F3 Knoxville

Author: Lillydipper

Death Shall Die

THE SCENE: Sunny and pleasant, temps in upper 60’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Rockettes, 10 Temp Squats, 10 Windmills, 10 Little Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey to new restroom area by new parking lot.  We will do Pickett’s Charge to Admin Bldg.  Those finishing first circle back to retrieve their brothers.  We will next do 20 heel lifts regular, 20 with toes in, and 20 with toes out on the steps of the Admin Bldg.  We will next Bernie Sanders to roadway.

Mosey to dragon tail sidewalk and down to where cone is set up for Route 66.  We will do Route 66 up the dragon tail with the following exercises:

  • Squat Jumps
  • Dive Bombers
  • Imperial Walkers (four count)

Mosey to parking lot that is by entry way to Northern Ball Parks.  We will be running around corners, doing the following exercises:.  The corners show three sets of exercises because we will circle the parking lot three times.

  • Corner 1:  25 Merkins, 25 Diamond Merkins, 25 Carolina Drydocks
  • Corner 2:  (all of the following are 4 count) 20 Flutter Kicks, 20 American Hammers, 20 Hello Dollies
  • Corner 3:  (all are with CMU’s) 25 Overhead Presses, 25 Curls, 25 Rows
  • Corner 4:  25 Smurf Jacks, 25 Star Jumps, 25 Plank Jacks

Mosey back to AO.

MARY:
Planks with reaches.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Twelve men, no FNG’s.

BOM:

John Donne is an English Poet who lived in the 1500 and 1600’s.  He wrote a number of sonnets called his holy sonnets and his 10th holy sonnet is one of his famous ones that is now entitled “Death Be Not Proud.”  Donne, as a Christian, knows that, in God, he need not fear death.  In the first four lines (quatrain) he mocks death, saying that though some have called it mighty and dreadful, it cannot kill those it thinks it can overthrow, such as Donne.  In the second quatrain, Donne ironically praises death, noting that through it good men can finally rest from the suffering they face here on Earth.  In the third quatrain, Donne chastises death again, claiming it is a slave to “fate, chance, kings and desperate men.  How can death be proud when it only dwells within “poison, sickness and war?” In the final couplet of the sonnet, Donne delivers the final blow to death, turning death upside down.  Knowing that, through God, we who believe in Him shall live on into eternity, Donne points out the truthful irony:  once we die here on Earth, death no longer exists.  Once we die, death is no more – death dies!

Here is the beautiful sonnet.  Read it knowing that, through our faith in God, we need not fear death.  If we believe that God is eternal and that, through him, we live eternally, we have nothing to fear.

Holy Sonnets: Death, be not proud

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

 

Antarctica or Knoxville

THE SCENE: Sunny, temps in 30’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 25 Prayer Reaches, 10 Cherry Pickers, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to large parking lot south of northern ball parks.  We will be doing suicide sprints to five different cones set up along parking lot.  Each cone is a further distance from starting line.  After we are finished with the first set of suicides we will do 25 Merkins and 20 Hello Dollies.  We will do a second set of suicides but each time back from an inlet do 20 Baby Crunches.  Afterwards, we will do 25 more Merkins and 20 more Hello Dollies.

Mosey to start of Serpentine Sidewalk.  We will be doing 14’s all the way to the perimeter trail at the end of the side walk.  In the first set of 14’s we bear crawl for one light, then run four lights and continues this pattern until the end of the serpentine sidewalk.  Those finishing first sweep others back.  In the second set of 14’s we lunge for one light then run four lights to the end of the serpentine sidewalk.

Mosey to parking lot by northern ballpark entrance.  Split into teams of two.  Each team grabs a Cinder Block.   We will do Doras with one partner doing Bernie Sanders to end of parking lot, then sprinting back while other partner does exercise with cinder block.  Then partners switch.  We will do 100 each of the following exercises:

  • Overhead press
  • Curls
  • Rows

Place cinder blocks back in pile and mosey to AO

MARY:
20 Boxcutters, then leg lifts high to low
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 men, no FNG’s.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
While listening to NPR yesterday, I heard a story about and interview excerpts with Colin O’ Brady, who recently became the first man to trek across Antarctica solo, unaided by assistance or wind power.  The 932 mile trip took him 53 days.  He started his journey dragging a sled of gear (tent, sleeping bag, skis, food) that weighted 375 pounds.  He generally traveled 12 hours per day and many times faced white out conditions in incredibly cold temperatures.

O’ Brady can be admired for not only what he did, but what he overcame to get to the point where he was able to make the trek.  The 33-year-old from Portland, Oregon was burned in a freak accident and suffered major burns on the lower half of his body.  He was told he would never walk normally again.  His mother encouraged him to overcome his circumstances and he worked hard at doing so.  A few years later he won an Olympic Distance Triathlon.

To prepare for the Antarctica trek he spent many hours preparing.  He did planks by plunging his feet and hands in ice water!

O’ Brady accomplished this feat through hard work and a belief in improving himself.  We may not accomplish a trek across Antartica through our work outs in F3.  But we are each working on bettering ourselves.  We each know what it is like to want to give in but keep pushing on.  O’ Brady was asked by the interviewer if he felt like giving up.  He told her there were many times he wanted to give up.  The second day of his journey he thought about contacting his wife and telling her the whole thing was stupid and impossible.  The time he wanted to quit most occurred in the last week of his journey.

Another thing about O’Brady’s story that made me think of F3 was a story about O’Brady’s relationship with another man from Great Britain named Louis Rudd.  Louis started his own separate trek across Antarctica at the same time.  The two were acquainted with each other and shook hands before the trip started.  The only other time they saw each other before the end of the trek was when O’Brady passed Rudd after about a week on the journey.  But they did see each other again when Rudd finished.  That is because O’ Brady waited for Rudd, sleeping in the cold for two days at the finish line while he waited for Rudd to finish his journey.  Leave no man behind!!!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Beer gathering at Union Jacks immediately after this workout!

Overcoming Hard Times

THE SCENE: Cloudy, temps in 40’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Rockettes, Plank Stretches, 10 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Mosey to trail that extends from upper parking lot that goes near entryway at Lyons Bend.  We will do 14’s by bear crawling for one light, running for four, and repeating that pattern until we get to entry roadway.  At roadway we will do 20 Hello Dollies.

We will cross street and continue on trail, doing nickel, dime, quarters (run one light then do 5 of exercise, run two lights then do 10 of exercise, run five lights and do 25 of exercise) all the way to roadway that enters from Northshore gate.  These will be the exercises

  • Squat jumps
  • Merkins
  • Big-boy sit-ups
  • Run remaining distance to roadway.

At corner of trail and roadway we will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Outdoor Chapel.  We will do elevens, starting with 1 Decline Merkin at stage and 10 Mountain Climbers (four count) at other end of chapel.

Mosey to Playground.  We will do elevens at benches, starting with one bench dip and 10 bench jumps.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:

Leg lifts (various heights)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Fourteen men and one mighty dog named “Tank” who belongs to Abscess.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

A number of us have been going through some difficult times right now.  We need to know that God is there for us during hard times.  We can turn to him for rest and strength.  It may not end our suffering immediately but it is good to know that God cares for us and God, through Jesus Christ, has suffered too, even dying on the cross for us.  I have listed a few bible verses that might be good to think of during difficult times.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Psalm 9:9-10 ESV

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Romans 5:3-5 ESV

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Philippians 4:13 ESV

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Brother, if you are going through trials at this time, may the Lord strengthen you.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bring snacks for Wesley House this Thursday at Asylum PM.  Abscess will collect.  If anyone is interested in going on a ski trip to Snowshoe on March 10 through 12, contact Lillydipper.  We will ski on March 11 and 12.

Successful Outing

THE SCENE: Cloudy with temps in 40’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle-Hops; 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Windmills, 10 Plank Leg Stretches, 10 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:

Mosey to parking lot across street.  Split into teams of two.  There will be sets of bricks at one end of the parking lot.  We will do Doras with the following activities.

Activity one:  Team member bear crawls to first cone, hops to second cone and then does Bernie Sanders to other end of parking lot.  Then sprint back across parking lot to tag partner and take over on Activity Two exercises.

Activity two:  teams will do 100 each of the following exercises with a set of bricks:

  • Overhead presses
  • Curls
  • Rows with bricks at sides
  • Wings out
  • Wings up
  • Wings down

Mosey on roadway and go to large parking lot that is south of the northern ballpark.  We will run in a counterclockwise circle around the parking lot stopping at each cone to do the following exercises:

  • Cone 1:  Ten Burpees
  • Cone 2:  20 Merkins
  • Cone 3:  20 Big-Boy Sit-ups
  • Cone 4:  20 Squat Jumps
  • Cone 5:  20 Buzz Saws (four count)
  • Cone 6:  20 Dive Bombers
  • Cone 7:  20 Smurf Jacks
  • Cone 8:  20 Shoulder taps (each shoulder = 1)
  • Rinse and Repeat

Mosey to Serpentine Sidewalk.  We will do 14’s all the way to Cardiac Hill.  We will lunge for one light and then sprint four lights, repeating that until we get to Cardiac Hill.

At Cardiac Hill, we will run up hill doing the following exercises at the following locations:

  • Turn 1:  20 American Hammers (four count)
  • Turn 2:  20 Hello Dollies (four count)
  • Turn 3:  20 Decline Merkins
  • Turn 4:  20 Bench Dips
  • Rinse and Repeat Twice

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Flutter Kicks, 20 Bicycle Kicks
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 men, no FNG’s
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

In his book, Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller has one chapter entitled The Seduction of Success.  In it, he quotes from an interview with the pop star Madonna in Vanity Fair.  “I have an iron will, and all of my will has always been to conquer some horrible feeling of inadequacy . . . My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being mediocre.  And that’s always pushing me, pushing me.  Because even though I’ve become Somebody, I still have to prove that I’m Somebody.  My struggle has never ended and it probably never will.

Keller also quotes Mary Bell, a counselor who works with high level executives.  She commented that many executives don’t abuse alcohol – they abuse their own lives.  They complete a project, then look to the next one but must do better to reach that certain level of satisfaction.  They are always pushing for that better high.  They are achievement addicts.

We may achieve success in our jobs but then we look for better jobs, more income.  We often measure ourselves by how high up the company ladder we have climbed or how much money we make.  We look at our possessions or homes and compare ourselves to others in that way.  The trouble is, we may get a nicer home in a newer neighborhood but up our standard, now comparing ourselves to the richer and “more successful” people in the new neighborhood.  We envy the people with the nicest cars and newest homes.

We must give up this seduction of success.  It can lead us away from ourselves, from time spent in enjoyment with our family and friends, in time spent with God.  I am fortunate to have met some people in my life who have moved to break themselves from the success game.  I remember working as a jury consultant in Dallas, TX.  I lived in an area where I was comparing myself to others who were driving nicer cars, living in nicer homes.  I remember talking to a husband and wife at my church who were both attorneys.  They talked to me about how they had each made a decision to get out of the fast-paced law firms they had been in and work for lesser pay.  They sold their home in a rich area of Dallas and moved to a nice but less expensive home in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas.  They spent more time going to church, involving themselves with their children.  Their example helped me in my own struggle with the seduction of success.

I remember moving to Knoxville and feeling the burden lessening just because of the environment.  The brand and looks of your automobile are not as big a deal here in Knoxville.  I like that.  I also like how we in F3 accept all as brothers.  Who cares or even knows what our economic backgrounds are.

I don’t want success to be my counterfeit God.  God loves each of you for who you are.  God’s version of “be all that you can be” is much different than our commercialized view of looking at that phrase.  Our culture makes that phrase sound like, “to be all we can be” that we must achieve at the very highest level.  God wants us to do well but also wants us to rest in him.  He sees success much differently than we do.  So ask yourself, what does success look like for God?  Is it about relationship, about honor, about love, about trusting in Him, about serving others?  I think those things come much closer to what God wants for us than our cultural way of seeing success, where we are inadequate unless who keep achieving more and more.

MOLESKIN:
Safe travels for Waffle House on his trip out of county.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Power of Friends

THE SCENE: Temps in high 50’s, clear, breezy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
10 Pinto About-Face Twists each way, 20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Plank Jacks, 5 Baby Arm Circles forward and backward, 5 Wide Arm Circles forward and backward, 10 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Mosey to northern parking lot of park.  We will do Route 66 along the sidewalk that heads to park entrance at Lyon’s Bend.  We will run back to the start after each exercise.  These will be the exercises:

  • Plank Jacks
  • Dive Bombers
  • Jump Squats

After these exercises we will alternate between Bernies, Lunges and Sprints along each light until we get to street that extends from entrance gate.

Mosey up street towards AO but stop at stop sign at intersection of road coming from Admin Bldg.  On grassy area near stop sign we will do 20 Hello Dollies and 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Northern Ball Field Entrance Parking Lot.  We will do the following from one end of parking lot to other and then do ten merkins after each run there and back:

  • Sideways runs with feet crossing.
  • Hops for four parking spaces then sprint to curb and back.
  • Bernies to curb and back.
  • Bear crawl for four parking space then sprint to curb and back.
  • Lunge for four parking spaces then sprint to curb and back.
  • Sprint to curb and back.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
Box cutters and planks.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men, no FNG’s.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Proverbs 18: 24.  A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Sometimes our self-doubts, our shame, our anxiety, or even our pride can keep us from turning to friends when we are hurt or in trouble.  As a psychologist, I often see individuals coping with hurtful issues that they are too embarrassed to speak to their friends about.  A young man in his twenties recently lost a job that he had out of state.  He has friends who are smart, energetic, and growth-pursuing and who appear to be going places with their lives.  He has come back to his home town and has a few of those “successful” friends who still live here in Knoxville.  He hasn’t even contacted them, too embarrassed to tell them about his loss of job.

If these guys are true friends, they are the very ones he should turn to at this difficult time.  If they are true friends, they will care for him and hold him up.  His true friends won’t begrudge him for losing a job. They like him for who he is, not the type of job he has.  Yes, back when he got the job they may have praised, pat him on the back, wished him well, told him he was going to “kick ass” at it.  They were saying that because they care for him and want the best for him.  They won’t turn their backs on him because he has stumbled.  They are going to want to pick him up, carry him.  If they don’t do that, what kind of friends are they?

I remember a troubled time I had in my early 20’s.  I was lost in terms of what I wanted to do with my life.  I had fumbled around in a few jobs and was working as a forklift driver at a warehouse just to earn enough money to buy groceries while I lived with my uncle who put me up.  I was depressed and certainly not my usual self.  I remember my friends hanging in there with me at that difficult time.  They would take me to rec centers to play basketball, take me out for meals, call me to shoot the breeze, – not necessarily ask about my job search or career struggles but just be there for me and certainly lend an ear if I needed to talk.  They didn’t have the “sage” advice that I needed from older men, sometimes even offered stupid advice to me.  But they cared and I knew it.  They were going to be my friend through thick and thin.  They were there for me at a most important time and I made it through that time because of them.

We need our friends.  Don’t shy away from telling them about your troubles when you hit a low spot.  Turn to them for strength.  It may not be their words of wisdom that push you through – leave that to the shrinks, philosophers, and preachers.  But your friends will give you that powerful something that is hard to put into words – unless you call it love and that love will raise you up.