F3 Knoxville

Author: Choir Boy

Remembering a True High Impact Man – Martin Luther King, Jr.

THE SCENE: Mid 30s with a windchill just below freezing but dry, so that was good
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
18th day of the year – 347 days remaining. What are you going to do with them?

Actor Carey Grant was born this day in 1904.  Actor Kevin Costner was born this day in 1955.  Hockey player Mark Messier was born this day in 1961.  Eagle Glenn Frey died this day in 2016.  But, this day is not about any of them.  Today, January 18th falls on the third Monday in January, which is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Today is the 35th national observance of MLK Day.

SSHs x 35 (4 ct)

In 1983, President Reagan signed a bill that would establish a nationally-observed holiday in honor of MLK.  He is the only non-president to have received that honor.  He is also the only non-president with a memorial located on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Burpee x 1

The holiday was first celebrated in 1986 on the third Monday in January near MLK’s birthday (January 15, 1929).  It was not officially observed by all 50 states until January 18, 1993 (28 years ago today).

Little Baby Arm Circles Forward x 14 (4 ct)

Little Baby Arm Circles Backward x 14 (4 ct)

Some Michael Phelps

A little bit of this and a little bit of that x 2

THA-THANG:

Mosey to the Flag Pole

There is no better place to celebrate MLK Day than the Equalizer at Carl Cowan Park.  Cowan was a local MLK, so to speak, who did a lot for equality and race relations in Knox County.  In 1953, Cowan became the first African-American to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in Knox County.

This has nothing to do with MLK or Cowan, but today we are playing Ghost-Man Baseball.  No one had ever played it before because I just made it up. Here’s how it works (hopefully):

Home plate = the flag pole

First base = point in the diamond around the loop just beyond the playground

Second base = top of the diamond around the loop just beyond the tennis courts

Third base = point of the diamond around the loop in stinky corner

Divide into two teams

Team 1 runs to first base, does the exercises there and returns home.  Team 2 does core exercises at home plate while Team 1 is gone.  Team 1 comes back to home plate and does the core exercises while Team 2 runs to first base, does the exercises there, and returns to home plate.  Team 1 then runs to second base, stopping at first base to do the exercises there before moving on to second base (because you have to touch the bag before advancing), does the exercises at second, and returns to home plate via first base (but not doing the first base exercises again on the way back).  Team 2 is doing the core exercises at home plate and switches with Team 1 again.  Repeat this process until each team has hit a single, a double, a triple, and finally a home run, i.e., ran all of the way around the bases to home plate (stopping at each base along the way and doing the exercises) and finishing with home run exercises at home plate (no sweeping back because it’s a home run).  After the home run exercises, Team 1 does the core exercises at home plate while waiting for Team 2 to complete its home run trot and exercises.

Here are the exercises:

First base – Merkins

Second base – Squats

Third base – CDDs

Home Run – Burpees

As mentioned, today is the 35th observance of MLK Day.  Also, MLK received a Nobel Peace Prize when he was 35 years of age.  At the time, he was the youngest person to receive the award.  Therefore, the reps at each stop, including the home run, are 35.

Home plate core exercises (while the other team is running the bases) are the team’s choice of core exercise(s) done the entire time that the other team is running.

It worked as planned, but we starting running out of time, so both teams did the home run lap together, and we only had time for 10 burpees at home plate.

Mosey back to the AO

MARY:
We got a lot of Mary in during the workout at home plate, trust me.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

In 1957, MLK and other civil rights activists – mostly ministers – founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (“SCLC”).  The group was committed to achieving full equality for African Americans through non-violent protest.  The SCLC’s motto was: “Not one hair of one head of one person should be harmed.”  MLK was elected president of the SCLC in 1957 and served until his assassination in 1968.  During that time, MLK traveled over 6,000,000 miles, spoke over 2,500 times, and wrote 5 books.

MLK was assassinated on April 4, 1968.  The night before his assassination, MLK gave a speech at a church in Memphis and seemed to foreshadow his death:

“Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.  Longevity has its place.  But I’m not concerned about that now. . . .  I’ve seen the Promised Land.  I may not get there with you.  But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.  And I’m happy tonight.  I’m not worried about anything.  I’m not fearing any man.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

His words were truly powerful.  Here are a few other examples:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” 

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.  This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

“I have decided to stick with love.  Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.  If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail.  If you can’t be a sun, be a star.  For it isn’t by size that you win or fail.  Be the best of whatever you are.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

We need more leaders like MLK.

MOLESKIN:

During the workout, I shared some trivia about MLK:

MLK was born as Michael King, Jr.  His father was a Baptist minister in Atlanta.  Sr. visited Germany in 1934 and was inspired by the Protestant Reformation leader, Martin Luther.  Sr. began calling himself Martin Luther King as a result, and Sr. later referred to his son as Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK was arrested 29 times and assaulted 4 times.

MLK received 20 honorary degrees from colleges and universities in the U.S. and around the world.

In 1963, MLK became the first African American to be named Time magazine’s “Man of the Year.” 

There are approximately 900 streets named after MLK in the U.S.  Italy and Israel also have streets named after him.

On September 20, 1958, a woman stabbed MLK in the chest with a letter opener at a book signing in Harlem.  MLK nearly died, but he was saved after hours of surgery.  MLK later stated that he felt no anger or ill will towards the woman.

Prayers for Ribbed’s wife and Dusty’s cousin

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Blood drive at the Asylum on 1/29

CSAUP at the Asylum on 1/30

One Step (or Burpee/Pull-up) at a Time

THE SCENE: Low 40s or so and light rain/drizzle the whole time

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 50 (4 ct)

Little baby arm circles forward x 10 (4 ct)

Little baby arm circles backward x 10 (4 ct)

Michael Phelps

Little bit of this and a little bit of that x 2

Tempo merkins x 10

Tempo squats x 10

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the restrooms

100 burpee/pull-ups OYO

We sprinkled in some short moseys and some curls with the rocks for breaks along the way to 100.  We ended up doing 100 curls, too.

Mosey back to the AO

MARY:

LBCs x 50 (4 ct)

American Hammers x 25 (4 ct)

Flutter kicks x 25 (4 ct)

Plank to finish out the last minute

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 HIMs, including Blue Bloods and Stucco who do not have tags in the system

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I’m still focused on my goal of being positive this year.  It’s not been easy.  Most outside influences are not going to be positive.  It’s bad for their business.  I have to look internally and within my immediate sphere – me, my family, my friends, my work, my F3 brothers, my community, etc.  I may not be able to directly affect the global or even national narrative, but I can affect the narrative on my level in how I live my life and, in doing so, perhaps affect a larger scale indirectly through others that I impact along the way (e.g., my kids or even some random stranger).  Regardless, whatever my plans are (or whatever happens whether planned or not) and whatever I do (or don’t do), I’m going to try to be positive and find peace knowing that God is in control and is guiding my way.  See Proverbs 16:9 (“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”).

MOLESKIN:
We did 100 SSHs, 100 burpees, 100 pull-ups, 100 curls, and 100 LBCs (plus a few other things) before 6:15 a.m.  How many people can say that?  How many people can say that they did that much work by the end of the day?

Prayers for Ribbed’s wife and family

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Blood drive at the Asylum on 1/29

CSAUP at the Asylum on 1/30

These Are Crazy Days, But They Make Me Shine

THE SCENE: Upper 40s or so, wet, but no rain
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 21 (4 ct)

Little baby arm circles forward x 21

Little baby arm circles backward x 21

Little bit of this and a little bit of that x 2

Michael Phelps

21 merkins

21 squats

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Rocky Mountain High

21s – Incline merkins at the top, squats at the bottom

Mosey to Everest

20 burpees at the bottom, run to the summit, 21 burpees at the top

Mosey to the Colosseum

21 derkins at the bottom of the loop, 21 calf raises at the top on the steps of the admin building

Rinse and repeat

Mosey to the Cloud

21 box jumps, 21 dips (no running in between)

Rinse and repeat

Mosey to the Pavilon

21 bench pull ups, 21 CDDs

Rinse and repeat for 4 total rounds

Mosey to Little Cardiac

Sprint to the AO

MARY:

21 flutter kicks (4 ct)

20 hokey pokeys (10 each leg)

1 merkin w/ a clap

Plank until time

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
24 HIMs, including FNG Flo and Jetlag and Chugger (who are not tagged)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I Q’ed at the Equalizer on Wednesday, the last Equalizer Q for 2020.  I reflected back on my Q from 1/4/20, almost a year ago today, which was the first Saturday workout in 2020 at the Asylum.  I wrote this in my back-blast for the 1/4/20 workout:

It is a new year and a new decade and no one knows what it holds.  It could be the year that someone is added to your life, or it could be the year that someone is taken away.  It could be the year of the promotion, or it could be the year of the demotion.  It could be the year of kindergarten, or it could be the year of graduation.  It could be the year of the big win, or it could be the year of the big loss.  Regardless, you don’t need a resolution, you need a constitution, a foundation.  On a big scale, it should be God, your family, your friends, etc.  But, it can be anything that grounds you.  It can even be as simple as the F3 workouts.  The asphalt, concrete, and grass do not change, and they are always there waiting for you whether you have a good day/week or a bad day/week.  They are checkpoints after good times or bad and before whatever lies ahead.  If nothing else, start there and build.  Have a good new year but not just for what good fortunes may come your way during the year but based on what you keep your eye on and focus on while the year goes by.

I wrote this for my back-blast on 12/30/20:

I certainly did not know (nor could I have imagined) how 2020 was going to play out.  It has been a year of a whole lot of something and a whole lot of nothing at the same time.  It’s been a long year and one that has hardly existed.  I’m usually reflective at New Year’s, but this year is different.  The usual events are not there to reflect on.  But, it has been a good year to get back to those basic foundations that I mentioned in January.  I’ve spent more time at home and with my family.  I’ve attended more F3 workouts thanks to my telework schedule.  I’ve prayed a lot.  A lot people are happy to end 2020 in favor of 2021.  Those people need to be careful.  We should not wish our lives away in hopes of better days to come.  Find the joy now.  If you can’t find any, then look harder.  If you still can’t find any, then make some.  We have to live the days we are given as there is no guarantee of tomorrow.  Also, things are not going to change just because the year changes from 2020 to 2021.  Things will change with positive attitudes and actions.  When you look back on 2020, look for the good and don’t dwell on the bad.  As you look forward to 2021, look with hope and with the intention of doing something positive with it.

Wednesday night, Noel Gallagher released a song that summed up what I was trying to say about the struggle to be positive with all of the endless negativity being thrown at us.  Before I talk about his song, I wanted to provide some context.

Noel Gallagher was the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and secondary vocalist for my favorite band – Oasis.  As I have said before, I was born in the 70s, I am a child of the 80s, but I am a product of the 90s.  Few bands captured the essence of the 90s – its brash positivity, its depressing angst, and its impenetrable rebel spirit – better than Oasis.  The band’s music, as with most music of the 90s, was about being yourself, challenging authority, pressing the boundaries, and pushing the envelope.  It was dreaming and aspiring for greatness while being burdened with existential philosophical and theological questions of right and wrong and simply “why.”  Noel wrote some of the great songs that defined that era.  Those songs also contained gems such as:

I’m free to be whatever I/Whatever I choose/And I’ll sing the blues if I want/I’m free to say whatever I/Whatever I like/If it’s wrong or right it’s alright/Always seems to me/You only see what people want you to see/How long’s it gonna be/Before we get on the bus/And cause no fuss/Get a grip on yourself/It don’t cost much – Whatever

Listen up, what’s the time/Said today, I’m gonna speak my mind/Take me up to the top of the world I wanna see my crime/Day by day there’s a man in a suit who’s gonna make you pay/For the thoughts that you think and the words they won’t let you say – Listen Up

Some might say they don’t believe in heaven/Go and tell that to the man who lives in hell – Some Might Say

Look into the wall of my mind’s eye/I think I know, but I don’t know why/The questions are the answers you might need/Coming in a mess, going out in style/I ain’t good-looking, but I’m someone’s child/No one can give me the air that’s mine to breathe/I met my maker/I made him cry/And on my shoulder he asked me why/His people won’t fly through the storm/I said listen up man, they don’t even know you’re born – D’You Know What I Mean?

Take the time to make some sense of what you want to say/And cast your words away upon the waves/Sail them home with acquiesce on a ship of hope today/And as they land upon the shore/Tell them not to fear no more/Say it loud and sing it proud today – The Masterplan

I need to be myself/I can’t be no one else – Supersonic

(The title of this back-blast is also a line from one of Noel’s songs – All Around the World.)

I could go on.  Those are just a few and are not even from some of the more widely known songs.  But, I am not trying to sell anyone on Oasis.

My point is that music today has changed.  It is not only missing actual instruments, it is missing its revolution.  Ever since Buddy Holly challenged the status quo and the comfort of the established class in the 50s – through and including Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and, of course, the Beatles, music has reflected a “we are not going to take it,” “we are who we are and we are proud of it,” and a “we are going to live our lives and no one is going to tell us otherwise” mentality.  Music is the mirror that the youth hold up to everyone else to keep them in check and to improve things.  In a way, music is society’s conscious.  Not today.  Today’s music does not even have a Madonna, let alone a true revolutionary.  Everyone falls in line and sings the same tune.

Want proof?  Old-school British rockers have been rising up a lot lately against COVID masks, protocols, and things of that nature.  The list includes Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, and Ian Brown from the Stone Roses.  Noel has also chimed in.  He did not say that the virus wasn’t real.  He did not say that people weren’t dying of the virus.  He simply pointed out that a lot of liberties had eroded and questioned why he has to wear a mask in public unless he is eating – will the virus recognize that he is eating and skip over him, he asked.  He was attacked for his comments by some.  I say that not to raise the usual debates about COVID, but to get to this. 

Noel has a 20-year-old daughter.  She was asked to respond to Noel’s comments.  Her response is the point, and it demonstrates a larger problem that was revealed in 2020.  She said: “I get where he’s coming from but I’m less full-on than him.  I’m generally less revolutionary than my dad.  I’ve never not worn a mask.  I think my generation is quite lenient and that’s not necessarily a good thing.  We do what we’re told a bit too much, we come from an era of fake news and Facebook telling us what the news is.  We are also hugely afraid of being cancelled.  It’s very dangerous to stand up and be your own person in my generation.  If you are going against the grain, you can be totally cut out.”

That’s scary.  In one generation, the Gallagher line has gone from striving for greatness and revolutionizing the world with such great lyrics as those mentioned before and countless others to being afraid to speak out and being afraid of being cancelled.  If the children of rock-n-roll rebels are falling in line, then where does that leave the rest of us?  If the youth movement is not there to keep the older generation in line and on its toes, then where does that leave the rest of us, not just now but with whatever lies ahead in 2021 and beyond?

Luckily, Noel is still around and still willing to comment.  So, back to the song that I mentioned earlier.  I don’t think it is controversial.  I think it is hopeful and positive.  Here are the lyrics:

Remember the dream that you’re keeping alive/Remember your love for the loved outside/Don’t fight the feeling/Don’t stop believing in what you know/‘Cause you can’t let go, my friend/We’re gonna get there in the end/Tonight!  Tonight!/Gonna let that dream take flight/And when the morning comes/Will you wake up by my side?/Love, real love/Is all I’m thinking of/Give it half a chance/And the world might find a way/Don’t be afraid when you’re rolling the dice/Life is a trip that you don’t take twice/If you think that your faith is enough/The weight that you carry is love/We’ve spent too long inside/Take a walk outside/It’s a sad, sad song that the world keeps singing/Well let love try to sing along/Don’t fight the feeling/Don’t stop believing in what you know/‘Cause you can’t let go, my friend/We’re gonna get there in the end

The video with the song shows what appears to be drone footage of a locked down city in England.  It ends with a shot of a crowd of people filling the streets as they walk across an intersection on both sides.  I’m not sure when that footage was taken, but let’s hope that it becomes more common in 2021.  Who would have thought that such a simple and mundane daily task like walking across the street in a crowd would be the focus of so many hopes and goals of a new year.  But, here we are.  And, I hope that Noel is right and that we’re gonna get there in the end.  And, while we are trying to get back to better days, I hope that we also get back to a point where we are all free to be and say whatever we want, especially our youth.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Jordan, Ribbed’s wife and family, and for a great 2021

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Asylum CSAUP on 1/30

Looking Back and Moving Forward

THE SCENE: Low 30s, clear, full moon in the sky (the halo arrived towards the end of the workout)

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Some stretching and 1 SSH

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the splash pad

My family gave me the official F3 Workout Deck for Christmas, so we did that.  Each card has a different exercise, and the reps are determined by the card: 1-10 = the number on the card plus 10 (e.g., a 2 = 12 reps, a 5 = 15 reps, etc.), J,Q,K = 25, and Aces = 100 (we drew 2 aces).  We made it approximately 75% of the way through the deck.  I would list all of the exercises that we did, but it might spoil the surprise for others as to what all the deck contains.  Needless to say, we did some cardio, some core, some legs, and some merkins.

Mosey back to the AO

MARY:
We just had a little time for Mary, so we did 20 boat/canoes and about a 12-second plank before time.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
8 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
On 1/4/20, I led the first Saturday workout in 2020 at the Asylum.  I wrote this in my back-blast for that workout:

It is a new year and a new decade and no one knows what it holds.  It could be the year that someone is added to your life, or it could be the year that someone is taken away.  It could be the year of the promotion, or it could be the year of the demotion.  It could be the year of kindergarten, or it could be the year of graduation.  It could be the year of the big win, or it could be the year of the big loss.  Regardless, you don’t need a resolution, you need a constitution, a foundation.  On a big scale, it should be God, your family, your friends, etc.  But, it can be anything that grounds you.  It can even be as simple as the F3 workouts.  The asphalt, concrete, and grass do not change, and they are always there waiting for you whether you have a good day/week or a bad day/week.  They are checkpoints after good times or bad and before whatever lies ahead.  If nothing else, start there and build.  Have a good new year but not just for what good fortunes may come your way during the year but based on what you keep your eye on and focus on while the year goes by.

I certainly did not know (nor could I have imagined) how 2020 was going to play out.  It has been a year of a whole lot of something and a whole lot of nothing at the same time.  It’s been a long year and one that has hardly existed.  I’m usually reflective at New Year’s, but this year is different.  The usual events are not there to reflect on.

But, it has been a good year to get back to those basic foundations that I mentioned in January.  I’ve spent more time at home and with my family.  I’ve attended more F3 workouts thanks to my telework schedule. I’ve prayed a lot.

A lot people are happy to end 2020 in favor of 2021.  Those people need to be careful.  We should not wish our lives away in hopes of better days to come.  Find the joy now.  If you can’t find any, then look harder.  If you still can’t find any, then make some.  We have to live the days we are given as there is no guarantee of tomorrow.  Also, things are not going to change just because the year changes from 2020 to 2021.  Things will change with positive attitudes and actions.

When you look back on 2020, look for the good and don’t dwell on the bad.  As you look forward to 2021, look with hope and with the intention of doing something positive with it.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Ribbed, his wife, and his family and for 2021.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Coming up: polar plunge and Asylum CSAUP

Infamy and Unity

THE SCENE: 40s and damp but no rain
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

79 years ago (12/7/41), Pearl Harbor was bombed.  The attack began at 7:55 a.m. and lasted for almost 2 hours.

12 SSH (4 ct)

7 Burpees

41 Squats

THA-THANG:

Mosey to the flag pole

19 American ships were destroyed or damaged.

19 boat/canoes

188 American aircraft were destroyed or damaged.

188 tie fighters (single count)

2,403 American lives were lost – 2,008 from the Navy, 218 from the Army, 109 Marines, and 68 civilians.

2,403 merkins as a group in honor of everyone who died at Pearl Harbor (regular, inclined, declined, hand-release, WWII, etc., or a combination – PAX choice – but try to mix it up).  There were 12 PAX, so each PAX did 200 merkins.  After the first 100, we all ran a lap around the track.  After the next 50, we ran another lap.  After the final 50, we ran another lap.  We did the last 3 merkins together, in cadence, in the form of WWII merkins.  After completing the 2,403 merkins as a group, we ran a fourth lap to complete the mile.

Back at the flag pole, we honored the 15 members of the Navy who received the Medal of Honor for their actions at Pearl Harbor by doing 15 American Hammers (4 ct).

Minute of silence under the flag for everyone who has fought and died for our country followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, which broke out spontaneously from one of the PAX.

We had some extra time and hadn’t done enough merkins, so we cashed out with some ATMs (15 shoulder taps (4 ct), 10 tempo merkins, and 10 merkins (OYO)).

Mosey back to the AO

MARY:

Hello Dollys x 20 (4 ct)

Flutter Kicks x 20 (4 ct)

Hold plank for about a minute until time

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 HIMs, including FNG Floater and last week’s FNG Jetlag whose tag is not in the system.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Our workout lasted 45 minutes.  79 years ago, Pearl Harbor had another hour or so of hell to fight through by the time that we were done.  What we did was nothing compared to what the people at Pearl Harbor did and went through.

The USS Arizona still rests under the water at Pearl Harbor.  Its fallen crew members still rest there, too.  Among them, 23 sets of brothers died on that ship on that day.  Former crew members who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor can have their ashes placed under one of the sunken gun turrets.  44 have done so with the last one occurring in 2019.  Former crew members from other ships who survived can have their ashes scattered where their ship was located during the attack.

There are lots of interesting stats and facts about Pearl Harbor.  Here is one that jumped out to me – after Pearl Harbor, 97% of Americans approved of entering WWII.  Sadly, it is hard to think of the last time 97% of Americans agreed on anything.

FDR said that 12/7/41 was a day that would live in infamy, which means being well known for some bad quality or deed.  He was right.  It was, and it has.

It also led to unity.

Let’s pray for the same bravery and unity that defined the Greatest Generation.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for unity (hopefully without the infamy).  Prayers for everyone struggling with addiction (spoiler alert: we all do over something to some degree) and praises for those who overcome addiction and find better ways and better days.  Prayers for Ribbed’s wife.  Prayers for Curveball’s wife.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Polar plunge coming soon