Hill Climb Challenge 2024

Around 150 pax from the Greater Carpex region participated in the 2024 Hill Climb Challenge. We ran, rucked, or walked a total of 5,300+ miles worth of hills, which would be enough to walk both from coast-to-coast and north-to-south across the USA. Which, come to think of it, might be the natural answer to people who are already asking, “What’s next?” The event kicked off with a bang at midnight of February 10th, when several Peak City pax completed a ruck of Umstead, and continued apace until closing with the 4th Annual Duck Donuts Dash, hosted by South Cary on February 24th. [Read More]

Ragnar Appalachia 2023

If you ever completed your last leg at BRR (or SMR) and thought, man, that felt great, I wish we could stay here one more day and run all of that distance all at once tomorrow, then this race is for you. If you ever thought, wait, instead of paved mountain roads, let’s run on wooded trails instead, then this race is for you. And if you ever thought, you know what would make this trail even better? [Read More]

We’ll take it from here", "Cardinal

Early Thursday morning, YHC was stirring and came across the news of young Taylor Phelps, F3 Cardinal, out of Knoxville TN, who had horribly passed away during his Virgin Q (VQ) at a workout on 1/11/23. For Thursday’s workout, I incorporated one small element of his planned workout, 15 double count Freddy Mercury’s. We did them at the very end of our workout, and after the workout was over, I shared that his planned workout looked extremely hard, and I would be hesitant to try it. [Read More]

It’s a Jungle at Lion’s Den

7 at A-Team. 18 at DTP. 25!! at Lion’s Den. Difficult to scale, and I’m learning a lot still. 0530 Several mallwalkers and motherruckers out with the bootcampers this morning. An EC runner or two.All assembled, no FNGs, lots of familiar faces, Pledge of Allegiance, statement that we’ll keep pretty close to the flag, and we immediately have to move (too many pax for the first exercise). Warmup First was a follow-me to the coziest spot in Peak City for some Good Mornings (missed you Big Red). [Read More]

When are we going to start disturbing the peace?

So, Day 1 at A-Team was a nice intimate pax of 4 for the bootcamp, 3 for some ruck/walking. Day 2 was no such luxury. About 17 or so converged on the subfreezing temperatures in the very center of the Peak City. YHC fought a slow defroster to arrive with about 5 minutes before go-time. Feeble old eyes couldn’t make out the shovel flag, but the pax took joy in pointing out the HUGE flag at the fire station. [Read More]

12 Ways that Year 2 Differed from Year 1

Following up on my 12 pieces of advice from last year’s f3versary backblast, I thought it might be fun to reflect on how things were different over this second year. To summarize, I would say focusing and finding my place was the theme for this past year. Q’d a lot more this year (30+), and am more comfortable, yet oddly perhaps less prepared, at leading. Wrote way fewer backblasts. Used to write one per workout. [Read More]