Pantheon – A little bit of everything

6 Pax braved a possible deluge of 40% chance of rain. YHC was duped to take the Q by an unnamed #HIM that was on a mission to get YHC to post this week.  Mission was successful.  YHC took the bait, set the alarm and made a weinke.  Needless to say, YHC needed the kick in the ass to get moving after that start of this year.  So here it is:

The Thang:

Easy Mosey to Bus lot – COP

SSH X 50, Imperial Walkers X 20, Squats X 20, Mountain Climbers X 20, Merkins X 10, Hill Billy Walkers X 20, Moroccan Night Clubs X 20, Carolina Drydocks X 20.

Suffuciently warmed up, mosey to the hard top in back of school

Wind sprints by each Pax, other Pax did excercises (merkins, mountin climbers, flutters, etc) X 3 rounds.

Mosey to the amphitheater for a Jacob’s Ladder to 7 with Squats at bottom and Burpees at top.

Mosey to the Pillars o’ Pain in front of school and pair up.  Pair run small parking lot circle while the Pax pops a squat for a long wall sit.

A couple of minutes of Mary and done.

COT – Announcements – Yeti!  Step up to Q for March, especially if never Q’d.  P&P – Pray for my brother Scott going through a divorce, 38 Special has a doc appt for his back, BG’s mother in law recovery!

Naked Moleskin – PAX, as the guy who “tricked” me to Q, he reminded me this morning that “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls, and has no one to lift him up”. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10  Notice that the verse DOESN’T say “Picks him up”.  It specifically says “LIFTS” him up.  My shield lock saw that I was down, he lifted me up. Seeing my need for help, he lifted me from my original sloth position and into a position to act, to lead.  The picking up is physical, the lifting up is everything that matters. Thanks unnamed fellow Pax.

 

#Jekyll

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Disrupting 12 days???

As I type this up, I realize that copy and pasting right after the workout would have been a very easy task but I decided to wait but build up the suspense….or something like that.  At the Swamp gathering, we divided into 3 groups – runners, ruckers and bootcampers.

As YHC led the bootcampers away from COT off into the gloom, we did a quick mosey that included butt kickers, high knees and side to side shuffles.  Once we reached our destination, we circled up to get in some quick warm up and stretching given the cooler temps.

Starting out we did: SSH, windmills, Moroccan night clubs, low slow squats, smurf jacks, and some hamstring and back stretches along with downward dog and honeymooner.

Once stretching and bodies were somewhat defrosted, we got into the Thang.

Given our first week of Q source was disruption, what better way to mix things up and disrupt the status quo than pick on something everyone was familiar with – the infamous “12 days of Christmas”.  With this in mind, YHC went with “12 days…since NYE” which was still true and this was only the beginning.  Each exercise was going to have a bit of a twist and was going to make the PAX challenge not only their bodies in the early gloom, but also their listening, math and memory skills!  Here’s how we started out and in true “12 day” style, started with 1, then moved to 2 and back to 1, then to 3 to 2 to 1, then to 4….and so on.  Whatever number you’re on, that’s how many exercises were done unless there was a multiplier included after the exercise (for example see #4 which is x2 meaning 8 of each variety of calf raise.  Also where there’s 2 exercises listed, you got to do both at the designated number.

1. Lap / run (which included up and down the set of stairs and around the parking lot for a short loop)

2. Cracken burpees (if you don’t know what this is, a regular burpee with 3 hand release merkins at the bottom and a Lake Wiley special!)

3. Fluttters & Rosalita & American Hammer (3 sets of each and double count with flutters and hammers)

4. Calve raises (all 3 varieties – inside, regular, outside) x2

5. Smurf jacks x2 (this is a squat position while doing SSH)

6. WWII big boy (legs in butterfly position and big boy situp)

7. Diamonds & Hand release

8. Jump lunge (each leg)

9. Dips x2

10. CDD x2

11. Plank ski jump (1 full cycle is 1 count)

12. Squats x3

13. Bonus round…Toe Taps

A few PAX made it through the 12 days and were looking for more, so in true disruption fashion, YHC was happy to accommodate with a 13th bonus day!

Headed back to COT with 4 min remaining, we managed to get in a few minutes of Mary while we were joined by our fellow runners and ruckers.  Wrapping up with name-o-rama, announcements and TAPs, YHC was happy to be called upon to lead.

Even with the disruption we face every day, no matter how big or small, it’s how we handle the change that makes us better.  Even if throwing in a small curve ball into something like “12 days” gives you pause to think about change, applying this “pause” to everyday life for bigger curve balls is great practice for the game of life. Slowing down life to wait for the curve balls that will come across the plate is a patient man’s game. Disrupting the status quo for controlled (or even uncontrolled) practice…there’s nothing wrong with that game!

Shady

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The runners take on Pantheon

Thanks to Gears for putting the word out and doing some quality marketing for a rare Bootcamp Q by YHC, and an equally rare BC participation from Gears & Zima.  As I waited in the gloom, the cars kept coming in.

Circled up, disclaimer was given and the 3 runners took off and the rest of us moseyed around the parking lot for a nice warm-up.

COP – SSH, IW, Low slow squat, Merkins, Mountain Climber, Peter Parker

Mosey to the bottom of Hubert Graham hill for a little BLIMPS.  Run to the top -5 Burpees, back down for 10 Lunges(each leg), back up for 15 IW, Down again for 20 Merkins, up again for 25 Plank Jacks, last trip down for 30 Squats.  Mosey back to school parking lot for a round of 11.  Start on the curb for 1 Mike Tyson(look it up) Bear crawl across parking lot for 10 Hello Dolly(in honor of Carol Channing RIP) jog back for 2 Mike Tyson, and so on and so on. The Mike Tysons were a real crowd pleaser, especially with the runners.

Another Mosey around the parking lot, with an AYG to finish at COT just in time for some Mary.

All in all a great morning, awesome to see some faces I hadn’t seen in a while, and it’s always fun to have Olaf around.  Thanks to Royale for making the long trip over the bridge to join us.

Announcements – Q-Source, Joe Davis, Special Honey Badger workout on Monday, and of course The Yeti!

Quick discussion on the Word of the Year, a few guys shared their word and why it was chosen

Prayers & Praises – Mile High is thankful for coming out for 6 months and the change it has made in his life. Prayers for sick friends & family members as well as injured Pax.

 

 

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Balls of Gloom, Inaugural Edition

With a new year, YHC wanted to try something new at Quagmire. I’ve been tossing around ideas, and having some sort of benchmark workout – like the Board of Pain – that is straightforward to work through but also a good workout seemed like a good idea. So, for the month of January, we are rolling out the Balls of Gloom using the red balls outside Target. Poorly advertised, but there will be more opportunities.

Ten PAX showed up for the inaugural running of the BOG (get it? Because it’s Quagmire?). Quick explanation, brief disclaimer, and off we went on a quick mosey to the lot in front of what used to be Books a Million (that’s closed now, apparently). Some side shuffles (sorry Shady, there’s a bump there), high knees, butt kickers, and toy soldiers thrown in for good measure.

Warm up with SSH, windmills, Moroccan night clubs, and maybe something else but I can’t remember.

Mosey to Target and get going…

Balls of Gloom

The idea is simple. Workout is AMRAP for 33ish minutes, you v. you. Exercise posted on each of 10 balls, run between balls, and then run a lap from the stop sign, out to the road between Target and Kohls, around behind Verizon, and back to the start. Rinse and repeat. Try to beat your best next time.

Exercises:

  • 10 burpees
  • 20 merkins
  • 20 squats
  • 40 LBCs
  • 20 CDDs
  • 20 jumping lunges per leg
  • 40 Hello Dolly
  • 20 werkins
  • 10 squat jumps
  • 10 burpees

ChaChing and Bones knocked out four complete rounds with the run at the end and got into the burpees for round five. Three more PAX completed the burpees at the end of round 4 but not the run. Remaining five were somewhere else in round 4. All pushed hard and did great.

Quick mosey back to COT, arriving at precisely 0600 (after being stalked through the parking lot but a vehicle that seemed lost).

Looking forward to doing better next week. You should join us, at least for one, and see what you can do.

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12 days (actually 13) to celebrate a shovel flag handoff!

Big shovel flag hand-off day so hype train was in full effect!  As PAX walked up to the gathering, Bear Grylls had 80s hairband music rocking why he was making preparations for post-workout coffeeteria.  YHC gave the disclaimer and jumped on a quick mosey given this chilly morning.  Mosey’d over to parking lot to the right of the school where we circled up for some warm up exercises and stretching.

Exercises included: SSH, Moroccan night clubs, low slow squats, hillbilly walkers, mountain climbers and then some leg, back and “6” stretches.

Mosey’d over to the playground in the back of the school for The Thang!  In true 12 days (actually 13) days of Christmas fashion, we had a weinke waiting for us and 12 days was explained by YHC.  For anyone reading and unclear on 12 days, start with 1, move on to 2 and back down to 1, go to 3 then 2 then 1, and so on.

As the list was next to the basketball court, since that’s where there was light on this chilly dark morning in the gloom, we started with suicides…

  1. Suicides – mid court, full court
  2. Burpees
  3. Calve raises – 3 out, 3 regular, 3 in
  4. Pull ups
  5. Hand release merkins
  6. Jump Knee tucks
  7. Flutters (double count)
  8. Bear crawl down & crawl bear back – full court
  9. Gorilla squats
  10. B 2 Wall – 10 sec count
  11. Lunge walk down & duck walk back – full court
  12. America Hammer (double) + LBC (double) + big boys
  13. Bomb Jacks (bonus)

The PAX made it to about day 10-11, with I believe Fish Sticks leading everyone possibly to day 12.  The killer in this had to be day 8 but YHC quickly reminded the PAX that Spiderman (yes, he got a shoutout) who had 12 days at #BlockParty the day before crushed the PAX with Bear crawl / crawl bear on day 2….so a quick fix for the mumble chatter.  Once time was called, mosey’d back for COT.

Announcements, prayers and praises (CSPAN style).  YHC shared that as we enter the Christmas season, after just leaving Thanksgiving, giving Thanks has been at the forefront of his mind.  Being grateful for what we have, i.e. families, health, each other, it’s easy to forget how some people are not in the same positions we are in.  As we enter the holiday season, and even after the holidays, keeping a watchful eye for how we can help others less fortunate than us, puts us in a unique position.  How you choose to act in those situations or if you have your eyes and heart open, is something to be mindful of.

Closed out with prayer and the celebration of the great work Fish Sticks brought to Pantheon and the beginning of the Bear Grylls legacy.  The beginning of this legacy kicked off with the Pantheon flag makeover – which was great to see!  I highly recommend checking it out and getting the full breakdown for each detail.  It was a pleasure Q’ing today and am happy to do it anytime!

Shady

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Movement keeps one warm

21 gathered at Laces Out and Laces In – 8 and 13 respectively – to prove the theory that movement keeps one warm in chilly December temperatures.

YHC had promised site Q for months that I would take a Laces In Q and it was great to finally fulfill that with such a strong group of PAX and make it through with good fellowship, a little mumble chatter and 45 minutes (or an hour for the 8 runners) of getting a little better than we were the day before.

After a disclaimer and delegating the assumption of risk to all gathered, we moseyed to the FMHS Band parking lot for COP:

COP: Moroccan Night Clubs IC x 20, arm circles – forward and backward in varying quantities, SSH IC x 30, Merkins IC x 12, Windmills IC x 15

Mosey back to the Stadium entrance for Jacob’s Ladder.  Since our workout was 12 days before Christmas, it only seemed fitting that the exercises add up to 12 instead of 11.  YHC, therefore, modified the ladder, given the date on the calendar.

Burpees at the bottom – 11, 10, 9, 8, etc.

Lunge Walks uphill to the 2nd lightpole (crowd pleaser )

Carolina Dry Docks at the 2nd lightpole – 1, 2, 3, 4 and mosey back down

Mosey to the main parking lot for a little partner Dora

100 merkins total – Partner 1 starts, partner 2 does a roughly 120 yard shuttle run  – switch until 100 is reached.

200 squats – Partner 1 starts, partner 2 runs, you get the idea

Had a plan for 300 as well, but YHC was compelled to call an audible at 5:57 (time ran short) to head back for a little ab work…..but just a little.

Boxcutters IC x 30, American Hammers IC x 15, and a body destroyer promptly executed at 5:59 AM.

There was much movement, a little chatter, varying amounts of sweat and a few comments in the days that followed relating to the amount of lunge walks – complimentary of course.

Announcements – Christmas Eve convergence – 12-24 at the Abyss – Palisades Park Elementary and Q source begins on Saturday 1-5-19.

Prayers for all traveling for the holidays.

Relatively new to leading workouts, it was great to see some #HIM’s who, years ago, were encouraging of this serial runner guy to get out of his comfort zone and go do something else.  You each know who you are.  Thank you.

My thanks to Lil’ E for the opportunity to lead.  It was a privilege.

Cyclops

 

 

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Constantly Moving Through The Swamp

It is always a pleasure to get the “call” to the lead the PAX  and this opportunity didn’t disappoint.  The Swamp is my “home” Friday AO so I was well aware of all the nooks and crannies it had to offer.

After a separating ourselves from the droves of men with backpacks (12 of them) I gave the usual disclaimer explaining that these men were there at their own risk and that the only thing I could promise is that they would return “stronger” than they set out.  I also explained that we would be “moving” the entire time so ‘buckle up’ and enjoy the tour.

Quick 3/4 mile mosey around Home Depot to the Khol’s parking lot.  Along the way we did some active stretching including butt kickers and high knees.  Warm up included several exercises to warm the muscles up such as:

  • Windmill
  • Imperial Walkers
  • Potato Pickers
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Right/Left leg over opposite leg with body twist (on our 6)
  • Downward Dog
  • Honeymooner
  • Side Straddle Hops

Quick mosey 100 yards —- 50 Slow Low Squats

Bear Crawl 50 yards

25 yard mosey

Merkins:

  • 30 Regular
  • 20 Wide Arm
  • 15 Ranger
  • 10 Diamond

Crawl Bear 50 yards

Mosey to Verizon: 50 Moroccan Night Club (Jedi wasn’t amused)

Mosey to “alley” behind Home Depot:

Wall sits while one PAX goes out and does 10 Berpees

Lunge Walking (down alleyway)

  • Varying steps (3-10) then exercise:
  • Merkins
  • Squat Jumps
  • Burpees
  • 10 Squat Jumps (to cap it off)

Mosey toward COT

Halfway stop for 10 more Burpees

Almost there……but first one last Suicide to really gas ourselves.

We finished strong and as I promised every man came back to COT stronger than he had left.  We reconnected with our backpack brothers and lifted some prayers and praises up.  In total 19 men got better (12 Ruckers and 7 Bootcampers)

Bones

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#Badgemire

I thought it would be special for us to have a little taste of Badger in our DRP this morning, so I brought a Hero Workout to Quagmire (now, just to raise Jedi’s ire, we will call it Badgemire)…

We yogged a moment, circled up, and warmed up to the sounds of Wild Thing being late.

Windmills x 10
Cherry/Peanut/Grass/Microcherry Pickers x 10
Merkins x 10
Imperial Walkers x 10

We ran to the parking lot at Tarjay and Jedi read to us, after straining to do so like some kind of elderly person (didn’t know he wore glasses, sorry to hang you out to dangle like that), anyway, he read to us the brief synopsis of U.S. Marine Cpl. Albert Gettings’ life. In his honor, we performed the “Bert”. It went a little something like this…

  • 50 Burpees
  • 400 meter Run
  • 100 Push-Ups
  • 400 meter Run
  • 150 Walking Lunges
  • 400 meter Run
  • 200 Air Squats
  • 400 meter Run
  • 150 Walking Lunges
  • 400 meter Run
  • 100 Push-Ups
  • 400 meter Run
  • 50 burpees

It was a real treat. Cha-Ching, Jedi, and Bones were the kings today, and managed to start that last set of burpees before we ran out of time and Indian Ran the whole way back, minus the last 75 yards or so where we broke the jail…

As noted in the tweet, good times were had by several.

NMM:
U.S. Marine Cpl. Albert Gettings, 27, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, died on Jan. 5, 2009, while conducting counter-sniper operations in Fallujah, Iraq. Cpl. Gettings was serving as a team leader with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, at the time of his death.

Every quarter, Cpl. Gettings’ fellow Marines in Fox Company complete a special workout in his honor as part of the Cpl. Albert P. Gettings Award ceremony.

He is survived by his wife, Stephanie Palimino; parents, David and Juliet; and sister, Cori.

Helmet, out.

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The Cones Return at Laces In

15 Pax fought off the fartsack and posted to Laces In on this chilly morning.  Seeing 28 degrees is just under my over 30 degrees no tights rule, Tclaps to Stang and Senator Tressel rolling with shorts.  #RealMen   I wanted to keep moving this morning to keep everyone warm.  This is one of my favorite workouts and was excited to bring it back from the vault.  Here is what we did:

Warm Up: Run lap around student parking lot.  COP coming back to stadium which included, SSH, Imperial walkers, Windmills, Peter Parkers, Merkins to Squats.

Main Course: Mosey to hill leaving school.  10 cones.  Perform exercise at first cone then run hill.  Perform exercise at first cone then second cone, run hill.  Perform exercise at first cone then second then third, run hill.  So forth and so on.

  1.  10 Burpees
  2.  20 Merkins
  3.  20 Mtn Climbers (Double count, like you have to ask)
  4.  20 Carolina Dry Docks
  5.  20 Flutter kicks
  6.  10 Lunges (each leg)
  7.  15 Jump Squats
  8.  20 Freddie Mercuries
  9.  20 Dips
  10.  20 Monkey Humpers

Appreciate all the pax telling me how much they were enjoying the workout everytime we started a new lap.  We made it to around Dips.  Bandcamp was king for the morning and made it to the last round.  We had a great group today and appreciate the support.  Without these guys pushing me, I would have been in my comfy, warm bed this morning.  Thanks for the push and accountability.  Aye

Prayers for Rock Thrill’s Mother, Stang’s house, Bonsai’s child care, Bandcamps co worker with cancer.

Until next time, (Which might be a while considering how bad I am at writing these things!)

STH

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Four Corners of Heck at the Abyss

Twas a nip in the air this morning but nothing that would bother the mighty lads of F3.  We gathered and at 5:15 sharp disclaimer was given and we moseyed.   Here is how it went down:

Warm-o-Rama

  • 400 Meter Mosey with side shuffles and toy soldiers thrown in
  • 20 SSH IC
  • 10 Imperial Walkers IC
  • 10 Hillbilly Walkers IC
  • 10 Wind Mills IC
  • 10 Merkins IC

The Thang, Part I

YHC asked Captain Jack to pick a number between 39 & 41.  With that we settled on the number of pull-ups each Pax was to complete.  Each was instructed to do as many as possible then at failure, run to the top of the inclined road behind the school, execute 5 merkins,  run back down and pick up the pull-ups where he left off.  Repeat until reaching 40 pull-ups or 5 trips up the road, whichever came first.  As we waited for the six, the Q regaled the team with an amusing tale about forgotten reading glasses and a Portobello Steak sandwich minus the steak.

The Thang, Part II “Four Corners of Heck”

  • Bear crawl to the middle, execute 5 burpees and lunge out between stations

Station #1

  • 10 Medicine Ball Jump squats
  • 10 single count curls/arm; 25lb or 20lb dumbbell, Pax choice
  • 20 Nolan Ryan’s (10/side)
  • 25 LBCs (single count)

Station #2

  • 10 Lunges per leg
  • 10 WWI Sit ups
  • 10 Tricep hammers/ arm with 20lb or 15lb dumbbell, Pax choice
  • 10 Diamond merkins

Station #3

  • 30 SSH – Single Count
  • 20 Flutters – Double Count
  • 15 Derkins
  • 15 CDDs

Station #4

  • 20 Ranger Merkins
  • 20 Monkey Humpers
  • 10 Lt. Dans
  • 15 Crab Cakes IC

Repeat one station

The Thang part III

These Pax are finely tuned boot camp machines and as such, finished parts I & II with time to spare.  YHC, not wanting to cheat them, ad-libbed:

  • People’s chair during which Pax on each end ran 5 yards out and executed 5 squats
  • Repeat with balls to the wall

Mosey to COT with 2 min to spare; 10 crunchy frogs IC; 10 Freddie Mercuries IC; 10 American Hammers IC

Ended the session with a reminder about the F3 Christmas party, praise for family gatherings, prayers for travelers and those dealing with loss.  Gentlemen, being part of the F3 brotherhood brings me great joy.  It was an honor to lead this morning.

Wolverine out.

 

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