I could feel it coming in the air last night. My first time Q’ing The Rabbit. A thick blanket of dew covered the air while 10 PAX + 1 FNG* descended upon The Big House for our jumping off point. The humidity was ramping up and I shook my head and thought to myself “Jeez, I wish it would rain down, down on me”. But, the weather showed its True Colors this morning, like the jerk that it has been, and it just got muggier. So I’m staring in the face of my first Q, damp, humid weather, and 10 PAX + 1 FNG* eager for a beatdown. Against All Odds, I said to myself “Phil Collins left Genesis and launched a successful solo career.” That set me straight.
I knew to have a successful Q, we had to have a good trail. So after completing that absolute breeze of a workout we were all able to waltz through at the Thicket yesterday, @Grunge and I headed out.
The path we took, while lacking some incline, made up for it with a bevvy of roots, rocks, trees, and, quite literally, a spider web at mouth level every 100 feet. But, it took us further into the woods and a part of the trail system we haven’t tackled as a group yet. We also wanted to make this run challenging for every level, and this run accomplished that.
Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was the thrill of leading the pack, but, I started running like Forrest Gump ran back for ‘Bama. It could have gone two ways at this point, the first was everyone just stops and I run alone and get lost only to figure out an hour later I’ve been doing laps around the same model Dickerson home. Instead, everyone just picked up the pace. We started absolutely hustling along those paths, swapping out our usual conversation with random shouts of “tree” or “rock. As we headed up the hill at the bottom of Briar Chapel Parkway, I was pretty content thinking that I just absolutely hammered this group and how tired they must be. Then everyone started sprinting up the hill! I looked on fondly, close to heaving, while patting myself on the back and mumbling “you’ve done enough Colin, you’ve done enough”.
Overall, an awesome run and everyone crushed it. An absolute pleasure to Q this AM.
Warm Up:
Side Shuffle Hop x10 (10 was the max I could do after yesterday!) IC
Willie Mays Hays x25 IC
Plank Calf Stretch L/R 10 Count
Hammie Stretch 10 Count
Air Squat x15 IC
The Thang:
Enter trail head onto Copperhead West off Grovewood just north of Endor. Take CHW counterclockwise all the way to gravel lot off Tobacco Farm. (*Grunge Thang Note: Somewhere along this stretch, our FNG realized this wasn’t a friendly hike leading to a pig pickin’ and some brewskis, but a legit dirtbagger trail rampage, and decided to bug out! Good news is that he said he will be back!! FNG, if you are out there, we look forward to breaking bread with you out in the gloom again soon, friend!!). Stop to regroup, Merkins x25. Cross Briar Chapel Pkwy, enter Wildwind Trail head, take all the way to Bark Park. Run Pokeberry to Bennet Mtn then up Briar Chapel Parkway back to the AO. Overall 4.1 Miles.
COT:
Announcements:
1. Massive F3Churham convergence potential @ The Big House tomorrow in anticipation of visit by original F3 founding member, OBT (Tim Whitmire)!
2. Friday, 8/25, The Wall/Bastille convergence, 5:45 Southern Community Park.
3. Volunteer event Saturday, 8/26, 9AM-11, @ Perry Harrison School for school beautification. F3 represent!
4. Bright Idea is looking for anyone interested in running Tunnel To Towers 5K in RTP on Sept 16. (Tunnel to Towers Foundation is a great cause honoring firefighter Stephen Siller who sacrificed his life on 9/11, as well as military and first responders who sacrifice everyday for our nation). Pls contact him for details.
Name-o-Rama
BOM:
Big thanks to @Grunge for everything he has done for The Rabbit and for helping me with this Q. Today was a great reminder of the positive feelings after you have pushed yourself. When you go all out, whether its on a run, not looking at Twitter for spoilers when Game of Thrones episodes get leaked, or in any other walk of life, the positivity you feel is a direct result of the work you put into something, and regardless of the outcome, you are better for it.