100/300 Blind Spots

9 PAX gathered in the humid pre-rain gloom at the southern end of The Fort for this iteration of The Tomahawk

Warmup:

Short mosey
10 SSH
10 Mountain Climbers (slow count)
10 Parker Peters
10 Peter Parkers
Honeymooner–>DownDog
10 SSH
10 Imperial Walkers
10 Hillbilly Walkers
Short mosey back to bells

The Thang: alternating with Kettlebell Swings

20 Merkins
10 KB Swings
20 Merkins
15 KB Swings
20 Merkins
20 KB Swings
20 Merkins
25 KB Swings
Short mosey

20 Goblet Squats
10 KB Swings
20 Goblet Squats
15 KB Swings
20 Goblet Squats
20 KB Swings
20 Goblet Squats
25 KB Swings
Short mosey – to check on a shovel flag in need of repair

20 Crunchy Frogs
10 KB Swings
20 Crunchy Frogs
15 KB Swings
20 Crunchy Frogs – hands up
20 KB Swings
20 Crunchy Frogs – bells in the air
25 KB Swings
Short mosey

20 Cossack Squats
10 KB Swings
20 Cossack Squats
15 KB Swings
20 Cossack Squats
20 KB Swings
20 Cossack Squats – with bell
25 KB Swings

Short message on blind spots
Plank up
’round the circle on what PAX think their blind spots are

Final round to get to 100 of each exercise and 300 swings
20 Merkins
20 Goblet Squats
20 Crunchy Frogs – bells in the air
20 Cossack Squats – w/ bell
20 Kettle Bell Swings

COT

NMM:

Blind Spots:
As we went around the circle every PAX mentioned that their blind spots are either related to their M or their 2.0(s)….Interesting to note these are at the center of the concentrica. My mind too often wanders back to a Donald Rumsfeld speech (circa 2002) where he lists categories of concerns about the war in Iraq. Known Knowns

  • Things we know
  • Things we know we don’t know
  • Things we don’t know that we don’t know

Phil Kline wrote an Art Song using the text.

At first, I felt Rumsfeld was just rambling, more than a little incoherent, and simply trying to justify the cause for going to war. But the more I hear Phil Kline’s little tune……

We all have blind spots, and often put these “blind spots” into the second category. Things we “know” are our blind spots. But more dangerous is the third category: blind spots we have, but don’t even know exist.

This is why it is important to have other PAX cover your blind spots, and be emboldened to speak with candor when they see your blind spot. If you could see it yourself, you would have already.

We post to get better, and the 1st F is the easiest  to push ourselves. “It’s simple really. If you want to learn how to run faster, just find a faster man. And chase him until you catch him.” Let’s make sure we commit to get better in the 2nd and 3rd Fs as well. And just as the Q and PAX will push you during a workout, let’s push each other to be better beyond just physically.

-Band Camp dismissed

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Why Do We Have To Do So Many Wheelbarrows?

Punchlist and YHC finishes up a preruck because what is sleep? We finished up and saw a few familiar faces in the parking lot. After a quick disclaimer we started off on a mosey.

Warmup in a parking lot consisting of:

-Windmills

-Hillbilly Walkers

-Imperial Walkers

-Low Slow Squats

-Honeymooner/ Downward Dog

-LBCs

-Probably something else too

Next we continued our mosey down towards the wall for some wall sits. Starting on the ends pop out, 3 burpees and back on the wall until everyone completed their burpees. Rinse and repeat, but with 5 burpees this time around.

After that was over we moseyed back to the park when we stumbled upon some cones. Not entirely sure on the distance between the cones but it was a Very Fair distance. Partner up, and wheelbarrow to the middle cone. Each partner does 25 Merkins. Flapjack on who’s the wheel and who’s the barrow to the next cone. Complete 25 Squats. Repeating this pattern decreasing by 5 until we reached Zero.

Next we used the cones and lunge walked to them completing more squats at each cone. Can’t remember what number we did of them.

After some quick thinking, we made our way to the playground for some Dora. Merkins, Flutter Kicks and SSH. On our way back to COT, lined up for 1 sprint. I was hoping to do more sprints but time was up.

Thanks to Esso for the opportunity!

Wegmans

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Badger 1 year Convergence

Thank you to our QICs of the Badger Convergence.  For those that were close with Badger and his family who was in attendance it was a blessing to see 78 strong come out in his honor.

Cyclop’s Portion of Badger Convergence

The W/O: The sets follow the dates of every March madness trip I took with badger and the 71-64 significance is the final score of the Kentucky-Wisconsin game in 2015 (our first trip) when badger’s badgers knocked off unbeaten Kentucky in the final 4.  I heard a bit about that. 😎

3 – burpees
19 – merkins
20 – squats
15 – LBCs

64 second – wall sit (people’s chair):  reflect in silence on how we leave no doubt as badger did.

3 – burpees
17 – LBC’s
20 – flutters
16 – burpees

DORA partner up – 71 burpees.  Partner 1 runs to semi trailer and back while partner 2 does burpees then switch off and repeat until 71 is reached

3 – burpees
16 – squats
20 – lunges
17 – flutters

71 seconds – balls to the wall

Reflect on leaving no doubt and what that means for each of us – then mosey to COT.

 

Change Order’s Portion of Badger Convergence

18 merkins
48 Lbc
4 burpees
9 merkins
11 side startle hops
20 freely mercury
07 merkins
39 Lbc
Run a lap in between each

Jiffy’s Portion of Badger Convergence

Headed over to the side of Parking Lot…

 

I shared the Pax my background with Badger – I joined F3 because of him.  F3 has had a meaningful impact on my life and I owe that to Badger.  I shared with the Pax how quickly things turned for Badger and encouraged them (and myself) to make sure we are using our time and resources very intentionally.

 

The workout

 

I had cones setup and the Pax did the following sequences:

  • Lunge Walk to each cone and stop and do 10 jump squats, run back
  • Bear crawl to each cone and stop and 10 merkins
  • 20 LBC’s in cadence
  • Sequence of 10 merkins, 10 plan jacks, 10 merkins, 10 plank jacks, 10 merkins, 10 plank jacks

 

  • Lunge Walk to each cone and stop and do 5 bomb jacks, run back
  • Bear crawl to each cone and stop and 10 carolina dry docks
  • 20 American Hammers in cadence
  • Sequence of 10 merkins, 10 shoulder taps, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder taps, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder taps

 

  • Lunge Walk to each cone and stop and do 10 monkey humpers bomb jacks, run back
  • Bear crawl to each cone and stop and 10 dips
  • 20 flutters in cadence
  • Sequence of 10 merkins, 10 side shoulder punches, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder punches, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder punches

 

  • Straight suicide

 

 

We then ran to the side and between a couple of islands did a Jacobs Ladder with Bomb Jacks on one side and Burpees on the other with a total of 6.

 

Great job by the Pax pushing each other and picking up the 6 at the end.

 

We headed back to the group at the end for COT.  It was an honor to serve especially in honor of Badger.

 

Trucker’s portion of Badger Convergence

Ran behind 9 rounds. Badger would have been 40 this year. So honored him with 40/4 workout. Each PAX had to do 4 rounds of 4 exercises of 40 reps with a run from 9 rounds to end of parking lot.
Merkins
Squats
LBCs
CCD

Then over to Red Bowl wall for 40 leg raises. Wall sits with 2 burpees each down the line. Repeat with 4 scorpion merkins.

Missy to oil change store. 4 PAX lined up 20 yards away while the other took 4 car tires and flipped tires to partner, return back to start. Each PAX then grabbed a tire nd did 40 shoulder presses.

Mossy to COT

 

Senator Tressels Portion of Badger Convergence

After COP, mosey to the inclined driveway by the apartment complex on Tega Cay Drive.  I gathered the group and told them that Matt was my neighbor and friend.  Our families spent time together and that Matt was active in an adult men’s soccer league.  Matt’s fight with cancer was very short and that he was gone way too soon.

 

On to the workout:

 

Jacob’s ladder, 1-7, with burpees at the top of the hill.  Plank when you are finished.

 

Walk to the grass area in front of the apartment gym and circle up for  Jack Webb’s (10/40).

 

Freddie Mercs x 20, and Hello Dolly x 20, all in cadence.

 

End with 90 seconds of the body destroyer.  As the Pax laid still and quiet,  I told them to think about how much they have, how lucky they are, and that every day is a gift.

 

Mosey  back to the Harris Teeter lot for COT

 

End.

 

Decibels Portion of Badger Convergence

 

MERKINS X25

ALTERNATING LUNGES X25

TOE TAPS X25

TONY HAWK BURPEE X15

Heals to Heaven x25

GORILLA HUMPER X20

IMPERIAL WALKER X20

EMPTY WHEELBARROW

SQUATS X20

LBCs  X39

E2K X20 EACH SIDE

ROSALITA X25

During the workout we keep 3 soccer balls moving at all time to honor Badger’s love for soccer. 

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since Badger went to be in heaven.  I was blessed to spend time with him prior to his passing.  We talked about him being saved and how important that was to him.  He let me know that his M was a big reason he was saved but also seeing my families reaction to losing our daughter and son and our dependence on God at that time.  I am saying this to let you know as Christians people watch our actions and want to make sure our actions match our words.  I encourage every Christian brother in F3 to live out your faith and in times of need lean on God just like Badger did in his time. 

My M and I received a letter from Badger.  In that letter he mentioned F3 and the support he and his family received after the diagnosis.  I remember him just being in awe of all the people that were praying for him.  He was so touched by this community that he asked that I make sure that his boys get involved in F3.  It was such a blessing to have Jeter and all the his relatives experience the convergence.  To have 78 men in our community support Badger was an emotional journey for all of us that knew him.  I had several members of his family let me know how much they appreciated the convergence and the support for Badger.  Thank you to each man that showed up!

Badger was a man I respected to the utmost.  He was not a guy that sought attention or glory, but he was always there when you needed him.  He loved his family and was a loyal friend.  I am still in awe of how he bravely prepared to walk into heaven.  It was so comforting to know he was going to see Jesus.  He told me many times that he would take care of our babies (Elizabeth Grace and Garrett) until we met up with him.  Badger was a great Father and I know he is having a blast with my kids in heaven. 

Let us all take this time to pour into, support, love on and encourage our F3 brothers. Then take that momentum and turn it to our families.  Then take that momentum and pour it out on the least and the lost in our community.  Badger knew that God had a purpose for him and that purpose was to spread the word of God’s Grace and Love.  Let’s make that happen for him.

 

 

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Leaving Home

It was a Thursday morning gloom at Laces In…a Thursday in May when the temp was already higher than it should be…a Thursday when our Site Q was DR but his predecessor provided strong support…a Thursday after The Murph when mumblechatter still reflected stories from the experience…a Thursday after YHC (aka, Dan from Dallas) returned to The Fort following a long weekend trip to the land of his origins…a Thursday without any FNGs.  So, the Disclaimer was brief and the pax were off.

The Thang

Mosey to parking lot near tennis courts

Pause at first light pole — SSHs

Mosey to next light pole — Mtn climbers

Mosey to next light pole — Low slow squat

Mosey to next light pole — Imperial Walker

Mosey to next light pole — Hillbilly walker

Mosey to next light pole — Merkin

Mosey to next light pole — Peter Parker & Parker Peter

Mosey to baseball field, pick partner & muster on opposite sides of home plate for 60 second intervals

Cycle 1: Partner 1 runs to 1st base for Burpees AMRAP while Partner 2 runs to 3rd base for Bombjacks AMRAP (flapjack)
Cycle 2: Partner 1 runs to 1st for Merkins AMRAP while Partner 2 runs to 3rd for CDDs AMRAP (flapjack)
Cycle 3: Partner 1 runs to 1st for Sumo squats AMRAP while Partner 2 runs to 3rd for Monkey Humpers AMRAP (flapjack)

Plank + Al Gore sequence at home plate

Rinse & repeat 3 cycles 2 more times

Muster at home plate for some Mary — Hello dollies, LBCs, American Hammers, Superman

Mosey home

Plank it up for final 2 mins — shoulder taps, plank jacks

COT

NMM

Thank you to Cyclops for the invite to Q.  I can’t recall my last BC Q in The Fort, so it was a treat to be leading the pax.  Also a pleasure to connect with a handful of new faces.  It’s great to see pax of The Fort continue to #giveitaway!

The word from Funhouse (who posted to LO) after COT was that the LI pax returning to Shovel Flag looked gassed.  Music to any Q’s ears, for sure.  T-claps to the pax for pushing intensity throughout, especially to those who went to bed at Zero Dark Thirty and still posted (ahem…Slash).  The work was hard but the grass was soft and weed-free.

The workout on the ball field was built around the theme of “leaving home.”  Dallas is my place of birth but it’s no longer my home, physically or emotionally.  While my weekend trip for a nephew’s graduation proved to be fruitful on many fronts, I felt no nostalgia for the place.  I don’t say that with any disgust or anguish…it’s just a fact.  This was the first time in the 13 years since I moved to FM that I felt no emotional pull westward.  The realization prompted further reflection on whether I’d left behind certain habits and vices from my adolescence and young adulthood in Dallas — petty grievances with siblings and old friends, disrespecting parents, excessive drinking (and occasionally driving), strip joints and the list goes on.  Yes, I’ve turned a page since moving eastward, far from perfect, but further down the path of maturity.  How about you?  Are you still clinging to the past?  Whether your origins are in CLT/FM or elsewhere, might there be elements of the past, baggage from “home” or an earlier stage of life that you need to leave behind?  Marinate on that a bit as you recover and allow the sweat to evaporate.  And make a choice, take a step toward maturity and #Acceleration.

Thanks for being part of this Thursday.

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Hillbillies on the Loose at The Coop

Wednesdays are great. You’re in the middle of the workout week and your body and mind are prime to push things a bit. Today was no exception at the Coop.

No FNGs. Disclaimer was disclaimed. Off we went.

Slow mosey around the parking lot and pretty much back to the COT area for the COP:

15-30 of the following, keeping folks off balance:
* SSH
* WM
* IW
* MNC
* LSS

Then off to the track for the following:

Hillbilly 12s:

You vs you, as far as you can push it. 12 rounds of the following:

  1. 12 burping hillbillies (BH), then 1 humping hillbilly (HH), then one lap running the track (400m)
  2. 11 BH, then 2 HH, then 1 lap
  3. 10 BH, 3 HH, 1 lap
  4. 9 BH, 4 HH, 1 lap
  5. so on and so on until done.
  • burping hillbillies (BH) = a burpee but instead of a jump at the end you do a good knees to elbows hillbilly walker
  • humping hillbillies (HH) = a monkey humper transitioned to a hillbilly walker
  • Focus on getting the form right, don’t cheat yourself!!

Most completed 8-9 rounds, a few completed more. Everyone did great!! There was a lot of good mumblechatter as always with the Coop group, as well as some good ol fashioned complaining which means I did something right. If I can get Alchemy to slow down then I know I picked a good workout routine.

Kudos to those PAX who said they are not runners, that they do not like running –  they ran well the WHOLE TIME and pushed themselves. That’s how you get better at a weakness.

We do not do enough regular running / cardio in my opinion. We made up for that today. About 3 miles running plus around 80 BH and HH. Cardio health is the key to your longevity. Do not slack on it!!

Back to COT for Announcements, P&P.

Thanks Punch List for the opportunity to lead.

-NASA

 

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You getting Chesty with Me?

Disclaimer

Warmup

Live Right is the second quadrant of the QSource. It is the HIM’s dedication to Purposefulness. Purpose is an Advantage sought.

SET 1:
Merkins , 10 IC
Derkins, 10 IC
Incline merkins, 10 IC

LAP

SET 2:
Wide grip merks, 10 IC
Diamond merks 10ic
Carolina Dry Docks 10ic
Lap

Live Right is focused on the HIM’s IMPACT on the lives of other people and how he helps them to Accelerate

Repeat set 1, 8 reps ic
Lap
Set 2×8
Lap
X6’s
Lap
X4’s
Lap
X2’s

The HIM is also a man who finds that in his effort to Live Right by carrying the Survivors and IMPACTing the Sad Clowns he gets an unexpected benefit—he himself is kept Right.

COT

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Leg Day at The Hive – Friday, May 17th

12 men joined YHC at the Hive to make a baker’s dozen of PAX ready for a kettlebell beatdown.

Warmup

  • mosey around the parking lot
  • 25 side straddle hops
  • 5 burpees OYO
  • 11 windmills
  • 5 burpees OYO
  • 10 peter parkers
  • 10 parker peters
  • 10 4 count mountain climbers
  • mosey back to bells

The Thang

Pax lined up on one side of the parking lot. Will do a series of 4 exercises, run at 75% speed to the other side of the lot for another series of exercises, then sprint back to start to rinse and repeat.

First set 

  • Side 1
    • 10 single arm thrusters – each arm
    • 10 overhead lunges – each leg
    • 10 goblet squats
    • 10 kettlebell swings
  • Side 2
    • 10 big boy sit ups
    • 10 burpees

Rinse & repeat x 3

Second set

  • Side 1
    • 10 snatches – each arm
    • 10 sumo high pulls
    • 10 single arm rows – each arm
    • 10 overhead press
  • Side 2
    • 10 big boy sit ups
    • 10 burpees

Rinse & repeat x 3

Extra credit

  • 25 LBCs
  • Captain Thor to 3×12

Announcements

  • Convergence

Prayers

  • marriages
  • churches
  • personal issues
  • travel
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49 is not the new 32

So a bunch of 30 something fit guys show up to a Barry Manilow workout … I’m sure there is a punch line somewhere …

10 at The Fort for my best effort, both physically and mentally.

The Thang:

Mosey to the wall across from Founders for some warm-up +
20 x OH Claps
20 x MN Clubs
20 x forward arm circles
20 x backward arm circles
20 x Imp walker
15 x Low Slow S
20 x LBC
20 x Travolta
15 x Dying Cockroach
15 x T-Plank

Wall sit, 2 pop-out burpees from each end to middle
BALLS TO THE WALLS (Accept, 1983)
Wall sit, 2 pop-out burpees from each end to middle
BALLS TO THE WALLS (Accept, 1983)

To the big(ish) hill up to the gun shop
1-7 at the bottom – Burpees
7-1 at the top – Squats

To the lot across the street (sorry, it was gravel)
bear crawl from light to light, at each light:
2 x burpees, 2 x Low SS, 2 x merkins, 444,666,888,10-10-10

Circle up in Founders lot
15 x OH Claps
15 x MN Clubs
15 x forward arm circles
15 x backward arm circles

Looks like we made it,

Barry Manilow

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#LacesIn. 0515. It Pays To Be A Winner.

We played a little bit of “It pays to be a winner” this AM at Laces In in honor of GoRuck Team Selection which starts today.
If you aren’t familiar, this is a common phrase spoken in Selection, and it’s a great tool they use to get into guys heads to make guys feel pressure and push themselves.

Here’s what it looked like… The Thang:

We moseyed to the back parking lot behind the baseball field (the Band Practice Lot) for a little warm up. Some Mountain Climbers, Windmills, SSH… the usual fare.

Then we moseyed to the front of the school for some CDDs, lunges, and flutters. Spiderman made a comment at one point about losing guys because of the pace. I thought about that… With a crowd as large as we had this am, I wanted to get a sense of where their heads were. Who’s pushing, who’s trailing, who’s struggling…? Am I struggling? Am I trailing? Can anyone even really know these things…?

Anyhow, then we moseyed back the lot from whence we had just come, where we began every Pax’s favorite game show: “It Pays to Be a Winner” (at this point, the Pax didn’t know we were playing). We lined up at one end of the lot and got underway.

Round 1: Bear Crawl to the other end. Alchemy won this round. Because he’s 17. And quite fit. Since he won, he got to choose the method by which we traveled back to the other end. He chose Bear Crawl. He was disqualified from choosing anymore. Because he’s 17. And quite fit.

Round 2. Bear Crawl to the other end. Alchemy won again. Shock. So his prize was that he got to pick who chose the next method. He chose Moab. I don’t remember what he chose, but it was no fun.

We continued to play a few more rounds with Pax choosing sprints, Bernie Sanders (Nur, Backwards Run, whatever you want to call it), Power Skips, and finally Broad Jumps. J-WOW won that round and so he got to set the pace back to the bottom of the hill by the stadium (the driveway in). We made a stop at one point to let everyone catch up and did an exercise there… No recollection what it was… anyway, we finished our mosey to the bottom of the hill and partnered up. SIZE ALWAYS MATTERS. #TWSS

Bonsai won the sprint to the bottom of the hill, despite my best efforts to cheat, and so he picked the partner method of travel to the top of the hill. He chose wheelbarrow. Because he hates happiness. Funhouse and Jekyll tried to cheat to get ahead and despite my best efforts to pull them back and make it “fair” (which meant making them go back to the start so I could cheat instead), they still won. So we moseyed back to the bottom of the hill and since they were the winners, they chose the method of travel to the top of the hill. They chose Partner Carries. Because they hate Bonsai.

The winners this time were the come from behind, dark horse team of Zima and Dirty Harry. Turns out Harry runs faster under weight. Which confirms our suspicion that he’s not actually from this planet. One more trip up running backwards and that was pretty much it for us…

The party bus came, saw, and spread the love…

-DH

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Block Party Beat Down

I was excited to Q Block Party after the co-Q at The Fort on Sat.  I arrived early and saw 7 runners take off at 5:00 sharp with Bird Cage leading the way down the back trail.  Cars began to file in and the cars kept coming.  I wasn’t expecting a large crowd and then I heard that CSPAN was still in town and was coming to Block Party so I knew there would be a big and rowdy crowd on hand.

Once we hit 5:15, no FNG’s were present so a short disclaimer and off we moseyed.  Since the park has several obstacles littering the grass from the festival, I was going outside of the park.  We moseyed to the first parking lot up front and circled up.

  • Imperial Walkers
  • SSH
  • Arm circles front and back
  • arm stretch across body
  • mountain climber
  • slow merkin – 3 count down, 3 count hold, 3 count up

Mosey over to the sidewalk and wall near Springs Global.  3 exercises , 3 sets, decreasing reps each set.

  • Dips – Reps –  25/20/15
  • Derkins –         20/15/10
  • Step-UPS –     30/20/10

Mosey to the big hill and meet at the top parking lot.  3 excercises, 15 reps each, then run to bottom of the hill and come back up the hill backwards.

  • Squats/Monkey Humpers/Calf Raises
  • Slow Merkin/MNN/O/H Clap
  • Flutter/ Big Boy Sit-up/Hello Dolly

Mosey back to the sidewalk and wall where we started and do one more set of  dips and derkins 20 & 15.  Mosey back to the park. Since we had a few minutes left I decided to take a lap around the park on the path for an added bonus.  We ended back at the parking lot for set of LBC’s.

This was a great morning and I enjoyed the chatter and hard work.  Through the Q Source, I have been motivated to look for ways to continue to accelerate  in all areas.  I shared with the group that I have been successful in accelerating in King, Queen and Jester control, but the last 4 weeks the QSource was focused on Faith.  I was convicted that I am not accelerating in study and recognize the need to have my shield locks there to hold me accountable and provide the push I need.  I asked everyone to think of where they need to accelerate and who are they going to have beside them to hold them accountable.

Thanks Esso for the opportunity to Q and lead the Pax.

Rebel

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