A little bit of Alpha, a little bit of The Fort

WARMUP: regular warmup with SSH Windmills IW etc
THE THANG: burpee mile. 1 mile. 100 burpees.
11’s with squats and big boy sit-ups
People’s chair and balls to the wall
MARY:
ANNOUNCEMENTS: read your newsletter
COT: lifting up those impacted directly and indirectly from the school shooting in Texas

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10-10-10

Mosey
Brayden neighborhood warmup lap w/ stretch
NUR uphill with 10-10-10 pain stations
Mosey back to COT
Island 11s – Merkins and LBCs (parking lot)
2 laps around earth fare
Abs at COT
Back to COT

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3 > 1

WARMUP:
SSH
Low slow squats
Merkins

THE THANG:

2 hill repeats on big hill

4 corners:
Kettlebell is conveniently stashed at corner #2

crowdsource mode of transport on short edges. If you have the bell, you are exempt from mode of transport.

Pax will plank up for the 6 before departing for next corner.

Start with 10 reps each, then increase by 5 per round

corner 1:
merkins
shoulder taps
CDDs
hello dolly

corner 2:
diamond merkins
bomb jacks
Peter parkers
Big boys

corner 3:
wide merkins
Grave diggers
Freddie Mercuries
jumping lunges

corner 4:
Burpees!

made it 3 full rounds before COT

MARY:
Passed the bell between the 3 PAX. Do a squat when you get it
Flutters in cadence
30 sec body destroyers

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bourbon tasting and trash pickup saturday

COT:
mental health

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Keep Grindin’

Warmup: Mosey down Dave Gibson to first school parking lot (Station 1)

Thang: Start at station 1, perform 10 shoulder taps and 10 boat/canoes, run to station 2 (cul-de-sac on Patricia Ln) and perform 5 Kraaken Merkins and 20 dips, run to station 3 (cul-de-sac on Ben Casey Dr) and perform 25 merkins and 25 monkey humpers

rinse and repeat until about 0556 and run back to CoT

some PAX got in 4 rounds and over 4miles

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Official Manion WOD

THE THANG:
Manion WOD
29 squats with ruck (with sandbags when available)
1/4 mile ruck (shared sandbags) some PAX run it
7 rounds

With about 10 minutes left on the clock @PunchList led us on some much needed broga.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-convergence/invergence tomorrow at WEP
-AMRAP for Autism event tomorrow at Mathew’s Sport Complex

COT:
@What did led us on prayer, thank you for your visit brother!

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Squirrel 🐿

WARMUP: run up the big hill, merkins (10), mountain climbers (20), little stretching, low slow squats (10), windmills (8), distraction 1 —> car drove by = 1 burpee
THE THANG: distractions.
– For every car or plane we saw or heard = 1 burpee that increased by 1. We made it to 10 burpees by the end. There was a 10 second buffer as well as a max out of 3 cars as we approached areas where more cars would be seen. No planes so that was weird.
– Light posts = 10 merkins. Treated these in clusters since there are a lot of lights and yes, lights had to be on.
– “Fort Mill” signs = 30 LBCs.
– Doors to the school, or any door = 20 squats. Again, clusters because there are a lot of doors. – Benches = 20 step ups total.
– Parking spots that had a 1 + 0 = 10 bomb jacks. Max of 3 sets in 1 area as this added up quickly.
– overall, we ran all over campus in a bit of a scavenger hunt / bingo / distraction mentality
MARY: made up for some MARY with a final set of squats and final set of 10 burpees
ANNOUNCEMENTS: AKA, bourbon tasting, Doty race…read your newsletter
COT: distractions are too easy throughout your day. What are you doing to be focused if you have a goal? Do you have a way to “remind” you? Do you write this “thing” on a piece of paper and look at it throughout your day? Do you look your M or 2.0s in the eye when they are speaking to you? Are you present or distracted and do you know it?

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The Peacemaker

WARMUP:

Very quick demo of what was coming. 12 exercises pulled from the intro dance to Peacemaker.
The board:

Oh, and everyone grab a 4.5lb paver for each hand. They’re brand new so the gloves are to keep your skin from being sliced open.

THE THANG:

HIIT workouts with all 12 exercises. Everyone, just use the beat!
1. Squat lat pull w/alt leg raise
2. Dumbell scarecrow
3. Lat pulls w/alt high knees
4. Al Gore tricep extensions. Arms out, elbows turned UP
5. Apollo Ono with shrug/lat pull/whatever felt right
6. Overhead press (with optional pelvic thrust)
7. Lunges with full arm motion
8. Side arm lat raises
9. Hillbilly walker
10. Scarecrow again
11. Slow, full arm circles with one arm, holding the other out. Guitar hero style
12. overhead press to tricep extesion and back

We did the above for:
1. 90 seconds on, 20 seconds rest
2. Take a break with a long lap around the parking lot
3. 30 seconds on, 12 seconds rest
4. Two of each, straight down the line, try not to mess up or burpees
5. Everyone did fine, so 10 burpees as a reward
6. Two each one more time, because the ruckers needed to know what they were missing

Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6k0Pd1cAC3pmdvO7NstFkq?si=75f40460c85245c

Video of our last two minutes is here (as caught by the TeslaCam):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Im8n1SVEW-_TXBNIcm-EoHATl797135/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-CcQb4RhCVMlU7UEx7gyL1tt1dlIvrO6/view?usp=sharing

ANNOUNCEMENTS

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SByJGmeayUfkfNab7
Funhouse talking about what AKA is all about
Tinsel talks about the Manion WOD at Chupacabra on 4/29
YHC letting everyone know that we can soon start posting BBs in Slack, and to update your names or you won’t get tagged

COT:

Talked about F3 being open to all men. While YHC is reasonably certain that most of the men there was some flavor of christian, I asked men to bow their heads for a moment of murmuring silence. When complete I also said I don’t want to ignore things that are difficult in each others lives. grab the man next to you if you need to talk about something. This is CoT, and we trust.

NMM:

I’d been thinking about this workout for weeks, basically the first time I saw the intro credits for Peacemaker, I knew I had to bring this to an AO near me. And it just so happened that I had the Swamp on AKA, so I watched that credit sequence over and over until I had a solid, awful, dumb, stupid workout ready to share with whatever AKA groupies were brave enough to drive out to Rivergate.
I knew it was going to make guys feel dumb, stupid, perhaps even embarrassed, but the smiles went on for miles, and the shoulders have been successfully melted. Mublechatter was epic, everyone had a great time, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have brought a fun, shoulder smoking Friday morning to The Fort. Thanks for putting me on the calendar, Slapshot!
Peacemaker intro:

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Well Lit Hills

17 months since the last post at the AO: $0.00
52 minute round trip: $0.00

2 Jerry Cans and 1 60lb Sandbag: $$$$

7 PAX for the main event: $0.00

Running hills for 25 minutes to start… Priceless

 

YHC hasn’t been to Pantheon in quite some time. Not since 2020. It’s still the same West of the Peach Stand.

The PAX rolled up and the disclaimer was given. We repeated the five core principles and off we moseyed into the gloom.

Hill work on Hubert Graham

Run down the hill past 5 light poles, ascending movements at each pole to the stop light. Repeat.

Burpees 1-5

Merkins 5 per pole

Lunges 5 per pole

Skater Jumps 10 per pole

Mosey back to shovel flag

 

Partner DORA w/coupons

50 Burpees – Farmers Carry out and back

100 OH Press – Bear Crawl out and back

150 Squats – Run/Nur out and back

200 SSH – Farmers Carry out and back

250 Flutters – Farmers Carry out and back

 

We finished up in the middle of the flutters. YHC was sad to not put the stamp on the 250, but 0600 is 0600. Solid work given by all PAX.

 

NMM

In the middle of the hill repeats, we stopped for story time. Long/short, YHC played a part in helping someone stop choking to death last night. Michelle Schmidt is her name. She almost passed away right next to us. Her daughter in law was running late and could have showed up to learn terrible news. It could have been different. She could have passed away and everything changed for those in her life. God did not have that plan last night.

After the adrenaline subsided and the night moved on… I tossed the situation around in my head every which way. Reminder – life is precious. It could end in the wrong swallowing of a taco. What are we doing today in light of this fact that life could end at any moment?

Prayers/Praises

Cable Guy and family for the loss of his son.

Aquaman and the loss of his son.

Michelle Schmidt and her living another day.

 

38 Special – thanks for tapping YHC to lead today. It was a great time.

Punch List out.

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Hair Club for HIMs & others Conquer the Rooster

10+ pax of The Fort posted in The Gloom of Rock Hill amid heavy rain, high winds & falling temps to chase the rooster around the loop for 26+ miles.  Pax from Gashouse & Lake Wylie plus some FiA teams also joined the HIMs of The Rock for the CSAUP adventure, raising funds for Bethel Men’s Shelter in the process.

The Thang

Team relay consisting of 1 mile loops

25 loops completed in the following order:

JWOW
38 Special
NASA
Old Bay
Double D

Team completed 26th lap together for a total of 6 miles each, finishing in 3:35.

COT

Naked Man Moleskin

Congrats to HCHIMs on a great morning!  New milestones reached included:

  • First relay for JWOW and 38 Special
  • Return to The Gloom for Old Bay
  • Renewed lessons for NASA in tent set up in the midst of uncooperative weather
  • New glamour shots for YHC & JWOW in mullet wigs

Shout out to IJ, Longshanks, Cornerstone, Straight Up and Vuvuzela on their successful finishes with RH teams.

T-claps to Blueprint and Ponytail in Rock Hill for putting on a great event and to Catfish and Reborn for keeping The Rock solid!

These CSAUP events are as much about the fellowship with pax of The Fort and other regions as they are about pushing through the pain of the fitness elements (and the weather!).  A COT that includes a cold beer is a pretty good thing!

Six days until the Yeti!  Make it great!

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Are you running to or running from? And Duck Donuts

SWEEP THE LEG

Monday, 3/7/2022

11 PAX – @Cubbie, @Vuvuzela, @Maximus, @Skipper, @Pusher, @Trucker, @38Special, @Shady, @FishSticks, @Badlands,@FireMarshallBill

Duck Dounts Workout Plan:

Run over to Brayden

Run 1 donut lap – 0.6 miles each

Complete next exercise

Donut lap is Emory to Helton, Helton to Emory

 

Lap 1 (Maple Bacon)

Exercise 1 – 20 Merkins

Lap 2 (Cookies and Cream)

Exercise 2 – 30 Dips on the curb

Lap 3 (Peanut Butter Paradise)

Exercise 3 – 50 squats

Lap 4 (Strawberry Shortcake)

Exercise 4 -Mountain Climbers – 50 each leg

Lap 5 (S’Mores)

Exercise 5 – Freddie Mercuries – 50 each leg

Extra Lap (Coconut Island Bliss) (@Vuvuzela, @Maximus, @Badlands, @Fishsticks, others??)

Exercise 6 – 50 Flutter Kicks

Head back for COT

PAX Notes:

Cubbie learned there are 5 rules to F3 not 3. Great start. Cubbie led PAX across 160 and went first while others decided not to become road meat, smart choice. We met at Emory and Helton by Brayden mailbox for workout plan. Trucker and 38Special got a head start, then ran in the reverse direction with Fire Marshall Bill. Cubbie ran with Skipper and helped with the hills. Mumblechatter helped push through. Vuvuzela, Badlands, and FishSticks led. Maximus, Shady, and Pusher followed in pursuit. Those 6 were able to complete Lap 6 / Exercise 6. Vuvu and Badlands stayed behind to catch remaining PAX and almost beat Cubbie back to COT.

4-5 miles ran

Covered plus/deltas for Cubbie VQ. Need more rest, less cardio in between running. Need to not shout at the nice Brayden neighbors during exercise explanation. Good plan with nice visuals and theme. Good workout, everyone seemed like they gave it 100%. There was some complaining about no actual Duck Donuts but the way I see it everyone had at least 5 while others went for half dozen.

Closing message before Announcements, Prayers, Closing Prayer – Are you running to or running from?:

STL is a running style workout. We are running around our communities, running for ourselves, running to be better men. We are running to these things – What are we running from? Is it that:

  • Anger that comes out when we are disciplining our children
  • The need to be in control
  • Joker in your life: Porn, Alcohol, drugs
  • Relationship with your wife that you want to improve that you don’t know how, with your children, with God

I had to start to get right in my mind to what I am running from. After being defeated, exhausted, and spent, I realized I couldn’t outrun my own Joker. By facing it head on, I was able to start that journey. I realized I need to be honest about myself and where I wanted to go. Most important I realized I could not go somewhere I had not gone before by using my same old mindset. I am not perfect and still struggle every day. But I try to be 1% better than the day before.

Start your journey today. Be honest about your struggle, get help professionally, join a Whetstone or Shieldlock, and start to attack your problems head on. And that is where each of us can become a better co-worker, leader, coach, Cub Scout leader, Dad, Husband, Son, and a man.

Honored to lead VQ. Thanks to those who showed and got stronger.

Cubbie out

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