**Note: this is an account of Arsenal’s Q at Claymore, as reported by YHC, Pickles. Most of the facts here are actually true.**
A couple of weeks back when YHC realized that Arsenal would be in town the idea sprang up that he should Q Claymore. Brilliant! Now, this was Arsenal’s first attempt at taming the unruly PAX of CARPEX. He had Q’d YHC and Arts n’ Crafts on a few of our business trips, but nothing official. This would, for all intents and purposes, be his VQ.
Arsenal and YHC visited the Claymore site a couple of days in advance to give him the lay of the land and a bit of instruction on properly calling cadence, order of business and how to say “mosey”.
YHC, Arsenal and Arts n’ Crafts arrived around 0535. Shovel flag was planted and we awaited the emergence of the other PAX from the 19 degree gloom (-7 Celsius). Here’s Earhardt rolling in after finishing up a solo EC run. The Kelly, boys, Shut-In and Open Out make a rare appearance together as well. Earhardt declares it to be time to go and we’re off. Arsenal leads us around the pickle by the tennis courts, mixing high knees, butt kickers and left and right karaokes. Back past the flag to the other lot, and karaoke along the parking lines before circling up for warm up:
- Good Mornings X 20 IC
- Sir Fazios forward x 10
- Hold for 10 Randys up
- Continue hold for 10 Randys down
- Overhead claps x 10
- Arsenal then asks Arts n’ Crafts to lead us in Mountaineer Motivators (we’re going to continue refining that one)
Count off in 1s and 2s and mosey to basketball court for thang 1, William Wallace:
- Evenly distribute PAX at each corner of the court. One PAX bear crawls to the middle for 5 Bobby Hurley Burpees, then crab walks back, while other holds plank.
- Flip flop
- Repeato with 5 world’s worst merkin
- Repeato with 5 Bobby Hurley Squats
- Line up at center of basketball court and pair off for 10 patty cake merkins
- Finish our time at the basketball court with numerous rounds of squats x 10
Jog over to bleachers for second thang 2, London Bridge.
- 1 group does London Bridges; from plank position, facing bottom bleacher step, lift arms up 1 at a time, then back down.
- Other group runs to steps of basketball court for 5 Claymore Squats (patent pending, all rights reserved)
- 2 rounds of this and our shoulders are screaming, but alas, there is still 15 minutes left.
YHC, suggests a little Dora 1,2,3 to keep us from getting bored. Partner 1 runs to basketball steps and back while partner 2 works on:
- 50 merkins
- 100 LBCs
- 150 squats
That finished, we have about 8 minutes left for Mary. PAX choices around the circle include:
- Box cutters
- Low slow flutters
- WW II sit-ups
- WW I sit-ups
- Freddie Mercury’s
- Merkins
- English Hammers (like its American cousin, but with the pinky extended) Earhardt led this in his best(?) British Accent.
Count-a-rama: 9 PAX
Prayers: Water Wings’ and Goose’s 2.0’s having surgery today, friend of Open Out’s who was just diagnosed with Ovarian cancer, Arsenal’s sister-in-law’s father with prostate cancer. There may have been others. Apologies that YHC cannot recall them.
NMS
- Glad to have co-workers Arsenal and Arts n’ Crafts get to experience some of what makes Carpex special this week and last.
- YHC and Arsenal had originally planned for the London Bridge routine first, but Arsenal got hit by Q-drenaline and ran right past the bleachers. He did a nice job of recovering and changing up the workout on the fly
- We probably got through the workout a bit quicker than planned because of the lower than expected numbers, meaning that it didn’t take as long on the William Wallace routine.
- YHC overheard from one of the PAX while running: “Not sure what he’s doing, but it’s kicking my butt!” Well done, Arsenal!