F3 New Orleans

Tag: #CSAUP

  • NOLA Veteran’s Day GORUCK Tough

    So the night has come…GORUCK Night!  After 6 weeks of training, the event was here and nerves and excitement were setting in.  The event was set to start at 2100 hours (9pm) at NOMA. Cowbell and YHC met up and arrived around 2030 hours.  Heisenberg and Amnesty were already sitting around the fountain when we showed up along with about 30 other men that were prepping for the event.  Triple Shift and Woz showed up next, followed by Jingle Vader and Hawgcycle.  Outfit Note: JV was rocking his classic white tee and shorts, while the rest of the GORUCK crew were decked out in a dark color or camo.  Such a Classic Jingle Vader.  In total, we had a F3NOLA Pax of 8 along with 33 potential FNGs.   As the event time crept closer, we were worried that the Cadres would be late, but right on time:

    The Thang

    NOTE: The time listed is based off of YHC’s internal clock as we were told to not have any watches, but it’s the easiest way to get all the details in.  Also, one requirement of the GORUCK was to honor a Veteran by attaching a picture and bio to your rucksack.  At each stop, a few people were able to honor their Veteran’s story.  This was the best part of the event for everyone. The stories and memories that these heroes have are an amazing thing, and it was an honor to listen to their stories.

    2100 hours: Cadre Brad & Cadre Mike (VQ) showed up and told everyone to line up five deep and get into formation.  After some necessary safety announcements and instructions, we were told to pull out the following list of items that were required so the Cadres could inspect:

    • ID Card
    • Cab Fare
    • Weight
    • Water
    • Reflective Bands / Lights

    Good thing Heisenberg had 20+ reflective bands as he bailed out YHC and 10+ others who didn’t bring this.  I think JV only had Weight & Water.

    After the loadout check, we went from zero to sixty!

    2130 hours:  With rucks on, we did the following:

    30ishx Merkins IC
    50ishx Flutter Kicks IC
    20ishx Burpees
    “Ish” because rep wouldn’t count if we were not in sync.
    Bear Crawl out 100 yards
    Lunge Walk back 100 yards

    Once back, Cadre Mike told us that whoever didn’t have one of the inspected items to come to the front.  Let’s say about 10 people were up there, including JV.  Cadre Mike explained how details matter, and a missed detail could result in a casualty at war. To hammer the point in, he had each person lead the group in more PT.  We did various things like Kettlebell Swings, Squats, Overhead Press, Burpees, Merkins, and Russian Twist.  Guess which one JV picked…

    2200hrs: Cadre Brad prefaced the next exercises with a talk about how there are two kinds of fun: 1) the kind of fun that is great at the time, but temporary (e.g. roller coaster ride) & 2) the kind of fun that sucks at the time, but you will appreciate it later on (e.g. what we were about to do).  He finished with saying “No one talks about fun #1 around a fire with some beers.”, then went on to explain the next thing:

    Deck of Death: 52 cards – suites are exercises, numbers are reps
    Hearts: 8-count bodybuilders (a.k.a. Hell)
    Spades: Overhead Press
    Diamonds: Flutter Kicks
    Clubs: Squats

    109 reps of each.  As we were fighting through, mumble chatter by the F3 Pax were motivating the group.  The only way to get through tough times is to help your comrades next to you.  Mumble Chatter is a great way to do that when it sucks.  Tclaps to the F3 members as we led the mumble chatter efforts.  Once done, we got into formation and were off for our first ruck.

    2300hrs:  Rucked about a quarter mile and stopped next to a light pole (a.k.a coupon) lying on the ground.  We were instructed by Cadre Brad to carry the coupon around the pond (approx. 1.2 miles) and bring it back to the same spot.  There was nothing “light” about the light pole.  Our team worked together to move the coupon, rotating in & out as members of the group needed a break. Almost back to the drop off location, we were stopped by some other people that told us we had to go back and use another way in.  After some resistance (Cowbell tried to run the guys over with the coupon), we reversed our path, and headed back to find another way.  A few minutes later, Cadre Mike stopped us again, and told us to go drop the coupon in a grass area and circle up around it.  He went on to explain how orders are given and must be followed. We were instructed by our Cadre to return the coupon to the start point.  We should have not listen to an outside person.  Point taken.

    2330hrs: We learned about how to make a deal with an outside person.  There are signals used to identify the key person, and to protect yourselves from walking into a trap in another country.  The mission was to return the coupon to the “outside group” and in return we would get supplies. Our team leads struck a deal, and we returned the coupon to them, then the team rucked about a quarter mile to gather supplies.  Supplies included four water jugs (30 lbs each), 4 sand bags (25 to 60 lbs), and a concrete/sand filled 5 gal bucket with no handles.

    0030hrs:  Rucked 3 miles with our supplies to St. Bernard & Robert E Lee.  We did a great job alternating people to hold the supplies while we rucked, eventhough we missed our time by 13 minutes.  We owed the Cadres 13 minutes of PT, which included 8-count body builders and overhead shoulder press.

    0200hrs:  Rucked 2 more miles towards the Milneburg Lighthouse, and we made our time.  Circled up again and learned about detecting IEDs in wartimes.  Little did we know, this was a foreshadowing.

    0300hrs: As we started rucking, we suffered a “casualty” due to an IED.  We were tasked on carrying our casualty the rest of the way.  About half way through, the casualty group was falling behind the others carrying the supplies, and the Cadres stopped us for an ass chewing.  We were selfish, and we were not working as a team.  We resumed our rucking, and finally figured out a way to manage our additional weight.  This ruck in total was about 3 miles to Lakefront by Lake Vista.

    0430hrs: Learned about tourniquets, and their importance on the battlefield.  To make sure we took in the information, we split up into 5 groups for a relay race that included one person (medic) applying a tourniquet to another person (casualty) about 20 yards away.  The medic had to apply the tourniquet to remove the radial pulse.  This was checked by the Cadres, and once approved, the casualty could run back to the line and the medic became the next casualty.  YHC team won, and our reward was to lead some PT for the other groups.

    0630hrs: Gathered our items and rucked another 2.25 miles to West End and Filmore neutral ground.  Here we learned about Bounding, which included two partners getting to an objective while covering one another.  Both partners are in prone, Man #2 yells “Set”, and Man #1 yells “Moving”. Man #1 starts running 3-5 steps and gets back in prone while Man #2 applies covering fire. Repeat until you get to the objective (130 yards) and repeat on the way back.

    0730hrs: Ruck over to Veterans & West End (1mile) for a short break.  This is where we honored the rest of our Veterans.

    0830hrs: Rucked towards NOMA, and attempted a shortcut through Lakeview.  Little did we know, a train was blocking our shortcut, and we had to double back to get under the train tracks.  This road block added some more distance, but we definitely got our money’s worth.  Our last ruck of the day was 3.25miles.

    0930hrs:  Made it back to NOMA!  Cadre Brad got us back into formation, and explained that it’s not a GORUCK if you don’t get wet. So our group went into the pond that was covered with 1 ft of duck crap at the bottom to honor each branch of the US Armed Services with a hydro-burpee.

    1000hrs: We received our GORUCK Tough patch.  Well deserved men.

    Moleskin

    A big thank you to all the men and women who are serving or have served in the United States Armed Forces!

    It’s amazing how F3 trains us for an event like this.  Whether it’s leading an exercise in cadence, or joking with another person when you are both carrying around 80-100lbs on your back; F3 is a great tool to train men in leadership.  The F3NOLA Pax were all great leaders during the event.

     

  • Pre-Blast: Harbison 50K

    Do you like to run? Want to do a #CSAUP that’s not a ruck or mud run? Have you wanted to complete a trail ultramarathon? Here is your chance to race one of the southeast’s most popular early season 50K races! Time to put all that F3 work into action!

    Since the trail running and 50K/Ultramarathon racing bug has bitten a large majority of F3 Columbia, YHC wanted to offer all Pax of F3 Nation a discount into one of my favorite races to direct. The Harbison 50K in the Harbsion State Forest right here within the city limits of Columbia, SC. Why not tackle a distance like this right in your back yard!

    Race Date: January 7, 2017
    Start time: 7:30 am
    Distance: Just a tad shy of 32 miles
    Course: 2 loops, so you can enjoy Spiderwoman twice!
    Map: Click Here
    Weather: The last couple years has been down right cold and wet… great for getting muddy!
    Technical aspect: Mild to Moderate, moderate to hard if trail conditions deteriorate due to weather.
    Toughest Section: Everyone says Spiderwoman but I love the Spiderwoman trails, Personally YHC thinks the toughest section is Midlands Mountain/Firebreak to the main parking lot section near the end of the loop due to the lack of terrain change.
    Total Elevation Change: 4,186′
    Cut off time: A loose 9 hours
    Race swag: A race logo’d shirt and a sweet finisher’s award that you can wear proudly everywhere you go, bragging about your accomplishment.
    Discount: 25% off registration fees
    Discount Code: F3Nation
    My contact info: david@csraultras.org

    Registration/More info: Ultrasignup

    If you decide to join the race, feel free to let me know your F3 name and I’ll be sure to have that custom printed on your race bib instead of your hospital name.

    If you’re travelling to Columbia and don’t want to stay on top of a fellow Pax, I have discounted rooms available at the Harbison Hampton Inn which is 5 minutes from the race site. If you need to use this, shoot me an email at the address above!

    See all there!

     

  • CSAUP – Q50 Bleau Moon Night Run

    YHC was privy to a spectacular light show as I crossed the bridge.  It started raining on me about half way across the lake.  I arrived at Fontainebleau State Park to find about a hundred people huddled together under the registration pavilion eagerly awaiting word if the race was canceled.  The organizer, Ceasar Torres, remarked he had never cancelled a Q50 race in the 10 years he had been having them.  He decided to push the start time back 15 minutes and cancel the 10 mile race (which is just as well…in my stupidity I signed up for the 10 mile, but I am pretty sure God knows my capabilities and canceled if for me).  At 8:55 Ceasar told everyone they could run the 5 mile race if they wanted and he would refund the money to anyone that didn’t want to run.  I think a few people may have opted not to run, but the rest of us headed out into a light drizzle.

    The Thang

    5 mile loop through the trails of Fontainebleau State Park.  There were about 10 strides along the beach and the rest was in the woods.  Glo sticks and strategically placed volunteers light the way.  The trails were nice and wide enough to pass someone in most places.  Lots of mud holes due to the rain added to the enjoyment.  The trail crossed back on itself for about half a mile.  At that point I wondered if I made a mistake, since I couldn’t see anyone in front of me.  My goal was 45 minutes, and I came in just over that.

    Moleskin

    Here are the results.  I also found this video.  It is from a different year, but looks very similar to the weather we had.  The food was provided by The New Orleans Mission and they were taking donations.  They had fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and melons – Best fruit options I’ve ever had at a race.  They also had Jambalaya, Red Beans, and Liquid refreshment.  I don’t know if it is the 2nd best night race in the world, but it is certainly my favorite so far.

    -Hawg

     

  • The Inaugural Gnarly Nutria

    18 F3 Men and about 25 Pokemon Go players invaded Audubon Park last night looking to do something completely stupid and utterly pointless. The F3 men were a success and I can only assume the same for the Pokemon Go players.

    Put this on your calendars for July 19th, 2017 @ 2115 hrs

    The Thang

    It was Uptown vs. The World.  The World team consisted mostly of men from Lakeview and Metairie, although we will accept F3 men from all parts.  There was some controversy as to which team Jingle Vader would be representing.  As we all know, he is a man of the World; however, on a postal code technicality he was relegated to the Uptown team.

    The competition consisted of 3 laps around Audubon Park, roughly 5.33 miles in total.  Each man received 1 point per lap.  Anyone completing all 3 laps received 1 bonus point for each man he finished ahead of (including teammates). In the end our Uptown brothers prevailed 105.5 – 81. Results are below:

    Uptown 105.5
    [table “” not found /]

    The World 81
    [table “” not found /]

  • May Crowning

    When Yankee and I taught at Sacred Heart they had a strange little tradition called May Crowning which serves as the namesake for our May Competition. Here are the rules:

    1. Put up $50.00
    2. Post at least 3 times in each of the 4 weeks during May
    3. Keep your money and get a free round at the first F2 event in June.

    The idea is to challenge yourself to post consistently. You have to post at least 3 times each week to win and keep your money – miss one week and you are out. We will use the “loser” money to treat the winners at F2 and donate the rest to charity.

    There will also be an overall winner for the man that posts the most during May. Overall winner gets some F3 swag and chooses the charity (Human Fund is not allowed).

    If you are in, post a comment below. Reply to your original comment at the end of each week with the number of workouts you posted at during the week. Competition starts on Monday 5/2. Monday – Saturday constitutes a week.

    Game on!

  • PreBlast-RAGNAR Trail Relay Race

    Updated PreBlast can be viewed at http://f3nation.com/2016/06/09/preblast-ragnar-trail-relay-race-oct-2016/

     

    F3 Nation . . . Knowing we all like to be challenged, we have something special just for us . . .

    Ragnar Trail Carolinas is coming to South Carolina October 7-8, 2016! The Ragnar Trail Running Event will be an awesome F3 CSAUP challenge including Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith.

    M’s, 2.0s and fellow PAX will be welcome to hang out and support the F3 teams to encourage fellowship among the extended F3 family (We are waiting for confirmation on cost for spectators). We will also be afforded opportunities to promote the mission of F3 to those in the Ragnar Village, whether it be socially or by impromptu workout sessions. Our goal for number of F3 teams is 20-25 from all areas.

    Teams will consist of 8-members (or 4-member ultra teams) who run relay-style on three different single track loops through the Anne Springs Close Greenway forest preserve. Teams run day and night until each member has completed all three trail loops totaling 16.10 miles.

    Each team will have the opportunity to camp overnight in a 300 SF area at Ragnar Village located within the Greenway, get to know other PAX from other Regions, and be an example of what F3 is all about to ‘Ragnarians’ who will be participating through this event. We have been designated a special camping area from RAGNAR just for F3 Nation so we can get to know each other on a more intimate level.

    If you are new or even a veteran to trail running, a great website to help you get started or perform better is www.trailrunningmovement.com.

    Registration is open at www.runragnar.com, so begin forming your teams now and register today. As a bonus, F3 has been offered a $150 team discounted registration by Ragnar. Just use the promo code CT16MF3 to receive the discount. Registration prices will go up on August 4, 2016 at 23:59 MST.

    What: Ragnar Trail Relay Race. 8-Member (or 4-Member) Teams.

    When: Friday & Saturday, October 7-8, 2016.

    Where: Anne Springs Close Greenway, Fort Mill, SC.

    How much?: $1,090/CSAUP Team after Special F3 Discount. Registration prices will go up on August 4, 2016 at 23:59 MST. Registration includes: Team Parking at Greenway, Camping Area, Finisher Medal & Shirt, Meal & S’mores on Friday Evening.

    Needs: Area Q’s to assist organizing teams and spreading the word.

    Contact Bolt, Reborn, or Chaser for more information or if you have any questions.

    There will be more information coming as we receive it from Ragnar.

    8 Friends. 3 Trails. 1 Billion Stars. Unforgettable Stories. Are you up for it?  See you on the trails! 

  • MudRun Fall 2015 #Preblast Race Day

    Mud Run Spring 2014 #PreBlast

    We trust all of you are excited and ready to be a part in our largest gathering of F3 men. When F3 Nation descends upon the Leatherneck this Saturday, we will definitely turn some heads and draw a lot of attention. There are a few logistical changes, so this PreBlast is an attempt to provide sufficient detail so things run smoothly. A schedule of events and the F3 Starting Order are included at the bottom.

    ARRIVAL**:      You should plan to arrive at The Leatherneck by 7:00am. You do not want to be late. Running from the parking lot to make your start time will make for a miserable day. The Physical Address of the Leatherneck is 1215 Valley Ridge Rd., Gaston, SC 29053. Directions are below:

    **(FOR SITUATION AWARENESS THERE WILL BE CONSTRUCTION ON 1-26 AND EXIT 125 WILL BE SHUT DOWN AT 7AM).

    Find directions here.

    THE TENT:      This year, the F3 tent will be right next to the starting line. You won’t be able to miss it, because we have the biggest, baddest tent on site. It will also be well marked with flags and banners, and will serve as our central meeting point.

    Bag Check:      There is a bag check for normal registered runners.  This location will be chaos.  Plan to check you bag into the F3 tent. We will have several volunteers that will be staying at the tent and I’ve heard that F3 Nation brothers are pretty damned trustworthy!

    SHOVEL FLAGS:      Please bring EVERY shovel flag in your Region and plant them at the tent upon arrival. This is always a significant gathering, and the flags will make a statement.

    THE MUD RUN WAIVER:      Bring the COMPLETED mud run waiver form with you (ONE PER TEAM IS REQUIRED TO BE COMPELTED).TEAM CAPTAINS are responsible for your team’s waiver (we will print some extras to be available at the F3 tent). Print the waiver here:

    Runner Waiver

    REGISTRATION:      Don’t go register until your ENTIRE team is Assembled. You register at the registration tent (NOT THE F3 TENT).  Give them your waiver and get your race bibs and get marked up with your numbers. Team Captains will get the team’s timing chip. You will be free to come back to the F3 tent after you register.  T-shirts can be picked up (as a completed team) at the F3 tent.

    THE START:      Teams start every 15 seconds. This is it. Do well.

    THE COURSE:      The course layout is the same this year.  Watch Twitter (@F3MudRun) for any course recon updates prior to the race. There should be actual Marines monitoring obstacles (rather than JRROTC volunteers). The Marines are much more strict when it comes to attempting/completing each obstacle or taking penalties. With 108 teams, odds are very high that one of us will piss off a Marine with a hard-on to bust somebody. Don’t let it be you.

    Fountainhead’s “Wiki-Mud” provides strategy tips and information about specific obstacles and is recommended reading: http://f3nation.com/2014/03/16/the-wiki-mud/

    Purple Crayon’s “How To Beat the Mud Run Obstacles” is also excellent (Note: order of obstacles has changed): http://f3nation.com/2013/10/08/how-to-beat-the-mud-run-obstacles/

    THE FINISH:      You must cross the finish line with your entire team. In our meetings with the Mud Run reps, they specifically mentioned this rule. Team Captains with the timing chip must finish with your three teammates and ONLY your three teammates.

    AFTER THE RACE:      When you are off the course, the mud run will have fruit, water, etc. for you. You can also hang around the finish line to welcome your buddies as they finish. At some point, you will want to make your way toward the “showers” (which are hardly more than a glorified garden hose) for a rinse off. Don’t think for a minute you’re gonna get all the mud off you. That will take weeks. After you clean up a bit, make your way back to the F3 Tent for 2ndF (AND ENJOY THE BEER BOAT!!!) We will have this stocked for you and remember that GLASS BOTTLES AND PERSONAL COOLERS ARE NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE GROUNDS.

    OPERATION ENDURING WARRIOR DONATION:      Operation Enduring Warrior is an organization that supports disabled veterans through training and competing in obstacle races. You may have seen photos of the OEW guys wearing gas masks during the mud run. Their web site is here: http://www.enduringwarrior.org/

    F3 Nation will again support their efforts this year with a financial donation and moral support. You may remember having the option to make a donation to OEW when you signed up on the F3 Mud Run website. We raised about $1700 that way. On the morning of the race, we will “pass the hat” again for anyone who would like to donate to OEW and increase our check size. There will be a donation bucket (very well marked)  at the tent. We will also have a F3 volunteer walking around with a bucket. Think about it – if all 420 of us gave just $5, we’d add $2100.

    OEW CHECK PRESENTATION: At approximately 7:45am F3 (Fountainhead and Napalm) will present our check donation to OEW. Logistics are still being finalized regarding exactly where that exchange will take place, but we only have about a five minute window before OEW hits the starting line, and we don’t want to back up the rest of the starters. We’ll annouce this when it’s time.

    PHOTOS: At approximately 11:00AM, we will take our group picture (please be at our tent at 11:00AM for this). This should not take but a few minutes. We will also have several photographers on the course.

    BUSTED PAW:      The awarding of the Busted Paw will take place immediately following photos. It better be a team from F3 that wins this and not a pack if FIA gals……

     

    Tenative Schedule of Events:

    • 7:00 Arrive at F3 Tent.
    • 7:15 Plant your Shovel Flags.
    • 7:00-7:30 OEW Donation/Collections.
    • 7:30-8:00 Race Prep, Check-in, Registration, Numbering (Full Team must register together).
    • 7:35-8:05 Pick-up T-shirt at F3 Tent.
    • 7:45-8:00 Check Presentation to OEW by Fountainhead and Napalm (Depends when OEW starts race).
    • 8:00-8:15 BOM by Dredd (immediately after we do Check Presentation to OEW).
    • 8:45-9:12 All F3 teams Start Race.
    • 9:45-10:45 F3 Teams Finish (Go shower and then head to F3 Tent for 2nd F).
    • 10:50 Busted Paw Trophy Presentation
    • 11:00 Final F3 Group Photo.

    THE STARTING ORDER:

    Since this run’s inception, we have received countless communications regarding starting times. You name it, we’ve heard opinions from every region. After carefully weighing all the information, the overwhelming consensus was that most of the regions wanted the chance to compete for The Busted Paw against each other’s best competition and on a level playing field. It also became apparent that any solution we offered was going to piss somebody off. This year we have a LOT more regions running for the first time (and not all necessarily consider themselves in the running to take home the trophy).

    The defending champion South Beach is not registed to defend there team title so ALL F3 teams are together with nobody between us. Each Regional Q ranked each of the teams from their region.

    When all teams were blended together for ranking,  we considered three primary factors:

    1. Evaluated past team performance, with a bit of priority consideration given to the top 8 finishing times.
    2. Gave a bit of priority consideration to the total number of teams participating from each region.
    3. Created a weighted team average based on total “points” per runner on the team.  Remember when you registed and you had to select a goal for the MudRun?  Yep, that’s what we used.  This was mostly to use as a tiebreaker where needed.

    Basically each region has an equitable starting position to compete for The Paw. Any arguments and speculation should be finally decided in the arena.

    While this might not be the best way, its how it was done, and it all should work out just fine.

    SO The best part about this is IF you don’t like where your team is, Here are the things you can blame instead of ganging up on YHC:

    • Blame your Regional Q for giving you a Regional Seed than you think should have been better.
    • Blame your Region for not bringing more Pax to the dance.
    • Blame Yourself for not paying attention when you registered (by selecting “Simply Survive the Leatherneck” if you really meant to select “Serious Contender For the Busted Paw”).

    With that said HERE are the Starting Times (and remember if you are part of F3 then every last one of you has a “priority starting time”)!

    UPDATED TO PDF BELOW:

    TEAM STARTING TIMES

    Below is the Individual Registed Runner List (with the Teams they belong to):

    F3 Nation Individuals per team

    PDF Version-Individuals per team

    Blood Clots…Bones Heal…Sweat Dries…Pride is FOREVER!

     

  • Mobile Super Spartan CSAUP

    Pre-Thang

    Five brave men set out to accomplish the unthinkable, a 9.7 mile race with 24 obstacles, swamps, bogs, frigid water, sandy terrain, elevation changes, and slow pokes hogging the trail.  YHC and Amnesty road tripped it to Mobile the night before.  Hawgcycle stayed with the in-laws in Biloxi.  Reluctant Yankee and Mr. Awesome traveled together the morning of the race.

    We all tested our skills at the mini rope climb and scoped out the dust bowl where spectators gathered before lining up to race.  The PAX had some pre-run jitters not knowing what to expect in the gloom ahead.  After a quick waiver signing and listening to an energetic MC with American Flag with rip offs give a “be careful” spiel, we set off into the unknown.

    The Thang

    Mr. Awesome and Hawgcycle took off in the beginning while YHC, Reluctant Yankee, and Amnesty kept a slow and steady pace.  The first few obstacles were pretty straight forward.   YHC displayed why the name “Splash” was given after diving into the deepest section of the first frigid cold water crossing.  Learning to traverse the outside edges of the swampy areas didn’t take long after witnessing multiple runners get trapped nearly chest deep in tar/mud.

    The first 2.5 miles were relatively easy until coming upon 3 back-to-back obstacles that involved a straight gassing of the forearms:

    1. Zig Zig Walls – scale around the walls without touching the ground or grabbing onto the top
    2. Hercules Pull – lift heavy object (~80-100lbs) into the air hoisted by a pulley and gently set back down
    3. American Ninja Warrior Monkey Bars – start at one end and get to the next without touching the ground
      1. TCLAPS to Amnesty for being the only member of the PAX to complete while the rest did 30 burpees

    After our arms felt like Popeye, there was a nice mosey with a water station to rehydrate.  At this point YHC, Reluctant Yankee, and Amnesty took off to get in front of the slow groups who apparently walked the entire race.

    Around mile 6, Amnesty’s achilles began to act up probably due to the 2.5 straight miles of sand and elevation changes.  YHC and Reluctant Yankee carried on through the bucket brigade (fill up 3 gallon bucket with dirt and walk a loop only to dump it back out where you started) letting Amnesty take a breather.

    Within the next mile YHC and Reluctant Yankee caught up with Hawgcycle at the 10 foot wall jump.  TCLAPS to Hawgcycle for going the last 5 miles without a shoe sole.  Apparently, gorilla glue on old shoes while running through knee deep bogs isn’t the best idea.  Coming down from the wall jump Hawgcycle got a calf cramp.  The three of us stayed together for the next mile until reaching the infamous Spartan Javelin throw.  This obstacle has an 86% fail rate, and 100% of the PAX failed.  30 burpees for all.

    At this point, YHC got his 4th or 5th wind and took off for the remaining 2.5 miles of the race.  The last 3 obstacles consisted of a 20 foot rope climb, up and down large dirt mounds with cold water ravens, and lastly a fire jump.  Mr. Awesome finished the course in 2 hours and 25 minutes so he was there cheering us all on.  The rope climb took down two members of the PAX, Hawgcycle and Amnesty.  30 more burpees fellas.

    Other than some barbed wire nicks, thorn bush scrapes, and fatigued muscles, we made it through.  TCLAPS to Mr. Awesome for finishing 2nd overall in our heat and 6th overall for men in the afternoon heats.

    Post-Thang:

    Immediate post run consisted of a free beer sponsored by Shock Top, a finishers t-shirt and medal, and hose down rinse off.  The PAX loaded up for the ride back to NOLA.  We made a BBQ stop at the Shed off of I-10.  Mr. Awesome threw a fit that the Michigan vs Michigan State game wasn’t being played on the main TV.  What can you say?  It’s the SEC, and Bama is playing A&M.  Sorry, Awesome.  The Wolverines really needed you in the last 10 seconds.

  • 2015 Blue Ridge Relay—We Own the Gloom

    The Thang:  September 11 and September 12….from Whitetop, Va to Asheville,NC….208 210 mile relay run completed by teams of 6-12 pax, each running 1 of 36 legs in sequential order.

    NM:  54 Teams consisting of almost 500 Pax completed this event which is the pure definition of CSAUP.

    As with all things F3, there is always a title for the fastest team.  This year, that title belongs to Team Lean from Charlotte-Metro.  Team Lean also set the fastest time ever for an F3 team.  In second place, was a six man team, Team S6X, also from Charlotte-Metro.  Team S6X also placed 3rd overall in the Ultra Category. 3rd place was Team Paperboy.  Nice job to all.  BRR 2015 Race Results

    While there were many fast times, what is more impressive to YHC was the shear volume of teams and the variation in geography.  In addition to Charlotte, there was representation from Winston-Salem, Fort Mill, Huntersville, Harrisburg, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Hickory, Lake Murray, Wilmington, Greensboro, Columbia, Irmo, Lexington, Greenville, SC.  Special shout out to some of our newest regions, Richmond-VA & Summerville, SC.  Great to have you!   Word on the street is that Richmond will have 2 teams next year.    Cobains if I missed your region.

    This is an event that because of all the 2F during and the excitement leading up to it, it’s easy to forget how hard this is.  Very few things can prepare one for sitting in a van and having to run for your 3rd time in less than a day up some mountain at 3AM.  It hurts, your legs rebel, your lungs burn, and  there appears to be an abundance of wild dogs lurking about when the sun goes down.  Yet, somehow, we all end up doing well.  We like to say that this race really doesn’t start until the sun goes down.  Makes sense that F3 does so well since we are usually done with our workouts before the sun even goes up.  There is also something about being accountable to the other members of your team.  In F3, we look to carry and not be carried.  Big effort all the time.  WE OWN THE GLOOM.

    Congratulations to each and everyone of you that had the courage to sign up and complete this.  This may be the hardest thing you do all year.  For those of you that haven’t tried this yet, the bar has been set.

    Here are some quick notes from the event.

    • How about Coach Roy taking the time from his schedule to support his son by driving his van?  Impressive.  It was also entertaining when people recognized who he was and then lined up for team photos.  I’m not a Carolina fan, but I’m a fan of his.  Seeing Coach in a S6X Pistols shirt is one of my favorite takeways.
    • The level of preparation for this event was outstanding.  Speaking only of Metro on this, I’ve noticed how much faster guys have gotten.  I’ve also noticed how many guys proclaim that they are “non-runners” and then proceed to crush their races.  Very inspiring to see men getting better.  #ISI
    • Ultra Teams…..hats off to all of you that do this.
    • Positive attitude….loved being around this race.  F3 guys from all over and everyone appeared to be having fun.
    • BRR 2016 registration is December 1st.  This year, the race was expanded to 180 teams from 160….they still turned away 20 teams….where will F3 be next year.?…can we get teams from Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, Myrtle Beach, Jacksonville, or how about Asheville??

    Thank you to Mud Gear for making the event gear so available and high quality.

    Thank you to The Show-  He was last year’s Q and made it simple for me to take over.

    Thank you to all the Region Q’s  and Team Captains.  You made my role very easy.  It was my honor to Q.

    Announcements:

    If you have team pictures, please email OBT and he will give you access to upload to DropBox.  He is working on something cool.

    There were several good ideas regarding the ending of the race.  I would expect to see something more organized next year at the finish.

    Race On!

    FL

     

  • Fall 2015 Mud Run Pre Blast: LATE Registration has opened with HARD close Oct 3rd!

    YES It’s that time again, so get ready…the MUD RUN is coming! YHC will be the Q for F3Nation this year. Your Regional Q’s are being finalizing. Many regions have an assigned Mud Run Q for the Fall, the full list should be completed and displayed soon (updates will be made to this blast to list Regional Qs). The Ultimate Challenge Mud Run is the F3 Nation “Super Bowl,” (it’s just muddier than the one we watch on TV). Our next opportunity is Saturday, October 24th, 2015 at the Leatherneck course in Gaston, SC. We had approximately 500 pax at the Spring 2015 Mud Run. The goal for Fall 2015? 527.5 Pax (or thereabouts)…. We can do it!

    ALL AO Qs talk it up to the Pax that post to your AO. Veteran runners, do it again, get better, finish faster and most of all encourage our new brothers to take the next step! Since the last MUD RUN, We have seen a lot of FNG’s dip their toe in the water to see what F3 is all about. LEAP expansion efforts have been nothing short of amazing. We will have representation from several new AOs, including several teams from #TheMission (from Oliver Gospel Mission out of Columbia)! Good Form is being promoted and the Pax are holding each other accountable. VQs are multiplying at staggering numbers. There is no better time than now to be Plant, Grow and Serve. Let’s all pull together to promote OUR event! Now it’s time, are you going to step up and help us to exceed our goal???

    As usual, we have a reserved block of priority F3 starting times with the Mud Run organizers. This next bit is important: Start times: so please PAY ATTENTION:

    The TOP 3 Finishers (Teams) from the Spring 2015 Mud Run will have MUD RUN priority slots. We will slot in the next 10 F3 Teams. This is all based on the below 3 conditions:

    1) TEAM NAMES MUST REMAIN THE SAME
    2) Team must be comprised of AT LEAST 3 members of Spring 2015 Team
    3) Team roster must be submitted by the published deadline

    Registration and payment this year will be the same as the last Spring Mud Run. TEAMS WILL BE MANAGED BY THE REGIONAL MUD RUN Qs! You register as an individual and then coordinate with your Regional Mud Run Q to form your team. DO NOT CONTACT F3MudRun@gmail.com or Heist regarding changes or setting up your Mud Run Team!!!! ONLY your Regional MudRun Q should be contacted for this.

    Registration fees are $55 per person and the DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 12TH 2015. This deadline is based on how Eventbrite reimburses us. Registration is considered a “hard commit” with NO REFUND should you be unable to compete. If you register and cannot meet your commitment, it’s your responsibility to your team and your Region to find your replacement.

    Transportation to the race is your responsibility. Coordination of charters/buses/road-trip refreshments should be coordinated through your Regional Q.

    We will continue honoring Operation Enduring Warrior with a donation from F3 Nation. They support wounded soldiers, particularly amputees. If you saw them at previous Mud Run presentations, it was powerful. Several members of their group compete with prosthetics and one has no legs at all. There will be a block on the registration form to make a donation. $10 per person as an add on is suggested, but donating more, less, or nothing at all is ok. It’s completely optional. We presented OEW with a Check for $5000 at the Spring Mud Run and we are hoping to make another check presentation at the Fall Mud Run (GOAL to exceed $5,500).

    Regional Mud Run Q’s:

    Florida:
    Jacksonville:———————-BigBird
    Georgia
    Atlanta:—————————-

    North Carolina:
    Asheville:—————————GoodLuck
    Charlotte MECA:——————Chicken Strip
    Charlotte Metro:——————-
    Charlotte North:——————-Mortimer
    Charlotte South:——————-Mermaid
    Foothills:—————————-Abraham
    Gastonia:—————————Bandit
    Greensboro:———————–
    Greenville-NC:———————CousinIt
    Chapel Hill:————————-
    Sandhills:—————————Vault
    Shelby:——————————GoGreeneGo
    Wilmington:————————-
    Winston Salem:——————–

    South Carolina:
    Anderson:————————–
    Bluffton:—————————-Gambit
    Charleston:————————Dugger
    Columbia:————————–Myrtle
    Fort Mill:—————————-OldBay
    Florence:—————————Foxy
    Greenville-SC:—————–Flay—-and—- Iceman
    Greenwood:———————–Juggernaut
    Hartsville:————————–ChuckyCheese
    Lake Murray:———————-FireDaddy
    Lexington:————————–ShadesOfGray
    Myrtle Beach:———————-OneCall
    North Augusta:———————
    Spartanburg:————————
    Summerville:————————Picasso
    Sumter:——————————-Waco
    Winnsboro:————————–Doobie

     

    Finally, we have set up a dedicated email account for Mud Run issues and coordination. Please use it!

    LINKS

    MUDRUN REGISTRATION (F3 SIGN UP HERE FOR MUDRUN):
    https://f3mudrunfall2015.eventbrite.com/

    Email Address for questions/issues:
    F3MudRun@gmail.com

    F3 MudRun Twitter account (FOLLOW THIS FOR DAILY TWEETS/ UPDATES):
    @F3MudRun

    Operation Enduring Warrior:
    http://www.enduringwarrior.org/

    USMC Mud Run (DO NOT SIGN UP VIA THIS LINK, this is just a general FYI link about the mudrun):
    http://www.ultimatechallengemudrun.org/

    Some very helpful course knowledge items, especially with the new guys. Be as prepared as possible and know what you’re in for (provided courtesy of Bolt)!

    Spring 2015 actual Course video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkDYciKY1fc

    How to beat the Mud Run obstacles: http://f3nation.com/2013/10/08/how-to-beat-the-mud-run-obstacles/

    The Wiki Mud document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/111l7-UMkAzHeQtrBiThDGkN5gh2Mg6Lhoz4yhfSGrRo/edit fromhttp://f3nation.com/2014/03/16/the-wiki-mud/

    FAQ:
    1) When do we have to be at the race? All expected to be at our tent at 7:00am to be ready for pre-race BOM.
    2) When will we do the BOM? Before 7:30am.
    3) When does the Race Registration Tent Open? Registration tent open at 7:30am and ALL 4 TEAM MEMBERS MUST REGISTER TOGETHER.
    4) When can I pick-up my T-Shirt from the F3 Tent? AFTER you team registers at the Registration Tent.
    5) When does the race start? First teams off at 8:30am, then teams staggered after this time until a bit after 9:00am.
    6) What do I do AFTER my team finished? Pat yourself on the back then head straight to the F3 Tent!
    7) How long do I have to stay at the F3 tent? Can’t believe you would ask that, BUT PLEASE stay there until 11:00am. We will take our final Pax photo at 11:00am and want all to be included!

    More to come soon. Go Register!

    Aye!