12 started their week at The Armory for some Workouts of the Day dedicated to the brave men who stormed the beach in Normandy. After a brief warm up we got to the heart of the day:

20 Minutes AMRAP

-60ish Meter Suitcase Carry (switch hands midway)

-60ish Meter Bear Crawl/Bell Drag Back (switch hands midway)

-44 American Hammers

-60ish Meter Suitcase Carry (switch hands midway)

-60ish Meter Bear Crawl/Bell Drag Back (switch hands midway)

-44 Burpees

 

Following this we had about 13 minutes so we adjusted another WOD

6 Minutes

-Ladder count up of curls, overhead press, goblet squat & high pull (1 of each then 2 of each then 3, etc)

6 Minutes

-Reverse ladder count from the amount you had completed previously of 4 count flutters and 4 count mountain climbers. The original weinke called for man maker burpees instead of the flutter kicks, but I decided to modify that…

 

Mosey back to COT for announcements and prayer.

 

Thank you for the opportunity to lead

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Badger 1 year Convergence

Thank you to our QICs of the Badger Convergence.  For those that were close with Badger and his family who was in attendance it was a blessing to see 78 strong come out in his honor.

Cyclop’s Portion of Badger Convergence

The W/O: The sets follow the dates of every March madness trip I took with badger and the 71-64 significance is the final score of the Kentucky-Wisconsin game in 2015 (our first trip) when badger’s badgers knocked off unbeaten Kentucky in the final 4.  I heard a bit about that. 😎

3 – burpees
19 – merkins
20 – squats
15 – LBCs

64 second – wall sit (people’s chair):  reflect in silence on how we leave no doubt as badger did.

3 – burpees
17 – LBC’s
20 – flutters
16 – burpees

DORA partner up – 71 burpees.  Partner 1 runs to semi trailer and back while partner 2 does burpees then switch off and repeat until 71 is reached

3 – burpees
16 – squats
20 – lunges
17 – flutters

71 seconds – balls to the wall

Reflect on leaving no doubt and what that means for each of us – then mosey to COT.

 

Change Order’s Portion of Badger Convergence

18 merkins
48 Lbc
4 burpees
9 merkins
11 side startle hops
20 freely mercury
07 merkins
39 Lbc
Run a lap in between each

Jiffy’s Portion of Badger Convergence

Headed over to the side of Parking Lot…

 

I shared the Pax my background with Badger – I joined F3 because of him.  F3 has had a meaningful impact on my life and I owe that to Badger.  I shared with the Pax how quickly things turned for Badger and encouraged them (and myself) to make sure we are using our time and resources very intentionally.

 

The workout

 

I had cones setup and the Pax did the following sequences:

  • Lunge Walk to each cone and stop and do 10 jump squats, run back
  • Bear crawl to each cone and stop and 10 merkins
  • 20 LBC’s in cadence
  • Sequence of 10 merkins, 10 plan jacks, 10 merkins, 10 plank jacks, 10 merkins, 10 plank jacks

 

  • Lunge Walk to each cone and stop and do 5 bomb jacks, run back
  • Bear crawl to each cone and stop and 10 carolina dry docks
  • 20 American Hammers in cadence
  • Sequence of 10 merkins, 10 shoulder taps, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder taps, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder taps

 

  • Lunge Walk to each cone and stop and do 10 monkey humpers bomb jacks, run back
  • Bear crawl to each cone and stop and 10 dips
  • 20 flutters in cadence
  • Sequence of 10 merkins, 10 side shoulder punches, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder punches, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder punches

 

  • Straight suicide

 

 

We then ran to the side and between a couple of islands did a Jacobs Ladder with Bomb Jacks on one side and Burpees on the other with a total of 6.

 

Great job by the Pax pushing each other and picking up the 6 at the end.

 

We headed back to the group at the end for COT.  It was an honor to serve especially in honor of Badger.

 

Trucker’s portion of Badger Convergence

Ran behind 9 rounds. Badger would have been 40 this year. So honored him with 40/4 workout. Each PAX had to do 4 rounds of 4 exercises of 40 reps with a run from 9 rounds to end of parking lot.
Merkins
Squats
LBCs
CCD

Then over to Red Bowl wall for 40 leg raises. Wall sits with 2 burpees each down the line. Repeat with 4 scorpion merkins.

Missy to oil change store. 4 PAX lined up 20 yards away while the other took 4 car tires and flipped tires to partner, return back to start. Each PAX then grabbed a tire nd did 40 shoulder presses.

Mossy to COT

 

Senator Tressels Portion of Badger Convergence

After COP, mosey to the inclined driveway by the apartment complex on Tega Cay Drive.  I gathered the group and told them that Matt was my neighbor and friend.  Our families spent time together and that Matt was active in an adult men’s soccer league.  Matt’s fight with cancer was very short and that he was gone way too soon.

 

On to the workout:

 

Jacob’s ladder, 1-7, with burpees at the top of the hill.  Plank when you are finished.

 

Walk to the grass area in front of the apartment gym and circle up for  Jack Webb’s (10/40).

 

Freddie Mercs x 20, and Hello Dolly x 20, all in cadence.

 

End with 90 seconds of the body destroyer.  As the Pax laid still and quiet,  I told them to think about how much they have, how lucky they are, and that every day is a gift.

 

Mosey  back to the Harris Teeter lot for COT

 

End.

 

Decibels Portion of Badger Convergence

 

MERKINS X25

ALTERNATING LUNGES X25

TOE TAPS X25

TONY HAWK BURPEE X15

Heals to Heaven x25

GORILLA HUMPER X20

IMPERIAL WALKER X20

EMPTY WHEELBARROW

SQUATS X20

LBCs  X39

E2K X20 EACH SIDE

ROSALITA X25

During the workout we keep 3 soccer balls moving at all time to honor Badger’s love for soccer. 

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since Badger went to be in heaven.  I was blessed to spend time with him prior to his passing.  We talked about him being saved and how important that was to him.  He let me know that his M was a big reason he was saved but also seeing my families reaction to losing our daughter and son and our dependence on God at that time.  I am saying this to let you know as Christians people watch our actions and want to make sure our actions match our words.  I encourage every Christian brother in F3 to live out your faith and in times of need lean on God just like Badger did in his time. 

My M and I received a letter from Badger.  In that letter he mentioned F3 and the support he and his family received after the diagnosis.  I remember him just being in awe of all the people that were praying for him.  He was so touched by this community that he asked that I make sure that his boys get involved in F3.  It was such a blessing to have Jeter and all the his relatives experience the convergence.  To have 78 men in our community support Badger was an emotional journey for all of us that knew him.  I had several members of his family let me know how much they appreciated the convergence and the support for Badger.  Thank you to each man that showed up!

Badger was a man I respected to the utmost.  He was not a guy that sought attention or glory, but he was always there when you needed him.  He loved his family and was a loyal friend.  I am still in awe of how he bravely prepared to walk into heaven.  It was so comforting to know he was going to see Jesus.  He told me many times that he would take care of our babies (Elizabeth Grace and Garrett) until we met up with him.  Badger was a great Father and I know he is having a blast with my kids in heaven. 

Let us all take this time to pour into, support, love on and encourage our F3 brothers. Then take that momentum and turn it to our families.  Then take that momentum and pour it out on the least and the lost in our community.  Badger knew that God had a purpose for him and that purpose was to spread the word of God’s Grace and Love.  Let’s make that happen for him.

 

 

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Tempo Run at Tempo

We ran the Carowoods loop, 5.25 miles. Nice course for a tempo run – it is  mostly flat so you can open it up so to speak and maintain a good pace throughout. Spud and Decibel joined us for COT. After so much rucking it felt good to stretch the legs out with my running mates. Thanks Gekko for the opportunity to lead.

-NASA

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Old School at Alacatraz

I got the call early on Saturdayy morning that  my Co -Q was having flu like symptoms and I decided that the Pax would be my Co-Q.  I was excited to see a classic group of old school and new regulars at F3.  After almost 8 years of doing this it is great to see old friends and meet new ones.

I had decided I was going to take a tour of some of the areas of Alcatraz I had not been to in a while.

The Thang:

Mosey to tennis/pickle ball courts:

Around the circle 2x with each member leading an exercise.  Exercises included but were not limited to side straddle hops, LBC, imperial walker, dynamic stretches, cherry pickers, merkins, windmills, peter parkers, parker peters.  The counts were between 11-21.

Mosey to short wall by the golf course:  30 step ups….at this point slum lord ran but and was sucked into our pax….. then 25 derkins, 20 monkey humpers and 25 irkins.

mosey to hill by golf course.  Partner up and grab one rock per group.

Run up hill while partner does curls, switch, bear crawl up hill and crawl bear down while partner does overhead press,  switch,  run up hill while partner does tricep extensions, switch and bear crawl up hill and crawl bear down while partner does chest press, switch.

Run to club house steps and wheelbarrow and up and down, switch.  Rinse and Repeat.

Stop on way back for LBC- 30 OYO.

Mosey back and per Zima suggestion do a 4 minute hill workout calf buster by running up the hill backwards for four minutes and forward down (crowd pleaser.

Moleskin:

It is always great to lead.  It is amazing how time has flown and many a pax has seen time at Alcatraz.  Always great to catch up with new regulars and the ol faithful.

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Running Palisades Neighborhoods

We ran down Langston, turned left on Oleander, right on Steadman Branch (which circles left all the way back to Oleander), turned left on Palisades Parkway, right on Lake Ridge Road, left on Coves Ridge Ln, left on Vale Ridge Dr, left back onto Palisades Parkway, right onto Goldnrod into Langston, all the way back to the school.

 

Something like that.

 

Lots of hills.  What’s new?

 

Thanks for the opportunity to lead Hauscka!

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A cat, a cow and a 7 minute mile

Things Funhouse and Fishsticks did Friday morning.

We began with a 20 minute broga warm-up with a solid lead from Basso …. errrrr …. Sasquatch.

The other thang:

I trot along the avenue
I never thought I’d meet a turn like you
Meet nine turns like you

With crazy 90 degree turns and blind corners
The massive number of turns confused me through
They confused me through

And I ran
I ran so many turns
I just ran
I ran both left and right
I couldn’t find my way

A turn appears in front of you
I wish the route was explained better by you
Just simply a turn or two

And I ran
I ran so many turns
I just ran
I ran both left and right
I couldn’t find my way

Looks like we made it,

Barry Manilow

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Capture the Coupons

My bad just realized that this backblast never got posted. I only looked bc @funhouse is keeping track now.

Garage/ junkyard wars with a little capture the flag and kick the can inspired what for now we will refer to as “capture the coupon”.

Rules are simple:

Capture the Coupons according to objective for each round.

Coupons must be completely within home base to count for or against your team depending on objective when time runs out.

Separate all the Coupons, AKA all the random heavy stuff in my garage,  into two groups of equal weight.  See picture of randomness that filled my truck bed.

PAX split into two teams.  Note YHC can’t count to three.

Objective for round 1: capture the most weight as a team.

Time limit for round 1: 4 minutes

Objective for round 2: have least amount of weight within team base when round ends.

Time limit for round 2: 3 minutes

Objective for round 3: have most number of coupons, weight doesn’t matter.

Time limit for round 3:  4 minutes.

Thanks to Wild Thing for the opportunity to lead such a great bunch of guys.

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Run with Faster Men…

A Running BB?  6 was the count at Sea Legs Tuesday. I couldn’t believe Bones was out here only 1 week after twisting his ankle pretty badly at the previous Sea Legs session.  You would think that would have slowed him down!

Gave disclaimer and course direction.  My goal was to run the Oleander Hill a couple times, I have set up a Strava segment for it to help us get better.  We would do that loop twice then head up to the Soccer fields on Palisades and head back to our start.

When we finished all PAX were accounted for, with Bones and Hauschka leading the way.  On our usual run for Sea Legs my goals is 5 miles.  Today I was pushed to 5.5 miles. How?  Bones slowed down long enough for me to pace with him for the first 4.5 miles.

So how do you run faster?  RUN WITH FASTER MEN.

Thanks for the push!

~Royale

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Relays at Abyss

Been trying to come up w/ ideas that force guys to naturally push themselves harder than they would normally.  What better way than to do some team relays w/ punishments and a time hack that forces us to push it to be under the time challenge.

Took the pax on a quick mosey to the back of the school, one lap around the track and then a warm-up in order of merkins, downward dog, honeymooner, peter parkers, wind mills, squats and moroccan nightclubs.  Relay time.  On the long hill in way back of Palisades Elementary.

Instructed the pax to count off by 2 (we had 14) so we had two teams of 7 – Team 1 vs. Team 2.  I then asked the pax to count off by 2 again within their teams.  This apparently was too much counting  for these particular guys at 5:20a.  Lots of grumbles from the crowd, but they finally got it.  My intent was to “evenly” (we had 7 per team) split each of the teams so that half would be at the bottom of the hill and the other half would be at the top of the hill.  Half of each of the teams ran to the top of the hill and the half at the bottom started each relay:

  • Relay 1 – first guy in line on each of the teams sprints up the hill and tags their teammate at the top of the hill, who then sprints down the hill and tags the next guy up.  This particular relay lasts as long as it takes all team members to sprint 4 times (two uphill, two downhill).  While all the sprinting is happening, the rest of the team is doing 3 exercises (you switch exercises once a runner finishes at your end of the hill).
      1. 6 inch holds
      2. Jump knee tucks
      3. Big boy sit ups

WINNER – Team 1.  Team 2 does 6 KRAKEN BURPEES while Team 1 does 6 normal burpees

  • Relay 2 – wheel barrows.  First TWO guys in line on each of the teams (at the bottom of the hill) wheel barrows half way up the hill (it’s a solid stretch) and then switches w/ the guy holding his legs.  Once they get to the end, they tag their teammates on the other side and they wheel barrow down the hill switching midpoint.  Same idea – entire relay lasts for all pax to do one wheel barrow hill.  Exercises done for this relay, with a switch in exercise taking place each time a partner changes on the wheel barrow was as follows:
      1. Diamond merkins
      2. Lunge jumps
      3. American hammers

WINNER – Team 2.  Team 1 does 8 KRAKEN BURPEES while Team 2 does 8 normal  burpees

  • Relay 3 – ruck run.  First guy in line on each of the teams has a ruck that they carry and they sprint up the hill, tag their teammate on the other side by throwing a ruck sack at their face, who then runs down the hill.  This relay lasts as long as it takes all pax to complete 2 full hill sprints w/ the ruck sack.  Exercises during this relay that are cycled through were:
      1. Carolina dry docks
      2. Side straddle hops
      3. Plank on elbows

(HIGHLIGHT – DUCK DYNASTY FOUND HIS CALLING.  THIS DUDE THREW A RUCK SACK ON HIS SHOULDER AND SPRINTED LIKE HIS LIFE DEPENDED ON IT, PICKING UP MAJOR GROUND FOR TEAM 2 ON HIS LEGS!)

WINNER – Team 2.  Team 1 does 5 KRAKEN BURPEES while Team 2 does 5 normal burpees

From there, we only had 7 minutes, so it was time for a quick Time Hack.  I started the timer on my phone that is as bright as the sun, and as a team, we did one lap on the track w/ a stop in the middle for 15 merkins.  We did it in 1 minute, 10 seconds (clock stops upon last guy finishing).

  • Time Hack Challenge – do two laps on the track, stopping once during each of the laps at midpoint to do 15 merkins in 2:35.  We did it in 2:50, a 15 second party foul.  That meant 15 burpee penalty…wa wa.  If I had more time I wanted to do a 3 lap time and a 4 lap time hack w/ the same burpee penalty.  Would have been fun.

Flew back to COT, did our burpee penalty and ended 1 minute past 6am (shame on me).  Prayers were shared for kids, travel mercies for Witch Hunt and family, new beginnings at work, and healing.  Thanks Copyright for the chance to lead this awesome group of Lake Wylie pax.  Crazy to see the explosive growth out here.  Had a blast!

Cha Ching

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