Tag: Cyclops

Upside Down

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SkyQ was stirring the Site Q’s spirit 30 days ago, suggesting he needed to loop YHC in for a New Year’s Eve Q at The Ranch.  Little did he know 12/31 happens to be my birthday, so there was no way I could pass up the invite. 12 pax posted in the damp (but not rainy) Gloom to make it official.

The Thang

Warm up yog around parking lot

Extended COP — familiar set of exercises interspersed after every two with increasing rounds of Burpees, starting with 2 and increasing by 2 each round up to 12

Mosey to the picnic tables and partner up

Partner 1 = 12 Derkins + Partner 2 = Balls to the Wall  / Flapjack (3 rounds)
Partner 1 = 12 Bombjacks + Partner 2 = People’s Chair / Flapjack (3 rounds)
Partner 1 = Donkey kicks + Partner 2 = Plank / Flapjack (3 rounds)

Mosey to soccer field and muster up

The next series will involve moving down and back across the soccer field…BUT…in recognition that 2020 was a year when “holding ground” qualifies as success, the objective is to make the trek with backwards or sideways moves (ie, Carioca, NUR, Crawl bear, Backward or sideways lunge,  side shuffle).  The only acceptable method forward is Bear Crawl)

We proceeded to move back and forth across the field and each down/back was marked with a set of Burpees declining by 2 with each series (10-8-6-4-2).  Final traverse for all pax was a Bear crawl

Circle up for Mary

Series of core exercises, capped off with Superman rendition of Happy Birthday song courtesy of JWOW and Backdraft.

Mosey home

COT

Thank you to Ruby Slippers for the opportunity to tie off 2020 —  it was truly an honor to be in The Gloom IN PERSON with the pax to finish the strangest year any of us have experienced.

It was an upside down year given that no one could have foreseen a pandemic coming.  Or a stock market rally in the aftermath.  Or legalization of pot in some states along with criminalization of holiday family gatherings.

This upside down and backwards orientation aligns perfectly with the Gospel and sets the stage for a new approach to 2021.  I’ll pick my One Word for 2021 (Now) and review 2020 and make plans for 2021…all the things that I would typically DO in prior years.  But 2020 has taught me that NONE of these matter unless they’re connected to the will of my Creator.  Rather than focus my energies on what I’m doing, I first need to create space for what He’s doing…and then fit my part in as accompaniment ( I think that might be a musical term, Band Camp?).

Thanks to the pax who posted to help me celebrate the completion of my 54th year on the Big Ball.  And thank you to all pax of The Fort for carrying me and each other through an upside down year.

Cheers!

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Bulgarian 7-10 Split

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11 PAX gathered in the crisp gloom.

Disclaimer was given.

Hard charge out of the gate.
With the ageless Straight-Up and Harry Carey moving quickly behind YHC, we hit the first mile at 6:56/min pace.

As the PAX regrouped into a circle at the Teacher Parking lot area of the elementary school, Poppins rolled his ankle. Splinter ran back to get his truck and transported Poppins to his vehicle. Unfortunately, he was done for the day.

Warm-Up:
Yoga
Merkins
Shoulder Tap
SSH
Burpees 10 in cadence
IW
HW
Yoga

Thang:
Mosey toward the “black-top” area between the schools and find a bench

Bulgarian Split Squats
-10 each leg
-10 more each leg
-10 more each leg (this was a crowd favorite)
Step Ups
-10 each leg
-10 more each leg
Bulgarian Split Squats
-10 in cadence each leg (this confirmed their crowd favorite status)
-10 more in cadence each leg
Box Jumps – 10

Moved to the track-ish area
Lined up on the front line
Bear Crawl across the track
Crawl Bear back
15 burpees in cadence
Lunge Walk to the other side
Burpee-Broad Jump back
Some Yoga

11s w/
1 Merkins – 10 Shoulder Taps
got to 5 merkins and 6 shoulder taps

Moved back to benches
more Bulgarian Split Squats
– 10 in cadence each leg
– 10 more in cadence each leg
– (crowd favorite status confirmed)

Mosey to COT
Finished the 11s
Freddie Mercuries
Some Yoga to close us out

Prayers for:
– Poppins’s ankle
– blessing of science and medicine
– strength for those facing COVID
– the Spirit to remind us this isn’t our permanent home

NMM:

Make someone, just one person, feel special today

Thanks Long Duck for the opportunity to lead.
—
Band Camp Dismissed

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Bomb Splits

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Five men started the workout, and the sixth man, Bonsai, came in just as we we launching.
Run down entrance road
Warmup
All 10X in cadence:  SSH, Windmills, Moroccan N/C, Low Slow Squats, Arm Circles, Peter Parkers

Plank stretches (Downward dog/honeymooners)

Thang 1: BOMBs splits
Partner up
P1 runs to the north end of the entrance road and heads back (distance is 500’ out, then same back, total 1000’). P2 runs to the south end of the entrance road and heads back (same distance as P1),
When the pax meet, wherever that may be, they do the prescribed exercise:
First meet = B = Bobby Hurley = 150 total for the two pax
Then pax run their section of road again, then:
Second meet = Overhead Claps = 150, pax run, then:
Third meet = Merkins = 150, pax run, then:
Fourth meet = Big boy sit ups = 150, pax run, then:
Fifth meet = SSH = 150
Join in with the six to finish out.

Run to benches
Thang 2: Bench work
At the school’s benches:
20 incline merkins
20 Dips
20 step ups, 10 ea leg
20 decline merkins
20 butt touch squats
20 calf raises

Thang 3: Burpee Suicides
Three light poles in yard
Run to light pole 1, do two burpees, run back to start [65′]
Run to light pole 2, do two burpees, run back to start [165′]
Run to light pole 3, do two burpees, run back to start [265′]
Rinse repeat, increase to three burpees at each line for round two.

Run to COT area

Five minutes of Mary
Freddies, protractor, hello dollies, V-ups, etc.

Fini, COT

NMM: The BOMBs splits were different because one pax could bear more burden than the other, for either the running or exercise portion.  One partner may be faster than the other, and cover more ground, but then the other partner may get more exercise reps done; think of it as a ying/yang.   In the end we all come out ahead.

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Parking Lot Party

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Nice and simple at Quagmire for a rainy end to November.

Mosey to far end of the lot.

COP

  • SSH
  • Tappy Taps
  • Rebel Merkins
  • Mountain Climbers
  • LSS

Mosey to top of the lot next to Zoe’s
Burpee Ladder across lot to 7

Mosey to PetSmart wall
Wall Worms 1:4 Merkins:OH Claps up to 5

Mosey around building back to Zoe lot
Bear Crawl Merkin (x2) Ladder Across lot to 14

Mosey to PetSmart wall
Mike Tysons x 10

Mosey around building back to lot
Crab Walk BBS ladder across lot to 14

Mosey to PetSmart wall
BTTW count down the line (40 sec)

Mosey around building back to lot for COT

2.8 Miles

Read Your Newsletter.

Honor To Serve.

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Post-turkey day accountability

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9 PAX converged on The Varsity for a post-Thanksgiving session of brogan with Sasquatch, a boot camp with YHC or a ruck/run option.  Harry Caray was prepared to lead the run but after no runners showed, he joined us for boot camp.  3 ruckers – Cake Boss, Wegmans & Body Wash – departed for the gloom and YHC announced us off with disclaimers, assumption of risk and advice to tread smartly and modify as needed.  Off we moseyed to the stadium.  Here what happened:

One 1/4 mile lap around the field and a left turn into the South end zone for a little COP – we didn’t need as much here due to the broga session that took place prior.  Nonethless, a combination of windmills, SSH’s, burpees, merkins, imperial walkers, etc.  moved us to the main event.  We moseyed to the North end zone and began at the goal line.

The number of exercises corresponded to each yard line and after each exercise was completed, the method of transportation to and from each 10 yard line back to the North Goal Line varied (NUR’s, moseys, 75% run, 100% all out run, etc.).

North 10 yard line – 10 burpees OYO

North 20 yard line – 20 Hand release merkins OYO

North 30 yard line – 30 double count American Hammers in cadence

North 40 yard line – 40 double count shoulder taps in the plank position and in cadence

Mid field – The 50 – 50 double count overheads claps in candence

South 40 yard line – 40 double count side straddle hops in cadence

South 30 yard line – 30 double count mountain climbers in cadence.  We stopped at 15, halfway through to throw in 3 burpees……..just because.

South 20 yard line – 20 single count marking OYO

South 10 yard line – 10 burpees OYO

South end zone – 10 double count LBC’s and 10 double count flutters in cadence

We then moseyed to the parking lot for the four corner light pole 10-20-30 round – we got through 3 of 4 corners before 0559 was upon us

Pole 1 – 10 H/R merkins, 20 lunges, 30 SSH’s

Pole 2 – 10 diamond merkins, 20 double count American Hammers, 30 squats

Pole 3  – 10 kracken burpees (crowd favorite), 20 jump squats, 30 single count LBC’s

A quick mosey to COT left us 45 seconds for a few varying angels of the protractor and then time was called at 0600.

Announcements – Read your newsletter.

Prayers and praises were offered up and YHC reminded the PAX that even on days not labeled Thanksgiving, we should strive to be examples of thankfulness and gratitude each day.

It is always an honor to be called upon to lead the PAX.  My thanks to Splinter for the call to the bullpen and helping keep YHC accountable on a morning where sleeping in would have been a really easy thing to do.

You never know who needs you to show, besides yourself.  Keep posting and being the example to others that our world needs so much.

Until next time…….

Cyclops

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Stealing from Metro

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11 PAX on a crisp November morning

YHC got some influence one from one of the few backblasts written at F3-Metro’s Combine (Kettlebell and Sprinting) AO.

Warm-up
Run a big lap with unnecessary looping
Plank
– shoulder tap
– yoga
– mountain climber
– yoga
– peter parker
– yoga
– parker peter
Imperial Walker
Hillbilly Walker

Move with bells to parking lot
Line up from one island facing another

Ladder:

  • 5 manmakers
    -bear crawl to the next island and back
    KB Swings for the six
  • 5 manmakers
    5 goblet squats in cadence
    -bear crawl to the next island and back
    KB Swings for the six
  • 5 manmakers
    5 goblet squats in cadence
    10 upright rows in cadence
    -crawl bear to the next island and back
    KB Swings for the six
  • 5 manmakers
    5 goblet squats in cadence
    10 upright rows in cadence
    10 overhead presses in cadence

Move with bells to the farthest parking lot
Line up between one set of lights facing the other
We did an exercise with the bells and then sprinted to the other set of lights. At the other end, we did a descending count of merkins and sprinted back to our bells. So:

10 Merkins/Sprint/10 Alternating Lunges in cadence/Sprint back
9 Merkins / 5R & 5L Single Legged Dead-lifts
8 Merkins / 10 Sumo Squats
7 Merkins / 5 Manmakers, then 5 more
6 Merkins / 5R & 5L Snatches
5 Merkins / 5R & 5L Single arm overhead press
4 Merkins / 5 Lawnmower pulls each side, then 5 more, then 5 more
3 Merkins / 5 Goblet Squats in cadence
2 Merkins / 10 Swings
1 Merkin / 10 Overhead Presses

Move with bell back to COT

Flutters with press
Seated Yoga until 0600

Prayers:
Fathers that have passed recently
Those battling illness (COVID, Cancer)

NMM:
I sat on this backblast a bit and have lost my steam on a message. I remember an idea of checking in with your word of the year and how much of a struggle this year has been.

My word was Input. And I’ve been letting the world decide what my mental input is more often than deciding myself. There’s still days in the year left to get better…so let’s go work on it.

—
Band Camp dismissed

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Know before you show…

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Tuesday’s are a treat here in The Fort so why should Tuesday, November 24 be any different? In an effort to ensure the PAX got their money’s worth, I decided to post the Weinke on Slack ahead of time. This gave them the choice of whether or not they wanted to make a run at it. That said, 14 PAX joined me at the Colosseum to give it a run.

Warm-up run around the drop off lanes for both schools, taking us back to the basketball hoops.
50ea I/C: SSH, Merkins (harder to actually do this than write this), Flutters

Line it up for sprints down/back: 50%, 75%, AYG

Mosey to the 1/2 wall: 25 Muscle Ups, 25 Mike Tysons, 15 get over the wall

Mosey to the back bus road. Nur up the road to the top. Run down but stop at each light pole for 10 Hand-Release Merkins, 20 Jump Squats, 30 Freddy Mercury’s (count how you wish since I tend to change my mind)

More was on the Weinke so it’ll have to wait for another day.

Loads of prayer requests and praises to be grateful for. Safe travels and for those not traveling, see you at the Convergence, Thursday at the Ranch.

Maximus

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From the ground to the hills of Alcatraz

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BAOPS: Best AO For Pain on Saturday

That’s what has been established in recent months at Alcatraz as Trucker has pushed the Q’s to bring it just a little bit harder when their number is called. So, for Lil E and I, we worked to ensure consistency this beautiful Fall morning. Between, the story of hitting a deer on the way to the AO and the lingering hamstring soreness and name-calling, we had the makings of a good time in store.

With Lil E up first, he disclaimed and proceeded to Q us through an extended warm up consisting of:
Warm up lap around Runde Park
SSH x 30
Imperial Walkers x 20
Windmills x 10
Merkins x 10
Squats x 15
Mountain Climbers x 10
Monkey Humpers x 10
Morrocan Night Clubs x 20
Overhead Claps x 20
Peter Parkers x 10
Parker Peters x 10

And this is where our tough-guy computer hands got some focus:
Bear crawl the length of the parking lot on the most hand-friendly blacktop this side of a gravel road. Fortunately for our hands, we got a break at four stops along the way to encourage the mitts even more with 10 merkins at each stop.

Oh, you want more attention paid to your baby soft skin? Great. Line it back up at the start but now, you’ll crab walk the length of the parking lot with 15 LBCs at each of the four stops.

But wait, there’s more. Next, we got to (get to, not have to) lunge walk the length of the parking lot with 15 squats at each of the four stops.

Lastly, a reminder of how lonely our hands got during the lunge/squat round, we then did the ol’ Burpee Broad Jump down the parking lot…no stops, just straight on through. Oh, joy!!

Hand off to Maximus who had a bit of an axe to grind.

You see, I take the Q responsibilities as a unique obligation/opportunity to ensure the PAX feel the workout was worth their time. After all, if we’re waking up early to be with our brothers, it needs to be worth it. I never want to give the PAX the feeling of leaving a post and not getting a good workout in. If you feel that you weren’t completely challenged, at least physically, then I didn’t fulfill my role that morning. I know we can all modify as needed, to achieve more, but it helps when the Q brings it.

So what does that have to do with today. I feel I failed the PAX at my most recent Q, earlier this week. It looked like a challenge on paper but at the conclusion, I had a feeling like the PAX didn’t get their “money’s worth.” So today, I was committed to right the ship and the 7 of us at Alcatraz  enjoyed it after Lil E’s first half shenanigans.

Take to the hill on the backside of the park and do 1 lap down then back up to get familiar with our track.

Run down to the bottom of the hill, 20 V-Ups & 10 Burpees (while dodging Bambi(s).
Run back to the top of the hill, 20 Box Cutters & 10 Hand-Release Merkins into a Jump Squat. This is like a Burpee broken into 2 parts.
Repeat this 3 more times for a total of 4 rounds.

Mosey over to the pull-up bar and each PAX completed 5 pull-ups. While you were waiting, you rested by doing Merkins.

Hopefully I made up for my past transgressions. Thanks for sharing your morning with Lil E and I.

Major Announcements:

  1. Thanksgiving convergence with the details in the Newsletter or right here: 0630 at the Ranch on Thanksgiving morning. That’s it!!
  2. Bonsai is coordinating an Advent Calendar Food Drive and the collections will be taken at our Christmas Eve Convergence!!
  3. Christmas Party

SYITG,
Lil E & Maximus

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Honoring Those Who Impact Us

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This week, on Wednesday, we honor all veterans who have served and continue to serve our nation.  As part of that theme, YHC decided to get a little jump start by assigning a workout where PAX would honor a veteran of their choosing and, based on the name(s) of those veterans, complete as many rounds as possible of exercises associated with the letters of their name.

We gathered as 5 to start and, by the time we moseyed roughly 1/4 mile for some COP, Olaf and Flounder joined in.

COP – 11 windmills D/C I/C, 5 burpees, 11 Imperial Walkers D/C I/C, 5 burpees, 11 Hillbilly Walkers D/C I/C, 5 burpees, mosey further up the lot because YHC did not like the smell of trash, continuing with… 11 low slow squats D/C I/C, holding the last rep and remaining in the peoples chair for 9 Moroccan night clubs and 9 shoulder taps – both D/C and I/C.  Legs were warm and off we moseyed to the board of the alphabet.

The main event was designed to be between 2 & 5 rounds and all PAX worked hard, likely did more wall sits than they would in most workouts and it seemed a lot of leg work was done, but the beauty of these workouts was the simple fact that PAX were doing these to honor someone who impacted them – someone who made them better in their life.  May we be so fortunate to do the same for others as a matter of everyday practice.

YHC called time with 3 minutes to spare and we moseyed back to COT for geometry class with a few positions on the protractor before 0600 hit and time was called.

Announcements – Read your newsletter, XMas Party coming up and Thanksgiving convergence at the Ranch with a little football in Lake Wylie afterwards.  Travis Manion WOD on 11-20 at the Swamp.

Prayers – for families, for Olaf’s Mom as she relocates and his step dad struggling with an addiction.  For DaVinici and discernment on the path forward.

Praise for Jekyll’s Dad who served in Vietnam and is spending a weekend with his family coming up and for all veterans who have served us all selflessly and have sacrificed so that we might enjoy the freedoms and blessings of this nation.

NMM –  Q-ing is an honor.  Leading is a privilege and serving is our greatest form of impacting others.  YHC is grateful to the men of F3 who continue to serve as visible reminders each day of what impact and positive ripple effect can look like.  I am humbled to be in your company and thankful that all of you keep me on a better path with you than without.  My thanks to Olaf for the opportunity.

With Gratitude,

Cyclops

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The Train Arrived Early……therefore PAX we’re fashionably late

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7 PAX gathered (eventually) to take the DRP in the gloom.  It was foggy and a bit humid.  PAX gathered at the shovel flag thanks to the work of Shatner (HIM).

At 0515, Anchorman and Barry Manilow promptly moseyed off for a jog (soft J) while 3 of us remained.  The train passed through downtown a bit early and was a potential culprit to hold up a few PAX (or so I had guessed).  Instead of immediately moseying off (which was the plan), YHC audibled to remain stationary for COP (for the time being).  After a few minutes of warm up exercises and the train clearing downtown, 0517 saw two PAX roll in hot.  Destiny and Boogie Down joined us in the middle of Imperial Walkers.  Once those were complete, we sauntered off down the hill for some more warm up exercises and a few Broga poses (but just a few).  From there, YHC called for a mosey up Monroe White Street to the Comporium lot – 1/4 mile later, PAX were a bit winded and we took a pause, recited the pledge with a bit of shortness of breath.  From there, it was on to the main event – 4 Corner Century Club

PAX were to perform 4 sets of exercises OYO at each designated cone in downtown Fort Mill – running between each station.   The exercises and locations were as follows:

Cone #1 – Pumpkin Patch at St. John’s UMC

25 SSH’s , 25 Squats, 25 Merkins, 25 Mountain Climbers

Cone #2 – Kimbrell’s Furniture Parking Lot

25 American Hammers, 25 Seal Jacks, 25 Werkins, 25 Plank Jacks

Cone #3 – Parking lot behind Amor Artis (some PAX found the shortcut behind Kimbrell’s (modify as needed) as an alternative to Main Street and Confederate.

25 Big Boy Sit Ups, 25 Lunges, 25 Diamond Merkins, 25 Peter Parkers

Cone #4 – Footloose Parking Lot – PAX were glad to see this cone there and not some where else downtown.

25 LBC’s, 25 Squats, 25 Incline Merkins on the curb, 25 Parker Peters

PAX got through 2 rounds just in time to hustle to COT at 0600.  Great effort was put in by all.

Announcements – Travis Manion WOD on 11-21; Cobra Kai has details.  Christmas Party is happening with limited capacity.  Details forthcoming.

Prayers were offered up for mental health and Praises were given for the men of F3 and the guardrails we are to one another in helping keep us on the right path.

My thanks and gratitude go out to the PAX who chose to do the hard thing this morning, rise early, and get better as well as to Boss Hogg for the opportunity to Q.  It is always a privilege to lead and serve.  Thank you, men!!

Until next time,

Cyclops

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