What rain???

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As 7 PAX entered The Hive on a rainy and cold Friday morning in the gloom, there was positive vibes in the air.  After the disclaimer, we took off for a quick mosey and as we were running, we noticed that Quack Attack was nice enough to leave his headlights on for us.  We circled up to continue the warm-up:

  • 20 SSH (mumble chatter and laughter ensued as Quack Attack did most of these by his car while he turned his headlights off!)
  • 10 Imperial Walkers, followed by 10 Hillbilly Walkers
  • 20 Moroccan night clubs
  • 10 Low slow squats
  • 10 windmills
  • (Maybe 1 more, but don’t recall right now)

Quick mosey to the school under some cover b/c it’s ’tis the season to get a cold and rainy / cold weather is not what the doctor ordered.

Music from 80s rock was our background noise as we prepared for the fun that was about to begin.  Wienkeless (not intentional) YHC asked the PAX to keep him honest as we all went through the lineup he had in store since this was going to turn into rinse and repeat with more reps each round.

Round 1:

  • 10 KB swings
  • 10 shoulder presses
  • 10 rows
  • 10 triceps press
  • 5 lunges each leg and passing the KB through your legs
  • 5 each arm lawnmower pull (in plank position)
  • 10 on your back bench press
  • 10 American hammers (not to be confused with russian twists)
  • 10 goblet squats
  • 10 shoulder shrugs
  • 5 each arm lawnmower pulls (not in plank position)
  • 5 each arm travolta’s / clean and jerks
  • 5 burpees with the upward jump swapped with pulling your KB above your head
  • 10 two arm curls

Quick “cool down” mosey in the rain and back at it for round 2.

Round 2 (more reps – and close to same order, but I’m going to copy and paste)

  • 20 KB swings
  • 20 shoulder presses
  • 20 rows
  • 20 triceps press
  • 10 lunges each leg and passing the KB through your legs
  • 10 each arm lawnmower pull (in plank position)
  • 20 on your back bench press
  • 20 American hammers
  • 20 goblet squats
  • 20 shoulder shrugs
  • 10 each arm lawnmower pulls (not in plank position)
  • 10 each arm travolta’s / clean and jerks (this was a burner I think given the full body beating)
  • 10 burpees with the upward jump swapped with pulling your KB above your head
  • 20 two arm curls

Another “cool down” mosey in the rain and ready for final round.

Round 3 (MORE REPS….)

  • 30 KB swings (this was a lot for future note to self…)
  • 30 shoulder presses (also a lot for future self and I gave myself the internal “careful here if you can’t do it, don’t Q it”)
  • 30 rows (this was borderline too many which caused YHC to tell the PAX to modify as needed and we’re going to drop the reps as called out)
  • 25 (not 30) triceps press
  • 15 lunges each leg and passing the KB through your legs
  • 15 each arm lawnmower pull (in plank position)
  • 30 on your back bench press
  • 25 (not 30) American hammers
  • 25 goblet squats
  • 25 shoulder shrugs
  • 15 each arm lawnmower pulls (not in plank position)
  • 10 each arm travolta’s / clean and jerks (had to drop to 10 again b/c I think my arms were going to fall off)
  • 15 burpees with the upward jump swapped with pulling your KB above your head (yes, 15 was a lot)
  • 30 two arm curls

Wrapped up at 6am on the button!   Did COT under our dry covering which was great!

Thanks to Band Camp for the opportunity and great work by all the PAX on the push they gave each other!  And for what it’s worth – we covered everything in the wienke that I had waiting for me when I got home!

-Shady

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November of 2K LBCs for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS)

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Hello PAX:

This past September some of you all participated in the September of 1,000 burpees to raise money for Let Me Run, for whom Double D was running the NYC Marathon. Awesome stuff! You all helped him raise over $12,000 for Let Me Run. AMAZING!

Now I ask for your help. Welcome to the November of 2,000 LBCs!

Since November is a month which we usually stuff ourselves with holiday blessings, no better way to work off those extra calories than some ab work.

Why:
This January 2019, I will be running in my 4th marathon at the Walt Disney World Marathon Week in Orlando, FL. But this event will be a very special one for me and many others. I will be running the marathon for the LLS Team in Training (TnT), in memory of my late father, Carl Ransone, Sr., who went to The Lord in December 2002 after losing his battle with leukemia. It’s been almost 16 years since he is gone, but the loss still hurts. In his honor and memory I pledged to raise funds for the LLS so we can all help find a cure for blood bore diseases and help others fight their good fight.

What:
If you choose to participate, you will be committed to complete 2,000 LBCs – not lying down head/neck bobs, get those abs working and use proper form please. That’s 66.7 per day, over the course of 30 days.

Link to Sign Up:

https://goo.gl/forms/uWafx1ySwxsE4zZo1

Tracking Your LBCs:
You can track them how you feel best suits you. I will try to put out a Google Doc but I cannot promise that. This is an honor-based pledge event. Hold yourself accountable.

Pledge and Payment:
For every LBC you are short of the 2K goal come 11/30, you can either pledge a per LBC donation or a flat amount to my LLC TnT fundraiser. All money will go to LLS TnT. I will provide a link to my fundraising site near the 11/30 deadline.

On behalf of everyone affected by the scourge of blood borne cancers, sincerely thank you for your time, effort, and hard earned money. You WILL help find a cure!!

SPREAD THE WORD!!
GIT ‘R DUN!
Thank you and God bless,
– NASA

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Can Longshanks do Moderate?

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So the question came up after Hasselhoff made a call to the bullpen last second as to whether YHC could lead a moderate workout and not get banned from leading it again. 15 PAX showed up to find out the answer.

The Thang

Mosey around the First Baptist Parking lot with some High Knees, Butt Kickers, and Toy Soldiers (already grumbling of not moderate).
Circle up for some COP
SSH x 20
1 Burpee (had to get that mandatory Shanks Q requirement out of the way)
Windmills x 10
Imperial Walkers x 10
Squats x 15
Mountain Climbers x 15
Plankarama

Mosey over to the steps at First Baptist
Run up and Down – do 1 Merkin
run up and down – do 2 Merkins
run up and Down – do 3 Merkins
run up and Down – do 4 Merkins
run up and Down – do 5 Merkins. Plank for the 6

Mosey over to Church of God Lot by the stairs for A Dora 6 pack. 1 partner runs the stairs up and down while the other performs the exercise.
100 LBC’s
100 American Hammers
100 Flutter Kicks
100 Hello Dolly
100 Dying Cockroach
100 Big Boy Situps

Mosey to the Church of God Side way for some people’s chair and Merkins

Mosey back to First Baptist steps for 5 more trips up and down the stairs. This time at the bottom Squats. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. Mosey to the flag for COT.

Announcements – Reading at Steele St. Monday and Wednesday 4-5. Christmas Party December 1st. No Fast 5 this Saturday.

Prayers – for those with teenagers.

Moleskin
I realized today that throughout this “moderate” workout YHC didn’t give a single 10 count to catch our breath. Got me thinking about where that applies in life. Often in life I feel when going through something tough, God doesn’t always give us a breather as he needs us to push through whatever it is we are struggling with and that we trust Him to get us through to place where we can get a break.

Shanks out

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5

Basically Beyond at Poopdeck

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Once again, I got to take a last minute opening in the Q schedule. I love this because of my wife’s work schedule being so erratic I haven’t been able to commit to some Q opportunities lately. I had a remarkably terrible idea to go to the Backblasts here at f3thefort.com and I filtered by ‘BEYOND’ which, for the uninitiated, is a weekly traveling Black Diamond ultra hard AO we have in The Fort.

I found a favorite of mind that I have wonderful memories of from Jedi’s 2 part series back in March.

Post-disclaimer mosey to begin so we could establish the lap we would be using for the rest of the workout. run forward, bear crawl, side shuffle, NUR, crawl bear, side shuffle so you are always facing the same direction.

Quick exercises IC and some stretching but we had to get going on the Thang in order to have time

The basic idea was to do 4 sets of an exercise with a ‘rest’ exercise in between sets. Then we would take a lap and change up the exercises for 4 rounds.
The sets were reps of 20-16-12-8
Round 1: Breakdancer merkins (each side…. so yea… 40, went back to single count after set 1) / Rockette’s chair
Round 2: Mike Tyson merkins / Balls to the Wall
Round 3: Inchworm Merkins / Crab Cakes
Round 4: Elbow to knee crunches (or horizontal imperial walker, or 6 inches Freddie Mercury) / LBCs

I love using the idea of a rest exercise to just mean resting the muscles we just destroyed, no need to stop working for only a 45 minute workout.

We had a few spare minutes left so we started out 10 SSH, 1 burpee -> 10 SSH, 2 Burpee, then I let the PAX go at their own pace as far as they could go increasing burpees by one each time.

1 minute left? 8- count bodybuilders to Endex 0600

CoT
Announcements
– Christmas Party sign up, available in newsletter and twitter
– F3 custom GoRuck event for 5/4/2019 ready for registration. there are Heavy, Tough and Light options. I can’t wait for the end on this one with so many F3 brothers getting their 2nd F on!
– read your email newsletter for more!
– Collecting character bandaids at AOs!

Prayers
– Continuing encouragement for taking risks in marriages, be more vulnerable, say whats in your heart, speak up about your struggles, work it out
– Jedi is working on more missionary training this week!!!!

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Pre-Christmas party gathering

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As we’re all anxiously awaiting the upcoming Christmas Party, and our beloved Fast5 has been postponed, I wanted to throw out an informal get together where F3 brothers, along with their M’s, can share a beverage and some laughs.  For those of you who haven’t been to the Christmas party in the past, it’s a really great time!  If your M’s are a little hesitant on the Christmas party right now, or you’re getting the “I’m not sure if I want to go because I don’t know anyone”, this is a great way to introduce the M’s so they know a few friendly faces before the Christmas Party.

And if you’re not able to attend the Christmas Party, you’ll at least be able to get together with some of your F3 PAX along with their significant others.  So even if you and your M know everyone (which I’m guessing is not the case), still bring yourself and/or your significant other and plan on a good time!

Details:

Place: Amor Artis Brewing, 204 Main St suite 101, Fort Mill, SC 29715
Date: Friday, November 2nd
Time: 6:00pm-10:00pm (or until you decide to leave)
Website: https://amorartisbrewing.com/

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Puketoberfest Week 3

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Some have asked me what Puketoberfest is really about. Obviously I jokingly say that if you can’t tell by the name you should think about it again. However my desire for it really is to pick a list of Qs that would push the paxs a little harder than usual. With being able to pair them together it should make for a really good workout. Plus typically during the month of October you get to enjoy nice cool temps so it makes it a little easier for pax to push harder than it does when it is 80 degrees at 7 am with 95% humidity. In setting this up I didn’t actually expect anyone to puke, but wanted pax to push hard enough that they might think they could.

The Thang:

YHC gave the disclaimer for the 3rd week of Puketoberfest.

Moseyed over to the parking lot across from the memorial.

Sasquatch lead the group in a few minutes of broga

As promised Geronimo lead the group in the Goofball and Wegmans did the Pumpkin Spice (not doing that again)

After all of that we quickly went into our first round of exercises

Start at the parking lot – jump over the wall and go toward the building

Do 5 donkey kicks

Come back down to the parking lot and do 1 burpee.

Rinse and repeat until you reach 1 donkey kick and 5 burpees. +-1 for each.

 

Then we moved over to the grass hill where we bear crawled up the hill to find cinderblocks waiting for us. Pax partnered up and we did the following:

 

Pax 1 – Overhead carry block to next row of parking spaces and run back to Pax 2

While waiting on Pax 1 – Pax 2 is doing Mike Tyson Merkins

 

Pax 2 will then run to block and pick it up and overhead carry to the next row. Then run back. Keep doing this until team has moved the block all the way across the parking lot and back to the beginning.

 

Next exercise thanks to Sasquatch for bringing it up as a “good idea” next time someone does a cinderblock workout.

Partners get in plank position with both having one hand on the block. Work together to move the plank 15ft while doing a merkin after each time the block is moved.

 

Next set of exercises:

Squats with block – partner did LBCs until finished

Thrusters with block – partner did American Hammers until finished

 

Handed over to Trucker for the next 30 mins:

 

Quadzilla 5s: run down road, 1 squat, run up backwards, 5 merkins, rinse repeat just like 7s

Line up end parking lot, suicides to each light.

First round 1,2,3 merkins.

Round 2: 5,10,15 squats,

round 3: 5,10,15 merkins.

Round 4: 3,6,9 SSH.

In between rounds were flutters.

Round 4 we ran backwards.  

 

Ran to springs building 2 rounds of people chairs and 10 merkins. COT

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Introducing Turn the Page

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  • QIC: Gekko
  • When: 11/13/2018
  • Posted In: Pre-Blast

Introducing Turn The Page!

What is it you ask? Turn the Page is the newest 3rd F offering,  where we will be semi-regularly choosing a book to read together over the period of a month and then we will join together to discuss the book.

When you ask? Our first meeting is planned for Tuesday November 13th at 7:00pm to 9:00ish

Where you ask? We will be meeting at the Eternal Church office, lovingly know as The Shack

Who can come you ask? Turn the page is open to all Pax and FNGs are welcome

What book are we reading you ask?  For the first installment of Turn the Page we are jumping into the deep end and will be reading The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

So your next steps are to purchase the book(if you don’t already own it), next, read the book prior to Nov 13th , and be prepared to come together to share your thoughts, struggles, likes, dislikes, etc..

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Block Party – Smoothing the Stones

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Today at the Block Party I was ready to have a namesake beatdown with Cinder Blocks and all the fun of them. So the wienke was made and the plan was to utilize the blocks at Honey Badger Central or Den or the Coop or whatever they are calling NAFO these days. At 0430 I left to go get the blocks and find there are no blocks to be found. It seems the FMSD has taken our blocks away……again!!

After quick conversation with the Darkest of Helmets I had to call….Omaha…..Omaha!!! Was not too bad to change some of the exercise moves and YHC was ready to roll.

15 PAX arrived and I was excited for the turnout at WEP. Its an original AO and one of our best and so love to see the PAX still coming. We had 13 bootcamp and 3 runners for Pathfinder and at 0515 away we all went.

Mosey up the Stairway to Heaven

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)

Mosey along path

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)
  • Low Slow Squat

Mosey along path

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)
  • Low Slow Squat
  • Windmills

Mosey along path

  • Al Gore
  • Merkins (Stealth)
  • Low Slow Squat
  • Imperial Walkers

The Main event

List of 10 exercises, 100 reps cumulative with Partner

Partner  1 runs around Playground, Partner 2 exercise move…..working the list

  • Squats
  • Merkins
  • Lunge (50 each leg)
  • Swing Crunches
  • Pullups
  • Step ups (100 each leg)
  • Dips
  • Toe Taps
  • Derkins
  • Leg Raises

Nice work by all the PAX. FNG, Liquidate, did great and fun was had by all!!

I talked to the men about David and Goliath and when David chose 5 smooth stones there was a reason. Smooth stones would fly straight and accurate versus those with edges and odd shape. The stones were smooth from being in the water and rubbing against each other over years and smoothing each other out. We as men need each other to help us shoot straight and face our Goliath. By surrounding ourselves with PAX that want to get better and live for something bigger than ourselves, we will all get smoothed out and be able to fly straight and stay on path. Get those trusted advisers in your life and GET BETTER!

Cake Boss

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A Ring of Fire to Keep Jedi Warm

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Oh man would it have been awesome to stay nice and cozy and warm in the fartsack this ‘chilly’ morning. And to think that in a month or so we would look back and say this was warm. But myself and four others decided to shake off the Monday chill and get better. Jedi shows up in shorts and was shivering a bit, waiting to get going. He claims to own no mandex to keep his legs warm. Poor guy, we need a fundraiser to fix that.

Unfortunately no FNGs. The disclaimer was disclaimed and off we went for a warmup run…..but not too far.

COP at the parking lot at the water fountain by Just Fresh:

  • SSH x 15
  • WM x 15
  • IW x 15
  • MNC x 30

Then a very short mosey to the parking lot behind Just Fresh, near Home Depot, for the thang

Tabata Ring of Fire

YHC had placed 9 cones marked with fun stuff in a rather large diameter circle around a central light pole, with each cone about 10 yards or so apart. Each cone had an exercise and a transition movement. The idea is to perform the exercise AMRAP for 1min 45 sec nonstop, then you were given 20 seconds to transition to the next cone by the means noted.  All of the transitions and cone spacing gave no rest time once you got to the next cone. I had everything timed down to exactly 45 minutes total, COP and all.

Cone # / Exercise / Transition Movement:
1. Merkin / bear crawl
2. LBC / crab walk
3. Jump lunges / bear crawl
4. CDD / crab walk
5. Flutter / crawl bear
6. Monkey humper / side crab
7. Plank jack / long jump
8. American hammer / bear crawl
9. Squat hillbilly walker / crab walk

Each PAX picked a cone to start off at and away we went. I used a tabata timer app on my phone combined with a bluetooth speaker to audible a whistle when to start an exercise, an air horn when to transition to the next cone, and clapping when we finished a set. We did a complete set nonstop until we got back to where we started, then we had a 2 minute break where I spoke on encouragement, then we got back at it for another nonstop second round. We did 2 rounds / sets total. With the timing given and abilities of the PAX there, it was safe to say that each PAX probably did at least 100 of each exercise both rounds combined. Everyone did quite well, hammering it all out to my Pandora workout station tunes – even through the commercials. I do not have time to download music and make playlists, sorry.

Then a quick AYG run back to COT for announcements, P&P:

  • Read your newletter
  • Fast 5 – POSTPONED
  • SIGN UP FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARTY!! JUST DO IT!!
  • Prayers for Repeat’s mother who was quite recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We are here for you brother!!
  • Get involved in making a difference in your community

NMM on Encouragement:

I did not have long to speak, I’ve been trying to cut back on my jibber-jabbering when I Q. I spoke a little on this month’s theme is on encouragement. As a leader, that is something you should be giving out all the time, but do we? I noted that we as men and leaders tend to give out encouragement to our kids, and other kids, rather easily, openly, and freely. If you don’t, then you should. But do we give out encouragement as easily, openly, and freely to our peers, coworkers, subordinates, friends, and/or to our M? Today’s society, especially in the workplace, is very results oriented, goal driven. It is VERY easy to completely focus on the results and goals and lose track of the most important resource that makes it happen – the people. It is very easy to hammer people on lack of results, how things can be better, how, in a nutshell, we are not achieving to our expectations. How often do folks in those situations go into a meeting where the person holding it just hammers on results, goals, and how they are not being met, then leave the meeting feeling unsatisfied? A little encouragement offsets alot of negativity if done in the right time and place. If you end a meeting pointing out inefficiencies, lack of achievement, or suggestions for improvements, that is not very motivating. Meeting agendas still have to cover those things, it is what it is. But if you end a meeting, or a personal conversation for that matter, on a positive note of encouragement and/or praise, that ends things on a totally different perspective. Always end an encounter on a high note of positivity. Rule #1 in my opinion for sustained positive interpersonal relationships. I challenge everyone out there to try it, and live by it, and you will see how people respond. Encouragement is a powerful thing simply because everyone wants to feel valued, respected, loved, needed, and that they belong. Those are simple human needs and desires. So no matter how bad things are, ALWAYS END ON A HIGH NOTE.

Thanks for the opportunity to lead.
– NASA

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7

2°C and nobody noticed

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8 HIMs reported to the Armory this morning in what YHC is calling the best morning in SC he’s experienced to date. Everyone had sleeves with a couple polar bears showing some leg.

We started with the warmup.  Very literally…

Low slow squat x15
Morraccan night club x15
Annie (plank arm rotations) x10 each arm x2
Merkins x10

Then everyone paired up and took turns with the following exercise sets. The first two sets were executed with one partner doing the counted exercise while the other did the non-tallied until the partner was done, then switch.  We made it through two and 3/4 rounds.  Between each set there were two “keep warm” exercises.  And at the end the two rounds, some Shoalin mental positions were administrated.  It sounds complex…

The standard rounds are below. Anything done with one hand counted once for every left and right together.  The non-counter was encouraged to encourage the counter.  This may not have been verbal.

  1. Wood choppers x10
    KB swings
  2. Curls x10
    Squats
  3. Shoulder press x10
    Snatch x10
  4. Tricep Extensions x15
    Upright rows x15

To “keep warm” we did the following between each set

  1. Round one:
    Goofballs x10
    Morraccan night clubs x10
  2. Round two
    Flutter x10
    LBC x10
  3. Only done between set 1&2 of the 3rd round so we could hit the 3rd set.
    Cherry Pickers
    Windmill

Shaolin secrets revealed…

  1. Forward stance x30 seconds on each leg bent 90°
    1. Bent leg arm – elbow high, fingertips at the temple, palm facing out with the thumb down
    2. Straight leg arm – Parallel with straight leg, fingertips pointed to the sky
    3. Looking over the shoulder of the straight leg at the fingertips
  2. Tea stance
    1. Standing straight up, step one leg in front of the other an sink down
    2. The front leg holds 80-90% of the weight
    3. Rear knee is by the front foot, trying to keep it 1″ from the ground
    4. Arms are out with hands in tiger claw
    5. Bounce x25 while clenching hands together

With a couple minutes left it was time for some stretching.

  1. Cherry pickers x10
  2. Windmills x10
  3. With legs as far apart as possible, do some “circular” pushups on fingertips.  Rocking back on the legs (this forces the hips to open up) on the way down, and over the fingertips on the way back up.  x10
  4. Right and left forward split (or as low as one can go) and hold.

We closed with COT.  Announcements were announced and prayers were offered.  8 HIMs became a bit better.

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