F3 Knoxville

Author: Charmin

Another Rain Q

THE SCENE: For the 4th Charmin Q in a row, we’ve got rain.  At least it’s warm.  Shorts and T-shirt warm.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Pretty basic.  SSH x 25 (4 ct), IC; ISW x 20, IC; BAC, forward and backwards.
THA-THANG:
It’s raining, of course, so that means Pavalon.  We’re all about Tabata this morning.  At least there’s music.  We’ve got 8 different exercises, 8 cycles for each exercise before moving on to the next.  1 cycle=20 seconds on, 10 second rest.  The exercises

  • Bobby Hurleys
  • Merkins
  • Flutter Kicks and Hello Dollies on alternate cycles
  • Forward Lunges and Side Lunges on alternate cycles
  • Table Rows (8 cycles were rough!)
  • American Hammers
  • Calf Raises
  • Mountain Climbers

Did I mention there was a topical playlist?  There was!  See Moleskin for the songs and artists.  Waffle House was the first to note the theme, at song #3.

MARY:
Post Tabata, we wall sat for a bit, doing some Thunderclaps, since we were listening to Thunderstruck.  Then we finished strong with the Howling Monkey.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 strong!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed the criticism he faced (from well meaning Christian ministers) for pushing for civil rights advancement too fast rather than letting things happen “in their own time.”  His response:  The notion that time itself heals all wounds is a myth.  Time is neutral.  The passage of time can be used constructively or destructively; by people of ill will as well as good will.  “We must come to see that huma progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability.  It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with God [i.e. HIMS!]. . . We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”
MOLESKIN:
Playlist for the morning: 1) Gimme Shelter, Rolling Stones; 2) Riders on the Storm, The Doors; 3) Who’ll Stop the Rain, CCR; 4) I Love a Rainy Night, Eddie Rabbit; 5) Rock You Like a Hurricane, Scorpions; 6) Here Comes the Rain Again, Eurythmics; 7) Feels Like Rain, Buddy Guy; 8) Thunderstruck, AC/DC.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Supply drive for Safe Haven is coming up.  Get ready!!!

 

The Sidewinder is born

THE SCENE:  Rain, but hey, at least it’s warm.  Plus we have a Pav-a-lon, so who cares.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Everybody get a coupon from the CMU pile and head for cover.  Pax does SSHs while the Q goes to get his own coupon.  BAC forward and back, IC; A little of this here and that over there; Windmills, IC, slowing the last 5 down to Abe Vigoda speed.  Finish up with 20 or so Imperial Squat Walkers.
THA-THANG:
Brick joins a bit late into the Warm, so we all accompany him to the CMU pile for his coupon, and run a lap of the AO back to cover.  Then the real work begins

  • 3 sets of 11s: Table Rows/Box Jumps; Dips/Monkey Humpers; Merkins/BBS
  • CMU Curls, IC, x 25 on the 4 ct;
  • Introducing the Sidewinder:  Stand the CMU up; Side plank supported on one elbow with the upper foot resting on the top of the CMU.  Get your hips off the ground.  Move the knee of the lower leg up to touch the elbow of your upper arm.  That’s one rep.  Do 10 of these.  Then switch sides, so the other elbow is on the ground and other foot is on the CMU.  10 more reps.
  • Start a variation of 7 of Diamonds. Instead of reps at each corner, do a lap around the building in the dry and then do the reps.  Start by bear crawling down the length of the building on one side; mosey to the next length and lunge down that side, back to the pavilion.  After each lap, do an exercise:
  • For the first 4 laps, 7 burpees;
  • Next 4 laps, 14 flutters (4 ct);
  • Next 4, 21 Pickle Pounders
  • Next 4, 28 Squats

MARY:
Turns out that 7 of diamonds thing takes a long time, so we cut it short after the burpees and one round of flutters.  Mary was more flutters with a CMU held overhead, followed by 21 Pickle Pounders.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
About 4 years ago, I posted at an F3 workout for the first time.  Edit was the Q.  I weighed about 30-35 pounds heavier than I do now.  I barely survived.  His BOM was “Consistency.”  Though I’ve been much more consistent in a lot of aspects of my life (particularly posting at F3), I’ve learned that consistency in all phases – my walk with God, my role as a father, husband and friend, in my professional life – requires constant effort.  We’ll fail for sure, but keep at it.  The payoff for the effort is worth it.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Rainbow’s friend John as he struggles with liver problems and for Jinxy as he recovers from his hip injury.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Keep bringing in napkins, trash bags and copy paper!!!

Rainbow Connection

THE SCENE: 50 with a steady drizzle.  Perfect weather (to head to the Pav-a-Lon!)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER You know the drill.
WARM-O-RAMA:
We get the music started early.  It’s time to celebrate Rainbow taking the shovel flag, so celebrate we shall.  Did you know Rainbow was named after his favorite My Little Pony? I did!  First song:  “Rainbow” by Sia from the My Little Pony, the Movie Soundtrack.  Did you know there was an actual My Little Pony Movie? I didn’t!

Let’s get the burpees out of the way, shall we?  Burpee ladder: SSHx 10; 2 burpees; BAC-forward x 10; 4 burpees; BAC-backerds x10; 6 burpees; ISW x 10; 8 burpees; Rockets x 10; 10 burpees.
THA-THANG:
As Robert Plant belts out “Rainbow” from his Digging Deep: Subterranea album (not exactly Now and Zen), we head climb another ladder: Run a lap around the pav-a-Lon building, perform a table row and dip.  Run another lap, completing 10 laps total.  After each successive lap, add a table row and dip up to 10 reps each.  Enjoy Kacey Musgrave singing her song . . .you guessed it, “Rainbow.”

As we finish the ladder, “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” by Rainbow starts blaring.  Freshly energized as only heavy metal can do, we mosey at a fast clip to the Narthex.

At the Narthex, we mellow things out.  We’re descending a ladder of Froggy Squats then regular squats, starting at 10 each, down to 1.  It’s Froggy Squats + Rainbow celebration, so that means one song only:  “Rainbow Connection” by Kermit The Frog.

The Pax wets its feet from the Narthex to the Chapel, finding a dry spot on the floor, for a Hurricane Hoedown.  That’s flutter kicks x7 in seated position with hands over head, flutters x7 in reclining “power T” position, and then regular flutters x 7.  We work our way down from the set of 7 to 6, then 5 . . . .to 1, while we enjoy the pop stylings of Rainbow Kitten Surprise performing “American Shoes” followed by “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by the big Hawaiian Ukulele dude Israel Kamakawio’ole.

Seeing that the far pavilion by the baseball fields was ocupado, we stayed put for some 25s of Merkins and BBS overwhelmed by even more Rainbow “Since You Been Gone.”  We mosey back in the rain to the vocal stylings of even more Ronnie James Dio and “Rainbow in the Dark” to the Pav-a-Lon, where we close out 3 minutes of high knee step ups and then 2 minutes of plank with Elvis crooning “Pocketful of Rainbows” (From the G.I. Blues movie, btw).

MARY:
I guess the planks should be here.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
A conspiracy is an agreement between 2 or more people to act in harmony toward a common end.  While we think of that word in a negative context, being the AO Q has shown me it can be positive.  Many HIMs at the Asylum have conspired to act together to make us all better.  I’ve not been a leader so much as just a part of a conspiracy to lead.  Being part of that has humbled me beyond belief.  Rainbow has been part of the conspiracy for many years.  Now, he’ll be the one directing us.  I couldn’t be more excited for our AO than I am right now.  Thanks to all for pushing me to be better every day.
MOLESKIN:
More from the Q Source:  What is required for men to conspire with each other to move themselves and others toward Advantage?  Trust.  How do we gain trust?

1) Candor (i.e. honesty with ourselves and others);

2) Commitment (toward the common goal);

3) Consistency (showing up regularly so that others know they can count on you);

4) Contentment (demonstration of stability of emotion regardless of the situation);

5) Courage (to do what is uncomfortable – to challenge yourself and your brothers).

We have that in spades at the Asylum, men!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Please bring napkins, 55 gallon trash bags and copy paper for Hope House.  Also, Saturday at Sandy Springs Park, we have a new Maryville AO kicking off!).

4 Stations of the Barkley

THE SCENE: Cold. Damp.  Spitting snow at the end.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH, 4 ct, x 20 (IC); 2 burpees; CP, IC, x 5; 4 burpees; BAC, forward and back, IC, x 10 each way; 6 burpees
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the Overlook for a Barkley.  Grab a battle buddy, running the perimeter of the Asylum building, with 4 stations.  Each station has 3 exercises, 1 for each lap.

  • Station #1 (Overlook): Merkins x 25; CDD x 25; Dips x 25
  • Station #2 (Westside stop sign):  LBCs (4ct) x 25; American Hammers (4ct) x 25; Hello Dollys (4ct) x 25
  • Station #3 (Old rock pile): Squats (4ct) x 20; Smurf Jacks (4ct) x 20; Iron Mikes (4ct) x 20
  • Station #4 (Eastside stop sign): Burpees x 10; Man Makers x 10; Hand Release Burpees x 10

After finishing all 3 laps, wagon wheel for the 6 and mosey back to the AO
MARY:
Cat Gut leads the Pax in several minutes of Boat Canoe.  Finish strong with ATMs.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

From Matthew  26:52-53: “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

In today’s world, gentleness is not really celebrated.  To show gentleness is to show weakness.  And yet, it is one of the Fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:23).

When we look at the Jesus, we see that gentleness is a chief trait.  As he was being betrayed, arrested, and (as he knew), led off to die, he could’ve called down destruction at any moment. But he humbled himself and died for us instead.

Gentleness is strength and power under control

MOLESKIN:
Prayers to lift up our community, our nation, for Charmin’s cousin’s family after a sudden death, for Cat Gut’s nephew and his family, as he has been seriously injured in a motorcycle wreck.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP Jan. 30!  Sign up!

Here comes another 12 days of Christmas!

THE SCENE: Mid 40s and clear. Perfect Sweatin’ Weather
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH (4ct) IC x 12; Tie Fighters (BAC in lunge position), both directions x12
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Gresham Elementary for a little 12 days of Christmas. We do ascending exercises, with runs in alternating directions between the verses.  Christmas lights were up (though the little lights weren’t twinkling)

  • 1st day of Christmas: Burpee
  • 2nd day of Christmas: Shoulder Taps (4ct)
  • 3rd day of Christmas: Box Cutters (4ct)
  • 4th day of Christmas: Jump Squats
  • 5th day of Christmas: Tempo Merkins
  • 6th day of Christmas: Hello Dollys (4ct)
  • 7th day of Christmas: Smurf Jacks (4ct)
  • 8th day of Christmas: Carolina Dry Docks
  • 9th day of Christmas: Flutters (4ct)
  • 10th day of Christmas: Squats (4ct)
  • 11th day of Christmas: Overhand claps (4ct)
  • 12th day of Christmas: 8 count Bodybuilders a/k/a Man Makers

MARY:
No Mary.  That is one long Christmas Carol.  So we slowsied back to the AO and circled up.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
We are in the 2nd week of Advent.  It is the week of Faith.  The first week was the week of Hope.  The perfect bible verse encompassing each of these concepts is Hebrews 10:23: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

I also re-watched the movie “Wall Street” and enjoyed this quote from Hal Holbrook: Man looks into the abyss.  There’s nothing staring back at him.  At that moment, Man finds his character.  And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.”  How does Man find his character?  Through Hope and Faith.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Dr. Feelgood’s mother in law and family as they determine the path forward after another diagnosis of a recurrent cancer.  Also, prayers to uplift our kids and school staff (teachers, aides, etc) as the ongoing COVID crisis has pushed everybody to the limit.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
I didn’t announce it, but please sign up in the coming weeks for the Asylum CSUAP on Jan. 30.