TenderFeet

The Lactic Report,  6.25.11  “TenderFeet”

Sandbags XVI

“I’d like to work it out so that in the end, it comes down to a pure guts race. If it is, I’m the only one who can win it.” ~ Steve Prefontaine

Okay, the box score … 

Starting Line up:

J-Delta (16)

Buck (16)

Buckeroo (3)

NOLA (4)

Lil’ Miss (1)

Fig Newton (1)

Corndog (1)

SlowPoke (1)

The Workout

Ring o’ Fire:  We took the

HOV Lane

of Pain once again this week.  After a warm up run around Tapestry Field and a quick “check the block” stretch, we grabbed our sandbags and timbers for a nice 12x sprint interval.  Several newbies this week and we spared nothing.   Our TenderFeet, Buckeroo and Corndog, came ready to do battle and I’m happy to report pulled more than their body weight around the field.  NOLA returned after a long absence with Lil’ Miss in tow; SlowPoke finally responded to the multiple emails from KX and joined up.  Fig Newton kept a close eye on Corndog and did as much as his bionic ankle would permit.

The Dirty Details:  Only 3 lanes this week but it was plenty.  The tire run has simply become too easy; time to throw another log on the fire. 

Random grains of sand ….

Young Bucks:  There’s nothing more satisfying than when Dads bring their sons to Sandbags.  Seeing young boys/men out early on a Saturday morning sweating, getting dirty, and hanging with their Dads is what this is all about.  I didn’t know what I was getting into 16 weeks ago when we held our first Sandbags workout.  I was just trying to create something challenging for other guys that like to workout.  But for all the push-ups, squats and timber presses we do, nothing compares to the fellowship we get to enjoy with each other.  Watching Dads bond with their sons, seeing young kids running up and down the field, pulling tires and working on pull ups …. Wow!  This is so much bigger than me. 

IronGirl(s):  NOLA and Lil’ Miss knocked out a middle distance run this morning (pre-Sandbags) and then proceeded to shame the group with a ‘never-let-up’ tempo.  Impressive is an understatement.  One of these days you two need to swap with 2XLee and send them out for a roll in the dirt.

Water Boarding:   KX took a hiatus this week to spend the weekend at the lake house and do some red-neck water boarding.  We missed you brother … never the same without your dry wit and sarcasm. 

Broken Wing:  Two weeks in a row without the good Doctor.  Hope the shoulder heals quickly and you make a speedy return. 

  

ANNOUNCEMENTS & NEWS

Calibration

Due to the high number of folks out of town this week, Pull-up calibration is rescheduled to next week (Week XVII).  Come ready to prove yourself.     

10x Teaser

Reminder:  Smoke has FREE compression socks for everyone after your 10^th Sandbags.  A few of you are close.  Stay motivated and keep coming out.

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, KX or Buck 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

Precision

The Lactic Report,  6.18.11  “Precision”

Sandbags XV

But, he thought, I keep them with precision. Only I have no luck any more. But who knows? Maybe today. Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.

~  Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

Okay, the box score … 

Starting Line up:

J-Delta (15)

Buck (15)

KX (13)

Michigan (12)

Smoke (10)

One-Lap (10)

Rock (7)

Flipper (2)

The Workout

Ring o’ Fire:  We turned the Ring into a

HOV Lane

of Pain this week.  After a warm up run through the neighborhood and some ballistic stretching, we dove head first into speed intervals with ladders of push ups, sandbag squats, Bode Millers and something else I can’t even remember.  The oxygen debt was high but we pushed through a total of 24 sprints. 

The Dirty Details:  As if the “HOV Lane” wasn’t enough, our two man teams tackled tire runs, tire flips, tire pulls and a few other ‘fuglies’ before moving to the pull up bar.  As a group, we’re getting better on pull-ups but we still have a long way to go. 

Random grains of sand ….

Man Club:  The testosterone was flowing (along with the flatulents) all morning long.  If there was a group dinner at La’ Fiesta, I missed it.  Seems whenever you get a group of guys together away from the ladies things just spiral out of control.  Keep it classy San Diego.

Backflow:  The suggestion was made if you have to yak, do it in the tire.  Not that we weren’t using said tire (gathered round it like a bunch of hogs at the feed trough to be exact).  At the time it seemed logical enough.   Fortunately everyone kept their tacos down and the HAZMAT team wasn’t required.

Ain’t Skeer’d: At some point Rock took a detour off the course.  Head-spins and a lactic cocktail were to blame, but like a true Sandbag Warrior, he emerged from his gloom and finished the entire course solo.  Rock, you inspire me.

MIAs:  Several good men have remained absent for a number of weeks.  We drug each of you through the dirt (good naturedly) expecting your return the following week.  But alas, none have returned.  We wish you’d come back.  This stuff is getting crazy-hard.

  

ANNOUNCEMENTS & NEWS

Calibration

Next Pull-up calibration is Week XVI.  Set your goals high.     

10x Teaser

Congrats to One-Lap and Smoke who earned their 10x stripes today.

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, KX or Buck 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

Writer's Cramp

The Lactic Report,  6.11.11  “Writer’s Cramp”

SANDBAGS XIV  

My apologies to all for the lateness of this Lactic Report.  If I told you I’ve been busy it would be completely truthful but a weak excuse all the same.  Suffice to say this has been an interesting three weeks.  All is good and God has blessed my family more than we could have ever imagined. 

~ J Delta

Okay, the box score … 

Starting Line up:

J-Delta (14)

Buck (14)

Doc (13)

KX (12)

Michigan (11)

Smoke (9)

One-Lap (9)

Rock (6)

Halle Berry (5)

The Workout

Ring o’ Fire:  Truthfully, this edition of the Lactic Report is so overdue I can’t remember the specifics but I’m sure it hurt like a bloody blister.  I seem to recall some sandbag squats, Bar B-Q Ribs, flutter kicks and push-ups mixed in with several sprint intervals.     

The Dirty Details:  Our Lanes o’ Pain were the standard strength variety:  Tire Flip (I love my tractor tire!), Tire Run, Tire Pull, Dumbbell toss with Spider Crawls.  I seem to remember a lot of smack talk coming from KX, Doc and Buck.  I suspect they were the designated dissenters for the entire group.  Listen up ladies, if you want easy, go to your globo gym and walk on the treadmill. 

Random grains of sand ….were completely washed out to sea.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS & NEWS

Calibration

Next Pull-up calibration is Week XVI.  Set your goals high.     

10x Teaser

No 10x graduates this week, but several on the edge.  Keep coming for those socks … they’re free (well, sort of … requires a little blood, sweat & tears).

http://4mylegs.com/

 

 

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, KX or Buck 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

Cassidy

The Lactic Report,  6.04.11  “Cassidy”

SANDBAGS XIII  

Cassidy had been through it before, every one of them had at one time or another, but it had never been quite this bad. Denton called it "breaking down.”  The object, according to Denton, was to "run through" the thing, just as he maintained one should attempt to "run through" most of those other little hubcaps life rolls into your lane; everything from death in the family to cancer of the colon.

Quenton Cassidy’s method of dealing with fundamental doubts was simple: He didn’t think about them at all. These questions had been considered a long time ago, decisions were made, answers recorded, and the book closed. If it had to be re-opened every time the going got rough, he would spend more time rationalizing than training; his log would start to disclose embarrassing information, perhaps blank squares.

Quenton Cassidy knew what the mystic-runners, the joggers, the runner-poets, the Zen runners and others of their ilk were saying. But he also knew that their euphoric selves were generally nowhere to be seen on dark, rainy mornings. They primarily wanted to talk it, not do it. Cassidy very early understood that a true runner ran even when he didn’t feel like it, and raced when he was supposed to, without excuses and with nothing held back. He ran to win, would die in the process if necessary, and was unimpressed by those who disavowed such a base motivation. You are not allowed to renounce that which you never possessed hethought.

On the track, the Cassidys of the world ate such specimens alive.

~ John L. Parker, Once a Runner

Okay, the box score … 

Starting Line up:

J-Delta (13)

Buck (13)

Doc (12)

KX (11)

Michigan (10)

Halle Berry (4)

ROTC (3)

The Workout

Ring o’ Fire:  The Ring got a shot of butane this week in the form of wind-sprint intervals mixed with high reps of push-ups, burpees, flutter kicks and mountain climbers on each end of the field.  Those sucking sounds were my lungs, your lungs and probably the guy on either side of you.  KX toyed with the group keeping a half stride on everyone.  I’ll concede your speed mah’ brutha, … it’s nice to have a pace man.  Following sprints, we assumed ‘the position’ for one hand of Texas Hold Em.  Again, more sucking sounds …   

The Dirty Details:  After working up a lather in the Ring, we dispatched two-man teams to assault the infamous ‘Lanes of Pain’.   With the Ring being heavy on cardio, our Lanes were focused on upper body:  Tire Flip, Dumbell Kettles, Spartan Pushups, Seated Tire Pull, etc.  Yet another new station introduced, the “Dumbbell Toss”.  Goal was to throw a 20lb dumbbell as far as possible, spider crawl to it, pick it up and throw it again, repeat as necessary for 60 yards.  Do an active recovery set of Carolina Lockdowns and then repeat the toss/crawl/toss back to the start line.    We capped it off with 5 sets of pull ups.  It was an evil way to end the morning.

Random grains of sand ….

Rubber-Band Man:   Sensing a few SBers had plateaued on pull-ups, we introduced the ‘Assisted Pull Up’ using a bungee cord.  Said Buck after a few reps, “So this is what a pull up is supposed to feel like”. 

Repairing Divots:   Despite the near drought conditions here in GA and the firmness of our ‘course’, there was little roll in the fairways today.  Dumbbells plug.  And they leave quite a nice divot.  After every team had finished, our lane looked more like a steeple-chase.  Other than raw brute force, there’s no art to tossing a dumbbell.  Just a 1-2, heave, ho!

Bar B-Q:  A local favorite eatery “Sprayberrys” rec’d honorable mention as we tweaked (and renamed) a standard core exercise.  Apparently Buck likes Brunswick stew with his ribs … which is fine by me; just lay off the white bread, ok?

Hulk-a-Mania:  KX joined the 10X club a few weeks ago but refuses to submit his calf measurements to Smoke for his compression socks.  Said KX, ‘I can’t send my measurements because my calves keep growing’.  Seriously?    

One Hot (Grand) Mama:  Doc offered a string of comments relative to a popular Trace Adkins country song.  I can’t remember the context or purpose for these ramblings and am quite happy to say I have no clear memory of how our convo degraded to such levels.  On behalf of Doc, I apologize.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS & NEWS

Calibration

Next Pull-up calibration is Week XVI.  Set your goals high.     

10x Teaser

Congrats to Michigan for hitting the 10x milestone.  We now have five 10X members.  Reminder, Smoke is giving everyone a pair of compression socks on your 10x.  Check out Smoke’s website.

http://4mylegs.com/

 

 

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, KX or Buck 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