Pre-Blast – 2021 Dam to Dam for a Cause

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  • QIC: Cornerstone, Stang, Jekyll, Funhouse, Bass-o-Matic, Boss Hogg, Slash, Sir Topham Hat, Pusher
  • When: 02/20/2021
  • Posted In: CSAUP

8 teams from across the Fort region have committed to the 2021 Dam to Dam Relay from Lake Murray to Lake Greenwood. In addition to this effort, these HIMs have committed to continuing the mission of F3 by invigorating male community leadership in a partnership with a local charity, Harlan’s Heroes.

Harlan’s Heroes is dedicated to spread awareness and aid those affected by pediatric cancer, with an emphasis on recurring and terminal brain cancer.  Their mission is to provide the entire family with help, hope, and care. For more information, please find their website here http://www.harlansheroes.com.

We have set a goal of raising $20k for Harlan’s Heroes. We ask that you support us with a contribution to our GoFundMe page here GoFundMe-Harlans Heroes. Thanks in advance for your consideration and contribution.

In addition to our Go Fund Me page, we have several upcoming events. Please see information below and contact the QIC for additional details:

12/12/20 – Fort Golf Tournament (Stang – QIC)

12/24/20 – Santa Clave 5k and 10k (Boss Hogg – QIC)

1/30/21 – Dam to Damn Bar 10k (Hardwood – QIC)

TBD – Bourbon Raffle (Cornerstone – QIC)

 

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Parking Lot Party

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Nice and simple at Quagmire for a rainy end to November.

Mosey to far end of the lot.

COP

  • SSH
  • Tappy Taps
  • Rebel Merkins
  • Mountain Climbers
  • LSS

Mosey to top of the lot next to Zoe’s
Burpee Ladder across lot to 7

Mosey to PetSmart wall
Wall Worms 1:4 Merkins:OH Claps up to 5

Mosey around building back to Zoe lot
Bear Crawl Merkin (x2) Ladder Across lot to 14

Mosey to PetSmart wall
Mike Tysons x 10

Mosey around building back to lot
Crab Walk BBS ladder across lot to 14

Mosey to PetSmart wall
BTTW count down the line (40 sec)

Mosey around building back to lot for COT

2.8 Miles

Read Your Newsletter.

Honor To Serve.

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Post-turkey day accountability

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9 PAX converged on The Varsity for a post-Thanksgiving session of brogan with Sasquatch, a boot camp with YHC or a ruck/run option.  Harry Caray was prepared to lead the run but after no runners showed, he joined us for boot camp.  3 ruckers – Cake Boss, Wegmans & Body Wash – departed for the gloom and YHC announced us off with disclaimers, assumption of risk and advice to tread smartly and modify as needed.  Off we moseyed to the stadium.  Here what happened:

One 1/4 mile lap around the field and a left turn into the South end zone for a little COP – we didn’t need as much here due to the broga session that took place prior.  Nonethless, a combination of windmills, SSH’s, burpees, merkins, imperial walkers, etc.  moved us to the main event.  We moseyed to the North end zone and began at the goal line.

The number of exercises corresponded to each yard line and after each exercise was completed, the method of transportation to and from each 10 yard line back to the North Goal Line varied (NUR’s, moseys, 75% run, 100% all out run, etc.).

North 10 yard line – 10 burpees OYO

North 20 yard line – 20 Hand release merkins OYO

North 30 yard line – 30 double count American Hammers in cadence

North 40 yard line – 40 double count shoulder taps in the plank position and in cadence

Mid field – The 50 – 50 double count overheads claps in candence

South 40 yard line – 40 double count side straddle hops in cadence

South 30 yard line – 30 double count mountain climbers in cadence.  We stopped at 15, halfway through to throw in 3 burpees……..just because.

South 20 yard line – 20 single count marking OYO

South 10 yard line – 10 burpees OYO

South end zone – 10 double count LBC’s and 10 double count flutters in cadence

We then moseyed to the parking lot for the four corner light pole 10-20-30 round – we got through 3 of 4 corners before 0559 was upon us

Pole 1 – 10 H/R merkins, 20 lunges, 30 SSH’s

Pole 2 – 10 diamond merkins, 20 double count American Hammers, 30 squats

Pole 3  – 10 kracken burpees (crowd favorite), 20 jump squats, 30 single count LBC’s

A quick mosey to COT left us 45 seconds for a few varying angels of the protractor and then time was called at 0600.

Announcements – Read your newsletter.

Prayers and praises were offered up and YHC reminded the PAX that even on days not labeled Thanksgiving, we should strive to be examples of thankfulness and gratitude each day.

It is always an honor to be called upon to lead the PAX.  My thanks to Splinter for the call to the bullpen and helping keep YHC accountable on a morning where sleeping in would have been a really easy thing to do.

You never know who needs you to show, besides yourself.  Keep posting and being the example to others that our world needs so much.

Until next time…….

Cyclops

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Dam to Damn Bar 10K

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Pay attention The Fort pax, you will want to do this event:

When: January 30th 2021, 10:30AM Ruck/Walkers; 11:00AM Runners

Where: Race start is at Catawba River Access (Fort Mill Dam), and ends at Amor Artis Brewing on Main St. Fort Mill.

Course at: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/42887530

Who: any/all F3 Pax, FiA crew, and the general public are allowed to participate

Why: 1) Proceeds go to Harlan’s Heroes, which supports families dealing with pediatric cancer, 2) great warm up to the Dam2Dam race, and 3) one free beer per participant and fellowship/fun times will be had post-race at Armor Artis!

Cost: Registration is $40…remember you’ll get one beer and a tee shirt is included!  Payment options: Venmo: @Joe-Lyons-17 and mark as Harlan’s Heroes, or check to Rick Baldwin.

How: Register at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a49aaab2aa2fd0-damtodamn

Sign up now, space is limited to 100 entrants!!

D2DB 10K Route

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Just keep climbing…

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Sometimes it’s hard to find a Q in the winter months at Pantheon. Doubly so the day before Thanksgiving. So what do you do? You have fun!

The Gloom

YHC rolled up to an empty parking lot with a few minutes to go.  The temperature at Pantheon tends to be much colder than anywhere else, but this morning felt somehow warmer.

Divac pulled in as I was taking in the gloom, and Flounder soon after. Divac and YHC have been trading off terrible ideas every couple of months at Pantheon, and I didn’t want to disappoint.

The disclaimer was quickly disclaimed.

Warm up

There wasn’t one

The Thang

Everyone had an easy trot over to the small field just past Trailhead Park. You know the one. It’s across the street from the police station and at the start of the path with those terrible, awful, no good hills running through Tega Cay.

The plan is simple. Do a thing at the bottom of the hill, then go up to the top and do it again.
Rounds 1-5:  10x Big Boys
Rounds 6-10: 10x Merkins
Rounds 11-13: 10x thrusters (shoulders and feet on ground, hold for 2-3s)
Rounds 14-15: Alternating Superman (prone with arms straight past head, Raise and hole L arm and R leg, 2-3s hold, alternate for a two count)

I’ve done this routine a few times in the past, this is the first time it was self-inflicted. And, just like all those other times, nobody liked it at the time. But I know in my heart that everyone will be thankful.

After round 15 it was a slow trot back to…

CoT

Some good chatter at CoT. Announced some announcements. Lots of stuff coming up, even though it feels like things are ruined, they don’t have to be ruined.

Flounder asked to life up two of his friends, Denny who lost his wife over the summer, and another friend whose name escapes me who is going though a similarly difficult time.

Divac asked to lift up his great-aunt, who broke a hip at 90years old. And he’s got in-laws incoming.

NMM

Some day, I’m going to be thankful that the “pandemic” is a thing we talk about in the past tense. This year our family will have its second nuclear family thanksgiving, and it looks like we’re going to have a purely nuclear Christmas as well. While it’s a bit sad, it certainly removes a lot of stress on me.

But that’s not the case for everyone…

My prayer this morning is that those of us who call ourselves Christians would be better at not filtering the light we’re supposed to be reflecting in its pure form.  Help me not be the reason someone thinks God doesn’t love them.

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Grateful without being complacent

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14 Total PAX – 9 split off to run with Dark Helmet. See his well-written and coherent backblast for report. 🙂

Warmup
Round the world
SSH
Good Morning
Arm Circles
Some Burpees interspersed

The Thang:

20 Merkins
10 KB Swings
20 Merkins
15 KB Swings
20 Merkins
20 KB Swings
20 Merkins
25 KB Swings
Short mosey

20 Goblet Squats
10 KB Swings
20 Goblet Squats
15 KB Swings
20 Goblet Squats
20 KB Swings
20 Goblet Squats
25 KB Swings

20 Flutters bell held overhead
10 KB Swings
20 Flutters bell held overhead
15 KB Swings
20 Flutters bell held overhead
20 KB Swings
20 Flutters bell held overhead
25 KB Swings
Short mosey

20 Cossack Squats – no bell
10 KB Swings
20 Cossack Squats
15 KB Swings
20 Cossack Squats
20 KB Swings
20 Cossack Squats
25 KB Swings

Short message on my struggles with Gratitude vs. Complacency
Grateful that I’d already Qed this workout (and had a lot of the backblast written), but we don’t want to remain complacent. So let’s tack on 20 more of each.
I also thought repeating the Weinke was a metaphor for doing the same thing again, but not remaining complacent.

Final round to get to 100 of each exercise and 300 swings
20 Merkins
20 Goblet Squats
20 Flutters bell overhead
20 Cossack Squats
20 Kettle Bell Swings (As Dark Helmet and crew arrived back. He then hollered that it was 0600 when it was really 0559 because he wanted to read: https://dailystoic.com/no-one-escapes-this-law/. Which, in his defense, was worth listening to and is certainly worth reading.)

COT

Prayers for:
Those dealing with the emotional struggles that the holidays can bring
Those dealing with the COVID-related struggles that these holidays are bringing
3D’s upcoming surgery
Prayers that God will make us equal to the tasks set before us.

Grateful for the opportunity to lead and the PAX that showed up. Thanks 3D for the invite.

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Stealing from Metro

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11 PAX on a crisp November morning

YHC got some influence one from one of the few backblasts written at F3-Metro’s Combine (Kettlebell and Sprinting) AO.

Warm-up
Run a big lap with unnecessary looping
Plank
– shoulder tap
– yoga
– mountain climber
– yoga
– peter parker
– yoga
– parker peter
Imperial Walker
Hillbilly Walker

Move with bells to parking lot
Line up from one island facing another

Ladder:

  • 5 manmakers
    -bear crawl to the next island and back
    KB Swings for the six
  • 5 manmakers
    5 goblet squats in cadence
    -bear crawl to the next island and back
    KB Swings for the six
  • 5 manmakers
    5 goblet squats in cadence
    10 upright rows in cadence
    -crawl bear to the next island and back
    KB Swings for the six
  • 5 manmakers
    5 goblet squats in cadence
    10 upright rows in cadence
    10 overhead presses in cadence

Move with bells to the farthest parking lot
Line up between one set of lights facing the other
We did an exercise with the bells and then sprinted to the other set of lights. At the other end, we did a descending count of merkins and sprinted back to our bells. So:

10 Merkins/Sprint/10 Alternating Lunges in cadence/Sprint back
9 Merkins / 5R & 5L Single Legged Dead-lifts
8 Merkins / 10 Sumo Squats
7 Merkins / 5 Manmakers, then 5 more
6 Merkins / 5R & 5L Snatches
5 Merkins / 5R & 5L Single arm overhead press
4 Merkins / 5 Lawnmower pulls each side, then 5 more, then 5 more
3 Merkins / 5 Goblet Squats in cadence
2 Merkins / 10 Swings
1 Merkin / 10 Overhead Presses

Move with bell back to COT

Flutters with press
Seated Yoga until 0600

Prayers:
Fathers that have passed recently
Those battling illness (COVID, Cancer)

NMM:
I sat on this backblast a bit and have lost my steam on a message. I remember an idea of checking in with your word of the year and how much of a struggle this year has been.

My word was Input. And I’ve been letting the world decide what my mental input is more often than deciding myself. There’s still days in the year left to get better…so let’s go work on it.

—
Band Camp dismissed

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Know before you show…

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Tuesday’s are a treat here in The Fort so why should Tuesday, November 24 be any different? In an effort to ensure the PAX got their money’s worth, I decided to post the Weinke on Slack ahead of time. This gave them the choice of whether or not they wanted to make a run at it. That said, 14 PAX joined me at the Colosseum to give it a run.

Warm-up run around the drop off lanes for both schools, taking us back to the basketball hoops.
50ea I/C: SSH, Merkins (harder to actually do this than write this), Flutters

Line it up for sprints down/back: 50%, 75%, AYG

Mosey to the 1/2 wall: 25 Muscle Ups, 25 Mike Tysons, 15 get over the wall

Mosey to the back bus road. Nur up the road to the top. Run down but stop at each light pole for 10 Hand-Release Merkins, 20 Jump Squats, 30 Freddy Mercury’s (count how you wish since I tend to change my mind)

More was on the Weinke so it’ll have to wait for another day.

Loads of prayer requests and praises to be grateful for. Safe travels and for those not traveling, see you at the Convergence, Thursday at the Ranch.

Maximus

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A taste of The Fort TexMex Style

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YHC got the nod to Q one of the OG workouts in the San Antonio region since was traveling for work so here is how it went down.

0529 One minute call
0530 Introduction of visiting Q and Disclaimer
Distribution of headlamps and spare light-emitting devices
0531 Mosey down from St. Lukes’s parking lot immediately offroading into ankle break valley towards the Olmos Basin Trail. Hopefully, everyone remembers the disclaimer.

Finally found the trail and we mosey for a bit before stopping to drop off the first cone (freshly purchased the night before) where PAX were lead in 10 SSH in cadence.
This pattern of a short mosey followed by a quick exercise, Pearls on a string style, continued until we reached the soccer fields loop where the intensity was increased and more than one exercise was demonstrated for the seasoned PAX.
Then the main event was finally started. Learning to take CHARGE:
Main event consisted of a two cones forward one cone back style suicide but the difference is the ability to learn from the leading PAX’s “experience”. Everyone starts the race at the same starting point and runs past cone 1 to cone2 to complete the exercise listed at cone2. Once complete run back to cone1 to complete the exercise listed on cone1. As soon as the first man completes the exercise listed on cone1 he yells out CHARGE and everyone heads past cone3 to cone4 to complete the exercise listed on cone4. After completing the exercise on cone4 run back to cone3 to perform the listed exercise. Again the first man to complete the cone3 exercise yells out CHARGE and everyone runs past cone5 to cone6 and so the sequence goes. This type of exercise is my favorite because it allows everyone no matter the skill level the chance to be in the lead and to help the team move forward. I hope that the 9 PAX were able to get this concept given the short amount of time spent actually playing CHARGE because of YHC’s poor clock management.

The list of exercises are listed below: rep count 10 of each
SSH Side straddle Hop
CDD Carolina dry docks
Cha Cha Merkins
Peter Parkers
Burpees
Jump Lunges
Bomb Jacks
Suicide Squats
Jump Squats
Apollo Ohno
Shoulder Taps
Burpees, Yes Again
Penguins
Imperial Walkers
Bobby Hurleys
Hand Release Merkins
Plank Jacks
and the crowd favorite the 8 count body bag builders. Burpee with a plank jack.

NMM:
I apologize to the PAX for the main event being short-lived because of YHC’s lack of time management, lowlight navigation in unfamiliar terrain, and the great 2ndF mumble chatter that filled the morning air. There is a special trust/bond that exists within this great organization we call F3 that allows a complete stranger who normally lives 1200ish miles away to lead a bunch of men with whom he has spent less than a few hours with through a workout with crazy exercise names and be treated like a lifelong member. I am very grateful to Dredd and OBT and all of the many OG’s and Redwoods that helped this organization grow and continue to give it away to other men in this great nation and beyond. I believe that F3 truly is a great solution to a problem that many men don’t know existed, including myself. It was an honor to be allowed to lead you men and it’s great to see the #acceleration you #HIM are doing in growing the San Antonio region. I know you gents will continue to EH guys, plant workouts and build leaders for the invigoration of male community leadership. I expect great things from you guys and if there is anything you fellas need feel free to contact me on the nation’s slack or Twitter and I will be happy to help.
Thanks to Hannibal for the opportunity to lead and Cobains for the late backblast.

Garrett Purvis
36 “Build your guardrails out of bricks”
Olaf

@g_purve on Twitter
Olaf on Slack

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Spoon Feeding Instructions

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Learning to give clear instructions and the power of commanders intent.

Gekko was supposed to have the Q this morning but life called and he had to answer. Prayers for him.
5:15 struck and SlowJams brought out an FNG so the disclaimer was disclaimed and an overview of F3 was made.
YHC called his own number and grabbed some cones and headed towards the Home Depot for the warm-up.
Luckily I have been fortunate to get to spend some time with Tesla during the few times I show up for a PreRun at Quagmire so I learned that he had not led his VQ workout yet. So I gave him a heads up that today was his chance to practice leading a few exercises in cadence during the workout so we could all give some feedback before his big day.

YHC started the warm-up off with some SSH and some windmills then passed it over to Tesla to lead some SSH and some merkins. He did pretty well after a few corrections and will be ringing that second bell in no time.
Passed the baton over to Console to lead a few other exercises since he is fairly fresh to the game and I have missed his first couple of Q’s because of scheduling conflicts. As expected he shined like the stud he is. Way to live up to the hype and not be frightened by the thought of being compared to Tesla.

On to the Thang.
Mosey over behind Home Depot on the way to Target and get in a few seconds of peoples chair while waiting on the 6 to join.

Continue over to the Kohls parking lot for the meat and potatoes portion.
This part was supposed to be a lesson in preparation and the chaos that is unavoidable when a leader fails to convey the message clearly.
So YHC started out with no clear instructions to the PAX rather giving them just a single instruction meer moments before they needed it. The PAX were stumbling over each other because my instructions were not delivered in a clear and confident manner and there seemed to be no method to the madness. We started at one end of the parking lot and were moseying to the first street light pole performing the exercise then coming back to the starting line to perform some burpees before going to another light pole but sometimes we would come back to the starting line and other times we would just move on to the next light pole and exercise. The objective was to show how failing to communicate a plan, even a bad plan, was ineffective in achieving the mission (the current mission that I always try to achieve when leading a beatdown is to push every member of the PAX outside of their physical comfort zone while keeping everyone together as well as possible and allowing each member to not feel like a burden to the group or that they should have stayed in the fartsack).
When there is poor leadership the entire group is at the mercy of the commands of the Q. The Q is forced to either abandon the guys at the 6 or handicap the guys at the 12 in order to keep everyone on the same page. Just as in life each one of us men is at different places along our journey and therefore has different needs.

Once we finally got down to the end of the parking lot I let the PAX know my intended message for the workout and apologized for the intentional poor leadership.
Gave the PAX new clear instructions on how to proceed on the way back across the parking lot and turned them loose to go at their own pace. We spent the remainder of the time working through the exercise and encouraging each other to push ourselves to get better.

Finally, it was time to jailbreak back to the COT for Count-A-Rama, Name-A-Rama, FNG naming (welcome GuyTai), announcements, and prayers& praises.

Thank you to the men that showed up and pushed yourselves to get better. Hopefully, I was able to challenge you to look at the people that you lead and reevaluate how well you are communicating instructions to your team. Are you spoon-feeding them one bite at a time or are you laying out the buffet and letting them get after it?

Remember that those you lead are faced with many decisions every day and you want them to have the knowledge and confidence that they can make the decision without having to go into a holding pattern while they run it up the chain of command and await a response.
Set clear expectations, communicate them often, and allow your people to react and overcome.

Garrett Purvis 36
Build your guardrails out of bricks!
Olaf

Stay frosty my friends

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