Five intrepid PAX ventured out into the gloom on a rainy Friday morning.

The Thang:
Warmup jog down to Empire Pizza parking lot with the usual shakeout of high-knees, butt-kickers, and some karaoke before circling up.

COP:
SSH x 20
IW x 20
WA Merkins x5
CDD x 20
Mountain Climbers x 10
SSH x 20
Peter Parker x 10
SSH x 20
Parker Peter x 10

With the Labor Day double-down running of the Murph approaching, YHC thought a Slow Burn moderate Murph would be in order:

2 laps around the AO (roughly .5 miles)
50 Supine Pull-ups
100 Merkins
150 Squats
2 more laps around the AO to complete the mile.

Bring it home to CFA for COT

Moleskin

Everybody was up for a moderate Murph despite the rain (or maybe because of it though it had tapered off a bit during the workout) and pushed hard. A virtual Jekyll trophy goes to Backdraft who did extra credit of 70 pullups, 140 merkins, and 210 squats plus an extra 2 laps around the AO for a full 1.5 miles. Well done.

Gridlock and YHC had a conversation about pre-workout fueling during the second leg of the run. He chose to forego eating, while I prefer a Cliff bar and possibly a banana 30-60 minutes before. Got me wondering what other PAX eat (or don’t) before a F3 workout? Sound off in the comments.

Programming note: Slow Burn regular time/location next week (8/8). Game Plan will be monthly #F3BibleChallenge update at Eternal Church @ 6:15, with guest speaker Dee Christopher. See Pusher for details.

Other Announcements:
– Gladiator course 8/9 post WEP workout.
– Labor Day double down with Armory at FHC followed by Murph at NAFO
– CampCare 5k 9/6
– Invergence 9/26 at ASC Greenway Pavilion.
– Fri 10/3 Victory Sports Golf tourney at Regent Park

Prayer requests for family, PAX on the IR, and unspoken.

The Thang:
2 BOYO in honor of the two gents who came in hot right before launch.

Warm up jog down to the Empire lot with high knees, butt kickers, etc.

COP
20 SSH
5 BOYO
20 Imperial Walkers
4 BOYO
10 Mountain Climbers
3 BOYO
15 squats
2 BOYO
15 LBCs
Plank to keep the PAX honest. Plank series courtesy of CSPAN

Mosey to the strip

Running Jack Webb
1 merkin/4 air presses, run to second cross walk (about 75 yards) 2 merkins/8 air presses, run back to start and repeat until 5 merkins/20 air presses. OYO, then Peoples chair on the Baxter Bunch wall when done.

Once everyone was on the wall, head right into the People’s chair sequence: Go down the line 1 PAX at a time doing called exercise while everyone else sits and does air presses/extensions. Everyone did:
5 derkins
10 LBCs
15 squats (crowd pleaser)

Mosey back to parking lot for Mary, dealers-choice style:
Hello Dolly
Freddie Mercuries
Russian Twists
LBCs
Protractor
Rosalitas
8pt body builders (Thanks Pebbles)
Superman, complete with singing.

Platoon run home

Still 2 minutes left, so BOYO.

COT

Moleskin

Ominous start as we waited to launch as a gust of wind revealed that YHC failed to plant the Shovel Flag adequately. Decided then that there must be burpees today for atonement.

Tempted to call the wall series “The Strip Club” as there was much praise of form from the sitting PAX while each man solo performed the called exercises. Squat sequence in particular had some fans and a couple of showmen that really got into it, though no dollars were produced. Funny part is the sequence was basically an audible as YHC didn’t plan enough exercises. Filler for the win.

Note to self, when doing dealers choice start with Pebbles while we still have energy. Though in a warped way I am beginning to look forward to seeing what exercise he calls during Mary. By next month he’ll have us cutting down trees with dull axes.

Who’s hair-brained idea was it for 2 minutes of BOYO at the end? Oh yeah, mine. Thanks CSPAN for volunteering to be the diligent road guard. Even though no car came within a hundred yards you still managed to sneak a burpee or two in. #Selfless

Ended workout once again with recovery of Slow Burn Shovel Flag while Cake Boss planted the Game Plan SF. It is starting to become a formalized changing of the guard ceremony. Cake Boss had better planting technique and no burpees were required during Game Plan.

Announcements:
– Convergence @ The Patriot this Saturday. No WEP workout, but Alcatraz as normal. Look your prettiest for the news cameras.
– 2nd F Lunch @ Mellow Mushroom Uptown today @ noon.
– Gladiator course 8/9 post WEP workout.
– Labor Day double down with Armory at FHC followed by Murph at NAFO
– Invergence 9/26 at ASC Greenway Pavilion.
– Fri 10/3 Victory Sports Golf tourney at Regent Park

Finally I’m starting to put together a Q schedule for Slow Burn. Let me know if you want in on Q’ing the Region’s undisputed best Friday workout. #YouKnowYouWantTo

8 strong men rolled out of the rack for a celebration to include all three Fs.

This morning I was filling in at Q for Tatanka, who is officially listed on the IR.

We started our morning with a quick prayer including the Malaysia Airlines tragedy and all of our injured F3 Brothers.

YHC skipped a high quality rendition of the disclaimer because anyone who knows me knows moderation is not one of my strong attributes, no FNG today, just regular F3 nuts, who accept my shortcomings, and yet continue to show up for a beating.

The Thang:

We started walking towards Empire with a variety of exercises to warm up old man legs (IW, lunges, butt kickers, high knee, soccer knee, jog, & repeato). The Sprint-O-Rama at The Coop had settled into very stiff legs. Lots of stretching, popping, groaning, moaning, u get the picture…capped off with a Cable Guy salute…we were now ready to roll…

Circle up back at Baxter Playhouse, we did our normal warm-ups of SSH, IW, Squats, Moroccan Night Club, Trunk Twist, Monkey Humpers, Windmills and we started a really nice plank series to include Mountain Climbers, Peter Parker, & Parker Peter, Carolina Dry Docks, more Planks, more repeato…hope you had gloves.

Line up on the Sweet Frog handrail bars, first task was to complete a max set of inverted rows, followed by 20 step up to the right, left, and double. Followed by 3 more sets of inverted rows, followed by more exercises, no real crying today…just everyone pushing to get through.

Line up Empire crosswalk, for 4 sets of down and back sprints followed with a dash or four of arkloader.

COP was “Dealers Choice” for 10 reps, it was ridiculous difficult, and absolutely exhausting as we went through the group twice.

Mosey back up the hill for COT, Towel off, change shirts, ordered our Chicken & Wisdom.

Hard Drive is back next week, get well Tatanka.

I am really starting to enjoy this moderate workout, we are starting to have some regular contenders, and come out to enjoy a non-moderate sweat…

CSPAN out

9 PAX came out for Hard Drive’s VQ as he planted the VSF on a VAO for the inaugural Slow Burn workout, and found out that the term ‘moderate workout’ is a work-in-progress. The tone was set with a few words by Henry Ford: “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” With that the PAX headed out into the gloom…

Warm-up run down to the Empire Pizza parking lot with backwards jog, high-knees, and butt-kickers.

COP:

SSH x20
IW x 20
Merkins x 10
Wind Mills x 20
MC x20

Circle up for an activity that needs a clever name (Burn Circuit? Chicken Run? Open to suggestions here):

Starting from Empire Pizza lot, head out for a run OYO to the Armory AO (just under .5 mile).  Run through sprinklers optional.

3 sets of Merkins x10, LBC x 15, and Squats x20. Plank when done or keep going until The Six is finished for extra credit. (Not sure who did the most sets, but consider yourself awarded a VJT:  Virtual Jekyll Trophy)

Plank-o-rama, courtesy of C-SPAN

Run back to Empire lot OYO

3 sets of CDD x10, Freddie Mercuries x15, and Calf-Raises x20. Plank when done or keep going until The Six is finished for extra credit. (VJT here as well)

Just enough time for some Mary, dealers’ choice style. PAX called out:

Hello Dollies
Turkish-standup-somethings that stretched “moderate” a bit far (thanks Pebbles)
Protractor
Superman
Rosalitas
Russian Twists
LBCs
Wide Arm Merkins (Boy Band’s attempt to keep us honest)

Run home to COT

Moleskin:

With the PAX heading out on vacation I wasn’t sure how many would show up, so I was very grateful for such a decent showing for our first Friday workout. Mumble Chatter in the beginning around “moderate workout” was around expectations of running across the street for Starbucks or 45 minutes of stretching with chicken biscuits in-hand. I was very gratified later on after hearing things like, “I thought this was supposed to be moderate?” more than once. With things like Muthaship and fitness tests, there is a lot of room to define moderate. I look forward to seeing how this workout evolves and grows over time.

Anyway, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my 1 year F3 anniversary than with my VQ. Thanks everyone for the support.

Announcements:

Q’s needed for Slow Burn. Contact Hard Drive to get on the schedule.

Sign up for the October 4^th MudRun through the F3 site, not the MudRun site.

Colts and Mustangs at Springfield Middle School begins Thursdays 7/17

F3 Dads wrap up this weekend at WEP

The Fort field trip to Muthaship on Monday 7/7. Contact C-SPAN for details.

Prayers for C-SPAN’s daughter and family for a pre-op appointment on her thyroid.

Slow Burn will meet next Friday (7/4) with C-SPAN as your Q

Join us this week on June 27th for the launch of The Fort’s first Friday morning workout, “Slow Burn.” It is also The Fort’s first “moderate intensity” boot camp workout and will take place immediately prior to Friday’s 3rd F gathering, “Game Plan” (We will finish in time to towel-off and change shirts before our dose of Chicken and Wisdom).

Do not let the term “moderate intensity” fool you, it will not be 45 minutes of mosey and windmills. Expect COP’s, running, and visits from our ol’ friend Mary. Similarly, don’t dismiss the workout if you are seeking a challenge. There will be alternate calls for increased difficulty and interval exercises where you can push the number of sets you complete. Some of the other objectives for the workout include:

• Providing a workout for those Pax who want to get in a workout before going bi-coastal for the weekend without feeling it all weekend.
• Providing an opportunity to bring a reluctant EH who is concerned about workout difficulty.
• Providing an opportunity for Pax and EH’s to experience all three F’s in a single morning.

In short, there will be something for everyone. Here’s the details:

When: Fridays, starting 6/27
Where: Baxter Chik-fil-a, Hwy 160 Ft. Mill.
Time: 0515 – 0555 (plenty of time to clean up)

Q’s will be needed. Contact Hard Drive to get in the rotation. See you in the Gloom!