Independence Day 1776 Challenge

Good morning America! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Soupy muggy morning. We had one FNG EH’d by Beaker, so the full disclaimer was disclaimed and off we went to the NaFo track.

WARMUP: None. Got right into it.

The Main Event: The 1776 Challenge
7 laps of 400m along with 1776 exercises as follows (everything single count unless otherwise noted):
* 50 burpees
* 100 calf raises (50 regular, 50 toes out)
* 100 ski abs (double count)
>> Run 400m
* 100 ‘merkins
* 100 LSS
* 100 LBC
>> Run 400m
* 100 CDD
* 100 jump squat
* 100 American hammer (DC)
>> Run 400m
* 100 OH clap
* 100 mountain climbers (DC)
* 100 hello dolly
>> Run 400m
* 100 wide-arm merkin
* 100 jump lunge (DC)
* 100 flutter kicks (DC)
>> Run 100m
* 100 plank shoulder taps (DC)
* 100 hillbilly walkers
** Badger Challenge (optional, level-up) – 100m crab walk
* 100 SSH
** Badger Challenge (optional, level-up) – 100m bear crawl
>> Run 400m
* 26 burpees
>> Run 400m
>>>ENDEX<<<

It was a total sweat fest this morning, but so worth it. Not much mumblechatter after a while, but A LOT of pain. The fellowship helped alot…..seeing your fellow PAX push through things makes you want to push as well. Thank you everyone for the push!

Capped it all off with a gorgeous sunrise and Pledge of Allegiance at COT, along with some announcements and P&Ps.

Special kudos for Clickbait for opening up his home for anyone who does not have anywhere or anyone to go celebrate the holiday with. #HIM

NMM:
7-4-1776 was a BIG day in the history of this world. Not only is it the birth of our great nation, but it was a loud exclamation to the world that freedom reigns and is worth fighting for. We exercise our freedoms every day whether we know it or not, from being able to wake up early and go work out with like-minded men, voice our opinions on whatever topic in however means, practice whatever religion or belief system we choose, or choose not to practice any type religion or belief system – all without fear of persecution. There are some people in this country who are challenging these various freedoms, not knowing that they themselves are exercising the constitutionally guaranteed right to challenge the status quo and advocate change. Many countries would severely persecute that type of vocality. Yet we as a nation allow and even foster it, for through adversity, change, and pain comes growth, wisdom, and strength.

During your various Independence Day celebrations please take time out to give thanks for the many things we have (i.e., blessings) as well as our many various freedoms, however you may define them, including – IMO most importantly – the freedom to speak up and make change happen, however large or small the magnitude, scope, and/or scale. That’s what happened on 7-4-1776, on a great scale and magnitude, and has continued since. The United States of America as a whole is never stagnant, it is always evolving. Hopefully for the better. It is by no means perfect either (what made of man is?), but it could most definitely be worse in many many ways. It is up to each one of us, exercising our various freedoms, to ensure we as a nation continue to move forward and get better in some way every day. Change happens through action, not just words. The mission behind F3 is to plant. serve, and grow small workout groups for the purpose of invigorating male community leadership. Keep at it, continue to BE the change you want to see in this world through not just your words but your actions. Give it away, for when you do YOU help facilitate positive change in others.

Have a happy and safe Independence Day. Happy Birthday America!

Thank you for the opportunity to lead. Blessed and thankful for every one of you F3 The Fort PAX that are in my life. SYITG.
– NASA

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BAOPS worthy – don’t do easy

WARMUP: Run to the back of the fields 5 burpees, windmills (for trucker), 4 burpees, low slow squats finishing to peoples chair while doing Moroccan night clubs. Mosey to pull up bars. Plank while each pax did 1 pull up (for trucker). Mosey to hole #2
THE THANG: the intention was to play 9 holes of golf. Squats at the tee box followed by burpees at the green rinsing and repeating over 8 rounds and a grand total of 72 each. On the first round – halfway to the green, the golf course staff had other plans and firmly asked that we leave the course. So……we played 9 holes of golf in the street taking our ball, squats and burpees elsewhere. We also did 10 double count monkey humpers in cadence facing the golf course access road. 30 ish minutes and two ten counts later we were complete with a total of 72 squats, 72 burpees, some running of hills in between and on to part two – four corners.

Part two – this looked much better on paper. Goal was 4 rounds. We got to 2 rounds before the clock demanded a return to COT.

Corner 1 – 7 krakens, 2 hand release merkins, 22 lunges (11 per leg). Crawl bear to corner 2

Corner 2 – 7 diamond merkins, 2 krakens, 22 squats – run to corner 3

Corner 3 – 7 merkins, 2 diamond merkins, 22 monkey humpers, bear crawl to corner 4

Corner 4 – 7 burpees, 2 squats, 22 wide arm merkins

Time was called at 0725 when Maximus and Vuvu rolled in from a long hilly 9 plus mile BRR training run to join us for……

MARY: 5 minutes of stretching – desperately needed and welcomed by all.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 10 year anniversary is coming. Events running the week of 9/10 to 9/17. Get your hall passes in order.

COT: Praise for Bonsai’s two year anniversary of recovery from heart episode. Praise for the men of The Fort and prayers for continued discernment and patience in our homes and within our concentrica.

NMM: When we were asked to leave the golf course 10 minutes into the workout, the plan had to change. For the unprepared leader an event like that may have brought about a circumstance for which they weren’t prepared. Fortunately, for us, we are surrounded by HIM who help us know that remaining prepared and modifying for the unexpected is part of being the leaders we are called to be in our communities, workplace, and in our homes.

So…..always be ready for the expected, but prepare for the unexpected. Good reminders of that faced us in a small way this morning.

It’s always a privilege to lead at BAOPS – the site of YHC’s EH eight years ago. Great work by all pax this morning on a sticky and humid Saturday. Thanks to Skipper for the opportunity. Until next time……

Honored,
Cyclops

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Run and Gun Work

WARMUP: Run
THE THANG: Ran to WEP where we ran the loop then ran the loop again stopping at each bench to do 10 merkins and 10 squats…rinse and repeat.
MARY:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
COT: thanks to Jekyl for the opportunity to lead.

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Sandbag Games

WARMUP: Slick mosey around the parking lot followed by some SSH, Good Mornings and a few Merkings.
THE THANG: I borrowed, or stole, this workout from Steak Knives in Cape Fear while we did a version of this workout as extra credit prior to a running AO. Everyone hear had a sand bag between 40lbs-60lbs.
(50) Sand bag Getups (think a Turkish getup) without ruck on.
(50) Sand bag ground to shoulders (and toss it over your shoulder) while wearing ruck.
(50) Sand bag squats while wearing ruck
(50) Sand bag clean & throws (same as a sand bag toss) while wearing ruck.
We were on a 2min timer so every 2mins, you had to do 5 burpees. After 2 rounds, we changed the count to 3 burpees.
MARY:
Box Cutters with ruck overhead
LBCs with ruck overhead
Flutters with ruck overhead
American Hammers – slick
Standing side-bends with ruck in hand
Series of planking with rucks on
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Newsletter, Independence Day convergence at NAFO, give blood, Men’s Shelter
COT: You had to be there.

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FNG named SPowers

WARMUP: 1 min plank of gratitude with some downward dog and some honeymooner
THE THANG:
20 reps of each exercise (except YHC called an audible for 10 ground to overheads for time) .
20 standing penguins,
20 big boy sit-ups ruck on toes,
10 ground to overhead,
20 curls,
20 ruck swings,
Ruck up and make a lap around the perimeter. Rinse and repeat.
20 guins
MARY: those penguins will remind you of your side abs
ANNOUNCEMENTS: welcome to FNG Aaron “SPowers” who is a stud, former college baseball player turned PE teacher turned assistant principal. Great job @shield planting the seed so YHC could give the final nudge.
Read your newsletter.
COT: prayers for pushers shorty evaluation of torn ACL. prayers for those traveling this week, back surgery for new guys, SPowers, mom, prayers for marriages.

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Co-Q at the Colosseum

It was warm and humid this morning at the Colosseum. I led the first 22.5 and Dark Helmet was set to take the second half. 10 Bootcampers were joined by Maximas, Gears and Vuvuzela who went running OYO.  

I led us off with a quick 10 SSH and then moseyed to my portion of the workout.

I wanted to do something hard but self contained. The first workout that came to mind was Iron Pax 2019 Week 1: The Killer B’s.  

Starting at Cone 1 you broad jump 10 yards to cone 2. Complete 10 burpees, 10 Bonnie Blairs, and 10 Big Boy Situps-
Broad Jump to cone 3 and repeat the exercises and the reps. Broad Jump to Cone 4 repeat the exercises and the reps.

Once through the cones YHC gave everyone the option to either BearCrawl back or Sprint back. (if you were seen not sprinting I blew the whistle and the offending PAX was given 5 burpees OYO) I only blew the whistle once….on myself because I love burpees apparently.

Our goal was to get through 4 times in the 20ish minutes. I’m happy to say everyone worked hard and we got through it.

Once my time was up Dark Helmet took over and we moseyed down towards the school entrance. He handed us all a pen/marker and some paper and asked us to write a message to Decibel and his son Noah who is recovering from an operation. Once we all wrote down our messages we then raced to his office to put the messages on the door. The first one there got to pick the routine for the next portion of the workout.

After a loooong mosey up the hill where YHC HR hit 190 I was able to get to the office first and got the chance to pick the next part of the workout. Starting at the top of the hill we ran back and did 15 merkins and 25 4-CT clutters 4 different cones.

At that point we were getting close to 6 and we all made a jailbreak to COT. We were reunited with the runners who I think did 7ish miles and joined in on some LBC’s and Hello Dolly’s as we hit 6:00.

Announcements included F3 Dads, the Site Change of the Swamp, and a makeup of the Misogi. Prayers for health, mental, physical and spiritual.

Always great to Q and especially grateful for partnering with DOAH today. Thanks to all who showed!

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The Ghost of Band Camp Haunts Alcatraz

WARMUP: Mosey to the roundabout for some COP fun — mtn climbers, Parker Peter, SSH, IW, HW, Carioca, burpees
THE THANG: Mosey to one of those Hawaiian names side streets
Plank series on a side street
Mosey to cul de sac on right and continue down to the golf course for a
Jacob’s ladder (jumping lunges at bottom, 3-way calf raises at top)
Mosey back home

Handoff to Trucker

Back on the mosey train (somewhat surprisingly) over to that nasty neighborhood hill right off the park entrance (oh no!) down to the bottom

10 Merkins
Nur to the top
10 LBCs
rinse and repeat for 3 rounds
(The Suck got very real by this point!)

Pearls on a strong out past the tennis courts to the short wall by the golf course with several stops for LBCs, merkins, flutters, dips, derkins, etc. Same drill on the return to the firehouse for more of the same, then a continuation on the path around Runde with stops for pain and a final sprint home.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Swamp and Quagmire relocations coming this week.
QSource mtg returning 6/21 at Baxter Starbucks after workouts
F3 Dads starting 6/11 for 4 weeks at WEP at 0900

COT:
The spirit of Band Camp was with us front he start as YHC mistake preferred to Backdraft as BC — that only fired up BD to prove himself, and he did, coming in as king ong with Fishstix. nice work!

Great to Q with BAOPS OG Trucker! for the record, I told him I would focus on cardio, hills and legs so he could cover the rest of the body. He did cover the rest but not without giving us all a real beating of the hill, cardio and leg flavor. nice work!

great to have Masterpiece in the gloom after a long stretch off. T-claps to Decibel for getting him back out. great to have MP’s EH of Paint Can put for his first Alcatraz rodeo — great job pushing through a tough morning!

Thx to Skipper for the invite and the leadership at Alcatraz!

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Minnow Pond

WARMUP: run .8
THE THANG: golf course 9 holes with Merkins
MARY: took turns, flutters, tie touch, American hammers etc
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
COT: Funhouse traveling- vacation, Stang praise for young man staying with them , 🙌

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A Stacked Deck at The Pit

WARMUP: Run the parking lot but only a very little. Some Windmills, Merkins and Imperial Walkers.

THE THANG: We played cards so for the newer guys, every number represents the rep count with face cards ascending in value. In general, the cards were shuffled relatively well.
Aces = 14 and a few wild cards.
In total:
Hearts: 104 Squats with weight overhead
Diamonds: 104 Thrusters
Clubs: 104 Clubs in cadence
Spades: 104 Upright Rows

MARY: Yes, a little at the end including Peter Parkers & American Hammers.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Keep an eye out for the Misogi details later today in Slack.
COT: You should’ve been there.
Until next time…

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