The Toboggan. It’s not just a runnerless sled.

9 showed today for what was inevitably my last Q at The Ricky Bobby as I’m probably not going to be invited back to MHC headquarters after a workout consisting of merkins, Merkins, and more MERKINS.

Buckeye was out early for some EC, the rest showed up at go time, so we went.

The Thang:

• 15 x SSH (IC)
• 15 x Seal Jacks (IC)
• 10 x Mike Tyson’s (IC) – (“Well that escalated quickly”)
• 5 x X Plyo Merkins (IC) – Start from plank, narrow hands & narrow feet. Down -1, Up and off the ground into wide hands and wide feet position – 2, Down – 3, Up and off the ground back to narrow hands and narrow feet position – 4
• 5 x Eskimo Merkins (My Count) – A Dirt specialty.  Down, nose to ground & up – 1.  Down, nose to ground & micromerkin nose to ground again for a total of 2 touches – 2.  Repeat to 5.
• 30 x Mountain Climbers (IC)
• 40 x Toe Touches (IC)
• 30 x Freddie Mercuries (IC)
• 40 x Flutter Kicks (IC)

YHC was calling for the bell at that point, and was glad the round was over.  Calling cadence got tough.  We knocked out the pledge and moseyed across New Hope to the church where more merkins were waiting.

YHC called it a triple nickel, but some disagreed with the name.  Not sure how it can get more triple nickel than 5 exercises of 5 reps 5 times.  Here’s what it was:

• Side 1
  • 5 x Diamond Merkins
  • 5 x Pseudo Planche Merkins – Merkins with grip reversed, fingers pointing at toes, hands under belly
• Middle
  • 5 x Burpees (One Way only)
• Side 2
  • 5 x CDDs
  • 5 x Chuck Norris Merkins

After the call, YHC was reminded that the Site Q was none other than the President of the Merkin Haters Club.  Regardless, work was done by all.  Mosey back to the Scout Hut.

Partner up for something in the form of Lazy Dora.

• Partner 1 – 25 x Squats
• Partner 2 – People’s Chair w/air presses

Switch after each set of the 25 squats for a total of 150.

Mumblechatter picked up discussing Buckeye’s bright orange toboggan.  Those who are right say it’s a hat, or a “knit cap” as they call it when its 4 degrees below zero in Kenosha, WI.  Others who are wrong say it’s a specific type of sled.  Clarity and consensus is impossible to come by with both sides digging in.  Regardless, YHC is fairly sure that this workout will be remembered, at least in his mind, as “the toboggan” workout.  Mosey back to the flag.

Back in the circle, we pressed on with:

• 30 x Mountain Climbers (IC)
• 40 x Toe Touches (IC)
• 30 x Freddie Mercuries (IC)

5 minutes still on the clock, and YHC was out.  Of plans, of gas, of brain activity.  Pretty much everything.  I had to call for an unprecedented 10 count in the circle before the last round of Flutter Kicks.  Done.  At this point, Buckeye and his orange toboggan came through in the clutch, with a reminder from the 1st F Q that we should incorporate stretching into our workouts when possible.  Saved.

• 40 x Flutter Kicks (IC)

Kicked it to Buckeye for the last 4 minutes to stretch us out.

Announcements:

• Extinction Run Saturday – Parking is going to be hard to come by, so park elsewhere and walk in if possible.
• Bottoms Up at Primal @ 5:00 every Friday
• March CSAUP – 3/6 – Strides of March
• Mortimer Team Fundraiser – Bountiful Blessings Food Pantry – More information upcoming
• Sargento with Q at Tequila Sunrise on Friday

Prayer Requests:

• Sweetheart’s M with some unexplained loss of hearing

Moleskin:

My last Q at The Sandlot, discussion came up about the early days of F3 Gastonia, and how, at least in the minds of those reporting, there were more exercises and less running.  I remember during some of my few early-days posts the circle at the beginning would sometimes be longer and reps not just used as a warm up, but to push.  Not that the older was better than the new, in fact, I like what the running does to let you go see things and put on the miles while adding the variety of location.  But variety.  It’s a good thing.

Full disclosure, I reached out to Double Stuff to find some different Merkins to break out in this workout.  Needless to say, the list he sent reminded me of how much room I still have to grow.  A couple of them, I had no chance doing, as any flex in the elbow would have had me quickly collapsing to the ground.  But a couple of them I could, and so I modified a little off the list and put together a workout to give some of these things a try.  While we didn’t do a ton of reps, it’s still worth doing.  You’ve got to start somewhere.

Always a privilege to lead at TRB.  Maybe I’ll get to do it again someday.

Yabba Dabba Doo