Bass chasing minnows

11 PAX were challenged with the mission to avoid being caught by the bass.  Pretty much accomplished by all who attended.  A special shout out to a couple of first posters to the pond Barry Manilow and Anchorman.  Nice work pushing yourselves.

We started out with the Pledge of Allegiance something that is always a humbling experience for me.  A brief warmup with SSH, Windmills, Imperial Walkers and Merkins.  Instructions to the route were not well received since YHC could remember the street names so we just took off.

I took a few minutes to figure it out after the fact.  Run up Main Street to Hwy. 160 Turn Right to our first stop at the Methodist Church Parking lot.  We did 3 exercises 25 reps of Merkins, Mtn. Climbers and Shoulder taps.  Back to running turning right on Monroe White Street.  Going past FBC and then the COG turned right on Watson street stopping at the old Springs parking lot for 2nd round of exercises.  Off to the parking lot by the Southern Sugar (did you know they are closed?).  Shouldn’t have moved Q source.  Just sayin.  Repeat the round with exercise being squats, lunges and calf raises 25 reps.  One final lap with LBC’s and flutters.  Back to COT.

Nice work by the PAX.  Thanks for the opportunity Longshanks.

 

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12 Days of Christmas

Today at the Ranch I had the pleasure of leading nine men in a 12 days of Christmas Beatdown. I know its a week before Thanksgiving but like everyone else we will skip to Christmas.

We started with a warm up of Windmills, Tappy Taps, SSH and Moroccan NC and then we moseyed to the back playground for some real fun.

Our 12 Days of Christmas :

1 BURPEE

2 MERKINS

3 SQUATS

4 MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

5 BIG BOY’S

6 FLUTTERS

7 DIAMOND MERKINS

8 LBC’S

9 BOX CUTTERS

10 CDD

11 AMERICAN HAMMERS

12 WIDE ARM MERKINS

OH!!  I forgot there was a lap around the loop after every day. There was some singing and some complaining as well.

We ended with some Mary and Two Ruckers joined us for  COT!!

Thanks Jiffy for letting me lead these fine men.

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8 Extra Pounds

Twelve of Fort Mill’s finest met at the Harris Teeter on a perfect late fall morning.  While two set off for a ruck workout, the other 10 joined YHC and here is what they did:

Take a big loop around the HT parking lot and meet up at the white VW near the back of the lot.  Everyone pick up two bricks and mosey to the Green Olive Grille for COP:

Circle up and drop your bricks for SSH x 25 and 10 windmills.  Pick up your bricks and everyone in cadence for:  merkin x 10, squat x 15, imperial walker x 20, jump squat x 10, LBC x 20, hello dolly x 20, American hammer x 20 , diamond merkin x 10, Morrocan nightclub x 20.

Mosey to the back of the main parking lot, put your bricks into a pile, and then mosey to the front of Harris Teeter (about 50 yds).   Form two groups of 5.   The first group runs to the pile, picks up a brick, and runs back to the start point.  The second group does the same.  Rinse and repeat and until all the bricks are moved.   Once all the bricks are moved, repeat with two bricks per person and move the bricks to the start point (full disclosure – this was not how this was supposed to go!)

Mosey back to Green Olive grille and circle up for Jack Webb  (1:4).   We got to 7 merkins and 28 overheads with bricks before YHC’s form started to fail.

ABLAB with bricks:

Flying flutter x 20, V-up x 10, Superman hold x 3, X’s and O’s x 10.  Close with the body destroyer.

COT

I’ve been away from this AO for a while and it was good to see many new faces this morning.  What perfect weather for a boot camp!  Dark Helmut and Olaf provided the usual chatter  – thank you, gentlemen.    It was a pleasure to lead the Pax today and I hope you enjoyed the workout.

Announcements, Prayers, Praises:

Read your newsletter:   Saturday convergence at The Fort, Thanksgiving convergence, Xmas party all coming up.

Prayers for:  Kenyan and his family, a family member with recurring cancer, Olaf on his Spartan race.

 

 

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Ranch Style

As our boys are on the same soccer team, Jiffy took the opportunity to request my Q the week before. Been a little while since I’ve been to the ranch and more than likely, it was a Q, too.

Two Run and Gun Musketeers pledged support the evening before, so I was guaranteed a couple familiar PAX. Ultimately, there was at least 5 PAX that were new to me. 10 total.

Early arrival, set out some cones and got the worm out to the football field side. Last minute writing of weinke and taping to arm in the van, and off to the PAX minutes before.

Little mosey around all the fields with a few stops to warmup, WM, SSH, LSS, Tappity Taps….the new name?, 1 leg flutters, MTN C, LeanBacks and the always fun, do it as you’d like…Goofballs.

Around the front school loop, jog with stops at speed bumps: 5 bombjacks, 4 squats, 3 burpees, then 432, 321….or something similar as my count plan veered off course.

Jog to football field next to soccer field. Met up with the “worm” 140# sandbag. Partners carried the worm full length of field and back while the rest did 10 Monkey Humpers, brief 10 yard jog to other side for 10 CDD’s, then 9 and 9, 8 and 8 and so on. Took turns with worm carry. Then switched to calf raises/jump lunges combo….or so I think…Did not make it to Donkey Kicks/wide arm merkin combo.

To soccer field. Partnered up again. One partner led out a couple secs early to sprint back of opposite goal, then partner left to reach soccer ball and kick to goal. P1 brought ball back and both sprinted back to together. Meanwhile…rest of PAX alternated 5 merkins/big boi situps, wide squats then bear crawled about 5 yards and repeated. Kept going to all PAX done.

Finished up with some good Mary, if I recall properly. I heard one PAX say “Well, we did some diffferent things today” which I hope is a good thing….  Good job out there, PAX.

Talked of the IronPax challenge as a you vs. you individual test as IronPax has 4 very hard workouts weekly in September. But even more importantly, for the PAX to support each other and make sure everyone gets through the challenge.  See backblast “Sometimes you are the six”: https://f3thefort.com/2019/09/13/sometimes-you-are-the-six-ironpax-wk2/

Get out to our G-Fit workout with the kids on Saturdays at 3:00 pm to serve our community efforts in the Paradise community. Q’s always needed!

The Paradise Reading Center is held every Mon and Wed at the Greater Bethlehem Baptist Church at 601 Joe Louis Street in Fort Mill during school. We need volunteers to assist in tutoring and helping the kids with school work!

Get out to the Q-Source discussions held on various days during the week.

Thank you to Shield for his Q on 9/11.

Aye! Bolt

 

 

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Why run at Clydesdale’s?

No no no.  It was a Y run loop at Clydesdale’s.  Run to the YMCA take the trail, turn left at road, turn right at the fountain and up the hill to Sutton and run down the hill.  Right at QT and back to Starbucks.  Rinse and repeat until you are tired.  We had 12 in total with a sighting of Dungaree doing 13mi. for a training run.  Why I ask?

COT and outta there.

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Light on mileage, Heavy on the push

While the research may vary, the average ant can lift/carry 10-50 times its own body weight. Luck for us at the Fire Ant AO today, we were only carrying ourselves and our Rucks, which varied from 30lb-45lb. So, to that I say, you’re welcome.

We had a small yet might group of Ruckers this morning as 4 others joined YHC. Once disclaimed, we Rucked to the playground for:

50 Pull-Ups (slick)

50 Push-Ups (with Ruck)

Ruck to the soccer fields for bit of a 4-corners covering half the entire field. Once we figured out the appropriate sides of the field for transportation between corners, it would be Bear Crawls (with Ruck) on two sides f the field and walk (with Rucks overhead) for the other two sides. In the corners:

Corner 1: 25 Ruck Curls

Corner 2: 25 Bent over Rows

Corner 3: 15 Hand-Release Merkins

Corner 4: 25 Upright Rows

We completed the circuit twice then made our way over to the flag pole:

15 Flutters w/o the press

15 Freddy Mercury’s with Rucks up

10 Flutters w/ the press

Ruck back to COT to hold the Al Gore position while each PAX recounted where they were when they learned of the events of 9/11.

Remember. Never Forget. Be Present

Maximus

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What Lacks in Creativity…

Call it “coincidental”, impeccable luck, dumb luck, divine appointment, proper Site-Q planning or option “F”, None of the Above but I was fortunate to have the Q at the Swamp today; the morning of our region’s Invergence. If the PAX were grumpy this evening due to not having a decent workout to start their day, that would be on my shoulders. I was really hoping to not let that happen.

So when 19 other men rolled in for an even 20, I had to take note of who might need the extra push. Once the mental note was made (and it shall remain mental), I recognized we’d have to get some distance in before jumping right in and even try to gas people a little here and there.

Disclaimer was uttered and again, my request was made: “All of you are carrying something with you this morning. My request is that you be present for the next 45mins, engage, push and be present with us, here.”

We then…moseyed. Made our way the long way (as if there’s a short way) over to the Kohl’s parking lot mixing in Butt Kickers, High Knees, Toy Soldiers and a few rounds of Sprints (yes, on a warm up mosey).

Circle Up for 7 reps in cadence of each of the following:

Wide-Arm Merkins

Regular Merkins

Diamond Merkins

Mountain Climbers

Peter Parkers

Parker Peters

Then 5 Burpees

2 Lines for an Indian Run around the entire Kohl’s/Kirklands/Ulta, etc building coming back to the Ulta parking lot (can’t believe a beauty supply store just made its way into the BB…TWICE).

Then our typical warm up: Slow Wind Mills, Slow Squats

Catch Me If You Can with a partner and incorporating 10 Carolina Dry Docks and 10 Monkey Humpers when your partner catches you. Make the parking lot lap 3 times. Word to the wise, if you’re partnered with B.O.T., mandate that he jogs or shoot, walks…#speedy.

Circle Up for 7 more reps in cadence of each of the following:

Wide-Arm Merkins

Regular Merkins

Diamond Merkins

Mountain Climbers

Peter Parkers

Parker Peters

Then, mosey to the Old Navy parking lot and line up on a white line

Crab Walk 20 yards, 20 dips, crab walk back, 20 Dips

Repeat

Mosey to the Best Buy parking lot

3 reps each:

Wide-Arm Merkins

Regular Merkins

Diamond Merkins

Burpees

COT

See you at the Invergence tonight and the 1st Convergence tomorrow (Sat) followed by Q-Source.

Honored.

Maximus

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Fire Ant Q – 9/3/19

Training for a Go Ruck HTL is a little different than training for a long race – everything takes a lot of time when you’re not moving at an 8 min mile pace.  You get miles in when you can, so at this point in the training, I’ve pretty much acknowledged most days I get out, there needs to be some pre-ruck miles.

Mainframe arrived at 4:40a so we set out for a couple miles sharing the 60 lb sandy I’ve borrowed from Nasa.  The other 3 pax arrived a few minutes before 5:15 so we got right to work.

Warm-up was a quick ruck over to the bottom of the hill on Hubert Graham Way where we then started the fun:

  1.  Partner up hill work (group of 3 and 2 pax)
    • Set 1:  Partner 1 double times up the long hill while partner 2 does jump squats (ruck on).  When partner 1 gets to the top, they wave their arms around like an inflatable flailing armed guy and then partner 2 begins his ascent while partner 1 does jump squats until their partner arrives.
    • Set 2:  Partner 1 double times down the hill w/ ruck overhead while partner 2 does plank pulls w/ their ruck.  Once Partner 1 gets to the bottom, they give the signal and partner 2 begins their overhead jog down the hill while partner 1 does pulls
    • Set 3:  Partner 1 double times up the long hill again while partner 2 does ruck LBC’s.  Same thing as before, switch when partner 1 gets to the top.
  2. Ruck back to the front of Tega Cay Elementary and use 100 yard straightaway between cross walks to play a quick game of modified catch me if you can.
    • Partner 1 begins lunge walking while partner 2 does 12 merkins w/ ruck on.  Once finished w/ merkins, they run to catch their partner and they switch.  Finish when you get to the end of the straightaway.
  3. Head over to the parking lot for some ascending rep man makers
    • crab walk w/ ruck on lap 3 parking spaces, and do 2 man makers
    • crab walk 3 more spaces and do 4 man makers
    • crab walk 3 more – 6 man makers
    • crab walk 3 more – 8 man makers
  4.  Time hack – throw the ruck on and do a mile in under 13 minutes.  We crushed it with an 11:30 pace!

Upon finishing the time hack, we rucked back to COT and finished out some some mary for a couple minutes.  Great job today guys – appreciate you making it out when you had so many good options to choose from Tuesday.  Until next time.

Cha Ching

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Early Risers at the Swamp

When I pulled into the parking lot near Best Buy, there were several cars already parked near the AO.  Based on the mumble chatter on social media, several of the PAX were getting in some early training for upcoming events.  There were 23 men at the work out, 13 for ruck, 8 for BC, and 2 runners.

After the disclaimer, we jogged to the front of Best Buy.  We started with a few warm up exercises (Butt Kickers, Toy Solders) before we moseyed over to the back of Just Fresh.

COP

SSH  x 20

Imperial Walker x 20

Windmill x 10

Plank Stretches

 

Next, we moseyed to the front of Home Depot for a round of Dora 1-2-3

100 Lat Pull-ups on the bicycle rack

200 Squats

300 LBCs

Next, we moseyed back to Just Fresh near the staircase for a round of Arod 3-2-1 (reverse Dora). Instead of running around the parking lot, we ran up and down the stairs.

300 Calf Raises

200 Lunges

100 Jump Squats

Next, we headed back to COT for one last exercise, the Merkin Gauntlet.  The Pax lined up in a plank position.  Each person performed 4 merkins in front of each person.

COT

Special prayers for Twister as he recovers from his eye surgery

 

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Minnow Pond Strikes Again

17 Pax descended upon the Minnow Pond this AM. Many were new to the Pond and all were better for having posted.

In the 5 weeks since launch, Shady along with the other Qs have set the bar high for MP. The workouts have been difficult with more 1st F than 2nd or  3rd F. I have been reminded of a few trips to F3 Metro where YHC was gassed after each post. I loved it!

YHC was honored to be asked to Q early in the existence. Honestly, I was both excited and nervous much like the old days of F3 the Fort. I was excited to lead the group of HIMs and nervous to create a beatdown that matched the intensity from the first 4 weeks. Minnow Pond stretches you as a Q. Whether you are a thoroughbred or a clydesdale, all Pax must get equal pain. After reviewing some backblasts from the Shark Tank (the OG), YHC created a plan that included a few holes at Fort Mill Golf Club.

Weather: 64 and not humid (Football season is here!)

The Thang:

Warm up and disclaimer prior to 5:15

AYG to Fort Mill Church of God parking lot (burpees until the 6 arrives)

10 Merkins, 20 Squats, 30 LBCs

Run to end of lot and back

Repeat 4 times

AYG to FM Golf Course (burpees until the 6 arrives)

Holes 7, 8 and 9

Hole 7 – 50 paces followed by 7 burpees from tee to green

Hole 8 – 50 paces followed by 8 sit ups from tee to green

Hole 9 – 50 paces followed by 9 bombjacks

Burpees until the 6 arrives

AYG to Fort Mill Church of God parking lot (burpees until the 6 arrives)

10 merkins, 20 squats, 30 LBCs

AYG to Veterans Park

Based on loose calculations, we covered the following in 45 minutes:

3+ miles

60 merkins

120 squats

180 LBCs

35+ burpees

40+ sit ups

50+ bombjacks

 

Moleskin:

  • Invergence/Convergence coming up 9/6 – 9/7
  • Mainframe on Q for Q Source on 9/7 at Kingsley amphitheater
  • Minnow Pond t-shirt order
  • Prayers for child at Children’s Attention Home that Nasa is mentoring
  • Praise for successful start to school year
  • Marriages

Thanks to Shady for the opportunity!

Pusher

 

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