Shot Caller

The BackBlast:

Intro:

I’ve managed to avoid Q’ing Shark Tank for over 4 years now. Partly because I rarely post on Thursdays (see previous backblasts HERE and HERE ) but mostly because this extra credit thing seems completely unnecessary. I’m fine if you want to show up 15 mins early to get a warm-up in, but why do I have to lead it. Just find something about a mile away, run there, do a merkin or two, come back. Done. I can get an extra 15 mins of sleep, you get your warm-up, Cindy doesn’t start yelling at me until 5:30, we’re all happy.

If you’ve been lucky enough to attend any of YHC’s Q’s, you know YHC always (usually?) has a plan. However, I like planning for 45 mins, not an hour. Especially when you know everything you do is about to be picked apart by the flippers.

Easy solution just do the first 15 mins of your plan twice.

The Thang:

1.  Over to Kenilworth, up to Morehead, right on Morehead, left on Arosa, down into the fighting pit at Covenant.

2. Quick round of dips, derkins, supine pullups over/under hand.

3. Return to AO with another quick set of derkins / dips at the greenway park.

4. Grab the rest of the pax and head over to Kenilworth, up to Morehead, right on Morehead, left on Arosa, down into the fighting pit at Covenant.

5. Quick round of dips, derkins (skip the supines – too many pax and not enough time)

6. Over to Dilworth Road at church entrance & partner up.

7. Zipper down Mt Vernon & Berkley to Euclid, meeting in the middle of each cross street (5) for 10 partner hand-slap merkins.

8. Mary on Euclid to wait for the 6.

9. Mosey to the YMCA Deck; backwards up the ramps, forwards on the straights, LBCs at the ends all the way to the top.

10. Fast mosey to the top of the BB&T deck.

11. AYG home.

~5 miles (~6.5 with EC) with a few merkins, dips, LBCs, and one trip up the most difficult parking deck in all of Charlotte.

Moleskin:

•  Apparently, Cindy’s new thing is buzzing through the new Atrium parking deck on Harding to piss off the security guard. Mission accomplished on the return trip of EC.
• Good to see Slaughter back out in metro instead of jet setting for his nighttime log carrying adventures.
• I realize the streets in 1930’s era Berkley/Mt Vernon section of Dilworth have a little more curvature to them than the square blocks of old Dilworth, but they are pretty much still standard blocks. I have no idea how someone gets lost on a zipper here (looking at you Stinger).
• When you ask if the 6 is in, make sure someone other than the flippers respond in the affirmative before you take off (again, Stinger – sorry)
• If you’re ever within shouting distance of your own house while H.E. is with you, make sure you call for whisper cadence. Otherwise just laugh as he wakes up the rest of the neighborhood.
• There’s this guy that looks like he could be Dib’s son. I think his name is Truth or Dare. Check with Pusher.
• Steroid is like a batflipper, except he’s actually nice. And he does all the exercises.
• If you haven’t read Cindy’s Top 10 (Cindy’s Top 10 | F3 Metro), Parker Cains (Mutiny) comes in with 5 different entries at 1, 2, 3, 10 and 11. Given Cindy’s infatuation, and since I’m a nice guy, I figured we run a route right by Mutiny’s house so he could share his affection. I knew Mutiny would be farstacking – he apparently sprained his ankle loading a stroller into his car. I shit you not.

Leaving the YMCA deck with the flippers chirping in my ear, I may have seemed a little indecisive with my next move. That’s all the opening they need to start thumping their chests and grunting “mutha! mutha! drop city! We got time Sheep! It’s only half a mile home from there!”.

Knowing that the flippers didn’t get the full BB&T Deck championship experience of the KOH, I thought why not let them experience the most difficult parking deck in Charlotte. They seemed equally satisfied with this as they got to once again mock the entirety of the KOH event. They’ll still be talking about that 20 years from now like that guy that never left your hometown and made a special teams tackle that one time in the 2A state championship game.

After 35 mins of constant chirping from the flippers, I finally gave in and called out 10 mins / 1.25 miles / AYG back to the AO from the top of the BB& deck – back by 6:15 for the leaders and 6:18 for the 6; perfect timing.

You may be wondering how I knew it was exactly 1.25 miles back from the top of the BB&T and how we had just the right amount of time to get home. Maybe I mapped it out ahead of time. Maybe I did have a plan. Maybe you just have to plant the seed to let the flippers think they’re calling the shots.