Simple inconveniences

18 PAX gathered in for The Bubble amidst humid conditions outside a mushroom pool.

Warm-up:
SSH x51
1 Burpee
Windmill x10
2 Burpees
Merkin x10
3 Burpees
Lap
Karaoke
Some yoga
4 Burpees

The Thang:
Run 1 mile to Alison Park
Al Gore to Monkey Humpers facing Sutton Rd multiple times to keep together-ish

6 Exercises for 12-reps (all in cadence):
Merkin
Low Slow Squat
Alternating Lunge
Mountain Climber
Peter Parker
Burpee

Rinse and repeat total of 144 (a gross) of reps

Run 1 mile back.
Stopping for some monkey humpers along the way to keep the group together-ish.

NMM:

There’s a lot of turmoil going on in the world. Americans (in general) have largely been spared inconveniences since WWII (maybe gas shortages in the 1970s?). In many cities, we’re being asked or required to wear masks to quell the rampant spread of COVID-19. For almost all of us, this is an inconvenience. But luckily it is only an inconvenience.

Today’s workout was certainly not convenient, with the exception of the location for some PAX. We recognize how simple workouts in the humidity makes us better. YHC is officially exhorting us to be leaders and do the inconvenient things like wearing a mask for our community’s health.

Side note:

As an FM local, I remember when Baxter was a cow pasture. Traffic is worse in town, but so much about Fort Mill is better because of the folks who moved here. I appreciate what y’all bring to our town. It is great to post with PAX from all over who are working to make themselves and our shared community better. T-Claps to y’all.

What I learned:

At The Bubble, 10 PAX doubled down posting twice today. YHC tried to keep the warm-up close for those PAX arriving late. My advice to future Qs is: DO NOT plank up in the parking lot until 6:20 or so. Unless you want to raise your heart rate from fear rather than mountain climbers as a vehicle whips into the parking lot you’re lying down in…. My mistake. Won’t happen again.

COT

Prayers:
Bonsai
Cash


Band Camp dismissed

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The Herd at Sweep The Leg

Week 3 of Sweep The Leg was not about to be a letdown. Apparently, 24 other PAX posted to hold me accountable in ensuring they got the return on their investment, too. Gears started this AO a few weeks ago to present the PAX with an opportunity to push themselves harder and faster than currently offered at another AO, at least on a Monday. It is so easy to come out of the gates hot but the hard work is in consistency. Hard work was what we did for 40 of the 45mins this morning which concluded with some up hills and a jail break to ensure we finished as strong as we started.

Lots and lots of headlights kept rolling into the lot and as we were about to start the disclaimer, 4 more cars rolled in. So…
Sweeper identified…check (Thank you Cake Boss)
Overview  of Sweep The Leg for the rookies…check
Count off…25, are you serious?
Disclaimer…check

Warm up mosey out of the lot, L/T Len Patterson, L/T 160, L/T Dave Gibson Blvd and circle up at intersection with Ben Casey Dr.

Warm Up
Wind Mills
Imperial Walkers
Moroccan Night Clubs
5 Burpees

Overview of the pace. When I say “Get It”, it’s your fast pace or All You Got to get to the next stop. If you’re in the first wave of runners to get to the destination, we’ll be starting the exercises and doing them until the 6 got in.

Get It: To parking lot in front of GHES
Box Cutters
Dying Cockroaches
10 Burpees

Get It: End of straight way in front of the schools to the lot for Colosseum
5 Merkins

Get it: Run the GHMS drop-off loop then 1/2 the GHES loop taking us to the benches near the basketball hoops
20 Derkins
20 Dips
10 Carolina Dry Docks

Get it: Run to the end of the bus parking lot, run back, run to the end of the lot again and stop

Get it: Run up the long, never-ending bus entrance hill to just before Dam Rd and back to the start.
Mountain Climbers (keep the merlot down)
Peter Parker
Parker Peter

Get it: Run the remaining loop in front of GHES to the bottom of the hill on Dave Gibson Blvd.
5 Burpees

Get it: Run to 160, back to Patricia Ln (almost all the way back to the bottom of the hill), then back up to Ben Casey and thanks to Vuvuzela, circle up in the bank parking lot.
Merkins
Diamonds
Wide-Arm
American Hammer

Now really get it: Run down the straightaway back to COT.

Gears, I appreciate what you’re doing here. Thank You.
If anyone is still reading this, please wear black on Wednesday but something reflective if you’re running.

SYITG,
Maximus

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March 11 at The Coop

Super creative? Absolutely not?
Wordy? Definitely not?
Recap of the work done? Absolutely

GQ on warm up for his first ever crack at Qing. He ran us to a spot, performed some warm up exercises, adapted to the feedback and received the AAR in true fashion. That’s how we all get better; if we could all get an AAR after completing objectives.

YHC now on Q and we rant to the football field.

.5mi around the track at a good/heavy-breathing pace.
36 Mak Tar Jah’s
.25mi at a “get after it” pace
35 Mak Tar Jah’s

Planks & abs & stuff

Line up on the goal line
71 Carolina Dry Docks
Bear crawl to the 50yd line
71 Merkins
Crawl bear to the goal line

Mosey to the pull-up bars

20 Pull-Ups
Run down the hill to the stop sign
Nur back up the hill

COT

SYITG

GQ & Maximus

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Block Building at Pantheon

Eight men showed up on a cold morning at Tega Cay Elementary school for the workout.  After a quick disclaimer, we ran around the carpool lane and stopped in front of the school for the following warm-up exercises:

SSHs

Imperial Walkers

Plank Stretches

Next, we each grabbed a cinder block along with a ruck and weight vest.  We partnered up for a Dora-like workout.  Partner 1 had a choice to either run to the end of the parking lot or briskly walk with a weight vest, ruck, or cinder block to the end of the pillars and back.  Partner 2 started with the cinder block exercises and switched out once Partner 1 returned.

Round 1 (100 Reps each):

Swing

Press

Calf Raise

Flutter

Merkin

Box Cutter

 

Once complete, we play catch me if you can around the carpool lane.  Partner 1 carried two of the cinder blocks around the circle while Partner 2 ran (fast) in the opposite direction to switch out with Partner 1.  It turned out to be a better idea on paper.

Next we finished out with round two.  We only got through a few exercises.

Round 1 (100 Reps each):

Curls

Squat Thrusters

Chest Press

Hello Dolly

Lunge

Row

 

COT

Great job by everyone this morning!

 

 

 

 

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Postal Route

With the opportunity to Q Minnow Pond I knew I  needed to bring the pain and increase the intensity.  With everyone gathered and watch at 5:14, I gave the disclosure and at 5:15 we were off.

Ran from Confederate Park to the FM Post Office, meet in the parking lot and do burpees until the six is in.  The plan is running the roads behind the post office with exercises each corner.  The roads make a square and 1 exercise 10 reps at each corner.

1st lap – Elliott Street – merkins

2nd lap – Leroy St – Wide arm merkins

3rd lap – Hill St – Monkey Humpers

4th lap – Oak St – CDD

5th lap – Elliott st and back to COT

Not a lot of talking with the official 4.36 miles.  Everyone was accelerating and the AO is the type of site that will push you but also offer a lot of encouragement.  We are all at different paces in our acceleration, but doing a little more than you did the day before is showing acceleration.

Don’t let the site and distance scare you away.  Push yourself to try something new and just like every site, there are always Pax to push, encourage and pick you up.  Just like in life, we are all in different places and phases, and we can encourage one another to be better in our house than we were the day before.

Thanks Shady for the opportunity to Q.

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Bite size tennis ball family

A nice and cool morning turned into something a bit warmer about 3 min in.  9 PAX took the DRP and after a quick, and non-energetic into as called out by Jekyll, YHC jumped out to a quick mosey.  Stopping in front of the elementary school entrance, we circled up for a warm-up.

SSH x25, windmills x10, low slow squats x10, imperial and hillbilly walkers x10, merkins x10, and finished off with some stretching: lunge stretches including runners stretch and hamstrings as well as some downward dogs and honeymooners.  Enough with the stretching and off to The Thang!

Ran over to the parking lot in the back where the basketball hoops are located and grabbed a tennis ball out of the box.  Everyone was instructed to put their family’s initials on a ball (M and 2.0s) as this was going to be carried around by them for the morning for an extra reminder of why they’re trying to get better.  Family is always going to be with us and to get that extra push or to be mindful of what’s important, the tennis ball fam was going to tag along for the ride!  3 stations with written exercises were located throughout the parking lot.  Instructions were to run to the sheet of paper and do the exercise at the top and the run back to the center where the music was located for 1 burpee.  Then back to the sheet for the next exercise, back to the center and so on.  Once all the exercises were done from the 1 sheet, the PAX were told to run back to the center and finish with 5 burpees.  Then onto the next sheet until all 3 sheets had been completed.

Sheet 1:

  • 10 hand release merkins
  • 20 knee tuck jumps
  • 25 CDD
  • 30 lunges (total)
  • 50 plank shoulder taps

Sheet 2

  • 40 ski jumps (double count)
  • 30 squats
  • 60 calve raises (out/reg/in – 20 each)
  • 20 diamonds
  • 50 SSH

Sheet 3

  • 25 merkins
  • 40 mountain climbers (wrote single count, we did double)
  • 30 american hammers (double count)
  • 30 plank jacks (double count)
  • 50 LBC

Some exercises were done in cadence at sheet 3 to keep the PAX together.  There were a couple instances when we returned closer to the music where Pusher gave us some karaoke solos from the early 90s rap and beastie boys jamming….it was delightful.  Since we had a few min left, it was a race to sheet 1 where first place picked one exercise to do (Jekyll for the hand release), 4th place to sheet 2 with the selection (L Train I think with the squats) and second to last to sheet 3 (Hardwood maybe for the mountain climbers).  (and this is why you don’t wait until the weekend to write a back blast b/c I can’t remember Tuesday!)

We scooped up the sheets and headed for COT for a blinding name-o-rama, announcements, and TAPs.  Tennis ball families were retained by the PAX for their own usages.  Appreciate the call over to the Colosseum as YHC has been overdue for a Q.

Shady….AYE!

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Office etiquette

I kept asking “what is a kettle bell” as my frequency of attendance at KB workouts can be counted on two hands- maybe one.  Somehow I was tapped to lead and thankful that I did.  Getting outside of the comfort zone and breaking routines is refreshing.

Warm Ups: Moroccan Night Clubs, windmills, lap runs with shuffle

The Thang

  • Round 1 10 reps
  • Round 2 15 reps
  • Round 3 20 reps
  • Round 4 10 reps

 

  • Goblet Squat
  • Tricep Extention
  • Curl
  • Shoulder Press
  • Windmill (Crowd pleaser)
  • Lunge-Row
  • Swing
  • Lawn Mower Pull

Naked Man Moleskin

Great group this morning and truly appreciate being shown the way to better form and technique.  Good to end a tough cardio week on focused strength.  Highly recommend Hive attendance.

 

 

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Minnow Pond Back Blast

BB- Perfect conditions if you like 90% humidity and August like conditions.  Straight Up was a beast on the up and down hills.  Funhouse had perfect burpee form and the rest of us did our best to keep up.  

From Launch:

Take off down White, Right on Massey, Right on Harris. At intersection of Harris and Yorktown, Plank it up and wait for #6.

The Thang:

  • Harris/Yorktown is center of tripod.  10 burpees at center
  • Head down Harris. At end: 20 squat #asstograss
  • Run to Center
  • Head down Yorktown.  At end: 20 LBC
  • Run to Center
  • Head down Harris (opp direction).  At Riverwood: 20 CDD
  • Run Center

Rinse/Repeat, #AMRAP until time called.  Be at Center at 0555 for run back to COT. 2 rounds will get you 4.5 +pain.

Get it? Got it? Good.

Bring your smokeboots and a zest for pain.

Jekyll

 

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The Terrible Awful

Where is the weather break ,man?  91% humidity at 0515.  Dang, son.  While sweating through their shirts, everyone at least kept them on.  Confident we would have at least 1 invisible shirt guy had he posted at GC today…(Looking at you @ChangeOrder)

Mighty 11 today with 1 @Fishsticks just running.  Odd.  Bit of a #ForestGump situation if you ask me.  We ran- but ran and did stuff.

The #TerribleAwful

  • Start at Bank. Run to bottom of Hill.  5 X 3-Merkin Burpees.
  • Run up Hill. 5 Bombjacks.
  • Run to Wall- Lunges then 10 CDD
  • Run to Bank- Bear Crawl then 20 LBC
  • 1 lap includes 1/2 mile run
  • Shoot for 4 laps.  If you’re not first, you’re last.

Results:

The Pax crushed between 4 and 6 laps.  5 laps=   2.5 miles, 25 3-merk burpees, 25 bombjacks, 200 lunges, 50 CDD, 200 Bear Crawls, 100 LBC.

 

Naked Man Moleskin

Well, well, well.  Look at Lutefisk just killin’ out there.  Holmes took off like a bat outta hell and never gave up the lead.  AND takes the #VirtualTrophy for today, tying Sir Topham Hat with 6 laps.  So dog gone proud of that man.  Mile High showed up at the work out from a 3 mile pre-run with what has to be a city issued, professional construction grade, flood light on his forehead. I’m still seeing streamers.  Maybe that’s why he was in front of me all morning- because I was blinded… nope.  My man, MH, is feeling it and got in 6 with Lutes.  Slapshot pushed YHC to complete our 5.  Kept saying something about Iron PAX leg beatdown and running on stumps.  Probably would have given Lutes and MH a challenge and left me for dead if he was 100%.  With Darkest hot on our heels, would he have stopped for roadside assistance?  One can only speculate.  38, LJ, Davinci, Pothole, Cheddah, and Uber showed particular grit.  Bit of 0-60 kind of morning.

Studying a devotional this week within our #shieldlock: “Uncommen: Words from Husbands Dads and Leaders.”  How does your language impact others around you. Are the choices you are making influencing others for good?  Lifting up or tearing down.

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness”- James 3:9

“Wise men store up knowledge, but with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand”- Proverbs 10:14

Your words matter.  Choose wisely.

Aye!

https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/4419/day/2?segment=0

 

 

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Back to Where it Began

Well wishes to Flat Tire to heal quickly from one on one with a Mountain Bike.  Heal up quickly- you’re influence is great and we look forward to seeing you back in the Gloom.

For 2 years I had no idea there were still other AOs outside of Colosseum.  But really, since Tuesday is our busiest day, getting 11 men to one spot is miracle and noteworthy.  The original AO: The Fort is proudly and strongly led by Esso.  Glad to be back.

Cars were rolling in when I arrived at 0500.  Several familiar faces and names and a few that i knew and have met but will improve on committing your names to memory.  (Sales trick: “Good to see is better than nice to meet you”)- #Cobains to Bobber and Offset.

You should have heard the whining from The Pax, (errr.. Rebel) when I muttered that there would be some grass today during the disclaimer.  It was glorious.  We took off like a bat outta hell running around WEP.

Thought for the day: “I am not who I think I am.  I am not what You think I am.  I am who I think you think I am.”

Warm ups- Dynamic/moving; no circles and watch the Q.  

  • SSH, IW, Squat; Run
  • seal jack, Hillbilly walker, Sumo squat, 3 burpee; run
  • plank jack, MC, PP, 3 burpee; run
  • Monkey Humper, nightclubs; 3 burpee

The Thang

Mosey to bottom of Stairway to heaven.

6 light poles, rotate through groups until all have done

RD 1

  • Group 1: 5 merkins at each light, run back
  • Group 2: Flutters
  • Group 3: LBC

RD 2

  • Group 1: 5 CDD at each light, run back
  • Group 2: Lunge
  • Group 3: Squat

Mosey to Hill for Jacobs Ladder (7).  Once again proves to be great equalizer of men.  loads of huffin and puffin

  • Bottom: Donkey Kicks
  • Top: Bombjacks

6 minutes of Mary

Jail break to Shovel Flag.

NMM

We talked about the Thought for day.  What does being a leader mean?  “People will follow you, so lead wisely”  growing up we often sought titles.  Heck, some of us do now.  Team captain, shift manager, Crew Leader, director, boss…  Are you putting in the work to fulfill that title or is it a name only?  Is that what you are seeking.  Conversely, what if your title went away?  what if your title that demanded respect went away? would you still take initiative, encourage, lead others?

Be the leader that regardless of status, operates like one.  Seek to serve instead of being served.

*update 8:57am

Had a meaningful conversation with my Whetstone “stone” recently.  I was going through all of the great things and areas where I was accelerating.  Detail after detail.  Family, M, kids, Parenting successes, work and leadership successes.  We celebrated that together.

<Pause>

“What are your struggles?”, he said.

Boom.  There had been one area that has been in my blind spot and I have not had a grip on so we discussed and laid out a plan of correction.  The point is, Its easy to feel good about your score card/record when you’re 6-1 on the season.  I’m winning, I’m having a good season.  But its the struggle that takes real candor to address.  Special shout to my Whetstone and Shieldlocks.

#Honored

 

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