lotsa left turns

WARMUP: disclaimer
THE THANG: wander through FMHS past the baseball field and pullup bars to get to Harris st. LEFT…. run to Walden Park entrance….. LEFT…. hug the LEFT curb and keep making LEFTS until you run every bit of Walden Park and arrive back at Harris St. Some made a right and headed back to COT. Some crossed Harris and continued the LEFT theme, running a couple more streets on the opposite side of Harris before returning to COT.
MARY: Some had a couple minutes to do some strider/sprints. Highly encourage runners to do this occassionally – your running mechanics and body benefits from sprinting from time to time.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Newsletter
COT: Yup

Sorry this backblast is late…. Sorry the video post to slack was late….

As often happens in the journey of life – better late than never.

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Unlit lights

WARMUP: yes! Absolutely it was windy and cold. We would mosey and then wall sit dor everybody to catch up. As soon as the last guy arrived and sat down against the wall we were up and running again to another random location. Bonsai openly wondered if that was all I had planned. We did it for so long.

THE THANG: truth is: when I Q a moderate I often see who is present and budget our workout accordingly. In the spirit of a moderate, I kept all the counts to 10 or under and the mileage limited. These guys are strong.

The main portion was built around light poles and additive work. We were doing merkins and squats, adding an additional rep each light pole

At pole six and pole nine we stopped even though the lights weren’t on. I made a reference to how some men in our community are like those light poles: present but their light has gone out. Being among F3 guys is like standing in a well lit parking lot. A ton of dudes on fire accelerating.

But are we invigorating male community leadership if we don’t continue to reach out to those guys whose light has dimmed? The sad clowns among us need F3!

So, at every light pole we came across that was out—we did six merkins and nine squats. Turns out there are a lot of light poles at this AO in need of new bulbs or more power. I’m not sure what the metaphor is for sad clowns needing a new bulb or more power, but let’s keep working on EHING them and we can ask after their fifth or sixth post.

Closed with Bulgarian split squats, core work, and some mobility that is always a crowd favorite

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Tour of Pleasant Knoll


WARMUP:
The warmup was SSH, Windmills, Imperial Walkers and Hillbilly Walkers
THE THANG: The tour started in the courtyard with Inclined Merkins, step ups and squats…then we proceeded to the blacktop area where we did American hammers, shoulder taps and LBC's with a lap around the blacktop area for 4 rounds….then we Lunged to the Johnny Pump….ran to the bridge and wall sat while one person at a time did burpees….then we ran up the hill to tje front benches where we did SSH, Mt Climbers and Derkins…even threw in some Bulgarian split squats for Bandcamp even though he wasnt there….we ended with a run around the front parking lot and Ended with COT
MARY: flutters and Freddy mercuries
ANNOUNCEMENTS: had to leave before announcements
COT: Prayers and praises

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0

lotsa left turns

WARMUP: disclaimer
THE THANG: wander through FMHS past the baseball field and pullup bars to get to Harris st. LEFT…. run to Walden Park entrance….. LEFT…. hug the LEFT curb and keep making LEFTS until you run every bit of Walden Park and arrive back at Harris St. Some made a right and headed back to COT. Some crossed Harris and continued the LEFT theme, running a couple more streets on the opposite side of Harris before returning to COT.
MARY: Some had a couple minutes to do some strider/sprints. Highly encourage runners to do this occassionally – your running mechanics and body benefits from sprinting from time to time.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Newsletter
COT: Yup

Sorry this backblast is late…. Sorry the video post to slack was late….

As often happens in the journey of life – better late than never.

TClap |
0

Unlit lights

WARMUP: yes! Absolutely it was windy and cold. We would mosey and then wall sit dor everybody to catch up. As soon as the last guy arrived and sat down against the wall we were up and running again to another random location. Bonsai openly wondered if that was all I had planned. We did it for so long.

THE THANG: truth is: when I Q a moderate I often see who is present and budget our workout accordingly. In the spirit of a moderate, I kept all the counts to 10 or under and the mileage limited. These guys are strong.

The main portion was built around light poles and additive work. We were doing merkins and squats, adding an additional rep each light pole

At pole six and pole nine we stopped even though the lights weren’t on. I made a reference to how some men in our community are like those light poles: present but their light has gone out. Being among F3 guys is like standing in a well lit parking lot. A ton of dudes on fire accelerating.

But are we invigorating male community leadership if we don’t continue to reach out to those guys whose light has dimmed? The sad clowns among us need F3!

So, at every light pole we came across that was out—we did six merkins and nine squats. Turns out there are a lot of light poles at this AO in need of new bulbs or more power. I’m not sure what the metaphor is for sad clowns needing a new bulb or more power, but let’s keep working on EHING them and we can ask after their fifth or sixth post.

Closed with Bulgarian split squats, core work, and some mobility that is always a crowd favorite

TClap |
0

Tour of Pleasant Knoll


WARMUP:
The warmup was SSH, Windmills, Imperial Walkers and Hillbilly Walkers
THE THANG: The tour started in the courtyard with Inclined Merkins, step ups and squats…then we proceeded to the blacktop area where we did American hammers, shoulder taps and LBC's with a lap around the blacktop area for 4 rounds….then we Lunged to the Johnny Pump….ran to the bridge and wall sat while one person at a time did burpees….then we ran up the hill to tje front benches where we did SSH, Mt Climbers and Derkins…even threw in some Bulgarian split squats for Bandcamp even though he wasnt there….we ended with a run around the front parking lot and Ended with COT
MARY: flutters and Freddy mercuries
ANNOUNCEMENTS: had to leave before announcements
COT: Prayers and praises

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Bi’s & Tri’s

WARMUP: mosey around the parking lot and neighborhood headed towards sonic, stopping along the way for – SSH, low slow squat, merkins, cherry pickers, imperial walkers, hillbilly walkers, etc.
THE THANG: Using the bench at sonic and the opposite end of the parking lot we completed 25 dips, ran to other end and completed 25 LBCs. Then 20 dips, 20 LBCs, 15 and 15 and so forth until completion. After that we completed several exercises on the benches – step ups, inclined merkins, declined merkins, and more dips. Mosey back towards parking lot. Find a rock of your own choosing – 25 curls, 25 flutters w/ chest press, 20 and 20, 15 and 15, and so on until completion. After that we completed several rounds of overhead press, tricep extensions and additional curls. Run to end of HT for wall sits, several rounds with arm exercises. Mosey to COT.
MARY: N/A
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Read Newsletter
COT: Prayers and praises

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Mental Health Battle

Warm-Up:
Mosey lap around AO
SSH – 20 IC
Imperial Walkers – 15 IC
Windmills – 10 IC
Strawberry Pickers – 10 IC
Mosey lap around AO with log

Main Thang:
Round 1: Cinder Strength

Perform 3 rounds: (10, 15, 20 reps)

Cinder Block Squat Press (Thruster)
Cinder Block Rows
Cinder Block Lunges (Rep per leg)
Cinder Block Curls
Cinder Block Flutter Kicks (with a press)

Recovery: Farmers Carry with Cinderblock on each hand to 50 yards and back between rounds.

Round 2: Log Run

First group runs with log to the 30 yard line and back while the others do burpees and then you switch.

F3 Discussion:

The Mental Health Battle

Objective

Sharpen awareness, reinforce brotherhood, and provide practical tools to manage mental strain—personally and as a group.

Lead-in: Mental health is not a trend—it’s a daily fight. Every man in the circle is carrying something: pressure, stress, expectations, or silent battles.

Key Point: You don’t have to be broken to be struggling.

Set the tone:

– Confidentiality is implied

– No fixing, just listening

– Respect the man speaking

Define the Battlefield

Mental health issues don’t usually show up labeled. They come disguised as:

– Irritability instead of anger issues

– Withdrawal instead of sadness

– Overworking instead of avoidance

– Silence instead of strength

Discussion Prompt:

“Where does stress show up in your life right now—work, home, or internally?”

The Lies vs. The Truth

Men tend to operate under outdated scripts:

Common Lies:

“I need to handle this alone.”

“Talking about it is weakness.”

“It’ll pass if I ignore it.”

“Other guys have it worse.”

Counter Truth:

Isolation compounds problems

Speaking up is controlled strength

Ignored issues grow roots

Comparison kills accountability

Discussion Prompt:

“Which lie have you personally bought into?”

Tools for the Fight

This is where you bring practical execution—F3 is about action.

1. The Check-In

One guy you trust

Once a week, no surface-level talk

2. Control the Inputs

Sleep, alcohol, social media

Garbage in = garbage out

3. Move Your Body

You already did this today—there’s a reason F3 works

4. Name It

Stress, anger, burnout—call it what it is

Undefined problems don’t get solved

5. Faith Component

Anchor yourself in something bigger

Scripture, prayer, or quiet time—discipline over emotion

Proverbs 12:25 – Anxiety weighs the heart down, but a good word lifts it up.

Discussion Prompt:

“Which of these are you currently neglecting?”

Closing: Lock It In

Final Challenge:

Identify one action you will take this week

Identify one man you will check on

Make it specific:

Not “I’ll do better”

Instead: “I’ll call John on Thursday” or “I’ll cut out late-night scrolling”

Close with this: Strength isn’t carrying everything alone—it’s knowing when to lock shields with the men beside you.

Go around:

One word describing your current state

One word describing where you want to be

Bottom Line

Mental health is maintenance, not emergency repair. Ignore it, and it owns you. Stay ahead of it, and you lead your life instead of reacting to it.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Read your newsletter
COT: Prayers and Praises

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Q1.5 – M

3/17/26 – THE TRANSORMATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS WIFE

– Relationship challenges in general:
– Fitness is a 1 man show, fellowship takes 2 or more
– Dealing with another individual with their own minds, attitudes, objectives, etc.
– Relationships are dynamic – ever changing
– What does this mean? Can you provide examples of this?
– Phrases like Relational Rhythm and Dynamic Equilibrium

– Why is this the most important relationship?
– Center of the concerntrica
– How do you know when you’re leading well at home?
– How and where have you seen this relationship affect others?

– Skills and Love:
– Maintenance = Deceleration
– Are you currently accelerating or decelerating?
– The Culture is a Jester
– There is no fifty yard line
– Where are you on the football field currently?
– Your wife is not your best friend
– Do you put your wife on a pedestal?
– Joy Trumps Happiness
– How do you define joy and/or happiness in your relationship?

Additional Questions/Thoughts:
– Do men usually lack skill or effort more?
– What conversations have we been avoiding?
– What kills connection faster – conflict or neglect?
– Leadership means going first – apologize first, initiate first.
– Are there small weekly habits we can implement that would make a difference?
– How would our partners rate our effort?
– How can we stay connected during stressful seasons?

WHAT IS 1 THING YOU WILL DO THIS WEEK TO ACCELERATE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR M?

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Brayden, but no loops

WARMUP:
THE THANG: suggested route was heading out Richard’s crossing to 160, right at the first entry to Brayden. Go all the way down the hill and turn left. That road loops through a section of neighborhood and heads back. Climb up the hill you just went down and head for home. 4.3 miles. Many pax did others things that only they have record of.
MARY:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
COT:

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