Tag: Rock City

I love posting with Marlin, because he always knows the exact moment any of us needs encouragement.  It comes about four-fifths the way through 11s, when for the 16th time you are picking up a rock that you now realize is way too big for you and you are trying to muster the ability to at least slow jog up Pontiff Peak.  Or maybe it comes when you’re doing 25 shoulder presses right after a set of 25 bench presses on the t-ball bleachers in some weird masochist experiment Bubba is trying out.  Or maybe it comes on your 8th of 10 sets of pull-ups, when you stopped being able to do a pull-up four sets ago.  It comes at various times, but it is almost always in the same form:  “Let’s get it baby.”  When I hear those words, I get my second wind.  I know I am almost there.  I know I am not defeated.  There is someone with me and he’s about to knock this thing out.  We are going to win.

For that reason, YHC was not going to let some slight GoRuck hangover stop me from posting at Marlin’s Q.  I was out of town for his VQ, so I was going to make sure I made this one. Marlin rolled in at 0530 – right on Q (see what I did there?).  Marlin gave the disclaimer and we were off to the rocks.

The Thang

Warm-up COP:  Marlin played it cool and pretended not to know the name of any of the exercises.  The introduction to most of the exercises went like this:

Marlin:  What do you call that exercise when you move your arms forward in circles?”

The Pax:  Forward Arm Circles?

Marlin:  That’s it.  Let’s get it.  1…2…3…

So in that fashion, we did the following in cadence: Hammy Poppers x 25, Forward Arm Circles x 15, Backwards Arm Circles x 15, Side Straddle Hop x 25; Ski-Jumps from a Mountain Climber Position (Marlin Special) x 25

It was time to grab our rock and the man said to go big.  Bubba listened.  YHC, however, tried to be smarter than usual.  From there we moseyed to Pontiff Peak for 10s.  10s you ask?  Marlin’s daughter just played her last volleyball game at Sacred Heart.  In honor of her and her volleyball number 72…psyche…18 (9+9) we did 1 bench presse ascending to 9 on one side of the peak and 9 squat presses on the other descending to 1.

Borrowing from Amnesty’s Q script, Marlin instructed us that it was time to take a break.  We headed to the outhouse and went People’s Chair con roca.  After 3 45-60 second sets of People’s chair and a serenade from Bogey, it was time to mosey to the track.

We set our rocks down in the north end zone.  It was mentioned that John Doe wanted us to throw our rocks over the goal post and catch them on the other side.  I’m not sure about the catching part, but I’m all for trying to throw them over the goal post.  It would be like fence chunkers on steroids.  Probably not good for the field – we were dangerously close to crossing the vandalism line with Tool’s meteor shower workout – we’ve been good stewards ever since.  That goal post is tempting though.  Maybe catching them is the answer.

I digress.  The next exercise was named Diamond in the Rough (for not knowing any names of the exercises, Marlin is pretty good at making them up.  Just wait until you see what he came up with for Plank’o’rama).  Side Shuffle to the 50 yard sideline – 18 push-ups…er…Merkins.  Side Shuffle (face the other direction to achieve balance in your life) to the center of the south end zone – 18 lunges (each leg counts).  Run backwards to the other 50 yard sideline – 18 Freak Nasties.  Run backwards back to the center of the north end zone, pick up the rock you left and do 18 squats.  We repeated, this next time it was a race between the two halves of Pax.  Losers had to remove their pants – a punishment dubbed the Mike Yenni.  That didn’t really happen, but the threat was enough to push me across the finish line first.  Jingle Vader, much more comfortable and confident in his skin, took his sweet time to finish.

Everyone kept their pants on as we returned our rocks to the pile.  About half way back to the flag, we circled up for the Rotisserie Chicken – I told you it was good.  $10 that if Yankee reads this Backblast he does this exercise in his next Q.  Start out in boat.  After 30 seconds, move to high plank on left side, after 30 seconds move to regular high plank, after 30 seconds move to high plank on right side.  Repeat, but use elbow planks.  After the last set, sprint to the flag.

COT

Tough Mudder preparation started today.  Prayers for the sick and injured, including the High School DB that broke his back.  Marlin led us out with an Our Father to cap off an excellent Q.

 

 

Another beautiful Monday morning for beat down. Ten men showed up to grow and get stronger, including 1 FNG.
The 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
…grab your rock….oh wait, now we have 11.

First Round (con Rocca):
-Shoulder Press x 20 IC
-Curls x 20 IC
-Rows x 20 IC
-Squats x 20 IC

Second Round (con Rocca):
-Shoulder Press x 20 IC
-Curls x 15 IC
-Rows x 15 IC
-Squats x 15 IC

Boss Keene wants his rock pile moved…let’s move the rock pile…the pack moved the rock pile four times. They worked hard and deserved a break. Have a seat, in the people’s chair with your rock. After a minute, take a break and shake it out. Let’s do it again, this time with 10 shoulder presses IC and 10 curls IC. Break time’s over…

Third Round (con Rocca):
-Shoulder Press x 20 IC
-Curls x 15 IC
-Rows x 15 IC
-Squats x 15 IC

Send your little friend home, back to the rock pile. Now let’s find some grass for a lil Mary.
-LBC x 40 IC
-Hello Dolly x 30 IC
-Flutter Kicks x 30 IC
-Putin Twists x 20 IC

Mosey to the SF. Countoff, namerama, a lot of detailed announcements, prayer and we’re out…

Come to enough F3 workouts and you will start to get a good feel for the PAX.  Almost getting hit by a bike – classic Hawg.  Annoying the Q with a gazillion questions about each movement – classic Rudy.  Rolling in hot – classic Yankee.  Dr. Ws – classic SFx.  Ab exercises to infinity – classic JV.  Dressing like a Pirate – classic Bubba.  Fartsacking the day of your Q – classic Shorty.

Sure, Shorty has plenty of other qualities;  pushing the Pax beyond what they thought they were capable of, stepping up to Q the GoRuck and making sure our training stays on track, bringin’ the namaste with Vinyasa cool downs, never missing an opportunity to point out how short Cowbell is, etc…However, his defining quality has become the likelihood that he will fartsack during his Q.  This definition was cemented even further with Monday’s workout.

In classic Yankee style, I rucked in hot so I missed any conversations prior to the workout.  I can only assume they went something like this:

Time:  5:28      Place: Shovel Flag     Marlin rides in on his bike

Marlin:  What’s going on baby?  Who’s the Q?

Bogey:  I think it is supposed to be Shorty

Rudy:  That means we need to start coming up with some exercises.  Who wants the warm-up?

Bogey: I’ll take it

Bubba:  Aaargh! That thar Shorty is a lily-livered scallywag.  Ahoy Cap’n Bogey, lead thee way!

John Doe: …

The Thang

YHC got to the warm-up circle just as Bogey was finishing up the SSHs which I presume was the first set of exercises.  At some point in the warm-up JV sidled up to the circle unannounced, which is not classic JV, since, as his name explains, he can normally be heard coming from a great distance.

COP 1 (Bogey on Q): SSH x 30 IC,  Arm Circles Forward x 15 IC, Arm Circles Backward x 15 IC, Imperial Walker x 30 IC, Mountain Climbers x 30 IC, Windmills x 20 IC,

I may have forgotten something there.  I know Bogey was trying to go until the train passed, but it stopped on the tracks.

Rudy took over from there, instructing us to pick a rock and mosey to a nice open space just past the T-ball field.  Early in the this COP we were joined by Amnesty, Tool, and Cowbell who had been trapped across the tracks by the aforementioned train.  Amnesty was confused at first, staring blankly at the Q, thinking Shorty was wearing one of the strangest Halloween costumes he had ever seen.  Rudy welcomed the stragglers to the group by immediately calling them out – Amnesty for not paying attention and Cowbell for having to stretch his hamstrings three weeks ago at city park – classic Cowbell.

COP 2 (Rudy on Q): Exercises all IC:  Shoulder Press x 16; Curls x 16; Rows x 16; Shoulder Press x 12; Curls x 12; Rows x 12; Shoulder Press x 8; Curls x 8; Rows x 8; Shoulder Press x 4; Curls x 4; Rows x 10 (when you think he is going to zig, he zags)

YHC took it from there, leading the Pax to the playground for the prescribed GoRuck training (provided to me by Shorty himself #GhostQ).

COP 3 (Hawg on Q): 10 sets of the following exercises oyo and as fast as possible:

• 5 pull-ups
• 7 dips
• 9 derkins (feet in swing)
• 12 squats con roca
• 15 big boi sit-ups

COT – Prayers for those suffering from cancer.  Prayers for Mason and Brady. Thanksgiving for the opportunities we have.

-Hawg

 

 

 

Four (and a half) Rock City die-hards posted at Pontiff this am to better our bodies and minds.  Light showing….rumor had it some of the regulars opted for the pillow fight at the Skinny.  Rudy wanted to get some miles in for the Jazz half so he beat the PAX out there and was on lap two when we arrived.  T-claps for the dedication and for meeting us at the COT.  YHC’s plan for the am included accommodations for those that opted to bring rucks, which wound up being JV and Amnesty.  After the disclaimer, we were off to the usual warmup area for:

SSH IC x21

Windmills IC x21

Arm Circles IC X21 (7 forward, 7 backward, 7 chinook)

Crab Cakes IC x21

Re-position against the fence to hold a people’s chair position for a few minutes while YHC filled the PAX in on the significance of the 21 count warmup.  You see, October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month which happens to be near and dear to YHC since my son, Brady, was born with DS.  YHC proceeded to inform the PAX about the specifics of Trisomy 21 (aka Down Syndrome) and how it impacts individuals born with the genetic disorder.  (The complete rundown is at the bottom of this backblast)

Meandered to the pull up bars to pair up for 21 pull ups each, with partner assist if needed.  Some split it up in two quick rounds.  After cranking these out, head to the track for a metabolic circuit that was the suggested workout in the Go-ruck training schedule some guys have been following.  Here’s how it went:

Got heart rate up with Burpees x21 OYO

Four laps on the track, stopping at each 100 Meter interval for:

Merkins x21, Lunges x21, Bench Dips x21, Squats x21

For those from Arkansas, that’s 1 mile of running and 84 of each exercise.  T-claps to the ruckers for the very brisk, mosey-like ruck and making all four laps.  You guys looked whipped.

Just enough time to hit the pull up bars for 21 more reps w/assist if needed.  T-claps to those who kept their ruck on.  Mosey back to the flag.

COT included announcements about the upcoming races along with prayer intentions for those in Haiti, flood victims, Mason, Brady, and others.  YHC informed the PAX that he recently learned (thanks to Google) that St. Robert Bellarmine is The Patron Saint of Individuals with Down Syndrome.  YHC read off The Prayer for DS (abbreviated version):
O Holy St. Robert Bellarmine, we pray for your loving intercession for the needs of those with Down syndrome.May you be at the side of every mother with child, that she will have the faith to overcome worldly thoughts and fears that could distract her from recognizing the precious gift of life growing within her.May you be at the side of the parents, families, friends, teachers, and caregivers that they will have the grace to know the Lord’s merciful hand is guiding them through life’s joys and struggles. May they place their hope and complete trust in Jesus.

Thanks for letting me lead and convey Down Syndrome awareness in the community.

Tool

 

P.S. – The DSAGNO Buddy Walk is this Saturday for 11am at Zephyr Stadium.  Family friendly, lots of good food, live musics, and more.  http://dsagno.org/feature/buddywalk2016/

P.P.S. – This is the quick rundown of what YHC read during the People’s Chair:

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  It gives a chance to not only spread awareness, but celebrate people with Down syndrome and make the community aware of their abilities and accomplishments.  “It’s not about celebrating disabilities, it’s about celebrating abilities.” 

 What are trisomies?

If a child is born with three #21 chromosomes, rather than the usual pair, then the child would be said to have “trisomy 21.” Trisomy 21 is also known as Down syndrome

What is Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that involves birth defects, intellectual disabilities, and characteristic facial features. It often involves heart defects, visual and hearing impairments, and other health problems. The severity of all of these problems varies greatly among affected individuals. Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic birth defects, affecting approximately one in about 800 babies. In this country, around 250,000 individuals have Down syndrome. Life expectancy among adults with Down syndrome is about 60 years, though average lifespan varies.

There is no cure for Down syndrome. Doctors are not certain how to prevent the chromosomal error that causes Down syndrome. To date, there is no reason to believe that a parent could have done anything to cause or prevent the birth of a baby with Down syndrome.

Sorry for the late Backblast for all those involved.  4 men met in the 0530 gloom as Rudy, who had been there since 0500, literally ran circles around us.

The Thang

No time to warm-up.  The four of us headed out with three rucks to the south playground.  The workout consisted of 5 sets of the the following: 5 pull-ups,  20 squats con ruck, 15 merkins, 10 lunges con ruck.   We followed that up with a 2 mile run.

Moleskin

• T-claps to Rudy for his distance work.  He’s getting faster and faster.  He joined us for the COT after about 9 miles.

GoRuck Training Day 5 called for sandbags.  Since Mike Yenni has bigger concerns to worry about, YHC didn’t check his permission before picking up 6 sandbags from Lowe’s and storing them at Pontiff Playground.  Amnesty was the scheduled Q, but was deployed for Hurricane Matthew support.  T-claps to HVAC for stepping in and taking the first half of the substitute Q.

The Thang

HVAC on Q:  SSH x 30 (IC), DQ x 30 (IC), Way Backs x 30 (IC), 20 Scissor Kicks, 10 Merkins, 10 FLR Cross Kicks, 8 Merkins, 8 FLRCKs, 6 Merkins, 6 FLRCKs, 4 Merkins, 4 FLRCKs, 2 Merkins, 2 FLRCKs, 20 Scissor Kicks, 8 Merkins, 8 FLRCKs, 6 Merkins, 6 FLRCKs, 4 Merkins, 4 FLRCKs, 2 Merkins, 2 FLRCKs

Hawg on Q:  With 50 lb sandbag do 100 reps, moving the sandbag over head from one shoulder to the other.  Do the 100 reps in as few sets as possible.  Each time you take a break, bear crawl 70 yards.  For example, it took YHC 6 sets:  22 reps, bear crawl, 18 reps, bear crawl, 18 reps, bear crawl, 12 reps, bear crawl, 20 reps, bear crawl, 10 reps.

As each man finished, he alternated max reps with plank until the 6 arrived.

Circle up for Dealer’s Choice Mary – All IC:  LBC x 30, flutter kicks x 40, scissor kicks x 30, Super Man T to I x 20.

Moleskin:

• T-claps to Amnesty for his service for Hurricane Matthew victims.
• T-claps to HVAC for stepping up to Q
• Great to see SFx out today.  Continued prayers for him and his family as they move to Philly
• Triple Shift with three workouts in one week.  Is this a new trend?
• Sandbags are stored by the pump.  This workout definitely needs to make a kotter.

YHC, Bogey and Rudy gathered around the flag about 5mins til start….and then Rudy left.  Why did he leave?  Maybe he was finding Pokemon…maybe he was avoiding the 2-3 record of the Irish… maybe Cowbell called him and said not to go (Cowbell texted at 5am and told me he was too sore to post…WHAT IS THAT!)…..maybe it was all the above.  Bogey was confused…he thought he had the Q.  Nope, YHC had the Q, and it is the start of #ruckseason.  JV, Bubba & Marlin made up our Pax of 5. Here is what we did, but first….

DISCLAIMER

The Thang

Mosey on over to the rock pile, and grab a small one for the first COP.

30x Rock Jacks IC
20x Rock Marches IC
25x Rock High Knees IC….oh hey, Amnesty….and you brought a rucksack… Perfect!
30x Rock Squats IC

The ruckless Pax kept their rock (not sure why I told them too, we didnt use them again) and a quick mosey over to the track.  Split up into 3 groups of two.

Group #1: Ruck across the football field and back (timer)
Group #2: Merkins AMRAP
Group #3: Big Boy Situps AMRAP
Rotate til you make it thru all stations.

Break up into 2 groups of three.  Pax #1 over to the opposite side of the football field for an extra mosey (what we Southerners call lagniappe), and Pax #2 (w/ruck on) & Pax #3 (ruckless) on close side.

Rucker moves across the field and passes ruck to the other Pax on other side.
Alt. Lunges AMRAP (Rucker moving away from you)
Squats AMRAP (Rucker moving towards you)

Got thru two cycles of this, then circled up for another COP.

Jack Webbs (1:2 Ratio) to 10merkins / 20 air presses

Left the rucks here, and broke back into 3 groups of two.

Group #1: 400m run (timer)
Group #2: 15x Flutter Kicks IC / 15x Hello Dolly IC (Keep cycling through)
Group #3: Pullups AMRAP

One time through this due to time, brought our rocks home, and back to the flag.

Hey there, Rudy!  Let’s do a burpee clock!

Burpee Clock – Pax circles up in high plank, then one Pax performs 4x Burpees.  Once done, next Pax starts their 4x Burpees.  Finish when all Pax were done.

Finished with a COT.  Ended up with 6-1/6 Pax at the end.  Great work men!

Naked Man Moleskin

Great start to ruck training!  There is still time to sign up if you are interested.  I will be sending out daily emails about training.