ImpromptQ at The Coop

The Coop has had quite a month, and with a VQ on the schedule I was excited to see that momentum continue to grow. Sadly, our Q was a no show. As the Site Q, I led the PAX this morning in an impromptu Q.

Mosey to Bus Loop for COP
SSH x 30
Tappy Taps x 10
Low Slow Squat x 20
Hold Al Gore 45 Seconds
Pulsing Al Gore x 16
Merkins x 10
Yoga Flow w/Runner’s Stretch

While trying to figure out the weinke during the COP, we were holding Al Gores. At that time, I asked the PAX to enlighten me if their least favorite workouts. Cleverly, Cheddah answered “This one!” So we pulsed. A nice little burn to start us off. While moseying around prior to COP I decided upon our first endeavor.

Weinke

Partner Up
DORA 1-2-3 at Traffic Circle/Staff Parking Lot
100 Big Boy Sit Ups
200 Squats
300 SSH

Mosey around back of school to Lunch Tables

Derkins in Cadence x 10
Step Ups in Cadence x 20

Note to self: NEVER do derkins next to Haggis unless you have perfect form. That man is an animal.

Mosey to Pull Up Bars (Much to Trucker’s delight)

Wall sits while outer two PAX do 5 pull ups and work their way toward the center.
Rinse and Repeat but change up grip on your pull ups.

Mosey back to Shovel Flag

Hip work Courtesy of Airborne, one minute each side.

In all, we had a solid morning of varied movements. There’s some freedom in being able to make up the weinke on the fly, though I can say I was a more distracted than usual. The PAX who showed are true HIM, though. Lastly, we ran 2.5 miles.

A Burpee penalty was discussed for Mighty Mouse. If we can get him to show, we may have to proctor said penalty… though we all know we’ll help him out. That’s how we roll. Let’s just hope everything is ok for him.

Announcements

Hardwood on Q at Varsity this week!
QvQ coming at you on October.
Christmas Party coming up… get your ugly sweater on.
Read your newsletter.

Prayers/Praises

Kaiser – praise for God’s promises. There are over 700 promises in the Bible.
Chicken Hawk – pray for marriages. Pray that we as apathetic men can step up love our wives the way they need it.

Hope everybody enjoys their day, and holds their loved ones tight.

Punch List out.

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Olaf is evil

Olaf deck of death at the FireAnt

Disclaimer was disclaimed and we were off for a short warm-up mosey around the parking lot. @chaChing would have been proud.
A few hip and lower back hula-hoop dance moves before starting the real party.

The Thang:
Olaf’s deck of death,

a modified version of the famous Cadre Cleave crowd pleaser.

Each PAX drew a card from the deck and completed the exercise based on the cards suite and the rep count was determined by the value of the card. Instead of face cards being all a value of 10 we started with
Jacks=11, Queens=12, Kings=13, and Aces=14

Exercises were as follows:
Spades= 8 count bodybuilders
Clubs = Flutters, only count one leg, (right leg then left leg equals one), double-count I think? and don’t forget the ruck press
Diamonds = Thrusters, proper form required, (Ruck starts horizontal under the chin with elbows out, squat until elbows touch quads, press until arms fully straightened overhead.
Hearts = Overhead Single Leg Lunges. (right leg, left leg, equals one).

For added excitement, there were two jokers mixed into the deck. When pulled everyone stopped in the middle of the set and grabbed a tire carcass out of the back of my couponmobile, and shuffle a lap around the soccer field.

For the second joker, we added some cute little pieces of wood in addition to the tire carcass.

Everyone had a great time and we all learned a little bit about playing the hand we are dealt in life.

Thanks for the opportunity Router,
Stay frosty my friends!
OLAF

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Crossroads – Cost of Marriage

What did it take to purchase an engagement ring?

  • Story of a guy living on Tuna sandwiches in order to save enough money to purchase an engagement ring. The moral is not working hard and saving, but what is the cost to express your love?

Average Wedding costs $27k

  • What are the real costs of marriage?
    It costs more than money, wedding, ring, honeymoon–àCost you yourself
    Ephesians 5:25: “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.”
  • What was the largest or biggest sacrifice in your mind for your marriage?
    Career
    Ambition
  • What has been gained by being married
    Love
    Children
    Legacy
  • Have you ever said, “I shouldn’t be with someone if I’m not happy?”
    This is self-centered, shallow and reflection of our culture
    Not part of Vows taken
    We probably all go into our “wedding” thinking man I’m Happy, but have we thought about how short sighted that is??
  • Marriage is about love which is something we CHOOSE
    It is represented by sacrifice, serving, giving, forgiving over and over and over
    It’s called Commitment because it does not = personal happiness but LOVE (giving)

1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
CHOOSE LOVE
1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
No matter what happens, CHOOSE LOVE as it covers the mess
John 15:12: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
Back to Ephesians 5:25

  • What does this look like in application
    It’s about offering forgiveness when you’ve been hurt.
    It’s about giving your time though it’s not always convenient.
    It’s about sharing your heart when you’d rather hold back.
    It’s about cleaning the kitchen after a long weekend, even if it’s your least favorite job.
    It’s about choosing to respond with love when you’d rather respond in anger.
    It’s about offering a listening ear, when you’d rather tune out or go to bed.
    It’s about putting someone else’s needs and desires before your own.
    It’s about giving up that last bite of cake, just so your spouse can enjoy it.
    It’s about laying down your rights, to make way for the rights of another.

Formula:
You before Me – not sometimes, not weekends, ALL THE TIME
We before I – even with the kids, job, hobbies

  • The world despises the sacrificial side of marriage
    strive for power, control and the upper hand in a relationship
    do what feels right
    that love is about doing what makes us happy
    if we feel less than happy, they encourage us to bail, to abandon ship and to stop investing
    Mark 10:9: “Therefore what God has joined together let no one separate.”

God’s plan = more we give, the better we become
Real love is not self-seeking, and it will always cost you
It will cost your heart, your time and your money
It will cost your comfort, your rights and your pride
It will cost you to “lay down your life” for the life of another
And only those who learn to die to themselves are the ones who get to experience the resurrection power that comes with it—resurrection into real love, into real life, and into meaningful relationships.

Romans 12:10: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

  • Marriage is a reflection of our relationship towards God, bride of Christ
    1:1
    He died for us, so we can live
    He leads us to resurrection life
    Love like No Other
    1 Peter 3:7: “In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.”
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VQ-O-RAMA

September is VQ month at Golden Corral.  Except last minute VQ decided he wasn’t ready.  Push a brother, but not too much.  It’s ok, Lutefisk can ad-lib!  Normal disclaimer plus let PAX know we all would be on Q today.  Something they did from their VQ.  Started off with a mosey around the Teeter, circle up for a COP:
-10 windmills IC
-10 DC merkins IC
-15 imperial walkers IC
-10 tempo merkins IC
-15 morrocan NC’s IC
-10 diamond merkins IC
-line up for a modified indian run; hold plank, rear PAX bear crawl to front

Lutefisk’s Thang: SSH during the song “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba, every “I GET KNOCKED DOWN” = burpee

Mile High’s Thang: Wall sit and one at a time sprint about 50 yards and back, various arm work whilst wall sitting

Fish Stick’s Thang: tight circle arms on shoulders, one at a time 10 count heel raises (9 PAX = 90 heal raises!)

Corn Hole’s Thang: 12 count merkin (4 down, 4 hold 6″, 4 up) x 10

Uber’s Thang: wall work behind oil change place – 10 right leg step ups, 10 left leg step ups, 10 derkins, 20 dips

38 Special’s Thang: Some kung fu stuff that was awkward and used muscles I didn’t know existed.  noice

Deacon’s Thang: high knees in place, and whenever he felt like it, yelled “DOWN” for a burpee. over and over and over and over and over

Change Order’s Thang: 2 groups, one does pull-ups on the cart rack until the other gets back. flapjack

Crab Cake’s Thang: various ground work followed by a sprint up and back

Just enough time for 9 double count crunchy frogs to end it.  COT.

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Tour of Quagmire….9/16/19

9 PAX showed up this morning to push their limits and start their week off right.  After the disclaimer and verifying that no injuries would prevent “full” participation we started with a Mosey.

Mosey took us around Home Depot to the far corner of the Target Store.

Warm Up

Using the Red Balls of Target we worked our way down warming up our muscles.

  • High knees to 1st ball.  Windmill (10 count)
  • Butt Kickers to 2nd ball.  Weed Pickers (10 count)
  • Lunge Walk to 3rd ball.  Merkins (10 count)
  • Crab Walk to 4th ball.  LBC’s (10 count)
  • Side shuffle (facing Target) to 5th ball.  Mountain climbers (20 count)
  • Bear Crawl to 6th ball. Slow Low Squats (10 count)
  • Side shuffle (facing away from Target) to 7th ball. Moroccan Night Club (20 count)
  • NUR to 8th Ball.  Parker Peter’s (10 count)  Downward Dog
  • Broad Jump to 9th Ball.  Seal Jacks (25 count)

Mosey to Tuesday Morning’s parking lot.

PAX lined up across parking lot.

Using next two parking rows ran “suicides”. (80% effort)

  • 1st run…..followed by Wide Arm Merkins (10 count)
  • 2nd run….followed by Squats (20 count)
  • 3rd run….followed by Peter Parker’s (15 count)
  • Bear Crawl to 1st parking row…..Crab Walk back…..followed by Flutters (20 count)
  • 4th run…..followed by Jump Squats (10 count)
  • 5th run….finished

Mosey to Fountain

Using bench completed following exercises

  • 40 Step ups (20 per leg)
  • 15 Derkins
  • 25 Dips

10 Flying Squirrels

Mosey to grass outside Mattress Firm

Jack Webb’s……to 11.

Mosey to COT for 5 minutes of Mary.

Prayers included injured PAX and those struggling to be consistent with posting.  Encouraged to reach out to guys and encourage them to post.

Thanks for the opportunity to lead…..

Bones

 

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The Nessie

PAX,

As you are all no doubt aware Lake Wylie is officially becoming its own region on 10/26 and what better way to celebrate that launch than with our very own CSAUP!  This one has been a long time coming and we look forward to participation from all the surrounding regions to party with us, F3 style!

Sign up

Please sign up here!  It will help us make sure everyone has a team and we have enough snacks to go around.  Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jQPyUeJW6YlWz-RERAsB8Vg2-10nYwDVM9sEWfACYp0/edit?usp=sharing

Details

  • Date: 10/26
  • Start time: 6AM
  • Starting location: Shipwrecked (Oakridge Elementary)
  • Ending location: Shipwrecked (Oakridge Elementary)
  • Mileage: Around 10 miles

Requirements

Bring yourself and TWO other PAX with you, this will be a TEAM event and semi-competitive/competitive (we know how some of us are), but all in the spirit of FUN, at least our “completely stupid” interpretation of fun.  Each of you will also need to bring a cinderblock, but don’t sweat it if you don’t have one, we’ll have some extra on hand!

Format

Like I mentioned before, this will be a TEAM event and teams of 3 will compete in a series of 4 challenges while they travel between several AO’s in our area.  Method of travel is by foot.  How quickly you move your feet is up to you and how competitive you are, but expect the event to be between 2-3 hours to complete.

Safety

BE SAFE!  We will be running on some roads, occasionally without a sidewalk so headlamps and reflective gear are a must, at least until the sun rises.  We’ll be marking the path with cones and arrows when necessary to make sure we all get where we are going safely.  We will have some water at the various stops to help keep you hydrated as well.

Challenges

SHOW TO KNOW!  This one is a secret and won’t be revealed until your TEAM arrives at the AO. #sorrynotsorry

Run Map

Finish

We’ll be wrapping this up where we started so transportation shouldn’t be a problem.  Once you’re finished we will be providing coffee and donuts and some quality 2nd F under the pavilion at the back of the Elementary school.

SYITG!

 

 

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Acceleration Thursday

It was a swampy morning in the Fort as 8 HIM showed up ready to accelerate their Thursday morning. A quick disclaimer and we were off.
Moseyed over to The Hive parking lot.
  • 10 Side Straddle Hops
  • 10 Windmills
  • 10 Tappy Tap Taps (Cherry Pickers)
  • 10 Low Slow Squats
Moseyed over to the band parking lot.
  • 10 Merkins
  • 10 LBC’s
  • 10 Hello Dollies
  • 10 Rosalitas
Moseyed over to the front of the school.
The Thang:
Partner up for Jacobs Latter. One loop around the parking lot and met your partner in the middle for hand slap merkins. Loop back and met for big boy situps.
Jacobs Latter:
  • 10 Hand Slap Merkins -1 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
  • 9 Hand Slap Merkins – 2 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
  • 8 Hand Slap Merkins – 3 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
  • 7 Hand Slap Merkins – 4 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
  • 6 Hand Slap Merkins – 5 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
  • 5 Hand Slap Merkins – 6 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
  • 4 Hand Slap Merkins – 7 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
  • 3 Hand Slap Merkins – 8 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
  • 2 Hand Slap Merkins – 9 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
  • 1 Hand Slap Merkins – 10 Hand Slap Big Boy Situp
Moseyed over to the band parking lot for Jack Web. This next set was hot off the press from the Waxhaw convergence.
Jack Web:
  • 1 Carolina Dry Doc – 4 Count Bear Crawl
  • 2 Carolina Dry Doc – 8 Count Bear Crawl
  • 3 Carolina Dry Doc – 12 Count Bear Crawl
  • 4 Carolina Dry Doc – 16 Count Bear Crawl
  • 5 Carolina Dry Doc – 20 Count Bear Crawl
  • 6 Carolina Dry Doc – 24 Count Bear Crawl
  • 7 Carolina Dry Doc – 28 Count Bear Crawl
  • 8 Carolina Dry Doc – 32 Count Bear Crawl
  • 9 Carolina Dry Doc – 36 Count Bear Crawl
  • 10 Carolina Dry Doc – 40 Count Bear Crawl
Moseyed over to the back of the school wall for wall sit/overhead claps. The timer was 5 burpees as each of the PAX took turns.
Moseyed towards COT for 6 minutes of Mary.
Announcements/prayers/praises.
J-WOW
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Millstone pivots on a dime

YHC waited patiently in the Veteran’s Parking lot thinking this may be a party of one and Omaha over to #TheFort to join the hype train down the street.  Needless to say, 3 min before the opening bell, Boss Hogg rolls up with 1 FNG (later to be named OTG – Oscar the Grouch) and 2nd time poster Osgood.  Also an interesting fact for those reading this, YHC knows this clown car on a personal level so let’s just say things got interesting in a good way (i.e. lots of mumble chatter throughout)!

A full disclaimer was given, with heavy emphasis on “modify as needed”.  We also spent a solid minute or so on the 5 core principals.  Given that this is Millstone, we did a quick inventory on ailments so YHC could modify and adjust…which we did!

Started with a short #Slowsey down and across the street where the parking lot with the wall, with nails sticking out of it, was located.  Circled up for some warmup which consisted of:

  • SSH x50 (yes, this is still a workout and YHC adjusted for the PAX who attended)
  • Low slow squats x15
  • Overhead claps x15
  • Imperial and hillbilly walkers x15 each
  • LBC x20
  • Flutters x20
  • Stretched, stretched and stretched!
  • Stretched arms, back, shoulders, quads, hamstrings
  • Superman and pulled the rip cord

Next we ran up the short path to where the smaller walls were at for the following:

  • 20 steps ups on the wall – each leg – with 1 squat after 1 step up set
  • 10 count
  • 20 derkins or 20 lunges (each leg) – when the 20 derkins were completed, we switched over to 10 lunges to stay moving and together
  • 10 count
  • 20 flutters
  • Rinse and repeat

On our journey over to WEP, yes, we went to WEP to hang out for a Bobber VQ b/c why not and supporting VQ brothers is what we should do, YHC decided that we’d #Slowsey over but that 1/2 way through, we’d do 20 lunges walks (YHC also knew that other #HIM would be there like Backdraft, co-Q, Slash, DOAH, Esso…not listing them all so go read that backblast if you’re interested, but they had a great group!).  After another 40 yards or so, we’d do 20 walking overhead claps.  As we approached The Fort crew, they were already knee deep doing a Dora 1-2-3 with cinderblocks in the wet gross Beacon burnt hotdog infested WEP grass (if you don’t know what this is, I’d recommend getting with Gears and getting yourself on the Slacklife, 2nd F channel #CrabCakesShoutOut) we felt it would be fun to join them…because what else would we do, just watch!

Rather than bother them and disrupt their mojo with their blocks, we joined the party and partnered up for what was already in progress, minus the blocks b/c we were sure they didn’t want to share.  We were in for about 10 min before we pulled the plug but this was a planned drive by.  Squats, overhead presses, running up and down the hill…about 10 min of that along with some words of encouragement, a few “hello, what are you guys doing here”, and some high fives.

Since the Millstone crew needed to get back in the direction of COT, YHC took them to the playground for some Dora Mary (yes, that’s a thing too).  We changed partners and did the following:

  • 100 American hammers
  • 200 flutters
  • 150 LBCs (we were running low on time)
  • Partner 1 did the exercise at one end of the playground, partner 2 ran to the other side of the playground and back and picked up the count where partner 1 stopped

Mosey back to COT with a few walking 10 counts on the way back.

Name-o-rama, FNG naming (OTG if you missed that in the beginning), announcements and prayer requests.  Boss Hogg took us out in prayer.

Note to anyone reading this, this AO is very much “play by ear” all dependent upon who shows up.  Today, YHC knew the PAX (even the FNG’s) abilities and ailments very well so we adjusted to the PAX as opposed to do what YHC wants.  While the weinke stayed pretty true to plan since there were multiple exercises depending on ailments, YHC still made some minor adjustments – up and down.  Knowing when to modify is important for the PAX, but when you have IR or even new’ish PAX, or even Cotter’s, modifying as the Q for them is equally important.  We know how important F3 is for all of us and getting them to come back out for 1st F and 2nd F is what the magnet and glue is all about.

A couple more lessons learned if you’re asked to Q, want to come support this AO from a 2nd F lens, or are interested to visit from a Cotter, IR or new’ish PAX perspective:

  1. Always modify if something doesn’t feel right
  2. Where a rucksack if you’re here to support and you want to push yourself
  3. Bring a FNG or a Cotter who keeps saying “I can’t do what you guys do” – this is a great place to start
  4. As a Q, plan to change, adjust, Omaha as needed by taking an inventory of ailments at the beginning of the workout and paying attention to the PAX during
  5. This is a 2nd F heavy AO so showing them that F3 is more than a workout, that’s part fun we all get to have!!
  6. YHC is always looking for feedback or ideas, so reach out to me (good or bad!)

Shady out!

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Sometimes You Are The Six/IronPax wk2

This is simply one PAX’s IronPax story.

Of course you can see who is posting this backblast, but that is really not relevant.

You can review the PAX in attendance and know which region and which AO this was held, but that is irrelevant, too.

IronPax was created by F3Greenwood for the Nation to step out of their comfort zone, to be tested and stressed physically. to organize a little competition, to see where you stand with your peers.  Throwing in a little competition to the Nation is a good thing; competition (much like running times in races) is definitely a driving force to maintain, build upon and evaluate individual’s fitness levels.

But ultimately it is about 2 things:

1) You vs. You.  How far, hard and/or fast can YOU push yourself? Where does YOUR fitness level stand? Do YOU need to post more to maintain YOUR desired fitness level? Are YOU taking advantage of the F1 opportunities in your region?

2) PAX supporting PAX.  When you are out there doing a weekly IronPax challenge, you are out there WITH OTHER PAX DOING IT.  You will not be left behind, and you will not leave others behind. Use your fellow PAX for inspiration. They are with you doing it.

After having done IronPax in the past, my goal this year was to simply finish each week’s workout. Week 2’s “Meatloaf Massacre” challenge was a super hard arm workout challenge. For this runner’s skinny arms,  adding in I have not been posting as much as I should recently, I knew I was going to have a tough time.

Cinder blocks were brought by a PAX. 12 men had taken the challenge on this day.

By round 2, I knew I was in trouble. This was going to be a struggle. I was ready to quit then knowing I was not going to finish. I kept going simply by the fact that other PAX kept going. Through round 3, into round 4, I had fallen way behind as my arms were nearly dead. I was watching the clock as we got closer and closer to 0600.

After 30 of 50 merkins in the last round (with one running lap to finish), I announced I was done. I didn’t want to hold anyone up.  But my quitting was not an option for 2 of my fellow PAX (who these PAX were is also irrelevant, but WE know who they were). “How many more Bolt?” was asked. It did not matter to them. I was getting  20 more done. “Ok, 5 at a time. We’re doing it with you. Let’s get it done.” Back on my knees in front of my cinder block with 2 PAX to my right. 5 merkins, rest. “5 more Bolt.” So 5 more, rest. Then 5 more, rest. And the last 5. “Go get your last lap done, Bolt.”  Before I knew it I was done.

I certainly was not expecting to be the six, but now I had an IronPax time to submit.

And that’s all that really mattered on this day.

I’m expecting I will need PAX support in the final 2 weeks of IronPax. And I know I will get it.

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For a moderate, this was kinda rough

I’m not sure when I have Q’d that I can recall being wiped out. Today was pretty rough. Good but rough. I think it was just rough enough for Shady and Pusher to keep them interested.

 

We left ChickFilA and went toward the library, gathered in the grass of the roundabout and knocked it out for a few minutes.. the usual warmups for SSH, Imp Walkers, Windmills, SSH’s again, Merkins, etc. We had a tight circle and each took a turn of bear crawling in the wet grass.

 

We moseyed to McAlisters deli and partnered up. While partner 1 did the exercise, the other conquered the stairs up one side, strolled across the upper deck and back down the other side. A pretty decent up and down. The exercises were: Flutters, LBC’s, SSH’s, Planks, CDDocks, Grave Diggers and Freddys…

 

I talked a little about my upcoming Q at Crossroads Tuesday. We are discussing marriage. I gave some testament to the fact that F3 has really helped me grow as a husband and father, and how I have learned to spend more time taking deep breaths with the M, listening more, and less time making suggestions because I am brilliant and have all the answers.

Headed back to Chick, and discovered we hadn’t hit 2 miles in total for the morning, so Pusher led us to get in another quarter mile, which was met with some ….. umm … well, it was great !

Prayers for Amelia today! (Update at 2:00 .. operation went well…)

Assassin

 

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