Breaking Patterns

What a great morning for a run. Low 50’s, no wind and 20 PAX for a post P200 Monday. Up in the rotation today was the newest member of the Flight Plan plans, “Loops of Choice.” They include a 2.5 mile loop that goes over the walking trail at the end of YMCA parking lot, out 6th Baxter, up Sutton and back to Starbucks. And a 1.5 mile loop that goes down market, comes up Sutton and back to Starbucks. Modify as necessary, find a running buddy, have some fellowship, attend COT, check the box.

Flight Plan is an AO that’s predictable. Because of safety, we stay on the north side of 77. We have 4 routes and run each one, once per month. Today’s route emphasizes, (maybe represents is a better word) those circles we find ourselves in. Don’t get me wrong, the workout is beneficial. And I love the sense of accomplishment of conquering the long climb up Sutton (twice) in the gloom. However, the round and round is indicative of what can become of us as men.

But F3 is there to break those patterns. In COT we were reminded of that by two very strong PAX. Pusher (along w/ Twister & Change Order) who has taken the monumental task of leading Q-source. The weekly study of how this group can shape lives, of not just ourselves, but our families and community. If you’re not involved, you’re missing out. If you’ve been going, you know what I’m talking about. The added support outside of fellowship of the gloom, is great.

The other PAX is Stang. What happens when something throws us off these loops we find so comfortable. Something devastating or tragic.  Or what if we struggle just to stay upright on the loops but don’t feel like we can tell anyone so we use other outlets to hide the burden?  Stang is going to lead the discussion on these topics Wednesday at The Tomahawk (Doby’s Bridge Elementary – Kettle Bell). The last 15 minutes of the workout will be a stretching session with discussion on these heavy topics. Things we need to be able to share and discuss if we are going to be the leaders we need to be.

It’s great to see these HIMs pushing us past the 1st F.

Annoucments:

  • See Above
  • Cristina Latini Memorial 8K – Saturday March 30th – Clown Cars leaving Baxter Starbucks at 7:00 for Huntersville or Virtual run 6:30 at Alcatraz
  • Cake Boss 40 Day Challenge – On going

Prayers and Praises

  • Rebel’s daughter getting her first real job
  • The safe return of all the PAX who ran the P200

Welcome FNG – Seuss! (EH’d by Cake Boss)

See you in the gloom!

Boeheim

 

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Slow Burn Therapy

After some therapy for Destiny a short Disclaimer for the FNG and off to mosey down the hill

High knees and butt kickers on the jog for good measure

warm up. SSH 15, Seal jacks 10, Plank jacks 10, mt climbers 10, Out/ ins (there was a technical term i do not remember)10, shoulder taps 20

mosey to the guard rail

incline merkins on rail 10,   dips on rail 10,  incline merkins on rail 10 ,  dips on rail 10

The thang

Mosey to the right side of lowe’s for 3 ten count wall sit followed by a crazy Indian wall sit w/ burpee’s

5 core principle of f3 for the new guy and the 3F’s for the new guy followed by circle burpes for about 10 times.

partner up for P 200,200,200/ Running (its starts today)

squats , LBC’s and Dry docks ea. to 200 with partner

mosey to the back of lowes for a kenyan special of calf raises 15,25,15.

Mosey to the parking lot by charanda’s for a short ab circle and mosey back to COT for the name o ramma and FNG naming. Help me welcome “Loading dock” to the mix.

Late appearance by long shanks to close things up for the Prayer

 

 

 

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Clear & Crisp P200 Tune Up

What a great morning to get out in The Fort for a little jog around Wally World. Attendance is strong lately with all of the P200 training and the handful of (almost) only running PAX. There’s a pace and a buddy for everyone when the crowd is this size for a running workout.

The Thang:

Wally World – A Flight Plan original wrapping around a shopping mecca and the back road for two of Fort Mills finest learning institutions. All kinds of opportunities to modify distance and incline. So if you were well rested, take that Dave Gibson Hill. If you had too much for St. Patty’s day, easy out and back to WW entrance. It was a glorious morning to be reminded how lucky we are to have our brotherhood and inhale that late winter frosty air.

COT/Announcements

Jekyll took the lead at COT. Reminding us to support our brother Olive and The Christina Latini Memorial 8K on March 30th. Sign ups right now are lower than last year. Let’s get the word out not just to the PAX but to everyone we know. Olive has taken the worst of situations and grown it into a lasting tribute. Something that he has made easy for us to be a part of. He’s done all the heavy lifting and we can claim a little bit of pride simply by doing something we already do, run a little bit. If you can’t make the actual run in Huntersville or the virtual one set up by Change Order at Alcatraz, then still donate. You will be smiling all day after you do (Christina Latini Memorial 8K) Thanks for the reminder Jekyll

Paryers:

Lift up Funhouse’s brother Scott . He’s going through major life changes today; new home for himself as he starts the painful process of a divorce. He will need the strength of Sky Q so be sure to add Scott to your prayers.

Help Hootie as he travels this week. He asks that we lift his M & kids in prayer as they work through the week while he’s gone. The life work balance is hard on everyone. Supporting each PAX with fellowship and prayer will get us through.

 

NMM:

A COT this large can be tough for me. I don’t hear well (Funhouse & Pusher excepted) and can’t wear my hearing aids while running. The sweat makes them shut down. I miss a lot of the jokes and camaraderie that goes on. But the energy that comes from the circle is real. Just like the workout, it doesn’t matter if you’re wide awake or struggled just to make it back, there’s something in there for everyone. Take these jokes, causes, praises and prayers to heart. Think about them as you go through your day. Give them the extra prayer they need or the smile/laugh to yourself they bring to your soul.  And know there’s more waiting for you tomorrow when you need it all over again.

Boeheim

Aye!

 

 

 

 

 

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Light Pole Circuits & POW POW @ The Ballroom

***Cobains now for the 2 PAX that I missed.   You weren’t in the video and my memory “ain’t what is used to be”.

Weather was near perfect for a “Pearls on a String”- inspired workout.  Dropped the disclaimer, checked for FNGs and we were off.

Circle Up for 10 of each :

SSH

Squats

Windmill

Stretches:

Downward Dog  to Honeymooner  x 3

Runner’s Pose

Warrior Pose

Grass Grabber/Cherry Picker (neither of which are in the F3 exercises, so I am sure this is officially called something else)

Imperial Walker

Mosey to side of the school.

Rotate 20 dips / Wall Sit  – Rinse & Repeat

Run out to end of bridge and back

Stretching with :

Cat Pose (which cracked Spitz up, Big Time! Nice of him and Lug Nut to join us ! )

Hip Stretches

Mosey to light pole closest to Pleasant Rd. , Start exercises there and run to next light. As a PAX, 20 reps each, various PAX leading the count

Merkins

Slow Squat (although I think it was led at a fast pace)

American Hammer

Shoulder Tap

Lunge

Grave Diggers

Wide Arm Merkins

Calf Raises (Kenyan nearly counted us to 50 on this one!)

Flutters

Monkey Humpers

Overhead Claps

Moroccan Night Clubs

Turn around and head back down the string of lights

OH Claps

Monkey Humpers

Flutters

Calf Raises (Seriously, we had to call off Kenyan on this one. I think he was going to 100!!!   Pretty cool that we had a semi-BOM group on this one)

Wide Arm Merkins

Grave Diggers

Several exercises for 5 minutes of Mary and we ended with Airborne’s brutal hip circuit, led and strongly advocated for by Change Order!

 

I asked the PAX to take a look at themselves and determine where they could GROW (theme of the month), relative to one of the three F’s.  Also cautioned them (& myself) against tending to one of the F’s too much, this neglecting the other 2.

Ended in COT, with multiple praise & prayers. Thank you, Short Sale for the opportunity. Always humbled to lead such a group of strong leaders. Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t forget, GIVE IT AWAY. Someone else needs it as much – or WORSE – than you did!

 

SYITG –

Beacon

 

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Footloose: Fancy Free and Moderate

23 PAX gathered in the foggy gloom (24 at COT with Polaroid joining in after he hit his miles)

Started out with a VERY clear and complete disclaimer. See the full version at: Disclaimer

Mosey towards the Church of God parking lot. Sugar Bug fell about 30 yards in…..good thing the disclaimer was so thorough. Also good thing he popped right up and continued on. Went serpentine on the COG stairs to get the PAX all back in one place after the mosey spread us out.

Warm up:
SSH x10
Merkin x10
Held Plank
forced Bomb Jacks (TWSS – Kielbasa)
Mountain Climber (slow count) x10
Held Plank
more forced Bomb Jacks (TWSS – Kielbasa)
SSH x10
IW x10
HW x10
Spiderman Merkins x10
Hip Flexer stretch (Lizard Pose)
Al Gore
Al Gore + Moroccan Night Club x10
Hooneymooner–>Downdog combination

Thang:
Partner up: Dora
100 merkins
200 squats
300 flutters

Mosey to giant wall
Wall Sit while PAX performed 5 burpees down the line

Message synopsis:
What is Moderate? What do you moderate?

Mosey back to FBC
Line up on a parking lot island:
Mike Tyson x10 –> bear crawl across to adjacent island
Rinse and Repeat

Lined up for called Lunges and Squats
Right Leg Lunge x5
Left Leg Lunge x5
Squats x5
Hold Squat w/ calf raise x5
Finished with Pigeon Lunge

NMM:

It’s an honor to lead. Lots of respectable PAX out there today. These men working on getting better in their 50s and beyond are an inspiration. They push YHC to want to be better.

Announcements:
Welcome FNG: Hardwood
Convergence: Baxter Harris Teeter 3/8
Joe Davis Run 3/9
Operation Sweet Tooth 3/30

Band Camp Dismissed

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Leg Day at the Ballroom

It was definitely a blessing to Q on one of the two clear days this February.  12 HIM were gathered in the gloom knowing only that they were destined for some leg pain. After a quick disclaimer and a cursory check for FNGs we started in on the fun.

Warm up

Stage one

Quickly circled up for some
SSH x20
Low Sloooow Squat x10
Tappy Taps x10

Stage two

A quick mosey over to the south parking lot and another circle
Single leg stretch x4 (one foot planted with knee bent and six near the earth, the other straight out to the side with toes up, hold and keep the six down when transferring to the opposite foot)
Windmill x10
Imperial Walker x20
Ray Finkles (straight leg kicks) x10 each leg

Stage three

Another mosey around the east side and stopping by the bridge for a third circle
Moroccan Night Clubs x20
Monkey Humpers x10 (4 count)
Little Baby Arm Circles x10 forward and reverse (4 counts)
Monkey Squats x10 (4 count)

The monkey squats produced some noises not often heard at a moderate workout, good thing it was just the one set.

The Thang

We moseyed over the bridge to the football field and, to my dismay, they had it chained up on the south end. We continued our mosey up the north end with the hope that my plans wouldn’t be foiled. When we got there, our mosey was fruitful and we lined up at the 0 yard line (end line? I don’t know, I don’t watch the fooseball!)

We counted off by threes for teams of 4 and I explained our new game to the PAX. We would be doing an “Indian run” style relay type workout that wasn’t really either. But without all the silly running slow. No, we don’t need all of that when we can be exercising in place!

How it works

1. At the end line, everyone would begin doing the chosen exercise for that circuit.
2. The first PAX would high tail it for the 10 yard line, stop, and engage in the exercise in place
3. The next PAX would run to the next available 10 yard mark, stop, and engage
4. Etc
5. The last PAX would then run past the PAX holding the 10 yard mark, giving him a little shoulder tap, and then proceed to the next open 10 yard mark and engage.
6. The first PAX, being on the 10, would then run past everyone, tapping the first PAX on the way, stopping at the next open 10 yard mark
7. Repeat
8. Everyone who ended up on the other end line would engage in the exercise while they wait for the remaining PAX to filter in.
9. Same thing, back to the other side.
10. 10 count and go back to #1!!!

We performed all five exercise below when my “0555” (get back to COT) alarm went off. Every stop was AMRAP
1. Al Gore (that’s right, just hold that nice, deep stance)
2. Lunges
3. Gorilla humpers (wide stance monkey humpers!)
4. Calf raises
5. Imperial Stormkickers (straight leg kicks across the body)

Back to COT

Mosey back to COT and Mary until the six was in with
Window Wipers x10

Six was in, but we had time left for about 15 seconds of leg lifts before the alarm went off

COT

We stood up and YHC shared a bit about what is on my heart when I think of the February word, “Live”. We constantly hear about the tragedy, specifically with children, when people put themselves front and center and children fall into neglect and mistreatment. Good people can, and must, pick up the slack (though “slack” is far too weak a word), but if we can demonstrate living 3rd to those around us, maybe (and I didn’t articulate this well this morning) it will begin to rub off on others.
Then shared Proverbs 11:25, which has been a focus of YHC since his formative teens, “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” (I replaced “water” with “refresh”, which is how I remembered it. In my mind this all ties in well enough to go on for another 8000 words, but for now, let’s live 3rd in a way that shows overt honor and virtue that is attainable.
Announcements about all the k’s people are going to be running (read your newsletter).
Asked for prayer requests and they were given. Closed with a prayer by YHC and fist bumps all around.

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Saturday Feb 16: 40’s

Warm UP:

10 reps each of Hilly Billy Walker and Imperial Walker.  15 SSH

Workout:

40’s:  40 reps of Merkins, LBC’s, Flutters, Carolina Dry Docks, and Squats then run (under awning cover is necessary) to FMES doors and back then do 35 of each exercise then run then drop 5 reps and so on.  Called an audible at about 10 reps and finished togetherish.  Mosey to benches for dips, calf raises and wall sits X2.  Bear Crawl down the sidewalk then complete a Jack Mary Webb (A Jack Web with a 10 count ab exercise between Jack and Webb)…1 b or 2bb’s?

COT:  Announcements of Joe Davis, In Flight February, Journey Bible Study, and Yeti.  Do an event per month and get involved.  Prayers for family and family relationships and softening of PAX hearts towards family, Vivian (Twister coworker), Murray (best friends father) for cancer, and Gwen a coworker.  Gwen, a BTMS custodian, lost her grandson.  A gofundme has been established to pay for the services.

 

 

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VD Boot Camp at Footloose

An extra special Valentines Day boot camp written, produced and Q’d by YHC

Total of 19 PAX , several of whom ran

Warm Up

LSS, SSH and High Step Marching!

The PAX moseyed to a church parking lot to work through some very bad Valentines Day poetry.  Two groups were formed with two groups of exercises  separated by 1) power skips, because you make my heart skip and 2) the stairway to heaven between all of the following stations.

  • Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Plank Punches I’ll do for you . . . Round one – 20, Round two – 30
  • Together we reach for the STARS . . Round one – 15 Bombjacks, Round two – 20 Bombjacks
  • When I hear your voice . . . I sit up and listen – Round One – 20 BBSU, Round Two – 30 BBSU
  • Together we climb every mountain . . Round one – 20 MC, Round two – 30 MC
  • My tummy goes tight when I think if you  . . . crunches Round one – 20 Round two – 30
  • You are  my Super Girl . . . Round ONe – 25 Superman Claps, Round two – 30 Superman claps

All this followed by a tunnel of love courtesy Dungaree, AKA Jack Jones

The PAX then moseyed up and back to 160

We  closed with :10 of Mary, in rhyme!

Awesome work by all the PAX

 

The moleskin:  Mathew 6:34

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FACT: The human body will not melt in the rain

9 strong at The Ballroom, a place that typical brings crowds in the 20’s. I can’t explain the low numbers, I love my BCs.

I can only assume it was one of 3 things:
1. Hatred for the Copa Cabana
2. Rain
3. Blame it on Lola (she was a showgirl)

The thang:
mosey to the lot on the other side of the track, line up on the side of the lot
10x weed pullers, 10x SSH, 10x windmills
back and forth across the lot
high knees, butt kickers, soccer knees, squat walkers, windmill walkers, toy soldier, karaoke L, karaoke R, knees to chest, imperial walker walker, power skip x2
mosey to the track, 50% down the straight away, 75% around the corner, sprint down the straight away

mosey to the gym wall
wall sit, ends bear crawl to end of curb and LLS, all 2 at a time, then bear crawl back to the wall.
pop out burpees x2 from both ends
plank on curb, walk left, walk right, merkins and 10x plank jacks
wall sit w/ overhead claps
pop out burpees again

mosey across the bridge for some cover next to the field
Matt Foley, 1 animated squat, 4 dying cockroach, 2-8, 3-12, 4-16, 5-20
10x LBCs, 10x SSH, 10x hello dolly, 10x seal jack, 10x dips, 20x line hops, 10x freddie, 10x merkins

mosey across the bleachers, the wet, slippery bleachers, 10x dips along the way, and back to the front of the school
PAX blind picks 4 of 1-6
5. 10x hillbilly walker
2. 10x mahktar n’diayes
3. 10x donkey kicks
1. 10x shoulder taps
(jump squat and MNC not picked)
10x LSS, 10x CDD, 5x burpees, 10x monkey humpers, 10x donkey kicks, 10x burpees, 10x Travolta, 10x bombjacks … COT

looks like we made it,
Barry Manlow

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The Armory – Viking Metal is always better in the rain

YHC arrived and wanted to do some sidewalk chalk writing but the rain threw a wrench in that plan so had to use the phone as my weinke while also playing the traditional Viking Metal for kettle-bell workout.

After 1 1/2 rounds the cold weather shut my Apple 6plus down. My son would be throwing a fit and saying we need a new phone as this is junk……however just plug it in and it works nicely. Plus saves you $500+ dollars.

So the PAX arrived and we had a kotter, Gridlock come home to the Armory. It was some years ago that I was Q for Gridlock’s FNG appearance. Was great having him and the others there this morning. Nice work men!!

The Thang:

  • SSHs
  • 5burpees
  • squats
  • 4burpees
  • merkins
  • 3 burpees
  • Imperial Walkers
  • 2 burpees
  • Moracan Night clubs (half while holding squat)
  • 1 burpee

Mosey across front of FHC looking for cover, but the rain had stopped so it wasn’t needed.

3 sets of exercises, run lap between them, until time runs out or phone dies….whichever

  • Kettlebell swing
    5 Single hands each & 10 double
    10 Two arm bent row
    10 Figure eight
    10 Goblet squats
    10 Upright row
    10 Dips

    • RUN LAP
  • 10 Lunge press
    10 Sumo upright row
    10 Curls L/R
    10 American Hammer
    10 Bench press L/R
    10 Plank Rows L/R
    10 Tri Extension

    • RUN LAP
  • 10 Flutters
    10 Hello dolly’s
    10 Freddy’s
    10 Deadlift
    10 Sidestep upright row
    10 Kettlebell Merkins

    • RUN LAP

We made it through about 2 rounds of these.

Fun times by all!!

YHC talked about life expectancy  and that wherever we are on the timeline, we should start living intentional. I only have 40% of my life expectancy  left and so there is no wasting the days or hours on silly stuff. GET SOME!!! 2 guys decided to GET RIGHT while in COT and make choice to get better alignment. Well done gents!! We are here to support and encourage you!

Thanks JWOW for the opportunity to lead.

 

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