It’s Halloween week….and that got me thinking about all my favorite scary movies….can you recall the main villains from the Friday the 13th movies (“Jason”), the Halloween ones (“Michael Myers”), or even the Nightmare on Elm Street series (“Freddy Krueger”)?  So, for this week’s WAWA, I want you to imagine that one of those bad guys is chasing you….got that image?  Okay….for our run-focused workout, we’re going to be doing sprints, keeping in mind one of those villains is nipping at your heels…maybe literally!

Here’s the WAWA:

Meeting Location:  Myers Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC) parking lot off Oxford Court.

Stretch and warm-up followed by light job from parking lot to our sprints starting location just beyond the intersection of Queens Road East and Roswell Avenue (approximately 0.5 miles from the MPPC parking lot).

The Workout, Part 1:

This stretch of road is generally traffic-free in the mornings.  I’ll have 100 meter, 200 meter, 300 meter, and 400 meter distances marked out and designated by cones.  Our sprints are as follows:

100 meter sprints (4 repetitions)

200 meter sprints (3 repetitions)

300 meter sprints (2 repetitions)

400 meter sprint (1 repetition)

400 meter sprint (1 repetition)

300 meter sprints (2 repetitions)

200 meter sprints (3 repetitions)

100 meter sprints (4 repetitions)

TOTAL distance = 4,000 meter (approximately 2.5 miles)

The Workout, Part 2:

After the sprints workout, we’ll continue down Queens Road East, turn right onto Queens Road West (QRW), go all the way down QRW, make the hard right turn at the bottom of the hill, then right up Sherwood Avenue, left on Queens Road, and (finally) right onto Oxford Place.  “Part 2” of the workout is another 2.5 miles, but not at “sprint” pace.

TOTAL RUNNING WORKOUT:  Approximately 5.0 miles

Cool-down and Devotion back at MPPC.

Workout Leader:  Mike Lenhart

Devotion Leader:  Mike Lenhart

 

Read more "OCT 28, 2015 WAWA: Super Scary Sprints!"

Don’t let the new, colder air entering Charlotte keep you away!  We’re doing a “pseudo-indoors” WAWA this week and one of our favorite spots….the Queens University (Charlotte) parking deck!  Six sets on tap for this week’s non-running workout!  Bring your running tights….see you at 5:30 am, ready to roll!

Workout:

Warm-up:

Gather at our normal spot off Oxford Place, MPPC parking lot.

Light jog over to the Queens University parking deck.

Light stretching then one “lap” up the parking deck ramp, 2 flights up then back down

Main Set:

Stations will be set up at each “landing” up the parking deck ramp:  Ground level, 2nd Floor, 3rd Floor, and Top.  Six sets divided up as follows:

1st Set:

Ground Level:  50 flutter kicks

1st Floor:  40 mountain climbers

2nd Floor:  30 squat jumps, uphill

Top:  20 Push-ups + Wall Sit (45 seconds)

Run back to the ground level using the stairwell!

2nd Set:

Ground Level:  50 jumping jacks

1st Floor:  40 crunches

2nd Floor:  30 V-up sit-ups, alternating sides, right arm to left leg, left arm to right leg, etc.

Top:  20 Push-ups to Side Crunches + Wall Sit (45 seconds)

Run back to the ground level using the stairwell!

3rd Set:

Ground Level:  50 walking lunges, uphill

1st Floor:  40 mountain climbers

2nd Floor:  30 squat jumps, uphill

Top:  20 burpees + Wall Sit (30 seconds)

Run back to the ground level using the stairwell!

4th Set:

Ground Level:  50 flutter kicks

1st Floor:  40 V-up sit-ups, alternating sides, right arm to left leg, left arm to right leg, etc.

2nd Floor:  30 walking lunges, uphill

Top: 20 Push-ups to Side Crunches + Wall Sit (30 seconds)

Run back to the ground level using the stairwell!

5th Set:

Ground Level:  50 flutter kicks

1st Floor:  40 mountain climbers

2nd Floor:  30 squat jumps, uphill

Top:  20 Push-ups + Wall Sit (20 seconds)

Run back to the ground level using the stairwell!

6th Set:

Ground Level:  50 jumping jacks

1st Floor:  40 crunches

2nd Floor:  30 V-up situps, alternating sides, right arm to left leg, left arm to right leg, etc.

Top:  20 Push-ups to Side Crunches + Wall Sit (20 seconds)

Run back to the ground level using the stairwell!  Gather up as a group, then jog back to the MPPC parking lot.

Cool Down and Devotion

Work out leader:  Mike Lenhart

Devotion Leader:  Mike Lenhart

Read more "OCTOBER 21, 2015 WAWA: Parking Deck Pyramids"

You know the rest:  “I get by with a little help from my friends….yeh, I get by with a little help from my friends….”

Right now, I’m sitting in New York’s LaGuardia airport, waiting to fly back to Charlotte from this past weekend’s 25 year college reunion at West Point.  And the words to that song rang through my head earlier today.  The “West Point experience” (as some call it) is a continual case of leadership development and teamwork.  I think the most amazing part of the weekend was seeing classmates who I haven’t seen since we graduated, but picking up as if we had just seen each other yesterday.  Some of the funnier moments were when classmates who are very high in military rank today, revert back to 19 year old kids when we rehashed some old memories!  Those bonds are timeless and after 25 years, we all realized how important it was to get through the “experience” by helping each other out!  The old West Point saying is “cooperate and graduate!”

So, in honor of my reunion, I am calling this week’s workout “Getting by with a little help”.  Participants will be paired with a “buddy” who will go through all the exercises and run route as a “team”.  Remember…..assume nothing because I always have a little twist to what might be otherwise considered obvious!  The focus for this week is primarily on running.

Meeting Location:  Parking lot of Myers Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC), Oxford Place

Gathering Time:  5:25 am, ready to start at 5:30 am

The Workout:

I’ll assign you with your respective buddies for the morning.  We’ll divide into two running groups:  3.5 mile route and 5.0 mile route.  (Both distances are approximate….but I’ll keep them fairly close.)  Similar to the Scavenger Hunt Run, you’ll have a “map” that will take you to different locations for the morning.  This time, I’ll give you the directions ahead of time.  You just have to go to each “point” choosing your own route but staying as a team!  The only rule is that you have to stick to the roads and sidewalks.  No cheating by cutting across Queens College or Myers Park Traditional campuses!  Each group will have 4-5 checkpoints along their respective routes.  You’ll do specific exercises at each checkpoint.

The Cool-Down and Devotion:

Finish back at the MPPC parking lot.  Remember, you and your buddy have to return TOGETHER!  Once both groups are back, we’ll do our cool-down and devotion.

Read more "OCTOBER 14, 2015 WAWA: I get by with a little help….."

All this cold rain we’ve seen in Charlotte the past several days has got me thinking one thing:  “I miss Summer-time!”.

So, in honor of that feeling (which I believe I am not alone in thinking), I’m bringing back one of our favorite WAWA’s from this past July:  The Beach Towel Workout…..slightly modified, of course!

Remember to bring your own personal beach towel to our meeting location at Myers Park Presbyterian Church (Oxford Place), parking lot just outside of Oxford Hall.

Here’s the planned WAWA:

Warm-up:

-Jog to the Queens University Clock Tower
-50 Jumping Jacks in front of the Clock Tower
-3 x Run forward for 25 yards, run in reverse for 25 yards along one of the sidewalks near the Clock Tower

Main Set:

We’ll do this rotation three times!  Find some space to spread out your beach towel and let’s go!

– 10 Squats
– 10 Squat Jumps
– 10 Pushups
– 25 Walking Lunges (on each leg)
– 10 Squats
– 10 Squat Jumps
– 10 Pushups
– 25 Walking Lunges with a side twist (twist towards the forward leg)
– 10 Squats
– 10 Squat Jumps
– 10 Pushups

Run one lap around the Quad after each “circuit”.  This is the “bigger” rectangle of sidewalks, not the smaller one we did at last week’s Pumpkin WAWA.

Cardio Burst:

3 x beach towel sprints. Fold your towel up. Sprint 25 yards to opposite side, carrying your folded towel. Unfold your towel and lay it out. Sprint back 25 yards. 5 pushups. Sprint back to your towel. Pick it up and fold it up. Sprint back 25 yards to the start line.

Beach Towel Core:

We’ll do this rotation twice!

25 x Crunches
25 x Bicycle Crunches
25 x Crunches
25 x Leg Raises
25 x Crunches
3 x [10 seconds Static Hold legs 6” off the ground 10 Second Flutter Kick, Rest 10 Seconds]
25 x Crunches
2 x 45 second plank hold

Jog back to MPPC for Cool down and Devotion

Read more "OCTOBER 7, 2015 WAWA: Back to the Beach!"