As I Recall…

Timely backblasts are helpful to accurately capture what went down during a workout. However, life can happen in between the time of the workout and the recording of the events. This is one of those cases. It has been less than 30 hours since yesterday’s session of The Halfpipe, but the events are a bit fuzzy. YHC posted at Midoriyama yesterday. What I witnessed there left me a bit scarred. I’ll let the Q handle that backblast but let’s just say there were Pickle Pounders, Baby Makers, and an old-fashioned Tunnel of Love. Trying to clear my memory of the sights and sounds I witnessed, I may have inadvertently erased some memories from earlier in the day (had to make sure that afternoon was wiped clean).

Here’s how I remember yesterday going down…

Woke up to the alarm going off and couldn’t figure out what day it was. Saw the time and realized it was Tuesday. Halfpipe day…

Completed the 1 mile mosey from Casa de JJ to The Halfpipe to find no one there. No runners, no cars in the parking lot, empty. Did I have the right day? Was it really Tuesday? Was I still asleep? Then like a glowing beacon in the night, a shining angel decended from the sky. Actually, I was still a little sleppy-eyed, and it was just Stroganoff running down the hill from the far side of The Halfpipe after getting there early. As we ran, several vehicles came flying through the neighborhood as 0515 approached. We found Defib, Whoopee, and Sargento as we ran past. “It’s 0515, this is The Halfpipe, today’s route is up and back on the hills, go at your own pace.”

As we moseyed up the hill, YHC noticed an orange Home Depot bucket in the street. YHC has asked someone to sit on the bucket with a clipboard and record the laps for each runner since Strava doesn’t seem to accurately count Halfpipe segments on my watch. That’s accountability. The Halfpipe may be seasonal, but it’s not some JV AO where minimal effort is given. Your point is earned here brother. So about the missing lap counter, either this person 1) was kidnapped, 2) got scared because they too thought that Stroganoff was an angel descending upon them, or 3) realized they weren’t getting paid for this, got mad it was 515 in the morning, and kicked the bucket into the road. Probably the latter…

After we’d completed about 10 total loops, we were on the far side about to pass by one of the side streets. Any seasoned Halfpiper (Halfpipian, Halfpipitite?) would attest to the fact that Stop signs in the Kinmere neighborhood are for decoration only and that stopping at said Stop sign is totally optional. As we approached one of the giant red decorative art displays, a car came speeding towards the same intersection. With the boldness of Joshua and the Israelites as they marched around Jericho, our band of brave Halfpipian warriors crossed in front of this mechanical beast as it came to a stop just in front of the intersection. Truer bravery has the land of SOGA not seen in quite some time.

After at least a dozon more loops, we neared the Gaston Day side of the Halfpipe, and at this point, Whoopee made a grand statement that he was going to the front. YHC doesdn’t think that everyone heard exactly what he said so we were all kinda quiet for a few seconds as we each internally tried to decifer the meaning of this declaration. Someone chimed in with, “I hoped he remembers that he parked his truck here.” This then led to the fear that Whoopee would mosey his way back to the secret Dutch Oven AO to find his vehicle was gone (possibly stolen by the kidnappers who took the lap counter). At some point, he would remember that he’d parked at The Halfpipe and wait for Stroganoff to return and drive him back. You’d think he’d just run back since he loves running so much. To kill the time, he would just take a nap on Stroganoff’s front porch where, to her horror, Mrs. Stroganoff would find a strange man sleeping on her front porch. In fear because she knew her husband was out doing whatever he does at 0530 in the morning, she called the police. Knowing none of this, Stroganoff would return to his home to find blue lights in front of his house and Whoopee in the back seat of a patrol car. That would have led to some great conversations during the Dam to Dam Relay this weekend. Fortunately, Whoopee meant he was just running to the front of the Kinmere neighborhood and we caught up to him after a single loop.

After another half-dozen loops, Sargento made an annoucement that he was starting a new AO. Right then, right there. Being the great organizer that he is, he’d already given this new AO a name, the BWRC (#ShowToKnow on this one…). At this point, the BWRC PAX broke off to continue their workout. Sargento was excited and wanted to check the F3 Gastonia record books. With his upcoming Q at Midoriyama that evening, he thought he may be the first with a TRIPLE POST in one day. 1st FQ Defib was on-site at The Halfpipe so YHC is sure that Sargento inquired about the number of bonus points that would be awarded for a TRIPLE POST.

After at least 10 more loops, the PAX paused for the COT.

Announcements
2F lunch, Belmont Pita Wheel, 2/21
That’s it, that’s the list

Prayer Request
Stroganoff’s Mother-in-law, showing improvements
Safe travels for the runners coming up this weekend
Safe travels for a family member traveling. Names are redacted because this sounded like more of a CIA mission. Travel through Argentina to Antartica. There was talks of being tied down to a bed. (From the mumble chatter at Midoriyama yesterday, it sounds like some of those guys would like more details on that for their Valentine’s Day celebration.)

At this point, some PAX left while others continued on for additional loops.

Those that were left paused again for a 2nd unofficial COT. Eventually, it felt like that awkward point of a party where everybody wants to go home, but no one wants to be the first one to leave. Also in the second COT, we had another runner pass by that YHC doesn’t believe we’ve seen out there before. YHC was going to count him as an FNG for 5 additional pushing rock points, but maybe we’ll do that next week.

All I know is that all of this is 100% ACCURATE based on how I remember things going.

Until next time…