13 Patriots posted to Cherry Park for a dose of Saturday pain marked by “seasoned” Qs and the number 200 in partnership with our P200 brothers.

My thought for this P200 weekend workout was that we likely had a number of non-runners among the pax on this day.  This presented the opportunity for the boot campers to take back the reins and prove that F3 is NOT a running club.  Yet, it was certainly appropriate to respect the effort being put forth by our brothers down state, thus the idea of 200 leg reps.  On top of the 200 theme, the mental challenge of the workout was to complete all exercises of all forms from one spot.  The challenge was aimed at reinforcing the notion that life happens for each of us only in one spot at one time – in the present where we are situated at any given moment.  Unfortunately, the weekend soccer tourney forced us to transition to the football field midway through, but we stuck with theme the nonetheless (more on the origin of the theme later).

The Thang

CSPAN takes the pax out for warm up run around middle school parking lots

COP – SSHs, IWs, Windmills, Merkins, Squats, CDDs, Seal jacks

Line up along one side of parking lot for series of warm up moves across parking lot and back – Toy Soldiers, Butt kicks, High Knees, Karaoke, Soccer hips, Bounding strides, forward bunny hop, backward bunny hop, Side shuffles, Basketball jump shots, Burpee broad jumps

Hand off to Double D

Run to open soccer field and circle up w/goal of getting permanently comfortable for next 45 mins.  Mix of exercises throughout covering upper body and core in between 205 reps of legs (including Bomb jacks, monkey jumpers, squat jumps, squats, sumo squats, etc).

Following the super extended COP, we knocked out some partner wheel barrows, took a lap around the track and ran home.

COT

Naked man moleskin

The theme of living in the present in an awakened and alert state of mind surfaced from my own realization that I’ve been living in a haze during recent weeks.  This reality struck home severely on Thur and Fri mornings for me.  On the way to WEP on Thurs at 0500 for my Q at LILO, I was sitting at the traffic light on 160 at the Peach Stand.  As I struggled to pull my Weinke to the front of my gloom-filled mind, something in my vision registered “green” and I took my foot off the brake and began to accelerate through the interaction.  THANKFULLY, by God’s grace alone, a white streak from the right also registered in my vision and I slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn as a sedan came screaming through the intersection at 50+ MPH.  Now fully awake, I looked up to see two red lights facing me and a green right turn arrow.  Pretty dramatic example of me not living in the present.  BUT, in fact, the lesson was not absorbed in that moment, as the following morning would prove out.

Fri AM, I was rolling through Starbucks’ drive-thru on the way to Funhouse’s impactful session sharing his Columbia mission trip experience.  At the window, the barista was talking to a colleague from behind the window glass as she stepped forward to deliver my coffee.  With my mind elsewhere and assuming she was still talking to her co-worker, I completely tuned out of her question about whether I had also ordered some sort of pastry….at least three times she asked me directly while I handed her the five spot and sipped my coffee and offered her absolutely no response.  FINALLY, my brain picked up the fact that she was talking to me.  Two days, two strikeouts.

So, I welcomed the opportunity to Q Saturday morning, seeing it as a path to shake the funk and allow my F3 brothers to help me reset my compass.  Thanks to The Patriot pax for bringing me back to the present!

Special send off prayers for Boots as he heads off this week for the Coast Guard.  Make your fellow pax back in RH proud, young man!  Stay in the light and be safe!

A shout out led by Cheeto to DaVinci and all pax who’ve been absent in recent weeks/months.  Spring is coming soon, which will undoubtedly bring out some Kotters along with FNGs.  Five star hospitality when these pax post will ensure that they stay engaged.

Nice work by Quick Silver, stepping into COP w/CSPAN on his 2nd workout to lead a little bit of the warm up.  Keep it up!

Last opportunity to order Mudgear with original logo for The Fort will be coming soon.  New logo/artwork is in the works.  Keep an eye on Twitter or reach out to Italian Job.

Thanks to Peach for his steady leadership of The Patriot and for the opportunity to Q.  It was a great morning, including coffeeteria at The Little Café!