The word has been getting out for a while now that we will have a Marathon Ruck here in Columbia, and this pre-blast is to let you know it is a reality. #TClaps to Promo for the route design.

What:

3 loops of a 9.5 mile course in the downtown / Rosewood areas. Total distance ~ 28.5 miles.

This is going to be a challenge but remember this is not a race. This is a ruck. Those that choose to take this #RedPill will do so together, and will finish together. #OneTeamOneFight

Here is a link to the route:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B13ah7ElQFJpcHhUZnFWcDRSSkU/view?usp=sharing

Where and When:

We will meet at Dreher High School, side/back parking lot at 9:45 pm for quick briefing. Launch is at 10:00 pm sharp.

Who’s invited and What to Bring:

All are welcome to take on this challenge, but you must bring a ruck. How much weight you choose to carry is solely up to you, but you must have a ruck.

Other required items:

(Note: your participation is entirely voluntary, but should you choose to participate, then bring these things at a bare minimum)

-Water Bladder (2L to 3L)
-Back-Up water source (i.e. Nalgene bottle, etc.)
-Food (goos, sandwiches, cliff bars, etc.)
-Reflective PT belt/straps (attached to rear of your ruck)
-Head-Lamp (with back-up batteries)
-Photo ID
-$20 quitter’s cash
-Chem. Light and/or Blinking Light (for added safety)

We will not be performing PT, and there will be no water submersion, so feel free to bring your phone with you.

Also, we have designed the route to be a loop, so that we will be going by our cars at the beginning of each loop. So, you can keep a change of clothes, foot care items, additional food, additional water, etc. in your vehicle. We will stop at our cars for a brief period of time each loop, so that the pax can access those items.

If anyone wants to #Shadow this event (i.e. follow along sans-ruck for some and/or all of the march) you are welcome to.

Remember, this is completely voluntary and definitely #CSAUP.

HC in the comments below and/or on Twitter.

Let’s do this.

We started this team building exercise with Cheeto Leading the way!

Cheeto’s speech on leadership key point: “You will get more out of a person with a Pat on the Back than a Finger in the Face”.

The Thang:

Warm up COT – SSH – Merkins – Squats – LBCs

Mosey to a far away field for Team relay

Partner 1 100yrd dash down and back – Partner 2 Exercise

The relay: 100 merkins, 200 LBCs, 300 Squats

Mosey to bleachers for 25 dips and 10 Burpies

Change Over for more pain and Team building from The Bogey!

Mosey to some far away picnic tables for 25 step-ups and 25 incline Merkins

Mosey through the park, up the hills and thru the woods to reach the far away path for 50 Squats and 25 LBCs.

Mosey to another far away field and Team up in teams of 4

10 Squad Merkins (square type, feet on partner shoulders)

Pair up and face your partner for Partner Merkins with alternating shoulder taps

COT – Morakin Night Clubs – Low Slow Squat (10sec count in the down) – Jack Webs – More Squats – Bomb Jacks

Line up for the Tunnel of Love!

Mosey to the fence for Balls to the wall (10 count) drop and sprint down and back ( 100yrd total) and back to Balls to the Wall

Mosey to parking lot for Ab lounge dealers choice. LBCs, Suitcase, 6 inches, flutter kicks, prison cell merkins, rosealitas, back stretch (merkin and drop the hips)

mosey to COT

SIGN UP FOR THE MUD RUN!!!!!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/f3-spring-mudrun-2015-f3-only-tickets-15587700231

Warm Up:

Jog around building

Lunge Walk/Bear Crawl/Lunge Walk/Bear Crawl

Jog Back to other side of building

COP:

25 SSH

10 Merkins

25 IWs

10 Carolina Dry Docks

25 Low Slow Squats

Hold squat for 10 count

10 Carolina Dry Docks

Mosey to other parking lot for Card Game

Each member of the PAX flipped a card and we performed accordingly:

54 Cards…..plus a bonus round that included a Pair of Kings!

Ace = 10 Plank Jacks

King = 10 Burpees

Queen = 10 Lunge Hops

Jack = 10 Squat Jacks

Joker = 10 Extreme Mtn Climbers

The rest of the deck…..

Spades = # LBCs

Hearts = # Box Jumps

Diamonds = # Diamond Merkins

Clubs = # Jack Webbs

Line up at tree

Bear Crawl to light, sprint to island, bear crawl to next island

Rinse and Repeat

COT

13 PAX came out from Cabin Fever and braved a game of Cards with YHC.

In trying to keep it fresh & real, YHC mentioned that the people we hang with can be “Weights” or “Wings”, weighing you down or lifting you up.

The PAX of F3 lift me up daily and I am humble and honored to be around a great group of “Wings”

40 Day Challenge is alive and well. Push yourselves!!

Give to CAH these 40 days! Snacks and Gatorades

Prayers for family dealing with tragic loss and that the surviving daughter follows path to Sky Q and not the enemy.

Have a great week!

Cake Boss

*SPARK – Operation Intercede and Invest

This is a call to the men of F3 to support the children of Children Attention Home in a new, ongoing and purposeful way. Beginning on February 28, 2015 @ 2:00 PM the men of F3 will begin to interact with the children on a bi-weekly basis across all three of our core principles.

These children come from dysfunction that they didn’t create including broken homes and abusive relationships. This is a call to break the cycle, this is a call to invest ourselves into this brokenness and to change their direction, and this is a call to intercede through fellowship and exercise with these children to rebuild these them and to restore confidence, a sense of self-worth and a sense of belonging.

Who: Children of the Children’s Attention Home that are 8 – 18 yrs old (approximately 8 – 15 kids) as well as 2.0s that are 8+ yrs old.

What: Build self-esteem through physical activity through 45 minutes of exercise including boot camp, running and other games and activities. Also, to teach leadership principles and life values to the children through the experience of the men.

Why: Without the men of F3 interceding and investing in these children’s lives we can expect the following:

• Low self-esteem that leads to continued aggression or being withdrawn from society
• Depression that leads to fatigue, lack of concentration and increased incidence of suicide
• About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse
• Children who experience child abuse & neglect are about 9 times more likely to become involved in criminal activity

When: Ongoing – Event Time: 2pm-3pm (2^nd and 4^th Sat) starting February 28^th If you would like to participate please get in touch with one of the QICs for more details

Where: contact @F3_Chicken_Hawk

YHC arrived right on time, jumped out of the car and away we went.

The Thang

AYG to Stop Light

5 Burpees

Windmills x 15

AYG to parking lot

5 Burpees

Imperial Walkers x 15

AYG to Parking Garage

LBCs x 20

Partner Up

Partner 1 up the steps to the top

Partner 2 up the garage

Meet at top for 20 partner handshake merkins

Back down the way you came

15 Partner handshake merkins

Rinse and Repeat to 0

Wall sits

Balls to the wall

Lunge Walk/Sprint/Bear Crawl sequence up the garage

Wall Sits/Balls to the Wall

SSH x 25

Stairs down/Run up/Stairs down sequence

Wall sits/Balls to the Wall

AYG to COT

Moleskin

Reminder to sign up for Mud Run on 4/11. Contact Jeff Smith (Tatanka) for details

Reminder for clown car to F3 Leap to Hartsville on 3/22. See CSPAN for details

We heard another family who is struggling with potential divorce on Monday. This seems to be rampant at the Fort right now. Cake Boss says it best, “lock the doors from the inside”. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those families.

After sharing encouraging words (credit Jekyll) to view our tasks and our obligations differently; “We GET to do this. Not we HAVE to do this. Each day is a blessing that we aren’t guaranteed”, Deacon leads 15 PAX out…

Mosey to soccer field #3:
COP: SSH (30x), Imperial Walkers (20x), Squats (20x), Windmills (15x), Dying Cock Roach (15x), Mack Tar Jeyes (15x), CDDs (15x)

Mosey the (restroom) pavilion between the fields:
People’s chair (one leg), balls to the wall push ups (3x)

Mosey to soccer field #2:
Drill 1: Karaoke to/from line
Drill 2: Backpedal to/from line
Drill 3: Shuffle to/from line
Drill 4: Lunge walk 4 steps then do a cross-fit push up to/from line

Man down! Man down! Twister twisted his ankle (Oops, he did it again!)
Lift up a prayer for healing…

Mosey to the pavilion near the playground:
Drill 1: BBCs (15x), Left Leg Steps Ups (15x), Left Staggered Merkins (15x), plank
Drill 2: BBCs (15x), Right Leg Step Ups (15x), Right Staggered Merkins (15x), plank
Drill 3: BBCs (10x), Jump Ups (10x), Dips (30x), plank

Hand off to Peach

Mosey to Field 5
BLIMPS – 4 Groups of PAX; start in corners, run between sets:
5 Burpees, 10 Lunges, 15 IWalkers, 20 Merkins, 25 PlankJacks, 30 Squats
Partner-up for Green Mile
100 Merkins; 200 LBCs; 300 Squats
Mosey COT area
2 minutes of Mary… Or in this case Dolly x10, Freddie x10, Rosalita x10
COT

Warm up
Mosey the long way to the pull up bars
Complete the following en route.
Lunge walk
Seal jacks
Windmill
Merkins
Moroccan Night Club
(10 min)

Break down the OCR for all PAX.
Some puzzled faces, but don’t worry, just follow the your twelve, and lookout for your six…

Begin at the playground.
Run the long way to the front of the school.

Once in front of the school, gya (get yo ass) over the five 5ft walls between you and the bus parking lot.

After arriving in the bus lot, circle back to the monkey bars. cross the monkey bars

Head out to the football field.
Cross the football field alternating 10yd bear crawls with 10yd sprints

Double back towards dragons back. Complete three hill sprints.

Head back over to the playground

At the playground complete 5 full body weight dips, traverse the parallel bars, and five more dips.

Take a lap around the playground

Ten muscle ups

Take a lap around the playground

Cross the monkey bars

Take a lap around the playground

DONE
(20min)

YHC then ran the PAX through some upper body drills.

At the monkey bars
1 pull up
Traverse the the monkey bars
1 pull up
Reverse your traverse
1 pull up
x3

Mucho Chesto workout
100 pushups using 5 pushup variations
Complete in sets of 10
Marine corps 10
Wide 10
Diamond 10
Stagger L 10
Stagger R 10
Marine corps 10
Wide 10
Diamond 10
Stagger L 10
Stagger R 10
Complete OYO AFAP (as fast as possible)

Goal is to complete entire evolution without rest.

Abs
53 situps
10 Arnies

Still got three minutes?
Two sets of fat grip pull ups to failure

Jailbreak to COT

PAX had a chance to experience the toll an obstacle course has on your endurance. Interrupting your run with climbing over walls, getting down in the dirt, and having to use your upper body is taxes your system.

Prayers for all the new parents and babies on the way.
Prayers for everyone traveling.

Pebbles out.

18 (9 laces out) 9 brave Jockeys showed up at WEP to see what “Fast Horses” theme was all about.  They were relived when I said it didn’t mean more running….especially Boeheim since he ran 5 mi. just to show up!

The Thang:

Mosey half way around WEP then move to the center of the field for COP

SSH x 50, Imperial Squat walker x 25, Moroccan night club x 50, mountain climbers x 25, CDD x 15, Windmill x 15

Mosey to circle in parking lot and partner up.

Partner 1 worked abs with 6″ raises while partner 2 bunny hopped 10 then sprinted off to the top of the grassy hill to the beacon where he performed 10 merkins, all the while partner 1 held 6″. Rinse and repeat x 2.  LBC until 6 showed up.

Next: Partner 1 held elbow plank with legs open.  Partner 2 performed the “Heisman” 10 x then off to the top of the hill to perform 10 burpees, Partner 1 had to hold plank until partner 2 returned.  Rinse and repeat x 2 LBC til 6 showed up.

Next: Partner 1 heels to heaven while partner 2 ran to the beacon at the top of the hill to perform 20 jump lunges. Rinse and repeat x 2

Mosey to the base of the hill and partner up. Since Crab Cakes is a great youth football coach, he performed the “never quit” cheer, facing the giants style, and encouraged us to push ourselves.  Each partner had to piggy back the other, alternating at each lamp post until they reached the top.

Mosey to circle at parking lot for COT.

Sign up for oral cancer run this Saturday at 9:00, check link in weekly email. Be on the look out for the “silver bullet” workout for >60, encourage the wise to get plugged in.  Hope to launch in May. BRC(Brian Rabb running club) running club on Sundays at Baxter Starbucks 6:30.

Prayers for all of the injured F3ers, Menthol’s Grandmother who is 95, and grateful for her life.

YHC stood in for CSPAN this a.m. as he is still out on injured reserve.  In his absence, I decided to introduce Sally to the Rock Hill fellas this crisp February morning…and, of course, there were burpees.  The Thang…

Warm-up

• 20 Windmills
• 25 SSH
• 10 Merkins
• 20 Long slow squats
• 20 Moroccan Nightclubs
• Jog around the grounds to get the flow going

Here come’s Sally…

• Sally – push-up variety
• Technical difficulties in the replay so we took another lap while YHC figured it out…
• Sally – squat variety

Mosey to top of the “hill” at PHOP – bear crawl down the hill and then to the flat land (approx. 50 yards) and then sprint to parking lot.

Partner time (one partner does the exercise, the other takes a lap, cumulative numbers)

• 50 burpees / loop
• 100 jumping lunges / loop
• 200 LBCs / loop
• 50 burpees / loop

Short ab lab(Freddy Mercury, Russian twists, etc.) and some final stretching before COT.

Great group of fit fellas this morning – a true pleasure to share the gloom with them!  Announcements included Mud Run and Spartan Race info and prayers/praises for our injured PAX.  Padre took us out with some wonderful and heartfelt words as always.

After witnessing another chapter (the closing one?) in the Bellicheck/Brady Patriots dynasty in SB XLIX, 6 pax ignored #Cantore and posted for the official launch of #OldTown in Downtown Rock Hill.  Rain did not dissuade the pax or the RH Police Department in a balmy February gloom.  A new legacy begins!

The Thang

Brief warm up COP — SSHx20, Mtn climber x20, IWx12, Windmill x12

Short karaoke up to stop sign and back

Run across Dave Lyle to Cotton Factory, out 1 block down 2 blocks to Black Street, then left back to to hill along train tracks.

Line up in soggy field below track

Run to tracks at top of hill (more like bear crawl at when you reach the “alpine” section), then run down for 4 burpees at the bottom. Rinse and repeat 3x w/ 6, 8 and 10 burps at bottom.  (RHPD patrolling under train tressel as pax finish work)

Run back to town over to City Hall plaza

Three rounds of bunny hops up the stops with run back down and 10 monkey humpers at the bottom each time (RHPD spot lights scanning pax)

Run to parking garage with stops at every intersection for 10 merkins — 50 total along the way (RHPD swapping stories in middle of Main St as pax crank out merkins)

Time to get comfy in the garage…gonna be here a while

Pax take stairs to top, bear crawl across top deck, run down parking ramps, Freddie Ms x20 at bottom
Then run up ramps, bear crawl across top deck, run down stairs, Peter Parker x20 at bottom
Continue cycle until YHC calls a stop — ended up with 5 trips up/down I think
(RHPD out of his car, spooked by pax running down stairs in garage)

Run back home

COT

Naked man moleskin

Thanks to those who posted today…endless reasons to bail on this one…those who posted are true diehards and can understand the enthusiasm for this new AO.  Love this place!  No telling how many more mystery spots remain in the area…we’ve seen many in three trips.  POSH will keep scouting in daylight and surprising us in the gloom.

Pax did a great job keeping the pace throughout.  Not much chance to catch a breath as we stayed on the move, dodging puddles and cops.

YHC failed to post w/the Garmin so no idea how many miles we put in – probably 2.5 – 3.0.

Great words from Jekyll – shift the “I have to” to the “I get to” and let the gratitude flow.