Seven

The Lactic Report,  5.21.11  “Seven”

SANDBAGS XI.  

Private Joker: “The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.”

~ Full Metal Jacket

Okay, the box score … 

Starting Line up:

J-Delta (11)

Buck (11)

Doc (10)

Smoke (8)

One-Lap (7)

Rock (5)

Recruit (1)*

*(F)NG

The Workout

Ring o’ Fire:  Three laps around the field followed by warm up stretches and then another nasty version of ‘Round the Horn’.   Twenty reps, a nice even number, was a source of acrimony and gall.  Brethren, anything less isn’t even worth getting out of bed for… and if the only thing you have to complain about is the number of repetitions then consider yourselves truly blessed.  Hey, the world was supposed to end Saturday at 6pm; I wanted to make this one helluva a workout … just in case.

The Dirty Details:  After the Ring, two-man teams tackled the notorious Seven Lanes of Pain.  For some it was ‘bizness as usual’; for others it was …<ahem> a nail biter.  When an FNG shows up, you never quite know how that will turn out.  Virgin territory my brothers, virgin territory.  But Recruit survived and he’s a better man for it.  A scrod alert midway thru the Ring was untimely.  A yak-attack during Timber Lunges was just … well, let’s just call it unfortunate.   That’s hallowed ground you’re standing on – don’t yak on my field.

Random grains of sand ….

Full Calendars:   KX, Michigan and Halle Berry.  Some e-dribble trickled in mid-week about soccer tourneys and trout streams.   

Trend Lines:  When a brother texts me on a Friday night and says ‘I’ll be there’ and then fails to show … well, we assume something came up and we take it in stride.  No need for apologies – just bring your mojo next week and all will be forgiven.  But don’t make it a habit … just sayin’

The Big Spit (part deux):  Brothers, do we need a class on proper nutrition?  Recruit is a newbie so I’ll concede him this one yak.  Perhaps he gave my mid-week email describing what to expect only a cursory read.  Or perhaps our relative age difference (25+ years) gave Recruit a false sense of security.  I remember being 21 and bullet proof.  All that piss & vinegar; it can be both a curse and a blessing.   What Recruit failed to realize is that Type A men in their 40s, usually in the throes of some form of mid-life crisis, are extreme and unpredictable creatures.  We push the envelope in search of a fountain of youth.  Our grey, receding hairlines (and our teenagers) remind us daily that we’re old and so ‘not with it’.  But on Saturday mornings, with the shovel flag planted, our workouts renew us.  And the opportunity to toe the line with some 20 or 30-something is exactly what dreams are made of.  We want you to crack – not break altogether, but a little fissure is just enough to make us feel young again … and for you to possibly say ‘man, those old guys still got game’.

Addition by Subtraction:  Our numbers were low this week.  Only 7 brave souls.  But the flame burned strong and the purpose of our gathering was never in question.  We were rewarded.

Timbers or Toothpicks:  Doc (with those calibrated deltoids) has brought to my attention that our timbers appear to be getting lighter.   Perhaps Doc is just getting stronger? 

Natick Labs:  Yours truly hit the field decked in new compression socks (full calf sleeves actually) and Vibram 5 Fingers.   Thumbs up to Smoke for the compression sleeves.  Amazing gear my brother.  The jury remains out on the monkey-feet.  More proto-testing next week.

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS & NEWS

Calibration

Pull-up calibration is NEXT WEEK.  Looking for great gains from everyone.     

10x Teaser

Congrats to Doc for hitting the 10x milestone.  Reminder, Smoke is giving everyone a pair of compression socks on your 10x.  Check out Smoke’s website.

http://4mylegs.com/

 

 

CHANGE - Mid week training.  Morning runs (6:00 a.m.) are now on Mon-Wed-Fri leaving from Summergrove Golf Club; distance/pace varies (4-7 miles).  This is a base builder for Blue Ridge Relay.  We will slowly begin bumping up mileages in mid June.  You don’t have to be on the BRR team to run with this group.  Show up or contact me or KX if you want to run.

Be sure to invite a friend for next week.  May our group grow in numbers and in strength.    

J-Delta