Tag: Kooter

Can we just get along?

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Life is not always how we thought nor visioned it would be. There are a lot of personal experiences YHC could pull from, but as I reflect back to our COT, who would have thought that we would have another mass shooting at a concert – less than 2 weeks after Pittsburgh’s??

*jump ahead to COT* As we circled up and voiced our praises and prayers (which I will list at the end), I mentioned the need to continue to pray for Pittsburgh and the need for all people – no matter what color, race, or religion – to just get along when one of the PAX mentioned that there was another mass shooting the night before. My heart sank. How? Why?

It doesn’t make sense. As I sat in my  aunt & uncle’s house in Pittsburgh 2 Saturday’s ago watching the local coverage of the synagogue mass shooting, seeing my aunt’s face of shock, crying, confusion, I began to realize that we may never have it the way we vision. Forgive me for harping on this, but as some know, my extended family in Pittsburgh are Jewish. It was the most surreal experience knowing that my cousin and her husband live in Squirrel Hill, 3 blocks from the synagogue (luckily that was not their synagogue) and seeing the devastation. Unfortunately, for my cousin’s husband, unfortunate news arrived late Saturday night as 2 of the deceased were extended family members of his. Sunday, they televised a local memorial service where they had clergy from all religions speak. The message: we are all one community. This, this is the vision our GOD has for us all, not what we thought we needed, bought, nor material stuff we have, but to be true good stewards of our neighbors – Love one another. Forget color, race or religion, we are all one in this community and the vision for us all should be to make peace with everyone, live in a world without hate, terror, wrongful deaths….etc….

Now that I vented (my apologies), the morning started with a nice crisp cool morning. As PAX rolled in, all eyes turned to one of the last cars pulling in; a white Accord blasting hip-hop music, the driver head bobbing to the beat (thanks for the entertainment mixxmaster Flat Tire). This definitely got the PAX fired up. Plus 2 PAX were stupid or courageous (not sure which) to don rucks. After posting in Pittsburgh 2 weeks ago at the Point State Park AO, the Q that morning broke out a WO from one of our local AOs in Lake Norman – Sharknato. Ever since then, I thought, wow this would be a good one to lead next time I Q.

So after a mossy to the band field, we circled up and did COP. Yes YHC lead off with SSH’s, so I can now omit that from any future Qs. Each PAX would do 20 merkins & run a lap around the field, 20 squats & run the lap, 20 LBCs & run the lap, and 20 V ups & run the lap. Once that cycle was done, rinse and repeat until time for COT. Halfway through the AO, Pusher did a smart audible and relocated to the student parking lot since FMHS band members started to pull in to load up for their trip to Indy for the marching band nationals. We ended 5 mins early to do 5 minutes of mary.

COT prayers: Sir Topham Hat’s brother in-law who is a member of the Pittsburgh SWAT and was one of the first responder’s who had to witness the situation first hand, Frat Boy’s daughter in her upcoming cheer leading competition,  MOAB’s need for children’s clothing for their 2 foster kids, and all the rest that I seem to have forgotten – sorry.

Thanks for the opportunity to lead this awesome group of #HIM

Trucker

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April Showers Bring More Burpees

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It rained all day Monday, through the night and the forecast was for more on Tuesday.   CSPAN was Q at The Ballroom, promising stories of OG glory along with cover.  Funhouse’s Ass Kicking April band wagon was rolling into Block Party as well.  So the question was how many pax would post to Colosseum for YHC’s first Q there in a LONG time.  The answer = 4 brave pax.  Some brief comments about rain coming and grumbling about Gunsu’s Q the prior week followed a brief Disclaimer, and then we launched.

The Thang

No wind and rain or lack of headlamps was going to intimidate this group so we took off for a run out the front parking lot and up the hill to 160 and the drive through cover at the bank branch on the corner.

COP – SSHs, Mtn climbers, IWs, Windmills, Merkins,  10 burpees OYO

Mosey over to the day care under the front entrance cover

People’s chair, Sumo squats, People’s chair, monkey humpers, People’s chair calf raises, 10 burpees OYO

Mosey to the  office building and the cover there

Merkins, Freddy Mercury, wide arm merkins, Flutter, diamond merkins, hello dolly, 10 burpees OYO

Mosey to Velux office under the front entrance cover

Shoulder taps, plank sequence, shoulder taps, plank sequence, shoulder taps, 10 burpees OYO

Run back to school

10 Burpees OYO

Run home

COT

NMM

Turned out to be a very nice morning for a workout.  Just enough light rain to provide cooling amid the sweat and gloom.  I was more than willing to take advantage of some cover for the workout, but there was no way I wanted to pass up the chance to run through the rain and stomp through some puddles.  The pax complied quite willingly and put forth a strong effort throughout.  Well done!

We spent the mosey time comparing notes on each man’s workday ahead.  We spend a lot of time in the gloom and I’m always amazed how little I know about the careers among the pax.  It was a treat to learn a little about everyone.

Before banging out the last set of burpees, we touched on the workday ahead and how we should all relish the privilege. Even the worst parts of the day would be better than those faced by people fighting disease (like Badger) or those without work or the many other people in the world who would gladly trade their challenges for our own.

Thanks to the men for posting and to Jekyll for the opportunity to lead.  We missed you, brother.

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We got our 28+ at The Colosseum

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We had a total of 28 guys in The Fort region post yesterday (Monday, Feb 26) amidst the rain so I threw out the challenge of getting 28 men out to the Colosseum this AM. With some help from Jeckyll, Pusher, Ginsu, Cha Ching and a few others, we got that done. The PAX made it even better when that was just the boot camp number as we totaled 31 with our 3 runners included.

I can not even begin to tell you how humbled I was to see headlight after headlight roll in and to have 27 other guys run around this AO at 0515 with me. As Assassin mentioned in COT, we do in fact know how special it is to be blessed with the opportunity to be out with the PAX on just another Tuesday morning. To see some faces out there that I haven’t seen in quite a while was great. With the chatter that ensued, I knew I had better bring it.

So after our disclaimer and the departure of the Pathfinder runners, us boot campers jogged to end of the back parking lot. We counted off to our number of 27  at the time and dropped down for a 2min plank followed by a 2min reverse plank. Well 90 seconds into that latter plank, we had a masked ninja run up to join us for our lucky number 28. That ninja also goes by the name STRAIGHT UP  and man, it was good to have him join us.

1/2 of 28 equals 14 Burpees so that is what we did followed by 28reps of the following:

Dying Cockroach, Boats & Canoes, Jumping Lunges, Jump Squats, X&O’s, American Hammers, Monkey Humpers and Squat Calf-Raises

We partnered up for:

Partner 1: Run to the 1st speed bump and back
Partner 2: Diamond Merkins then flap jack

Partner 1. Run to the 3rd speed bump and back

Partner 2: Merkins then flap jack

Partner 1: Run to the gate that was no longer in existence

Partner 2: Carolina Dry Docks or some ab work then flap jack

Bring it back to the GHMS side of the bus parking lot and circle up for some coupon work.

Begin with the 30lb Ruck and 35lb Kettle Bell on opposite sides of the circle. When the coupon came to you, 10 bicep curls of your choosing while the rest of the PAX cycled through Freddy Mercury, Rosalitas and Flutter Kicks.

COT

Announcements: Read that Sunday email containing your F3 Newsletter. New AO launching from Regent Park. Includes (br)yoga, run and coffeeteria  (contact Cake Boss or Sasquatch) every Friday. Don’t forget about the drive for 218 FNG’s. Reading center opportunity (service).

Prayers/Praises: Flat Tire’s new promotion, Straight Up’s wife is feeling better and S.U. is back with us. Cornerstone’s daughter Emma had her last chemo pill last night and will be ringing the bell soon. Ginsu’s daughter took her first steps yesterday. Jeckyll’s son is now a Boy Scout and Jeckyll has now handed over the leadership. Prayers for Mr. Clean and his desire to be out in the gloom. Prayers for Squeaky for what he is facing right now. Praises for reconnecting with my daughter.

Thank you again for coming out in the gloom.

Maximus

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Game Set Match

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13 posted to Laces In/Laces Out on a morning when Sky Q provided the natural version of the NFL’s Cool Zone to keep the pax going through the sweat and pain of another gloomy Thurs morning at FMHS.

5 runners launched at 0500 for Laces Out

9 pax posted at 0515 for boot camp (well, 8 posted for Laces In and Trojan posted for Laces Out…fearing the Spartan wrath that was coming, Trojan peeled off during warm up to get his miles in).

The Thang

Warm up run w/karaoke around parking lot between gym and tennis courts

COP

Mtn climbers x10

Merkins x10

Mtn climbers x10

10x Burpees OYO

Mosey to tennis courts

Line up at corner of base line: Bear crawl to net, sideways crawl across to other sideline, backward bear crawl to baseline, sideways crawl along baseline to starting point

Mosey to baseline on other side of the court: Lunge walk to the net, sideways lunge to other baseline, backward lunge walk to baseline, sideways lunge along baseline to starting point

Mosey to other court and repeat same two cycles from court 1

Mosey to third set of courts closest to football stadium

Line up along near sideline for suicides across two courts

Recovery walk to far sideline

Repeat suicides across both courts

Recovery walk back to original sideline

Mosey to other side of court

Repeat two sets of suicides with recovery walks in between

Mosey to Center Court (middle set of two courts)

Each pax positioned at a baseline corner of one of the courts for Four Corners series
Baseline Corner 1: Merkins x10, run to next corner
Baseline Corner 2: Merkins x10, run to next corner
Net Corner 3: Sumo squats x10, run to next corner
Net Corner 4: Sumo squats x10

Shift clockwise to the next corner
Baseline Corner 1: CDDs x10, run to next corner
Baseline Corner 2: CDDs x10, run to next corner
Net Corner 3: Monkey humpers x10, run to next corner
Net Corner 4: Monkey humpers x10

Shift clockwise to the next corner
Baseline Corner 1: Burpees x10, run to next corner
Baseline Corner 2: Burpees x10, run to next corner
Net Corner 3: Bombjacks x10, run to next corner
Net Corner 4: Bombjacks x10

Shift clockwise to the next corner and repeat prior series
Baseline Corner 1: CDDs x10, run to next corner
Baseline Corner 2: CDDs x10, run to next corner
Net Corner 3: Monkey humpers x10, run to next corner
Net Corner 4: Monkey humpers x10

Victory lap around center court

Run home

Few Mins O Mary — Rosalita x10, Dollies x10, Flutter x10, Freddie Mercury x10

COT

NMM

US Open tennis is underway, so it seemed like an appropriate time to capitalize on the tennis courts.  Proved to be a good appetizer for Shady, who left today to head to NYC to take in a couple days of the Open.

Great to meet Ham and Rebar, recently EH’d by Nomad.  Solid young pax…expecting them to be stepping up for VQ soon.

Good to have Kooter back out.  Pretty certain we worked off some of those calories from the recent road trips.

Chicken Hawk broke out the mumble chatter early in the warm up — Santini would have been impressed!

Hope Li’l E was pleased not to miss out on 10 Merkins during the warm up.  Mind reading the Q can be dangerous…those Merkins ended up being squeezed into the middle of 10 Burpees.

Life has been coming fast and furious to me throughout this spring and summer.  Sometimes it has felt like life has been getting the better of me.  It was great to post in the drizzle and dish out pain to some willing and energetic pax.  Thanks to Li’l E for the invite.

 

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