Helter Skelter Forties at the Carillon

Sixteen veterans posted at Byrd Park this morning. The weather could not have been more favorable for F3 gloom. Johnsonville (YHC), showing his advanced age, inadvertently omitted to plant a shovel flag. But, the VSF was there in spirit. YHC did follow through on this morning’s commitment to Q, however, and this is what went down, more or less:

Warmup COP: 50x SSH, Don Quiote, 10x burpees OYO.

Long mosey around by the dog park, down the ravine behind Dogwood Dell, and back up the other side near the Carillon.

COP: plank sequence, plank leg to elbow (right), plank leg to elbow (left), crab cakes with increasing cadence, 10x burpees OYO.

Mosey up to Carillon, around loop out front, and back to decorative granite slab about 30m out front of the Carillon.

Helter Skelter Lindsays (hillbillies/mericans/bunny hops). More detail -> do 30 hillbillies counting 1 leg only, run to Carillon steps (right or left), bunny hop up 15 steps, climb remainder, criss-cross plateau along top of Carillon’s base, descend other steps, return to granite slab, do 10 mericans, repeat run & bunny hop sequence, do 25 hillbillies, repeat run & bunny hop sequence, do 15 mericans, etc. until you get down to 30 mericans, then do final run & bunny hop and plank.

Plank sequence and LBCs in cadence while PAX completed Forties/Lindsays.

20x single leg Alabama prom dates. Repeat with other leg.
Slow lunge walk across large brick patio in front of Carillon.
Single leg side hop across patio. Repeat with other leg.
Bear crawl across patio.

Mosey back to VSF. American hammers with increasing cadence.

COT with YHC taking us out.

Announcements:
-Wed hill run is on today. That AO is now a permanent fixture, at least for the foreseeable future. DK is adding to list.
-Ashcake 5k is coming up. We are trying to field a big F3RVA group. Specify “F3RVA” when you register.
-April 15 – 2.0 Scavenger Hunt @ GridIron, Q’d by Jville & Earthworm. Family friendly. LOMLs welcome to attend and/or workout with us.
-New Bootcamp (#TwinTeam) commencing 4/7 at Bettie Weaver ES in Midlo. #RiverRun will revert to a run, as its name demands
-LabRat is leading an effort to expand F3 to Charlottesville. This effort will require (i) finding motivated leaders there, and (ii) support on a number of levels by F3 RVA. For now, LabRat needs help identifying potential leaders in Charlottesville.

Moleskin:

Ok. I admit that I took the first long mosey because my aged body needs a little time to warm up — especially this week.

I have a bad tendency to plan one workout, and then to go in a completely different direction based on some emotional decision. That hill behind Dogwood Dell is not quite up to Stinkhill standards, but it’s a beaut. I was strongly tempted to abandon plans and call something akin to a Bearway to Heaven on that glorious incline. But, my OCD overcame my ADHD today, and I managed to get myself back on track.

The Helter Skelter Forties were a big experiment that I have been thinking about for several days. I love the Carillon, not just for the multitude of workout possibilities that it offers, but also for its symbolic significance, it being one of Virginia’s chief memorials to the heroic efforts of Virginia’s World War I servicemen and servicewomen. I hope that our use of that structure paid tribute to, and did not at all disrespect, its significance.

There was a large bootcamp crowd that kicked off around 0545. They did not significantly interfere with us, but small packs of women from that group kept wondering into our PAX trying to join us. They half-heartedly claimed confusion, but their gazes were strangely fixed upon BT. We are men of honor, and BT did not, on this day, fall for that ruse.

There were a lot of hop exercises this morning. Bleeder never complained, but I thought it fitting that we offer something more favorable to him. Bearcrawls ensued, and he, of course, crushed them. I begrudgingly accepted my last-place finish on those.

Once again, it was very satisfying to road trip out of my normal RVA sub-region to connect with old friends and to meet new ones. I have had a great time traveling around to different F3 circles this week. We all have a tendency to get caught up in our neighborhood AOs. Based on my experiences this week, I know it would strengthen our F3 community if everyone periodically (maybe monthly) ventured out to a foreign AO or two. You will be surprised how welcoming our community is to newcomers.

Richmond has dozens, maybe hundreds, of schools, parks, and other public space. F3RVA, thus, has limitless potential for growth. We should organize another big attendance push in May or June. We dragged some now-regulars out last June that way, including McRib, Mr. Roper, and others. I say we do it again. How about Tuesday, May 18 for a run at breaking last year’s record?

Thank you for permitting me to lead WDog. It is a privilege and an honor to lead strong, motivated men. Johnsonville

PS: Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:12