Around and around we go!

4 of the 5 of our shield lock met at Kingsley as usual at least one of us was running behind as we meet at 5am
THE THANG: YHC and Stang Jogged 3 miles clockwise around the mile Kingsley loop. (By the way this route sucks as it is mostly up hill for .50 miles. Cheddah and Slayer to a hike counter clock wise as Slayer has slightly injured his Achilles. YHC needs all the miles I can get since the Bourbon Chase is coming up faster than I thought.

Once YHC and Stang finished 3 miles we caught up with the other half of our shield-lock for a cooldown lap of 1.20 miles

Afterwards we had coffeteria at Starbucks Cor 25 min catching up on life and what has be going on as we all have been DR at some point this summer for work or on vacation. Afterwards 3 of us joined the 2nd F at the the ale house.

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Rolling in Hot

THE THANG: On the way to the site got stuck behind a petroleum truck and I started sweating getting to the site on time.

Made it just in time. With Cheddah and Sprocket already there and Bitcoin showing up right after YHC. We Rucked to 160 and played frogger getting across the Hwy. We made it to the old Kingsley business park. Stoping every .50 miles for

10 Merkins IC on Down
10 LBC IC
10 Ruck Squats IC on Down

We made our way to laces in. Back over through old Kingsley and back to Panera

We got in 3 miles, 60 Merkins, 60 LBC, 60 Ruck Squats

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 10-Year Fort anniversary,

COT: Prayers for Teachers and families as school starts back. Prayers for illnesses

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Dust in the Wind? No!

WARMUP: SSH, Mtn climber, Peter Parker, Parker peter

THE THANG:
Triple Bs day — bells, bricks and blocks

Bells:
10 Swings (round 1)
10 Goblet squat (round 1)
10 Lawn mower pull each side (round 2)
20 Tricep extension (round 2)

Bricks (1 pair per pax):
20 Moroccan night clubs
20 Punches
20 Overhead claps
20 Bent over flies

Blocks (1 per pax):
20 Derkins
20 Irkins
20 Overhead press
10 Man makers (blockees)

Half of group runs to each pile, completes first exercise, runs back to bells and completes 2 exercises, runs to opposite pile, returns to bells to complete sa.e 2 exercises.

Group made it through almost two full rounds.

MARY: American Hammer, Flutter

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Final Countdown coming 9/10, 10 yr convergence 9/17 am, 10 yr party 9/17 pm, The Bubble 8/4, Pints & Padres Tue pm at Amor Artis.

COT: Battle Bot was missed today. Hopefully we moved enough heavy stuff and listened to enough UHaul ear candy and mumblechatter to meet our Site Q’s standards. Get well!

Reports of Barry Manilow posting proved to be false unfortunately.

Special guest visitor posted today — Uncle Sam, fresh back from Colombia on his way to Virginia for 12+ most of education and inspiration before returning back to Colombia to continue his life’s work in his home country. great to have you in the Gloom with us and to hear your stories of Picking up the Six. Keep up your HIM efforts and example! Praise and prayers for you!

Prior Site Q Shatner was back in the Gloom today after many weeks DR. welcome back!

DaVinci proved he can throw shade with the best of the pax, dropping some darkness with a smile on Cake Boss. Watch out DOAH, he’s coming for you next!

Thanks to Battle Bot for the Q invite, my first at a gear AO. Sometimes we all need the push toward something new and different. As I persevere through a long, hot, sometimes mundane summer that at times feels like Ecclesiastes and Kansas “Dust in the Wind” this morning’s experience with the pax including dialog before, during and after gave me a real jump start to the week. Thank you!

This thing we call The Fort is special. It’s impact is actually global, as we heard this am from Uncel Sam. And it only continues if you post tomorrow. #keep posting #noOYO

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Log Jam at the Highland Games

YHC celebrated 37 trips around the sun today and could think of no better way to start it off then with my brothers at Currahee!

WARMUP: Some stretchy things
THE THANG: The PAX went to the back of the school to find the logs. Two teams carried 2 logs (aprox 100-1000 lbs each) around the school and dropped them in the field. Pax lined up on the fence line for 4 rounds of the following
– 10 merkins
– 10 Squat
– 10 Ruck Curl
– 7 Man Makers
Ruck overhead carry to failure then suitcase carry length of the field.
Rinsed and repeated this routine for 4 rounds then split up for some Highland Games style relay log flip race! Pays to be a winner!
One more round of the movement above then losing team had to carry all rucks across the field while winning team jogged back and forth until the six was in.
Each team loaded up their log (aprox 500 – 5000 lbs each) to take back around the school – rotating as needed.
Ruck back to front parking lot for ruck overhead carry to failure back to COT – no one failed!
Olaf took us out with some BROGA
MARY: BROGA
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Charity brew ruck on Thursday – Bourbon and BBQ coming back in Nov – GORUCK Star Course coming in early October (lots of interest here) – Grow Ruck Valley Forge coming later in the Fall – Cylops is HC! – Currahee should be busy with all these events coming!
COT: You had to be there

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The Smokin 90s

WARMUP: Mosey, SSH, Windmills, Morrocon NC, Merkins, Hillbilly Walkers, Overhead Claps, Calf Raises, Cherry Pickers
THE THANG: While hearing to 90s Hip-hop; Each exercise was for 1 minute and 30 second rest, Round 1: Swing, Single-Arm Overhead Press, Sumo Squat, Single-Arm Row, Chest Press, Round 2: Deadlift, Clean & Press, Halo, Reverse Lunge, Thruster, Round 3: Goblet Squats, Snatch, Tricep Extension, Burpees, Mountain Climbers; Ran a short mosey between rounds
MARY: Flutters, American Hammers, Bicep Curls, and SSH
ANNOUNCEMENTS: 2nd F Lunch Sites, T-Shirt Deadlines, 9-6-3 Relay Race
COT: Punchlist’s M, Uhaul’s nephew and sister in law, and Happy Hour’s friend Joe

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Diabeetus

WARMUP: First, we warmed up.
THE THANG: Then we did a lot of kettlebell stuff and ran a little.
MOSTLY, we listened to what might have been the worst playlist ever conceived. From the marginally incestuous Osmonds, to the Killers, to what was probably the biggest surprise which was Wilford Freaking Brimley. The diabeetus commercial guy you say? Yes. Beloved actor who starred in the 1985 hit movie Cocoon? Yes. He’s a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Well, he was when he was alive, yes… but please tell me THAT isn’t the thing that you find most surprising. He has albums. Of music. Where he sings. Doesn’t that shake you a little more to your core? I mean… even just a little? And to add insult to injury (and trust me, his singing was injurious), there’s not a single freaking song on his album about DIABETES TESTING SUPPLIES. Seriously, lean into your strengths, Wilford. WTF? You know diabetes supplies like no other… and yet you choose to sing about someone’s silver-haired daddy…? I’m not sure what to think anymore… I’m not sure this world was meant for me…
MARY: Once again, girls aren’t allowed. Core Principle #2.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Read your newsletter.
COT: Core Principle #5

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Treehugger Ruck WOD at Chupacabra

We honored our brother Treehugger with a Ruck version of the WOD.
5 rounds of:
10 sandbag rows
20 flutter kicks with ruck overhead
30 merkins
40 yard sandbag toss
50 yard sandbag farmers carry
1/4 mile run/ruck

It was a sweat fest and the merkins with the ruck on received the most complaints.

We prayed for the people affected by the accident at the beginning of the bear race, prayers for our families and for patience and balance on our minds.

I will suggest to keep a water bottle handy when working out in this heat and humidity, I had to pull mine out of the car 10 minutes into to WOD.

Stay hydrated brothers!!

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A Call to the Bullpen

Wegmans was tapped to Q but due to 2.0 issues, a call to the bullpen was made at around 0415. YHC was happy to lead in his absence. Fun group this morning!

I about splashed merlot after all those lunges. Nice Weinke, Wegs.

WARMUP:

20xSSH
10xMerkins
Southern Gentleman, Northern Aggressor, Side Planks
Low Planks
10xJLos

THE THANG:

10x Lunge Walk across Parking lot, 10xMerkins, 8xCDDs
4 Corners of 10x Squats and 10x Tricep Dips at alternating stops

MARY:

Yes

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Post on Saturday!

COT:

Double D’s mother and Father in law both dealing with health problems.
Destiny’s co-worker, Susan, also having a heart issue.
Tater getting a week with his grandson (3.0??) – prayers he can pour into him.
Change Order thankful for F3 and what it has done for his life. We can all say the same, brother.

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Slash’s Slam

WARMUP: dynamic: exercise>Mosey>rinse/repeat

THE THANG: 4 Corners. Each corner had two exercises. Do exercise 1 run to middle for 3 burpees run back out to next corner. Complete rotation. Rinse/repeat with exercise 2. 10 reps each. Continue with 8 reps then 6 reps.
MARY: various all counted by Repeat

Armory is funny. How do you keep fresh what is essentially the same thing. Maybe that can be true for all workouts. T-Claps to those creative types that continue to push and find new wrinkles to keep pax engagement high. While four corners isn’t new, nor the exercises, hopefully the style and rep count kept it interesting.

Lots of #mumblechatter today. Mainly about the music selection (and the size of Repeats bell). We had two camps- I’ll just say the cut line was 45/older and 44/younger. The DJ spun the debut album of Cinderella. Hair band hierarchy. And while they may have sound all the same(to some), you knew every dang word. Lucky for 44 crowd- the entire record is only 35 minutes.

Lastly- there is no one like @slash. #Slam

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Blood donation coming up mid July.
Final Countdown CSAUP this fall.

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Not Naked, Not Afraid, Just a VQ with a Crew

Slow Burn was smoldering this morning with 23 strong men choosing the gloom over the ‘sack & supporting YHC for my VQ! Some special guests were among the group: 2 PAX made the trek from Metro, and we welcomed our newest FNG (Cousin Eddie), EH’d by Rebel. Conditions were great – sky was clear & the rain last night cleaned the streets off for us, but also washed away my exercise notes from the curbs (lesson learned & more on that later)! It was the perfect setup for a VQ…

Started with the 5 Core Principles & Disclaimer, then got right to it.

WARMUP:
A short mosey around the parking lot
SSH x20
LSS x10
Alternating Lunges x10
Slooow Merkins (3-count down) x10
Imperial Walkers x10
Token Burpee x1

THE THANG:
Today was a somewhat of a hybrid of Pearls on a String / 11’s

Started at the 1st Street Light in front of Lowe’s Contractor Parking/Pickup
First “Pearls Set” was 10/ea: Merkins > LBC > Squats > Flutters > Big Boys > Plank Jacks
Then the “11’s Hybrid” component, which was 1x Flying Squirrel
Mosey up the road to the 3rd Street Light (back toward Empire Pizza)

Next was 9/ea of the Merks > LBC > Squats > Flutters > Big Boys > Plank Jacks
And 2x Flying Squirrels, then Mosey back to the 1st Street Light

Mosey & Repeat: 8/ea + 3, 7/ea + 4, etc. The exercises quickly moved from the main drive into the parking lot to get away from traffic. The last two rounds/sets were done in cadence – not just for my own accountability, but wanted everyone to finish together.

Short mosey back to the flag, where Mary joined us for the last 6’ish minutes. The unofficial total distance was just shy of 1.5mi (I haven’t yet joined the Strava cult).

I think the mumble chatter was good, though I was deaf to most of it as I was putting everything I had into calling exercises, trying to catch some breath in between, and pushing myself to just keep going!

Upon the clock striking 6am, the PAX graciously provided some feedback from the workout. I’ll remember to speak louder than what feels necessary (especially when in close proximity to a highway!), consult amazon to get my hands on some water-proof chalk (which sounds like it would be a parent’s nightmare… isn’t the fact that chalk doesn’t last is what makes it acceptable for the 2.0’s?!), and a Q should call an audible when needed & modify their own weinke to ensure the Q can complete it (I fumbled on completing the 9x Flying Squirrels, though I did pull it together & knocked out the last 10 when it was time)!

HUGE THANKS to Weezer – it was an incredible honor & privilege to have the opportunity to lead such an awesome group this morning. Huge shoutout & THANK YOU to Grizzly (my original EH’er) & WhatDid for making the early drive down from Metro (and THANKS to Shady for passing the note to them!). And another HUGE THANK YOU to all my PAX brothers who showed to know this morning. It was amazing having such a strong turnout! The support was more than humbling!

MARY: Yes

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Read your newsletter. 2nd F Lunch today (was today). F3 Dad’s this Saturday @ WEP.

COT: Praises & Prayers all around.

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