Category: New Orleans

  • #PreBlast – Christmas Eve Eve

    What a brutal week.  Thought we’d be looking at a pre-dead week-dead week, but it was quite the opposite.  As such, I’m plagiarizing tomorrow’s workout from one about a year ago.  Will see if Amnesty posts, and if so, if he recognizes his handiwork.

    First Wolfpack Mountain Q.  Yay.

    Warm Up:

    • SSH x 30 IC
    • IW x 30 IC
    • Arm Circles x 30 IC (15 each direction)
    • Parker Peters x 20 IC

    Mosey to the the Hill and Indian Run to the top.  11’s from the top ramp: run down one level and do 10 x Merkins; run back to the top and do 1 x LBC.  Continue until numbers reverse.

    Mosey downhill and head to ROTC zone.

    • Left Leg Step Ups x 20 IC
    • Dips x 15 IC
    • Right Leg Step Ups x 20 IC

    Mosey to front lawn of Loyola for Mary.

    • LBC x 20 IC
    • LBT x 20 IC
    • Hello Dolly x 20 IC
    • Flutter Kicks x 20 IC
    • J-Lo’s x 15 IC
    • Superman hold and rest x 3

    Mosey back to flag.

    This will be the last 2016 installment of prostrations.  Today’s focus on things to be grateful for – a good thing to think about as Christmas is upon us.

    I prostrate in gratitude for coming to…

    • see the beauty of this world.
    • know the wonders of all life forms.
    • hear the pure beauty of the birds’ singing.
    • know the spiritual sound of the wind.
    • hear the bubbling music of the streams.
    • see the beauty of a shimmering rainbow.
    • see that true peace of mind comes from being in harmony with nature.

    Amen.

    Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!

  • 8 Pax & The Hulk

    The Thang

    A group of eight gathered around the shovel flag in the relatively warm(er) gloom weather.  As the clock struck 0530, YHC gave the DISCLAIMER and was about to take off with a quick mosey, but then we saw it from a distance…looked something like this….

    hulk

    It was running at us…. the Pax was curious, so we had to do 25x SSH IC to see what it was…. turned out it was just JV showing up in classy attire:

    Displaying 20161222_062042.jpg

    Anyway..now we can mosey… so around the fountain and over to a grass patch.

    COP #1 (sorry Rudy, I mean #2)

    25x Seal Jacks IC
    20x Shoulder Taps IC (hold plank position, tap hand to opposite shoulder)
    10x Shoulder Tap Merkins IC (same as above, just add a merkin when you put you hand down)
    30x Monkey Humpers IC
    10x Arm Circles IC (Forward, then Backward)

    Mosey over to the Canal Street Track

    BLIMPS – OYO
    Burpees x 5
    Lunges x 10 each leg
    Imperial Walkers x 15 each leg
    Merkins x 20
    Plank Jacks x 25
    Squats x 30

    Pax ran a lap around the Canal Street track (up, across the crest, down, back across to the start) before each exercise.  Some of the Pax even did a Lagniappe Lap at the end!

    Mosey back over to the pullup bars, and partnered up.

    Dora 0.5 – 1 – 1.5: A goal rep count for each group of two Pax using a cumulative rep count.

    0.5: 50 x Pullups / recover with Flutter Kicks until pullup Pax is done,
    1.0: 100 x Merkins / recover with an up & back levee sprint; flapjack when levee Pax returns.
    1.5: 150 x Seismic Squats IC (no partners, we did this one together).  A Seismic Squat is a low Squat Hold, and do little squats in cadence.  These sucked!

    Circled up around the flag shout-outs and a prayer.  Thanks for letting me lead!

    Moleskin

    Triple Shifts VQ is tomorrow at the Uptowner.  Come post to show him some love!

    Merry Christmas everyone!

     

  • PRE BLAST The F3 Darby Challenge Feb 1-28

    Think you can run 565 miles #notanotherBRRx2?  What if you had a month #notovernight?  What if you could do it on a bike #gears?  Want to try and help those that have deployed more times in the past 15 years than any other unit #tipofthespear?  Then welcome to the F3 Darby Challenge.

     

    The F3 Darby Challenge is F3 Nation’s contribution to Run Ranger Run, an event to be held this upcoming February (2017) throughout the country.  Run Ranger Run is GallantFew’s annual fundraiser, and it is the collective goal to raise as many funds as possible to do the work we do to transition veterans to civilian life and benefit the communities they live in.  Don’t care about history, purpose or why and just want to know how to participate just scroll to the bottom. #justsignmeup.

     

    The History:

    One of the GallantFew’s core programs is the Darby Project.  The Darby Project’s mission is “to facilitate a successful transition for Army Ranger veterans from active military service to a civilian life filled with hope and purpose.”  Rangers have been at the forefront of every major conflict since their advent in the Revolutionary War.  Major battles include:

     

    Normandy – Rangers scale the cliffs at Point-Du-Hoc to eliminate German coastal guns that threaten the success of the Normandy invasion.

     

    Philippines – The Great Raid.  6th Ranger Battalion infiltrates 30 miles behind Japanese lines to rescue 500 POWs sent to a prison camp after the Bataan Death March in 1941.

     

    Vietnam – Rangers conduct deep reconnaissance missions, often without support, to seek and report on troop movements.

     

    Battle of Mogadishu – Black Hawk Down.  Rangers, along with other special operations units, conduct a daylight raid that turns into the largest firefight since the Vietnam War.  At the end of the raid the following day, elements of the assault units are forced to exfil on foot an entire mile in full gear under fire, soon dubbed the Mogadishu Mile.

     

    Objective Rhino – Rangers conduct a daring nighttime jump in the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) to seize an airfield and destroy local al-Qaeda elements.

     

    Haditha Dam – Rangers assault and secure the strategically important Haditha Dam (Iraq) and hold for 9 days while repelling multiple attacks from much larger, elite Iraqi
    armored forces.

     

    Since the events of September 11, 2001, the Ranger Regiment has deployed more than any other unit in the U.S. military, with some Rangers being down range for over 15 deployments.

     

    The Purpose:

    GallantFew’s mission is to prevent veteran isolation by connecting new veterans with hometown veteran mentors, thereby facilitating a peaceful, successful transition from military service to a civilian life filled with hope and purpose.

     

    GallantFew does this by creating and supporting a nationwide network of successfully transitioned veterans that engage locally with new veterans with the same military background now going through transition, and by motivating communities all over the nation to take responsibility for veterans returning; welcoming, connecting, and including.

     

    GallantFew believes this will prevent veteran unemployment, homelessness, and suicide.

     

    As part of the GallantFew, the Darby Project is a network of networks that synchronizes the efforts of veteran support organizations to lead revolutionary transition services for the elite Army Rangers!  We are not waiting for the next war to figure this out.

     

    Three Pillars of The Darby Project:

     

    1. RESILIENCE: Educate active duty Rangers still serving of the programs available to them now and after leaving the service.
    2. REINTEGRATION: Coordinate Ranger education programs and available resources before the Ranger exits active duty.
    3. REDIRECTION: Provide assistance to those Ranger veterans and families that need additional care and assistance after Rangers have entered civilian life.

     

    Why F3?:

    Why not.  The Darby Project is headed up by one of our own, Bryce Mahoney (aka Darby #realoriginal), who served in 3rd Ranger Battalion.  During his time as a Ranger, Darby deployed 4 times to the Middle East.  The mission of the GallantFew and the Darby Project ties into the F3 mission of reinvigorating male community leadership.  What better way than to help to integrate proven leaders, whose motto is Sua Sponte (referring to the Rangers’ ability to accomplish tasks with little to no prompting), into our communities.

     

     

    What is the Event?

    A team of up to ten individuals will pledge to walk, run and/or ride bicycles a combined total of 565 miles in the month of February (usually 28 days). Teams may be formed from anywhere in the world and your miles can be logged from the comfort of your own home.

     

    What Can I Do?

    There are 3 ways to participate:

     

    1. Join the F3 Nation team. Register at Team F3Nation..  There are currently 8 spots left on the team.  Don’t make Darby and Coop Dog do all 565 miles by themselves #Icantfeelmyquads
    2. Form your own Team: Think you can do more than the F3 Nation team?  Form your own team in your region or sub-region.  Use your BRR or Palmetto 200 team #yourealreadyrunning.  Team with the most donations raised will receive a one-of-a-kind F3/Darby Project Challenge Coin.
    3. Donate to a team. Whether it’s the Nation team or one of the regional teams that you support the funds all go to the same great cause.  If you are interested in donating go here RunRangerRun2017 and make sure to select your team.

     

    Questions

    For more information on the GallantFew and the Darby Project visit https://gallantfew.org/ or https://darbyproject.org/.

     

    Still have questions email [Bryce Mahoney] at [Bryce.mahoney@darbyproject.org].

     

  • Rock Out With Your Block Out

    Despite being the middle of December, the PAX was met with a summer-like temperature and long sleeves were nowhere to be found.  Many Saturday regulars trickled in along with a few new faces including Einstein from the Northshore and two FNGs courtesy of Triple Shift.  The PAX started with a dozen but quickly grew to 15 when a few not-so-punctual guys rolled in hot.  This was YHC’s first Saturday Q in five months so several ideas had been brewing which were narrowed down to another cinder block showdown.  After the disclaimer, we were off in a mosey to the Great Lawn for the Warmup, all in cadence:

    SSH x30, Windmill x20, Arm Circle x20, Peter Parker x20, Plank Jack x20, Low Country Crab (or Crab Cakes?) x20

    Mosey over to the field across from the Big Foundry where YHC had his truck positioned with a pallet of cinder blocks.  This block party would be limited to the half sized variety (18lbs) since inventory was low on the full sizes blocks.  The smaller blocks allowed a different mix of exercises which meant YHC was new to some of these.  Each PAX grabbed a block and circled up for the following:

    COP #1:

    Elf on the Shelf R-L x20

    Squat Block Swing x20

    Merkin w/RH on block x20

    Elf on the Shelf L-R x20

    Squat Block Swing x20

    Merkin w/LH on block x20

    Going by the soreness in YHC back as he types this, the demostrated form could have used some improvement.  Sorry for any tweaked muscles cause by this.

    COP #2:

    Pair up in a line for:

    PAX #1 grab both blocks and lunge walk while farmer’s carrying the blocks to the designated palmetto tree aka “Arecaceae” or whatever the Yale guy said (50yds away?), crank out 10 burpees, and farmer’s carry back (no lunge).  PAX#2 run to foundry, crank out 10 pullups, and run back.  Flip flop, plank and wait for the six.

    Repeat circuit for round 2 with farmer’s carry (no lunge) with block lift there and back with 10 burpees in the middle.  Flip flop with run and pullups.  The forearms were feeling it at this point.

    COP#3:

    Circle up for:

    All PAX shoulder press block while one person drops for a burpee going around counting up to 45 (15 PAX, 3 rounds totaling 45 burpees).  This had some shoulders screaming.

    Repeat circle with block curls and burpees counting up to 45.  T-claps to Bubba for pushing hard and displaying a very intense game face.

    COP#4 w/Mary:

    Russian Twists w/block x20 IC

    Flutter Kick (holding block 6″ above sternum) x20 IC

    Cockroach Crunch Block Press Supreme x20 IC

    Wife Pleasers w/ feet on block x20 IC

    Hello Dolly (w/ block 6″ up) x20 IC + x5 for surprise lagniappe

     

    Mosey over to the the Museum ledge with a few minutes left for COP #5:

    Dips x20 IC, Box Jumps x10 OYO, Dips x10 IC

    Mosey back to the flag where we knocked out an abbreviated version of the plank routine known as “The Rotisserie Chicken” (compliments of Marlin).  Finished one minute in to overtime.

    Note that Hawg pulled a LIFO (Last In, First Out) and ducked out….guess he wasn’t up for any small talk that morning.

    Solid COP including a rather thorough naming process for the two FNGs.  YHC thanked the PAX for keeping me on track the past six months as my son w/special needs was away from home and our family went through a whirlwind of events.  The morning workouts are a good form of therapy for such things and helped YHC stay healthy both mentally and physically.  Thanks for the prayer intentions throughout that time.  My son is now back home and doing better.  Also prayed for Mason, those battling cancer, and the many less fortunate children not just locally but throughout the world.  T-claps to the guys who stuck around for some F2 coffee and our favorite waiter Mike.

    Thanks for letting me lead and sorry again for any sore muscles.

    Tool

     

     

     

  • Uptowner 12/16

    YHC joined with Triple Shift and Duct Tape for a good ole no-frills uptowner.

    Disclaimer and begin.

    Warm Up COP

    IC
    SSH x 30 (HVAC joined mid-stream)
    Don Quixote x15
    Peter Parker x 15
    Mountain Climber x15
    Parker Peter x 15
    Arm Circle x 15 one-way and then 15 the other way.

    Grab a big rock so you can chest press and make it count. Also grab smaller rock for rock lunges.

    Lunge Rock 11’s

    Start 10 Rock chest press one side, then 8 overhead rock lunges, then one curl. Increase curls and decrease presses always equal 11.

    Take big rock to bleachers.

    All IC

    15 shoulder presses.
    15 curls
    15 bleacher press
    20 calf raises.
    Repeat

    Send big rock home.

    Mary
    Lunge Rock Twists x15
    Russian Rock Twists x15
    Roll -Up Rock Extensions x15
    End with Dolly-Flutter-Rosita Combo 15 each.

    Send your little Rock home.

    In COT, Hawg made his appearance. Rudy even told me next day he was in the area. So, maybe count him too?

    Solid work-out to lead into weekend!

  • Opposite Way Monday

    YHC, Amnesty, Triple Shift, and Rudy found themselves on the wrong side of the tracks this morning and were delayed by the train. Just when we were about to circle up and plank and wait for the train, it passed and we ran to the flag about 5 minutes late with warm-ups already proceeding.

    This backblast is very overdue by a week, and I can’t remember much of what we did. Let’s just say we ran opposite way around Pontiff doing various work-outs on the way, all without touching a rock!

  • Wolfpack Mountain with the Reverend

    Weather: A brisk 48deg and clear sky. Run to 6th floor via steps and backward run up the top ramp, sprint to back of the deck.

    Warm Up:

    • Side straddle hop (20x)
    • Imperial Walker Squats (20x)
    • Monkey Humpers (20x)
    • Burpees (10x)

    Run down, bear crawl up

    Mary:

    • X-Factor V-Up (30x)
    • LBC’s (20x in cadence)
    • Pretzel Crunch (20x Both Sides)
    • Protractor (1 minute)
    • Rosalita (20x)

    Go down and back up in Joe Hendricks (reverse bear crawl) up the top ramp, sprint to back of the deck.

    Shoulders:

    • Dancing Bears (20x)
    • Plank Compass w/ Merkins, Shoulder Taps, Side Planks
    • Sun Gods (20x)
    • Moraccan Night Club (20x)

    Down and back up in side shuffle left and right up the top ramp, sprint to back of the deck.

    Legs:

    • Dan Taylor (1Squat:4Lunge down)
    • Frog jumps back
    • Daft Punk (5x)
    • Dan Taylor down ramp to level 6.

    Run down and Back to the flag.

    Circle up and name our FNG, “Bunyans” because the guy is a giant like Paul Bunyan.

    19 pax total for some punishment. The reverse-bear-crawls up a ramp will not be forgotten.

  • Timer Hate

    Seven men gathered around the VSF, cuz Shorty didn’t show…again. DISCLAIMER and let’s mosey. Welcome Mr. Awesome, glad you could join us. In a field on the way to the Baby Foundry we circled up for a Warmup COP…:
    -SSH x 30 IC
    -IW x 30 IC
    -PP x 20 IC
    -Arm Circles x 30 IC (15 ea dir)
    -J-Lo’s x 20 IC
    Let’s head to the Baby Foundry…I was told we missed a puddle on the way. Five stations; hang with knee ups, slow deep squats, pull-ups, box jumps, dips/flutter kicks. Two rounds on the timer; one minute of exercise and 15 seconds of rest. Divide the group, four to each bench. 10 shoulder taps, bear crawl to other bench and 10 T-merkins. Head back to the foundry for another two rounds on the timer.
    Let’s mosey back to the VSF. This time we hit the puddles we missed.

    Countoff, namerama, announcements, shoutouts, prayer. Thanks for letting me lead.

  • #PreBlast – Around the Fly 3.0

    2nd Q in a little more than a week.  It’s been steadily raining for the past few hours, so the group may be a close knit one in the gloom tomorrow.  Here’s how it should go down at 0530 at The Birdcage.  We’ll do a lap around the Fly + a little lagniappe back in Audubon Park if we have time:

    THE THANG

    Run to Hyams Fountain for…

    Warm Up

    • 20 x SSH
    • 20 x Hillbillies
    • 20 x Low Slow Squats
    • 20 x Shoulder Taps

    …then Indian Run to the shelter @ the Fly…

    and do some BLIMPS
    … then Indian Run to the Labyrinth for…

    • 15 x Flutter Kicks
    • 15 x Hello Dollies
    • 15 x LBCs
    • 15 x LBTs
    • 15 x Russian Twists
    • 15 x Dying Cockroaches

    … POW Run to Peristyle…

    • 10 x Hail Marys
    • Count up to 10 (5?) Double Merkin Burpees

    …then Slow Mosey back to base for COT.

    Here are a few more prostrations (part 2 of 3):

    I prostrate in repentance to…

    • all those whom I have harmed through fits of anger.
    • all those whom I have harmed through arrogance.
    • all those whom I have harmed through my jealous thoughts.
    • all those whom I have looked down upon.
    • I prostrate for poisoning other beings through my mindless materialistic overconsumption.
    • I prostrate in repentance for conceiving of this world only through the lens of my ego.

    Amen.

     

  • 610 Stomp #69

    Yeah, yeah… YHC finally posted in the gloom… Rudy, Amnesty and Tool led the talking like this:

    The Simpsons homer simpson season 6 episode 16 6x16

    Not saying it wasn’t deserved.. this is the beauty of the 2nd F.   Let’s get to it, but first:

    DISCLAIMER

    The Thang

    We went the Bayou St. John route and turned around after 15 min to get in some track work. Rudy, Tool and YHC made it to Orleans Ave (3.15 miles roundtrip).  Amnesty, Da Parish, and Puddles kept on running out after the 15 min mark… not sure where they made it to.

    At 0600 hrs, Rudy, Tool and YHC started our laps around the track. The routine was simple.  Accelerated Sprint (start with slow jog and finish with sprint) the 100 m straight runs, and walk the curves.  We got around the track six times.

    With 2 minutes to spare, the track group moseyed to the flag to meet up with our distance runners, where we sealed the deal with 10x Burpees OYO and held the COT.  Thanks for letting me lead!

    Moleskin

    Tough Mudder is March 18th… all you have to do is sign up!