter and Downtown.

    Plans are in the making for an Uptown run on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month…follow GroupMe for details.

    Thanks,

    Hawg

  • Return of the Dome Patrol

    As Saints fans we were hoping the Dome Patrol would have returned this past Sunday, but that didn’t happen.  It finally showed up today.  Three LARC members and a guest from Winston-Salem did what they could to define what the Dome Patrol will become post BRR.

    Warm-up

    Run the Ramp in front of Gate A to give any late arrivers time to roll in hot.  ¿Dónde está El Guapo?

    The Thang

    Run.  That’s pretty much it.  We ran down Tulane, cut across Harrah’s to the Aquarium.  Then we ran down river to Jackson Square.  This is where we lost Cav and Bam.  I really was trying to pay attention, but Swamp Cock can enthrall you with conversation.  We circled back to go get them, but didn’t see them.  We asked several people in the park if they saw any runners.  They all apparently pointed us in the wrong direction.  We retraced our steps….well not really, we went back a fairly similar way to the VSF, but didn’t find them.  After returning we ran up and over the Gate A ramp forward and backward several times until the clock neared 0615.  Then we headed back to the VSF, relieved to find Cav and Bam waiting for us.

    NMM

    • If you are looking to fit in another running workout, come try out the Dome Patrol.  It’s not just parking garages.  This AO has a lot of potential..running in Woldenberg Park, running through the quarter, running around not Lee Circle, etc.  Runs will be structured for all paces.
    • Losing Bam and Cav lead to some impromptu Fartlekking for Swamp and me.  In our rush to find them we definitely had a negative split.
    • Be careful on Canal St.  When they clean the sidewalk in front of their businesses, the wet surface creates a Looney Tunes boobie trap for runners in flip-flops.
    • Prayers for Bam and the residents of North and South Carolina as they prepare for Hurricane Florence.
    • Check GroupMe for more info regarding Dome Patrol in the coming weeks.

  • Round #2 – A Step Up

    Likely that it was actually a step down, or a step back, but nonetheless three men met in the early morning gloom of Kenner-brah and this is what went down.

    Warm-up

    YHC gave the disclaimer and we proceeded on a warm-up lap, passing by the police station, up the levee ramp, and back down the steps to the SF.

    SSH x 30; Hillbillies x 20; Windmills x 15; Peter Parker x 20; Copperhead Squats x 20.

    A lap up the stairs and down the other side and we were ready for…

    The Thang

    Given the venue, I decided to modify the Jack Web, by adding some punches.  I renamed it the Jack Johnson in honor of the man who became the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World in 1908.  We definitely have race issues in this country now, but it’s got to be better than when Jack was fighting.  Here’s what they say the NY Times wrote about him before the fight:  “If the black man wins, thousands and thousands of his ignorant brothers will misinterpret his victory as justifying claims to much more than mere physical equality with their white neighbors.”  Wow New York Times.  It appears that he ended up being arrested on some suspiciously racist laws and was just recently pardoned posthumously by President Trump.

    Just as we started the Jack Johnson a plane flew overhead….Time for a Sudden Flight Change.  Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned.  Things happen and you have to suck it up and roll with it.  During this workout we had to do 5 burpees every time a plane flew overhead.  Since the AO is located directly south of the airport, you can imagine how many times this occurred.  Well, whatever you are thinking you are probably wrong.  This one time is the only time we did sudden flight change burpees.  Either the flight patterns were kind to us today, or I wasn’t paying close enough attention.

    The Jack Johnson:  1 Merkin, 1 left-right combo, 1 victory shoulder press; repeat with two reps of each escalating until maxing out with a set of 10 reps of each.

    Proceed to the ledge:

    Channing Tatums* x 20; Decline Merkins x 7; Tatum Channings x 20; Incline Merkins x 7

    *Keeping with the theme of the AO, in addition to starring in Step Up Channing Tatum starred in a movie called Fighting.  39% on Rotten Tomatoes.

    Tabata – 20 seconds all out followed by 10 seconds of rest.  We did burpees, merkins, squats, and big boi sit-ups, then repeated for a total of 8 sets.  #CrowdPleaser

    Cool down lap up the stairs and back down the other side.

    Back to the ledge:

    Channing Tatums* x 20; Decline Merkins x 7; Tatum Channings x 20; Incline Merkins x 7

    To the top of the levee for another #CrowdPleaser – Quadraphilia….4 minutes of running down the south side of the levee and back up always facing the river.

    Back to the flag for 1 minute of Mary – Dying cockroach x 30.

    NMM

    • I worked out in shoes for the first time in months.  This AO is tough on flops.
    • I really thought Rev Sox and Gremlin would hate Quadraphilia.  I was disappointed that they didn’t complain about it more.  In fact, it didn’t really seem to bother them at all.
    • Hopefully the City of Kenner can use all of the money they are going to save by not buying Nikes to mow our AO more often.  This is definitely our most poorly maintained AO.

     

  • Feel The Burn

    4 F3 NOLA Pax welcomed home VooDoo from Area 51 for a little Blue Ridge Relay Training on the Wank.  We met at the Family Dollar on Woodland Ave. and proceeded to run over the Intercoastal Canal Bridge and back twice.   Total of 5 miles at a 8:20 pace.  T-claps to El Guapo and Voodoo for tacking on a 3rd round.

    • Voodoo had a lot of questions about my feet.  I’m thinking the whole state of North Carolina must have a foot fetish.  The Tarheel thing is starting to make sense.
    • You would think a wall would be the same height on both sides.  Cav learned differently.
    • El Guapo’s conversational pace is my all out run.
    • As I am pushing myself to get to the top one last time, El Guapo looks over and says, “We sprint to the end of this fence, no?” … In my mind:  “I am sprinting hombre.  Surely you can hear my breathing over the sound of these semis, because it is definitely that loud.”  Out of my mouth:  “Ok.” I’m sure El Guapo noticed my pace didn’t change, but he didn’t say anything.
    • Thanks to El Guapo, Voodoo, and Cav for helping me carry the raw supplies I will be using to start my Cordwainer career.  I have enough material to supply the whole BRR team with brand new running shoes.

    -Hawg

     

  • This BB is Late – I’m a Bum

    Walking back to my house from the Uptowner, I met a man and woman walking their dogs.  The man was in his 50s and dressed as if he might own a sailboat.  It stood out to me that he was wearing sunglasses at 0630, so I will call him Shades.

    Shades:  You alright?

    Hawgcycle:  Yeah, why?  Do I not look alright?

    Shades: ….

    Hawgcycle: …..

    Shades:  Well, I can tell you are not a bum.

    Hawgcycle: …..

    Shades:  Where do you live?

    Hawgcycle: …..

    I’m pretty sure the fact that Shades told me he could tell I was not a bum means:

    1.  He was pretty sure I was bum when he first saw me.
    2. He was still not sure that I was not a bum.

    I’m not sure what the term bum means to Shades, but I am going to take this interaction as a compliment.  My alarming appearance and fatigued stagger leaving the Uptowner Arena means I left it all at the AO.  There is also the possibility that my disheveled hair, $3 flip-flops, painted toenails, and horrendous stench formed his opinion.  I’m sticking with the former.

    Here’s what put me in that state:

    Warm-up

    SSH x 30; IW x 31; Don Quixote x 15; Hug it out OYO while YHC gave some instructions.

    Iron-Pax Pre-Challenge

    20 Hand Release Merkins – 100 yard Bear Crawl – 20 Hand Release Merkins – 100 yard Bear Crawl for time.

    Wood Hero WOD

    400 meter run – 10 Burpee Box Jumps – 10 Sumo-Deadlift High-Pulls – 10 Rock Thrusters.  AMRAP.

    Most of us used the T-Shift Laundry Detergent Buckets to jump over for the Burpee Box Jumps.  A few used the pump wall.  We also used the buckets for the Sumo-Deadlift High-Pulls.

    NMM

    Many things were impressive about this group today:

    • 9 guys posted – big turnout
    • 5 guys wore red.  Most ever
    • All 9 were sub 8:00 on the challenge and ranked top 60ish
    • All 9 attacked the Hero WOD after bearcrawling for days

    Thanks to all those protecting freedoms around the world.

  • Fartlekkers Rejoice

    The Pax have been bringing their A game to the Stomp recently.  Multiple weeks of double digit counts and some all out effort have revitalized this legendary AO.  YHC had the good fortune to follow up a Rudy Q.  Surely I could make it over the low bar he had generously set for me.  It has been a minute since we have done farleks around here so I brought out my proven technique of yelling random percentage numbers at the Pax and letting them figure out what they mean.

    Disclaimer

    Fail.  I start off worse than Rudy.  Embarrassing.  In my zeal to give the Fartlek instructions I forget the disclaimer.  I hastily yell it as we run, after Recall brings the omission to my attention.

    The Thang

    Da Parish, who claims his super tight and bright cycling jersey must have shrunk recently, takes off on a solo trek around Lakeview.  I don’t know where he went, but where ever it was the women were blessed.

    The rest of us ran in relatively baggy outfits.  A picture is worth a thousand words:

    You thought I was going to post a picture of Da Parish’s outfit?  Sorry, I didn’t take one.  In case I ever decide to run for political office, I want to make sure no one finds anything like that on my phone.

    We started with your normal pace to the festival grounds.  As we reached the festival grounds we circled back around for the six.  For each of the following segments the early finishers circled around for the six so that we all stayed together.  Recovery pace between each segment

    • 70% effort to the big pavillion
    • 100% effort to the last tree before the path to the Wisner overpass
    • 60% effort up and over the Wisner overpass
    • Run backwards up the overpass, turn and run 75% effort down
    •  50% effort up and over the overpass
    • 80% effort to the turn that goes under the overpass
    • 75% effort to the turn that goes under 610
    • 100% effort to the top of the hill past 610
    • Normal pace to the backside of the track
    • 100% effort – 440
    • 100% effort -220
    • Recovery run back to flag

    We sealed the deal with 15 burpees.

    NMM

    If MapMyRun is accurate, and I have little reason to believe that it is, the entire Pax ran over 4.5 miles at a 9:00 min/mile pace.  That’s an impressive showing.  And they had plenty of breath to make several Junior High comments about entering the track from the backside.

    T-claps to El Guapo for EHing Swamp Cock to post at his first Stomp.  Hope you become a regular, brother.

    Looks like 33% of the LARC is taking their training seriously.

    I wore shoes.  I think that was a mistake.  I know Rudy was disappointed in me and for once I agree with him.