Coming off a super high from the Blue Ridge Relay and a surprise trip to Disney World (rumor has it I vacation a bit), YHC was missing the hills of Western North Carolina, particularly leg 33 of the #BRR, or what I humbly refer to as “My Time with the Lord”.  I was excited to share what this mountain goat leg felt like, so instead of using words I attempted to develop a weinke that delivered the leg pounding equivalent of legs 31 and 33.  In my humble opinion, I think we came close but there really is no substitute for the real thing.

A few minutes before we set off, Dark Helmet shared with us the impact that F3 has had on him. There is no doubt that this guy has burned the ship, but he keeps one shirt that he used to wear as a reminder of where he’s been.  He put it on and you could see he’s half the man he used to be (physically).  Something tells me he’s more the man, dad and father than he used to be.  One story of #IMPACT that F3 has had on a man’s life.  #INSPIRED

But I digress, back to disclaimer, Mountain Goats and THE THANG:

Loop around Alcatraz at a brisk pace (7:30/min)

Circle up at the ball field for COP

• SSH IC 50X (Increased cadence from 30-50)
• Windmills IC 15X
• Merkins IC 15X
• Mountain Climbers IC 20X
• CDD IC 15X

Run to the lower hill below the Fire Station for MG Leg 31.  This consisted of a series of 5 runs up the (steep) hill with 10 Squats at the top and 10 Jumping Lunges at the bottom.  Once completed, we moseyed to the parking lot for…

Harry Callahans. A variation of the Jack Webb geared to shredding your legs.  This consisted of 1 Squat and 4 Monkey Humpers increasing exponentially until we reached 10 Squats and 40 Monkey Humpers (Crowd Pleaser).

After this lovely display that could get one arrested in Tega Cay, we moseyed to the hill at the top of Alcatraz (yes, that one) for MG Leg 33. This was very similar to Leg 31 with 5 hill runs except the hill is much longer and we completed 10 Merkins at the bottom and 10 Dips at the top each.  Legs were sufficiently #SMOKED by now, so we moseyed back to the ball field for some…

Jack Webbs (nuff said) Click here for a description if needed.

With just enough time for some Ab work, we set off for the 4 Corners of the field and completed the following (1 per corner) in cadence:

• LBCs IC 25X
• Freddies IC 25X
• Russian Twists IC 25X
• Flutter Kicks IC 25X

Mosey to COT

Moleskin

It was great to get back to a workout today.  With all of the #BRR training, I’ve missed quite a few boot camps and figured I needed to challenge myself with leading Alcatraz solo.  Honestly I barely made it through the Jack Webbs.  Thanks to Trucker for calling me out.  I felt inspired by Dark Helmet sharing his journey with F3 and it was a great reminder that there are so many other #sadclowns out there that need this.  Find them and EH them!

Also, my hope this morning was to give the PAX a taste of (simulated) #BRR hills.  Maximus and ST showed they’ve “been there done that” by leading the pack.  Crash and Gekko were like, “Seriously? I thought we were done with this running business.  Cerrano showed he’s ready and willing by keeping up.  Dark Helmet once or twice mentioned his disdain for running, but also a willingness to suffer with brothers, so he’s somewhere between a SC and HC for #Palmetto200.

It’s an honor to serve the PAX in this capacity and I look forward to the next opportunity.  Thanks ST.

Announcements (Check the Newsletter)

• Worlds Fastest 5K
• Christmas Party
• OCR Training at The Reservation (Sat 0600 leading up to Mud Run)
• Mud Run
• Palmetto 200 Teams Forming
• So much happening, check the Newsletter

Praise & Prayer Request

• Work Prayers for Jiffy, Cerrano and Trucker
• Prayers for Truckers Family and Medical Issues
• Prayers for Spitz and recovery
• Praise for YHC M / She blesses me in so many ways

-Zima

On my way to Alcatraz, as I was cresting one of the hills on the way to the park, I was amazed at these dark blue lights on the horizon.  The closer I came it became clear that these were the blue lights of the Tega Cay Police.  We all know that those lights are not new…but this time the whole road was blocked getting to the park! 4 police cruisers had cut the lane into Tega Cay because some unfortunate person flipped their SUV coming over the hill.  After 10 minutes they opened the road and our train of PAX was welcomed back into the AO.  So we still found 12 PAX to get out on a gloomy Saturday morning, even without the men working hard on the BRR this weekend. So we arrived a few minutes late…but that can be OK on a day at Alcatraz.

I looked over the PAX, no FNGs and gave the disclaimer as I recall it… and we were off.

Started with an Indian Run around the baseball fields.

COP in parking lot:

15 Imperial Walkers 10 WA Merkins 25 SSHs 15 MCs 15 CDDs 15 Windmills

I informed the PAX we were doing interval training today and would be doing in cadence 1-2-3 and a lap around the parks…so we took we took the first lap.

Back at the parking lot we started our 1-2-3

10 Merkins 20 Slow Squats 25 LBCs (so I was short)

Take another Lap

10 Peter Parkers 10 Parker Peters finished with 10 Burpees OYO and LBCs until 6 was done.

Take yet another Lap…

As we gathered in the gloom, before I handed it over to Trucker, I shared a few words…

I wanted everyone to know what F3 has done for me over the last 6 months… There have been a lot of ups and downs in my life over that time, but all 3 Fs have taught me so much in that time and has helped me handle those good and bad things so very well and different than I would have before joining our group..so I wanted to thank the PAX for this evolution in myself.

With that I handed over to our man Trucker!

He didn’t keep it easy (and if you know him, it’s NEVER easy when he Qs)

Trucker paired us off into 2s

Move to playground and 1s do 5 pull-ups while 2s do dips. Rinse and repeat 3X

Then Trucker instructs us to start the BEAST…

In pairs, 1s pick up the paver…2s get ready to do sprints with 2-4-6-4-2 Merkins while 1s are curling pavers then partner switch.

2nd Triceps Curls partner 4-8-12-8-4 LBCs repeat

3rd Shoulder Raises 4-8-12-8-4 MCs

4th Paver LBCs 2-4-6-4-2 BURPEES… (MAN!)

So by the time this was over….no mumble chatter… Trucker finished with sprints!

Sprints worked in high knees, karaokes and more sprints!

Ended on COT

Prayers for Trucker’s Father in Law, the BRR brothers, our Colombia brothers, and the person that wrecked in Tega Cay this morning.

Thanks for reading, and if you posted… Thanks for being there…  It sucked!

15 men chose to do the right thing and met in the Gloom of Alcatraz for a Saturday Morning Sweatfest. Crash brought his VQ list of horribles, which proved worthy of today’s PAX.  The quality of preparation was clearly displayed in his armband weinke.  T-claps to Crash for the decision to make his VQ set list from his own personal “hates”, and the ability to lead them all with fortitude.
Mosey around the park with a loop down the hill. (The addition of the hill brought out some quality mumblechatter from the PAX. “Oh, so it’s going to be like this?”)
Circle up on the ball field for:
40 SSH
5 12-count merkins
30 windmills
20 Carolina Dry Docks
15 Mountain Climbers
12 Parker Peters
12 Peter Parkers

Eyes on Home, baseline runs with karaoke and side shuffle across the fence line.

Burpicides across the field, rinse and repeat Suicides with Bombjacks, rinse and repeat (Another definite crowd pleaser.)

Jack Webb, with extra credit. (Going for 11, with quotes from Dredd on your first Q… AND nailing it… Priceless!)

(Disappointingly ran out of time for reverse uphill bear crawls and balls to the wall!)

Hand off to Smuggler:

“It’s more satisfying and fulfilling to do a difficult thing that’s right than an easy thing that’s wrong.”
                                         – Tony Dungy – One Year, Uncommon Life, Daily Challenge

Banjo Bear Crawl – borrowed from Banjo (Columbia) via F3 – Hartsville
• Circle up within arms-reach facing out
• Drop to Plank position and hold
• Starter does 3 merkins and bear crawls out and around the group, then back in.
• When someone passes in front of you, you must be doing merkins.  (Realistically the group at 15, was too big for this but we managed.)

Partner up (size doesn’t matter)
• 20 leg throws P1.
• 20 Russian Twists both
• 20 Leg Throws P2.
• 20 LBC’s both
• Extra LBC’s for those that finished earlier than the 3-person group

Cross Field Sprints
• ½ 100%, ½ 75% x 2
• 1 Easy
• ½ 100 % ½ Easy x 2

To the Wall behind the Dugout
• 10 Step ups Right Leg
• 10 LBC’s
• Rinse & Repeat for the left leg

Mosey down the hill and up the other side to the Old City Hall lot.
• Round Robin Ab Lab – Protractor x 2, X’s and O’s, Hello Dolly, and maybe one more I can’t remember.
Mosey back to COT (just a little more hill work along the way).

Announcements: – see the weekly e-mail.

Prayers – Those struggling with illness, preparing for surgery, and families impacted by these and many other issues.

It is always an honor to lead our Brothers of F3. We thank you for being an example to others and encouraging us to improve ourselves. Iron Sharpens Iron.

Respectfully,

Smuggler and Crash.

21 #HIM escaped the Rock to the Court Yard (tennis) via a Double Applesauce Indian Run(to tennis courts). YHC gave a disclaimer prior to setting out with no new inmates (i.e. fng) .

At the “Court” Yard you have to keep your guard up as you can never be sure what will happen next:

40 SSH IC,

25 IW IC,

25 WM IC

15 Peter Parkers IC

6”

Merkin Clock (1 Merkin at 1:00, 2 Merkin at 2:00 and so on)

10 Burpies IC (, no Flying squirrels)

Pair up to for suicide runs in the CourtYard. (3 rounds with 3 suicides per each round for eac partner)

Round 1

Partner 1 run suicide, Partner 2 Wide Arm Merkins, flip flop

Round 2

Partner 1 run suicide, Partner 2 Diamond Merkins, flip flop

Round 3

Partner 1 run suicide, Partner 2 CDD, flip flop

15 Moroccan Nightclub IC

Partner 1 bear crawl across tennis court and run backwards back, Partner 2 LBC, Flip Flop

15 Moroccan Nightclub IC

Balls to the CourtYard Fence

15 Moroccan Nightclub IC

Balls to the CourtYard Fence

No suitable escape from the CourtYard so 21 Pax did a Double Applesauce Indian Run back to the Main Grounds to re-think the escape with an AYG for the last 100 yards.

Hand off to Spitz (for the Cliffs)

Circle up for SSH while last inmates came in.

“Police” the main grounds for trash and dispose of properly. #HIM cons have to earn their keep.

Step ups on wall while “policing” was happening by the rabbits.

Run to the Cliffs and ran to the bottom.

A crazy 8 was in order on the Cliffs. It went like this:

A single round consisted of at the bottom of the cliff 8 dips, 8 bombjacks, run backward to light pole, run forward the rest of the way up so at top of the cliff do 8 burpies and 8 lbc, then run to bottom of the cliff. Do 8 rounds. Partner up for accountability.

Some were able to complete all 8 rounds #awesome as the light was coming up over the compound.

Finish up with LBC and Flutter Kicks. Mosey back for COT

Moleskin:

Great group of Pax this morning. Some of the regulars were missing but good to see some new faces too. This location has so much to offer. With so much BRR training going on the PAX were strong this morning.

Lots of announcements (read the newsletter)

Prayers and Praises lifted up by Change Order, in particular prayers for cable guy’s son’s mom

17 ambitious and strong men showed up in the gloom of a cloudy Saturday morning for Gekko’s bootcamp VQ at Alcatraz.  He showed us no mercy in his 30 minutes while keeping us all going through his own BRR training.

But before we began he shared some words of wisdom with the PAX.  He asked the during today’s workout you remember that the fruits of F3 go far beyond the simple workouts that we enjoy. You can go to any gym and get your body in shape, but with F3 the relationships you create with each other and the group are just as important as the strengthening of your body!

The Thang Part 1

Dynamic warmup in the parking lot for 50 yards each
Karaoke
Side shuffle
High Knee/Butt kickers
Power skip
Mosey to COP at baseball field
SSH x25
IWx20
LSS x15
Merkin x10
Plank
Peter Parker x10
6 inches
CDD x10
Mosey to “the hill”
Jacob ladder
Squats at the bottom Bombjacks at the top x8 backward run 1/4 way up(crowd favorite)

So as all 17 PAX lay on their backs gassed from that terrible hill of infamy in Tega Cay, YHC takes over on the Q for the second half of this morning of pain.

The Thang Part 2

Start at the ledge on the hill behind baseball field

20 Drips followed by 20 Durkins  Rinse and Repeat

Quick 10 count and Mosey down to the Playground

Count off by 4s so we can complete these 4 stations (time for upper body work!)

#1 10 Pullups

#2 20 Dips

#3 15 CDDs

#4 20 Brick curls

Rinse and repeat all stations 3x

That was a real crowd-pleaser so after a few 10 counts we took a lap around the park to keep the heart rate up. Finished our mosey at the small baseball field for a little F3 Baseball game.

Staying in our groups of 4 (which we found out quickly that no one really recalled, including YHC) we went around the bases for 4 different exercises.

1st Base 10 Merkins

2nd Base 10 CDDs

3rd Base 10 Bombjacks

Home plate 10 Burpees

Lucky for the PAX that extra 15 minutes at Alcatraz gave us 5 minutes to hit the wall so we took a seat for 3 10 counts before flipping it to Balls to the Wall for another 3 10 counts from the PAX…many of whom fell at the end YHC included. Took on more seat on the wall for 3 10 counts and called it a day and headed to the COT.

Announcements

Today is Gladiator Games and the Worlds Largest Coffeeteria to support the Columbia Mission Trip (turn out at Applebee’s was GREAT, thanks for all the PAX support).

Prayers

For Tater’s father-in-law with his illness and Tater’s Wife, Senator Tressel prays for Beth Power’s family in her passing, Spitz’s son with a hip injury, For our School Leaders, teachers and Administrators, Copperfield’s wife travelling, and his son while Copperfield takes point, Decibel and his new business.

*Disclaimer- I tried to start the BB yesterday.  I was so worthless I couldn’t get to it or through it- twice.

Take 3:

Twas a fine morning in the #gloom.  Humidity was kept at (relative) bay.  Wasn’t quite the sweatbox it had been earlier in the week.  Not knowing who was on vacation, running with @Funhouse, running Crowder’s or fartsacking their merlot off, the #faithful kept coming and coming until we were up to 15 men ready to get better.

Gears on Q

Double Applesauce to rock pile
Potato pickers and windmills to loosen up
Partner Rock Work
– Overhead Press + Bear Crawl to top tree
– Rock Man Makers + Reverse Run
– Rock Flutter Press + Karaoke Up and Back
Rock Webb – 1×4 Rock Merkins to Rock Curls
Double Applesauce back to fire station
AYG to Runde

Handover to Jekyll

Switzer for a brief discussion and life lesson from a recent fallen hero.  Today’s theme would revolve around a famous Quote: “I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass…and I’m all out of bubblegum.” #RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper #hotrod

The shovel flag and 6 cinderblocks lay in the center of the field.  A circle of 8 cones with an exercise set 20 yards from the flag.  All exercises double count (4 count) unless noted:  25 CDD, 25 Peter Parker, 25 Freddys, 30 Mountain Climbers, 30 Lunges, 30 SSH, 25 squats (single count), 15 Merkin.

Complete cone, bear crawl to center, 10 cinderblock burpees, run out to next cone.  Rinse/Repeat around the circle until or complete or 7:30.

COT

Naked Man Moleskin

Excellent #snotwoggler of a workout today.  Respect for Gears and those #rucktards that love it so much.  Flutters with ruck/rock is all kinds of awful.  I figured I’d try something other than running- focus more on strength.  Still constant movement which I like.  Mission accomplished.

Announcements:

8/7: 0600 Eternal for community school leader discussion.  Several local PAX on panel.

8/8: IL Gladiator Games.  All normal AO’s open.  Columbia Mission Trip Pancake Fund raiser at Applebees on Dave Lyle.  0800-01000.  F3 Golf 1:00pm Carolina Lakes  sign up through signupgenius link or tweet me.

Prayers for Trucker’s son and father in law, new careers and the impact both have on their families.

Great day, Gents,

Jekyll