Gaming at the Swamp

When I arrived this morning to check the road conditions around the AO, Grass Knoll and Slapshot had already started their prework activities.  It’s always great to see guys pushing themselves to get better. Once 38 Special arrived, we began the workout with a jog to the far side of Home Depot.  Warm up exercises:  SSHs x20, Imperial Walkers x15, Windmills x10.

We continued our journey to the front of Kohls.  We started with a lunge walk to the next cross walk.  At the crosswalk, we did 15 merkins and 10 squats.  We continued forward with butt kickers and toy soldiers stopping at each crosswalk for merkins and squats.

Next, we moseyed to the fountain.  Two guys ran a half lap around the parking lot while the other two men did the below exercises.  The groups flip flopped after the lap.

Exercises:

Dips

Derkins

Step-ups

Burpees

On our way back to COT, we did the sidewalk shuffle (sideways bear crawl) along the store fronts. We arrived at COT a couple minutes early for some LBCs and burpees.

During the workout, I shared a story about my childhood.  I enjoyed going to the arcade and playing videos games.  Back in the day, the ongoing joke was “Is that a roll of quarters in your pocket or are you happy to see me?”  We may need to explain this joke to some of the younger guys.  I wanted to buy an Atari but my parents were not willing to spend the money to buy one.  I was able to find a few jobs like shoveling snow and coal around the neighborhood.  Each week I would accumulate a little more money until I finally had enough money to pay for the gaming system. I felt proud when I made my big purchase.

The story is similar to your physical health.  It takes time to become stronger, run faster and longer.  Consistently attending workouts each day and even adding pre-workout activities will help improve your physical health.  “Each day” was emphasized since I am a firm believer that you should train your body to recover from a workout within a 24 hour period.  There are obvious exceptions like running races and participating in ruck events.

If you are struggling to get on track, please reach out to me.  We’ll put a plan together.

Fishstix

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Laces In randomness

11 Pax showed up at Laces In in some relatively balmy weather (45ish degrees).  Gave the disclaimer at 0515 and after a short warm-up with 20 SSH in cadence and 6 or 7 windmills (my count is a bit blurry from 5 hours ago) we were off.

 

From COT we moseyed over to the first parking lot for a riddle.  How do 17 merkins + 14 jump squats equal 6 burpees?  The PAX were very astute to the Buffalo Bills numbers and quickly figured out that 17 (Josh Allen) + 14 (Stefon Diggs) = 6 (Touchdown!!).  It was corny, but it was fun for YHC.  Since the group figured it out so quickly, we only did this once.

 

After this we moseyed again; this time over to the hill/entrance to the school.  From here we did 11’s with hand-release merkins at the bottom and ran to the top of the hill to do Freddie Mercury’s (nuring up the hill on one round).  I asked the pax to stay together to encourage both each other and mumble chatter…

 

Lastly we moseyed over to the band lot.  At this location we would do laps around the ‘field’ and do a corresponding exercise at the end of each lap.  The laps/exercises were:

Lap 1: 10yd to 10yd line with 10 Catalina wine mixers

Lap 2: 20 to 20 with 20 LBCs

Lap 3: 30 to 30 with 30 CDDs

Lap 4: 40 to 40 with 40 squats – cut this short due to time.

 

Headed back to COT.  Shared announcements and prayers/praises.

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A wet and cold pusher!

Today at the swamp it started off just a little chilly but by the time we moze it over to the home Depot parking lot for a quick warm up, here came the rain! Warmed up with 15 of each exercise: Moroccan Night Club, Hill Billy Walkers, plank, Mountain climbers, down dog, up dog and ended with some produce pickers. Then we moved over to an area behind home Depot and Target for a DORA.

The Thang:

100- American Hammers

200- Sumo Squats

300- Side Straddle Hops

Then we moved it over to Old Navy for some balls to the wall and burpees. Completed it and then moseyed over to a grassy knoll. We did 11s which included monkey humpers and wide arm merkins. Finally continue to run back to cot but before we got there concluded with a Jack Webb.

Concluded at COT with a 20 count of LBC’s and plank. Did name-o-rama,  announcements and prayers. Great work gentlemen and thank you for the opportunity SlapShot!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Convergence – Shop Vac

65 PAX gathered to remember Shop Vac. Probably had closer to 70 at different points during the hour. Fishsticks took the Milkshakers

Lutefish warmup:
Sean Kelley, 56, Shop Vac

There are a couple of young men I was hoping would hear this this morning. While I’m talking to them, I’m also talking to myself and all of you.

We all know that or God, SkyQ, has written our books. He went before us, He knows us by name, and He alone knows when our earthly lives begin and end. God knew our brother Sean was to come home. And it doesn’t make sense to us.

But let me ask you this. What would it be like to know that when it is our time that we would also know that we accomplished the tasks that the Lord created us to do? God knows the great plans He has for each of you. You are here for a reason.

Wouldn’t it feel comforting to know that you full executed your purpose here on earth? Today we celebrate Sean, who I believe did just that. Sean loved his sons. It’s all he talked about when we worked out together. That, and his dream to have a home in Beaufort. He lived out and executed his purpose. We now have 2 of his sons as our brothers, and how great it is that the world is better because of him. Recover on your feet.

I read a quote recently:

“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced; live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”

Sean is rejoicing and would want us to do the same. And he would want us to do 56 side straddle hops in cadence.

Split out to:

  • Kettlebells
    • Uhaul
  • Bootcamp: split PAX into two groups for 20min sessions
    • Ruby Slippers
    • Band Camp

Uhaul’s KB workout:
56 Squats
56 Curls
56 Skull Crushers
56 Calf Raises
56 Uhauls
56 Flutters w/ press (4 count)
56 Dead lifts
56 Lawn Mower Pulls R
56 Lawn Mower Pulls L
56 American Hammers
56 LBCs (4 count)

Band Camp’s portion:
EMOM
minute 1 – 20 burpees
minute 2 – 30 jumping lunges
minute 3 – 40 Freddie Mercuries
minute 4 – 50 Carolina Dry Docks
minute 5 – 60 SSH

7s w/ Mike Tysons and Squats
Mode of transportation: bear crawl/crawl bear

Some in cadence jump squats, core work,

I found a backblast from Shop Vac…It reads with a lot more significance to me now. https://f3thefort.com/2021/04/14/403656/
I may have said something asinine while holding a squat and quoting his backblast.
Something like:
Have understanding when I say 5 more squat jumps
Show tolerance when I say 6 more squat jumps
Practice patience when I call 7 more squat jumps
Take direction as we’re now hitting 8 more squat jumps

Did a little sprinting as well with the second group. (Shop Vac would not have approved, and neither did most of the PAX)

NMM: Shop Vac’s love for and pride in his sons was palpable. He made me want to be a better dad. I’m glad to be around men that make me want to be better. Shop Vac was one of those dudes.

Ruby Slippers’s portion:
I had the pleasure of working out a lot with Shop Vac. His attitude, smile, and laughter infected you immediately every time you met him.

YHC remembers a time during COT after a workout where frustrations from my work life came bubbling to the surface. After I vented to the PAX about the situation ( usual selfish rant where everyone else has a problem but me ) and the Q finished prayer, Shop Vac pulled me to the side and gently explained that it was my attitude that needed to be adjusted, not everyone else’s. He did it in a manner where I gladly and thankfully accepted his advice.

The Thang:
At every Shop Vac Q you could count on stations, simple exercises and/or routines, and minimal running. The six was never left behind at a Shop Vac workout so we are using the buddy system to make sure that does not happen at this workout.

Set-up 4 stations in the shape of a square in the middle parking lot at The Armory. 4 stations represented each member of the Kelly family, there were 4 exercises at each station, partner work to complete a cumulative total of 56 reps of each exercise:

Sean’s station:
– Merkins, Diamond Merkins, Wide Arm Merkins, CDD’s
Stacey’s station:
– Crunches in cadence, Flutters in cadence, Big Boy Sit-ups, Straight Lower Leg Lifts
Jack’s station:
– Squats, Jump Squats, Lunges, Jumping Lunges
Brian’s station
– Side Straddle Hops in cadence, Seal Jacks in cadence, Mountain Climbers in cadence, Plank Jacks in cadence.

PAX partner up – complete all 4 exercises at a station and then mosey to the center. YHC stood in the center of the square to represent Francis, Shop Vac’s faithful four-legged companion, where PAX would come to complete 56 monkey humpers.

Continued around the stations until time was called.

Video Evidence: https://twitter.com/jisenhour/status/1456967297453727750

Welcome FNGs: Bow Wow Wow, Bam!, Triple H, Dictator, Wax Off, and Pool Boy

Prayers for Sean’s family.

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Soggy games at the Corral

The day before the Q, Lutefisk sent me a message wondering if I was still available to Q. Well, I never wasn’t available to Q, just hadn’t planned on it. Good ole WP being finicky again, I supposed.

The gloom

I arrived a few minutes early to plot our eventual course. Driving ’round back of the old Express Lube to chalk up some instructions nobody really wants to read is always fun. When I got to CoT, there were a few cars idling in the rain.

warm up

Mosey to the top of the hill by Express Lube. Warmup over!!

the thang

Part one

On paper, and in my mind, I wanted to call 11’s on the hill by the apartments, but I knew that the chosen activity at the bottom of the hill was a bit more involved, so 7’s were called instead.

The original plan for the top of the hill was BBSU’s, but because of the rain and complete lack of lighting, YHC called an audible to some low slow squats to make sure eyes were always up and we could move if a driver wasn’t paying attention.

The bottom of the hill is well-lit and so PAX will compete in the requisite rounds of Rochamburpees. Now, YHC has looked through the lexicons and found no definition of “chillcut” so I have to assume that it’s plank position. If not, well, probably should be.  Each PAX will pick a partner (or 3 man free for all).  In plank using right/left alternating counting “one, two, three, shoot”. The loser does a burpee starting with the pushup, the winner a single merkin. In the case of a draw, everyone does a burpee.

Part two

From the last game of rochamburpee, we all moseyed up to the SE corner of the Teeter where YHC had placed some scrawling that managed to stay dry and legible in the rain, and we continued our way around the course, which would be done until time ran out.

SE Corner: 10x V-ups
Behind Express Lube: 5x stepups (each)
Bear crawl from EL lot to crosswalk in front of auto parts store: 15x plank jacks
Run to the end of the strip mall and back to start

With 5 PAX there, we managed to stay together with YCH lagging behind and completed four loops of the .4 mile loop before heading back to COT with enough time for 10 windmills.

cot

Some announcing happened. Prayers were offered. Everyone talked a bit about their 2.0s. Sky-Q knows our needs.

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F3 Dads 2021 Closing: Kickball

F3 Dads lots of fun was had

It was great to be out in community with so many PAX and their families this summer. It’s one for of bonding to suffer a bootcamp or run hills alongside your fellow PAX. It’s even cooler to see your kids run alongside their kids. Was also fun (for me) to have a circle of pain and call just 2 merkins when everyone thought we were just there for kickball.

To be honest the Kids vs. Dads kickball game was a bit of a cluster. (Charlie Foxtrot). My boys were very excited to compete against the dads. But I underestimated how many 2.0s would understand any semblance of the rules or strategy… T-Claps to all the dads for basically playing against them and coached them at the same time. If we do something like this again, we’ll have dads and kids along side each other.

I’m glad we had the parachute there as well. Unlike a normal F3 workout, kickball can feel more like a clipboard workout than something we do together. It was fun to see to be on the parachute towards the end and see CareBear start to exert her natural desire to lead (Grassy Knoll is going to have his hands full with that one).

Ended with water balloons courtesy of Hardwood and Floppy Disk. Prefect ending to the session. And T-Claps to Peabody for picking up the broken balloons so I could tell my M that we did!

I jotted down a quick AAR in Slack:

What you saw today if you drove by WEP was men enjoying time with their kiddos and being present. F3 is an organization not with leaders, but of leaders. That was on display today in a silly (bit of a cluster) game of kickball with parachute popcorn springing up on the side. And closing with a water balloon fight (props to @F3Hardwood and floppy disc for the assist on that)

:clap::skin-tone-2: :clap::skin-tone-2: :clap::skin-tone-2: T-Claps to all the men that Qed F3 Dads this summer. @JWOW, @g_purve_olaf, @Tootie, @Lutefisk, @UHaul, @maximus, @Michael Pysher(F3 Slapshot), @Peabody :clap::skin-tone-2: :clap::skin-tone-2: :clap::skin-tone-2: and T-Claps to all the guys who came out with their kiddos early on a Saturday to be in community

Until next summer….


Band Camp dismissed

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Fecta-Traz

11 pax posted at Alcatraz on another warm humid day.
This co-Q was the third Q in my birthday Trifecta (Ranch #1, Varsity was #2).

First Q at bat was Ruby Slippers who gave the disclaimer and warmup:
Cherry pickers, windmills, Peter parkers, parker peters (10x IC).

Thang 1: HIIT
At the playground area of Runde park.  Pax split into three groups. Exercise for 1 minute the groups move to next station.
station 1: pull ups (dead hang if you can’t do anymore)
station 2: Step ups
station 3: LBC
Next iteration was:
station 1: pull up and toes to bar (dead hang if you can’t do anymore)
station 2: Lunges
station 3: flutters
Next iteration:
station 1: Do one pull up and hold at the top.  Goal is 1 min; do a slow negative pull up if needed but hang on to the bars.
station 2: Lunges
station 3: V-ups

Thang 2: Field Sprints (with Merkins)
Pax line up on the outfield
Run at 50% for first 30 feet, then sprint/100% to end of the outfield.
Pax do 20 merkins.
Do the same run routine described above. At end pax do 18 merkins.
Rinse and repeat downwards to two merkins.

Q transition to Harry Carry.

Started with a run as a group in the surrounding neighborhood.  Simple loop of approximately ½ mile. Returned to Runde Park’s lot.

Thang 3: Prison Yard Burpees
Pax split into two groups.  Each group has a basketball half-court as their prison yard.
Groups start in corner 1 does 10 burpees.  Then bear crawl (alternate method allowed was lunge walk) to next corner and do 9 burpees.  Proceed with the descending count of burpees and bear crawls until 1 burpee is reached.

Run again as a group, different route, hit the hill on Tara Tea Drive. Distance of about 1/3 mile. Return to Runde Park’s lot.

Thang 4: Bear vs Crab Soccer
Done on a basketball court.  Cones used at each end to mark a ‘goal’.
Split pax in two teams
15lb slam ball is mid court
Team 1 bear crawls only, Team 2 crab walks only
Get the ball and try to score
One team did score, don’t remember who.  We did switch animals at some point.

Game was called when a bear tried to eat a crab.

Non-Mary: Monkey Humpers, Imperial walkers (both 10xIC).

Fini. COT

It was quite a spectacle to see pax go after the slam ball and had some scrums too.  A few pax were even able to ‘throw’ the slam ball…may have to modify the rules for future games.  This was good clean fun.
Quite a great way to end my Trifecta of Q’s.  Great group of HIMs we have in our region.

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Fast 5 friendly, except…

Remember, the Fast 5 was kicking off 2 hours post-COT so we need to make this one leg friendly. I got the memo but apparently, Bonsai did not. While the complaining in the second half ramped up, we knew we’d all be better for it.
With Maximus up for the first 30mins, here’s what happened:

We moseyed around lap around the park with Toy Soldiers and Butt Kickers thrown in for good measure.
Back in the parking lot, we did some slow squatting, 3-way calf raises and wide-arm Merkins

At the playground:
Group 1: 15 Pull-Ups & 30 Merkins
Group 2: American Hammers until Group 1 is done
Due to some questionable form, we did that one again with 10 Pull Ups and 20 Merkins.

Group 1: 15 Pull-Ups & 30 Carolina Dry Docks
Group 2: Freddy Mercury’s until Group 1 is done

Back to the lot for 10 Burpees, Boats & Canoes, Grave Diggers and Super Mans

Hand off to Bonsai:

We moseyed to the area at Fire Dept wall:
Level 1 Drill – 10 each
Merkins / Mountain Climbers, Hip Thrusters (questionable call)
25 LBCs
30sec Wall Sit
Repeat then run to the basketball court and back

25 Dirty Myrtle
15 Mike Tysons
25 American Hammers
25 Squats
Repeat then run to the basketball court and back

30sec BTTW
20 Plank Jack
10 Lunges each leg
15 Leg raises
Repeat then run to the basketball court and back

Bear crawl some, mosey, 30sec 6″ Merkin hold, mosey

COT

Maximus & Bonsai

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Marriage isn’t Chuck E. Cheese

YHC had the privilege to lead 24 other men through a stations workout with a discussion on the transformational relationship with our Ms. Conditions were perfect – 62 degrees and a slight breeze. The Disclaimer was disclaimed and we were off. Here’s what we did:

The Thang

  • 20 SSHs (IC)
  • 15 Imperial Walkers (IC)
  • 10 Low Slow Squats (IC)

Mosey to Top of Main

  • 20 Alternating Shoulder Taps (IC)
  • 15 Mountain Climbers (IC)
  • 10 Merkins (IC)

Mosey to First Baptist Parking Lot

  • 2 Burpees at 10 stations

Mosey to behind the Police Station

  • 20 Squats
  • 15 Calf Raises
  • 10 Turkish Getups

Mosey to Top of Main

  • 20 LBCs
  • 15 Bomb Jacks
  • 10 Tempo Merkins

Mosey to the corner of Tom Hall and Monroe White

  • 20 Alternating Shoulder Taps (IC)
  • 15 Mountain Climbers (IC)
  • 10 Merkins (IC)

Mosey to Academy and Monroe

  • 20 Squats
  • 15 Calf Raises
  • 10 Turkish Getups

Mosey to Mosey to behind the Police Station

  • 20 LBCs
  • 15 Bomb Jacks
  • 10 Tempo Merkins

Mosey back to COT

  • 20 SSHs (IC)
  • 15 Imperial Walkers (IC)
  • 10 Low Slow Squats (IC)

Total Mileage – 2.20

NMM

We call our wives “M” because she is the Most important relationship we have. That relationship is transformational. Before marriage it was “me” and “her.” Once married, “we” became an “us.” It is no longer solely about you. You are to serve your M. You are to pursue joy with her – even when things are tough. Its not a game. There is no scoreboard. There are no winners and losers and no one gets a participation trophy. We are to love her as Christ loves the Church.

Society tells us that marriage is 50/50. Let me assure you that is a farce. There are times it is 80/20. There are times it is 20/80. As John Michael Montgomery once said, “Life’s a dance you learn as you go. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.” Marriage isn’t about keeping tally of who has done what. This isn’t Chuck E. Cheese – you can’t trade in your emptied dishwasher tickets for a guy’s weekend. That’s not how it works. You empty the dishwasher so she doesn’t have to. You set the example for your children so they know how to be a good husband one day or what to look for in a future husband. They are watching, so make your actions count.

It was my pleasure this morning to have the opportunity to lead today. I was encouraged by the push from the guys and the mumblechatter at the stops. Today personified why F3 matters so much to me. But remember, if your focus becomes more about the fitness and fellowship with your friends and less about loving your wife, your concentrica is out of alignment. Keep each other accountable and pursue your wife. Let her know she matters. Don’t seek relationship maintenance. Instead, keep accelerating. Don’t meet in the middle, go the distance and serve her.

Aye!

Italian Job

 

 

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A Bo-Berry Good Time

YHC was joined by 8 #HIM at the Ranch. After a brief disclaimer, here’s what we did:

The Thang

  • 10 SSHs (IC)
  • 10 Imperial Walkers (IC)
  • 10 Low Slow Squats (IC)

Mosey to picnic tables

  • 15 Irkins
  • 15 Derkins
  • 15 Dips

Mosey to back of the school

  • 4 Corner Elevators (add 5 reps at each corner – 10, 15, 20, 25)
    • Merkins (70 total)
    • Calf Raises (70 total)
    • LBCs (70 total)
    • Overhead Claps (70 total)

Mosey to the Middle School Track

  • Bo-Berry Biscuits (sprint the straights, jog the shorts add 10 Burpees each lap)
    • Total Burpees – 40

Long mosey back to COT

3 Minutes of Mary

  • 10 Boxcutters (IC)
  • 10 Hello Dollys (IC)
  • 10 Freddy Mercurys (IC)

NMM

Thank you for the opportunity to Q this morning. It was an honor to break a sweat with you men by doing the hard thing.

Sometimes we need a reminder that success is often on the other side of fear. What is the thing that has held you back from accelerating? Is it fear of the unknown? Fear of the “what if?” Is it lack of confidence? Lack of courage? What opportunities have we missed because we were afraid of trying something?

I’m reminded of the story where Jesus walked on water. His disciples and their boat were getting tossed around by a roaring sea. They were afraid. Through the wind and rain, they saw a figure coming towards the boat. After first assuming it was a ghost, they realized it was Jesus. He told them to take courage and not be afraid. In typical Peter fashion, he replied, “If its you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus replied, “Come.”

He gave no further explanation of how to go about walking on the water. Was it left foot first? Jump in? He just said, “Come.”

Peter took that step of faith and then he grew afraid. The water was deep, the waves were high, what if he drowned? As he began sinking, Jesus reached out his hand to save him.

What will it take to have water-walking faith today 2,000+ years later? Maybe its realizing that what you assume is a failure is really just an opportunity for learning. Maybe its realizing you have a support system of people who will not let you fail. Perhaps its time to reevaluate your circumstances and consider trying that new business venture. Maybe its time to have a little faith that you’re in good hands.

“Take courage. Do not be afraid.”

Italian Job

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