Author: f3monk

Ten PAX ran/rucked east along the W&OD trail this morning. Runners logged 5.5-6.5 miles, and I’m not sure how far the Rucker’s rucked.

We often see a few deer along the trail but never the dozen or so together we saw today. They gave us that “We’ve seen your kind before” disinterested look.

Never at a loss for ideas large and small, at coffeeteria Bone proposed a CSAUP to the Andes (that’s right, the mountains in S America). Maj. Payne, “Bone, we can barely get anyone to a local CSAUP.” Bone, “Go big or go home.”

Announcements: Super Bowl party + BRR planning session moved to home of Fish Fry (check #CSAUP Or #2ndF channel for details). QSource + 2nd F this Thursday at Meridian Pint (watch for details). Sign up to Q workouts.

Thoughts & prayers: Maj. Payne’s riding coach at 100th birthday party; Monk’s stepfather recovering from broken hip.

COT: Adopting new practices of self-discipline (cold shower, no between meal snacks, limit social media to essentials only) can reveal your weaknesses. Try it, work on them and accelerate spiritual fitness.

Great to be with 9 fine PAX this morning.

Monk

PAX: Maj. Payne, JAG, Bone, Sunshine, Brown Bag, Lazlo, Elvis, Short Sale, 2 per cent.

We do now! Maj. Payne brought an FNG to the Compound this morning. He grew up in MN and worked in a cheese factory, so we named him Hot Dish. Hot Dish acquitted himself well of his first F3 workout, featuring:

Warm up: SSH, Mtn Climbers, Merkins, Finkle Swings, Flying sun gods, Flutter kicks, downward dog to cobra pose. 

11’s: burpees & merkins, which doesn’t sound like much until you realize that’s 55 burpees + 55 merkins.

Soccer. 2 on 2 with full-time goalie. Turnovers are two Burpees; goals five Burpee‘s. We were in the Compound’s outdoor underground space, a parking lot featuring walls and columns that made the match feel like indoor soccer. Indoor soccer never stops, and both teams were smoked after 15 minutes or so.

Mary: flutter kicks, LBCs, alphabet, planks. 

Announcements: Q source discussion Thursday via video chat. Link will be posted on Slack.

Monk (QIC)

PAX: Maj. Payne, Hightower, NAFTA, Hot Dish (FNG)

A dozen F3Capital HIMs showed up this balmy Sunday morning to ruck / run on F3 The Love Train. We started off with a picture in front of the old caboose. Backing away from my camera/phone, I sat down quickly in front of the PAX … and next to Lucius’s very large, very fluffy, beautiful black dog. Just after the phone camera clicked, I got a blast of warm dog breath across the face, and that smile you see in the photo quickly disappeared.

After the disclaimer, we headed east down the W&OD trail. The runners did 6 miles. Ruckers did whatever they did. After the run/ruck, we snapped a picture in front of the huge, colorful train mural that preserves the fact that the W&OD used to be a railroad.

We started CoffeeBeeria at 0730. Yes you read that correctly. There I was ordering my espresso. I thought I overheard someone asking what beer Cafe Amouri served. Naively, I assumed it was just casual interest. Then the said PAX (who shall remain nameless) showed up at table to enjoy his beer with a pastry and hot chocolate. Whatever makes your sun shine I suppose.

Announcements: The burgeoning F3The Capital BRR team will organize itself on SuperBowl Sunday wherever we congregate. Watch our #CSAUP Slack channel for details.

PAX: JAG, Hightower, Sunshine (R), Elvis, Short Sale, Monk (R), Buffet, Bone, Nano, Lazlo, Roddick, Lucius (+ his dog Max),

The Love Train sped into 2020 with full passenger cars!! 5 Runners + 7 Ruckers = 13 PAX workin’ the W&OD railroad. That’s by far the greatest turnout, thanks to Hightower bringing Ruckers and to two runners, Mayberry and Tea Party, on the train for the first time.

We got a bit of a late start, but it was well worth the wait as a few PAX rolled in almost right on time. Temps were in the mid-30’s, but the brisk wind made it feel colder, and everyone was ready to get started.

I was impressed with the Ruckers, who not only carried their ruck sacks but also hoisted sandbags on their shoulders for the 3 mile ruck. I can’t speak for them, but they looked in pain as we runners passed them about a half mile from the AO. When we went back for them, they had already picked the pace to a jog for the last quarter mile.

Announcements: 1) First Service project of 2020 coming up next Sat, Jan 11. Cleaning up wreathes at Arlington National Cemetery. 2) Bone has a variety of 2ndF events coming. Tune in to the 2ndF channel in Slack. 3) QSource in F3TheCapital re-starts this Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 at Northside Social in Falls Church.

COT of thanksgiving for the great crowd at the Love Train this morning and the energy recently poured into getting F3TheCapital organized and ready to grow.

Monk

PAX: Maj. Payne, Jenner, Hightower, YNAB, Tea Party, Mayberry, Nano, Monk, Lazlo, Bone, Elvis, Early Bird, and JAG

4 PAX ran (Bone & Monk) or rucked (Maj. Payne & Jenner) the F3 Love Train for the last Love Train beatdown of the 2010’s. Runners headed East on the W&OD trail for 3 miles out + back. After a bit of miscommunication, the Ruckers … well … rucked. At least I think they did. Come to think of it … they didn’t look tired or sweaty afterwards. Well draw your own conclusions.

During the run, Bone & I reflected on recent experience and how to handle family holiday political discussions. We concluded, as millions already have, in favor of a charitable silence followed by a deft change of topic. Then we traded our best political insights and learned something. It can be done.

Bone & I also passed a few guys running and a rucker. We chose the Love Train AO & Coffeeteria locations for growth, and I expect we won’t be disappointed.

Back at the AO, the four of us talked about using F3TheCapital social media accounts more effectively to grow our region. Stay tuned to Slack for more.

Q Source will start up in January. More to come on that as well.

Coffeeteria at Cafe Amouri.

It’s great to see rucking start at the Love Train. Thanks Jenner and Maj. Payne.

Monk