Pheidippides

9 PAX came out on a warm morning to feel their heartrates increase with the tempo of the music. We had a song to serve as a timer for each station and parts of other songs served as some moseying music. We also had 100% attendance at coffee!

Warmup – “The Runner” – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (4:41)

• Good morning x 5 IC
• Bean Pickers x 10 IC
• Imperial Stormtrooper x 10 IC
• Hillbilly x 10 IC
• Wood Chop x 10 IC
• SSH x 25 IC

Reverse light pole lap to the portico (“Let’s Go” – The Cars)

The Thang

Come Sail Away – Styx (6:06)

Rotate through each exercise, start at 10 each, then 9, 8, 7…etc… for the duration of the song

• Perfect Squats
• Perfect Merkins
• WWI

Mosey back to the flag (Holiday Road – Lindsey Buckingham)

Working Man – Rush (7:10)

Rotate through each exercise, start at 10 each, then 9, 8, 7…etc… for the duration of the song

• Coupon Complex
• Jump Squats

Mosey to MO7 Hill (Running on Empty – Jackson Browne)

Ride the Lightning – Metallica (6:37)

Rotate through each exercise, start at 10 each, then 9, 8, 7…etc… for the duration of the song

• Top of the hill – Plank Push-ups
• Bottom of the hill – In/Outs

Mosey to the large parking lot just East of MO7 (Runnin’ Down at Dream – Tom Petty)

Through the Fire and Flames – Dragonforce (7:22)

Rotate through each exercise, start at 10 each, then 9, 8, 7…etc… for the duration of the song

• Burpees
• Merkins
• Mountain Climbers (both legs=1)
• Hold Al Gore or rest a 10 count

Level Complete Tone from Super Mario Brothers

Parking lot lap back to flag

Mary – Some very light stretching

Moleskin

Well that wasn’t easy…which is why we’re all here. I told Fat Tire right before we started that I wrote the workout a week ago and thought it sounded great all week, then woke up this morning and thought it was going to fall flat. But it turned out exactly as I’d hoped. The music threw me off calling out the warmup but otherwise I think it added to the workout. Looking back, I realize how the conversation died out right around the time the music picked up. We were all happy and chatting during the first, slow set with Styx as our soundtrack. I asked everyone to focus on form and really taking their time to do good work on the first 2 stations. Working Man for station 2 felt long, even though it was only a minute longer than Come Sail Away. But Rush (and later Dragonforce) have a way of providing false finishes. Personally, the workout really got hard when we got to the hill, and Metallica started playing. I was the only one who knew what the 4th station held, so the challenge of the 3rd station was a bit concerning…though in 6 1/2 minutes, even though it was the second shortest song, that’s the station people got closest to getting the count down to one.

The longest, fastest song for the 4th station was entirely intentional and created the greatest challenge. Great to see everyone jump right in and really get at it for 7 1/2 minutes. There were struggles there, and everyone was comparing HRs at coffee, so people really pushed themselves. For those who don’t know that song well, the entire last minute seems like the song is ending, and it just keeps going. And everyone just rolled with it and kept going. Great work!

I mentioned this in COT, but I thank God every day for the ability to push my body the way I can, and despite a few more aches and pains, to be able to do things now at 43 that I could barely do when I was 30. And to look around and see 8 other guys at so many different ages pushing themselves so hard is inspiring. I know that no one in this group takes these things for granted. Having the physical ability to get up, get out, and push ourselves on a daily basis is truly a gift, and I’m grateful to be able do these things with all of you.

Thanks for allowing me to lead…and indulging my fondness for European speed metal.

Until next time, Pheidippides