Cats, Kicks, and Crawls at Poopdeck

10 PAX posted in the gloom at Poopdeck with early comments that “at least it feels cooler today.” We obviously hadn’t started moving yet. After a quick – and disjointed due to late arrivals – disclaimer, off we moseyed in a counter-clockwise fashion around the parking lot. Cutting around to the backside of the building, leaping over the Dark-Helmet-eating curb, we threw in some side shuffles and toy soldiers before circling up behind Sherwin Williams for a quick-ish COP.

10 windmills

10 merkins

10 hillbilly imperial hillbilly squat walkers (these need a better name)

15 mountain climbers

10 thigh masters per leg, interspersed with downward dog

Quick scatter like cockroaches when the Crazy Cat Lady rounded the bend at 84mph and almost crashed into us. Crazy Cat Lady sighting = 5 burpees. Thanks for nothing.

With that done and adrenaline high after yet another near-death experience with our feline-loving “friend,” we moseyed to the upper shopping center lot for the main event.

The Thang

I don’t know distances between them, but there are two rows of parking spots that have light posts. We used these as our side lines. There are two rows of parking spots in between these rows. In both of the rows with the light posts, four cones were spread roughly ten yards apart (plus a light post), making for five “spots” on each line. It makes sense if you were there.

General rules: move as prescribed, do assigned exercise at each cone and last light post in row, do five plank circles (think dizzy bat without the bat and in a plank), then run like a drunk person to the other side of the parking lot where the other line of cones was. Pretty straightforward but not.

Round 1: broad jump to the cone, 5 Tony Hawk burpees, broad jump to the next cone, 5 Tony Hawk burpees, etc. (Total of 50 Tony Hawk burpees). Lots of spinning this round. Requests were made for motion sickness meds. Also, “there’s the humidity.”

Round 2: monkey scoots DaVinci cartwheels (description below), 20 monkey humpers at the cones (did we modify that down to 10? I can’t remember…)

Round 3: 2 double count crab cakes, flip over to 2 CDDs, flip over to crab cakes, CDDs, etc. Don’t worry about the cones. Just keep going. Ended with one million CDDs and two million crab cakes.

Ran out of time for rounds 4-7. Oh well.

Mosey back to COT with a slight mosey extension to kill an additional 30 seconds.

Announcements

  • F3 Dads camp is this weekend
  • CSPAN sendoff convergence the 18th
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Praises and Prayers

  • Pray for F3 Dads camp, that everybody stays safe and we all still like each other at the end
  • PAX still looking for jobs
  • PAX out due to injury

Truth be told, I ran out of time to plan this. But, after running three days already this week, I wanted to place more emphasis on arms and less on running. I think the PAX appreciated it. Watching the drunk running was my highlight.

Thanks to Peg for the opportunity.

Jedi

 

“DaVinci Cartwheels” = Begin in a low squat. Reach across with both hands, placing your left hand next to your right foot and your right hand a bit further off. Push off with your feet, lift your hips over your shoulders into a mini tucked handstand, then (as gracefully as possible) put your feet back down past your right hand (left foot next to right hand), facing the same direction as you started. Rinse and repeat. Sometimes called a “monkey crawl” or “monkey scoot.” Can be done in both directions.

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Competitive Cones at the Poopdeck

It was a cold morning by the Lake, so when 5:15 hit we got right to it. Disclaimer was fully disclaimed then we went straight into a set of 17 SSH to get the blood flowing.

Mosey around the parking lot then

  • Crab walk into COP (30 yards ish)
  • 13 crab cakes
  • 11 windmills
  • 23 MNCs
  • 5 Finkle swings (R), 5 Finkle swings (L)

All the sets were prime numbers, for no reason other than it feels good not to do things in multiples of 5 every now and then. Also ,the Finkle Swing is a great warm up for the hip-flexor and it works on developing balance for the PAX. Plus, its funny to see everyone trying not to fall over. We need to work that into the rotation more.

 

The Thang

PAX moseyed over to the boat ramp parking lot, narrowly avoiding an encounter with the Crazy Cat Lady and her Mercedes of doom. 11 cones had been set up at the far end of the parking lot, about 100 yards away from the start. One of the best motivators for a good workout is competition, so we split into two teams. On each team P1 would go retrieve a cone and bring it back. While P1 was running, P2 and P3 planked. On the bottom of the cone (so you don’t know what you are choosing) was an exercise and count that had to be completed before P2 could run for the next cone. Also, there was a exercise on the top of the cone (clearly visible when the cone was selected) that the non runners had to do while waiting for the next cone. For example, P1 brings back a cone and everyone on the team does 30 merkins. Then, while P2 is running, P1 and P3 do high knees in place until P2 returns. Here were the cone pairings:

  • 40 SSH in cadence / American Hammers
  • 30 Monkey Humpers / Freddie Mercuries
  • 20 Diamond Merkins / LBCs
  • 30 Sumo Squats / Lunges
  • Dealer’s Choice! / Mario Punches
  • 15 Seal Team Sit-Ups / Elbow Plank
  • 1 lap around the parking lot / shoulder taps
  • 25 Burpees / Overhead Claps
  • 30 Merkins / High Knees in Place
  • 25 Mountain Climbers in cadence / Calf Raises
  • 13 Donkey Kicks / Dying Cockroach

Team 1 (YHC, Peg, and ©) pulled the “run a lap” cone on the first selection and played catch up for the rest of the competition. The game came down to a final sprint between Peg and Olaf for the winning cone. Peg had the cone in hand but fumbled it. Or perhaps it was stripped by Olaf. Either way, the victory cone was sprinted back, leaving Team 2 (Olaf, Iced T, and Qbert) as the victors. All PAX did the final cone together, which ended up being the 25 Burpees.

After a 10 count or two, we partnered up and did wheelbarrows along the columns at the Bowl and Bounce shops. Get to a column, both PAX do 2 merkins then wheelbarrow to the next one. Flapjack. Had to audible halfway through and switch the merkins to 2 squats.

Head to the wall for some people’s chair with 7 LBCs each. BTTW with 2 Burpees each. Rinse repeat.

Ended the morning with a little Mary, courtesy of the winning team.

 

Announcements, Prayers, & Praises

  • Listen to the Roundtable on F3 Houston and Big Wheel. What can we do to better prepare for emergencies in the gloom?
  • Iced T’s M is recently out of work – prayers for peace and a new job
  • Qbert’s M and a recurring stressor in their marriage
  • Sleep and adjusting to the new normal in house Homebrew

 

Always a fun time getting after it with this crew. I really love how everyone embraced the competition and went all out. Thanks Peg for the opportunity.

Stay Classy,

Homebrew

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