Two in a Row with No Merlot

A dozen (!?!) at Bulldog where we disrupted the order of the universe and kept down last nights dinner.  Here’s what I remember:

6th Q in 8 days, and YHC has been trying to keep it fresh without spending too much time planning workouts.  Answers come to those who seek, though, and that 0400-0500 hour has been magic this week, and this day was no different.  Build a timer, grab the speaker and every kettlebell we can find and head to the Bulldog to find a lot of parking spots full.  Unload the car to Bulldog’s infamous time warp, and it’s suddenly 0530.  Time to get going.

The Thang:

• 10 x Don Quixotes (IC)
• 10 x Gravel Pickers (IC)

Around this time, Sledge rolls in, and parks IN THAT SPOT.  If you’re a regular at the Bulldog, you know you don’t park in THAT spot.  Those politicians think they’re above the law.  Stagecoach gave fair warning, and the rest of us knew what was coming.  Sledge threatened civic retribution, and it was on.  The workout was just a prelude to the Mortal Kombat-style hijinks that was to come.

• 10 x Hillbilly Walkers (IC)
• 10 x Mike Tysons (IC)
• 10 x Dying Cockroaches (IC)

Sorry, y’all.  Short warm up today.  Plenty to do.

Simple Circuit – 8 kettlebell exercises.  45 seconds on.  22 (?) second break to take a breath, switch positions, and reload.

Round 9 of the circuit was a 2+ minute timer that was a combo Exercise/Hold that PAX could AMRAP before swapping to the other.

Punctuated it with a mosey around the lot and then some, with a short walk back to start the next round.  Walkers had a shorter loop, and we all ended up back in the same spot at about the same time.

Circuit Exercises:

• Halos (CW & CCW – switch halfway)
• Swings
• 1-armed Overhead Presses (switch halfway)
• Double Crunches
• Curls
• Goblet Squats
• 1-armed Rows (switch halfway)
• WW3 Situps

Exercise/Hold

• Round 1 – Merkins / “M” Hold (American Hammers without the “hammer”)
• Round 2 – Kettlebell Pullthroughs / Six Inches

We made it through 3 rounds of the circuit, and had about 90 seconds left, so the last Exercise/Hold ended up being a 90 second plank that PAX could interrupt with Shoulder Taps to move around a bit.  Planks were solid form, even though we were in the final minute of the workout.

Solid burn today, and seems like the effort level was there.  Heihei and Top Hat have been bringing it the past few weeks.  The Eastburn brothers add to the intensity and the mumblechatter.  The Site Q flew by me on a run today.  Woody brought his years of knowledge and coached up our form.  Virus made his debut at Bulldog.  And hey Bonzai proudly didn’t merlot.  Always good to see Sledge, Timeframe, and Winehouse too.  Everyone added something to the beatdown, and made it a great start to the day.

About halfway through the workout, I noticed a heightened awareness to events happening behind me, and I turned to see a car pulling in, presumably to its driver, into the same spot it always pulls into.  Then it stopped, and the fury brewed in that sedan until the door opened, and what came out no eyes could witness.  The unstoppable force came up against the immovable object, and it was on.  As we all threw Sledge under the bus, he learned who his real friends were.  The battle ended in a bit of a stalemate, with no finishing moves to declare the winner, and both warriors survived to fight again in the next round.

Moleskin:

Many thanks to Heihei, both for laboring through every bootcamp/gear workout I Q’d over the course of the past week.  Always nice to have the support, and knowing he’d be there kept me from repeating routines, and pushed me as a Q.  Also, if you haven’t seen his Slack post from yesterday, check it out.

Groups like today are what F3 is about.  Some looking to push the rock.  Some just trying not to merlot.  Some looking to find consistency.  Some battling injury.  Some looking to support a friend.  Some grinding it out and maintaining their acceleration.  Some with their minds elsewhere on how to serve the community.  And all hopefully getting what they need out of the Gloom.

Grateful for another opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo