When thinking of a weinkie for the Q at The Abyss I was pretty much drawing a blank (no smarty pants comments). Long hours at work tend to do that. I knew I had to bring it, but not kill folks or make them never want to return. When perusing the BBs from other workouts I got alot of good ideas, but nothing really jumped out. I did not want to do ANY running for the 16mi ruck for H&C pretty much hammered my feet – they still hurt when I woke for this Q. I took a break and then saw something on the Pathfinder Facebook page that totally struck a chord with me. This weinke is not a NASA original.

The morning was totally icky nasty warm, humid, and just dank wet with steadily light rain showers. Abyssmal conditions. PERFECT!! As the clock drew closer to launch time there was a good group of PAX committed to making themselves better and stronger, regardless of the conditions. No FNGs, brief disclaimer made (modify if needed and don’t die). Time to get after it.

Brief run around the main parking lot to a smaller lot on the side of the school for the COP:

SSH x 20
WM x 20
IW x 20
MNC x 20
PJ x 20
Honeymooner and Downward Dog x 2

Pretty much a standard NASA COP. Heart rate is up, all muscle groups warm and pliable. Then another short run to the back lot of the school for the main event.

7s to Honor the Fitzgerald 7

The recent tragic maritime accident between a huge container ship and the Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald off the coast of Japan claimed the lives of 7 brave souls. In honor of those 7 we did a HIIT 7/7/7 workout – 7 reps of 7 exercises done 7 rounds. No rest when transitioning between exercises, no running from one point to another (a first for a NASA Q), no cones (another first). Everything done right in one spot together as a group in a nice, not too quick, cadence  – to replicate how a group of soldiers exercise at boot as well as to make sure we get the most out of every exercise, focusing on form instead of finishing first.

First group of 7 exercises:
* Merkins
* LS Squats
* LBCs
* Flutters
* Lunges
* Burpees
* Plank Jacks

PAX got through all these pretty well. We took a short break after every even # round long enough for very brief moleskin discussions. We completed all 7 rounds, and man we felt it!  Then we moved to the playground equipment for the next group of exercises.

Second group of 7 exercises:
* Derkins
* Inclined LBCs
* Hip thrusts
* Dips
* Hello Dollys
* Pull Ups
* American Hammers

We only got through 3 rounds of this group of 7s before we ran out of time. The PAX did great!! Good mumblechatter, alot of support and encouragement. Love it!!

Next time – more leg work (won’t be favoring my feet) and no COP.

Slow Indian run back to the COT just in time.

Announcements:
* CAH Guidance this FRIDAY 7pm, Decibel! on Q
* F3 Dad’s workouts are BACK!! Saturdays in July, 10am at WEP
* Mastodon CSAUP in York
* River Rat Run overnight camp CSAUP
* New Fort Logo shirts out
* Ragnar is coming!
Prayers and Praises:
* Praises for the PAX disregarding the weather in their quest to get better
* Prayers for Royale, his Dad, and his family
* Prayers for Vinny’s Dad
* Prayers for Cornerstone’s daughter and his family
* Prayers for Qwerty, Mr T, and all the PAX going through their struggles. Be there for them.
* Prayers for Cheech in Lexington

Moleskin – The Fitzgerald 7 and Faith

What struck me when I came across the 7s in honor of the Fitz 7 workout idea on the Pathfinder page was not so much the workout. Yes, it was a great idea someone came up with for a weinke. But it was mainly the thought of how these sailors died and how I tied them to our theme of the month – Faith.

Some of the sailors on board the Fitz were asleep when the two ships collided. They did not see their end coming, being taken suddenly and unexpectedly to be with Our Lord. Same thing for the motorcyclist who perished this weekend in Rock Hill, and Cheech in Lexington. Those tragic events made me think about how precious yet sometimes fleeting life is, and that at ANY moment your life can end in a myriad of ways. It is a fact of life that is always right smack dab in front of us, yet most people never even think about it or acknowledge it. They do not want to think about it. But we ALL need to be and should be prepared for it.

A soldier HAS to be prepared for that (I was not a soldier so this is in my perspective). They willingly, knowingly, voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way, understanding that they may not walk away from it. They are (hopefully) prepared to deal with the consequences of their choice to do so. They are prepared for whatever may happen. How do they prepare? To me it all centers around faith.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. – Hebrews 11-1

A soldier has faith in their commander to make the right decisions, so they follow them (a vast majority of the time). A soldier has faith in their comrades to support them and fight with them no matter how dire the situation without any doubts. A soldier has faith in their training and equipment, so they do not hesitate in their actions knowing they will have an expected result. Plus the one that ties it all together is that they have Faith in Their Lord – protection during their fight for just cause, providing for their families while they’re gone, and that Their Lord will lift their souls to Heaven if they perish. When you have a strong foundation of Faith like that, in all aspects of your life (spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically), there is nothing you will be afraid of. With that you can act without hesitation, freed from the reigns of fear holding you back. We all must be prepared in the same way as well.

I am going to take a moment and make this BB more introspective. This is where I questioned myself – am I prepared in my Faith if my life were to suddenly end? Right now I am not sure if I can say that I am 100% yes. I do not want to leave my wife, my kids, my family before I feel they will be fine without me. So I am being selfish in my faith that I do not feel they will be taken care of if I am gone, and I need to, have to, want to physically be there to love, nurture, provide for, and protect them and feel their love, all of which make me ‘go’ in life. As a born and raised Roman Catholic, I should not doubt my faith, falling back on my formation of beliefs in Him and Our Lord that are woven into the fabric of me. All of those things that I am selfish with I should have Faith that He will provide to me as well as my loved ones if/when I am gone. As a scientist – there is no such thing as a former scientist, for it is in our being, our nature to be one – I need proof, substantiation. There are millions of things ‘proving’ He exists in many ways, but science has ‘explanations’ for some of these things as well. These two sides of me used to always be at odds with each other, in a battle for ownership of my foundation of faith.

As I have grown older, the spiritual side is winning out more and more. I have become closer and closer to saying 100% yes. In my opinion no matter how much science tries, there are still some very basic, transcending, and simple questions that they cannot prove – whether correct or incorrect – nor can they completely explain without another “why?”, “how?”, or “what?” to follow on for them to tackle. Occam’s Razor comes into play here, as well as belief in Him and His Word as gospel.

We are all His children. He will take care of us. He will provide. He will nurture. He will unconditionally love. He will heal. He will protect. Whether it is in this life here on earth or not is not something to be concerned about, for He has a plan for all of us. I am understanding this more and more as I evolve in life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you – Isaiah 43:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight – Proverbs 3:5-6
I will walk by faith, even when I cannot see – 2 Corinthians 5-7

My fears are being assuaged. I am becoming more and more prepared, closer to 100%. It is a work in progress, but …. it is in progress. F3 and the amazing PAX I have met have helped immensely in this. I hope that in some way I can eventually return the favor to you all.

F3 can have a wonderful impact on one’s life in many aspects – if you commit to it. Keep pushing each other, supporting each other in every way. Keep making each other stronger – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

9 PAX did just that at The Abyss.

Thank you for the opportunity to lead…. and be led.
– NASA