It’s finally cooling off a little and so the gloom is back to being gloomy instead of feeling like a sauna… I was excited to lead this AM, because a few weeks ago I finished reading Freed To Lead, and I had some things that had struck me, which I felt compelled to share with the PAX, and so I was glad to see 23 of us showed up to work. So, as it was another beautiful day in Mr. Maximus’ neighborhood, and after a little disclaiming, we got right to it.

The Thang:
WARM UP:
Mosey down the drive, take a left into the loop at the front of the school with some knee pulls, Frankensteins, windmill walkers, etc. then mosey down to short track and circle up
– Fast SSH x 30
– Moroccan Night Clubs x 30
– IW x 15
– Squats x 30
– Reach throughs x 15
– Burpees (in cadence) x 15

Mosey to playground by short track and grab a partner – size will matter
– P1: runs suicides on the basketball court / P2: Swerkins until partner returns / FLAPJACK
– Rinse and Repeat
Then, I read a short excerpt from Freed to Lead (1).
– 3 laps around short track while singing in cadence (that petered out quickly, except for Longshanks and I), then mosey down to the soccer field
– Discover that the gate is locked and improvise to modify exercises for parking lot… (the PAX didn’t know it, but they were glad)
7. Read from book: excerpt 3
Line up at end of parking lot:
– Partner 1 carry Partner 2 about 20 yards then drop and do 10 single count perfect merkins together
– Switch and go 25 more yards doing the same thing
– Turn and repeat back to start and plank for the 6
Then, I read another short excerpt from Freed to Lead (2).
Line up again:
– Partner 1 wheelbarrow 25 yards then do 5 burpees
– Bear crawl 25 more yards then 5 burpees
– Switch and go back to beginning in same manner
Mosey to the wall:
– Wall sit 30 seconds
– BTTW for 30 seconds
– Wall sit for 30 seconds
– BTTW for 30 seconds
“Sometimes, you wish was it was easier, but if it was, everyone else would do it. Then you remember you don’t want to be like everyone else.” Aye!
Mosey back to cars for a quick minute of Protractor and last part of book. (3)

NMM:
It’s always a joy and a privilege to be with my brothers. You all are my kind of idiots. It was a good workout, we got a good sweat, we didn’t kill the FNG, and we even got the Cable Guy seal of approval at the end of it all as he punctuated his approval with one of those guttural utterances he has become so famous for…

(1) “Much as a bowling ball is made to roll down lanes and knock down pins, each man is made for something. F3 is the hand that puts the ball in motion. It knocks the dust off and helps the man find his lane so he can begin rolling again. It helps him be what he was designed to be.”

(2) “That may be the only way to kill a Starfish organization. Make each man care about himself more than he does the organization or the other men in it. In other words, make it acceptable for each man to put himself first. Do that and the organization disintegrates into its component parts. It ceases to exist.” Are we first? NO! We are 3rd…

(3) There are many great Workout locations in F3Nation, but Charlotte’s Freedom Park was the first. It is where it all started. Not only is it a great place for a Workout, it also serves the community in a thousand different ways. The average man in F3Metro probably spends an average of 7 hours a week there in one capacity or another. Go there on a Saturday morning in the spring or fall and you will see the parking lot overrun with kids playing soccer and baseball. There is so much sweet America there it will make your teeth hurt. When the world is running particularly amok, a day in Freedom is all a man needs to keep him focused on what we have here, what is worth protecting. The World may be afire, but we have Freedom, Brothers. We have Freedom. Is it likewise in every park that is part of F3Nation? We imagine so. That is really why we do this, isn’t it?
     One day after soccer, Dredd was walking toward his minivan with his daughters when the youngest one asked him why there were never any police officers at Freedom Park. He had never thought about it until that moment, but she was right. Except at the front gate (enforcing the no-left turn rule), he had never seen a police officer patrolling the park. So he answered, “They are probably at other places where they are needed.”
     Which prompted her older sister (in her older sister voice) to say, “Yeah, we don’t need them here because we have the daddies.”
     Little sister replied, “Rigggght, we have the daddies to keep us safe at Freedom. The police are at the parks without the daddies.” At that, Dredd kind of looked away so his daughters wouldn’t see the tears in his eyes, and he noticed that he could see about five other F3 guys within nine-iron distance, coaching soccer or cheering their kids on. And he knew there were another twenty F3 men that he couldn’t see from where he was standing. But they were there.
     It occurred to Dredd that if the bad guys came to Freedom they might have thought it easy pickings because they would see no police on duty. But they would be mistaken. If evil came to Freedom it would have the daddies to contend with, and it would not stand a chance. While we might be outnumbered, Brothers, we have locked our shields and will keep them locked in the heat of battle. We know that to be true.
     Alone, we may go down fighting, but we are still easily overcome. But we do not fight alone. We fight behind the Locked Shields of the Minivan Centurions. That shield wall will not be broken. That is Why We Are Here. We are F3.”

Helmet, out…