Tag: Russo

  • DR + FNG FTW – from Russo

    Oh Jose, you know not of what you speak. Up until around 5:28 today, you would have been right. After Thanksgiving…Cold-ish for mere mortals…some rumored Turkey day double postings. Who could blame anyone for fartsacking and leaving me sad clown. I knew I’d have to begin working off the extra pounds, so with Pelican resting up, I started slaloming the columns and doing some pilot house climbs.

    The Pad has been decked out in its Christmas best sparkles and tinsel for a week or so, but today I spotted something new: an 8 foot tall light-up snowman on the stage (We have a stage). My mind immediately thought “Get a selfie with it, and post it saying something like ‘we had a downrange poster’”.

    Alas, that was not needed, because out of the dark I see an F3 shirt. It was Houston’s Einstein. And he brought an FNG. The 4 leaf clover-type rarity: A downrange post with an FNG in tow. I love ya, HogsBreath, but that beats a semi-regular dirty ‘Dell post any day of the week.

    Regardless, it was in the 40s as we went a little long because of the late start.

    Warmups (IC 10x)
    – SSHs
    – Self love
    – High knees
    – Toe touches
    – Imperial walkers
    – Arm circles

    Thang
    Ye olde tried and true deck of death, using the bus stop and stage as changes of scenery:

    Spades – urkins
    Clubs – step ups
    Diamonds – freak nastys
    Hearts – gas pumps

    Spades – Peter Parker’s
    Clubs – shoulder tap plank jacks (2 is 1)
    Diamonds – lunges (2 is 1)
    Hearts – leg raises

    Spades – Carolina drydocks
    Clubs – Monkey Humpers
    Diamonds – SMCs
    Hearts – heels to heaven

    No Mary to speak of, but we did finish with COT, NOR, and quick prayer. Welcome FNG Coachella (who is a Mandevillian), and word is Einstein will join us for Bird’s birdday party tomorrow.

    SYITG

  • Tunnel of Love: Nope, the Ladder of Hate – from Jose10k

    Muscle memory had me up early this morning, so YHC ran 2 miles before the beatdown. Of course there was music, classic soundtrack from American Pie inspired me to dance before the warm-up. It amused the guys.
    Simple warm-up- then to the tunnel……To the tunnel, are ya’ll crazy? Jose doesn’t do the tunnel. We moseyed to the outside of the stage where we were joined by an out of town visitor: Drillbit. Here is where we started the thang: Ladder Time. 10 reps of sumo squats, then run to the stairs, up the stairs, and back to the beginning. 10 more sumo squats and 10 lunges, run up and down the stairs again. Sumo squats, lunges, monkey humpers, dirkings, freak nasties, stone mountains, burpees, big boy sit ups, crunches, American Hammers, Penguins, and flutter kicks. Great mumble chatter and some grumble grumble. COT with Russo praying us out for safe travels for DrillBit and all those traveling for the Holidays. Thanks for letting me lead/reading this backblast if it posts….SYITGhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq8dCkkhYsk

  • I Have No Answer at the Moment – from Bushwacker

    The Todd boys pulled up with 5 minutes to spare, and poured out of the swagger-wagon to see the flag blowing in the chilly breeze of the gloom, not a single man standing in its shadow. Shooter and Zoolander were off hunting, José woke with a migraine and wouldn’t be posting, but Steve and Waterpik jogged up, completing the prethang. There we few stood judging all the F3 Northshore world for their wussification in the face of 40° weather, when, as we should have known, the lakefront started getting more crowded with PAX coming in from every angle!

    WARMORAMA

    X10 IC:
    SSH, Good Mornings, Torso Twists, Toe Touches, Windmills, Self Love

    THANG

    Starting at the flag, x5 OYO: Burpees, Sister Mary Katherine’s (1is1), Big Boy Sit Ups, Freak Nasties, Jump Squats

    Mosey westward and at each street increase reps by 5 (Lafitte x10, Carroll x15, Coffee x20, Adair x25), and return, decreasing reps by 5.

    Indian (Indigenous?) Run from flag, around Noah’s Ark and back

    MARY

    IC x20 Flutter Kicks
    OYO 100 100s

    COT
    Hammer joined us just in time, and we even had a Cowbell sighting. Count, Name, True Coat prayed us out.

    It was a tough one, and QIC was impressed and proud to be leading these guys. T Claps to Swoll Patrol for giving everything he had, plus some he didn’t even realize he could!

    SYITG

  • Bleeping Walls of Jericho, VQ – from Ballz Deep

    As the light dappled across lake Ponchartrain, it was clear in @Chewy’s eyes he regretted posting. In fact, on this day, @Ballz Deep’s VQ, I think he regretted EH’ing me 9ish months ago.

    Arm circlesx10forward/x10backward, hillbilly walkersx10, ass grabbersx10 (thanks @Jose 10K I need to practice that Exicon!), windmillsx10, and side straddle hopsx25 for the warmup. I empathize with @Brexit, as English is his second language, in learning cadence. That stuff is hard!!

    Mosey’d to The Shaft, where accelerated fitness awaited us.

    Main Workout: Shuttle Run “bleep test” and Wall of Jericho.

    Shuttle Run level + Wall of Jericho had to equal 12. i.e. – level 5 shuttle run finish, leaves you with 7 rounds of the Wall of Jericho workout. Wall of Jericho (7 exercises of 7 reps +1 lap around cones and The Shaft) were Plank Jacks, SMKs (2 is 1), Burpees, Air Squats, Mountain Climbers (2 is 1), American Twists (2 is 1), and Flutter Kicks (2 is 1).
    A round of 7s (mtn climbers and flutter kicks) plus Indian Run and a plank-0-rama closed us out.

    Chance, Buttsplice’s nephew, joined us! FNG named WetSocks, for his astounding ability to run from the Shaft to Homebase in a pair of socks.

    P.S – I believe I’m forgetting the 16th PAX. I’m sorry. Reply if you remember, and I’ll edit/add you.

    SYITG!

  • Lib-Tards ASSEMBLE! – from Bushwacker

    So I was trying to keep up with Russo all morning. I really thought I had him for a while there. I thought there was no way he could beat me. I was wrong. In fact, I was foolish to think that I was ever in competition with one of the princes of the F3 sweat kingdom!

    WARMORAMA

    X10 IC: SSH, TRUE Abe Vigotas (Mr. Shooter;), IWs, Torso Twists, LRCs

    THANG

    Being we three, 1 man did cumulative 100 SMKs (1is1), 200 Monkey Humpers, 300 SSHs
    Meanwhile, in a rotating fashion amongst the three amigos, 2 men slalomed the columns, ran up the stairs and returned.

    Mosey to bus stop for:
    X10 IC: Hop Overs, Freak Nasties, Derkins

    Mosey to Tunnel where, in mirror image of the 1st routine, two men performed rounds of Freddy Mercurys and American Hammers while each man individually ran down the ramp, did 3 Burpees, Bear Crawled up the opposite ramp, did 3 SSHs, backwards ran back down the ramp, then turned and ran up the ramp to the start.

    No Mary, as we squeezed all the juice (and sweat) out of the 45 minute beatdown. And being a good steward of our time together, QIC landed the plane just in time for COT

    COT
    Count, name, Steve prayed us out in an inspired fashion that likely impressed the Bible Study out of Russo, with intentions for Jose, Katie, and her family in their trials.

    I’m sorry to have missed Pelican, though I suspect some conspiracy to avoid a Splashpad that would demand a pound of flesh (or sweat), but I appreciate getting in the trenches with the Shmedium Wacker and my fellow Raider. Until next time, gents…..

    SYITG

  • Election Interference – from Steve

    Well, the day has finally come. Would Tank make it through this final stretch without having an aneurysm or a heart attack? Quinnipiac polls had it at 50-50 odds. But of course we all knew that if the 100 miler or the Beast or the 2 Murphs a day couldn’t kill him, this election was also unlikely to.

    But not everything went smoothly yesterday – over at Granny’s we had some election interference with an unregistered voter named “Excitebike” attempting to cast a vote outside his district (and state!). Apparently, Excitebike (who could provide no proper identification), is in the process of Northshore naturalization and, after a pending move from Katy, TX within the next year, we will be seeing a lot more of him. So of course Granny welcomed him with open arms and we took off for the polling booths scattered down Girod Street towards the lake.

    Add an exercise at each intersection for two short ladders:

    R – Ranger Merkins x10
    E – E2K x20 (2:1)
    P – Peter Parkers x30

    D – Donkey Kicks x10
    E – E2K x20 (2:1)
    M – Merkins x30

    Once at the lake we did some sea wall business (Bulgarians, Freaks, Step Downs, etc.) and then over to Rips for some stair business (climb the stairs 4x skipping steps, calf raises), until finally it was time to head back for our last ladder:

    I – Iron Mikes x10 (2:1)
    N – Never Cross Dolly x20
    D – Derkin x30

    The remaining 3 intersections were simply stops for merkins cuz… well, ‘Merica.

    Back at the flag, we made sure there were no chads left hanging, as we closed it out with a quick Mary and COT. Russo took us out with prayers for healing our country and especially prayers for Jose and his family as they deal with the loss of Katie’s mom.

    Welcome Excotebike, looking forward to more posts with you, brother. As always, appreciate the opportunity to lead and to get better out there with you gentlemen.

  • Taylor Swift’s Rhythm Nation Halloween Spectacular (with special guest Brooks and Dunn) – as edited by Steve – from Russo

    About 65 degrees to start. It’s amazing what conversations can be had early on a Tuesday, all started with the simple “How was your weekend?” It takes me a while to warmup the motormouth, and I’m not the best at small talk, but once the motor revs it’s tough to slow down.

    Great conversation throughout revolving around T Swift and other concerts, Oscar-worthy film editing, boring desk jobs, bizarro beatdowns at the ‘Pad, and other minutia that kept things fun.

    Warmup – all 10x IC
    Seal jacks
    Toe touches
    Self love
    Imperial walkers

    Thang
    Mosey to the bridge, with 10 merkins and leg raises interspersed.

    At the bridge

    10 on each side, either wide merkins and flutter kicks, or Peter Parker’s and Rosalita’s, with alternating side shuffles, backpedals, mosey, or cariocas from one side of the bridge to the other.

    COT, Name-o-Rama, Announcements (Jose needs a Turkey trot compatriot), Prayer, in that order.

    Splice had Saturday lakefront Q, YHC has Splashpad Friday Q, and Halloween is somewhere in there.

    SYITG

  • Great Scott!!! – from Jose10k

    10/26/1955
    Marty’s journey through time begins on October 26, 1985, when he accidentally travels back to 1955 during a mishap with the DeLorean. His adventures in the past, including meeting his teenage parents, inadvertently shape his future. Marty must ensure that his parents meet and fall in love, or risk altering the course of his own existence. His race against time makes for a thrilling and humorous story that has become a hallmark of the movie.
    Which is why I am curious, how has JV not seen this classic? Netflix homework brother.

    Warm-Up: Preparing for Time Travel (5 minutes) Power of Love by Huey Lewis and News

    Jog to Noah’s Arc: Modified Dora (Great Scott)

    Phase 1: Time for 88mph, we will 88 burpees, partner 1 runs the arc while partner 2 does burpees

    Phase 2: “1.21 Gigawatts “ What the hell is Gigawatt? Dora again, partner 1 runs a loop, while partner 2 does merkins- Team total is 121.
    1.21 Gigawatts again, this time with a twist, each person has to do 121 squats individually while their partner runs a loop. Two loops were needed.

    Phase 3: 1955 – “Skateboard Escape”
    This phase is inspired by Marty’s quick thinking and agility as he escapes Biff’s gang.

    1. Bear Crawls – ½ way up, jog the rest of the way
    Imagine you’re dodging around obstacles.
    2. Side lunges 10 on each side, at the top of the arc, rinse and repeat
    3. Walking Lunges – up the arc and back to strengthen your legs to escape Biff

    Phase 4: Enchantment Under the Sea dance-
    Johnny B Goode- SSH to the whole song of Johnny Be Good

    Phase 3: Back in Time. Time to get Marty back to the future with Reverse lunges all the way around Noah’s Arc. Back in Time by Huey Lewis and Earth Angel as well. With a minute left it was a quick run back to the flag. COT with intentions for my family with the passing of my Aunt Patty. Thanks for letting me lead, thanks for reading the back blast. SYITG

  • Put The Bunny Back in the Box – from Steve

    You can probably measure the difficulty of the Spartan Beast by how many days it takes Jose to recuperate and return to the weekday beatdowns. Now, if he’s not back by Friday’s A1C beatdown, it might be time to worry. There were pictures of a shirtless Tank cozying up to Parrot circulating on Instagram and Snapchat this weekend, suggesting the ride home may well have gone sideways.

    Anywho… back at Granny’s, things were on the straight and narrow, as they say. Just Russo and I, doing the usual, which today was a simple circuit (designed to be able to chat and hear about the Beast, but alas, no Sprtaners were present to tell their tales of glory and valor):

    Start at x15 reps, then increase by 5 after each round:
    Benches – Freak Nasties
    Stage – Donkey Kicks
    West Corridor – Merkins
    Depot – Bulgarians
    Stairs – Calf Raises (*always x3 each step)
    Top of the Stairs – SMKs

    Throughout the beatdown, Russo was kind enough to indulge me in a Nicolas Cage retrospective, where we recounted the many wonders of his career – from Raising Arizona to Moonstruck, from The Rock and Face / Off to National Treasure and, of course, his Oscar-snubbed performance in Con-Air. Russo and I did our best “Cage Rage” impressions for the runners passing by, before moving on to a travesty equal to the Con Air snub: Russo’s loss in his company’s annual chili cook-off. I heard all about the machinations behind the scenes – illegal alliances and clever, quippy names that edged him out of victory with what I can only assume was a damn fine chili. But don’t count him out just yet, he’s got something special cooked up for next year’s contest.

    Ended with some Mary and COT, where Russo prayed us out. Thanks brother for the consistency, appreciate you!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNLOt–5zcg

  • This is (not) Sparta! – from Russo

    With many folks off to Dallas to watch a Michigan State game, a small krewe of 3 braved the chilly mid 50s early morning temps. I thought I would be flying solo, because at 6:30 only I was in shouting distance of the flag, but alas Pika and Legal found me after their pre-thang for some:

    4 corners (at each corner of a block, perform reps accordingly…10 at block1, 20 block 2, R&R)

    Round 1:
    10 Burpees
    20 Squats
    30 shoulder taps
    40 crunches

    Round 2
    10 wide merkins
    20 monkey humpers
    30 SMCs
    40 Flutter kicks (2 is 1)

    Round 3
    10 Jump squats
    20 Merkins
    30 plank jacks
    40 hello Dollie’s

    Pik peeled off at some point, so Legal and I moved to the gazebo for 11s:

    Freak Nastys
    Carioca in between to the sidewalk
    M’ktar Jhai’s

    We moseyed back to the flag for a little Mary: penguins, gas pumps, Rosalitas, Leg raises.

    A good time was had by all as we had a quick COT and prayer, lifting up our Spartan brethren primarily.

    SYITG