At Slow Burn-We Run in the Rain & We Feel No Pain!

IMG_0192Borrowing a quote from our USPS & tweeking it a bit F3 style, , “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays the Pax from the swift completion of their appointed workout. ”

Nine Pax posted on a rainy Slow Burn morning.

Disclaimer

Mosey along in the drizzling rain accompanied by high knees, butt kickers, side shuffles to the Lowe’s awning to stay somewhat dry

WARM UP

12 SSH

15 Moroccan Night Clubs

12 Windmills

Plank Stretch

Downward Dog

10 Merkins

3 Burpees OYO

THE THANG

Partner Up / 2 Excercises / Alternate / Complete Reps / 3 Minutes

-Mtn Climbers / Squats 20x

-Bomb Jacks / Partner Plank Hand Taps 20x

-LBCs / Plank Jacks 20x

STOP

Continue to Run In The Rain & I Feel No Pain……………………..

Return back for some cover

-Merkins / Jump Rope 20x

-Lunges / American Hammer  20x

-Carolina Dry Docks / Low Slow Squat 20x

With the help of glitter ball bluetooth speaker and and the Seconds app, some legends joined us in ‘Da Gloom for the Theme of the Month, Encouragement:

Billy Joel -Pressure

Fleetwood Mac – Go Your own Way

Journey – Anyway You Want It

Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song

Led Zeppelin – Rock & Roll

Tom Petty – Runnin Down A Dream

Van Halen – Right Now

A “drizzling” Indian Run back to COT

Name-o-Rama

Announcements

Prayers & Praises

Welcome Back Bob the Builder

Shovel Flag handoff from Smithers to Hootie.

Props to Harry Carry for recommending the Seconds app & Cake Boss for the workout idea! Thanks Brothers!

Thank you Smithers for the honor of being the QIC!

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Can Longshanks do Moderate?

So the question came up after Hasselhoff made a call to the bullpen last second as to whether YHC could lead a moderate workout and not get banned from leading it again. 15 PAX showed up to find out the answer.

The Thang

Mosey around the First Baptist Parking lot with some High Knees, Butt Kickers, and Toy Soldiers (already grumbling of not moderate).
Circle up for some COP
SSH x 20
1 Burpee (had to get that mandatory Shanks Q requirement out of the way)
Windmills x 10
Imperial Walkers x 10
Squats x 15
Mountain Climbers x 15
Plankarama

Mosey over to the steps at First Baptist
Run up and Down – do 1 Merkin
run up and down – do 2 Merkins
run up and Down – do 3 Merkins
run up and Down – do 4 Merkins
run up and Down – do 5 Merkins. Plank for the 6

Mosey over to Church of God Lot by the stairs for A Dora 6 pack. 1 partner runs the stairs up and down while the other performs the exercise.
100 LBC’s
100 American Hammers
100 Flutter Kicks
100 Hello Dolly
100 Dying Cockroach
100 Big Boy Situps

Mosey to the Church of God Side way for some people’s chair and Merkins

Mosey back to First Baptist steps for 5 more trips up and down the stairs. This time at the bottom Squats. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. Mosey to the flag for COT.

Announcements – Reading at Steele St. Monday and Wednesday 4-5. Christmas Party December 1st. No Fast 5 this Saturday.

Prayers – for those with teenagers.

Moleskin
I realized today that throughout this “moderate” workout YHC didn’t give a single 10 count to catch our breath. Got me thinking about where that applies in life. Often in life I feel when going through something tough, God doesn’t always give us a breather as he needs us to push through whatever it is we are struggling with and that we trust Him to get us through to place where we can get a break.

Shanks out

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5077 steps

11 for a moderate… plus …

 

Felt like we needed to run a bit …

Stretched it out, then set up the beatdown with a stroll around the back of FM Middle, where the letters for the AO were strung out under light poles that went forever..

At each letter, do the exercise, then there was a nice long stroll in between around the pickup area.. to the next letter.. each letter had two rounds ..

T – 25 SSH, 25 SSH

H – 20 Merkins, 20 CDD

E – 25 LBC, 7 Burpees

Y – 15 Windmill, 30 Plank Jack

A – 15 Flutters

R – 20 Shoulder tap, 20 Lunges

D – 20 MNC, 20 Imp Walker

Dr J and Major Pain brought a basketball, so to wrap, we shot it out for a burpee challenge.

 

Spoke briefly about Encouragement. I mentioned Strawberry as someone who I believe has been encouraged by the PAX he has met at some very hard posts in the few weeks he’s been with us. Seeing him come back again and again gives me encouragement that F3 is having an impact. 

Props to the Pax for putting up with me.

Gilmore’s fancy watch said we took 5077 steps.

Prayers for the family of Gilmore’s friend Stephanie. Magnum attending a funeral of a fallen servant, F3 Popper, who we hope to see soon and Deacon’s dad Wayne.

 

Aye — 

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Puketoberfest…Wk 2

Bonsai and his terrible ideas brought together round 2 of The Fort’s Puketoberfest as 7 men joined Jedi & YHC (welcome FNG Hit n’ Run) this past Saturday. The bar was set, the chatter was chatted and as the sun rose this beautiful morning, Jedi stood in the middle of the PAX for a moment to disclaim the disclaimer.

So…we mosey’d down the path with some knees-to-chest, heels-to-butt and toy soldiers. One more short mosey then forward moving hillbilly squat walkers (these are straight-up awkward) to the red-light sign.

Quick shoulder warm-up with Moroccan Night Clubs and some other stuff.

Enough of that, let’s get this going:

5 cones spaced 10yds apart. PAX do 5 burpees or some variation thereof, crawl/move to the next cone, 5 more of those burpees, crawl/move, etc to the end. After the burpees at the 5th cone, immediately do an about face and run the full 5-tier suicide using the cones that just marked your burpees. Finish with a Mary exercise while waiting on the 6. Us slow folks (Maximus writing) thankfully only got through 3 of the planned 6 rounds.

The variations were:

  1. Normal burpees, bear crawl, flutter kicks.
  2. Walmart burpees (Maximus fav), duck walks (Geronimo fav), dying cockroaches (nobody’s fav)
  3. Jackass burpees, 2 CCD & 2 Crab Cakes, LBCs

Hand off to Maximus:

Circle up in Ft. Mill’s best grass…

Jack Webb’s consisting of the typical offenders: 1 Merkin : 4 Overhead Claps up to 10:40

8ct Burpees for a few

Partner up at the playground:

P1: Pull ups while P2 runs to the path near the base of the hill.

Flapjack and repeat

P1: Tuck Jumps while P2 runs to the base of the hill.

Flapjack and repeat

Lt Dans consisting of the typical offenders: 1 Squat : 4 Jumping Lunges up to 6:24.

A few more 8ct burpees.

Line up in 1 line, arms width apart and drop to your 6, facing West for a full 51 (in a 4ct cadence so that is 102 total) American Hammers (Personal favorite)

Mosey to the base of the hill to run the to the top and jog back down…4 times.

Take a breather for a quick chat then 1 more time up for good measure.

COT

Announcements: Paradise reading center opportunity, F3 Christmas Party

Prayers: Marriages, FNGs.

No man left behind and leave no man where you found him.

Jedi & Maximus

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No Fear = No EnCOURAGEment

22 boot campers (including 1 FNG) and 5 runners posted to THE Ballroom this week looking for some #Encouragement along the pothole-filled road of life.  YHC offered a full Disclaimer for the benefit of our FNG (T-claps to Barney Fife on the EH) tipped the cap to Sir Topham Hat, who passed the Q baton to YHC due to work travel.  The word of the month (Encouragement) served as the inspiration for today’s adventures in the gloom, so thanks also to Chicken Hawk for his continued wisdom with that program.

Encouragement:  root word = Courage

Courage (noun): strength in the face of fear

With this backdrop, the workout unfolded with the objective of getting pax in touch with their own sense of #Fear to illustrate the experience of #Courage and the need/ability/practice of exercising it and #Encouragement of their brothers.

The Thang

warm up run to the football field

COP — SSH, IWs, Hillbilly walkers, Bombjacks, merkins, burpees

Line up along sideline, 3/4 pace sprints — to near hash/back, then far hash/back, lastly far sideline/back

Circle up for the Main Event (Fear or Favorite)

Pax were asked to identify the exercise they most #Fear when they hear the Q say “The next exercise is ___________.”  They were also asked to imagine their #Favorite exercise they like to call when they are Q.  Then we launched into 30 mins of Pax-suggested/Q-chosen exercises.

Plank jacks (Fogerty), Gravedigger (Culture Club), Partner Carry (Bass-o-Matic), V-up Roll-up (Polaroid), Sprints (FNG!), Moroccan Night Clubs (Assassin), Jack Webb (Magnum), Squats (Strawberry), Burpees (Pinup), Merkin (Rebel), Knee Tar N’Dyae (Rebel), Tunnel of Love (Twister)

Mosey home

Final ab work — American Hammer, Flutter

COT

Moleskin

T-claps to the pax for the enthusiastic participation, mumblechatter and #Encouragement throughout.  Apologies to those pax whose exercise I missed and those who I mismatched in the list above.  I know we started with Fogerty catching much flak for a stuttering proclamation of “Plank Jacks” to get us rolling.  Bass-o-matic challenged himself and all the pax in the early going with the Partner Carry call-out.  Yes, YHC quickly claimed FNG/Half Dome as partner (purely for teamwork purposes, I can assure you…it had nothing to do with his svelte frame).  Pinup threw down the gauntlet, claiming Burpees as both his Fear and his Favorite (1500 in September seems to prove the point — well done!).  Strawberry (on only his 2nd post!) showed he knows the proper rhythm of a workout by calling for Squats immediately after Jack Webb (get this man into Q school ASAP!).  And Twister had his mic drop moment with Tunnel of Love to cap it all off.  Fun times throughout!

Welcome to FNG/Half Dome, who posted at the behest of Barney Fife (kudos to both)!

Finally, just a recap on the theme to reinforce the message.  YHC, in my prideful youth and throughout a very long stretch of adulthood, deluded myself that I was purely self-motivated, and no outside influence, inspiration or good words could make a difference to my spirit or performance.  While my M openly claimed her need for affirmation and #Encouragement, I laughed those things off, as though those who needed them were weak, meek and timid.  I also claimed to have few worries or fears throughout these periods.  A-ha!!!   There it is — the smoking gun.  Since #Courage can only exist in the midst of #Fear, I must’ve needed nor displayed any #Courage throughout these years.   And in the absence of feeling #Fear and gathering up #Courage, I had no recognition of the need or value of #Encouragement.  And, so it follows sadly, that in the absence of my personal experience of these, I fumbled and floundered in expressing #Encouragement to those around me who longed for it.  This shortcoming became a significant blind spot and weakness in leading others, including my family.  Yes, sad.  Yes, true.

While I still have plenty of room for growth in the area of #Encouragement of others, my ship turned around when I became more sensitized to my own fears, and I felt the power of #Encouragement from others, and I demonstrated the #Courage that was somewhat dormant inside me.  So, the lesson here — soften your heart, look yourself in the mirror, get in touch with your #Fear.  From that point, you may find immense personal growth opportunity and the ability to better relate and #Impact those around you through #Encouragement.

Thank you to Short Sale for the Q opportunity and to all the pax for making the experience real!

 

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The Fort 6 year Anniversary – Making Getting Better a Priority!

September 29, 2012 the landscape of Fort Mill changed dramatically. Some men from north of the border grabbed the attention of a few men south of the boarder and said we may have something for you. Double D, Santini, Senator Tressel, World Wide Leader, Red Banjo, Assassin, Peach and maybe others made the commitment to come to a “workout” on that Saturday morning. It was very skeptical, but I am sure each of them will say it changed their lives.

Here we are 6 years later, meeting in the same park with more than 200 regular participants (800+ over the years) at 37 workouts across The Fort/Lake Wylie area. Thank you to those that gave it away and thank you to those that said yes!! I think it is safe to say, IT’S MORE THAN A WORKOUT!!!

Today we recognize the 6 years with 6 Qs leading a beat down in 1st F style. On September 21st, Jekyll led us in our Invergence, which reminds us of the 3rdF and that there is something bigger than ourselves. Serving, Praying and Worshiping together happened then. On this day, we are getting better physically and having some fellowship with 70 of our PAX,

Format was a rapid fire approach where each Q has 10mins to lay it on the PAX. Old Bay would keep time and blow the air horn (maybe tweet the horn??), and then the next Q jumps in.

YHC asked for FNGS, (none) and explained the plan of attack, and then the Horn Sounded

The Thang:

  • Wegmans for COP
    • Mosey down path out to grass
    • Circle up and some traditional and not so traditional exercise moves.
    • We did notice another “Boot camp” group in the gloom. T-clapps to them, however also saw 2 holding clip boards…..not F3!!
    • Horm Blows
  • Funhouse on Q
    • Mosey to the hill for Jacobs ladder
      • Burpees
      • Squats
      • Some mary to fill time
      • Horn Blows
  • Jwow on Q
    • Mosey to top of hill for partner work
    • step ups/lunge walk up and down hill
    • squat jumps/lunge walk up and down hill
    • Plank hand slap with partner
    • Horn Blow
  • Twister on Q
    • Mosey to tree line
    • Army Crawl to tree /SSHs
    • Sprint to tree/Merkins
    • Army Crawl to Tree/SSHs
    • Sprint to tree/merkins
    • 2 rounds
    • Run Path until Horm
    • Horn Blows
  • FLUX on Q
    • Mosey back to hill
    • 6s – do following 6 times
      • bear crawl up hill
      • diamond merkins
      • bear crawl back down hill
      • Some filler in there of something aweful
      • Horn Blows
  • Assassin On Q
    • Mosey to play grownd
      • Dips
      • Derkins
      • Burpees
      • multiple rounds with running around the playground until…..
      • Horn Blows

The PAX was dripping wet from rolling in grass but also from the humid beat down that just occurred. Thanks to all the Qs for bringing it and having fun out there.

I brought up to the PAX “WHY”? Why F3 versus the many other options we have even outside of fitness and self help books. Why do we get up early and why do we do CSAUPS and why do we attend 3rdF and give away our time at various community organizations???

Pockets, Spud and Assassin all shared their Why. Thank you! I’m sure there were many more that would undoubtedly impactful.

I mentioned my why was straightforward for me. I want to continue to challenge myself physically, surround myself with like minded guys heading in the same direction and reach more guys for Sky Q and HIS purpose. I feel F3 has positively impacted my life in all 3 Fs and why would I not give it away??

See you in the GLOOM!

Cake Boss

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Always Ready

Maximus at a “Moderate?” I mean, c’mon, Slow Burn isn’t always moderate. That said, I appreciate the opportunity to Q no matter the AO so thank you Smithers for thinking of me. I tried to honor the AO by pushing the PAX and keeping everyone together.

So here it is:

Warm up jog to the lot next to Lowe’s for a warm-up circle of:

SSH (Only for Trucker), Imperial walkers, Wide-Arm Merkins, Donkey Kicks and 10 Burpees (more to come)

Line up shoulder to shoulder on the wall in the peoples’ chair position

Starting at one end, we’d lunge walk to the other end of the peoples’ chair wall.

Next series, PAX line up shoulder to shoulder in a plank position with their feet on the all. Starting at one end, the PAX would bear crawl to the other end.

Jog around the back of Lowe’s heading toward the ever-changing car repair shop. The interesting thing here is that while finishing the jog, I heard a conversation between Chicken Hawk and Wide-Right where the latter mentioned he hasn’t Q’d yet and was interested in getting on a Q schedule. So, I did an about face, confirmed what I thought I heard and gave him the opportunity as soon as we circled up in the repair lot. After a brief mention to the PAX regarding the Q change for the next several minutes, I think he led us in the following:

LBC’s, Mountain Climbers, 10 Burpees Dips, Derkins Peter Parkers, Parker Peters, SSH and 5 Burpees…he then handed it back to me.

Now, jog to the large lot on the other side and circle up:

Flutter kicks w/ a press

Box Cutters then reverse box cutters

A short 3-tier suicide series with jump squats as you return to the starting line.

So that was in; we keep the group together, encourage the chatter and give a man his opportunity to lead us. Just another day in THE FORT.

Leave no man behind but leave no man as you found him.

Maximus

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Partner UP!  Iron Sharpens Iron

Amazing weather morning for a F3 gathering …
Weather was perfect, humidity was bearable and the Pax showed up eager to get better.  No FNG’s disclaimer completed :
Mosey for warmup :

Circle up for the following IC:

Side straddle Hop 15x
Imperial Walkers 10x
Mtn Climbers 10x
LBC’s 10x
Hillbillie Walkers 10x
Moroccan Nightclub 15x
Merkins 10x
Plank Jack 10x
Windmills 10x
2 Burpees (OYO) closed us out

Mosey :

Explained Theme and Goals for the workout :
GET in the Game: “look for opportunities that are presented!
Specifically, the people you intersect within your life…..”
Partner up!  Accountability and Opportunity to GET Better.
Proverbs 27:17. As Iron sharpens Iron, so a Friend sharpens a Friend.

Explained to PAX I joined F3 in September 2015 : My fitness, spiritual and fellowship commitments are so much stronger over the past 3 years than in my previous 40 years on this earth, I am blessed !

The THANG: Partner up!
10x reps : 2 sets
Partner Derkins :
Partner 1 planks : Partner 2 Derkins
Partner Leg Raises ( Iron Crosses)
Partner 1 Assists / counts
Partner 2 : ( on six) raises legs to touch hands of partner one :
Jog to other side of parking lot :
10 partner merkins : hand slap Merkins
Jog back to start : Partner 2 completes reps and sets

Mosey for Round 2 and 3 :

Round 2 : Partner up! Combined total
100 Merkins :
Rotate every (20) : Partner 2 planks

200 Flutter Kicks :
Rotate every (25)  Partner: Al Gore

300 Squats:
Rotate every (30) Partner : Plank

Round 3 : line up on the curb (plenty of room located for all 21 pax…

Toe Taps : while each pax jumps out of line for 2 burps ( start at one end and move to other : modified for each end to start and meet in the middle)

Once completed : Circle up
Body destroyer : while 2 pax met in middle of circle for 2 burpees.
Finished with round of Mary :

COT : 21 Pax : Announcements/Prayers for Hurricane Florence recovery and First Responders along with all volunteers heading over the coast to assist with recovery.

Very Blessed for the Opportunity to Q

Thank you to Beacon!!!

Fogerty

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Today was the 13th and since so many are superstitious on the 13th , I was thinking why not make their apprehension for a certain day of the month a reality!  All were also concerned with the approaching storm perhaps they overlooked the storm that was coming this morning in the Gloom.

We began with a little Broga sun salutation action to get us in the mood for a longerish mosey….Love running down the middle of Fort Mill in the early morning. 

We turned and ran past the police starting their shift , a lot of hello’s to the officers…then a right turn down the hill and to the church from there it was game on. 

The Thang

10 burpees  and a run up the stairs and around the church x5…yes 50 burpees

next 4 rounds of 10 dive bomb merkins and up the stairs and around the building

next 3 rounds of 10 hands out front merkins and up the stairs.  (note to self: stairs are painful after 12 times) Doesn’t matter what was coming after that as time ran out so we moseyed up the hill to the COT for the closing and oxygen. 

Thank you to all again for helping me catch back up on the September burpee challenge. 

 

Dungaree

 

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Partner UP! Iron Sharpens Iron.

Partner UP!

Amazing weather morning for a F3 gathering …
Weather was perfect, humidity was bearable and the Pax showed up eager to get better.   NoFNG’s Disclaimer  : Mosey for warmup

Circle up for the following IC:

Side straddle Hop 15x
Imperial Walkers 10x
Mtn Climbers 10x
LBC’s 10x
Hillbillie Walkers 10x
Moroccan Nightclub 15x
Merkins 10x
Plank Jack 10x
Windmills 10x
2 Burpees (OYO) closed us out

Mosey :

Explained Theme and Goals for the workout : GET in the Game: “Look for opportunities that are presented!  Specifically, the people you intersect within your life…..”
Partner up!  Accountability and Opportunity to GET Better.
Proverbs 27:17. As Iron sharpens Iron, so a Friend sharpens a Friend.

Partner UP for accountability.

Explained to PAX , I joined F3 in September 2015 : My fitness, spiritual and fellowship commitments are so much stronger over the past 3 years than in my previous 40 years on this earth, I am blessed !

The THANG: Partner up!
10x reps : 2 sets
Partner Derkins :
Partner 1 planks : Partner 2 Derkins
Partner Leg Raises ( Iron Crosses)
Partner 1 Assists / counts
Partner 2 : (on six) raises legs to touch hands of partner one :
Jog to other side of parking lot :
Partner Merkins : hand slap Merkins
Jog back to start : Partner 2 completes reps and sets

Mosey for Round 2 and 3 :

Round 2 : Partner up! Combined total
100 Merkins :
Rotate every (20) : Partner 2 planks

200 Flutter Kicks :
Rotate every (25)  Partner: Al Gore

300 Squats:
Rotate every (30) Partner : Plank

Round 3 : Line up on the curb (plenty of room located for all 21 pax…)

Toe Taps : while each pax jumps out of line for 2 burps ( start at one end and move to other : modified for each end to start and meet in the middle)

Once completed : Circle up
 Body destroyer : while 2 pax met in middle of circle for 2 burpees.
Finished with round of Mary :

COT : 21 Pax : Announcements/Prayers for Hurricane Florence recovery and First Responders along with all volunteers heading over the coast to assist with recovery.

Very Blessed for the Opportunity to Q
Thank you to Beacon!!!

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