17 of the bravest pax of The Fort posted to #OldTown for a taste of the Boston Marathon’s Hearbtreak Hill plus some other abuse before and after.

The Thang

Warm up = 20 Burpees OYO

Thanks to Norfolk Southern the pax enjoyed the pleasure of an extra 10 Burpees for a total of 30

Run to parking garage (aka Heartbreak Hill today) and plank for six

Run to rooftop and do 10 Merkins
Run down two ramps to next floor and do 10 CDDs and run back to top and do 10 Merkins
Repeat sequence in suicide format to bottom then finish on the roof

Run down stairs to bottom cross to other staircase do 15 sumo squats run up stairs one floor and do 15 monkey humpers
Repeat sequence adding one floor up each trip in suicide format then finish on the roof

Time for some housekeeping duties like the disclaimer and the FNG check (whoops…yes, Houston, we have an FNG on board!)

Time for the obligatory SSHs x26

Run down stairs and down Main Street

Pause at Freedom Center (appropriate for Patriot’s Day) for some merkins/derkins waiting on the six

Run to breezeway next to Flipside
Bear crawl to far end, mosey back
backward bear crawl to far end, mosey back
Sideways bear crawl to far end, mosey back
Sideways bear crawl to far end, mosey back

Run down Main Street around Wells Fargo parking lot and back home

COT

Naked man moleskin

Patriot’s Day occurs on the 3rd Monday of April in Massachusetts and is the day the Boston Marathon is run from Hopkinton, MA to Boylston Street in the center of Boston.  The Fort was represented in this year’s race by Red Banjo.  After about 20 miles, with parts of the early going on a gradual decline, the course takes an abrupt shift with a two mile stretch from miles 20 to 22 through a series of hills.  This stretch is known as Heartbreak Hill.  We took the opportunity today to honor RB’s performance in getting to Boston (sub 3 hour marathon in Kiawah in Dec 2013) with a parking deck version of Heartbreak Hill, 26 SSHs and in classic RB fashion, some bear crawls.  He responded in Boston with a 3:01 finish running into a stiff  head wind for virtually the entire race.  Way to deliver, RB!

A  hearty Rock Hill welcome to Friday Night Lights (aka FNL), an FNG EH’d by Mailman.  Great to have a fellow Texan along for the rodeo today.  Apologies for the quite unhospitable launch, pardner.

Solid effort today by all pax!  We put in almost 3.4 miles at a strong pace plus some strength moves to boot.  YHC did not stop eating all day today, indicating a serious need to refuel and a long post-workout calorie burn from the intensity.

Great to see the terrific support the pax throughout the region are showing to Old Town.  It is a terrific way to start the week as evidenced by continued growth.  You are on a roll, POSH…keep it  up!

Always an honor to lead, men.  Have terrific week!

11 Pax for a “group” led Patriot Saturday morn.

7 am sharp for a quick mosey to the next parking lot for a version of stretching via Mayhem.

SSHs, Squats, Mt Climbers, SSHs, Parker Peters, Peter Parkers, SSHs, Morrocan Night Clubs, Merkins, Imperial Walkers………………….& finally, did I include SSHs?

Mosey down to Cherry Rd, hang a Louie.  Quick run to next block for, uh, uh, oh yes SSHs.

Indian Run to entrance to Park.  Merkins.  Watch for cars!

Mosey again up sidewalk to wall.  Wall jumps for those flexible ones.  Us older guys did step ups.

Mosey into Park.  COP for some Group Pain, dealers choice style…………Hello Dollies, LBCs, Freddy Mercuries, Leg Lifts, something else, something else, Laps to the last tree starting with 5 Burpees and 20 lunges, Four Corners with 25 SSHs at each corner, something else, something else………………………my turn.

Mosey to soccer field.  Time to meet Jack Webb.  COP for 4 x 1 Jack Webbs to 10……that’s 240.  Next exercise, SSH x 50.

Mosey to COT for 40 more SSHs to finish with 500.

Moleskin……………17 years ago the M and I were married.  One thing no one explained to me then was that the marriage thing is really hard.  I mean really hard.  Good years and bad years go by and much work is required to get this far.  Moral of the story is, be the man.  Say your sorry, listen when required, help when asked, lend a hand and always put her 1st.  It may seem hard, but put kids 2nd.  Be her friend and always jump when required.  Oh, and as Walker stated, keep the piece and you know what happens next.

Thanks for the opportunity RH.

Disclaimer, 2 FNG “who will now be forever known as Castro & Dr. Feelgood”, and welcome to #TheGasHouseF3 , Team Gastonia is building great momentum at this AO, if you have not been here…you need to try it out.

T-Claps to 777, Chaser, Corn Hole, Dark Helmet, Gunny, Package, Roscoe, and Seacrest for #givingitaway and showing up to support Gastonia, I appreciate your willingness to step up and lead.

A quick shout out to Swiper for the invite, it is always awesome to be part of a launch.

The commitment level of the Gastonia PAX is outstanding and it was great to see so many of them have been here since the launch weekend…this is going to be a strong group.

Seacrest had his (VQ) and did an outstanding job of conducting the warmup. A strongly structured COP (circle of pain) is an essential to a F3 workout. Seacrest lives in Fort Mill now, but his heart is still in Gastonia, and it was awesome to see his leadership displayed. SSH, IW, Squats, Windmills, Americans, Mountain Climbers, and a couple of others all called in strong cadence. Made me proud, and this one is going to be a strong leader.

Run to Flag Pole where Gunny lead us in a strong group rendition of “The Pledge of Allegiance”

Since I am on Q = we started running

Mosey over to Middle School track

We got in about 3 miles in and spent the next 45 minutes moving around the track and using the corners as stations

We started off with a lunge walk forward routine, bear crawl / crab walk routine, high knees / butt kickers routine, light sprinting backwards routine, I really was trying to get myself loose.

The 10 burpees at every corner seemed to be a real crowd pleaser. The 10 squats at each corners seemed to have made my legs sore today…or was it the 25 SSH at each corner? No matter proud of each man fighting through to the finish.

Quick discussion on #HIM, the #HIM above us and that resides inside of us, and the power of letting #HIM inside you shining through your activities. We transitioned to a discussion on aligning ourselves with other #HIM. Seemed like a reviewed a couple of other topics like #Sadclowns, my mind went blank after Gunny’s inchworm/plank/American sequence…

And then I basically started a Q school about half way through the workout. It was great to see each of the Gastonia men gain confidence leading from the front of the PAX. T-Claps to the men with experience sharing, training, and leading when we broke out into the teams for individual Q coaching, it seems to have paid off.

Here is a cool backblast written about Dark Helmet’s VQ, the last 2 paragraphs describes what most men feel the first time they Q (lead): http://f3nation.com/2015/03/18/kettlebell-burpees-yeah-thats-a-thing-at-the-armory/

Your F3 brothers are making an investment in you because we are going to expect you to lead (and being a Q is the just part of that), even on the days when only one other guy shows up, give him the best workout you got in you…that is truly being a #HIM…and that is why I have been doing F3 six days a week since I started 2 years ago. F3 will make you better by teaching you to improve yourself as a leader and a follower.

Our time together was well spent today, please come visit me for one of my Qs in Fort Mill, I‘m always good for a double your money back guarantee…we will do hand release pushups until our arms fail…or a burpee mile…something #CSAUP…

COT

Prayer & Praise, BOM (CSPAN style where everyman shares a prayer or praise, and if you can’t think of something…we will plank until you have something to share), and we had strong attendance for post fellowship at Panera.

Moleskin:

Always an honor to Q, appreciate the honor to lock shields with Seacrest and the other fine gentlemen of Gastonia, here is everything in my notes:

• Dredd has a great video showing the “Q -how to count” dynamics, here is the link: http://f3nation.com/2012/02/22/f3-tv-how-to-count/
• 4/25/15 Gastonia #Clowncar with Package and Gunny – your welcome #sorryNOTsorry
• 4/30/15 F3 Golf and just ask Package or Menthol as The Fort is defending champions = see Package for Teams and details
• 5/2/15 1 year Anniversary of Rock Hill with Dredd & OBT here is the link: http://f3nation.com/2015/04/09/rock-hill-anniversary-convergence-1hundred/
• 5/25/15 Memorial Day Murph at NAFO at 0640 read pre-blast here is the link: http://f3nation.com/2015/04/08/pre-blast-memorial-day-murph/
• 5/30/14 #Clowncars to Asheville (Chaser & I are on Q)
• If you haven’t Q’d , step up, it is what makes F3 work
• #HIM = High Impact Man
• #NoFatPants = Once you make the physical change of F3, burn the ship and those fat pants as there is no going back. A man who can’t get his 1^st F on track will never get his 2^nd and 3^rd Fs online
• Read “Freed to Lead” here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Freed-To-Lead-Unshackling-Modern-day-ebook/dp/B00JJQB2Z8
• The 2^nd and 3^rd F will come only grow with deliberate leadership
• Appreciate the enthusiasm, and get your twitter account going, and follow me @CSPANF3 & @F3TheFort

CSPAN – over & out

YHC is getting a little tired of the same old warm up; SSHs, IWs, Merkins, squats, mumble chatter, plank, ect

So we mixed it up at bit

Warmup:

Mosey to playground;

Complete 3 Rounds in 5 minutes

5 pull ups

run to sidewalk and back (~80yd)

10 push ups

run to sidewalk and back

15 squats

run to sidewalk and back

The Thang:

Partner up

Each group was issued a 7ft length of rope (workout inspired by Bounty Hunter; Thanks Tommy!)

The middle rope was placed around the waist of Partner 1 and Partner 2 provided resistance by holding the ends of the rope

Round 1

Sprint 30yds

Switch partners

Sprint 30yds

Repeat

Round 2

Reverse sprint 30yds

Switch partners

Sprint 30 yds

Repeat

Round 3

Sprint 30yds under resistance, partner releases rope, sprint 30yds with no resistance

Each partner went twice

Round 4

Same as above, but reverse sprint 30 yds under resisitance

Round 5

Individual suicides, 15yd increments up to 75 yds

Mosey to stairway to heaven

Partner carry suicides:

P1 carry P2 to the first light pole, walk down together, switch and repeat.  Increase distance until you have made it to the 4th light pole

Mosey to the big grassy hill off the concrete walking path:

Complete three hill sprints

After the first sprint complete 5 squat jumps.

After 2nd sprint 10 SJs,

After 3rd sprint 15 SJs

Mosey back to WEP when done

PAX completed SSHs while waiting on the six:

With 15 minutes left the PAX completed some strength training:

Alternating sets of pull-ups and push ups

Pax completed 3 sets of pull ups and push ups at a slow four count pace.  Each set was done at their half rep max

Then PAX completed three sets of each at their MAX SPEED MAX REP

The final sets were isometric holds at 100% flex, 10% flex, and 50% flex until failure for each exercise

A quick indian run back to COT and we were done:

Prayers for Grand Strands Uncle and New 2.0 on the way

Prayers for all teens struggling today

Sorry if I missed anything!