Category: Backblasts

  • I know, lets Run!

    Late Monday night, Tool calls out for a 610 stomp Q.  I know I’ll be out for a run – 2nd to last run before the big day, and still trying to stay ahead of at least 1 of the NS fools in the Run Ranger Run challenge (those guys NEVER stop running!).  So sign me up for the Q.  I wonder what we should do?

    I know, lets Run!

    Weather: gorgeous, cool Tuesday morning.

    PAX: 4 PAX materialize in the gloom, enjoy some good pre-Thank chatter.  That’s a bright green light, Parish.  Seizures???  Then we’re off.  Just running.  45 minutes out and back.  Meet back at the VSF.  Enjoyed a great run, lots of good F2.  Learned a bunch about my fellow PAX – thanks, guys.  I enjoyed the run!

    4.5 Miles covered, return to home plate.  Circle up for prayers (illness, especially FracSac’s aunt), and Brady and Tool’s family.

    Finish up, as I always do, with St. Ignatius Prayer for Generosity.  I struggle at times to remember to live my life as a life of service.  This prayer is one that helps me retain my focus, and remember how I am called to act.

  • You Say Richard Simmons, I say Steve Prefontaine

    The Pax always enjoys a birthday beatdown and since my 42nd happened to be on the day of a traditional running workout and we are in the middle of the Run Ranger Run challenge I figured I’d take the Q and log some miles.  Resurrecting a Halloween Q get-up I also figured I should look the part.  Perhaps I’d excite more middle-aged flabby ladies then I’d earn respect from the Tulane cross country team but I considered myself more Pre than Richard in my own mind!

    Yankees preblast in addition to driving home the meaning of fart-sack (see the list of pax) also tipped off the runners and I was pleased to see the response.  A scouting run by the course director found a wet but fast track.

    Disclaimer and let’s get started.  Warm up in place with some hamstring stretching and let’s mosey.  Run as a group clockwise around the park from the flag.

    0.0- .5 miles: pause for 10 burpees IC and then Indian Run

    .5- 1.0 miles: benches for dips IC x 20 then some ‘classic Tinkles’ of 10 Derkins, 10 Shoulder Taps, 10 Derkins IC.

    1.0- 1.5 miles: POW run, backwards run, Right and left karaoke, and pause for 10 burpees IC

    1.5- 2.75: Indian Run and pause for 10 Burpees  IC

    2.75- 3.15 miles: Mosey

    3.15-3.6 miles: Alternate sprint/jog in the running man back to the flag. 12  Burpees IC to finish strong at a total of 42.

    Count off, namorama, Ball of Man.  Thank you Lord for the fellowship that make the painful painless and for the desire to make ourselves better.  Special intentions for Peaches’s brother and YSR’s aunt.  Please give them the strength to face their challenges.

    Thanks to Pax for getting me off to a great start to my 43rd year!

  • Mostability

    4 pax met at the trailhead in the gloom today. 3 of the 4 pax  had been logging alot of miles this month for the ISI challenge. With the eldest member of the pax close to breaking the 130 mile mark, pretty impressive.

    With all this running and not alot of stretching, YHC took it upon himself to introduce the pax to a new group of exercises working on mobility with a progression to stability. Primarily targeting the 4 big joint complexes that can stiffen up thus leading to sub-optimal functioning (Remember… tight muscles are weak muscles).

    The 4 joint complexes are: foot/ankle, hips, thoracic spine, and shlds. Each exercise today worked these joints in sequence (chain reaction) to stretch and then stabilize the body.

    The thang:

    mosey to parking lot

    ~ lower trap sets with Bilateral shld ext rotation or W’s  ~ great for scapula and rotator cuff stability to off set all the merkins and desk jockeying. 3 sec hold in cadence x 20

    ~Glute series: Sidelying leg raise or (Jane Fonda’s) x 15 IC follower by Single leg Glute bridges x 15 IC

    Now the fun begins:

    Anterior Lunge with Bilateral overhead posterior arm swing x 10 each

    Anterior foot reach for balance x 10

    Posterior Lunge with Bilateral posterior arm swing at ankle height x 10 each:

    Post foot reaches for balance x 10

    Lateral lunges with OH reach x 10

    Lateral foot reaches x 10 for balance

    Opp side Lateral lunge with OH reach x 10

    opp side lateral foot reaches for balance x 10

    Rotational Lunge with reach x 10

    Rotational foot reaches for balance x 10

    Opp side rotational lunge with reach x 10

    Opp side rotational foot reaches for balance x 10

     

    1 mile fun run to bridge and back

     

    COT, name-o-rama, prayer.

    Thanks, guys for letting me lead. Good to be back in the pax!

    Chewy

     

  • Spartacus II – Wet n Wild

    The rain stopped just in time for 7 men to work, grow and sharpen the iron.

    DISCLAIMER, let’s mosey…Grab a rock, medium, one you won’t drop on your head…Let’s mosey to the shelter (cuz it has benches).

    COP:

    -SSH x 30 IC

    -Mt Climbers x 30 IC

    -Arm Circles x 30 IC (15 ea. dir.)

    -IW x 30 IC

    1. Bulgarian Split Lunge (30 sec/ea leg)
    2. Shoulder Press
    3. Goblet Squat
    4. T-pushup
    5. Alternating Step-up w/rock
    6. Squat Press
    7. Side Lunge with Touch (Elf on the Shelf)
    8. Merkins
    9. Lunge and Rotation
    10. Elevated Wife Pleasers (Rudy, stop looking…)

    Rinse and Repeat for a total of two rounds.

    times up…send your rock home and mosey to the SF.

    Countoff, namerama, announcements, and a prayer.  It was an honor to lead.  SYITG…

  • Double Dir-TAYY Mac Deuce

    Pre-Thang:  Weather was awesome 70-ish with the temp, a little humid but nothing crazy.  Ground was wet from Friday rains – perfect for something on your six.

    My first workout ever with OBT was a Dirty MacDeuce.  It makes me happy every time.  Happy in an I hate you but I love you kind of way.  So on past Saturdays I have often done a regular old Dirty MacDeuce.  I have done other things — Rounds with Tyson, 11’s, the Route 66, the baseball diamond, deck of death, etc but I have always loved the total body workout given by a MacDeuce.  So I wanted to one up it – and I Q’d a Double Dirty Mac.

    The Thang:  Mosey to the big Quad.  Here we did a SSH x 20, Merks x 20, Imperial Walker Squats x 20, Low SLow Squats x 20.

    LOOOONG Mosey to the track.  Through some puddles.  Tried to go around then at some point it was too much so we just went through the muck.

    Once at the track we did some LBCs just to rest from the long Mosey.  Then we went straight into the DMac.

    Lap with backwards run at the end — Circle we did:  Staggered Merks, Roaches, Reg Squats x 12

    Lap with kerioke at the end —  Circle we did:  Staggered Merks – Right, Freddie Merks, Lunge x 12

    Lap with butt kicks at the end — Circle we did:  Diamond Merks, Iron Cross, Lunges to the side x 12

    Lap with high skips at the end — Circle we did:  Plank Walk, Pickle Pounders, Lunge backwards x 12

    Started to worry about time so the 2nd mac deuce we had to double up all exercises.

    First lap Indian Run.  Second lap on your own.

    We did x 24 Mat Jumps (had to make up 4 at the end), Russian Twists, and Shoulder Taps

    2 full laps – at your own pace

    We did x 24 Hip Dips, x 24 Nolan Ryans, x 24 Low Country Crab

    We did it!  With 5 min to the buzzer and mumblechatter holding my feet to the fire about the “time email”  we walked to the street and ran to the flag.

    We arrived at exactly 730am.  Good job men.   We logged 3.6 miles.

    Rudy arrived from his LONG run just in time for the Circle

    Immediately after I couldn’t stay for coffee – I had to hustle to the 504k race.

    COT:  For Splash.  For friends who are sick.

    Thanks for letting me lead.

     

     

  • Unexpected appearance at the Marsh..

    Waking up to downpours, the YHC decided there would be no prethang run to the AO on this Gloom. Upon arrival at the Marsh, I see Captain Sparkles and Waterpic taking advantage of the covered pavilion making laps around the court getting the blood flowing. Captain Sparkles filled with excitement asked “Is Butt Splice Qing?”After letting him down softly the YHC turned to Waterpic who generally post other AOs and asked to what do we deserve the honor of your presence at the Marsh on this Gloom? Simply stated, the kids are off school today. Kudos to the Waterpic, as one could have easily stayed nested in the Sack and caught a little extra rest, but instead posted on this morning of not so ideal conditions to motivate his fellow F3 Brothers.. Definitely a hugh part of why I love being apart of this group of men who inspire this YHC to get up and get after it on Gloom’s like today..

    Let’s begin

    15IC GM, 15IC WM, 30IC BK, 30IC SSH, 15IC Arm Circles forward, up high, backdown reverse and  up high to close..

    YHC decided the only moisture that would occur today would be sweat equity, so the PAX utilized the court for the beatdown as the rain persisted throughout.

    First up we did Merkin suicides 20,15,10,5 and 20.. Started at one baseline with 20 Merkins and then bear crawled to the free throw for 15 Merkins, bear crawled halfcourt for 10 Merkins, bear crawled to other free throw 5 Merkins and completed at the other baseline with 20 Merkins.. After completion we switched to the lower half and journeyed back with the same count with squats and in between leg lunges.. After completing we went through a series of true suicides, forward and back pedal suicides, then lateral down and back, wrapping up with caricoas down and back (2). On the six for some core, 3 sets of 10IC FK into 10IC Lob Lollies as some would say never resting with continuous motion from one to the next.. Next up plankorama. 1 min front, left and right and then back to a 2 min plank front followed by a back plank for a 1 min.. With 10 mins to spare YHC realizing no beatdown would be complete without some Burpees we get back to the baseline for ascending Burpee suicides 2,4,6,8 and 10. To keep with the tradition of a classic the AO leader (Butt Splice) would bring we Bunny hopped between counts.. With 5 mins remaining we gather our bearings returning to the start point and proceed to complete 8 count body builders suicides with a series of 2,4,6,8 and 10. At this point no lagniappe in between just a simple mosey to completion..

    Count, Annoucements, COT

    Thanks to Waterpic for praying us out!!

    Today was one of those days where the YHC would most certainly not have put in this much work, but because of Captain Sparkles and Waterpic I was able to get through.. Appreciate you gentlemen!!

  • Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

    11 Pax posted for our Saturday beat-down.

    I hate burpees, so we knocked out the big rocks first:

    10 burpees, 9 burpees, 8 burpee,…. etc and on with the pattern continuing down until there was nothing left and then we finished off with another.. 10 burpees.

    Then we did short a short mosey to go warm up.

    • Side straddle hop (20x)
    • arm circles
    • imperial walkers
    • hillbillies
    • peter parkers
    • plank (1 minute)

    Then a short mosey over to an animal planet:

    • bear crawl (approx 15 yards out and then back)
    • crab walk
    • spider-man crawl
    • bear again

    Another short mosey:

    We reflected on a conversation from Alice in Wonderland:

    Alice: `Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
    `That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
    `I don’t much care where–‘ said Alice.
    `Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.

    We tied this in to our purpose for where we are going with family, community, career, and more relevantly – how we can reflect on our direction in and purpose on this workout to strengthen our bodies to do more of God wants us to do.

    We put this practice with a round of Merkin Tabata

    Then to help us push through limits… we reflected on this recent article from the WSJ: The Mental Tricks of Athletic Endurance

    Another round of Tabata but this time all 4 minutes were mountain climber.

    Short mosey over to do a partner wheelbarrow out and back about 20 yards – 2x

    Mosey back toward the flag. We slowed it down along the way with about 30 yards of Zombie walkers.

    Final COP of abs:

    8 more minutes of tabata with flutter kicks, american hammers and hello dollies mixed in.

     

    And.. we closed out with Roxanne.

     

  • Level 3 Running Achievement Unlocked: Bleeding Nipples!

    Yeah, you read that right.  Now, seasoned long distance runners know about this and prepare properly for it, and YHC had heard of it and maybe even seen a few ghastly pictures at some point.  But, YHC assumed that our (relatively) measly mileage this month wouldn’t cause such a disturbing phenomenon.  (I thought you had to be running full marathons for crazy shit like that to happen!)  Well, YHC was clearly incorrect and will now employ a band aid tactic for all runs from here on out.  (In case you were wondering about previous levels, Level 1 is Severe Shoulder Stiffness, and Level 2 is Shin Splints – congrats Beast!)

    Anyhow, that happened today.  And I should add, it couldn’t have happened without the Pelican, for had he not shown up, YHC most likely would’ve thrown in the towel and headed back to bed.  But there he was at 0445, fresh off a Disney Cruise and ready to hit some solid ground.

    So we got to it, dove deep into cruise boat and Disney politics, and made the best out of our slower-than-usual pace (entirely due to me and my running fatigue – Pelican was ready to roll, but kind enough to stick with me).  So thanks Pelican for helping me to unlock my latest running achievement – despite my gripes, I really do appreciate the push!

  • QuadraOkwata

    When it’s cold out, the wind from Okwata makes it colder. When it’s humid with no wind, it’s just really humid. The Pax was treated with a light breeze that kept the temperature quite remarkable, while keeping the fog at bay. YHC arrived a few minutes early to plant the shovel flags, one for our Country and one for our Nation! Before long, 3 other Pax arrived, so it was time to give the disclaimer…..and then….

    Mosey to the mardi gras fountain, take a quick lap around it, then circle up on the grass in front for:

    SSH IC x 31
    Imperial SW IC x 10
    Abe Vigodas IC x 10
    Mountain Climbers IC x 20
    Peter Parker IC x 20
    Parker Peter IC x 20

    Mosey to the fountain for an Okwata favorite, especially given the return of Surge!

    Double Shots with Jack Webb at the Barre!

    1 merkin with 2 air presses (aka double shot) in the peoples chair against the railing at the fointain.
    2 merkins with 4 air presses in peoples chair
    3 merkins with 6 air presses….
    You get the idea….
    10 merkins with 20 air presses…..

    Mosey to the House of Pain for Stations:

    Station 1: Squats AMRAP
    Station 2: Dips AMRAP
    Station 3: Pull Ups AMRAP
    Station 4: Bear crawl up levee, do 5 burpees and run back to HOP (Timer)

    Mosey to Canal for a modified Dora, so partner up:
    100 burpees
    100 LBT’s
    100 Jump Sqauts

    Pax 1: Does exercise
    Pax 2: Run lap
    Flap Jack until exercises complete

    This turned into 25 burpees for each pax twice (getting to 50 each) to make it the 100, and a few more laps to each get to the LBT’s and Jump Squats. Good thing we had the best of F3 nation present to keep it from going south! The laps took a bit longer than expected. YHC should have remembered how awful it was from the last indian run!

    Mosey back to flags for some Mary

    Flutter Kicks IC x 20
    Tin Snips IC x 20
    Dying Cockroach IC x 20
    Hello Dolly IC x 20

    0615, so time for the COT

    Countoff, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions and closed with a prayer.

    NMM
    YHC got lucky today with the Q on the fly. The modified Dora could have been bad, but lucky for YHC the pax kept it on track. Lesson Learned? Probably nothing…..
    T-Claps for all the prayers and thoughts in regard to Mahatma’s grandson, which is Disclaimers son. He’s out of the hospital and doing well!

    Thanks for posting with me today!

  • The Other Mountain

    Fun time in the gloom this morning with a great turnout.  Obviously inspired by Hawg’s presence, the PAX amped up the mumblechatter to near-Metry levels and kept it going throughout the workout.  After a quick disclaimer, we took the traditional stroll up and down the Avenue and set up in front of the Tulane sign for warmup (all IC):

    • SSHx25
    • IWx25
    • Merksx15
    • LSSx25

    Short mosey to the Loyola music building for BLIMPS, starting with 10 burpees and increasing in increment of 5.   Hard run from there down Calhoun to Freret.  At mini-WPM, alternate sprint/jog up the parking deck, stopping at each level for a different exercise OYO until Q says halt (about 30-35 reps each):

    • Level 2: Mountain Climbers
    • Level 3: Plank Jacks
    • Level 4: Peter Parkers

    At the top of MWPM, we partnered up for some core work.  Partner 1 ran down then up the stairs, while Partner 2 did the prescribed exercise, then flapjack:

    • V-Up
    • LBC
    • Russian Twists
    • Box cutters
    • LBT

    Short on time, we hurried back to the flag for the count, name-o-rama, and prayer.

    -Mulligan