Styrofoam

Back at The Yard and it was a glorious morning, and time to bring back my Styrofoam coolers with tickets of pain inside.

Plenty of moderate running space between coolers, as the PAX were divided into two groups and we ran past each other as we pulled tickets of misery out of three different coolers, spread out down the back driveway of the school. This was moderate, so I kept that in mind as I printed out the pain tickets late into the night before, and contemplated whether to print the ticket with 50 CDD’s, or leave it at 20. 

For those who haven’t seen my Piggly Wiggly coolers filled with tickets, stay tuned for an appearance near you.

Maybe we got in a little over a mile of running, but I forgot to ask Barry.

Great COT, and a good dose for Jiffy’s EH, Snowman (Jerry Reed from Smokey and the Bandit)

Thanks to Hasselhoff for the opportunity!

TClap |
1

#218in18 Kick-off Convergence BackBlast

76 PAX (including 4 FNGs) met in the gloom at Harris Teeter this morning to kick the year off the right way.

Group 1 – Jedi

Start with 60 seconds of plank tutorial, then a fairly lame attempt to explain the exercise “routine” for the upper body station. The routine, to be done in increasing AMRAP style:
· Incline Merkins
· Low Country Crab Boil (One leg, one hand dips)
· 90° Turn clockwise
· Staggered/Uneven Break Dancer Merkins (Left hand on curb)
· Staggered/Uneven Carolina Dry Docks (Left hand on curb)
· 90° Turn clockwise
· Pseudo Planche Merkins
· Donkey Kicks
· 90° Turn clockwise
· Staggered/Uneven Break Dancer Merkins (Right hand on curb)
· Staggered/Uneven Carolina Dry Docks (Right hand on curb)
· 90° Turn to starting position

Start with 10 reps for each exercise, then add 2 reps each round after that (10, 12, 14, 16, …). Only the elite few made it past the round of 12.

Group 2 – Peabody

An absolute honor to lead a convergence and had so much fun working with all the guys. Here’s the fun of the cardio Q.

SPRINT Relays!!!  

3 team

60 Yard sprint

Team members are doing Seal Jacks, side straddle hops, or flutters while teammate runs.

Winning team selects penalty exercise for 2 losing teams. (Unknown is losing team has to do the penalty exercise too but only half the reps).

Rinse and repeat the sprint relay races once teams are mixed up.

Mary to follow:

  • 50 LBCs
  • 25 Flutters
  • 10 Freddie Mercury’s

Lists of fun to hear the encouragement of other Pax and see the competition bring out the most in guys.  Saw lots of guys really push hard to win for their team.

Group 3 – Jekyll

Motley Crue and 80’s hairband soundtrack

  • COP: SSH, IW, Squat
  • 5 Burpee OYO, 4 OYO, 3 OYO
  • Lt Dan: squat and jumping , 1:4 ration
    • 1 squat: 4 jumping lunge, 2 squat: 8 Jumping lunge…10 squat: 40 jumping lunge
  • 5 burpee OYO
  • Calf Raises 25 each: Straight, Toes Out, Toes In
  • Donkey Kicks

COT

Welcome FNGs Iron City, Humps, Hillary, and Juliet

Prayers by CakeBoss for leadership.

– Ginsu

TClap |
2

5 at Armory with Celebrity Jailbreak

5 braved the cold for some kettlebell misery while we watched other Pax head to the warmth of the Journey Group (Respect.)

Maximus was our celebrity jailbreak as kids have no school so he had nothing better to do in 23 degree temps.

After a mosey and some warmups, kettle bell were used for sets of:

Calf raises, John Travoltas, Figure 8’s and a jog.

KB swings, Around the worlds, Clean Presses and a jog.

Lunges, One hand swings, Snatch and squats and a jog

Big Boy Sit-ups, Flutter kicks, Benxh presses and a jog .

I really enjoy the times we have smaller numbers. It gives us a chance to share more about ourselves and as we learned in COT we have some heavy hearts.  We lost a member of the Pax from Mint Hill. Prayers to Short Sale on the death of his brother.  Prayers for Squeaky’s daughter recovery from mono and for his family as they think of loved ones in the coming months who have been through some tragedy.

God bless –

ASSASSIN

 

 

 

TClap |
1

Good In-vest-ment of time at the Coop

13 PAX with 2-3 pre-runners, 1 Ruck from Dark Helmet, and 1 bright green vest from YHC joined in this suddenly balmy 45F temps, after deep freeze past several days. Several PAX mentioned YHC’s vest (runner jokes), and was removed quickly for being too warm
Mosey in a big Loop around parking lot
COP in big parking lot
  • SSH
  • Windmill
  • Moroccan Night Club
  • 4-count Merkins
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Squats
  • Peter Parker
  • Parker Peter
  • 10 Count Honeymooner
Mosey to Concrete football field
Partner up
B.O.M.B (no S – that comes later)
Partner 1 – Exercise
Partner 2 – Run to 50 and Back
  • 50- Burpees
  • 100- Overhead Claps
  • 150- Merkins
  • 200- Big Boy Sit-ups
PAX griped and also encouraged each other through this. We made it through and got better
Mosey to Wall for the “S” (Wall “S”its)
  • PAX Wall-sit while 1 PAX down line in Wave:
    • Burpree
    • 2 Merkins
  • 30 Dips on Curb OYO
  • 30 Calf raises on Curb OYO
Mosey in a big Loop around parking lot
Mary
  • American Hammers
  • Flutter Kicks
  • Freddie Mercury
  • Dark Helmet’s Body Destroyer (aka just laid there for 10-count)
  • Protractor
  • LBCs
Birdcage needed .09miles on his Garmin, so we Mosey another lap back to COT
COT
  • Nomad – be thankful. We’re always thankful at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lets be thankful for 2017, but also be thankful for 2018, and expectant for what is to come.
  • Praise / Prayer – Dark Helmet’s sister has come out, so hopeful for progress
  • Prayer – Squeaky’s daughter has mono and has to be home for 1month

Great AO, Great Pax. Great in-vest-ment of YNC’s time!

TClap |
0

Frosty Footloose

11 PAX gathered in about 18 frosty degrees at Footloose.  The most important thing is that they showed up!!!  That is the first step – show up!  Great job.

The work:

A brief disclaimer followed by Windmills and SSHs with a mosey to a church parking lot.  YHC has no idea which church it was as there are about three or four within rock throwing distance.

The main work was centered on a triangle – enough of the four corners – we went with the triangle symbolized by the triangle of pain, the Illuminati or the Taco Bell Stacker.

Three stations, with three rounds at each station with legs, abs and upper body.  After each rotation the PAX ran up and down the church stairs.  On round followed by a brief moleskin and then rinse and repeat.

With time still permitting and the temp only dropping the PAX serpentined the stairs followed by 50 calf raises.  With still more glorious time remaining,  we Indian ran to downtown FM and back to our COT.

We prayed for Squeaky’s daughter as well as Reece and Maggie – Mr. Clean’s 2.0s.

 

The moleskin:

When I was in college one of my room mates uncles was a priest.  Often, on Sunday, he would call and if we answered (no cell phones in 1981) he would ask whoever answered if we had been to Mass.  When I said no, he asked why.  Why?  Because, I said, I got nothing out of it.

Well, he said, it isn’t about you.  It is about you supporting the others are that are there.  By your mere presence you may mean something to someone.  And . . . maybe, you will benefit.

It is the same with posting in  the gloom – we are there to support each other.  To lend encouragement, a hand when someone is down, to offer advice (its free so its worth what you paid) and to just be there.

 

That’s all – Twister out.

TClap |
4

One Year Celebration at The Coop

On my second Q in as many days to celebrate my one year anniversary of F3 I had a much better turnout (Can’t blame Clemson for fartsacking today…)

12 men arrived in the slightly chilly morning air to make themselves better.

A short mosey led us back to where we started to begin warm-up

-25 SSH

-10 Windmill

-10 Imperial Walker

-10 Hillbilly Walker

-25 Moroccan Nightclub

-10 Peter Parker

-10 Parker Peter

-10 Mountain Climber

 

We then took a short mosey toward the large wall on the side of the school.  This mosey included high knees, some karaoke, and imperial walkers

 

Once at the wall we completed 3 sets of

-Peoples chair waterfall with each PAX giving a 10 count

-40 OYO dips on the curb

-25 OYO flutter

-Wall Plank-45 degrees-Balls to the Wall each for a 10 count

 

Once this fun was completed we mosey over the the base of the parking lot near the stadium and partnered up for DORA with one partner running to the top of the parking lot at the stop sign and back with the other completing the exercise.  Total of 100 merkins, 200 squats and 300 LBC

 

The PAX was much more efficient with the DORA than I had given them credit so we then mosey back to the smooth pavement just past COT for some Mary which included Freddie Mercury, Plank Jacks, LBC’s, X’s and O’s, Mountain Climbers, Dying Cockroach, and the ever popular Body Destroyers

 

COT with announcements and Prayer Requests.  Please pray for Squeaky’s daughter.

TClap |
3

The Ballroom_ Moon River and some CakeBoss!

6 PAX joined YHC at The Ballroom on this 12 degree morning. We all have a choice and if we think its cold outside, you need to ask yourself what is colder….the temperature or leaving your brother alone at an AO? I know some are sick and injured, but its also the easy choice to stay in the fartsack….I been there. However if you are choosing the easy route each day…..when faced with two tough choices you won’t be prepared. Yes, posting with your brothers in cold, rain miserable conditions…..makes you better prepared. 5 years of this, I can tell you that making the hard decisions and converstations that I don’t want to have but need to have…..have come easier because I posted with my brothers in all conditions.

Enough on that!

The Thang:

Immediate COP:

  • SSHs
  • Low Slow Squats
  • Moracan Night Clubs
  • Merkins
  • LBCs
  • Parker Peters

Mosey to school benches

  • 2 x 15 derkins
  • 2x 20 dips

Mosey to side of school

  • People’s Chair
  • Each PAX run around set of cones, until all complete

Mosey to football bleachers

  • Gaze at Super Moon

Mosey to endzone of football field

  • Run field to cones on field an do exercise to reps of yard marker 10, 20, 30, 40, 50
    • Run to 10 – 10 burpees and run back to end zone
    • Run to 20 – 20 donky kicks and run back to end zone
    • Run to 30 – 30 Merkins and run back to end zone
    • Run to 40 – 40 Lunge Hops and run back to end zone
    • Run to 50 – 50 Sumo Squats and run back to end zone
    • Run to 40 – 40 Ski Hops and run back to end zone
    • Run to 30 – 30 Wide Arm Merkins and run back to end zone
    • Run to 20 – 20 Leg Lifts and run back to end zone
    • Run to 10 – 10 Inch Worm Merkins and run back to end zone

On 6

  • Freddy Mercury’s
    • Bearcrawl to 5 yrd line and back
  • Rosalitas
    • Bearcrawl to 5 yrd line and back
  • Hello Dollys
    • Bearcrawl to 5 yrd line and back

Mosey to COT

  • Moracan Night Clubs
  • Squats
  • SSHs

YHC talked to the guys about not waiting for the calendar to flip, the next day or year but choose to make the changes needed in your life. Do it now! Get started on getting better now and don’t wait. Especially if you need to know Sky Q. I made the decision to put him first in my life and all other areas have benefited since making that change…..and not waiting to do it. Get better today and don’t hesitate!

  1. Joe Davis run Saturday with warm up at 0715
  2. 1/12 convergence at Baxter Harris Teeter 3rd F after
  3. Yeti 2/24

Prayers:

  1. Kids, patience, health, injuries, being better men and leaders in our lives

Thanks Short Sale for the opportunity

Cake Boss

TClap |
1

Island Vacation at Footloose

My Qotter (thanks Anchorman) after many months.  I’ll keep it short:

The Thang:

Mosey to back lot

COP
SSH
IW
Windmills
Merkins
Mountain Climbers
Double Applesauce around the lot

Stretch-o-Rama

Forest to the Sea
Island Dips
Forest to the Sea
Island Dips
Double Applesauce around the lot

Side Shuffle Bear Crawl on long lot

Double Applesauce around the lot

Side Shuffle Lunge Walk on long lot

Double Applesauce around the lot

PAX Plank Hurdles

Mosey to Flag
6 MOM

 

Announcements:

Joe Davis, Convergence, Read Your Newsletter

Prayers/Praises shared by all in COT

TClap |
7

Ballroom Beatdown

So as I stepped outside this morning my first thought was “this is 44 degrees?” As the wind cut straight through my workout gear.  I was cold…so I guess we need to keep moving to stay warm.

At 5:15 sharp we stared off with a mosey down the entrance road to the bend by the field for our warmup. The warmup consisted of the following, all in cadence:

  • SSH – 15
  • Imperial Walkers – 15 (in honor of the new Star Wars movie coming out this week)
  • Move aside for a better late than never greatly missed kotter, Uncle Cracker (who EH’d me into F3 just 10 short months ago)…treated with a wave
  • Windmills – 10
  • Low Slow Squat – 10

Then it was time to mosey around to the wall at the back of the school for The start of The Thang

  • Everyone grab some walls for The People’s Chair as each PAX took their turn with a 10 count
  • A little talk about the word of the month, Gifts
  • Balls to the Wall in the same fashion as The People’s Chair…each PAX with a 10 count (the counting pace was MUCH faster this time around…Hmmm)
  • A couple of 10 counts to recover
  • Another round of People’s Chair, same as before
  • Another round of Balls to the Wall, only this time a single count like when we count off at COT

Mosey across the bridge to the football field and partner up…size does not matter

For a series of 3 exercises one PAX will stay in the end zone while the partner runs to the 50 yard line and back, then switch.  Plank for the six.

  • LBC’s
  • Merkins
  • Flutter Kicks

Break

  • Carolina Dry Dock’s
  • Hello Dolly’s
  • Wide-Arm Merkins

We still had some time left, so it was perfect for a little Reince and repeat.  The only difference was on the last set of 3 we ran to the 30 yard line, but ran back at 75%

After a couple of 10 Counts I had one more beatdown attempt.  We all lined up on the goal line, and ran to the 50 yard line like normal, then continued to the other goal line at full out sprint…100%.

Took a couple 10 Counts and did the same thing back to the other goal line.  At this point I was so close to passing out, I honestly don’t know how any of the PAX was doing.  I just know they all beat me back to COT!

Mosey back to COT for a few minutes of Mary where we got the following exercises in (Probably a few others) all in cadence:

  • Mahktar Jai – 10
  • Side Stradle Hop (Twister style) – 10
  • Peter Parker – 10
  • Superman’s
  • LBC’s – 10
  • Imperial Walkers – 10
  • Morrocan Night Club’s – 15

Name-o-Rama, Announcements, Prayers and Praises

Then off to the cars…

Smithers….Out

TClap |
5

Dealer’s Choice, Daniel & the Lion’s Den and talk of Bad Weather/Bad Gear

The Thang

YHC decided to post a poll on the Twitter to decide whether we’d revisit the “12 Days of Christmas” delivered by Anchorman earlier this week at Ballroom OR have a “Dealer’s Choice” workout, where each PAX Q’s an exercise of his choice.  The “Dealer’s Choice” won in a landslide.

Mosey to front parking lot for warm-up

SSH x 10

Cherry Pickers x 10

Low Slow Squat x 10

Moroccan Nightclub x 10

Peter Parker x 10

Imperial Walkers x 10

Shoulder Taps x 10

Explain  the process to PAX:  Count off and each PAX leads an exercise of his choosing.  Can be single count, cadence count, stay in the circle or a Mosey (Gilmore and Deep Dish!).

We had 14 there and went through each PAX once, getting through the 10th guy on the second time around.

Not an all-inclusive list, but the workout contained (mostly x 10):

LBCs

Merkins

Grave Diggers

Low Slow Squats

Catalina Wine Mixers

Some kind of crazy Burpee

Monkey Humpers

SSH

X’ & O’s

Hello Dolly

Rosalita

Diamond Merkins

Slow Merkins

Indian Run

Run to the Stairs

Dips

Wall Sit

Bomb Jacks

Naked Moleskin:

This was a little  different for most of us and, quite frankly, turned out better than I’d anticipated.  Each PAX was able to call the exercise and lead the count; kind of like a very light version of Q school.

Throughout the workout, and especially in COT, several PAX shared testimony and/or words of encouragement and food for thought. Popper shared a great testimony about his thoughts on Daniel & the Lions Den.  We are all surrounded by the “Lions” of life.  Although difficult, we should always try to keep our focus on Christ. Rather than get bogged down in trying to fight or figure out what to do about the Lion’s, give it to Him, have faith.

Several years ago, Santini said something like “There’s no bad weather, only bad gear”.  I don’t know if that’s a life mantra of his or if he was just saying it off the cuff. Either way, it has clearly been imprinted upon me. For years, I felt like he meant it literally. Recently, I have realized that it’s really about life. Our “gear” is what gives us cover in the “bad weather” of life. All too often, we find ourselves claiming “bad weather” when we really just don’t have the right “gear”.  We must prepare our hearts and have faith, which will sustain us in the bad weather. This is an active pursuit. One that must be acknowledged and actively practiced.

Sacrifice.  We were reminded by HeeHaw of the sacrifice that was made by 1,177 heroes on the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941. And another 1,226 that consisted of Navy personnel, Marines, Army and civilian. May we never forget or take for granted the sacrifices of so many, then, now and in the future.

YHC asked the PAX to consider:

  1. What are you sacrificing (that you should not be) ?  Is there an area of your life being neglected?
  2. What are you currently making sacrifices for (could be something good. could be something not so good)?  Are your “priorities” showing up in how you spend your time & resources?
  3. What should you be sacrificing for? Which areas need your attention?

Prayers for many PAX, as they face day to day grind of life, relationships with family, family members in poor health, marriages, kids, leaders of our great country, MASH as he recovers from knee surgery and Newman’s son. Praises for the PAX.  Iron Sharpens Iron isn’t just something that looks cool on a t-shirt!  Remember, for Iron to Sharpen Iron, it must be strong & tough. For you to sharpen another, you must be strong. Strong in your faith, strong in your actions.

As always, I am humbled to lead a group of such incredibly High Impact Men. I am already looking forward to the next opportunity! Aye!

Beacon

TClap |
11