Category: Pre-Blast

Acceleration

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  • QIC: Gears
  • When: 06/01/2020
  • Posted In: Pre-Blast

Men of The Fort, we’ve been contained for too long.

No, I’m not talking about shelter in place (although that has been an issue).  I’m not really talking about the solo workouts either (but also a problem).

We’ve been settling for less than we could be physically.

Coming Monday, June 1st, we will be launching a new Monday AO.  This will be in the spirit of Shark Tank/Minnow Pond with an emphasis on accelerating the King every week via pearls-on-a-string/run and gun format.  We will be launching from the Earthfare parking lot on 160 with MP-style AO rules to start:

  • No Warm-ups – Come ready to run
  • No 10 Counts – Come ready to not stop
  • No less than 3 miles – Come ready to cover some ground
  • No stopping for the six – Come ready to get faster

I know that last bullet point is going rub some the wrong way, but if we want to see what we can do physically, we need to push the limits.  The Q’s will have a mandate to have a clear route planned for the Pax and communicated by 0510 before launch.  My intent is not to prevent Pax from coming for the workout, but to encourage ALL Pax to come get faster.

I’ll also be picking Q’s based on the leaders of the pack.  Finish in the top three, and you make the list to Q in a coming slot.  If you don’t make it the first week, keep working to achieve #KingStatus.

“It’s simple really. If you want to learn how to run faster, just find a faster man. And chase him until you catch him”

Bring your A game on June 1st.  We’ll see who can make the cut.

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19

Preparedness- Are You Prepared?

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Attn #HIM of the The Fort and Lake Wylie,

Preparedness is discussed in Foundation Point F5 of the the Q- Source.  As Defined Preparedness is: Getting Ready for the Expected While being Ready for The Unexpected. This is an all encompassing need to us as men.  It is valid in all parts out our lives;  Father, husband, boss, team member, Site-Q, WO Q ect.

The purpose for this pre-blast is in regards to life saving measures that Pax can take in the event of an unexpected medical emergency at home, work, or at an AO.  We have talked about it in Site-Q Meetings and at the last Invergence.

Last week HomeBrew ,a Pax from Lake Wylie, who is near and dear to our hearts, had just this type of medical emergency come crashing down on him after his 2.0 suffered a Febrile Seizure and stopped breathing.  He had no training but HAD to ACT. So he mimicked what he had seen on TV and was able to revive her before EMS was able to arrive.  Good On Ya for maintaining a cool head and doing what needed to be done.  CPR and Faith in the Sky Q is what saved her life.  I have maintained CPR/AED/First Aid certification for 6-8 years now for work.  I feel better knowing that if I am put in that sort of situation I have at minimum the base knowledge to try and keep someone alive till EMS-Fire arrive on site to take over.

Here is what HomeBrew and I are proposing.  This will be a friendly competition between The Fort and Lake Wylie regions.  From 4-1 to 4-15 every PAX from either region that completes certification or re-certifies in CPR/ AED/First Aid he and I + the Nan’tan and 1st F Q will complete 5 burpees.   The region that draws the most new or recerts will pass that number on to the “Loser”, but honestly- Who really loses in this situation? IE The Fort get 30 pax LKW gets 20 pax = LKW will do 150 burpees. The Fort will do 100. As you all know, I HATE BURPEES, but have committed to drive action across the regions.

The Certification I have been using comes from NationalCPRFoundation.com.  It is Red Cross compliant and should take between 30 mins to 1 hour to complete.  It is free unless you decide to purchases the hard copy certificates.  We will require a screen shot/ picture Tweeted or slacked to both HomeBrew and myself of the completed training for a CPR/AED/First aid at the end.  It will be added to the spreadsheet we will use to document Pax completion. The certification is good for 2 years.

It is highly recommended that All Site Qs get on board with this effort, but all PAX can benefit from this training. What better way to show leadership than making sure the Pax that Post to your AO know you have that training and are ready to act in the even that someone goes down.

Please join us in this and lets Ensure we are Prepared for the unexpected. Stay tuned to TwEETAR for a message from Homebrew.

Thanks

Duck Dynasty  🦆👑and HomeBrew 🏠🍺

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F3 Mental Battle Day 2020 – 3/27/2020

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For all of F3 Nation: March 27 is a special opportunity.  Last year Miyagi and Aerobie did a huge service to F3 Nation by shedding light on mental health among men after the loss of a close friend of Miyagi.

If you are missing someone whom you’ve lost  due to mental health issues or suicide and who was an inspiration or major part of your life, lift them up and do this work out in their honor.

If you or a loved one struggle with depression, anxiety, and mental wellness, take advantage of the opportunity to lock shields with other HIM who have your back.   Work out with a special focus, having that person or that challenge on your heart.

If you’ve felt the loving hand of Sky Q as you walked through a past valley of darkness in your own life, take advantage of the opportunity to listen to another man who may be going through his own valley and wants to talk about it during or after the COT on March 27.

March 27 will be a day to celebrate our fellowship and our ability to make an individual weight into a team weight. Let’s do this thing. Looking forward to it.

Below you will find a guide or an idea how you can lead a Mental Battle workout on March 27.  You don’t have to use this guide, feel free to make up your own as you see fit.  We encourage you though to leave some time during COT to remember any Pax we have lost, family or friends lost or struggling with mental health issues.

I’ve provided body weight and also kettlebell options if you are Qing a gear workout instead of a boot camp that day.

First I provide stats in regard to mental health, then below using those numbers provide each round of exercises.

Do your normal COP warmup, then move on to the suggestions below.

9% of men in the United States have daily feelings of depression or anxiety.
33% of those men mentioned above take medication because of those feelings.
25% of those men actually spoke to a mental health professional in regard to their feelings.
85 – White men aged 85 and above have the highest rate of suicide in the United States.

9 – Turkish getups
33 – Kettlebell swings or Calf raises
25 – Curls or Big Boy (WW2) Situps
85 – Flutters

17% have a common mental disorder, e.g. depression, anxiety, phobias, etc.
43% of adults believe they have had a mental disorder at some point in life.
25% of people with eating disorders are men.
20% of people will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year.

17- Cleans / Flying  Squirrels
43 – American hammers
25 – Merkins
20 – Flutters

20 – Veterans commit suicide daily
75% of deaths by suicide are male
32% of Americans have anxiety disorders
36% of all psychological referrals are for men.

20- Lawnmowers / Diamond merkins
75- Rosa Litas
32- Clean and Press / Jump Squat
36- LBC’s

Some final stats to consider: In the US, 7% of adults have major depression, 17% have depression, 13% of youths aged 12-17 have major depression which equals 3.1 million.  6% of people have PTSD or 12 million.

As time allows, feel free to repeat the sets again and be sure to leave time for COT and discussion of mental health and our own personal battles.

Let’s lock shields brothers!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at @TheWestate and follow F3 Mental Battle at @F3Battle.

Also, on Mental Battle Day, please be sure to tag your tweets and other social media as #F3MentalBattle and #F3Battle2020.

  • The Mission of F3 is to plant, grown and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership.

If you would like to listen to last year’s Roundtable podcast, visit:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f3mentalbattle-3-27-19/id1218921251?i=1000431825661

or Pick Up The Six:

https://soundcloud.com/f3pickupthesix/pick-up-the-six-f3mentalbattle

Drop Thrill Out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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15

Manion WOD

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  • QIC: Mainframe & Cobra Kai
  • When: 04/25/2020
  • Posted In: Pre-Blast

PAX, for the second year we’re honoring Travis Manion (USMC), killed in Iraq while saving his wounded teammates. Today, his legacy lives on in the words he spoke before leaving for his final deployment: “If Not Me, Then Who…”.

We’re converging with our brothers in Lake Wylie and Rock Hill to support his Foundation by doing the Manion WOD on April 25, 2019 at Tega Cay Elementary School starting at 6:00 AM. They have created our own F3 Fort Mill/Lake Wylie/Rock Hill site to register. Cost is $35.00.

The Manion WOD is:
· 400 meter run
· 29 Ruck Squats w/Ruck & 40 lb sandbag
· 7 Rounds

Sign up here: Manion WOD Sign-Up.

Note: Due to order time on shirts and patches, if you want those on the day of the
event, you need to register by Mon, March 9th. Otherwise, they
will be mailed after completion of the event.

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PRE-BLAST: 2020 Yeti…5 Year Anniversary!

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2/23/20 Updates:

Parking: Please DO NOT park at WEP but in the parking lot next to WEP behind the Springs building.  There will be plenty of parking and this way, we aren’t taking up the park parking lot for the entire morning.

Where/What time: We will start at WEP and will end at WEP.  Depending on what you are doing: Ruck 0500, Ruck/Bike 0530, Run 0600, Run/Bike 0630, Bike 0700.  The YETI will average about 4 hours so we will be wrapping around 10:00.

After / 2ndF: We will be meeting at Amor Artis as you finish (they’re opening their doors at 10am for us).  We will have food catered from Improper Pig.  Please invite your M (or significant other) and your shorties!  There will be a $10 contribution for food and Amor will gladly take your $ for a frothy beverage which you will need after the YETI.  Please contact Shady with rough numbers for food count.

_________________________________________

Original pre-blast:

The time has come for the annual CSAUP of…THE YETI….5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY YETI!!!  The date has been set (no not February because we’re late to the game, we have the Dam to Dam, the Rooster CSAUP in our neighboring region of Rock Hill we should be supporting, etc.).  We missed the mark for Feb ok, so get over it and get ready for early March…talk to the M, and get.it.on.your.calendar!  This also means more prep time for the Qs, you to mentally prepare your bodies, gather your teams (if that’s your jam), make sure your reflective gear isn’t in need for a dusting…all those things.

So get ready for not only some 1st F, but some 2nd F, as you run, ruck, ride, sweat, freeze (wait…freeze? Well, we can’t predict the weather and it will be outside, duh) next to your fellow PAX.  Build that bond, push that guy next to you, and get better!

High level deets…

Why: Well, why not.  It’s stupid and pointless, it’s fun, you’ll do some major bonding with fellow PAX, uh…it’s early and what else do you need to be doing – sleeping….good one!!!!  And did we mention it’s a 5 year anniversary!!  We’re also working on a shirt (yes, this is an annual shirt, not some minnow pond shirt some site Q drummed up to hype up his site…who does that!)  More details coming on the shirt.  And patches…yes, patches!  For those of us that are motivated by patches and want to add another patch to our collection, well, look no further (and there may be another special edition Zima patch…like I said, more things in the works).  (Cost on Yeti patch is approximately $5…more details on this in the near future.)

What: Annually, the YETI makes it’s way to the Fort and we pay our dues and take what the Yeti gives us.  This can be accomplished via a combo of different ways, or just one way: running, rucking, biking, put a team together and break it up.  Modify as needed!  A course will be provided prior to the CSAUP, AO pain stations will exist along the route where PAX will endure whatever said Q tells them, and water/energizing snacks will be provided.  Past years courses range from 14-20 miles…Zima miles will be included this year for those interested.  What’s a Zima mile you ask, you’ll need to ask around on that one.

Who: All PAX…so you, reading this…you’re invited and it will be fun.  Trust us.  Not recommended for younger 2.0 PAX.  If you want to create a team to break up the course, totally fine and modification acceptable…trust us.  PAX do accomplish the YETI on their own as well and it’s doable so don’t be scared and push yourself.  After the Yeti, families are invited to pat you on the back and tell you how stupid you are…or I mean how proud they are of you.

When: Date is above, but in case you glazed right over it in your excitement, it’s Saturday 3/7.  The times tentatively are as follow (but subject to change): Ruck 0500, Run 0600, Ruck/Bike 0600, Run/Bike 0630…you kind of get the idea.  We would expect to be done by 10:00am.  After the Yeti if you’re able to stick around, we will plan to meet at a local establishment for some food/drinks (BBQ maybe) and more 2nd F.

Where: We’ll start and end at WEP (Block Party / The Fort / Millllkshake AO).  Parking at WEP, or potentially in the bigger parking lot next door may be advised.  Food and drinks (and BBQ maybe) location are in the works.  We’ve had to pull in #TheCorner office staff to pull some strings and get the 2nd F training rolling.  Yep, it’s that big of a deal in these parts.  Stay tuned for more updates.

 

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PRE-BLAST: The Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants (AKA: #BTP)

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Willpower is only the trigger to get a person started on a positive habit (#Brick). In order to maintain and continue #Bricklaying, a person needs to change the mental and physical environment in which they live, so that the habit can develop the “muscle memory” needed to go the distance. My #DRP list is lengthening, as is my ability to have #IMPACT in the men around me, and the following is intended to continue to put me on the right trajectory.

For the year of 2020, my word is “GO”.  In an effort to continue to #Accelerate my 1stF, and beginning on 1/6/20, I am instituting (for myself and anyone who wants to join me) an EC (Extra Credit) 15 minutes (of Boot Camp or running, or maybe even Broga) prior to every 45 minute workout. I will tweet and Slack the location with the hashtag #BTP the day before for those who wish to join me. (It’s a way to “trap” myself into an accelerating habit…)

For example, Monday I usually hit Honey Badger which is an hour workout. There would not necessarily be an EC prior to this (though there could be). Tuesday, I will be at Golden Corral. At 0500, I will begin an EC portion of the workout for those that want to join. It will launch from the same AO, and will be back at the AO in time for the 0515 normal start of the Post.

Clear as mud? Good. Ask me your questions. Otherwise, check your Twitter/Slack and #Accelerate with me.

Helmet, out.

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25

Invergence: One Word Year In Review

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One Word Year in Review

When: 1/17/20 after the Convergence, 6:15 AM

Where: Eternal Church offices (“the Shack behind Zaxby’s)

What: One Word 3rd F Invergence

Who: All Fort Pax looking to improve

How much weight can One word carry? What’s in a Word? Each year, The Fort (along with many other F3 Nation regions) undertakes a “Word of the Year” challenge. Just another tool in the toolbox on the road to growth. The rules are quite simple:

  • pick one word to focus upon throughout the year to become better in some area of your life, and,
  • tell others your word so they can check your progress and hold you accountable

As we gather to kick off the One Word Challenge of 2020, come hear from 4 of the The Fort’s Highly Impactful Men about the word they chose for 2019. How did that word shape their 2019? Did it help them become a better servant leader, husband, father, brother and/or friend?

Bring your questions, thoughts and words. See You There.

Short Sale

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1/4/2020 F3 QSource Convergence at The Deep

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Men of F3  The Fort & Lake Wylie!

There is no “status quo” – you are either declining or accelerating.  We want you to continue that acceleration to becoming that High Impact Man (#HIM) you can be.   You do that by taking the DRP to discipline your King,  manage your Queen and controlling your Jester by building the guardrails in your life to succeed! Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?  Well, if you don’t, that is what our weekly QSource discussions dive in to! In 2019 we had success going through the full 50 Q source points that we’ve decided to start again.

So join us in the New Year on Saturday, January 4th for a convergence workout at The Deep starting at 6:30am.  We’ll have a Q from the PAX of both Lake Wylie and The Fort.  After the beatdown we’ll meet at New River Church a mile down the road to start the 2020 launch of the QSource 2.0!  We’ll have coffee, donuts and some great 2nd F.

See you there!

Royale & Pusher

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3

The Force To Bring Us Back In

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**PRE-BLAST**

WHO: All PAX (Rucks Required)

WHAT: Burnout recovery workout

WHERE: FireAnt (same location as Golden Corral): Tega Cay Harris Teeter

WHEN: 0515 New Years Eve (Tuesday, December 31)

WHY: This one is simple. Read the below.

Why?

Sometimes we need some difficult, smack-you-in-the-face, force to get us out of the rut we’ve been living in.

Sometimes we need some difficult, smack-you-in-the-face, force to bring us back into something we’ve walked away from. Are you spent or burned out? Life has a gift for loading us up and ultimately, weighing us down. As men, it can cause retreat. It’s time to break free from that on our last day of 2019.

Come join your brothers for that difficult, smack-you-in-the-face, 45min workout at FireAnt on New Years Eve (Tues, Dec 31) at 0515 and I’ll make a run at freeing you from the burnout.

This world NEEDS YOU ENGAGED. The rings of you concentrica need you engaged. Work, community, friends, family, shorties, wife, GOD…it’s time to bring you back in.

Make no mistake, I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL and you are doing this entirely at your own risk. My words are only ideas of things to do and I recommend you take the necessary precautions which start by reading F3’s disclaimer found on the following web site.

F3 disclaimer & notice found here…https://f3nation.com/disclaimer-and-notice/

What to bring:

  1. Yourself
  2. EH a buddy or Kotter, someone who could be in this stage right now.
  3. Ruck with GoRuck minimum weight requirements: 30lbs of weight in your ruck if you weigh 150lbs or more. 20lbs of weight in your ruck if you weigh 149lbs or less.
  4. Sandbags of any weight. (No other coupons needed)
  5. Gloves
  6. A determination to get some work done and a desire to reengage.

See you then.

Maximus

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8

Dam to Dam Relay For A Cause – Football Challenge

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  • QIC: Pusher
  • When: 12/20/2019
  • Posted In: Pre-Blast

As part of the fundraising efforts for the Dam to Dam Relay for a Cause, we are hosting a College Football Bowl Challenge beginning 12/20/19. The challenge is a confidence pool with instructions below. The fee is $20 and must be paid via Venmo @Eddie-Dowling or PayPal by clicking this link Pusher PayPal

Half of the proceeds will be given as a donation to Classroom Ready, a program under the Foundation for Fort Mill Schools that provides free school supplies to students in need in York County School District #4. The other half will be split amongst the following winners:

First Place – 25%
Second Place – 15%
Third Place – 10%

All picks must be entered by 12/20/19 at 2 PM.

Thanks in advance for your support!

I am inviting you to join my private Confidence Pool called “DAM TO DAM FOR A CAUSE”, which I am hosting on a very easy to use website called Office Football Pool.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR JOINING:
Click on the link below and you will be guided through the process for joining this pool, including registering on the website if you haven’t registered before.

Click here to join my pool: D2D Office Football Pool

If you have any questions about the pool rules or format, please write me back. If you have any technical problems joining my pool, please let me know or contact the website. If the above link doesn’t work and you need the Pool ID# and Pool Entry Code (a.k.a Pool Password), they are shown below:

Pool ID#: 167543
Pool Entry Code: a5mv0c

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