F3 New Orleans

Tag: Voodoo

  • Total Tension

    7 pax met at the grassy knoll at the Fly on the Sunday after Thanksgiving for some Sweaty Bells. YHC’s plan was to introduce the pax to the Total Tension strength program that we completed recently in Area 51. Details can be found here: https://www.strongfirst.com/total-tension-kettlebell-complex/

    After a brief disclaimer (maybe?), we circled up for a little instruction prior to the start of the workout. The first lesson: you need bigger bells. After that, we did a quick hard-style plank to get the feeling of the total body tension you’re supposed to be trying to achieve during this workout. Next, I explained the four exercises we’d be using today: the clean, the overhead press, the squat, and the renegade row. We partnered up by bell size (with one set of triplets due to the odd numbers).

    The Thang:

    • Double clean x 1
    • Double press x 1
    • Double front squat x 1
    • Renegade row x 1 per side – a renegade row is when you plank on the bells and row one, then the other

    Each round, increase the press reps by 1. The goal is to get to 6-8 presses before coming back down by one rep per round. If it’s too easy, you should increase the weight for the next workout.

    The finisher: 100 double swings in sets of 10-25

  • The 4th F is for “Fun”

    The 4th F is for “Fun”

    The early moring parade goers in Mid-City were treated to some sweet F3 eye candy on Saturday for the 4th annual Mardi Gras Mambo aka Endymion Run.  Our krewe consited of 22 PAX eager to start the day off right and get in the carnival spirit.  YHC had stewed on some new ideas for the past month and decided to incorporate a “float” consisting of a jogging stroller and boom box to be pushed along the route blarring some good ole Mardi Gras music to get the juices flowing.  Some festive chatter started as the Dr. John and Professor Longhair tunes came on.  Here’s a recap of our parade: 

    Warmup near The Peristyle:  IW, Lunges, WM, SSH with “bead wave” capped off with the tradional Mardi Gras Mambo song providing the guidance for 2+ minutes of syncronized planking, merkins, and plankjacks….always a crowd pleaser!  We followed with a mosey to City Park Ave and N. Olympia and stopped to go over the gameplan for the run topped off with burpees x10, just because.   

    Route Run – Leg #1:  Run at your own pace down Orleans trying to stay in clusters.  The float/stroller acted as the kaboose and stayed in the rear, similar to the speaker trucks following the Dance Connection, minus the purple fishnets.  Once at Carrollton, turn around and sweep the six.  T-claps to the PAX for taking turns pushing the float and also to the guys carrying two F3 shovel flags….Merica!!!  Lots of intrigued and possibly jealous onlookers wishing they were running with us. 

    Route Run – Leg #2:  Right on Carrollton all the way to Canal, at you own pace, sweep the six.  The motivational cheers from the spot watchers kept coming. 

    Route Run – Leg #3:  Back down Carrollton to Orleans veering off to the neutral ground for a COP.  Some grumbling was heard when YHC started with LSS x20, PP x25, ISW x20, and Plankorama w/Merkins.  Everyone survived and the moseying resumed.    

    Route Run – Leg #4:  Run back on Orleans to our starting point on N. Olympia, sweep the six.  Good to see lots of other running groups out there…”Happy Mardi Gras” and high fives were being dolled out right and left.  Might even try to work in some beads for next year. 

    Lagniappe Leg #5:  Once back along City Park Ave, we had enough time to take the long way back along Marconi for a peek at the floats, before heading back to the Great Lawn.  A few guys were able to modify the run with a shortcut.

    Great Lawn:  YHC wanted to make sure all PAX were ready for the rest of MG season and in stellar bead catching/throwing shape, so out came a bag of beads stashed in the bushes.  All PAX grabbed a good bead to throw and parterned up for “Bead Burpees” consisting of throwing beads 15 yards away to your partner, alternating with burpees.  This was not well received by the PAX, I’m guessing due to the sloppy terrain and the presumption that we were only going to run that moring.  After a minute of some hideousness with Bead Burpees, YHC felt the need to cut it short and move on to something more challenging.  Next up we did a bead throw and bear crawl circuit across the lawn, followed by a lunge walk and bead throw back.

    Mary:  After getting rid of the beads, we had enought time left to knock out LBC x20, Flutter Kicks x30, and Plankorama. 

    COT:  YHC was a tad woozy and run-drunk at this point so not sure of all the announcements and intentions.  We did pray for, among other things, a safe Mardi Gras weekened.  We also called out Amnesty for yet again missing the annual event he co-fathered. YHC forgot to mention that we consider striving to avoid over indulging this Mardi Gras season and instead focus on making the most of our time with family, friends, or perhaps ourselves, whether that be at a parade or elsewhere.  While pigging out and/or getting hammered may be something many of us have been guilty of during the carnival season, we should consider throttling that back on the guilty pleasures and possibly replace them with something more meaningful and healthy….just a thought.

    Thanks to the PAX for going along with my antics and helping to bring in the 4th “F”….FUN!     

    Tool          

  • 2nd Annual Death Star Trench Run

    OK my Disclaimer – I am not as creative as Tool. No babystroller with a speaker. No bead burpees. Tool is the man. This is a no frills, no extras run.

    The plan: Run down St Charles Ave in the valley of the ladders aka the Trench. Not Angie List’s trench. That is a totally different Trench. You don’t want any of that TRENCH.

    Brown Bag picked me up at 545am. On the way out the door we had our first strange encounter. A guy and a girls laughing or crying or fighting. Brown Bag and I made sure they were OK and we discovered she was crying because she was wasted and lost her cellphone.

    Then we moseyed down Napoleon to the launch site at Napoleon and St Charles. On our mosey Brown Bag informed me that in Jan and Feb of 2019 Urban South has sold more beer than their first 9 months! #tclaps Also got offers of beer , and the quote of the leg “i will drink for you, you run for me!”

    At NAP and ST CHUCK we assembled the Xwings for a serious trench run. A motley crew of men ready for the 5.5 mile Gnarly Nutria training run. Angie’s List was taking pics of the 80 yr old sleeping on the corner guarding her spot. It was a truly gloomy – gloom.

    First leg Napoleon to Louisiana – this is where the run gets its name. Lots of people protecting their spot. Ladders wall to wall on both sides of the route. You really do feel like you are running a trench.

    Second leg Louisiana to Jackson – things thin out – you could get a spot if you wanted one – apparently we saw Willie’s crew setting up their ladders for him. Let me say again that Willie was not setting up his ladders – a crew was doing it FOR #Willie. Could be Gabrielle and Mudbug just messing with Willy. This is the trophy table guys leg. They heckled us hard. Tclaps to Gabrielle for the hard e-headlock.

    Third leg from Jackson to the Circle formerly known as Lee. Tool and Hokey hit the circle and started back to Napoleon. Things really really thin out here. One person chilling per block. I learned here that Tool is a weed smelling expert.

    Fourth leg from the circle to Poydras – uneventful – the bleacher trenches. At Poydras we turned around. I am thinking next year we might push it through the quarter to Esplanade then back. On the circle back leg 5 – a Mazerati tried to impress us, then Voodoo had beads stuck in his shoes, then a guy stumbling back to his hotel looking for the Holiday Inn express he ran two blocks with us in jeans and a pink oxford shirt. LOL. The highlight of this leg was being behind the porta-potty emptying truck. I am still gagging on the smell of that – it was awful. Like running behind El Wire or Seaman.

    Leg 5 was the Circle to Jackson. More weed, more drunk kids, more sleeping people on the route.

    Leg 6 Jackson to Louisiana – just wanted to finish now – ran past the trophy crew again. Still getting rowdy.

    Leg 7 Louisiana to Napoleon – back in the trenches. Lots more people coming out of the wood work. Caught up with Tool and Hokie.

    We circled up – 12 pax and closed with a prayer. Angie’s List said it best – there is no way I would have got up today to run without the PAX making it easy to be out there together. It was a gloomy Sunday! #HailThoth #HailBacchus #HailMid-City #HailOkeanos


  • 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