SlowBurn Send-off For Rooney

47 pax of TheFort posted this morning to show support for #HIM Rooney, who is moving to Seattle.  Rooney has not only impacted his brothers in F3, but many of our kids through his tremendous servant leadership as a principal in our school system.  There is no doubt he will be missed here, but that sadness is somewhat offset by the knowledge that he’ll be positively impacting families out west.

In anticipation (accurately) of a large crowd, it was decided the launch point and COT would be the Empire Pizza parking lot behind Chick-fil-a.  CakeBoss opened up with a few words about Rooney, then handed off to YHC.  We started with 25 side straddle hops, then moseyed up around Chick-fil-a (to pick up any twitterless pax that didn’t get the message).  We landed back at a parking lot near our launch point.

Warmup-O-Rama

  • Windmills (10)
  • Hillbilly Walkers (15)
  • CDDs (20)
  • Flutters (20)
  • Chopsticks (20)
  • Seal Jacks (20)

Mosey to parking lot in front of Lowe’s where a few cones had been set-up. Pax asked to partner up and told we’d be doing a Dora 1-2-3.  This was the same exercise Rooney had done during his VQ, which I had the privilege of posting to (was my 3rd post, I believe) at WEP back in November of 2014.  The turn-around point for the running was about 50 yards.

  • 100 Merkins
  • 200 LBCs
  • 300 Squats

After a 10 count, we moseyed to the parking lot on the west side of Lowe’s.  Cones were set up there for some “4 Corners” action.  Each cone had two exercises listed for each round.  Pax were instruction to alternate between the 2 exercises for the appropriate round (to 10 reps of each exercise).  They were told to move to the next cone when the group at the previous cone reached them.  No count-off by 4s done…pax could just pick a cone to be their starting point (lazy pax like YHC took the closest cone). Here were the exercises:

Cone 1
  • Round 1 – Flutters <-> Freddie Mercuries
  • Round 2 – LBCs <-> Heals to Heaven
  • Round 3 – Dying Cockroach <-> American Hammers
  • Round 4 – Chopsticks <-> Plank Jacks
Cone 2
  • Round 1 – Side-step lunges <-> Imperial Walkers
  • Round 2 – Bomb Jacks <-> Lunges
  • Round 3 – Monkey Humpers <-> Squats
  • Round 4 – High Jumps <-> SSH
Cone 3
  • Round 1 – Plank Punches <-> Dips
  • Round 2 – Merkins <-> 10 second Elbow Plank
  • Round 3 – CDD <-> Moroccan Nightclubs
  • Round 4 – Alternating shoulder taps <-> Parkers Peters
Cone 4
  • Round 1 – Box Cutters <-> 10 second Superman
  • Round 2 – Toy Soldiers <-> Speed Skaters
  • Round 3 – Donkey Kicks <-> Peter Parkers
  • Round 4 – Big Boy Sit-ups <-> Inchworm Merkins

We got through 3 rounds before time ran out and we headed back to COT

Naked Man Moleskin

After the workout, a couple dozen men gathered at Chick-fil-a to share with Rooney how he has impacted us (except for Dark Helmet, who served as a one-man roasting machine).  It was beyond evident that Rooney had a deep impact on many men, their kids, and their family, as a brother and a principal.  Rooney is an inspiring individual, and his courage to respond to God calling him across the country will undoubtedly also be an inspiration to those wondering if they should act on words from the Sky-Q.

Rooney, you have been an amazing example of “giving it away” everyday here in Fort Mill.  And now we have to let you give it away to another community (on the west coast, no less!).  But one thing is for sure: the world is a better place because of who you are and what you do.  No man, student, or family is left behind, nor are they left where you find them.  Strong work, brother.  Strong work.

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CSPAN Send off Convergence

141 Men came to show the Respectable**CSPAN** some Respect!!

He leaves The Fort and heads north or as Dredd refers to Yankee land. Not gone forever but just up the road 600 miles to start a new chapter in life and in F3 as he will launch F3Philly.

I am not the most eloquent with my back-blasts and I am usually to the point with posting the workout, add some words and being done, however since I can’t get Italian Job to write this up and Double D challenged the PAX to think of one word to represent CSAPN, I think that is the best way to document this convergence.

Thank you CSPAN for being all of these things and more to you r brothers in the PAX. As posted on Twitter and many of these were repeated multiple times:

brother
camaraderie
commitment
confidence
connected
consistent
courageous
dedicated
empathetic
example
genuine
handsome
HIM
honorable
humble
humility
impact
influence
influencer
insightful
inspiration
integrity
investor
legend
magnanimous
model
respect
selfless
servant
shepherd
solid
squaredaway
steadfast
steady
wise

The Workout looked like this:

WWL at the Q:

  • Mosey around the lot
  • Line up; karaoke, side shuffle, high knees, butt kickers, toy solders, lungewalk, power skips
  • COP
    • SSH, squat, merkin, moroccan night club, 10 Flying squirrels
Double D at the Q:
  • Run to practice field
  • Plank sequence
  • Split into 2 groups on each sideline
  • Sprint to center and back to sideline
  • Monkey humpers x25
  • Rinse + repeat with Merkins x 25
  • CDDs x25
  • Burpees x25
Longshanks at the Q:
  • Burpees
  • Lunges
  • Inch worm Merkins
  • Maktar Ndiayes
  • Plank Jacks
  • Squats.

Dredd at the Q:

  • Prayer for CSPAN
  • Merkin/Ab Lab series
  • Truth Nuggets and Leadership development with Major Payne, Wegmans, & Drop Thrill
  • Mosey to hill behind Bob Jones Stadium
  • Prayer for CSPAN heading to F3Philly…..”CSPAN Coming”
  • More Merkin/Ab lab series

COT:

141 Count, Name O’rama, 2 FNGs (Bikini & Manzel), Skinny Jeans pray out over CSPAN and his IMPACT on men and for Sky Q’s kingdom.

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Whistles and Field Work

24 Strong #HIMs braved the humid Fort Mill air for a beat down at Thursday staple Laces IN/Laces OUT.

Funhouse was Q for Laces OUT and decided to take his marry band of yoggers (soft J) around the track and either whistle at them or tell them to take a break.  I don’t get it either – you have to ask him I guess.

YHC took the rest of the Pax for a little Field Work.  Here’s the thang:

Dynamic Warm-Up:

High Knees, Butt Kickers, Slide L/Slide R, Toy Soldiers, Dipping Birds, WWL’s (power skips – trademark), Knee to Chest, Long Strides, Shoulder Rotations.

There.  You’re warm.

Mosey to midfield for Partner Yo-Yo’s.  Partner 1 runs 50 yard to goal line and back while Partner 2 does exercise.  Then Flap Jack.

Merkins x 3

Squats x 3

Flutters x 3

Mosey to the goal line for Tandem Bear Crawls.  New Partner 1 bear crawls 10 yards then Partner 2 bear crawls 10 yards and continue that to other goal line.  You read that right – 100 YARDS!!!

Let’s try something similar.  New Partner – same thing (kinda) – CRAWL BEARS this time.

Omaha after 50-yards.  That was a dumb idea.

Mosey to the corner for the confusing part of the workout.  Cross Field Up-Downs with an Accountability Partner.  Cross field every 20 yards then do 5 up-downs and stay with your partner.

Yeah – that was awful.  Another dumb idea.

Give me a 10-count on that one CSPAN!

Next we line up on the goal line for some Matriculating Rugby Sprints down the field.  Hank Stram would be proud.  Did you know that “Matriculate” doesn’t even mean “move” or “progress”?!?!  What the hell, Hank?!

And yes – YHC LIED when posting to the Twitter machine that they would not be featured.  Start a class action.

We finished with 8 MOM.  Yes EIGHT because I was all out of ideas and breath.

Mosey to COT.

Great time out there with everyone – it had been a while.  Always thankful for these men of F3 and the accountability they provide.

Going to be very sad to see CSPAN leave us for Philly but looking forward to the first time we post together in the City of Brotherly Love.  #F3PhillyRising  Godspeed young man and thank you for everything you’ve taught me over the years!  Greatly appreciated.

Thank you all for the opportunity to lead.  Aye!

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“The Seven” workout is back

Thank you Jekyll for the opportunity to lead.

We started our great morning with a mosey around the drop off lane followed by some warm up exercises, windmills, moroccan night clubs, low slow squats, merkins and lunges, we run another lap around the drop off lane for some high knees, butt kickers and toy soldiers followed by a short mosey to the back of the school where I had previously setup the pain stations.

The sevens is a workout that consists of 7 exercises with 7 reps each, these are the exercises:

7 Carolina Dry Docks

7 dumbbell swings

7 sledgehammer swing each side

7 worst merkin ever

7 squat jumps

7 biceps curls each arm

7 tire flips

after completing one circuit we took a lap around the parking lot, rinse and repeat; after the second time we took a break for some captain thor (1 big boy sit up and 4 american hammers; 2 big boy sit ups and 8 american hammers, all the way to 10 BBSU and 40 AH) we had to take another brake after the 8th time to stretch our backs with some superman exercises, then back to finish up captain thor. Lots of mumble chatter about tail bones and glutes but we went back to our sevens.

One more circuit and we finished strong with some additional LBC’s, more mumblu chatting about tail bones and glutes at this point. Thank you everyone for helping to load the props in my truck.

Everyone did a great job, this is the first time that my timing with the props doesn’t work for everyone, we had to do some planks and SSH while waiting to flip the tire; I’m definitely fixing that for my next Q.

We went back to COT for announcements, prayers and praises.

We talked about F3 dads camp and lifted prayers for our families and our fellow PAX Brainiac in Lexington SC who’s having a knee surgery this week.

Tinsel OUT!

 

 

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Bing- GQ in The Fort – Alcatraz AO

Reposting with Link to Bing’s BB from F3 Suncoast.

Bing- GQ in The Fort – Alcatraz AO

The PAX

Weather – upper 60s- with a chill in the air for this Floridian!

As the pax began to roll into the AO, including a number of them who chose to take a pre-run, YHC was giddy with excitement.  It felt like good old times with so many familiar faces!

As the clock struck 6:30, the disclaimer was shared along with the 5 core principles  and off we went for a mozi around the park.  Mozi included butt kickers, high knees, Carioca x2 and a quick pace to finish the run.  Without hesitation, it was time to hit the dewy fresh cut grass for COP.

COP was delivered in a speed round, where the Q calls out an exercise and is immediately followed by the first Pax member calling out SSH x10 IC.  The COP went as follows:

  • Merkins x10IC
  • SSH x10IC
  • Windmills x10IC
  • SSH x10IC
  • Imperial Walkers x10IC
  • SSH x10IC
  • Mountain Climbers x10IC
  • SSH x10IC
  • Peter Parkers x10IC
  • SSH x10IC

It was time to get to business.  The intent of the beatdown was to share some of the Pax favorites from my new  region, F3 Suncoast. First up was, FUN WITH ANIMALS.  Cones were set up roughly 15 feet from the starting point and the pax had to do the following mode of transportation x2:

  • Bear Crawl
  • Duck Walk
  • Crab Walk
  • Crawl Bear
  • Frog Hop
  • It was obvious that the pax was having such a great time, we rinsed and repeated, with only 1 time each the second round.

After we had enough fun with animals, a quick mozi was done and the pax ended up at the bottom of the hill on Tara Tea Drive for a round of Jacobs Ladder.  Run up to the top of the hill for 1 Burpee, run back down and immediately return to the top for 2 burpess.  Rinse and repeat until you have done 7 burpees.  Plank at the top until the entire pax is complete.  This was no easy feat for this Floridian flatlander, but clearly was a crowd favorite.

After the six was in, it was time for some Mike Tysons along the curb.  Due to the size of the Pax, half of the group ran laps until the first group was done doing Mike Tysons x10.  We did two rounds and it was back to the fields of Alcatraz for the grande finale…and grand it was.

Ripken Suicides

As done at any Ripken Q at F3 Suncoast, it was time for Ripken Suicides (or as Longshanks called them initially – Cupcakes because Suicides isn’t sensitive enough).  The pax had 1 minute to complete a full round of suicides, with the next round starting after the first minute.  The faster you get done, the most rest.  This is done for 10 rounds, as long as you are able to get the suicides done in 60 seconds.  There wasn’t a lot of love shown for Ripken after this finale!  Thanks Ripken!!

With 3 minutes remaining, it was time for a quick round of mary including LBCs, Protractor and one other.

Round of Mary

 

The MoleSkin:

YHC encouraged the pax to not hestitate to disrupt their status quo.  To make sure they are not remaining in their comfort zone.  Roughly 2 years ago today, the Kelly family entirely disrupted their status quo, having no idea why the chose to leave such a great community, pax and soccer family to head to a place where we knew NO ONE.  Not long after arriving in Florida, the status quo was disrupted AGAIN with YHC taking an entirely new job and quitting the one he moved to Florida for initially.  This opportunity has been a true blessing as YHC no longer travels for work and is home with the family and available to apply more time to launching a new region for F3.  The Pax of F3 The Fort and surrounding areas have been instrumental in disrupting the lives of over 225 men in the Sarasota area, as it was because of them YHC had the confidence to move and then start a new region.  I am honored and humbled to be a part of F3 The Fort and to give away all that I have gained to my new region in F3 Suncoast.

Prayers/Praises:

  • For Cable Guy and his family
  • James, friend of YHC battling cancer for the 3rd time at 9 years old
  • Many other prayer requests spoken

Announcements:

  • Coffeeteria at Panera Bread – Thanks for hanging out, I had a great time
  • CAH – Join us
  • Welcome to Skyline – You did a great job in a not so friendly FNG beatdown!
  • Wow, I am really bad at all of the announcements as I am not with this pax daily!

Thank you for this great opportunity and I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday at Honey Badger.

Aye – Bing

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Core Impact

It was a really nice morning at The Ballroom!  The weather was perfect, the PAX were feisty, and the workout was tough (at least I think so).

We started out with a quick disclaimer (no FNG’s) and then we moseyed around the front of the school to the parking lot on the other side.

Warmup consisted of the following, all in cadence:

  • Side Straddle Hop – 25
  • Low Slow Squats – 10
  • Windmill – 10
  • Moroccan Nightclubs – 25
  • Cherry Pickers – 10

The Thang…I started out explaining that most everything will be in cadence, and to encourage participation by the PAX I asked that we take turns counting off cadence.  Let the core workout begin:

  • LBC’s in cadence – 15
  • Flutter Kicks in cadence – 25 (that is a LOT)
  • Hello Dolly in cadence – 15
  • LBC’s in cadence – 15
  • Flutter Kicks in cadence – 15
  • Hello Dolly in cadence – 15

A quick talk about IMPACT was had.  We can make positive, or negative impacts daily.  How will we choose to use the opportunities for impact?

Mosey around to the back of the school

Got some insight into CSPAN, how he got his name and what F3 has meant to him!

  • Hello Dolly in cadence – 15
  • Freddy Mercury in cadence – 25
  • Big Boy Sit-Ups, single count – 10
  • American Hammer in cadence – 15

Break for People’s Chair for a 10 count from each of the 18 PAX in attendance

  • Merkins in cadence – 10
  • Diamond Merkins in cadence – 10
  • Hello Dolly in cadence – 15
  • Freddy Mercury in cadence – 25
  • Big Boy Sit-Ups, single count – 10
  • American Hammer in cadence – 15

Mosey back towards COT

  • LBC’s in cadence – 15
  • Flutter Kicks in cadence – 20
  • Hello Dolly in cadence – 15
  • Freddy Mercury in cadence – 25
  • Big Boy Sit-Ups, single count – 10
  • American Hammer in cadence – 15

We then spent a few minutes doing some much needed (and appreciated, especially by our very own respectable CSPAN) Broga

And closed out with announcements, prayer requests, and encouraging the PAX to attend the 3rd F at Crossroads after!

As usual, it was an honor to lead.  Thanks Short Sale for the opportunity!

Smithers – Out

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Jedi’s Post-iversa-Q

You would think that I’d have some sort of snarky intro to open my backblast for my anniversary Q. But, writer’s block. I blame peanut M&M coma. #keepingitclydesdale

YHC was pleasantly surprised when 11 PAX joined me in the gloom for my poorly hyped celebration. I blame the site Q…  Special recognition goes out to Phish, who is in town for the training YHC runs for his job. Poor soul didn’t know he’d be seeing me in the gloom before putting up with me all day. Anyway, the disclaimer was given and we jumped right into our warm-up. SSH, low slow squats, Moroccan night clubs, and windmills were all done in cadence to some forgotten number before we rolled out.

When I was EH’ed a year ago, my very first post was to a running AO. I hate running (shocker, I know), and at that point I hadn’t run in well over a decade. Not intentionally, anyway. Copperfield gets credit for bringing me out, and since he was training for his marathon, we did a lot of running for my first week. So, to commemorate my first post, we went on a run around Rivergate, working out to right around one mile (we cut out the full loop done for pre-runs, which is ~1.6 miles). Final destination: the fountain.

Mini Moleskin 1

My first big takeaway from jumping into this F3 thing was, you have to put yourself out there and do the uncomfortable thing if you’re going to get better. I hate running, but more than that I hate getting vulnerable and walking into a new situation where I may or may not be accepted. The first couple weeks of posting were more of a mental battle, trying to get over myself, step out, and meet some people because, let’s face it, I had no friends. I wasn’t going to make friends by sitting on my six, so I had to do the uncomfortable thing. Like running. Or meeting a group of guys I’d never met before in a dark parking lot in the wee hours of the morning.

Back to the workout…

Next to the fountain were 10 balloons (taped to cones so they didn’t blow away). Inside each balloon was a card with an exercise and a number of reps. Pretty simple here: pop a balloon, the group does the exercise for the given number of reps, then we all run a lap around the parking lot. Originally the run was around the traffic circles, but that got shortened after the second round.

Exercises completed:

  • 100 hillbilly squat walkers
  • 1000 burpees
  • 400 jump squats
  • 700 squats
  • 500 diamond merkins

Reps were evenly distributed among the PAX, but those completing their reps first were encouraged to pick up reps from those still working. As a team, all reps were completed, with probably some extras thrown in for good measure.

Mini Moleskin 2

After surviving the first couple weeks with F3 last year, I realized that this group was special. It’s been years – probably at least a decade, if not longer – since I’ve had a group of guys who are willing to step in and help out in a moment’s notice, with pretty much anything. Guys who are willing to encourage you, push you, or be a total idiot with you. We aren’t in this life alone, and F3 is a tangible example of that reality. We aren’t made to do it alone, so stop trying, get over yourself, and reach out. There are people around ready and willing to help.

Back to the workout…

With just a couple minutes left, we had to get back to COT. We could run (blech), or we could partner carry. Having recently dropped weight through the generosity of food poisoning, I wasn’t as burdensome as I have been in the past. Nevertheless, Witchhunt took one for the team and carried this Clydesdale halfway back. I lucked out in that deal, as he weighs maybe 160 pounds. All PAX gathered at COT for a final word.

Mini Moleskin 3

In addition to having a group of guys around to help out or be an idiot with, the community here goes deeper than that. These guys are willing to step in and carry your burdens when you can’t. We have PAX in our region who have gone through some awful experiences, just in the past year. Watching the community step in and do for them what they can’t do for themselves at their times of greatest need has been incredible. We can carry each other in a workout, but it’s something entirely different to carry each other through the hardest times. It is an honor to be able to be a part of this.

It’s not about the workout. It’s not about ourselves.

It’s about our brothers.

This is why we do it.

And this is why we give it away.

There were announcements. Read your newsletter.

As for prayers, here were a bunch, but the big ones I remember are recent friends and/or family members of PAX who have died of cancer. Pray for those left behind as they mourn the loss yet continue on.

Thanks to all the PAX who posted with me this morning, and for those who didn’t post but have been a part of this journey. It is an honor to get to serve you.

Jedi

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Beyond- Freedom has never been easy.

Always an Honor to Q. To be able to push men Beyond their comfort zone. To teach and be tought.  America has given me freedoms that most of the world can not even fathom. Freedom has been given to us all by the selfless acts of men and women willing to give themselves up so that we can live like other country.

We started with a disclaimer. Let all know who I was and checked to see if we had any FNGs. None present so made amentsl mental note to self that I need to work harder on bringingthis gift to other men in my reach. We took off with slow mosey that led into some dynamic movements Stopped for Pledge of Allegiance and then circled up. We warmed up to the acronym FREEDOM (Flutter kicks, Rosalita, empty wheelbarrow, Everests, donkey kicks, outlaws, and Mtn. Climbers) we than did 17 Merkins in cadence followed by 76 SSHs in cadence.
We moseydto drop off in front of school did the next 5 exercises followed by sprint Squat jumps, merkins, bomb jacks, CDDs, burppees 10 of each.
Mosey to small car circle. Get into discussion on true freedom and that is through Jesy=us CHrist. Q had found verses in bible that talked about freedom through him and matched it up with some good exercises. Fastest each round would get to read next verse. Here they are if you want to li=ook them up.Romans *:16- 10 jumpsquats. john 8:32 burpees- 1 peter 2:16-17- 10 grave diggers each side, 1 cort. 6:12 10 jumping lunges, 1 cort. 9:19 10 tony hawk burpees, Acts 13:39 10 bomb jacks, 2 cort. 3:17 15 squats, Psalm 119:45 20 CDDs, romans 6:6-7 20 merkins, gal. 5:1 10 hand release merkins, Gal. 5:13 20 Monkey Humpers, Psalm 118:5 20 flutter kicks. COT. Prayers, and Praises.
Thank You was an Honor.

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The Honey Badger with Schmalls and CSPAN

Disclaimer

Hot thick and extra humid (extremely poor conditions)

warmup-o-rama

mosey

shirts optional

hero review

workout review (slightly modified WOD)

  • Run 800 meters
  • 50 burpees
  • 40 pull-ups
  • 30 one-legged squat (each leg)
  • 20 squats
  • 10 handstand pushups
  • Run 800 meters
  • Repeato

COT / Prayer or Praise / BOM

NMM

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, assigned to the 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Pendleton, California, died on December 15, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife Ann Schneider, parents John and Deborah Gilkey, and brother John.

The “Schmalls” Hero WOD was first posted on crossfit.com as the workout of the day for Tuesday, April 23, 2013 (130423).

 

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The Coop: Mixed Meters

24 PAX gathered in the gloom. The summer numbers bump is upon us. Can we stick with it when it is 10° again??

The Thang: Lots of mixed (non-4) counts

Mosey around the main parking lot covering as much ground there as possible in a zigzag pattern. Alternating High Knees, Butt Kickers, and Karaoke.

Mosey to the band practice lot
SSH x30
1 Burpee
Windmill x10
2 Burpees
Imperial Walker x15
3 Burpees
Hillbilly Walker x15
4 Burpees
LSS x15
5 Burpees
(It took until the Hillbilly Walkers for Longshanks to realize I was copying one of his warmups. Imitation is the highest form of flattery…..why fix it if it ain’t broken?)

Mosey to traffic circle COP
Alternating:
Down Dog and Honeymooner
Plank
Shoulder Taps x10
Yogi Squats

Mosey to Pull Up Bars at ROTC Building
Split into groups of 3s (CSPAN made a French joke and the PAX did 9 Burpees in cadence)
Rotate partners through Derkins, Pull ups, and Wall Sits. Called up and down for each exercises. Did about 6 slow pull ups per PAC.

Mosey to Elementary School parking lot
Partner up for alternating Mike Tysons and Bear Crawls from island to island through the parking lot.

Mosey back towards COT with a lap around the basketball court.

At COT:
Around the Worlds (12 count lunges) x6
Flutters x15
LBC x15
Catalina Wine Mixer x2 (hit 6 o’clock)

NMM:

As PAX, we regularly challenge ourselves physically in the gloom. Leaving the comfort of the fart sack to push ourselves and get better. But how often do we challenge ourselves mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Often with these challenges we don’t have to wake up and head to the gloom; they come our way without us seeking.

How do we respond to emotional challenges presented in the form of a four-year-old trying to situate their sock perfectly when it is time to go? Or mentally when there’s a civic challenge that needs to be addressed? Or spiritually when were faced with our own demons?

Addressing and improving physically is a wonderful thing, but we as PAX must strive to better ourselves emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as well. Otherwise we are always out of balance.

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