Good trail mileage sandwiched between an EC Ruck PT session at the beginning and another Ruck PT session at the end.  Delicious.

EC Ruck PT Session (0530-0600)

4 brave souls ventured out to Basecamp early to power through a Ruck PT session (aka the base layer of the shit sandwich).  Chum busted out his sexy F3 Gambler cards.  The men rucked up, and did exercises based on the drawn card’s suit and number.  Face cards = 10 reps and Aces = 15 reps.

• Diamonds – Merkins
• Spades – Squats
• Clubs – Mountain Climbers
• Hearts – Burpees

As fate would have it, as the clocked approached 0600 and YHC proclaimed one last card, the drawn card yielded 10 burpees.  F-ing delicious.

Ruck Mileage (0600-0730)

The EC’ers massed at the AO and greeted 3 more brave souls, plus one four-legged friend.  After some fist bumps, stretching, and checking of equipment, we hit the trails.  Hit the trailhead off of Great Ridge Parkway and followed the trail up to the Veranda.  The trek up Bennett Mountain was like some exotic condiment for our shit sandwich.  Got to the Veranda, left obligatory graffiti on the chalkboard, and then rucked back.  When we got to the fork on the backside of Bennett Mountain, we took the hilly option (#CTHT).  The winding hill was kinda like a few nice slabs of crispy bacon to accentuate our shit sammie.  YHC nearly licked the ground as I leaned into the hill.  Returned to the grassy lawn area behind the clubhouse back at the AO.  Roughly 4.5 miles round-trip.

Back End Ruck PT Session (0730-0800)

Four Stations

PAX were split among the stations listed below.  We used the first station below as the timer; once the men completed Station 1, we rotated.

• Tug of Ruck. Pax starts in Bear Crawl position with ruck (with a length of rope D-Ring’d to it) between his feet.  Pulls bag across the ground to about even with his shoulders, and then bear crawls forward until bag is back by his feet.  Continue to midpoint of lawn (about 30 yards or so away from the starting point).  Sprint back to start position, plop down onto his six, and pull the bag back using the rope.
• Merkin Slide. Pax in push-up starting position, with bag under one hard.  Perform one merkin.  Then using free hand (i.e., the one not on the bag), pull the bag laterally across to and under the other hand and perform one merkin. Repeat, continuing to alternate hands on ruck.
• Clean & Press Burpees. Pax start standing over bag.  Perform clean & press (squat down, grab bag, stand up while simultaneously lifting back to shoulder level.  Perform one overhead press).  Return bag to ground.  Perform one burpee.  Execute a 180 degree jump over bag.  Repeat the process.
• Mary Mother of Jesus. Pax on his back with bag held tightly to his chest.  Perform a bench press with the bag, then a sit-up with a twist to each side.  Back down & Repeat.

Right around this point, Heartworm had to bug out.  We bid him adieu, and then moved to the final layer of the Shit Sandwich.

Casualty Medley.  The Rambler introduced this routine at The Thicket back in the spring.  It sucked then, and it sucked today.

Partner up, with each partner grabbing a ruck.  One man is the Carrier; the other is the Carried.  Move to the edge of the lawn and ground rucks.

• Buddy carry full length of lawn. Leave carried buddy at far side; carried buddy holds in plank position.  Carrier sprints back to start.
• Carrier grabs both rucks. Runs/shuffles/sashays/etc. across lawn.  Stops at mid-point and performs 10 burpees.
• Resumes double-ruck carry from mid-point to far side where partner was dropped off earlier.
• Carrier secures his ruck, then secures his partner and carries him back to starting point. Leaves partner ruck on far side.
• Carrier sprints back to far side to retrieve partner’s ruck.
• Sprints with rucks back to start point.
• Partner switch and repeat.

Announcements

• BC BBQ on Sat., Sept. 8^th. Visit #bc-picnic-2018 channel on Slack to sign-up.  If you miss this fabulous fellowship event, you and your appetite will regret it.  No Shit Sandwiches will be served.

COT/BOM

I’m grateful as always for the opportunity to lead a workout, and more importantly, for the men’s support.  No other people with whom I’d rather share a shit sandwich.  Enjoy your weekends.  Be good.

Moleskin

• It was great seeing ET & Loonie — thanks much for making the trek!!
• Judging from the grunts during final PT session, I’m hopeful that the Shit Sandwich sated the men’s appetites.
• Given all of the fine eating we were doing, one Pax may have had to hit the restroom.
• And there may have been a sniper on the loose during the Casualty Medley…