Eight faithful PAX gathered at Alcatraz for a sunrise AO tour, hosted by Aquaman and YHC. Some mumblechatter (concern or speculation) about numbers, and where some of our “regulars” may be posting, or … So, with a minimal disclaimer, we began under the direction of Aquaman.

The Thang:

• Mosey from the parking lot to the tennis courts
• Hop Scotch warmup around both courts then COP
• Wind Mills
• Imperial Walkers
• Squats
• Mr. Miagi – 4-count squat punches
• Squat Jacks
• Morroccan Night Clubs
• Air Jump Rope frenzy
• Partner up for suicide relay races across the tennis courts.

1. Suicide Relay Race
2. Suicide Relay Race with partner 1 on six holding feet up 6″, partner 2 jumps over partner 1’s feet 10  times then runs. (flip-flop x 2)
3. Suicide Relay Race with partner 1 holding elbow plank with feet apart, partner 2 heisman steps between and over each of P1’s legs crossing over 10 times then running the suicide. (flip-flop x 2)
4. Relay Race with partner 1 doing LBC’s, partner 2 broad jumps across courts and runs back (flip-flop x 2)
5. Relay Race with partner 1 doing Freddie Mercury’s, partner 2 Lunge Walk across courts and runs back (flip-flop x 2)

Aquaman wrapped up his half with a good discussion of accountability and what it means to us all.  It must be a two way street. Hold those accountable for what you would expect them to hold you accountable for.  We are all occasionally in need of a little extra encouragement or support from our brothers.

Hand off to Smuggler., who’s weinke included some notes on integrity, with a plan to address the PAX with a challenge for a personal audit of our own integrity and honesty. (Why now? See sports news outlets with mentions of Syracuse, Boeheim (the Coach, not our own), or NCAA violations).  After Auqaman’s testimony on Accountability, it didn’t seem appropriate, so I leave it for you here.

Consider the integrity we all demonstrate daily, and how we can encourage others to uphold the level of integrity we would imagine ourselves capable of. Take some time each week to audit your own behavior and focus on the areas that may need some work. We can all do better on this. Thank you for holding me accountable as well. #ISI

• Mosey to the trail and about 100 yards down (mumblechatter – going the wrong way), to the low wall.
• 20 step up’s each leg
• 11’s – 10 Bomb Jacks at the bottom of the hill, a short run up 15 yards, then 1 LBC at the top. Repeat, reducing by 1 Bomb Jack at the bottom and adding 1 LBC at the top, keeping a total of 11 on each rep. Stop at 1 and 10, after 10 full sets.
• Mosey back to the Pull-up bars by the Fire Station.  Some tried a few pull-ups or dips, while others went back for the Six. YHC was just trying to stay vertical.
• Down the hill and over the fence to the wall, where we split back into group 1 and group 2.
• 1’s Bear Crawl to second base and run back, 2’s take a seat on the wall (flip-flop).
• 1’s run to the fence and back, 2’s take a seat on the wall. (flip-flop)
• 1’s Crab Walk to second base and run back, 2’s take a seat on the wall (flip-flop).
• All to the wall for 10 donkey kicks on the wall, then BTW for a Cable Guy Ten count (30 seconds?)
• Mosey back to the parking lot for a few minutes of dealer’s choice Abs.

COT

• Snacks are still needed for CAH. Bring to any AO until Easter. Individually packaged snacks and small gatorade’s.
• Prayers for those with medical issues; injuries and illness. May they, and those around them, feel the lord’s presence, comfort and relief.
• Prayers for those that are working to find their way. May they know and accept God’s plan, and the love that their families and friends have for them.

It is always an honor to lead the men of F3. Thank you for the opportunity.

Smuggler

17 PAX posted for a mixed bag of tricks.  With YHC showing that he is not a professional with his inability to count properly.  We had a guest appearance from Steve Miller and will now be known as Maurice!.

Moseyed into the baseball mud pit and quickly abandonded that idea and headed to higher ground.
  SSH – jog
  IW – jog
  Slow squat – jog
  Merkin – Karoke 
  Imperial squat – Karoke 
  CDD’s – lunge walk
  Mountain climber – side squats
  Windmill – side Squats
  Merkin Mtn – Jack web style – 1 Merkin to 4 -4count mtn climbers
Broke up into teams of 4
  4 corners
    5 Burpees at each corner
    Merkins
    Mtn Climbers
    CDD’s
    SSH

Turned over to Jekyll
Mosey to short wall
  15 dips, 15 derkins, repeat 3 times
Mosey to high wall, Pax split in two
  P1: BTTW
    P2: Bear Crawl, run, hop fence, run up hill, 5 bombjacks, run back, flapjack
  P1: Wall Sits 
    P2: Crabwalk, run, hop fence, run up hill, 5 bombjacks, run back, flapjack
Mosey to short wall
  P1:20 step ups, flapjack, 15 step ups, flapjack, 10 step ups P2: LBC’s
6 minutes of Mery
  LBC, Freddie, X/O, Heels to Heaven
Jailbreak to COT

It may not have been a massacre but…

Mosie around the trail at Runde

Cop

30 SSH

30 Parker Peter

30 Squats

30 Plank Jacks

30 IW

30 Carolina Dry Docks

Indian Run around Runde

Tunnel of Love X 2

20 Burpees OYO

Low Crawl 50 yards

30 Seal Sit ups

Failed attempt for Chain Gang Bear Crawl

Indian Run 3 rounds

Short AB Blast

Hand off to Trucker

20 Box Cutters

10 Mountain Burpees

10 Knee Tar Jai

Mosie to Playground

3 groups

Group 1 10 pull ups

Group 2 20 Merkins

Group 3 20 Squats

Rotate Rinse and repeat 3 times

Mosie to the Wall

20 Step ups

20 dips

20 derkins

repeat

Mosie to parking lot

Lunge then squat length of parking lot

4 suicides

34 LBC

COT

A boisterous gathering of 19 pax invaded Alcatraz for VQs by Pusher and YHC.

The Thang

Pusher warmed up the pax with a parking lot COP

SSH x20

IW x20

Mtn climber x20 (Red Eye + Javert moseyed into COP about this point)

CCDs x20

Line up at basketball court baseline for a three rounds of suicides interspersed with plank sequences

Line up at end of parking lot for several rounds of alternating moves across the lot (switch after every 2 parking spaces
Round 1: Bear crawl + lunge walk
Round 2: Lunge walk + psycho bunny
Round 3: Lunge walk + crab walk

Run to golf course and partner up for an out of control alternating shot experience
Partner 1: run from back tee box down to ladies tee and back up hill
Partner 2: Squats
(Flapjack and accumulate to 200 squats)

Handoff to Double D

Run back to parking lot and unload the toys

Partner stations
Station 1: Climb back and forth over 3.5 foot fence
Station 2: Russian twists with large paving stone
Station 3: Carry large cooler with water across outfield to batting cage and back
Station 4: Cinder block press
Station 5: Sit ups with log
Station 6: Squat + overhead press with propane tank
Station 7: Run to foul pole and back
(Continuous rotations for 25 minutes)

By request for Decibel – 2 minutes of Sally
Merkins x10
Wide arm merkins x8
Diamond merkins x6

COT

Naked man moleskin

Pusher spoke true wisdom regarding the reality that “we are not in control.”  It is easy to fall into the trap of believing we are in control as we go through our daily lives.  But the choices we make (even the choice to love as Cake Boss reminded us) only means that we control our own actions…we don’t control the results, other people or the world around us.  Sky Q is the one in control.  And even at the times we don’t like our lack of control, we must walk in faith, recognizing that a wiser, stronger, merciful one is calling the shots.

Many announcements around the circle — Mud Run, Blue Ridge Relay, new AOs in Rock Hill, Rivergate and Publix along with a new weekly 3rd F gathering on tap.

Prayer requests drilled deep on the topic of marriage and divorce.  Marriage and love are a challenge and a choice…the path is not always easy.  Service and leadership start at home.

A hearty thank you to Pusher for reaching out to join him as Q today.  WWL responded to the call for a greater challenge (50k run on the Springs Greenway w/One Niner) which opened the door for YHC.  It is always an honor to lead the pax, especially with the chance as VQ at another AO.  Alcatraz certainly pays worthy homage to its namesake – the men and the spirit are rock solid!

Alcatraz will be closed on January 24 along with all other Fort Mill/Rock Hill area AO’s.   Head to The Reservation in Indian Land for the Fort Mill area convergence with Dredd and OBT on Q.  Don’t miss it!

Bakers Dozen today in the Gloom.  5 men showed off their manhood with EC in the form of running to Alcatraz this morning.  #smugglerspecial  @Zima wins the #virtualtrophy for putting in 2 miles on the front and the back end.  No doubt he’ll be asking his M for a partner carry the rest of the day.    We had a scare as the normally prompt/early/#10minutesearlyisontime Senator Tressel wheeled into the parking lot with 3 minutes to spare.  Apparently, he couldn’t find his gear, WOKE HIS M (not recommended) and made it to the #beatdown.  The Pax did not let this slide, prompting #mumblechatter in the form of “poor little kitten has lost his mittens”

Senator Tressel on the Q

Off to the gloom with a tour of the mean streets of TC.  Hills be damned.  Landing in a small cul de sac Senator Tressel began our COP.  Acknowledging our neighbors with a need to keep the noise down to a dull roar- a quiet cadence was installed.  This lead to a @funhouse mention of #sexycount referring to the almost “breathy” tones of our call.  A new addition to the lexicon is born.  Well done.

Merkins here, IW there, SSH, Cherry Pickers (@decibel special) and couple of confusing boat/canoe calls and we were sufficiently warmed up.  Back to campus for Progressive BTTW.  What is PBTTW you ask?  Balls to the wall mixed with protractor precision.  #madscientist  Walk up the wall and back down at 30, 60, 90 degrees. rinse repeat X3.  #smoker.

S.T. added in karaokes, bombjacks (none earned but we all deserved), wall sits and a few other punishments that I cant recall.  Will need therapy to drag it out.

Baton switch, Jekyll on Q

Couple of words on pushing through it, working hard, yada, yada, yada.

• Jack Webbs 1:4 x10  usually good for some #chatter.  Most folks familiar so everyone knew what to expect
• Lt Dan: 1:4 X10. “Punishing leg exercise that is a cousin (of sorts) to Jack Webb. Named after Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump, it combines 1 squat followed by 4 lunges (alternating legs) in ascending order (maintaining the 1:4 ratio). It will leave the PAX feeling like “they ain’t got no legs”.””
  • highly recommend mining the F3 exercises for a few Gems- you’ll come up with something like Lt. Dan.  #winner
• Mac tar Jai plank jumps- lemme explain- split PAX in 2 groups- relay race/indian run concept
  • Plank shoulder to shoulder.  man on the end bunny hops over each PAX to end then planks. #kicker- while in plank do mac tar Jai.  Good exercise following Lt Dan  RINSE/REPEAT
• Token ab excerises- LBC, Gravediggers.  Who needs abs right now?  #notsummer
• Eleven’s.  Like 7’s only not. Donkey kicks and Jump Tucks  #smokeshow

COT

Announcements:

• 2ndF 1/23 American Sniper movie.  7pm meet Manchester Movies in Rock Hill.  HH any time after 5 at Mellow Mushroom
• YHC is now your #rushchairman or 2ndF leader to most of you.  I look forward to taking this awesome position and building on what @crabcakes has done.

Prayers/blessings

• Gears’ sister in law(I think) Cynthia breast cancer- 30 years old
• Zima’s brother- fatty liver disease
• Blessings: Funhouse’s oldest- @Offspring terrific first semester in school.  turnaround from freshman year.

NMM

T’was a smoker of day.  Had a lot of fun out there.  The positive attitudes out there drive all of us. This is truly a unique and special thing we call F3.  Go out there and be better today than you were yesterday.

L&R

Jekyll