Primed at Minnow Pond

Minnow Pond….

Prime numbers today:
2 burpees,
3 bombjacks,
5 merkins,
7 squats,
11 wildcard reps every time we stopped.

We stopped around 11 times?

Total of 3.5 miles.

NMM:
Luke 5:31 (both prime numbers)
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”
Make sure you’re seeking out the “sick” (sad clowns?). Don’t spend all your time with the healthy. That may mean posting with a newer PAX at a moderate to support them.


https://www.strava.com/activities/5007069647


Band Camp Dismissed

 

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Q & Co-Q (VQ) with Skipper

The guy has been on a strong trajectory, we call it acceleration, since coming onto the F3 scene a few months ago. After some advertising and excitement, 13 additional PAX joined SKIPPER and YHC, 15 total, for a Block Party throw down.

Announcement of the Qs…check
Disclaimer…check
I surely hope they got their money’s worth. If not, don’t do the following.
Skipper took the PAX on the warmup run to FMCOG for
SSH
Low Slow Squats
Moroccan Night Clubs

Maximus on Q for the DECK OF CARDS!
Diamonds = Diamond Merkins
Hearts = Carolina Dry Docks
Clubs = V-Ups
Spades = Merkins
Jokers, of which there were 4 = 20 Sumo Squats

We didn’t make it all the way through the deck but here’s what we completed:
90 Diamond Merkins
104 Carolina Dry Docks
96 V-Ups
93 Merkins

Hand off to Skipper!!
From the corner of Withers and Academy, run hill repeats up Withers to Watson Street, yes, that hill. It was a ladder with squats at the top and burpees at the top. He’s a sick, sick man.

Mosey back to COT for the final round(s) of Mary.

Great morning to have these guys supporting Skipper’s VQ. Careful, his official, full 45min VQ is on March 30 at Golden Corral!

This COT stuck out to me due to the vulnerability by the guys. This was a true representation of what we have here and man, was it good. So blessed we are.

SYITG
Skipper & Maximus

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Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

11 guys got after it this morning. We promptly headed to Hardee’s for some straightforward instructions, burpees, run, merkins after the pledge.  Block suicides were the name of the game. 5 burpees at Hardee’s (each time) run to the next block for 5 merkins. Merkins increased by 5 each block. However simple, this was not easy by any means. YHC didn’t all finish the route; most ended up with around 4 miles, 45 burpees, and 180 merkins. This was my first Q at the minnow pond. Thanks to Jekyll for the opportunity.

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OTB #1 with Rucks & Sand bags

Physically, we put in the work. Due to the suck we endured together, like hearing each other struggle through the sand bag evolutions, and other things you can read about below, there is a little bit tighter of a bond. Hard stuff builds the bond and on this Thursday morning, it was time to build.

After the planning committee did their work, we rolled into the AO with the following 60min throwdown:

Rucks consisting of the standard weight
60lb & 80lb sand bags

1mi run (slick)

To the field which was about 55yds, side to side:
MAN-MAKER BRUTALITY:
It didn’t take long but this is where we realized this would be no mailed-in workout.
With rucks on, grab a sand bag. Throw the sand bag several times until you get about 5-7yds out (about 2 throws) then do a man-maker with your sand bag (mind you, you’re ruck is still on your back). As you stopped to do your man-makers, you added 1 more every time.

25 Flutters w/ Ruck Press I/C

For the return trip, it’d be a sand bag toss (with your ruck on) then when you get overtop the bag, execute (1) 8ct Body Builder.

Run across the field and back (slick)

25 Flutters w/ Ruck Press I/C

Ruck on – bear crawl to the other end however this time, you’re dragging the sand bag, too.

25 Flutters w/ Ruck Press I/C

Ruck on – crawl bear back to the other end, however this time, you’re pulling the sand bag, too.

Run across the field and back (slick)

Finish with a 1mi run (slick)

It was challenging but it was necessary.

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Laced Up Tight

31 degrees at Laces In? Sure, I’ll take it. I gave the PAX a heads-up, shown below…

At the risk of potential “over-hyping,” here are a number of things to consider for Laces In:

  1. Minow Pond will be converging with us.
  2. AKA will be converging with us.
  3. Looks to be the coldest morning of the week.
  4. Gloves highly recommended.
  5. If you want to stretch or warm up, show up early.
  6. Wheels up 0515 and it’ll be GO-TIME.
  7. You’ll be warm by 0525.
  8. If you’re prone to FOMO, then you should post.

The 12 of us arrived, commented about the cool temps and all the men in tights, were disclaimed and we took off for a lap around part of the gym lot.

Circle Up:
20 x Fast-Paced SSH
10 Burpees
Another lap but this time, just a bit shorter
Line up at one end of the parking lot and bear crawl to the other end of the lot.
Sprint 1/2 way back, 10 Burpees, Sprint the rest of the way

Mosey over to the circle by the stadium:
20 Bomb Jacks
30 Flutter Kicks I/C
Run up the hill to the stop sign and back down
40 Jump Squats
40 Merkins I/C
Run up the hill and back down
10 Burpees

Mosey back to the gym parking lot.

Line up on the line for 2-Tier Grounded Suicides:
Bear crawl out 20 yards, crawl bear back. Bear crawl out 40yds, crawl bear back
10 Wide-Arm Merkins
Crab walk out 20yds, walk crab back. Crab walk out 40yds, walk crab back.
10 Wide-Arm Merkins
10 Burpees

30 American Hammers I/C
20 Flutter Kicks I/C

COT: There are very heavy prayers on the hearts & minds of our PAX. Remember, do not walk alone.

Thank You, Slapshot

Maximus

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Mentality – Thinking Right is a Daily Decision

Footloose 10.22

15 Pax got a little better in the gloom at Footloose.  HIIT warmed up the group with 2 rounds of 3 min intervals (4 exercises w 10 reps each)  and a long lap around the yard.   A slow mosey returned the group to a parking lot with a slight incline and a cone.   In honor of Rebel’s Double Nickel Birthday, we began with a modified version of 5’s:   5 Burpees at the bottom with 5 Squats at top and the modified bear crawl up to the cone with a Donkey Kick before continuing a mosey up to the top. We finished the A$$KIcking Autumn workout with a modified 5’s of Diamond ( in honor of the double nickel Birthday for Rebel, we completed 5 rounds with 5 reps at each of the 4 corners.  Round 1 -5 burpees at each corner, Round 2 – 10 Merkins at each corner, Round 3 – 15 Monkey Humpers at each corner, Round 4 – 20 Overhead Claps…….Running out of time, we headed back to COT with 1 min to spare and 1 min to finish a quick Round of Mary.

Nice work by all!!  Thank you to Boss Hogg for the opportunity!  Prayers / Praises and a Happy Birthday Celebration wrapped up the morning: Bass-oh-Matic brought Bundt cakes for all Pax to enjoy.  Happy Double Nickle Birthday to Rebel (the day after actual Bday 10/21/2020)

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9/11 NaFo Tower Climb

Today on the 19th Anniversary of September 11th I had the privilege and honor to lead the men of The Fort in my version of the Tower Climb.

We honored my friends who gave it all to make sure the citizens of NY would be safe.

POLICE OFFICER RAMON SUAREZ TD-04 NYPD

POLICE OFFICER MARK ELLIS TD-04 NYPD

POLICE OFFICER ANTONIO RODRIGUES PAPD

We started with a two lap ruck walk around the track and then jumped right into the climb.

The goal was at least 30 times up and down with 9 inclined merkins and 11 squats at the bottom. There was some mumblechatter, it was hot and humid but the men of the Fort did not disappoint….if you completed 27.5 times you climbed the equivalent of the Towers.

I was proud to lead and share my experiences from that fateful morning that changed the world as we knew it.

It was also great seeing DIRTY HARRY return to the gloom

We end with COT and prayers for all the people lost and the people affected still.

FIDELIS AD MORTEM…..ALWAYS FAITHFUL

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Big Words & Others’ Plans

15 PAX in the gloom at Pantheon for a workout featuring some big words and other people’s plans. A Backdraft WOD from the stricter quarantine period and 38 Special’s from All the Yogging

Warm-Up
– SSH x21
– Moroccan Night Club x15
– Yoga sequence
– Merkins x10
– Shoulder Taps x10
-Did the first round of the Thang as PAX still considering it the warmup.

The Thang

See above. Modified the the reps so we hit the full numbers after 10 stations and right at 0600. On the second loop, we had to reverse course to station 3 and then finished at station 1 for time.

NMM:

The school exterior has new modifications for entrance and exits to keep kids physically distanced as the start of school is right around the corner. YHC has been thinking a lot about failure and how to encourage better failure and better growth. If the Chapel HIll experiment is any indication, the best laid plans of mice and men for returning to school during COVID-19 will fail. How will the PAX of The Fort respond for our families, our schools, and our community?

We’ve all failed in our lives and I pray we can use failure to make things better.

COT

Lots of praises for good things: children’s athletic success, marriage length, parental birthdays, grant awards. Prayers to remember the good during our moments of tribulation.

Band Camp Dismissed

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Lt Michael Murphy “The Murph”

Today we Honored Lt Michael Murphy. We had 12 Pax do the Murph. For those of you living under a rock the Murph is :

Run 1 mile

100 PULLUPS

200 MERKINS

300 SQUATS

Run 1 mile

It was hot and humid but all powered through to complete and honor one of our Nations Hero’s.

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Kettle Bells & Stuff at the Snake Pit (sort of)

I know it has been  said by many but man, it feels good to be in the gloom with the guys again. Once I got my logistics figured out and blew the dust off the ol’ rusty kettle bell, Fire Marshal Bill & I made our way to the relocated Snake Pit AO. Hopefully, all these temporary relocations will be behind us soon.
17 others joined us for a total of 19 socially-distant PAX in the gloom this morning. We had one of the original Redwoods (Santini), one of the youngest guys in the PAX (Lil’ John), our resident story teller (Spitz) and a whole bunch of other faces I like seeing in the gloom.
Once 3D finished his struggle-fest with planting the Shovel-Flag into the ground and I did an oh-so-brief disclaimer, we took off for our warm-up mosey. A few minutes later, we returned to our Kettle Bell and began the instructional portion of the workout, more of the modified high-intensity variety.

2min of Burpees
5min Kettle Bell with 20ea: Curls, Low Rows, Upright Rows (repeat until 5mins is over)
5min Run at a “go get-it” pace: 1/2mi route is out to light at Banks St and back. So interesting why my first 200 yards of this run was brisk yet the rest wasn’t so.
5min Kettle Bell with 20ea: Overhead Press, Chest Press, Tricep Extensions (repeat until 5mins is over)
2min of Burpees
5min Run at a “go get it” pace to Banks St and back.
5min Kettle Bell with 10ea: 4ct Flutters with the press or the KB in the air, V-Ups, Big Boy Sit Ups (repeat until 5mins is over)
2min of Burpees
4min Kettle Bell with 2 forward lunges, 2 reverse lunges, 1 left lunge, 1 right lunge, 1 deep squat (repeat until 4mins is over)

And just like that, we were already standing at COT, how convenient.
Announcements: Guys are clearly looking to slowly start posting again so please pay attention to Slack (and possibly Twitter) or text/call another PAX to find out where the AO’s are now if they used to be at a school or park. Those grounds are still off limits but hopefully not for much longer.

Prayers/Praises: Mental health right now (and always), health for a spouse. PAX on the road to recovery and joining us back in the gloom, for a friend battling illness and getting the care he needs, MARRIAGES, physical health of other PAX, , upcoming moves, kids taking big tests, small businesses during this time and many more.

Until next time,
Maximus

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