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  • Side of Crunchy Rolls

    When I checked the weather at 5 a.m., my phone said there was a 100% chance of light rain. I decided to forgo a jacket, just put on baseball cap instead. But when I got to City Park, the rain had stopped. The ground was shiny wet and the park surprisingly empty for such a balmy and pleasant morning. Luckily, it wasn’t totally empty. There were six other PAX waiting at the spot, including an FNG.

    It was my VQ (not counting the half-Q I shared with Rudy one Saturday a few months back). I had written down some exercises and the outline of a route on a little blue notecard, but in the gloom it was unreadable. No matter. I had re-read before I left the house. I tucked it into the waistband of my shorts just in case, assured everyone that I had no idea what I was doing, and then we were off.

    We moseyed a short ways to the athletic track—the one with the markings and measurements—and we found a patch of concrete to do our warm-ups.
    •    20 Windmills
    •    20 press ups
    •    20 SSHs

    Got on the ground and revolved around with plank jacks, left-hand Nolan Ryans, crab toe touches, right-hand Nolan Ryans and 20-count mountain climbers.

    Moseyed over to the museum and circled up on a soft patch of grass there. My F3 name is a reference to aikido, and I wanted to try an aikido warm-up exercise. It probably has a Japanese name, but for F3 I called them “crunchy rolls” (sushi reference at least). Basically, you begin seated, rock backwards onto your upper back/shoulders and then rock forward again, crossing your legs in the air each time. 10 count. Next exercise was the same thing, but as you rocked forward, you come up onto your foot with knee bent at 90 degrees before rocking backwards again. 10 times. Finally, it became a “crunchy roll step-up” (again, my own term) where you take the previous exercise but totally stand up on one foot, then lower back to your butt, rock backwards, cross legs in the air, and rock forward and stand up on the other foot. Try not to use your hands at all. 10 count.

    In the same spot, did some bear crawling and wheelbarrowing to the kiddie train tracks, and went over to the fountain:

    •    10 box jumps
    •    10 incline merkins
    •    10 box jumps
    •    10 decline merkins

    Hit the track to mosey around the lake and went most of the way around until we got to the boat rental cottage. On a patch of grass there we did some Mary:

    •    Putins
    •    Crunchy frogs
    •    Flutter kicks
    •    Pretzel crunches (left and right sides)

    When we were leaving, we noticed a tent nearby. Hope we didn’t disturb the poor guy sleeping inside. Moseyed back to the museum fountain for a few more derkins and incline merkins interspersed with left- and right-leg step ups. With five minutes left, we all moseyed over to the spot.

    We dubbed our FNG “Spaniel” for his love of his dog. Gave our intentions in recognition of disturbing world events (Syrian chemicals, Russian subway attack) and events closer to home, including the passing of Walleye’s uncle. A prayer, and we were off into the world, feeling energized and ready to take on the day.

  • Age is a state of mind

    Waiting for Marlin, so YHC’d have some company.  Alas, he’s a youngster, fartsacking with the best of them.  So after a Disclaimer and announcement of the time in Bermuda,

    THE THANG

    Mosey to rock pile for COP1:

    • Jump Squats 25xIC (too much mumble chatter about missing SSHs)
    • Side Straddle Hops 25xIC
    • Hillbillies 25xIC (after all that mumble chatter, no IWs for the PAX)–PAX welcomes Hawg.
    • Casablancas 25xIC (QHC’s mashup of a Rev move and a Shorty move: pulsing squats while rotating the arms out up and down)
    • Face time: Peter Parkers 25xIC, Parker Peters 25xIC, Mountain Climbers 25xIC, JLos 25xIC and Merkins 25xIC (in homage to Rudy, as he circles the track with his pinned pinky)

    Pick up a rock (any size) and mosey to the oval track for COP2:

    • Bear crawl (25 yards or so), and back with crab walks (mumble chatter about the razor grass, so YHC had pity and deep-sixed the Boo Boo Bear Crawls and Bear-pees).
    •  Lunge walks (same distance and back)
    • Duck Walk (same distance and back)
    • Frog Hops (same distance and back)

    Circle up for COP3 avec les pierres:

    • Shoulder lifts 25xIC
    • Curls 25xIC
    • Rows 25xIC
    • Squats 25xIC
    • Calf raises 25xIC

    A quick mosey around the track for COP4.  #TClaps to Yo-Yo for the antelope sprint.

    Mosey to the soft grass for Circle of Mary:

    • LBCs 55xIC (just because)
    • Flutter kicks with rocks over abs 25xIC
    • Y-T-W (or your torso whines): arms lifts on the belly, first Ys 25xIC, then Ts 25xIC, then Wx 25xIC
    • Hello Dollys with rocks over abs 25xIC
    • Rosalita (without rocks, as far as QHC could see) 25xIC
    • Real Freddy Mercuries 25xIC
    • Putins with (or without) rocks 25xIC

    Mosey back to rock pile to return our friends, and then the PAX moseys fastish (QHC is getting better, but he’s still slow as molasses in going fast, another year to improve) to the Virtual Flag for Count Off, Name-o-Rama and COT.

    Thanks for a great B-Day Q: double nickels are a great stop in life’s journey!   Welcome back Rudy pinky, pin and all; modification is what it’s about.  Been missing our pirate: where are you Bubba?  JV

  • The least amount of burpee’s while still doing burpee!

    It was a beautiful spring morning.  The weather was perfect (unlike last Monday).  The PAX started to trickle in at around 5:20 with the usual couple of late stragglers speeding into the parking lot!  A couple of new guys were EH’d by Roots (who decided not to show up) and Landing Strip.  To keep with the theme of “Bringing the skinny back to the skinny”, I had planned a pretty tough, run heavy workout around the park.  I was a bit nervous for the new guys whether they would be able to keep up but decided to stick with the plan.

    We started with a mosey around parking lot to Oak Alley.

    Circle up
    1 BURPEE (I think this is a record!)
    SSH x25
    IMPERIAL WALKER x25
    PETER PARKER x25
    PARKER PETER x25
    Alternate high knees/butt kicks to the end of Oak Alley then jog to the row bars

    Split up into 4 groups
    LEFT HIP DIPS
    RIGHT HIP DIPS
    ROWS
    MERKINS (count 25)

    Every other running man
    JOG x 2/SPRINT x 1 to the spot across from the bridge

    Inspired by Bartman’s “More Jack Webbs”  workout and also inspired by the one comment to his backblast from: I believe someone from The Metairie, we did 11 JACK WEBBS!  And now we all know why you stop at 10!

    Next was every other running man
    JOG x1/SPRINT x1/PRISONER RUN X1 to the fountain

    RIGHT LEG STEP UP x15
    INCLINE MERKIN x15
    LEFT LEG STEP UP x15
    DIPS x15

    Every other running man
    INDIAN RUN to the 17th hole for some quick MARY

    RUSSIAN TWIST X15
    LBC X15
    FREDDIE MERCURY X15
    V UP’S X15
    DYING COCKROACH X15

    INDIAN RUN TO THE PULL UP BARS while waiting for the PAX we did:

    PLANK
    RIGHT ARM UP IN THE AIR
    LEFT ARM UP IN THE AIR
    MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

    JOG x1/SPRINT X1 to the flag

    Plank and wait for the 6.

    Finished with the count.  (Elwire and G spot had to dip out early)

    Namorama.  Welcome two new FNG’s, SHANK and LEMON HEAD, or if you prefer LEMON HEAD MFer!  Prayed a prayer of thankfulness for God giving us the strength to wake up every morning and carry the weight that He designed us to carry.  Thankful for the opportunity to lead!  Until next time…Amen!

  • Bucktown Coastie is Changing the World

    A Pax of 2 gathered at the lake front gloom for a total of 4 wheels and 2 great minds.   Count Off, NAMEORAMA, Announcements

    ·       The Basin Run is still happening even though YHC is still on run IR

    ·       The Big Easy Triathlon was cancelled by the organizers due to road construction.   YHC is looking for another CSAUPS to replace this one.   I’m all ears.

    Pray – This upcoming Sunday is Palm Sunday and beginning of Holy Week.  YHC was born and is still practicing Catholic.   Catholics are told that during Lent, you are supposed to give up or sacrifice something.   YHC, always had a problem with “not doing something”, but rather wanted to use Lent to DO SOMETHING.   In the past, YHC has gone to extra mass or way of the cross.  This year, it was all about being a better dad and role model.   For the last week of Lent, keep up your sacrifice, but also remember to DO SOMETHING that makes you a stronger Q. 

    The Thang

    ·       W/U ride to Okwata.  Get those legs pumping at ~90rpms

    ·       4 minute circuits – 1 min 90 rpm (medium/strong effort), 1 min 100 rpm (hard/90% effort), 2 min recover – RINSE & REPEAT till time

    All together I believe we completed 6 circuits.  During the recovery, YHC & the PAX had plenty of great mumble chatter opportunity about life, politics, and leadership; and ,we are going to solve the world’s problem….one gloom at a time.

    Thank you for the opportunity to lead,

    Da Parish

  • Northshore Grow Ruck Training #4

    Hawg recently commented that the best part of the Go Ruck Challenge is the training and, in particular, the opportunity to spend time with the PAX at a level somewhere south of a redlined heart rate.  He was spot on.  Another great day of Northshore Grow Ruck training.  2.5 hours about 8 miles from the Mandeville Trailhead to the Pelican Park soccer fields and back.  Getting the miles in under ruck and sharing some F2.

  • bunny hop

    great day to raise up out the fart sack and post to the pax guys!

    got out the car this morning to find half the pax at the end of a 2 mile run…. way to go guys.. goruck is right around the bend!!!

    630 sharp we opened up with a mosey to the first COP…

    side straddle hops

    seal jacks

    butt kicks

    knee highs

    slow squats

    and Cossack squats (hope you guys hated that!!)

    then a mile mosey over to the bb court with suprise lunges and dreaded bunny hops to keep em on their toes!! lol

    center court for another cop

    started with an exercise I’m sure theres a name for but just have no idea what its called…:( something like the catalina wine mixer without the merkin… although next q i will be sure to include that merkin!! and include the ones i left out this time

    then side plank while the pax counts off then a merkin and switch sides… x10

    bear crawl across the court round the jungle gym into three pull ups and three dips rinse and repeatx4

    into suicedes on the court both backwards and forwards….

    merkins

    burpies

    indian run back to the flag only to have turbo kill us with a solid 6 minutes of mary…

    joined by some potential fngs at the flag to finish it off with a ball of man in the cot..

    top it off with f2 over a cup of joe and talk about how we can go even harder this upcoming week!!!

    thanks guys I’m out

    Butt Splice

     

     

     

     

  • Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up – Dark Knight

     

    After a Friday night of tossing and turning and just ‘no sleep’, I was glad to get up and get this morning workout thing over with.  I’m not sure what’s up with my restlessness, but I have a hunch it has to do with being the Q at Troubled Waters.   After driving from Lakeview to D’han with 10 minutes left till ‘Game Time’, I turned into the parking lot with Tool already there and about to take a 1/2 mile warmup run.  T-Claps to Tool!   I head on over to the Flag and expect Chipper to show up but….alas…a Fartsacker today.  Oh well, 6:32 am and I’m late with the warm up and I give a quick disclaimer and off to the COP.

    The Thang – In Cadence

    20 x SSH, 20 x High Knees, 20 x Butt Kicks, 20 x Hacky Sacks, 20 x Imperial Squat Walkers, 20 x Plank Jacks, 20 x Peter Parkers, 10 x Mountain Climbers, 20 x Shoulder Taps, 10 x Mountain Climbers, and 20 x Hip Slappers.

    NOTE:  If you notice, I had to break up the mountain climbers because I was gassed and out of breath.  One day I’m going to finish the Rudy Special of 25 x Plank Jacks, 25 x Peter Parkers, 25 Parker Peters, 25 x Mountain Climbers and 25 x Shoulder Taps with no breaks.  I’m not there but I’m not where I used to be.

    Death March and BearPee Broad Jumps

    After the COP, we moseyed to the levee and headed east for a Bataan Death March which is an Indian Run and 5 burpee combo.  In the run, the last member of the PAX stops and does 5 burpees and sprints to the front of the pack.  The last person in line now stops and does 5 burpees and then sprints to the front until everyone has taken a turn x 2.  As we finished the two (2) rounds of the Death March, we took a left down the levee to an open field of grass for some BearPee Broad Jumps.  We lined up and then proceeded to do a four (4) hand touch bear crawl followed by one (1) burpee broad jump.  Then we did an eight (8) hand touch bear crawl followed by two (2) burpee broad jumps.  Then we went did a twelve (12) hand touch bear crawl followed by three (3) burpee broad jumps all the way up to 20 hand touches and 5 burpee broad jumps.  After some serious mumble chatter about the grass being crazy cold and wet, we did a rinse and repeat.

    Jacob’s Ladder

    After we got soaked in the grass, we headed back to the levee and proceeded west with another Bataan Death March but only got in one round as we stopped for some Jacob’s Ladder.  At the bottom of the levee, we did one (1) one legged merkin then ran up to the top then back down and did two (2) one legged merkins until we reached 7.  From there we headed back to the fitness area under the bridge.

    AMRAP

    There are five (5) stations which QIC put in place. Pull ups, dips, lunges, squats, and frog kicks (laying chest down on the bleachers while hips and legs hang over and then legs lifted up to parallel with the ground). One member of the PAX does 5 pull ups while the other members do as many reps as possible of all the other exercises x 2.

    MARY

    With just a few minutes left we circle up for Guantanamo.  PAX is on their backs with feet six inches off the ground in a circle.  Meanwhile, one member of the PAX gets up on his feet and walks over to push down the legs of the other PAX members laying down x 2.  After completing the pushing, that PAX member lays down with their feet six inches off the ground and another PAX member starts the leg pushing process until everyone completes the pushing.  With just a minute to go, we do 20 x Supermans with arms moving overhead then down to the side and 20 x WW2 sit ups.

    DONE!!!  Wait, our FNG (Reformer) is still down on the ground with eyes closed.  Is he alright?  Injured?  Dead?  Whew!! I see some movement and he starts to rise up after a few minutes.   Our FNG made it!  So proud that he made it through the workout and didn’t quit.

    CIRCLE OF TRUST 

    We thanked God for this beautiful morning and lifted up requests for Tool’s brother, safety for Hawg’s family as they travel today, Torque’s brother and Triple Shift’s friend (Mrs. Coe) health.  So thankful for the opportunity to lead and impact others!

  • I always thought our workouts needed a little “Feedback”

    I guess I was so worried I would miss my first ever Q that I woke up that morning at 2:00 and 4:00 A.M. jolted awake by the fear that I had overslept. Not thinking rationally at all since if I had thought about it, I would have remembered that I had set two alarms on my phone just in case. If there ever wasn’t a definition for a balmy morning, it would have come into existence after one walked out the door that morning. 77 degrees at 5:30. But that didn’t keep 6 loyal PAX members (and one determined FNG) to brave the elements for a good old fashioned butt whipping. So once 6:00 hit, we went to work…

    Warm up:

    Side straddle hops (20 IC)
    Imperial walkers (15 IC)
    Windmill (15 IC)
    Mummy (15 IC) (I wish tanked up could have been there)
    10 Merkins
    10 Copperhead Squats:
    Regular squat but lowering body slowly on first 3 counts, then lifting up on 4 count for first rep. 

    Kept arms up for the entirety of the next three subsequent exercises:
    Arm circles thumbs forward small circles (15 IC)
    Hitchhikers (thumbs back small circles) (15 IC)
    Pterodactyls big circles thumbs forward (15 IC)

    Butt kicks (15 IC)
    High knees (15 IC)

    Workout (The Thang)

    Moseyed to the back of the School to get our beat down going. 

    Started off by doing a Duck Walk:
    The duck walk is an exercise done by squatting and walking slowly and staying down in the squat the entire time and walking as slow as you can take! Go 2 times to line (about 20 feet) and back never raising out of the squat position. Who would have thought that such an innocent name would have left the PAX groaning so much?

    Next we did some elevator push-ups:
    We started in a plank and on my Q we would go to the bottom floor (few inches off the ground), second floor (halfway up), and top floor (plank) for 1 1/2 minutes. 

    We walked to front of the school for some partnered wall squats:
    We partnered up and had the other partner hold a wall squat while the other did 5 burpees and ran up and around the front stairway and back and then replaced you on the wall. 3 rounds total. 

    Next we moseyed to parking garage ramp where we did some Bay City Scissors (core workout) followed by a Bernie Sanders halfway up ramp and then sprinted the rest.

    We went to the other side of garage and repeated that to the top level. Shooter looked like he was shot out of a cannon on this round! Once we were on the top we did a sprint to other side, did three Erkins, sprinted back and did three Derkins.

    As the workout wound down, we also went down and moseyed to the courthouse benches for our final series. We did a move that I am not sure has a name that I’m calling… 4 count exploding Derkins: Do a Derkin with feet on the bench going slowly down using a four count and explode up on 4 for 1st rep. 10 reps. 

    We closed out our final sequence with Aiken Legs:
    Done in succession with no rest — 20 Box Jumps, 20 Squats, 20 Lunges (10 each leg), 20 Seal Jacks. On account of all of the mumbling, I can guarantee that all of our legs were in fact aching.

    We moseyed, gingerly I might add, back to the flag.

    We circled up for a COT and did our counterama and Name-o-rama

    In our closing we got to meet our brave FNG (I knew him quite well already actually). EiEi wasn’t there for his usual input, but I feel we landed on a great one for our FNG. Please welcome to our PAX Feedback!!!

    I loved being able to grow with you guys in both strength and fellowship and look forward for that to get even stronger every morning I meet you guys in the gloom. Until next time, see you guys and thanks for letting me lead! (I apologize if I missed anyone who posted. I could have sworn we had 8 so if there was one more I missed I’m sorry about that)

  • The Uptowner Yoga Challenge: Week #3

    “F3: Fitness, Fellowship, and……Flexibility??” – Random Pax

    Hawg texted last night to see if YHC could take on duties of Zen Master for Week #3…of course I could!  However, YHC has been having some problems with taking my DRP lately…and it happened again this gloom!  With 5 minutes til start time, YHC was still in the fartsack!

    Blunt Talk scared starz wake up season2 GIF

    Fortunately, the NOLA Pax can handle anything…

    The Thang

    YHC thinks the first part happened like this…

    HVAC: “Where’s Hawg, doesn’t he Q today?”
    Bogey: “Probably still nursing his hand.”
    JV: “Yes, but he told me Shorty said he would take the Q.”
    Pax: [sigh] “Oh, well he won’t be here then!”
    Kim Chi: “I’ll take it…I’ve been to every workout this year, so I know all the moves.”

    Some warmup moves like SSH, IWs, Windmills, etc.

    Yoga Work:

    • Sun Salutations (x3)
    • Runner’s Stretch
    • Crescent Pose
    • Warrior 1
    • Warrior 2….YHC arrived and took the reigns from here
    • Reverse Warrior
    • Triangle Pose

    Joint Mobility Work:

    • 3-Plane Neck Movements
    • Neck Circles
    • Wrist Movements
    • Arm Circles
    • Torso Twist
    • Side Bends
    • Front/Back Bends
    • Pelvic Tilts
    • Hula Hoops

    Plank Work:

    • High Plank
    • Side Plank
    • Reverse Plank
    • Hollow Holds
    • Supermans

    Stretch Work:

    • Hamstring
    • Groin
    • Hip Openers
    • Runners Stretches…Bogey is very bendy!
    • More Hamstrings
    • Quads

    Done…Countoff, Nameorama, and Prayer…Sorry for being late!

    Moleskin

    • Anyone have any alarm clock rec’s? I’m thinking of getting one that shocks you if you don’t get up…. or this:

    NowThis  robot wake up alarm clock simone giertz GIF

    • Grow Ruck 03 is June 10th…. sign up….do it!!
  • Northshore Grow Ruck Training #3

    Three PAX got after it Thursday evening with an hour and a half of Grow Ruck training.  Simplicity ruled the day as the PAX rucked around old Covington for the first hour twenty and then hit the Justice Center’s stairs for the last 10.  Lots of mumble chatter and F2.  Going to be a great event.  Join the PAX for the next training session, even if you cannot make the Grow Ruck event itself.