This morning brought heavy humidity and pouring sweat to 14 PAX at BlockParty. Conditions were soupy and the park was dark, but the PAX trudged through for 2.17 miles of fun in the gloom. Here’s what we did:

Warm UP (all done in cadence)

• 25 SSHs
• 20 IWs
• 20 MNCs
• 20 Rock Hillbilly Walkers

The Thang

Mosey to the Playground

Partner up for:

• 50 Pullups
• 100 Merkins
• 150 Squats
• 200 LBCs

Exercises were done while partner ran a lap around the playground. Once the lap was complete, partner’s flapjacked.

Once exercises were complete, the PAX did 15 Dips (IC) for good measure.

Mosey downtown

Stop at the Veteran’s Memorial for the Pledge of Allegiance

Mosey to The Wall

• People’s Chair (15 IC)
• Hold People’s Chair while PAX take turns doing 10 Merkins each
• 10 Count Austrailian Mtn Climbers (crowd pleaser)

Mosey to Subway

• Karaoke
• Nur
• Shuffle
• Run

Mosey back to COT

• A little Broga
• 25 Shoulder Taps
• 60 Calf Raises

NMM

Thank you Double D for the opportunity to cross the river and lead. Today I shared with the PAX something that I think many of us struggle with: Pride. Like Kielbasa said, as we get stronger through our workouts, we often start thinking we are invincible. We as men struggle mightily with pride. Is it because we live in a nation that says we can be anything we want to be? Is it because we drink too much of the “me” Kool-Aid? Perhaps we believe all the times folks have exalted us for our achievements. Heck, now we get trophies for participating! Pride leads to distruction. It is the root of all sin. It is what led Satan to say, “I will make myself like the Most High.” It is what led Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. It is what let a 10-year-old me to second and third place finishes for two years in taekwondo. It’s what led to 22-year-old me into the bosses office to be told no one is irreplaceable. It is what led 29-year-old me to nearly splashing Merlot at WEP at my first workout. Pride is our way of saying we know better than God. When things go well, we praise ourselves. When things go poorly, we blame God. Humility is knowing there is a God and you are not Him. John tells us “He must increase and I must decrease.” We are called to put others first – to live third. Humility comes before honor. A proud man is always looking down on others. While looking down, you cannot see anything above you. Let’s stop looking down and looking in and start looking up. It is better to be humble than to be humbled.

Aye!

Italian Job