Tag: Sweet Baby Ray

Forge!

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Dojo was a no go so he handed the Q stick to me. Tired from two previous Qs this week, the plan was limited running and more strength training.
Quick warm-up then we headed to The Wall for 3 rounds Erkins, dips, and step ups. Next, we ran past the stinky dumpster to the back wall of HT. Wall sits bear crawl out merkins crawl bear back. Crab walk, LBCs, crab walk back.
Next we traveled to CVS for a four corner relay. Each member ran around the building 5, 10, 15 and 20
Merkins at each corner. Next person moved when pax ahead complete corner #1. Second round squats same count.
Back to COT.

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Skipper zipper

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THE THANG:
Zipper route starting at Elliott St. 10 merkins and 10 jump squats at the end of every street. 5 burpees each time the pax cross Springs St. Pax logged 3.5-4.5 miles.

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FORTeen Years

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WARMUP: 14 Burpees
THE THANG: Mosey to center of WEP

Pax rotated into center based on year of 1st post (ie Class of 2026, 2025, 2024, etc). Varied exercises were performed by all including Burpees, Partner Derkins, Squats, Sumo Squats, SSH, Mtn Climbers, Mahktar N'Dyiae, Flutters, Freddys, Monkey Humpers, etc

Pax sprinted home for the finish.

MARY: She participated during the Thang

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Bethel Shelters service

COT: Yes, of course, 5th Core Principle

The pax came early and stayed late to celebrate this Community of Brothers we call The Fort. For 14 years, men have posted in the Gloom of WEP and other wonderful sites throughout FM/TC (and in Rock Hill, Clover/LKW and now Chester) to sharpen each other, to hone leadership skills, and to prepare themselves and each other to tackle the ups and downs Life will regularly throw their way.

The number of men who've stood at COT in The Fort over these years exceeds 2,000. And roughly 200 pax keep the flame burning in 2026. Their continued participation is an individual choice, one they can't not keep making because, as they shared, they've found brotherhood, community, belonging and accountability in The Fort.

Who will be standing in COT in 2036 or 2046? Anybody? Nobody? You? Your son or son-in-law or grandson?

As Band Camp shared, we Get To make this choice. Each man stands apart from the general crowd in our culture in making this choice. And yet, each man of The Fort is no better than any other man who lives among us. All men are made of the same fiber in the same image of our Creator. As Dark Helmet said, every man is needed in the leadership mission required to bring to fruition the world our Creator intended. So stay in the game. Find the next man and bring him into the fold. Because 14 years of history only matters if we continue to bring Impact to men and our broader community today, tomorrow, next week and next year. #KeepPosting

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Consistency in the Gloom

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WARMUP: Yes, we did some warm uppy things
THE THANG: Moseyed over to the church pavillion for most of the workout

3 rounds of Step-ups — good form, 10 R/10L interspersed with varied Merkins in cadence (Irkins, Derkins, Merkins)

Partner up with partner 1 doing an exercise while partner 2 completes a loop around the circular landscape bed in front of the church using various modes of transport. We bear crawled, crawl beared, lunged, sprinted, karaoked, and more.

Mosey back to SF

Some Mary followed by 15 Burpees to recognize the kickoff of Year 15 of The Fort starting the following week.
MARY: yes
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Convergence, Bethel shelter service, La Grama
COT: Solid crew of veterans who shared some comments on why they keep posting after many many years (or months in the case of SBR).

One of my reasons for continuing to post is that I know I will start the day with a W every time I post. When so much of life is filled with uncertainty and surprises, there are few surprises when I roll out the door heading for an AO. I don't know who will post and I don't know the weinke. But I know there will be a Q who has come prepared to lead and to share his gifts with me. I know I'll be surrounded by men who share my values and who will wake me up or challenge me or inspire me or all of these and more. I know I won't regret spending 45mins + COT with my brothers. This Consistency challenges me to match it with my own Consistency. And Consistency is a mark of a leader.

Thanks for the Q invite SBR! And thanks to these pax for their Consistency and Commitment to keeping the flame of The Fort burning and their own along with it.

#KeepPosting

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Hero WOD – The Steve

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WARMUP: SSH, Cherry Pickers, Windmill, down dog, honey mooners, the lizard stretch.

Mosey to ROTC building and everyone grabbed a Cindy then mosey back to the flag.

THE THANG: Hero WOD for my father in law Steve. He is the reason I got into CrossFit years ago and once I quit doing that I got really out of shape. Found out about F3 and when I told him about it he was so excited for me. Pushed me to go all in and no quit, even brought me a workout rack from PA so I could do stuff at home as well. He pushed me to be better in all three F’s as well as to be a better husband and father.

He loved “grunt work” as he called it and he taught me more about construction in 12 years than most people get to know in a life time so only fitting everything was done with a colder block. He passed away at 55 so we did 5 sets of 5 exercises while listening to his favorite 80s hair metal bands.

5 rounds of 5 exercises all done with cinder blocks

Reps were 25,20,15,10,5
After each set of reps we ran about .1 mile

We started each exercise together so those who finished early held plank or Al Gore until 6 was in.

Exercises

Bent over rows
Push press
Power cleans
Squats
Thrusters

After we walked our Cindy’s back and moseyed to the flag for COT

MARY: had a little lamb to take care of so was not present today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Convergence tomorrow, bethel this week, read your letter of news

COT: was had and discussed

Hero WOD - The Steve

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Cinder Block Party

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We had 12 including a fly by guest appearance from @U061FJV3GVD.
Standard warm-up exercises then we moseyed over to the stack of cider blocks.
1st DORA – Merkins (100), Squats (200), LBCs (300)
partner 1 did exercises, partner 2 carried cinder block around outside of stage. Flipflop upon return.
2nd DORA – cinder block exercises: Curl / Shoulder Press (100), Chest Press / V Up (200), Leg Lift over Block (300)

Great job Pax!

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Bells, Bags, and Burpees

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WARMUP: stretching, washers, grass pickup, iron cross
THE THANG: 400 m run with weight, 30 lateral burpees, 30 lunges each leg, 30 kettle bell swings, rinse and repeat going down to 10 reps and back up again for extra credit
MARY: planks, merkin hold at 6”
ANNOUNCEMENTS: newsletter, convergence coming up
COT: Remember Vietnam vets, families and marriages

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2nd Annual F3 The Fort 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb

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9/11/2001 is a day nobody will ever forget. Nobody should ever forget. Many lives were lost and America as we knew it was forever changed after that day.

This was the 25th anniversary of that horrible day.

110 stories / floors per tower
Approx 2,071 steps in each tower
1,100 – 1,200 ft elevation gained per tower
2,753 souls from both towers perished

The football stadium bleachers at Nation Ford High School (aka Honey Badger, Ring of Fire, and Varsity), there are 6 rows (the larger two-way rows) of steps, each row with 34 steps. Going up then down each of the 6 rows gets you 204 steps, which is one round. Repeat that 10 times, or 10 rounds, +1 more row, you have 2074 steps. But we are going for elevation gain, not step count. By doing at least 14-15 rounds of NaFo steps, everyone hit the mark on elevation gained and over 2,100 steps.

Some were slick (no ruck), some wore rucks or weight vests, some had sandbags, some did a combo of all the above. We launched at 0600, and were done by 0730. Excellent work by everyone involved.

If we fail to remember significant events in our history, we are destined to eventually repeat them. NEVER FORGET.
This will be back again next year, hopefully closer to 9/11.

SYITG
-NASA

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Go Bills workout

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WARMUP: SSH, LSS, mosey, some Broga
THE THANG: moseyed over to side of Harris Teeter (for a little contact high 😳)
Wall sit as one Pax ran to concrete and did 3 burpees, halfway through changed to balls to the wall.

Then moseyed over to start the real thang:
Exercise 1: Merkins – MOT to Exercise 2: lunge walk
Exercise 2: Flutters – MOT to exercise 3: burpees broad jumps
Exercise 3: Squats- MOT TO exercise 4: run
Exercise 4: dips- MOT to Exercise 1: bear crawl.
Started with 5, then went up by 5 each time we got back to Exercise 1.
All got up to about 25…

ANNOUNCEMENTS: lots…read newsletter
COT: stays in COT

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Double Cindy

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WARMUP: SSH, cherry pickers, side lunge, tempo merkin into broga
THE THANG:
AMRAP – 15 min
Rev snow angels x5
Merkins x10
Squats x15

2 big laps with 2 burpees in between

DORA with Cindy
50 thrusters
100 swings
100 rows

Overhead Cindy walking lunge back to SBR’s truck.
MARY: 15 LBCs to eat up time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Convergence at EOM, step challenge at NaFo this week.
COT: Prayers for safe travels, dealing with illness, etc.

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