Golden Corral , buffet of choices

It was a humid July morning at 18 HIM met for a assortment of pain.  12 choose YHC for BC and 4 WhatDid ruck beat down.  Zima and MacGivor went for a sweat fest run.  The 12 boot campers went off with me.

20 SSH

  1. 20IW

20 Moroccan Nightclubs

run 100% across parking lot, 10 bombjacks

Set up for a Rock Hill Wakkers Starfish (Change Order new what was coming):

100 merkins

100 LBC

100  Squats

50 Pike Presses, between each stations 10 burpies

Next up a Merkin Wave for 7 rounds . Crowd pleaser.

Jack Webb

Sprint back across parking lot for 10 more bombjacks.

series of Wall Sits including each PAx doing Bear Crawls.

finish up with another set of merkin wave.

.Annoucements, praises and prayers.

read your newsletter.

Always an honor to lead.

 

 

 

 

 

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7-12-17 – BackBlast – Feeling Hateful at #TheCoop

Great crowd this morning. Sasquatch, Goose, Kielbasa, Huckleberry, Peabody, Casey Jones, Spitz, Sugarbug, Harry Carey, Wegmans, Chicken Wing, Dixie Chicken, Snap Hook, Crawdaddy, Router, What did, Training Wheels.

Here goes:

Mosey to the black top for warmup.

WARMUP

  • 30 Side straddle hops
  • 10 double count Merkins
  • 20 Mountain Climbers
  • 20 Peter Parkers
  • 20 Low Slow Squats
  • 30 Moroccan Night Clubs
  • 10 Windmills

Mosey past the pull up bars to the bottom of the hill by the Elementary school.

THE THANG

  • Partner up.
  • Partner 1 runs up the hill and does 10 pull ups. P2 stays at the bottom of the hill and does 10 Merkins then elbow planks until P1 gets back.
  • Flip flop
  • Rinse & repeat x2
  • Partner 1 runs up the hill and does 10 burpees. P2 stays at the bottom of the hill bear crawls up the hill to the first tree and then back down the hill (backwards) then elbow planks until P1 gets back.
  • Flip flop
  • Rinse & repeat x2

Mosey to the wall.

  • Wall sits
  • 10 4 count arm raises
  • 5 burpees
  • Wall sits
  • 10 4 count arm raises
  • 10 Merkins

Mosey back to the pull up bars

  • Back to partners
  • P1 does pullups to exhaustion
  • P2 does wall sits
  • flip flop
  • P1 does 10 toes to bar
  • P2 does wall sits
  • flip flop

Mosey to COT for…….Captain Thors all the way to 5 x 20.

Done.

 

 

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Squat’in on the dock of the lake…

Fifteen souls on deck this warm humid morning including the FNG who would later become… Nutshell.  I enjoy the look of confusion in peoples’ eyes when they show up to a workout and I’m already there- a flash of panic followed by a furtive glance at their watch.  Yes… I’ve crafted my reputation well- but unfortunately, being  Q is no last minute affair.  After some brief pleasantries and a firm word of caution we explode into a frenzy of motion on this finely moonlit morn.

The Workout

Open with a .7 warm up jog through the dark & gloomy residential loop behind the Y exiting and circling up at the Buster Boyd boat ramp.

  • SSH x 30
  • Imperial Walker x 20
  • Merkins x 15
  • LBC x 20
  • Russian twist x 15
  • Windmill x 20
  • Plank Jack x 15
  • Hello Dolly x 20

Split into 5 groups of 3 for a half-baked concept we’ll call the U-Turn.  Partner 1 is at  the Buster Boyd boat ramp doing Kraken burpees, Partner 2 is at the end of the T-Bones dock for squats, Partner 3 hauls ass between the two to take over the station and keep the cycle moving.  Awkward start, awkward finish, solid effort in-between.  Perhaps call it “euphemism” instead?

  • Moroccan night club x 30
  • Merikan x 10
  • Freddy Mercury x 20

Fast pace back to Bowl & Bounce for 2 circuits of Human Chair / Merkins on the wall / Ballz 2 the wall.

Finish with a mosey down to the front door of the Y and a strong gallop home to COT

Moleskin

  • Welcome FNG Nutshell, this guy kept a solid pace and was barely winded at the end.
  • Austin Powers is FAST- I hear the Benny Hill theme song each time he blasts past.
  • Thanks to the PAX for letting me know I was signed up for this Q- with friends like these, who needs twitter?

 

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Only you can define Moderate and reflection from my 30’s

After a 2 1/2 year Slowburn Q ban, YHC was honored to lead 24 #HIMS on a “Create you own Adventure” workout in the 80 degree 150% humidity gloom. After a brief discussion on the moderate and an even shorter disclaimer, we left the CFA parking lot destined for glory.

The Thang

Mosey down to the Parking lot in front of empire pizza. Circle up for:
SSH x 10
Windmills x 10
IW x 10
Peter Parkers x 10

Mosey to the lot in front of Charandas and circle up again
Slow Squats x 10
Slow Merkins x 10
Slow Sumo Squats x 10
Slow WideArm Merkins x 10

Mosey to the Parking lot next to what used to have the bouncy stuff and grab a piece of chalk. Talk the chalk and write an exercise in a parking spot and then write x 40 after it. Partner up and go to a parking spot to start. Do the exercise in the parking spot then run a lap around the bushes (about .08 per lap) and then go to a different spot. You and your partner decide which spots to go to and whether you want to do 40 each or 40 total (20 each).

Spots (exercises included)
LBC’s
Merkins
Burpees
Flutter
Dips
Plank Roes
Scorpion Dry Docks
WideArm Merkins
Freddy Mercury
Box Cutters
and more ab exercise

with about 8 minutes left to go YHC called time

Mosey over to strip in front of the stores as I gave a short testimony about reflecting on my 30’s (don’t worry the longer version is in my moleskin at the bottom). As promised, since its my Birthday everyone got a cupcake (its what we called a suicide growing up, but with youth taking their lives at a younger age due to the pressures put on them, we decided at Basketball to call them cupcakes no instead of suicides).

After the cupcake we moseyed back to CFA for COT and BOM

Announcements – CAH workout next Friday still looking for a Q (contact NASA if interested), F3 Dads this Saturday

Prayers – Smithers in-law close to passing from Cancer, Dark Helmets friend also close to passing from Cancer, Marriages, Qbert’sDar 64 year old father who lost his job yesterday

Moleskin
1. Would like to thank Barry Manilow for allowing be back to Q at this wonderful AO and to all the PAX who came out (or posted elsewhere) that have wished me a happy birthday.

2. Moderate – what does it mean. Well it all means something different to all of us, what it doesn’t mean is easy. Think about moderate this way. If i’m someone who doesn’t drink alcohol very often, 1-2 drinks may be a moderate amount. If I drink a little more frequently 3-4 or a six pack might be moderate. Whereas an alcoholic may think moderate is 7-8 drinks. The point is this applies to your fitness level as well. What I think is moderate may be different than what someone else thinks is moderate. The key is to keep posting and keep getting better.

3. Life in my 30’s – Short Version -turned 30 in 2007, seperated from wife and started going to church again in 2011, divorced finalized in 2012, started going to F3 in October 2013, lost my father to cancer in June 2014, got remarried in August 2015, turn 40 today. Now you see, its more complicated than that. Long Version – In 2007 i thought I had it all was married had a couple of dogs, had a job teaching and coaching, everything was good (just not great). But something in me wanted more. I wanted a family. At this point in my life I was working a lot and my wife at the time worked a lot too. We weren’t going to church, had no relationship with God/Jesus, and really had no time for each other. Was even told my wife at the time that she didn’t want me and that we didn’t have time to be intimate. I turned to Porn. When that wasn’t enough I cheated on my wife. That lead down the path to separation and divorce. It also lead me back to going to church and listening to God’s word. My divorce went final in October 2012. In December 2012 I started dating Elizabeth. In September 2013 we broke up. While broken up I decided to give this F3 thing a try. Santini Q’ed and I already knew half the guys as I was teaching/or had taught many of their kids. On that first Saturday in October in 2013 I struggled through the workout and was given the name Longshanks (evil king in Braveheart). I would post sometimes, just not often. In March 2014 I asked Elizabeth to marry me before heading off to a Spartan Race in Charlotte. She said yes. 3 days later my dad called to tell me he had Pancreatic Cancer, 3 months later he was gone. Married my M in August 2015, and turned 40 today.

4. Back when I was in my early 30’s I thought I had a good amount of guy friends, which may be kind of hard when you teach elementary school PE and there’s only 3-5 guys in the entire school. When I went through my separation and divorce I realized that the almost all the guys I considered my friends were actually just husbands of my ex-wifes friends. I had almost nobody to turn to. Luckily a few guys pointed me back to the church. I got involved in volunteering and being part of a mens a group. Shortly after that I started coming to F3, although at first I didn’t make it a workout priority, I would go on Saturdays if I woke up on time (not always easy when coaching and getting home late Friday nights). If I didn’t wake up to go to F3, I would just go to the gym and do a fern workout. I realized something was still missing so I made it a point to start going to F3 more often. About the same time I started going more often I engaged and that was celebrated by the PAX and my dad learned he had cancer and eventually passed and the PAX where there for me during that too. The thing I’ve realized over the last almost 4 years of coming to F3 is that as long as you are willing to be part of the PAX by posting regularly, the PAX will be there for you when you need it. I know that from being a part of F3, my faith is stronger, my relationship with my M is better, and I feel like a better leader in my house and my community.

5. Keep Posting. Keep mentioning your prayers and praises. Keep getting better!! We are all in this together.

Shanks out (mic drop)

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Squad Goals

20 Men (1 FNG) posted at the Swamp.  11 Ruckers went off to do Rucker things while 9 stayed with YHC for a little AMRAP.

 

We previewed the course and had a little COP including Windmills, Imperial Walkers, and Moroccan Night Clubs.

 

The Thang:

30 Minutes Partner AMRAP, Half a Mile Circuit with 7 stations:

  • 20 Merkins
  • 20 Big Boy Sit Ups
  • 20 Peter Parkers
  • 20 Parker Peters
  • 20 Carolina Dry Docks
  • 20 Side Straddle Hops
  • 1 Burpee x Lap Count

Moseyed to COT for 5 MOM:

  • Too many Flutters
  • Just enough American Hammers
  • A touch of Freddy Mercury

 

Naked Man Moleskin:

I had a Cake Boss worthy Homily to share this morning, but maintaining order is more important than imparting wisdom during the 1st F Q.  So, you get the abbreviated (and likely better thought out) version here.

At the beginning of the AMRAP, I asked the guys to partner up with a guy who was comparable fitness-wise.  I asked them to share how many laps they thought they could get around the course.  I have no idea what each guy said, but the intent was to push each other to meet that goal.  I stayed with the FNG and visiting Java from Raleigh.

The purpose of this, and what I wanted to close out with, is that if we aren’t setting goals, we are just going through the motions.  There was some chatter on the twitter machine about moderate workouts being #problematic.  Someone put it best when they said “as long as the guys are working to get better, that’s not an issue”.  So my question to all PAX, regardless of fitness level, is “what are your goals”.  My 1stF goals this year are to a.) run 1500 miles and b.) finish my second marathon in 3:30 or better for a PR.  The reason I put it here is because goals only matter if someone keeps you accountable for them (thus the partner AMRAP).

Every PAX should have a goal for all three F’s, because all 3 F’s are important.  Beyond the F’s, this branches out into your personal and professional life.

Set Goals, Don’t just Coast.   You’ll be amazed at what you can do.

 

Honor to Serve.

 

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Mid-Year Update on CAH Guidance

PAX:

As you all know, for the past few years F3 has been working with the Children’s Attention Home (CAH), AO “Guidance” in Rock Hill. For those not familiar with CAH, it is a place of healing, nurturing, love, and care for abused, neglected, and abandoned children of all ages. Originally named “Justice League”, this year the youth renamed it “Guidance”. The name fits perfectly. The PAX of F3 has had a growing presence there, with the mission being the same as F3 Nation:

The mission of F3 is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership.

It runs deeper than those words. Every other week older PAX meet up with the younger PAX residents (ages 11-18) there and workout, reinforce the 5 core principles, discuss what the three F’s mean and how they apply in everyday life, and also discuss the theme of the month. Plus, another impactful thing we do for them is spend time with the youth and let them know we care, they matter, and they are leaders waiting to blossom. More importantly, we reinforce that they are a vital part of something larger than themselves, they are all His Children, and He will always be there for them. For anyone in F3 for some time, we all know the immensely positive impact all of this can have on one’s life.

Myself, Chicken Hawk, and Reborn are in regular communications with the staff at CAH, and if anyone needs any proof of the positive impact F3’s presence is having on the youth there, here is some input offered by the Volunteer Programs Coordinator there as to what she has noticed this year:

  • She has seen Tristen (F3 Travolta) go from being a bully to a mentor to the younger children
  • She has seen Daniel (F3 Curry) work through differences with other children that he would previously fight with
  • She has seen Samaj (F3 Chihuahua) genuinely excited when he knows F3 is coming to the home
  • Plus. she has noticed that the boys bunk house has become the ‘choice assignment’ for the staff because of the transformation of the boys. Not long ago staff did not want to be assigned to it for their various duties. Now they ask for it because the boys have ‘settled down’, fight less, and are much more respectful towards them
  • In her words – This group of men are providing a model, giving hope and helping to influence a new outcome that likely wasn’t in these boys future

Glory be to God!! It is much more than exercises, funny names, unique lingo, and sweat that is making this happen. We are providing them a sense of community and belonging, discipline, mentorship, guidance, intentionality, love, care……all in a little of one’s own time. Combine that with His word, His mercy, His grace, and His love, it is clearly evident the positive impact we are making down there. It has been a blessing to have these youth in our lives, and watching them transform week to week.

None of this could have happened without the support of the F3 PAX who have taken their time to be there at CAH and make this difference happen. That impact has been made stronger by the PAX who have supported in whatever way they can – burpee challenge fund drive, snack drives, drink drives, Catawba river float, whatever. It takes effort to make a difference, and the greater the forces the greater the impact.

Keep up the great work, but by no means are we done. We will continue to need PAX support to continue to make this happen…..to plant, grow, and serve in order to invigorate.

Thank you for your efforts, and for being the HIMs you all are. God bless.
– NASA, Chicken Hawk, and Reborn

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Fast 5 Training @ LO = Bad Idea

Pretty sure my favorite style of running is trails but for some reason, I love using the track. Schedule was being drawn up a few weeks back and I got pulled in early.  Thus it was my turn to Q Laces Out and like usual, I did a bad thing.

The Thang

  • Warmup Run 1 Mile
  • Partner Up for Fast 5 Training
    • Fast 5 Training is basically Catch Me if You Can on the track. Partner 1 starts walking/light jog while Partner 2 runs as fast as he can around the track. Once he catches Partner 1, they switch. It’s about 2 laps of sprinting, 1 recover
  • Cool Down 1/2 Mile
  • No Yoga or Stretching

NMM

  • Great group out there today
  • I earn the 6 award for just under 5 miles
  • I believe Trojan takes the cake for most miles (just over 6)
  • It’s Chippendales (muggy muggy muggy) season y’all
  • Gears did his typical anti-establishment run (if you want to get better, click HERE)
  • Fast group this AM, thanks for the push guys
  • Thanks for indulging my bad ideas
  • Planning Fast 5 for mid-late October

Prayer & Praises

  • Prayers for Gears work situation (He’s fine just dealing with a lot)
  • Prayers for families
  • Prayers for Injured Pax

Always an Honor. Aye!

Zima

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Last Day in my 30’s

Today marks YHC’s last day in his 30’s. So why not celebrate with a little BOP – 40th Birthday Edition. 12 posted not knowing what they were getting into even though Backdraft tried to tell YHC that the BOP was outlawed at The Ranch.

Disclaimer given and off we went into the 80 degree, 200% humidity.

The Thang

Mosey lap with High Knees and Butt Kicks

Circle up for Warmup of:

SSH x 39, Windmllls x 10, IW x 10, PeterParkers x 10, ParkerPeters x 10

Mosey over and explain the BOP. Do the reps then run down to the Shovel Flag and back (.25 miles roundtrip:

  • 40 Hip Thrusters
  • 40 Merkins
  • 40 Bombjacks
  • 40 Burpees
  • 40 Calf Rasises
  • 40 Squats
  • 40 LBC’s
  • 40 Carolina Dry Docks
  • 40 Mac Tar Jais
  • 40 Jump Squats
  • 40 Mountain Climbers
  • 40 Hello Dolly
  • 40 Wide Arm Merkins
  • 40 Sumo Squats
  • 40 Plank Jacks
  • 40 Burpees

Mosey back and pick up the DH Shovel Flag and then head home for COT and BOM

Announcements – F3 Dads this weekend

Prayers – Diesel and his GF as they go through pre-engagement counseling, Newt and his familyu as they travel to Michigan, marriages and injured PAX in general.

Moleskin

  1. Thanks  Backdraft for getting me on the schedule so close to my Birthday. You told me not to bring the BOP and as usual I didn’t listen. Probably gonna get banned from the ranch now too.
  2. Speaking of being banned (and shameless plug), YHC has had his SlowBurn ban lifterd for his 40th Bday tomorrow. YHC promises it will be moderately entertaining.
  3. Not a lot of Mumblechatter today during the BOP. 12 men working to finish. 12 men humbled by the BOP. Backdraft and a few others were closest, finishing up their Hello Dolly’s as time was called.
  4. Will save my thoughts on my 30’s until tomorrow’s BB, just so you have to read tomorrow’s as well.

Longshanks out (mic drop)

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OIB Sandy Dora

The Twitter machine is a powerful tool for those that have an F3 addiction and are away from home. We WILL find each and make each other better even when on vacation.

7 men assembled in the parking lot of the Ocean Isle Beach ice cream shop at 7:30, a much later hour than we are all used to for a weekday first F event. It was previously agreed on the Twitter machine that Udder would take the warm up and the 5 MOM, and YHC would cover the Thang.

Udder provided a text book disclosure and we were off on a mosey. He took us over to the police department parking lot which offered some very welcomed shade.

  • SSH x20
  • Good mornings x15
  • Monkey Humpers x15
  • Windmills x10
  • Imperial walkers x15

The Thang:

YHC took over and we were off a mosey toward the grassy/sandy parking lot at the pier. On the way someone shouted out that they saw an F3 shirt running towards us. It was Screen Door who said he was late but it turned out that was because he had also posted at the North Myrtle Timeshare boot camp…..LIKE MEN DO.

Started off with a merkin shuttle run to get the heart rate up. 5 merkins at the starting line, run about 30 yards out, drop for 5 merkins, run back to the start, run about 60 yards out, drop for 5 merkins, return to the starting line, run 100 yards out, 5 merkins, back to the starting line for the final 5 merkins.

Partner up for Dora 1,2,3.

Parters together completed

  • 100 Bombjacks
  • 200 Squats
  • 300 Alternating shoulder taps counting only the right shoulder

While one partner was completing the exercise the other partner was running out and back about 60 yards.

Counted off a couple of 10 counts and then a slow mosey back to the shade of the police station.

One partner held an elbow plank while the other partner completed 8 burpees while jumping over the planking partner after each burpee. Completed a short People’s Chair and handed back over to Udder.

Mary:

  • Body Destroyer (10 count) – this was a new one for Birdcage and I but we agreed this was coming back to The Fort. Birdcage announced that he had already mastered perfect form on this “exercise” that entailed laying flat on your back in an “X.”
  • LBC x20
  • Freddie Mercury x15
  • Song “My Sharona” by the Knack. Start in Superman and switch to Banana/Dying Cockroach when you hear “My Sharona.”  The song is over 4 minutes long!!
  • American hammer x15

It was great to meet a group of guys from multiple regions.  Definitely proof how strong the PAX are everywhere.

Announcements:

  • Screen door has the Q at Timeshare in North Myrtle
  • Same group will meet at OIB Ice cream shop at 0630 Thursday
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Jekyll’s Ladder

20 Men descended upon the Colosseum for some pain yesterday. YHC was proud to have such a large group considering all of the great AOs and great Qs we had in the Fort. The Colosseum has become one of the toughest workouts in our region and the  Weinke did not disappoint.

Last year, Jekyll introduced the Pax to the light posts located behind GHES. Interestingly enough there is a great hill attached to those light posts. With a little bit of work by YHC, Jekyll graciously shared his Weinke from last year and it was up to me to execute.

The Thang

Mosey to parking lot avoiding a HUGE spider web along the way

COP

SSH x 30 (that should be the minimum for a COP)

IW x 15

Windmills x 10

CDD x 15

Plank

Mtn Climbers x 20

Plank

Moroccan Night Clubs

Mosey to the light posts

10 light posts to the top. Stop at each one and do the following:

10 Merkins – Round 1

10 Squats – Round 2

10 Bombjacks – Round 3

10 LBCs – Round 4

Time cut us short so we moseyed back doing LBCs along the way and finished at 6:03

Covered 3.9 miles and 100 of each exercises….Whew we were tired!

 

Moleskin

  • Read the newsletter
  • Upcoming 3rd F Convergence on 8/4 with our local school leaders
  • Continued prayer for marriages and our kids as we hit the halfway point of summer
  • Read a great article on Active Listening that has application at work and home. Check it out here https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2017/07/active-listening/
  • Always a pleasure to lead this group. No question I am better because of the quality of Pax that we have in the Fort.
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