Dagger Hill Repeats

The first version of this workout reared it’s head in April 2016. It was one of the first times Goose posted and after the first 1/2 of the workout, he realized that was his fastest 5K time ever…we still had 32 min left to run. That’s what happens in F3. #ISI and each version of a workout means we get stronger. Today’s workout was inspired by the idea that life is going to put difficult things in our life, whether we turn left towards the parking deck or right to the 3rd St hill. The trick is to connect with like-minded humans and push through it as a team. Everything we did today was a series of repeats.

Warm-up – This is a running AO, so we started with a brief disclaimer, word of wisdom that YHC heard from the Double Heavy Endex in Nashville this weekend, and then 3-hill repeats from the Veteran’s Memorial to the river. Then Early Bird led us to the SECU parking lot for a series of suicides x 3. Then we got to explore new areas.

The Thang – Beyond the Grave Hill We continued the run towards the First St. Place apartments. At first YHC wanted to explore the hills of the cemetery, but figured that we would let those resting continue to rest. Instead, we found a hill just beyond the graves. After a brief exploration detour, we ran the perimeter of that lot x 3 with a jailbreak from the bottom of the hill back towards Pitt St. We then rallied behind the 6 and took off towards Pitt and 3rd. This is where we had a choice and the Q decided to go left—this time—towards the Parking Deck.

The Dagger – We rallied at the bottom of the parking deck to take a quick mosey to introduce everyone besides Cousin It to “The Dagger” (when you develop an evolution, you get to name it – on Google Maps this path looks like a wicked dagger). The Dagger is a Hill repeat workout using the only thing close to a hill that we have in the Coastal Plains. It’s a brief recovery when running parallel to the river and a sprint interval up and down the hill. We started with a recovery mosey down 3rd, left on Cotanche at 75%, follow Reade Circle along the dagger’s tip at recovery and you get to stare up at the “Dagger Point” and it’s pretty wicked to look up to the clock tower on the Parking Deck to all of us flatlander coastal plain men. This is a “Hill of Man.” It’s the most sustained hill YHC has found in Greenville, but only if you add the parking deck on 3rd at the end of it. So we added the parking deck at the end of the run. We did this x3 with a finish with the 6. “Moments spent in thoughtful silence are worth more than days and days of talking”  Whelp – the Q only gave you moments standing at the top of the deck. Looking at the sunrise with the river in the background. Had to spend a brief moment enjoying what God has given us.

Then we got to go back to explore what it would have been like had we taken a right on 3rd instead of  a left. Life tends to be a series of interconnected decisions that then impact your life and those around you. During the recovery period of the run so far, we got to find a brother and discover something we didn’t know. YHC found out that The Sweede and his bride saw a banner during their honeymoon that read “Happy 101st Birthday, Sayla!” Several years later, they named their daughter Sayla in honor of this unknown lady. It’s amazing the little decisions we make in life, like noticing a banner, or taking a right turn can impact our lifes and those who come later.

It was a modified 3rd St Hill for the final evolution. Rather than run from Pitt St to 3rd St school, YHC made the turn around a Blue Recycle bin at the bottom of the hill. We were in a mode to repeat x 3 so we did and finished with the 6. One of the things YHC loves about F3 is that EVERY MAN is a LEADER. That meant that at the end of a brutal workout, Belding led and we all followed. It was his call, even the Jailbreak to the top of the hill to the Veterans memorial. That’s the way to end a workout.

COT/BOM – Harry Potter is set up with an apartment and a teaching job in Lee Co. Sky Fortresses’ brother, Tim, needs prayers for his battle with cancer. Prayers for Dreisell for his finger to heal. Prayers for Belding’s neighbor, John, for his battle with cancer. Wolfron joined our COT. He is originally from Pakistan and has been in Greenville for 40 years.

Announcements – Be sure to post at Boyd Lee for the Murph at 0530 or a 0615 start with breakfast at Cracker Barrell at 0700. Be sure to bring your 2.0 to 116 next week as Stern and his 2.0 have a fun workout planned. The Run for Life at River Park North is also next Sat am. The Fleet Feet Big Run 5K is Wednesday 6/6 at Uptown in honor of Global Running day. This is a fun run and will be BIG…

Moleskin – Today was another opportunity for me to Q. For the prior 6 months, YHC got out of stepping up to Q b/c my schedule was so unpredictable. Over a period of 8 days, YHC got to Q the Collard Patch, the Commons and on Tuesday it’s QvQ at the Sandlot. It’s invigorating to Q and to lead. Harry Potter talked about that today during one of our conversations. This May is 1 year for him in F3 and he is a more confident leader because he has led. He is comfortable with talking with guys, what may be “small talk” is now like “real talk”. It’s getting fit enough to be able to talk to men and connect. That is what today was about. A chance to do something difficult and accomplish it because we were with an extraordinary team of men.

That was a great lesson for YHC during a workout of repeated hills and misery – It was so much more tolerable by connecting with the like-minded and like-hearted men of F3ENC.