Category: The Armory

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

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  • QIC: Solid State
  • When: 07/27/15
  • Pax: Deacon, Spits, Uncle Psi, Lucky Charm, Change Order, Copperfield, Cheddah, Socrates, Scrum, Snare, Howitzer, Anchorman, Dark Helmet, Boy Band, Lugnut, Chicken Hawk
  • Posted In: The Armory, The Fort

Morning Gents,

The goal today was variety in motion. We will do a number of new exercises and haul the bells from station to station. Keep the heart rate up while we max out our 45 minutes together.

Warm ups:

Lap around the parking lot

– SSH x35

– Low slow Squats (10x at 12 count)

– Moroccan NC x 15

– Imperial Walker x 15

– Arm Circles x 10

– Windmill x 18

– Merkins x 14

– Superman / rip chord 10 counts

– the Funny KB Lean 10 x each side

Pain Stations
Move KB to the first pain station , take lap…

Station 1 – 

– Military Press (outside) 10x each side

– Gunslinger Curl – Lunge w/kb to side, curl as you rise – 5x each side

– Freddy Mercury – 10 count

– KB Burpees – 10 count

– Over-under (from peoples chair, over/under thighs) – 5 each side

– One Arm Swing (Up to shoulder) – 10 each side

– Clean and press (from ground up to the air) – 5 each side

Move KB to next station , take lap


Station 2 – 

– Upright Row (Elbow on or near knee) 10x each side

– Pass Through Lunge (pass between legs) – 8 each side

– Russian Twist – 15 count

– KB Merkins (50/50) – 10 each side

– Around the waist – 15x

– Two Arm Swing (full) – 15x

– Pull Ups (squat from ground, raising to chin, elbows above ears, smooth movement) 15 x

Move KB to next station , take lap

Station 3 – 

– Overhead Tricep presses – 10 each side

– KB Squat – 10x

– KB LBC – 15x

– KB Burpees – 5x

– Halos – 10x

– Renegade Row (From Plank, grab a curb for increased range of motion) 10 each side

– One Arm Swing (Up middle, raise to shoulder) – 5 each side

– Clean and press (from ground up to the air) – 5 each side

 

Learned a lot from the Pax today (as always). Honored to post (and sweat) in the gloom with such a fine group of men.

Heads Up:
Camp Care 5K – 12 Sept, 2015 – Support a great cause
8/7/15 – 3F Convergence – Eternal Church w/ local school
8/8/15 – Post, Gladiator Games,
7/31/15 – Justice League
7/29/15 – Mormons in the Community Baxter Library 6-6:45
Prayers for Baby Harris, born early

Thank you Socrates for leading us out.

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Moderate? Well… you get what you pay for (i.e. what you put in).

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  • QIC: Dark Helmet
  • When: 07/06/15
  • Pax: I accidentally deleted the recording from my phone before I typed this. I apologize. That said, I'll do my best to recreate, but feel free to sound off in the comments who I missed: CSPAN, Cheddah, Car Bomb, Green Wave, Longshanks, Backdraft, Bassomatic, The Librarian, War Eagle, Catfish, Decibel, Javert, Dark Helmet (YHC), Spitz, Sweeper, Chicken Hawk, Uncle Si, McGruff, Change Order, Grid Lock, and 5 more guys that I can't remember... (It's not you, it's me...)
  • Posted In: The Armory

Another Monday, and 25 gloom-hungry monsters came expecting to work hard.

No newbies, so we disclaimed a little and then chatted for a second. What’s the difference between a hard workout, and a moderate workout? Moderate is a state of mind. Moderate is a choice you make. The workout is the workout to a large degree. Some are crazy hard, some are a little lame, but whether or not it is one of those to you largely depends on the choice you make in your mind to push hard, or to just show up and only go halfway. Aye? Great. The Thang:

WARM UP:
Jog to front of church and circle up.
– 25 fast SSH (IC)
– 10 slow Windmills (IC)
– 25 IW (IC)
– 20 Moroccan Nightclubs (IC)
– 15 Merkins (IC)
– 15 CDD (IC)

PARTNER UP (get somebody with the same sized kettlebell, if possible):
Each exercise will go to 50 counts between the two partners.
Round 1 (3 exercises – Kettlebell Burpees, Overhead Presses, Goblet Squats):
– Partner 1 runs parking lot lap (roughly .18mi) while Partner 2 does the exercise. Get to 50 reps each, then LBCs until the 6 is in
Round 2 (same thing, except 50 Lunges with pass through of bell, 50 curls each arm, 2 handed clean and jerk with a shoulder press combo)

Head to the low wall. Do 50 partner dips (feet on partners back, hands on wall) each.

Head to the big wall. Ascending testicles – 15 derkins with feet at 15 degrees, 10 at 45 degrees, 5 all the way up in BTTW. (This REALLY sucked.)

A little bit of Mary (no, Lou Bega wasn’t involved – if you don’t get the reference Google: Mambo number 5)

Run a Cusak lap to finish things off.

==============

Parting thoughts:
Do we push ourselves all the way, or are we holding back and not leaving it all out “on the field”? In our marriages, with our kids, at work, in our worship, in our workouts, in our resting even… Are we pushing and leaving it out there, or are we holding back? And if we are holding back, why? My challenge to myself (and I guess to other PAX) is to be intentional. Show up. Have a plan. Make it count. Go against the flow if you have to. Run with scissors when it’s called for. Leave it all out there (wherever there may be). Don’t be selfish, self-centered, or afraid. Give it away. Give your best to those who matter most, and stop living less than what you were put here to be. Period.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go play the sh*t out of some Barbies with my three little girls.

Helmet, out…

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“Operation Independence” – Gift Card Drive #HIM

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Men,

As we approach Independence Day it reminds us of the struggles and sacrifices made to have freedom. Even once that freedom is achieved, the fight is not over and we must press on to preserve what was attained.

This life we live on earth is not easy and when you are behind the eight ball, it is even harder. Please read this message from Tinker Toy and the plan for assisting a young man, but mainly showing the example of a real man…..High Impact Man (HIM),

Hello friends!
We have a young man transitioning from foster care in York County to full time independence who is moving into his first apartment (we will protect his confidentiality by not providing his name).  We were hoping to collect some items to help him along in this journey.  This is a wonderful young man who works very hard and goes to college…he is striving to make very wise choices and seeking after the Lord.  Will you pray for our friend, for blessings, direction, and a heart sold out for the Lord.  Will you pray that God will provide abundantly for his needs and that he will know he is loved!
There are many household items that are being donated by church small groups and our orphan ministry at our church already.  Being on a tight budget, what he would need most from our F3 family is gift cards to/for:
 
Wal-mart 
Gas 
Groceries
 
Gift card can be brought to any workout and given to Cake Boss, Tinker Toy, Padre, or Mailman. My wife and I will distribute the gift card to this young man as he needs them so he can start to learn how to budget. We don’t want to give everything at one time to avoid the temptation of spending where he doesn’t need to. He has never been taught the basics of adulthood so we want to make sure we help him learn how to best budget his finances now that he is on his own.
Thank you for your hearts and generosity for this young man.  A life without a family entering into adulthood can be very scary and overwhelming, so we are asking that the body of Christ overwhelm him with God’s love and bless him with a little of what we have been so richly blessed with ourselves as a demonstration of His love. 
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭40‬ ESV)

In His Hands,


Sean Baxter (Tinker Toy)
So men, starting today through July 4th we will collect these gift cards and get them to the following PAX – Cake Boss, Tinker Toy, Padre, or Mailman.
Whatever monetary value to can do, no amount is too small as this young man has nothing but his future ahead.
Any questions, please reach out to myself or Tinker Toy.
AYE!
CB
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Is your core strong?

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  • QIC: Dark Helmet
  • When: 06/15/15
  • Pax: Decibel, Longshanks, McGruff, Uncle Si, Javert, Uncle Kracker, Bogey, Catfish, Apache, Lumbersexual, Assassin, Green Wave, Gridlock, Blackhawk, Howitzer, Backdraft, Huckleberry, Dark Helmet (YHC), Lucky Charms (FNG), Al Bundy (FNG), Callahan (FNG), Band Camp (FNG)
  • Posted In: The Armory

WARM-UP AND STRETCH OUT

1. Windmills x 10 (IC)
2. Imperial Walker x 20 (IC)
3. Imperial Squat Walker x 20 (IC)
4. Moroccan Night Club x 30 (IC)
5. Squats x 20 (IC)
6. Merkins x 15 (IC)
7. Elbow Plank x :30
8. Mountain Climbers x 20 (IC)

Quick mosey for ¼ mile (big lap around the lot)

Carry bells over to adjacent part of lot for a little pep talk… Remember, one of the main points of a KettleBell workout is to strengthen your core. That is not just abs, it is 29 pairs of muscles that go all the way to your center. In all that we do in our workout today, focus on keeping your core tight and engaged. There are a lot of small muscles in there, that as you strengthen them, will make these difficult workouts less difficult over time. Having a solid core reduces risk of injury, and protects your vital organs. It helps improve your balance, and assists with better, more confident posture. This is the same in life. What is our core? There are a lot of ways to look at that, but in my world, our true core is our relationship to a higher power. In my case, it is a relationship with God and Christ. Then, my relationship with my wife and kids. Then, my relationship with my F3 brothers and other friends. As I keep those things strong, I build a foundation of spiritual muscle that will protect me, help me with balance, give me confidence, and make me stronger to face the day. Just like every other exercise is improved and our physical abilities are made better by having a strong muscle core, so are our mental and spiritual abilities strengthened and improved by having a strong spiritual core… Aye? Very good… let’s get to work…

1 minute AMRAP of each of the following and 20 seconds rest:
1. Swings
2. Curls – Right arm
3. Curls – left arm
4. Chest Press – right arm
5. Chest Press – left arm
6. Around the world – try not to do a hula dance
7. Goblet Squat
8. Single arm Shoulder Press (Kettlebell Press) – right arm
9. Single arm Shoulder Press (Kettlebell Press) – left arm
10. Figure 8
11. Slingshots

Little bell break…
Partner up, size does matter…
1. Partner Power Merkins x 15 (Partner 1 does Derkins off of Partner 2’s back, then Partner 2 does Merkins with Partner 1’s legs on his back) – Flapjack
2. People’s torture chair – Who has the heaviest bell? Put them on the end. Do people’s chair, then pass that bell down and back.
3. BTTW – to failure. As a man fails, he runs one short lap and then begins leg raises until the last man goes down.

But the bells are calling… Calling………….
1. Pullovers x 15
2. Russian twist x 15
3. Situps using bell at feet
4. Bell Webbs – 1 to 3 ratio for 3 rounds (Jack Webbs with the bell, up to 3 merkins on the bell and 9 overhead presses)

COT

Moleskin:
As always, I am honored to lead. Work hard, strengthen your core, make a difference. We were put here to act, not to be acted upon. We have the power to intentionally create for ourselves the life that the SkyQ wants us to lead, through our everyday choices.
Life is amazing, go live it to the fullest. Support your brothers.

Helmet out…

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The Fort 2015 #MemorialDayMurph

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  • QIC: CSPAN
  • When: 05/25/15
  • Pax: All-Star, Aqua Man, Assassin, Audit, Back Draft, Barry Manilow, Beast, Bounty Hunter, Burgandy, Cake Boss, Catfish, Chaser, Convoy, Corruption, Dark Helmet, Duggar, General, Geppetto, Google Maps, Gunny, Howitzer, Jeckle, Maximus, Old Bay, Opie, Padre, Pebbles, Peg Leg (FNG), Pepperoni, Rebel, Ringer, Rooney, Sharknado, Slinger (FNG), Soluki, Spitz, Stang, Sump Pump (FNG), & Trucker
  • Posted In: Flight Plan, The Armory, The Snake Pit

Perfect weather bright blue skies at NAFOHS

Most men attended their normal Monday F3 AO and than #doubled at #Murph

3 hard chargers ran their a “hilly” 6 to the #Murph = Jekyll, Maximus, & Rooney #REDPILL

NAFO gate keeper arrived to let us in…#NAMECHANGE

High quality disclaimer, witnessed by Legal Department…#RealChaser

Warm-ups in cadence = old and slow = #chiropractorsarecrazy

Moment of silence and quick discussion on #HIM and #Murph trying to prepare his men for battle, & BOM…and impact #HIM has on his men

Murph = 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, & run 1 mile = as fast as you can for time

  • Winner with Weigh Vest = Ringer
  • Winner with #RESPECT = Gunny
  • Winner with raw speed = Burgundy

Notables:

Google Maps first mile was #impressive

Pebbles ability to talk smack throughout = #reallyimpressive

Effort by each and every man to challenge himself = #priceless

Naked Man:

3 extremely fit FNGs = welcome brothers

2nd BOM was awesome with men calling out who they want to remember #T-Claps to Howitzer #HIM

Appreciate your enthusiasm

I love how patriotic The Fort is, around here “we understand the cost of freedom”

AYE!

CSPAN

 

 

 

 

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Bodies in Motion

  • QIC: Stang, Solid State
  • When: 05/25/15
  • Pax: Crash, Transplant, Dark Helmet, Change Order, Catfish, Assassin, Howitzer, Trucker, Sharpshooter, Jerry Lewis, CSPAN, Stang, YHC FNG: Pickles
  • Posted In: The Armory, The Fort

The Stang Thang:

Stang with a VQ warm up:

Winding indian run around the parking lot, (pick up CSPAN along the way).

Back to the circle

  • SSH x35
  • Slow merkins x10
  • Two-point windmills x15
  • Slow diamond merkins x10
  • 10 burpees OYO

Hand off to Solid State

Grab your kettle bell, let’s roll…

Mosey to the far corner of the parking lot, line up…

Ladder time
Run to the top of the parking lot, (don’t forget your kettlebell)
10 goblet squats at the top, back down to the bottom (don’t forget your kettlebell)
1 curl each arm, back to the top of the parking lot (don’t forget your kettlebell)
9 goblet squats… two curls each arm. you get the picture… down to 1 and 10.

Parking lot lap for recovery.

Stop at the next ladder…

Haul the KB to the top of the parking lot, 7 kettlebell burpees,
Down to the bottom of the parking lot 1 merkin,
Back up the parking lot., 6 kettlebell burpees… repeat down to one.

Fortunately, time ran out… back to the circle.

Peter Pointers (thanks Assassin), then Change Order protractors.

COT:
Great leap to Winnsboro last Saturday
Leap to Asheville next Saturday
F3 Dads throughout June – (Anyone know what time this begins? Let’s get this announcement out…)
Lots of new AOs, Colleseum tomorrow, Tega Cay Elementary this Thursday, Varsity on Friday, post at these new sites.

Prayers
Memorial day, much respect to those who served and gave all.
Respect to Tatanka’s family dealing with a recent loss.
Veterans park Memorial service in FM this morning @ 10
Prayers and support for the Forest Hill mission group (10 brothers, 10 days in September)

Thank you to Sharpshooter for taking us out with remembrance of our veterans.


Moleskin
Sometimes we just have work to do, plain, simple, (unimaginative) work. This is how I would describe ladders today. As we dug in, there was very little mumblechatter. Further into the grind, it was humbling to hear words rise out of the pax. The words spoken were those of support, brother to brother. Aye!

On this fine day, all honors and respect to those who have gone before us.

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What’s the purpose of F3?

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5 men answered the call for an Assassin led workout service project…(?)

No disclaimers needed here. These seasoned veterans knew the implications of their attendance at this post… The call was to show up and get to work, so we did…

The Thang:
– Partner up – Partner 1 grabs a lawn mower and mows half the back lot / Partner 2 grabs a weed eater and attacks the back fence lines and edges of the lots around the building
– Rinse and repeat with the front lot – continue for 45 minutes
– Next, 2 men grab round up and spray the parking lot weeds (excellent grip strengthening workout) while 1 man grabs the backpack blower and goes to town clearing the parking lot and driveway
– The other two men, um… supervise for this part… I won’t say whom, but it was Dark Helmet and Catfish…

End with some solid 2nd F and a sense of gratitude for men who have it in them to serve, and for the incredible abundance we all enjoy in our lives…

Moleskine:
So, a few days ago, the twitter machine buzzed, almost unnoticed, with a call by Assassin to come and help clean up the lot around where the new Fort Mill Care Center will be re-locating.

To me, this is one of the absolutely beautiful things about F3. A guy tweets, some guys respond. Lives are made better. It’s simple. The workouts aren’t a lot different. A guy tweets, some guys respond, we workout hard, and individuals are made better. What Assassin did, in my mind, was plant the Virtual Shovel Flag where betterment was needed and we were able to respond. To me, that’s what the shovel flag is. It’s a man solidly planting his intention to make lives better for that hour for those men who answer the call.

In fact, the whole point of the workouts is to “invigorate male community leadership”. And that’s what Assassin did. He heard a need, he rallied the troops, and made lives better. The people from the Fort Mill Care Center, certainly. But even more so, me. Opportunities to look outside ourselves abound. In our marriages, our families, our workplaces, and in our communities. Answer the call… Leave your mark… Be a HIM.

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Assassin’s assault on #F3TheArmory

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Posted for “my guy”, Here are his notes:

Really nice 25 count for 60 degree dry morning for a parking lot tour with a few stops along the way.

Warm up with SSH, IW, Tunnel Touches, Flutter Kicks, Merkins and Good Mornings (Hamstring stretches)

Light jog with bells for the tour, with parking spots of assignments such as:

NORTH ROW:

Swings

Figure 8’s

Squats

Russian Twists

SOUTH ROW:

Floor Presses

LBC’s

Halo’s

Squat Slingshots

Two groups strutted out separately for a round of 10, then back again for a round of 15.

Met up for a few SSH’s, IW’s, Flutter kicks and Good Mornings, then, back for one more lot tour with a round of 10, with each of us leaving our bells behind for a pot luck for the next group.

All Pax thoroughly enjoyed the confusion of find their own bell again, then we gladly ran through another set of SSH’s, IW’s, etc., before COT

Oh, wait, we had 2 minutes — Finished strong with my signature Peter Pointers..

Many thanks for the chance to lead this morning!

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Thanks Anchorman…

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  • QIC: CSPAN
  • When: 04/27/15
  • Pax: 50-CAL (FNG), Assassin, Boy Band, Car Bomb, Catfish, Change Order, Cheddar, Chicken Hawk, Dark Helmet, Deacon, Destiny, Duggar, Grid Lock, Huckleberry, Longshanks, Lug Nut, McGruff, Senator, Sparks, Spitz, & Trucker
  • Posted In: The Armory

Disclaimer, 1 FNG “who will now be forever known as 50-CAL”, and welcome to #TheArmoryF3 . My man Anchor is fighting a nasty infection..so he asked me to step in to Q.

NOTE: We are still looking for a replacement AO-Q (Tatanka is moving) for the Armory.

COP near the funeral home side of FHC-FM.

SSH, IW, Squats, Seal Jacks, Windmills, and a couple of others as a very quick warmup…you’re welcome because my chiropractor thinks I need it…#old.

I had forgotten that the #mumblechatter at this AO is “Top Shelf”…we should have done more bombjacks…I appreciate your enthusiasm and comedy show attitudes…makes Q’ing that much more fun.

Mosey to far parking lot for “Pyramid of Pain”

  • All exercises included bell except burpees and CDD.
  • Shotgun Start
  • Run a parking lot lap after every station
Station Reps Exercise
1 50 LBC
2 40 Calf Raises
3 30 Squats
4 20 Americans
5 10 Burpee
6 20 Americans
7 30 Squats
8 40 Calf Raises
9 50 LBC
10 50 Flutter
11 40 CDD
12 30 TRI-EXT
13 20 Curls
14 10 Burpee
15 20 Curls
16 30 TRI-EXT
17 40 CDD
18 50 Flutter

 

T-Claps to Senator, Shanks, and Huckleberry for getting in a full rotation.

Quick sprint off to close out the morning.

COT

Prayer & Praise, BOM, and a post fellowship

Moleskin:

Always an honor to Q, here is everything in my notes:

 

 

And in case I have not said it lately, “Be a better man today than you were yesterday”

 

CSPAN – over & out

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Badgers Basket(Bell) Beatdown…just Like Kentucky

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  • QIC: Longshanks
  • When: 04/06/15
  • Pax: Stang, McGruff, Boy Band (respect), Senator Tressel (respect), Change Order, Crash, Lugnut (respect), Trucker (go Big Ten), Duggar, Anchorman, Greenwave, Cheedah, Spitz, The Librarian, Car Bomb, Longshanks
  • Posted In: The Armory

16 of Fort Mill’s finest showed up at The Armory with their kettlebell not knowing what to expect.  Most didn’t realize YHC was on the Q after a late night switch from Tatanka.  YHC asked who had the Q and he said I could have it as he was supposed to but was still nursing an injury and preparing for the Mud Run.  No need to worry a s YHC can come up with a workout plan real quick.  Advantage of being a PE Teacher.  Trucker chimes in on twitter machine about a Wisconsin themed workout in honor of their National Championship appearance tonight.  Thanks Trucker!!!

The Thang

Warmup lap around parking lot. Then COP of:

10 Windmills (IC), 15 IW (IC), 21 Mountain Climbers (IC), 24 Peter Parkers (IC), 44 SSH (IC)

Informed the PAX that this was the Badgers Basketbell Beatdown.  The numbers 10, 15, 21, 24, and 44 represented the numbers of the Badgers starting 5. 10 -Nigel Hayes, 15 Sam Dekkar, 21 Josh Gasser, 24 Bronson Koenig, 44 – Frank Kaminsky. So we would do 10 Kettlebell Burpees, 15 Kettlebell swings, 21 Upright Rows, 24 Kettlebell Squats, 44 Plank rows (22 on each side), then run to the second light pole and back.  Rinse and repeat until 5 rounds are complete (5 wins to get to Championship game).  Upon completing 5 rounds 12 bicep curl (6 each side) 12 tricep extension. (in honor of number 12, Traevon Jackson, who is also the 6th man).  Continue curls and extensions, until the 6 has finished 5 rounds.  Last exercise was 41 situps with kettlebell extended in front of face.  This was to honor Wisconsin’s last National Championship in Men’s Basketball, 1941.  Finish with COT and BOM

Announcements – Mud Run and Spartan this weekend.  Be safe.  Check email/newsletter for all other information

Prayers – Truckers friend going through divorce.  Flattire’s M.  Safety for guys running Mud Run and Spartan this upcoming weekend.

Moleskin – Even with late notice and not a lot of time to plan, it’s always still an honor to get to lead this group of fine men.  Not sure if I made the PAX Wisconsin fans or Duke fans for tonight’s game, but at least they are a little more knowledgeable.  Not a lot of mumblechatter except guys not remembering how many reps of each exercise.  Kind of like not a lot of mumblechatter from Kentucky after losing to the Badgers.  Enjoy the pain in the morning, and enjoy the game tonight!!!!! AYE

 

 

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