Prologue:
Today was my fourth Q for the True Grit Challenge. I first posted at The (Wednesday) Crick back in June (a little more on that later) and am a big fan of the 6 AM start. I was excited to return to the Crick for the Challenge and signed up for 12/4 to give myself decent space between Challenge Qs. It wasn’t until mid-November that I realized that my kid would still be tracked in for year-round school that first week of December, and that the later workout ending would be a problem. 12/18 was the last slot available for 2019, so with a 12/17 commitment to True Grit, back-to-back Qs it would have to be!
Warm Up:
-Mosey from shelter through school parking lot to the basketball court, mixing in some side shuffles and running backwards.
-Circle up on the basketball court. PAX line up on the literal circle painted on the court, so I move to the new center and start warm ups.
-20 Side Straddle Hops
-10 Good Mornings, accompanied by some mumble chatter from the PAX about the cadence pace. Not sure why I was a little quick. Maybe it was Q School, maybe it was the coffee.
-20 Imperial Walkers
-Sir Fazio Arm Circles forward x10
-Sir Fazio Arm Circles reverse x10
-World’s Greatest Stretch + Pigeon Pose (left side then right side) with pigeon pose included
Main Event:
-Mosey to bus drop-off lot for 7-11s. (This was a new exercise for a few, if not all, of the PAX, and there were many direct questions.) 7-11s are standard 11s with 7 reps of a third exercise in the middle. Start with Mercans, mosey to stop sign for squats, with 7 LBCs in the middle each way. PAX did a good job of not getting spread too far apart. T-claps to Mr. Slate for picking up the six at the end.
-Mosey back to carpool parking lot for a 10-15-10 pyramid of Quick Feet and Curb Derkins.
-Mosey back to shelter for another 10-15-10 pyramid: Irkins, L-R Step Ups, Dips, Derkins, and LBCs.
-After final LBCs, stay on our six for Mary with the time we have left.
Mary:
PAX-led Mary. YHC started with Homer-to-Marge x10, next PAX called Dying Cockroaches x10, etc. Made it about six exercises before we were out of time.
COT:
15 PAX. Oakwood 24 starts Saturday at 3pm. Sign up online the run/donate. The Arena Christmas Party is this Friday after the workout. Please bring gently used workout gear. The Crick Christmas Party is tomorrow night (12/19) at Mellow Mushroom across the street. Prayers for Mr. Slate’s friend’s family, for Candlestick’s friend, for Pigpen’s wife and cousin, and others.
Birkenstock took us out.
Naked Moleskin:
I had a blast leading this morning. 7-11s are a simple (maybe not at first) and a great way to fill up a workout. I really enjoyed connecting/reconnecting with the boys at the Crick, and I hope to be back soon!
The True Grit Challenge (I seem to be the only person trying to make it a thing) has been great. I encourage everyone to step up and Q some new (or old) workouts in 2020.
I’ll end with a little story of how I ended up at The Crick…
Backblasts are a dying art, if you can call it that. Once a post-workout staple, they are time consuming and it’s very hard to tell if anyone is even reading them.
Concerned I was wasting my time trying to keep up a dying tradition, I ended my backblast for a Lame Duck workout on 6/7/19 with a simple offer of $1 to the first person who acknowledged reading my backblast.
Much to my happy surprise, in less than six minutes I had received a reply tweet from a Twitter handle belonging to a PAX whom I had never met. That man was Crick regular Johnny 5. I posted the following Wednesday, 6/12/19, to deliver his winnings. (For the record, he did not believe I was serious.) In honor of that fun, reaffirming experience, I will make the same offer here:
I will give $1 to the first person who tells me they read this Backblast.
-Pigpen
