12 PAX and 2 Qs showed up at THE DEEP in Lake Wylie for a “Moist” DRP. Little rain in the area but that did not stop this bunch because as Pusher mentioned, we could all be sipping our Lattes watching constant coverage of Hurricane Matthew on our couch or we could be getting better with our brothers in the wind and rain (one of the 5 core principles) and taking our Daily Red Pill. We all chose to get better and make memories together as the storm surges on.

No new FNGs…..I can’t imagine why, however we all need to continue the EH. As Dark Helmet brought up we are all ridiculously blessed “more than most of our peers” and this is the truth. The fact that we have each other in this brotherhood called F3 is one blessing and then to include Sky Q, food, shelter, love and fellowship. We must EH and get more men involved and those in F3 need to continue to stretch themselves and get better in all 3 Fs!

The Thang:

Cake Boss on Q for short mosey across the street

COP:

• 12 Windmills
• 12 Imperial Walkers
• 12 Squats
  • something about “are your legs that big or are you happy to see me”….my legs are that big and I’m Irish to prove I’m not that happy to see anyone!! Hence Sheamus arrived!
• 12 Merkins

Mosey to Track:

Ladder with 100 yard run between. Begin 1st exercise and add next exercise with # of reps.

• 1 Merkin (12 total)
• 2 Squats (22 total)
• 3 LBCs (30 total)
• 4 Mak Tar Chi (36 total)
• 5 Freddy Mercury’s (40 total)
• 6 Burpees (42 total)
• 7 Lunges (42 total)
• 8 Flutter Kicks (40 total)
• 9 Carolina Dry Docks (36 total)
• 10 Side Straddle Hops (30 total)
• 11 Donkey Kicks (22 total)
• 12 Leg Raises (12 total)
  • 1300 total yards running

YHC talked about how after JC fed the 5000 peeps with some loaves and fishes, the crowd went nuts like at Toby Keith or Zac Brown concert. They thought JC and the disciples were the bomb, and the disciples let it get to their heads…..they thought they were rock stars. JC gets them in the boat an takes them away to give a lesson on humility and grace. This leads to all of us and how we sometimes think we are “all that and a bag of chips” because of accomplishments and feats of strength. Nothing wrong with feeling good about doing well, but we need to always remember who gives us everything. From Grace to Mercy, we get what we don’t deserve and don’t get what we really deserve because Sky Q is a loving father with arms wide open not judging but loving each of us. He only asks the same in return.

Pusher on Q:

50 Side Straddle Hops…..lots of mumble chatter here

Backward Indian Run

• 1 mile run with each PAX doing 10 merkins at each round
• 1 more lap for kicks…..Sprint the straights/Mosey the curves

50 Side Straddle Hops…..more mumble chatter here

Pusher mentioned how important it is to post, EH and never take what F3 has done in our lives for granted. We make each other better together and if anyone is in a real storm, we got brothers on either side of you to sharpen you and hold you accountable and make each of us better each day!

Announcements: 10/28 3rd F Convergence, 11/19 The Forging, PAY NOW FOR CHRISTMAS PARTY

Prayers: For all those effected by Hurricane and Ragnar participants, and all spoken/unspoken prayers

Peace Out!

Cake Boss & Pusher

It was finally a cool day in Charlotte. It was surely the first day under 60 degrees at 6:30am since last winter! It was so “cold” that Witch Hunt refused to get out of his car early…and then put a sweatshirt on! I’m looking forward to how he handles those rainy 35 degree winter days! My Weinke was set up for a bunch of partner work so I was hoping for a even number of PAX.

When it was that start time…we had 5. No luck on the large crowd OR the even number! I have to stop promoting how awful my workouts will be on twitter. Small disclaimer about something…time to mosey!

Headed off the plantation to the Elementary school track.

COP – 25 SSH – 20 IWs – 30 MNCs – 10 WA Merkins – 15 Parker Peters – 20 MCs – 20 LS Squats

1st pain station
Dora 1-2-3
Partner Up
Partner #1 run a full lap around the track
Partner #2 Complete 100 Merkins then 200 American Hammers finally 300 Squats
Switch on the laps add cumulative totals

Shared a piece about Partners, accountability and the bonds we get to make with the PAX of F3. That’s what keeps me coming out here 5-6 days a week. Like Puddles had said the day before, it’s about the men now more than the workout!

Mosey to Painstation #2 back at Oakridge

Quadzillas with a twist
Partner #1 run down the hill and back up backwards
Partner #2 Burpees
Do this trade off for 5 minutes (real crowd pleaser)

Mosey to Painstation #3 on soccer field
Partner wheelbarrow from goal to goal. Partner switch when needed
Next OPEN wheelbarrow (partner holds legs while you face him on hands. Hard tricep work. (thanks Gekko!) All 5 of us hated this one…
Partner Fireman carries on the return

Mosey to COT for Ab Lab

PAX called out ab exercises and each led in cadence until the hour was up.

Announcements
Ragnar Trail Run next weekend
Region Split update from Invergence
MudRun 10/15

Prayers
We each gave a prayer that was on our heart, another great thing F3 helps us not to carry on our own.

An Honor to Lead:

Royale

6 gathered for a reasonably cool quite Saturday at THE DEEP.

Left leg stretch
Right leg stretch
Tunnel Touches
Side Straddle Hops
Lo Slow Squats
Box cutters

MOSEY

Left leg stretch
Right leg stretch
Morraccan Night Clubs
Merkins
Plank
Flutter Kicks

MOSEY with
High Knees
Butt Kickers
Toy Soldiers

We found the 50 yard line and spent LOTS of time between that and the end zone.
We partnered up for some team action.

Partner does LBC’s while partner runs to goal line and back.
5 Rounds of SHORT RUNS

Partner does Side Straddle Hops 2 rounds, then squats (had to modify when the Q couldn’t handle) while partner runs
5 rounds total

Back to the end zone for:
12 Shoulder tap Merkins, 12 squats, 12 LBC’s, 50 yard run
12 Imperial Walkers, 12 Monkey Humpers, 12 Flutters, 50 yard run
12 Mountain Climbers, 12 Calf Raises, 12 Freddy Mercuries, 50 yard run

Partner Back Up
for Seal team Full Situps!

Turned over the festivities to Royale who led us on some running and Mary.

The football field was a refreshingly moist dew of coldness.

This is a great AO, and we should get the word out about this. 5 faithful HIMs each week. Great conversation. I appreciate the chance to lead.

Ray (Deacon’s friend)
Emma (Chemo treatments)
C-Span

This month’s theme is GRACE —
My acronym: God’s Relentless Abundance at Christ’s Expense – Despite my failures, he is allowing me this time to be amongst great men, never been injured exercising, study his Word more through 3rd F’s — my growth in the Lord is immeasurable since joining F3.

Royale added: 5,477 days since 9/11/01 — All these days that we have had to make a difference.

Respect —
Assassin

Last Saturday, I had the great privilege to lead alongside Kenyan on his VQ at the Deep. As his F3 name suggests, Kenyan is a runner. But he hasn’t always been one (More on that in a bit).

The Kenyan warm-up and beat down:
Side-Straddle Hops
Windmill
Hillbilly Walkers
American Hammers
Freddy Mercurys
Pivot Plank Merkins
Toe Squats

Then we moseyed across the street to the brand-spanking new school’s track for the running portion of the program.

Before we began, Kenyan gave some great personal testimony.

Kenyan wasn’t born a runner. In fact, he hated running. But his pastor introduced a “Couch to 5K” program. By his own account, he wasn’t in the greatest shape, didn’t eat the healthiest stuff. So he decided to give it a go. In a matter of weeks, he’d lost significant amount of weight and was hooked. Then, his pastor called him and let him know about an upcoming marathon, and that Kenyan was “voluntold” he was going to run it. Pastor sent a training program and, to make a long story short, Kenyan ran that marathon, and is currently training for NUMBER 6. (Author’s note: This is a full six more marathons than I have run.) He used his personal journey to illustrate the power of our mind and positive thinking. If you think you can do something, chances are, you can. If you doubt you can, you’ve already failed. Aye!

The Merkin Mile Challenge
Cones at 11 and 5 o’clock on the oval track marked the merkin stations
Ten merkins at the first set, run, 10 merkins at the second set, run
Repeat for 10 full minutes. Intense. But, you know what? We all pushed ourselves and finished strong.

Then Kenyan handed off the second half to me.

I took my inspiration from a CSPAN Q at The Swamp. Thanks, CSPAN!

Set up included a dozen parking spaces (two rows of six, back to back), each with an exercise and the number of reps in sidewalk chalk. Each PAX chooses a parking spot, completes the prescribed exercise, then runs a lap around the parking lot, returning and progressing to the next exercise in the sequence. Go until C.O.T.

The Thang:

Merkins x 20
Sumo Squats x 20
Mountain Climbers x 20
Diamond Merkins x 20
LBCs x 20
Flying Squirrels x 10
Merkins x 20
Imperial Walkers x 20
Peter Parkers x 20
Freddy Mercurys x 20
Carolina Dry Docks x 20
Flying Squirrels x 10

At C.O.T., I spoke a bit about this month’s theme of forgiveness. My biggest challenge is not the forgiving of others. It’s being forgiving of myself. I challenged us all to offer ourselves the same grace we give others. We all fall short. We all make mistakes. But, the hope is we learn from them and become better men.

Prayers: for teachers and students as they return to school, for Royale’s Dad, for helping us grow as fathers, husbands and friends.

Saturdays are already longer workouts then most…but our buddy Witch Hunt likse to make things even harder. So Friday night he throws it out on twitter, “Hey anyone want to ruck before the Deep tomorrow?” I just spent a billion dollars on a GORUCK rucker so I thought it was a fine idea. And somehow he talked Da Vinci and Wild Thing into this nonsense as well…so…the day was almost 2 hours – and here’s how it went.

Show up at The Deep around 5:40am and plant the shovel flag. If you would have asked me 1 1/2 years ago why in the world I would be out of bed on Saturday at 5am…I probably would have told you I didn’t go to sleep the night before! But not these days when you surround yourself with true HIMs.

The four of us gathered and strapped on our rucks. We walked the long way over to the new elementary school to give it a look. They have a newly completed track that Witch Hunt wanted us to recon for this ruck. His suggestion so he’s in charge right? He put together a nice extra credit ruck for us around this new space. On the long stretch of track we walk, on the turns we double time it. After about 30 minutes and 5 laps the sweat was going…and the mubblechatter was excellent. To me it’s one of the best reasons to get out with the men of F3. To finish off our extra credit we partnered up.

1st partner 10 Merkins with ruck on
2nd Partner continues to walk, 1st partner then has to run to catch up. Rinse and repeat for a lap.

So this completed the rucking extra credit, and we moseyed back to the gathering area of the Deep for the 6:30am launch.

One car pulled up and Kenyan joined the four of us. Still better than last week, but I’ve got to get the message out there to more folks!

The Thang

I was one Q for the first half, gave the disclaimer and then we were off.

Long warmup lap around the school, ending in the soccer field

COP
15 CDDs – 15 IWs – 15 Ski Abs – 25 MNCs – 10 Merkins – 25 SSHs – 10 Windmills

We ran over to the front hill for some 11s

Merkins on Top –> Run down the hill –> 1 Plank Jack at Bottom

Up and Down until we reverse to 1 Merkin at Top 10 Plank Jacks at the bottom

This was a lot harder than I thought, and we had a couple ten counts to finish. Poor Kenyan didn’t hear me right, and was doing 10 Merkins each time…that about made up for him missing the rucking session!

Mosey behind the school for a new York favorite of mine. Lt Danger’s! (Thanks Orvis)

Complete Lt Danger’s for about 100 yards.
Lunge – Lunge – Squat – Merkin all the way down

OK I’m done and tired…time for Wild Thing to try out this Q thing!

Wild Thing wants to open with it being the start of training camp for football season. Let’s do some of their drills! The rest of us spill out an un-enthusiastic “YEAH!”

Mosey back to the soccer field for 21s (Maybe I should have conferred with my co-Q, my bad PAX)

21 Merkins sprint across the field 20 LBCs sprint 19 Merkins sprint 18 LBCs…you get the idea down to 1 Merkin

I think we were all ready to pass out, and still had 20 minutes to go.

Wild Thing pulls out Thunderstruck so we can do a few Up – Downs just like the football pros. It went well as expected but hey, no one splashed merlot, I think only 2 of us blacked out.

We’re getting CLOSE to the end so Wild Thing takes us to the wall to relax.

People’s Chair PAX 10 counts, once with right leg lift once with left. Mosey into a circle for

Freddie Mercury’s –> back to the wall –> Hello Dolly’s with Kenyan on count.

That’s it, mosey back to COT

Announcements

Prayers for teachers getting ready to head back to school.

Prayers for my father as he struggles with job loss, new living arraignments and addiction.

Witch Hunt wanted to share praises for this group of PAX. Their were only 5 of us their today, but all five were there at the start of the Deep and would consider it their home AO.

I concurred with Witch Hunt, we’re so very happy that we have the honor of helping bring F3 to Lake Wylie! Spread the word PAX!

Fortunately, I didn’t have to find the answer to this existential question. Two familiar vehicles weaved their way into the parking lot at 0625.

I had been nervous all week, thinking about my VQ, and arrived at the AO about 45 minutes early to walk through the workout to be sure it would work. I had thought of a series of exercises that could work using agility ladders. At the Deep, there’s one stenciled onto the pavement, so I chalked in another a few paces away.

The Thang:

Mosey around to parking lot at the far side of the school. Since you can’t really make a circle with 3 PAX, we “triangled” up.

Warm up (all in cadence):
SSH x20
Imperial Walkers x15
Windmills x10
Low Slow Squats x10
Spidermans (Spidermen?) x10
LBCs x20
Mountain Climbers x10
American Hammers x10

Mosey around to track along side of school for the

“Ladders of Success”

Start in “end zone.” One at a time, each PAX runs to the close end of ladder #1, and performs the prescribed exercise along the LEFT side. Next PAX begins after previous PAX makes it 1/3 to 1/2 way down ladder.

After reaching midfield, perform exercises based on odd or even number:
1, 3, 5: 20 Low Slow Squats; 2, 4, 6: 20 Reverse Lunges OYO. Then, enter the RIGHT side of ladder #2 and perform exercise along RIGHT side of ladder so one moves the opposite direction from previous.

After reaching the end zone, perform exercises based on odd or even number:
1, 3, 5: 20 Freddie Mercurys; 2, 4 ,6: LBCs OYO. Perform same exercise going back toward other end zone with same midfield exercises.

Exercises:
1. “Square Bears” (single square, in-line bear crawl)
2. “Carolina Dry Hops” (CDD position, in-line, double-hand jumps)
3. “Plank Walkers” (move laterally in plank position)
4. “Mountain Merkins” (4 single-count mtn climbers, one merkin, move, repeat)
5. “Crabicides” (lateral crab walk, perpendicular to ladder)
6. “High 5s Low 5s” (like Plank Walkers, but in-box, out-box alternates
7. “Octo Burpees” (8-count burpees: drop, plank, plank-jack, push up, jump up)

Since we had just 3 PAX, the workout ran a few minutes short. I exercised the nuclear option and tossed to Tater who led us through a series of 11’s up and down a nearby hill. (Thank you, Tater!)

One merkin, up the hill for 11 Bombjacks,
Back down hill.
Two merkins, up the hill for 10 Bombjacks.
(Notice a pattern here?)

Mosey back to COT for prayer led by Tater

Gave thanks for good healthcare and insurance and path forward for his M.
Prayed for guidance to parents of young children.
Prayed for God’s hand to guide us in these uncertain times.

Thank you, Mainframe and Tater for the support. I hope to learn from this experience and grow to become a better Q.

8 #HIMs arrived including 2.0 Nutmeg on a slightly humid, no wind day to partake in a lower body, upper body push.

YHC and Royale arrived early for setup and F2 extra credit jog with a good discussion about the benefits that F3 has had on both of us.

No FNG’s but good practice disclaimer for Bolt.

Mosey a little around the school to loosen up. Some high knees and butt kickers. Used the straightaway next to the practice field for some sprinting, backward run and lunges.

Dynamic stretching with:

SSH x 15 IC

Imperial Walkers x 15 IC

Windmills x 15 IC

LBC’s x 15 IC

Hit the field for “Indian line” exercises, lower body.

7 sand bags (10# to 50#…or so YHC thought) were aligned about 4 feet apart in front of one of the soccer goals. PAX picked up a bag held close to the body (really? for lower body?). Each exercise was performed with 5 reps (in quick single cadence), drop your bag, move quickly to the right, pick up the next bag of ascending weight, then 5 more reps. Last guy in line finishing the heaviest bag ran back to the first bag for the next 5.  After each PAX went through all the bags, sprint across the field to the other goal. Jog back and fall back in line and pick up a bag for the next exercise.

Exercises performed:

Squats

Calf raises regular

LBC’s

Wide leg “mini” squats (monkey humper style)

Calf raises alternating toes in/toes out.

Time moved quickly and some planned ab work had to be cancelled.

Before passing on to Royale, YHC addressed “communication” as it applies to the PAX. Specifically addressed was to communicate with your fellow PAX at workouts and after. This is especially important in a new area. Be sure to introduce yourself to the FNG’s and recently new PAX. Go out of your way to talk to others during a workout. Support posts on Twitter with a like or reply of positive reinforcement. Drop a message to someone you haven’t seen. The quicker someone feels comfortable and encouraged within F3, the more they will post.

Also briefly discussed was to communicate during a workout especially during times of heat and humidity. Don’t be afraid to say you aren’t feeling well. PAX should keep an eye on each other and not be afraid of asking “how are you doing?” if someone doesn’t look well.

Royale took his turn to lead.  Mosey from the soccer field to the back of the school, and we took it off-roading to the hill at the back of the school.  We all grabbed a rock of varying sizes for our next pain group.

20x rock curls – run down the hill – 10 CDDs – run back up – rinse & repeat 3x

20x rock over head presses – run down the hill – 10x Merkins – run back up – R & R 3x

20x rock tricep curls – run – 10 Burpees – up the hill – R & R 3x

Royale took a break between round 2 & 3 and added to Bolt’s message around communication.  He asked each member of the PAX to share something they are happy for.  Too much negativity being shared in this world.  

Mosey back and PAX assistance carrying back cones and sand bags. Bolt realized the 50# sandbag was not used and still in his car after the workout. Psyche! (Next time) Special shout out to 2.0 Nutmeg for a great effort!

Prayers for family members, our country and the world during these difficult times.

We each went around for a prayer from each PAX in COT.  

Alamo, Crab Cakes, Bolt and Royale for Dunkin Donuts with good ruck discussions.

Announcements

9:00 am F3 Dads at Patriot, July Dads in Rock Hill

7/22 – Friday at Slow Burn – Chik-Fil-A on 160 – Convergence run for Spud, 5k and/or AO workout, park at Empire

7/23 – Saturday 12:00-4:00 pm – Picnic party at Spitz House. See newsletter for details.

YHC thanks Royale for the Q support and great discussions on the positive impact F3 has had on each of us and we tried to make sure positive items were brought up during and after the workout.