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Survive and Advance

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Lutefisk was put on the IR this week and YHC felt called to respond to his call for a substitute Q at Golden Corral. Disclaimers were delivered to a crowd of 14 HIMs – Gekko took a 5-mile ish mosey in preparation for this weekend’s long training run (aka P200). The remaining PAX moseyed off for a March Madness themed workout with many reps.

COT – all I/C (note the counts and their march madness like numbers)
Moroccan Night clubs x Sweet 16
Arm circles forward and backward x Sweet 16
SSH x 32 (just because…..)
Windmills x Sweet 16
Mountain Climbers X Sweet 16
Merkins D/C X Elite 8
Honeymooners, planks, salutations to the right and left with a few 6-inch holds dome for 10 counts of varying length

Mosey to the Brackets. Disclaimer – Like the NCAA’s – some brackets are more difficult than others. Regardless of the challenge, the mission is the same – survive and advance. All exercises were completed twice (or until YHC called time)- the first round was descending down the list and the second was ascending up the list – 64-32-16-8-4-2-2-4-8-16-32-64.

Bracket #1 – East region
64- Squats
32 – Shoulder taps
16- Dips
8- Burpees
4 – Hello Dollys
2 – Dying Cockroach

Bracket #2 – West region
64- Squats
32 – Clave raises – 32 inner, 32 outer and 32 middle: 96 total – just because………
16- Burpees
8- Lunge walks (per leg)
4 – Dying Cockraoch
2 – LBC’s

Bracket #3 – Midwest region
64- Flutters (single count)
32 – Merkins (single count)
16- Burpees
8- Boxcutters
4 – Flying squirrels (just for C-SPAN)
2 – Burpees

Bracket #4 – South region
64 – LBC’s
32 – Dying Cockroaches (Single count)
16- Walking Lunges (per leg)
8- Burpees
12 – Clave Raises – 4 inner, 4 outer and 4 middle
2 – LBC’s

The last round finished at 5:58 – just in time to hustle back to COT, but jailbreak did not need to be called.

Announcements:

Operation Sweettooth 8k in Huntersville 3-30-19.  Support Olive.  VIrtual run from Alcatraz at 6:30 AM the same day.   Questions – Change Order

Paradise Reading Center Monday & Wednesdays – Bethlehem Baptist Church 4:00 PM – great way to fill the 3rd F – Questions – Crabcakes and Copay

Read your newsletter

Prayers:   One year to the week of Badger’s diagnosis and 10 months this Thursday since he went to be with Sky Q.  Lift up his M and 2.0’s

It is an honor to be a part of such a terrific group of HIMs who are committed to accelerating.  I was glad to come out of the bullpen for this Q.  And to those considering stepping up to Q for the first time (or not), to steal a phrase from Nike – just do it.  In the COT, thanks was given for our group of F3.  Our ability to push one another past our comfort zones and get comfortable with discomfort is a privilege that should be treated as a blessing – let’s accept it as such and see it for the springboard of growth it is meant to serve.

SYITG

Cyclops

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The Coop Shovel Flag Hand Off

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It was a crisp February morn… crisp enough to wear short sleeves, in fact. A change was in our midst and you could feel it coming in the air as Phil Collins would say.

Three weird-O’s (NASA, Dirty Harry, and YHC) showed up at approximately 4:10-4:13 to pre ruck four miles. Wegmans joined in somewhere along the way to get his daily mileage in, and then peeled off to get the field ready for his Weinke.

As Wegmans prepped, we finished our rounds and met up with other PAX around the shovel flag, which would soon be in my possession. Sixteen was the count.

Wegmans called the time, disclaimed the disclaimer, and then took us to the field.

We moseyed, we circled up, and we wind milled. Three times, in fact. Just enough to get Ginsu going about his affection for this specific movement. I cannot recall the other warm up exercises, but they were all counted to prime numbers in true Weginator fashion.

It was at this moment that I realized I had to utilize the best part of the AO. The toilet. I truly understand why NaFo is the #bestAO now.

Wegmans counted us off by 1’s and 2’s as I ran for the facilities. I took my break and found there was a 100 yard race of burpee/tire flips (one at a time), and my team has lost. This meant we did 10 Burpees while the other team did monkey humpers in our direction. We had a second chance, and we just about prevailed until shenanigans took place. Wegmans punished all of us with Burpees. That was fair.

Then he handed it off to the new site Q. I had some plans as well…

Football Field Circuit

Partner Workout

Each Partner Wheel Barrows every other 10 yards, both partners complete workouts equal to yard marker on the field that you land. Start at one end zone and work toward the other.

Endzone – Burpee Broad Jumps x 7
10 – Donkey Kicks
20 – Hand Release Merkins
30 – Jump Lunges (each leg)
40 – Air Squats
50 – LBCs
40 – Air Squats
30 – Jump Lunges (each leg)
20 – Hand Release Merkins
10 – Donkey Kicks
Endzone – Burpee Broad Jumps x 7

Gotta go back across the field.

All Together
Bear Crawls every 25 yards, stop for a workout
25 Yards
15 Bomb Jacks
25 Yards
15 Jump Squats
25 Yards
15 Bomb Jacks
25 Yards
15 Jump Squats

Props to Shield for kicking this weinke’s tail on his second post.

End with some Jack Webbs to burn the shoulders – made it to 5 Push Ups & 20 Claps.

Headed back to COT to do some quick Mary.

Ended with a shovel flag hand off. Looking forward to Site Q’ing the Coop for the foreseeable future. Hopefully I can keep the same momentum that Wegmans had working. Thanks to Wegmans for what he’s done with this AO. A true HIM.

Due to my slacking and not submitting this backblast immediately… I’ve lost track of the prayer requests. Please forgive me for that.

Some @HeardatF3 Mumblechatter…

Dark Helmet: “I wonder how this split Q is going to be?”

Wegmans: “Well I’ve already seen PL’s Weinke… so…”

Punch List Out.

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Frozen Shart Run

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Apparently according to reliable source if one farts when it is 20 degrees below 0, it will freeze to you pants… try at your own risk.

We met at Foodlion did some Broga, ran down the street, around the ‘hood and back for about 2.7 miles.

Good times!

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Rockin’ Slow Burn

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Slow Burn

Nine Pax showed up as   cool weather prevailed.  Suspicion was on the mind of a few as they noticed  a mini head lamp was noticeable on the Q’s noggin. Disclaimer. MOSEY on down to Lowes.

Slow mosey followed by some high knees, butt kickers & side shuffles.

Chatter, Chatter, Chatter

Warm ups:

SSH

Old Man Windmills

Imperial Walkers

Cherry Pickers

Moroccan Night Clubs

Peter Parkers

Plank Stretch

Downward Dog

Honeymooner

Mosey behind Lowes

Some more chatter

The Pax were curious as why the Q was searching the bushes with his mini headlamp. A mini speaker appeared in his hand along with a modified “Board of Pain”

THE THANG

Partner Up

2 Excercises/Alternate/Complete Reps/3 minutes longSlow Burn

1-Mtn Climbers/Squats X 20

2-Bomb Jacks/Partner Plank Hand Taps x 20

Mosey around the parking lot

3-LBCs/Pank Jacks 20x

4-Merkins/Jump Rope 20x

Mosey around parking lot

5-Lunges/American Hammer 20x

6-CDD/Low Slow Squats 20x

Apache 10 Counts provided opportunities for the Pax to talk about how they came to F3 & how they got their nick names.

MUSICAL HIT LIST

Van Halen Right Now

Billy Joel Pressure

Led Zeppelin Rock & Roll

Journey Any Way You Want It

Tom Petty Runnin’ Down A Dream

Led Zeppelin The Immigrant Song

Indian Run back to COT

Prayers & Praises

Thanks goes out to Wide Right who asked me to sub for him!! Thanks to the Pax for allowing me the honor to lead you in the Gloom!

 

Boogie Down out!

 

 

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Leadership is a privilege

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9 gathered at the Colosseum on a chilly and surprisingly damp morning to exercise our minds, bodies and be just a little better than the day before.  After the standard disclaimers were announced and all PAX were told to keep their questions to themselves and just do the work, we moseyed off for a tour of the grounds:

COP – Low Slow Squat X 20, Moroccan Night Clubs X 20, SSH X 30, Merkins X 15, Plank to sunrise salutations – left and right, hold regular plank down to 6 inches, repeat, down dog and recover, windmill X 20.  Now that the warm up was complete, we moseyed to the arrows.

The Thang – YHC promised that no man would be left behind and, true to form, PAX delivered.  Lunge walk 3 arrows followed by 3 burpees, Lunge walk to the 6th arrow, do 6 burpees, lung to the 9th arrow, do burpees, lunge walk to the 12th, do 12 burpess and finally lunge walk to the 15th arrow and do 15 burpees to complete the set.  After all were complete, JWOW gave us a ten count and we moseyed to the 4-corner station.

4 corners – 2 rounds – bear crawling or lunge walking (because we did not do enough of that earlier) to each station

Corner # 1 – 15 – hand release merkins – a crowd pleaser given the wet pavement

Corner #2 – 15 monkey humpers – PAX mistakenly thought they would dry out and stay vertical – foolish

Corner #3 – 15 Makhtar N’Dayies – just for Jekyll

Corner #4 – 15 Flutters double count

Mosey to the wall for the people’s chair where each PAX shared their word for 2019.  Each PAX bear crawled to the front of the line.  Upon completion, we moseyed to the benches

20 step ups IC

More moseying to the flag for the pledge of allegiance in gratitude for all who selflessly serve our country and local communities.

Mosey to COT for 4 minutes of mary (because 5 would have been excessive on wet pavement) – all exercises were double count and IC.

20 LBC’s, 20 American Hammers, 15 Box cutters and 1 body destroyer at 5:59:30.

COT –

Announcements – Joe Davis Run 3-9 – prices go up 2-1.  Register.  5k is a great opportunity to get 2.0’s and family involved.  YETI is 2-23 – back blast is up.

Prayers for Wilson County, NC trooper officer shot in duty; prayers for patience in our lives as we are called to be leaders on many fronts.

Leadership is truly a privilege whether we seek it out and step up or others see the potential in us and ask us to step forward.  May we use leadership for its intended purpose – to influence movement to advantage and help others to the same.  Thank you, Jekyll, for the opportunity to lead and get better with a  great group of HIM’s

Cyclops

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26L Ruck Raffle benefiting 24 Foundation

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26L Black GORUCK GR1 Raffle with proceeds benefiting 24 Foundation (Cancer Survivorship)

How to enter:  $10 per ticket, no cap, “Friends and Family” https://www.PayPal.Me/PayJeffParker

Shipping covered to 48 CONUS

When:  Drawing to be held January 31st at 7:00 EST

I will never forget the phone call I received on March 25, 2013 that brought me to my knees.  It was from one of my closest friends, Josh, and he shared the news that his beautiful daughter, Libby, was diagnosed with leukemia.  Josh and Barb pulled out all of the stops and led the fight with Libby to beat the awful disease.  On May 9th 2014, heaven welcomed Libby.

Since Libby’s diagnosis, we have been working with the 24 Foundation to direct funds to benefit families dealing with childhood cancer.  The 24 Foundation is a fantastic organization focuses on programs specific to cancer navigation and survivorship.

All of the funds raised over what I have invested in the ruck will go directly to the 24 Foundation.

 

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2019 Joe Davis Run for Recovery

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Dear PAX,

As you begin to plan your new year, on behalf of my family, I am asking that you consider including the Joe Davis Run for Recovery on March 9th in your plans.

It is hard to believe, but the 7th installment of the Joe Davis Run for Recovery will take place on March 9, 2019. My family and I invite you to join us, as we gather once again, to celebrate my brother Joe’s life and bring awareness to a very real problem facing our society right now, Addiction. Joe lost his 16-year battle with Addiction in the form of an accidental heroin overdose on October 4, 2009 at the young age of 28.

Unfortunately, chances are that Addiction has touched your life, either affecting your friends or your family. Our family has chosen to turn the tragedy of Joe dying into a triumph in the form of spreading a message of HOPE. There is help for those who struggle with Addiction and other mental health issues. The race benefits Keystone Substance Abuse Services, York County’s authority on substance abuse.

F3 and FiA support has been the cornerstone of this race’s success and most of you know that it has been on one of the coldest days of the year most years when it was held in January. It was so cold last year that my family and I made the decision afterward to try a new race date. Our message of HEALTH, HOPE and HEALING needs to be far-reaching and to include the youth, which we felt the cold has kept home when the weather is not favorable. So, we chose March 9. It will likely still be cold, but bearable.

The race will offer 1 Mile Fun Run, 5k and 10k options. The course is the same as in recent years and it will be held at Walter Elisha Park in Fort Mill, SC.

Please help spread the word.

I believe that we are making a difference, slowly but surely. I know the race has directly impacted the PAX and I want to ask that, if you feel led to share your story, please let me know. I believe the impact of a first-hand story would be incredibly helpful to show our mission is working.

Sign ups are at www.joedavisrun.com

We are also seeking sponsors. If you know of someone this cause may be close to, who would like to get involved, please message me.

With gratitude,

Rock Thrill

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Tabata Thursday

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Seven men met at Fort Mill High School (with the Q coming in hot) on a perfect December morning and got back on the horse after the holiday indulgences.    Here is what they did.

The Thang:

After a quick disclaimer, the pax did a light jog to the band parking lot and circled up for COP:

All in cadence:  SSH x 25, windmill x 15, Imperial walker x 20, merkin x 10, squat x 20.

Mosey over the lighted grass field for Tabata.  8 exercises, 8 sets each, 20 secs work and 10 secs rest each set.  The exercises were:

  1. Carolina Dry Dock
  2. Freddie Mercury
  3. Squats
  4. Mountain Climbers
  5. Flutters
  6. Jumping Lunges
  7. Merkins
  8. Burpees

End with the body destroyer for 90 seconds.

COT

Moleskin

Man, I love winter.  Growing up in NE Ohio, winter was OK until about mid-January and then I was done with it.   Here in the south, it’s just the opposite.  I can’t wait for the fall and winter after so many months of heat and humidity.    For me, F3 is the best in the cold weather.  A lot of guys avoid posting when it gets cold out, but they are missing out.   Once you get warmed up, that brisk air feels soooo good.

I’ve done this workout a few times now and really like it because it’s easy to plan and can be done anywhere.  You can also vary the difficulty depending on what exercises you do,  and in what order you do them.    We had a motivated group who went after it today and still had enough energy for good mumble chatter.    It was a pleasure to lead them as always.

Announcements:  Qsource coming to the Fort.  Read your newsletter for the details.

We prayed for those struggling during the holiday season, safe travel for everyone, and for patience at home.

 

 

 

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Pantheon vs. Alcatraz January Commitment Challenge

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As we all develop our word for 2019, I would ask you to consider commitment.  As each new year turns we all make resolutions to change things in our lives to help our family, employer, and community.  However, most tend to lose sight of their new year resolutions in mid January and fall back into old habits.  This challenge is to help overcome that.

What? The Pantheon challenges Alcatraz to an average attendance competition in the month of January, 2019!

Where? The Pantheon bootcamp ( 5:15am very Wednesday at Tega Cay Elementary starting 1/2, 1/9, 1/16, and 1/23 ) and The Alcatraz bootcamp ( 6:30am every Saturday in historical Tega Cay at Runde Park starting on 1/5, 1/12, 1/19, and 1/26 ).

How? We’ll tally attendance as usual across the above stated 4 dates at each AO and average them out.  All are welcome…newbies, kotters, respectables, sons and of course EH an FNG.  Aye!

The Stakes? The losing AO and associated Q’s for stated dates have to facilitate that workout in Q vs. Q fashion and then host coffeteria and bagels at the winners next AO wearing pink tutu’s!  Other bad ideas will be evaluated!

Why? Don’t ask why, ask why not!  But more seriously, we’re trying to bolster attendance at key Tega Cay AO’s and because we all want to get better! CSAUP!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2019!

-Bear Grylls and Smuggler

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Movement keeps one warm

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21 gathered at Laces Out and Laces In – 8 and 13 respectively – to prove the theory that movement keeps one warm in chilly December temperatures.

YHC had promised site Q for months that I would take a Laces In Q and it was great to finally fulfill that with such a strong group of PAX and make it through with good fellowship, a little mumble chatter and 45 minutes (or an hour for the 8 runners) of getting a little better than we were the day before.

After a disclaimer and delegating the assumption of risk to all gathered, we moseyed to the FMHS Band parking lot for COP:

COP: Moroccan Night Clubs IC x 20, arm circles – forward and backward in varying quantities, SSH IC x 30, Merkins IC x 12, Windmills IC x 15

Mosey back to the Stadium entrance for Jacob’s Ladder.  Since our workout was 12 days before Christmas, it only seemed fitting that the exercises add up to 12 instead of 11.  YHC, therefore, modified the ladder, given the date on the calendar.

Burpees at the bottom – 11, 10, 9, 8, etc.

Lunge Walks uphill to the 2nd lightpole (crowd pleaser )

Carolina Dry Docks at the 2nd lightpole – 1, 2, 3, 4 and mosey back down

Mosey to the main parking lot for a little partner Dora

100 merkins total – Partner 1 starts, partner 2 does a roughly 120 yard shuttle run  – switch until 100 is reached.

200 squats – Partner 1 starts, partner 2 runs, you get the idea

Had a plan for 300 as well, but YHC was compelled to call an audible at 5:57 (time ran short) to head back for a little ab work…..but just a little.

Boxcutters IC x 30, American Hammers IC x 15, and a body destroyer promptly executed at 5:59 AM.

There was much movement, a little chatter, varying amounts of sweat and a few comments in the days that followed relating to the amount of lunge walks – complimentary of course.

Announcements – Christmas Eve convergence – 12-24 at the Abyss – Palisades Park Elementary and Q source begins on Saturday 1-5-19.

Prayers for all traveling for the holidays.

Relatively new to leading workouts, it was great to see some #HIM’s who, years ago, were encouraging of this serial runner guy to get out of his comfort zone and go do something else.  You each know who you are.  Thank you.

My thanks to Lil’ E for the opportunity to lead.  It was a privilege.

Cyclops

 

 

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