My apologies for the very late BB. This poor guy got stuck in draft mode. Cobains
We had the ruck boys join us for some fun at the Swamp. To know what went down, show up next time.
Olaf
P.S.A attendance is highly recommended. March 27th mark your calendars. F3 St. Louis very own Miyagi and Aerobie has brought light to a sensitive subject that’s right Suicide-mental health awareness. A subject we try and avoid talking about at all or till it’s to late. YHC will be on Q at the Panethon if you can’t make it to the west side of town Stang is on Q at Tomahawk and will also discussing the subject.
I am encouraging you to step up and share your experience. Whether it be about yourself or family member or even a friend. YHC will testify how this subject has effected my life. Please remember what we talk about in COT stays in COT it’s okay to be vulnerable. We are stronger together rather than alone.
Quotes
Don’t be ashamed of your story it will inspire others. Author Unknown
“You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.”
”I hide all my scars with an I’m fine.”
The bravest thing I ever did was continuing my life when I wanted to die. – Juliette Lewis
The world is a better place with you in it.
Suicide doesn’t end the chances of life getting worse, it eliminates the possibility of it ever getting any better. – unknown
I had the opportunity to sub for Sasquatch, we had 4 bootcampers, 4 ruckers and 6 runners.
I kindly asked the ruckers to join the BC but they declined the invitation to our pain fest.
After a quick disclaimer, Mile High, Cha Ching, Copyright and YHC moseyed for about 1/3 of a mile and did the warm up:
Side straddle hops, windmills, moroccan night clubs, low slow squats and some cherry pickers.
Following the warm up we moseyed to the stairs next to the back of Just Fresh where some props had been dropped earlier, we started the following with a run up and down the stairs after completion of one circuit:
8 Carolina Dry Docks
8 man makers w/block or weights
8 sledgehammer swing each side
8 worst merkin ever W-R-D
8 touch ground squat
8 biceps curls w/block or weights
8 shoulder tap each side
2 tire flips
After 3 circuits we took a “break” and run around the block were Omega sports used to be to comeback to the stairs and props for 2 more rounds of pain.
With 3 minutes in we found a grassy area for some superhero workout: supermans and the famous Captain Thor, lots of mumble chatter here, one PAX commented that it was the hardest mary he has ever donebut never gave up.
With two minutes to spare we run back to COT to meet the runners and ruckers.
We finished up with announcements, prayers and praises.
Great work by everyone!!
Tinsel out… until the next day
PAX, we are teaming with CrossFit and Ruck Clubs across the country to honor 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…”
Support his Foundation by doing the Manion WOD on April 27, 2019 at Walter Elisha Park starting at 6:30am. They have created our own ticket to register with under: F3 Fort Mill/Lake Wylie Ruckers. Cost is $35.00
The Manion WOD w/Ruck is:
-400 meter run
-29 Ruck Squats w/#40 sandbag
-7 Rounds
Sign up here: https://donate.travismanion.org/event/2019-manion-wod-for-ruck-clubs/e220757.
Note: Due to order time on patches, if you want a patch the day of the event, you need to register by Mon, March 4th. Otherwise, your patch will be mailed after completion of the event.
-Cobra Kai
6 pax came out for the swamp plus 9 for Chupacabra and running.
After pax were exhaustively disclaimed, we mosied around the parking lot for COP
COP- the usual: SSH, MNC, IW, LSS, merkins, Peter parkers
The thang (see picture)
Each card had a #, exercise, and was in a foreign language. Pax had to guess each, which we would the complete, followed by the correct exercise + appropriate punishment/reward for each guess. Pax did remarkably well . I think I need to venture outside of my European language comfort zone to really make it hard. I’ve been warned not to try these shenanigans with Mile-high, luckily he was a no show.
Thanks Cha Ching for the opportunity to lead.
22 at The Swamp on this cool January morning
We got a break from rain to come out and enjoy a good end to the week
We had 3 groups, Runners, Ruckers and Bootcampers
Those who chose the bootcamp route got YHC as Q
Was nice to be back, haven’t been to the Swamp in a bit so thanks to Cha Ching for the call-up!
We took a nice mosey over to Just Fresh where we circled up to get a warm-up in
Did some SSH, Squats, MC, Peter Parker, Parker Peter, Moroccan night clubs, Plank o rama, Plank Jacks, Imperial Walkers
Moseyed over to the Red balls to partner up and do some suicides with a twist of course
Start at the stop sign with your partner and do 1 Burpee, run to the first ball together and do 10 Partner handslap merkins and run back to start together and do 1 Burpee.
Run to 2nd Ball together and do 10 partner handslap big boy sit-ups and return to stop sign together and do 1 Burpee.
Continue this alternating plan until everyone completes 9 rounds
Early finishers do squats until the 6 was in
Mosey over to a wall where we did some wall sits while each of us takes a turn and runs out and completes one Burpee
Short rest then repeat but increase to 2 Burpees
Change it up next round and do BTTW and 1 Burpee
Round 2 BTTW and 2 Burpees but go 2 PAX at a time this time so our shoulder s dont crumble!!!!
Mosey back to COT area to finish up with some AB Lab
Announcements, Yeti coming up and some PAX training for a GORUCK Heavy in a few months!!! Good luck with training and stay healthy everyone.
As I type this up, I realize that copy and pasting right after the workout would have been a very easy task but I decided to wait but build up the suspense….or something like that. At the Swamp gathering, we divided into 3 groups – runners, ruckers and bootcampers.
As YHC led the bootcampers away from COT off into the gloom, we did a quick mosey that included butt kickers, high knees and side to side shuffles. Once we reached our destination, we circled up to get in some quick warm up and stretching given the cooler temps.
Starting out we did: SSH, windmills, Moroccan night clubs, low slow squats, smurf jacks, and some hamstring and back stretches along with downward dog and honeymooner.
Once stretching and bodies were somewhat defrosted, we got into the Thang.
Given our first week of Q source was disruption, what better way to mix things up and disrupt the status quo than pick on something everyone was familiar with – the infamous “12 days of Christmas”. With this in mind, YHC went with “12 days…since NYE” which was still true and this was only the beginning. Each exercise was going to have a bit of a twist and was going to make the PAX challenge not only their bodies in the early gloom, but also their listening, math and memory skills! Here’s how we started out and in true “12 day” style, started with 1, then moved to 2 and back to 1, then to 3 to 2 to 1, then to 4….and so on. Whatever number you’re on, that’s how many exercises were done unless there was a multiplier included after the exercise (for example see #4 which is x2 meaning 8 of each variety of calf raise. Also where there’s 2 exercises listed, you got to do both at the designated number.
1. Lap / run (which included up and down the set of stairs and around the parking lot for a short loop)
2. Cracken burpees (if you don’t know what this is, a regular burpee with 3 hand release merkins at the bottom and a Lake Wiley special!)
3. Fluttters & Rosalita & American Hammer (3 sets of each and double count with flutters and hammers)
4. Calve raises (all 3 varieties – inside, regular, outside) x2
5. Smurf jacks x2 (this is a squat position while doing SSH)
6. WWII big boy (legs in butterfly position and big boy situp)
7. Diamonds & Hand release
8. Jump lunge (each leg)
9. Dips x2
10. CDD x2
11. Plank ski jump (1 full cycle is 1 count)
12. Squats x3
13. Bonus round…Toe Taps
A few PAX made it through the 12 days and were looking for more, so in true disruption fashion, YHC was happy to accommodate with a 13th bonus day!
Headed back to COT with 4 min remaining, we managed to get in a few minutes of Mary while we were joined by our fellow runners and ruckers. Wrapping up with name-o-rama, announcements and TAPs, YHC was happy to be called upon to lead.
Even with the disruption we face every day, no matter how big or small, it’s how we handle the change that makes us better. Even if throwing in a small curve ball into something like “12 days” gives you pause to think about change, applying this “pause” to everyday life for bigger curve balls is great practice for the game of life. Slowing down life to wait for the curve balls that will come across the plate is a patient man’s game. Disrupting the status quo for controlled (or even uncontrolled) practice…there’s nothing wrong with that game!
Shady
I don’t know where everyone was this morning. It’s not cold.
In preparation for the 5k obstacle course that the IceBreaker has transformed into for this year, we took a crack at 2 of the 14 events from last year.
The MARSOC Short Card
The Spartan 300
Did someone say QBert was on Q? 5 MORE BURPEES AT COT!!!!!
NMM
God has been stripping away what I thought was my identity for most of 2018. The details are a big cumbersome but it got to the point where it was just depressing to be me. With the M working night shifts, I would just spend hours at night sitting on the couch with no motivation to do anything that I used to find so enjoyable. No one to share my hobbies with began to drain on my usual level of happiness. I continued to just go through the actions of husbandry and parenting with no real joy. However, through a new found investment in prayer, it seems that God was just emptying me of my wrong sense of identity so he could fill me up with His values and will for my life. Please continue to pray for where this may lead me.
Announcements
IceBreaker at York High School January 12 0530 for a 5k obstacle course
https://f3york.com/#announcements/-LSL_Ms2Biw9tkpzRflZ
To all the Pax of F3 Nation
Are you prepared to challenge your self for 2019? I am challenging all Pax’s to join me for 2019 we will take on one exercise for January (merkins single count) 100 reps every day. Then in February we will add another exercise which will be done every day on top of the 100 merkins and so on and so on. We will increase by adding one exercise each month. These exercises will be above and beyond when you post. So by the end of the year there will be 12 exercises that need to be done everyday at the reps set.
Do you accept the challenge? Do you want to get better?
I will set the next month exercise and reps the week before to keep you on your toes
It is always a pleasure to get the “call” to the lead the PAX and this opportunity didn’t disappoint. The Swamp is my “home” Friday AO so I was well aware of all the nooks and crannies it had to offer.
After a separating ourselves from the droves of men with backpacks (12 of them) I gave the usual disclaimer explaining that these men were there at their own risk and that the only thing I could promise is that they would return “stronger” than they set out. I also explained that we would be “moving” the entire time so ‘buckle up’ and enjoy the tour.
Quick 3/4 mile mosey around Home Depot to the Khol’s parking lot. Along the way we did some active stretching including butt kickers and high knees. Warm up included several exercises to warm the muscles up such as:
Quick mosey 100 yards —- 50 Slow Low Squats
Bear Crawl 50 yards
25 yard mosey
Merkins:
Crawl Bear 50 yards
Mosey to Verizon: 50 Moroccan Night Club (Jedi wasn’t amused)
Mosey to “alley” behind Home Depot:
Wall sits while one PAX goes out and does 10 Berpees
Lunge Walking (down alleyway)
Mosey toward COT
Halfway stop for 10 more Burpees
Almost there……but first one last Suicide to really gas ourselves.
We finished strong and as I promised every man came back to COT stronger than he had left. We reconnected with our backpack brothers and lifted some prayers and praises up. In total 19 men got better (12 Ruckers and 7 Bootcampers)
Bones
