9 #ao-american-jackal for a circuit of Eastside pain.

WARMUP: SSH, windmill, hillbilly, imperials, plank jacks, broga
THE THANG:
DORA – 100 merks, 200 big boy, 300 squats
CIRCUIT – 4 rounds of 15 jump squats, 20 calf raises, 25 step back squat, 30 sec wall squat
MARY: yes
ANNOUNCEMENTS: sweaty Barry, f3 dads, east side lunch and diner events, blood drive
COT:

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Not All Heroes Wear Capes

YHC brushed off the cobwebs from a weinke from 2017. It was hard then and even worse this time. Here’s what we did:

Warm-up
– 10 Low Slow Squats (IC)
– 10 Mountain Climbers (IC)
– 10 SSHs (IC)
Run the Main Street to Clebourne, to COT loop

Round 1
– 10 Burpees
– 20 Merkins
– 30 LBCs (Little Baby Crunches)
– 40 Squats
– 50 Calf Raises
Run the loop

Round 2
– 10 Wide Arm Merkins
– 20 Lunges
– 30 Flutters
– 40 Overhead Claps
– 50 Side Straddle Hops
Run the loop

Round 3
– 10 Diamond Merkins
– 20 Jump Squats
– 30 Big Boy Sit-Ups
– 40 Alt. Shoulder Taps
– 50 Moroccan Night Clubs
Run the loop

Repeat until time

NMM
When we’re young, our heroes wear capes. As we age, our new heroes wear flaws, scars, and wisdom. They quietly show up, do the work, and expect no applause. Growing up isn’t about losing heroes, it’s about finding real ones.

You men are my heroes. You each have special gifts that I admire. You may not see it, but we do. Spending time in the Gloom with you men makes me better. Thank you.

IJ

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KB DORA

WARMUP: Moroccan Night Club, Windmill, Cherry Pickers
THE THANG: Clean & Press, Lunges, Goblet Squats, Overhead Press, American Hammer, Nur, Deadlift, Merkins, Overhead Carry, One Arm Row, Farmers Carry
MARY: LBC, Superman, Flutter Kicks
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
COT:

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Pass the Praise and Take the Blame

There is no one to blame but myself for the pain inflicted on eight at the American Jackal. Here’s what we did.

Warmup
– 15 SSHs (IC)
– 15 Mountain Climbers (IC)
– 10 Windmills (IC)

The Thang
– Hill repeats with Squats (10 at the bottom, 9 at the top, 8 at the bottom…all the way down to 1) – 55 Total

Mosey to the Track
– 1 lap followed by 25 Merkins, 25 Flutters, 25 Wide Arm Merkins (repeat 4 times) – 100 Merkins, 100 Flutters, 100 Werkins, and 1 mile

Mosey back to COT
– 10 Bombjacks at each light pole -70 total

Bench Work
– 10 Irkins (IC)
– 20 Dips (IC)
– 20 Step-ups
– 10 Derkins (IC)

Back to COT – 2.3 miles total

NMM
The quickest way to lose credibility as a leader is to pass the blame to someone else. We are better than that. Great leaders pass the praise and take the blame. It builds trust, earns respect, and shows true character. Ego divides. Ownership unites.

Aye!
IJ

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Guardrails – Building the walls together

WARMUP:
– Plank to DD, Sunrise stretch calf’s
– 20 Side Straddle Hops

THE THANG:
– Move to Dave Gibson Blvd, Convo then shuffle/run to circle

– Build the foundation – alternating lunge lateral twist Indian run style, 6 does 7 merkins then racks sandbag and shuffles to front. Others hop-up move one slot forward and alternate lunge lateral twist. Move to lower ground end at first parking spots after turn.

– Dig out the sand – backwards over shoulder sandbag tosses alternate sides – 6 does 7 bent-over rows with sandbag. Others continue over shoulder sandbag tosses to the bottom of the hill before left turn.

– Move sandbags for transport/build – 7 squats racked – Move to top of hill with front sandbag tosses.

– At top shuffle to base camp – repeat with 21 reps of each mode of transport and 7’s for each rep by the 6.

– Move to COT

MARY: N/A
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Read your news letter
COT: It is what it is…

When looking for a sign is it possible that if it shows up in your panic and not in your peace it isn’t meant to be…

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At a Crossroads

4 minnows (NASA, Peach Stand, Vuvuzela, Grout)
2 ruckers (Skipper, Warning Track)
WARMUP: it was already warm when we got there
Mosey to the 4 corners by the church for….
THE THANG:
Mosey on over to the corner of Academy and Withers, via Main to Confederate. Academy and Withers is the start point of The Cross workout:
– Up the hill on Withers to the parking lot at the top of the hill. 10 Merkins and 15 2ct mountain climbers
– Back down to start point, then 1 burpee
– Down Academy towards Fort Mill Church of God. Stop at the student ministry building. 10 Merkins, 15 LSS
– Back to start point, 1 burpee
– Up Withers to corner at Confederate, 10 merkins and 15 LBC
– Back to start point, 1 burpee
– Down Academy to corner near Main, 10 merkins and 15 2ct fullter
– Back to start point, 1 burpee
– Rinse and repeat, adding 1 burpee each round
– Everyone got through 3 complete rounds, some hard chargers started on a 4th
– Back to COT

Total count:
3 miles even, at least 24 burpees (some did extra, starting round 4),  and minimum of 120 merkins, 45 MC, 45 LSS, 45 LBC, 45 2-ct flutters.

MARY: about 2 min worth
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Convergence tomorrow! Bethel Men’s Shelter meal service tonight. Read the newsletter and get involved.
COT:
A lot of P&P lifted up. Enjoy the freedoms provided to you by this great nation, and safely celebrate it’s freedom and birth tomorrow.

Blessings and SYITG
NASA

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It wasn’t that hot or humid

WARMUP: not at MP
THE THANG: Running was the game. Up Massey to gas station. Each stop was 5 Spider-Man merkins, 10 CDD. Next stop was corner of Aubrey for same 5 and 10. To Skipper cross road for 5 and 10. All the way to the City Hall office building (I think it’s called), 5 and 10. Up to the painful glass filled parking lot for 5 and 10. To the print shop for 5 pull ups, 5 and 10, then 5 pull ups again. To the corner down by burrito place, 5 and 10. To COT, 5 and 10. Back up to gas station, 5 and 10. Down the street past the park to 160, 5 and 10. All the way back to COT, 5 and 10.

Then to the church 4 corners for…5 and 10. Shortcut back to print shop for Soup, earned $1, but up the hill and back to print shop for the rest of us for the 5, 5, 10, 5 series.

Then back to COT.
MARY: not really
ANNOUNCEMENTS: July 4 convergence, July 3 men’s food shelter
COT: completed

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Run It Like You Stole It… or Forget the Route

Minute Man rolled in at 6:02 — just early enough to technically make the “6ish” window.

?‍♂️ Road Warriors:
• Fogerty, Bass-o-Matic, and YHC tackled Sam Neely to Harvest Point and back — locked in a crisp 10K (6.2 miles) before most people even hit snooze.
• Peach Stand took the scenic route: Sutton, Baxter, Starbucks fly-by. 4.25 miles and the quote of the morning: “6 miles wasn’t in the forecast.”
• Tiller and Minute Man completely ignored the Harvest Point turn like it never existed.
• Tiller hit the Dam and flipped it at 8 miles.
• Minute Man nearly made it to his own driveway before realizing we weren’t behind him — turned back at Dam Rd for 9 miles, crushed That Hill™ like it was flat. Savage move.

? Trail Gang:
• Vuvuzela and Roll Off delivered a trail-running masterclass:
• Vuvuzela lost a shoe mid-run, went full archaeologist to dig it out, and still gutted out 9.5 miles.
• Roll Off sprinted those same 9.5 miles like he was racing the time clock — controlled chaos at its finest.
• Sasquatch went full beast mode: prerun from home to Lake Haigler, ran the workout, then ran home. 10.66 miles — just showing off at this point.
• Everest and Cobra Kai casually dropped 9 miles like it was a warm-up jog.

? Ruck Ops:
• Wegmans did his thing — 3.6 Kingsley loop miles with weight on his back and grit in his soul.

? Shoes were lost. Hills were tamed. Coffee was earned.
?See you next week — no map needed (but maybe bring a phone just in case).

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Copperheads and Coyotes

WARMUP: None
THE THANG: We ran! Or rather swam in the thick humidity. 4 runners, 2 ruckers. Run route was:
Out to Dobys Bridge, left onto it. Then right into Dominion Bridge neighborhood. Exit hood left onto Whites Rd. After a quarter mile or so, take a right into Catawba Ridge HS. Take that access road all the way behind the school to where the baseball/softball fields are. Stay on the outer perimeter of that parking lot, bearing right, heading in the direction towards the Parkway. Turn right to run along the front of the school, then cut across the sidewalk that connects to the East parking lot, near the band practice field. Stay on the outer perimeter of it, then turn right, headed to where the Snake Pit AO meets. Run the perimeter of that lot, interrupting the Snake Pit PAX, then exit the school. Cross over Whites Rd into Forest Creek Middle School. Run around the perimeter of the school, then back to Whites Rd. Right on Whites, then right back into Dominion Bridge neighborhood, then back to COT.
MARY: none
ANNOUNCEMENTS: read The Fort Weekly newsletter and get involved.
COT:
A LOT lifted up. June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. We don’t hear much about it at all, and that needs to change. Considering that 80% of all suicides globally are men, the awareness is much needed. Also considering that at least half of the men in the world will have a mental health issue in their life, yet less than 30% will not discuss it or seek help, the numbers are against us. It is the byproduct of societal expectations and stigmas, but also the expectations and perceived norms we put on ourselves. Yet men are suffering, falling apart inside, but the facade of smiles or toughness is all people see. I opened up about how I’ve been dealing with issues over the past year or two, and my mom getting sick then passing away only magnified it all. I’m done with covering it up, and I am working towards getting better. Another PAX shared his story about getting in a bad mindset, dealing with mental health issues himself, even thinking about ending it all via suicide. One thing that helped was breaking down the wall, the facade, and opening up about it. He mentioned that even being out in the gloom talking to guys helped. Don’t isolate.

A quote I recently saw really stuck out to me:
Suicide is a very permanent solution to what are often temporary problems.

Life is precious. Yes, it is full of ups and downs. Add expectations and what not to those downs, and it multiplies the weight of those burdens, then you end up pulled down a deep worm hole really quick. One that seems impossible to get out of. If you seek help, it makes things a little easier. We men are happy and fulfilled when we provide, build, create, teach, love, and help others in various ways, but we don’t do that very well for ourselves. Educate yourself about Men’s Mental health issues. Education is power, but it also helps you see the signs. Signs in others and in you. Raise awareness starting with you, then help beat the drum. It may not get as popular as Save the Ta-Tas (Breast cancer awareness month), but we all need to help elevate it.

Thanks for the opportunity to lead.
Blessings and SYITG
-NASA

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No One Escapes Alcatraz Without Doing Hard Labor

Pulled in with 5 minutes to spare, unloaded the whiteboard of pain, and got ready to honor someone who fought harder than we ever will in a 45-minute workout.
Today’s beatdown was in memory of Kathleen “Mrs. Burns,” the M of F3 Puget Sound’s Burns, who courageously battled pancreatic cancer for 571 days before passing on August 21, 2022. The workout was built as a tribute to her strength, endurance, and spirit.

THE WOD: “Mrs. Burns” Tribute
(Goal: 5 rounds – Completed: 3 rounds IC)
Buy-In: Run ~0.35 miles (approx. 500M)
Each Round (x3):
– 20 Overhead Coupon Presses
– 20 Burpees
– 20 Curls
– 20 V-Ups
– 20 Goblet Squats
– 13 Man-Makers
– Run ~0.35 miles again

Team Grinder – The Block Chain:
– Stack all Cindy’s at the front
– Line up the PAX
– First HIM passes a block down the line
– Last HIM restacks it, moves to the back
– Repeat until every man has cycled through
– (Yes, it was slow. Yes, it burned. Yes, we’ll probably do it again.)

COT:
– Announcements, praises, and prayer
– Challenge: Carry more than just weight today—carry each other
– Wrapped with Coffeeteria at Tega Cay Deli because fellowship matters

Strong men showed up. Stronger reasons kept us going.
#MrsBurns #PushThroughThePain #F3Strong

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