F3 Knoxville

Author: Pele

Gladiator Bear

THE SCENE: Beautiful morning with the BSIA.  60 degrees, sunny, low humidity.  Aahhhhh….
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Performed adequately.
WARM-O-RAMA:

-Motivators (5-count, descending)

– 10 Rockettes (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Tempo Merkins (4-ct, IC)

– BAC forward and backward (4-ct, IC)

– Bolt 45s

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct, IC)

– Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

MOSEY up Baby Everest to trail that leads to Lyons View entrance

Nickel/Dime Quarters!

Run 1 light do 5 reps, run 2 lights do 10 reps, run 5 lights do 25 reps.  Stop at base of Everest.  Exercises:

  1. MTN CLIMBERS (4-ct)     2. MERKINS  3.  FROGGY JUMPS

BASE OF EVEREST:

BERNIE up Everest until you hit failure.  When you do, do the Failure Ritual of Shame: 20 Merkins/20 Big Boys/20 Squats.  Run up the Summit to the road.  LBCs until the 6 catches up.

MOSEY to Small “Dora” parking lot.

5/10/15s: Get a battle buddy, while one BB jogs back and forth in the bullpen, the other runs up to the stop sign to do two exercises 5x.  Switch off.  Next time 10x, then 15x.   3 Rounds:

ROUND 1:  PETER PARKERS/BOTTLE OPENERS (both 2-ct)

ROUND 2: BIG BOY SITUPS/GAS PUMPS

ROUND 3: BOBBY HURLEYS/IMPERIAL WALKERS (2-ct) (We didn’t finish the “15” round of this last one)

MOSEY TO FIELD BELOW:

ULTIMATE FRISBEE! Divide into two teams.  Rules:

  • Frisbee hits the ground, team that drops it does 2 Deconstructed Burpees. The other team CANNOT START until those are done.
  • Score a touchdown, Scoring team does 5 CHEERLEADERS while losing team does 5 DECONSTRUCTED BURPEES and runs to the other side to receive kickoff
  • WINNER of contest gets a 20 second WALK MOSEY Head start back to the AO. When losers catch them, AYG back to the AO.

MARY:
American Hammers, Hommer/Marge
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 Strong + a poochie (Tank)
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I’ve watched two very different shows recently that highlighted some of the same key attributes of leadership that I’d like to talk about today a little bit.  I’ve never considered myself a particularly strong leader, more of a leader by example, but I’ve been trying to improve my leadership skills here and there, and by seeing examples of how it can be done helps give me some pointers.

The first example is a show called BEAR, about a chef who has absolutely climbed the ladder globally, and was working at one of the best restaurants in the world when his brother dies, leaving him a run down Italian beef joint in downtown Chicago that is nearly bankrupt.  All the other workers there are blue-collar types who have worked there for years, and even though he’s “family”, they think of him as a snob, an outsider, and a disruptor.  The way he leads the group to try to get the restaurant back on its feet is impressive, and I wanted to mention a few things specifically.

  • Right off the bat he calls everyone “Chef” as a sign of respect. Everyone is in the same boat, everyone equal.
  • He observes and sees each worker’s strengths and gives them the freedom to pursue their passions within the confines of the restaurant. One guy really loves baking and making desserts, and he allows him to pursue that passion.
  • He does the dirty work. Literally. He’s on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor after everyone else has gone home.

Then there’s a scene in the movie Gladiator, when Russell Crowe’s character, who is an ex-commander of the Roman army that has been wrongfully imprisoned and trapped in the world of the gladiators, is released into the Colosseum in Rome with other criminals to be slaughtered for entertainment by a much better-armed group of gladiators.  His leadership qualities immediately kick in.

  • Before the battle begins, he asks who else has served in the military. A few nod, and he asks for their help.  Makes them feel important.
  • Right before combat, he tells his group to stick together and cooperate. It will give them a better chance to survive.
  • He is one of the first to engage the enemy group. He organizes and inspires his fellow gladiators and they end up winning the battle.

Some commonalities between the two scenarios.

  1. Give others belief in themselves and their unique abilities. Find out what makes them tick, what their skills and passions are, and recognize and encourage them.
  2. Lead from the front. When it’s time to get your hands dirty, be the first to stick them deep in the mud.
  3. When it’s crunch time, whether during a crisis in the kitchen or if you find yourself in a life and death battle in a gladiator arena, step up. Give others confidence.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Asylum cleanup next Saturday 9 am!

Epiphanies of the Everyday

THE SCENE: On the warm side, but low humidity! About 85 degrees, no wind.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Check
WARM-O-RAMA:

-SSH (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Windmills (4-ct, IC)

– 20 Moroccan Night Clubs (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Steve Earls (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct, IC)

– Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to the mulched path south of the AO, to the corner where it turns to join the main path.

JINXY’S FOUR AND A QUARTER.  Start at turn, run down to main path and do 25 reps of an exercise, return to starting position.  R&R 4 times, totaling 100 of the exercise.

  • Round 1: Carolina Dry Docks
  • Round 2: LBCs (single count)
  • Round 3: Lunges (single count)

MOSEY to Bottom of Everest.

Three points of contact w/ pain stations: 1. BASE, 2. BASE OF SUMMIT, 3. TOP OF SUMMIT

Do 20 reps of three exercises at each location.  Run down to bottom and do 20 LBCs/20 flutter kicks until 6 arrives. Stay at top after Round 3.

Three rounds:

Round 1: Seal Claps, Overhead Claps, Grady Corns

Round 2: American Hammers, LBCs, Box Cutters

Round 3: Merkins, Shoulder Taps, Plank Jacks—Ran out of time, so just ran to base of summit did 25x each, and ran back up.

MOSEY TO AO.

MARY:
A lil’ bit of stretching.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 Strong! (Twitch not tagged, 2.0 of Caveman)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I studied a bit of art history when I was in college, and ever since then I’ve had an appreciation for painting, especially from the Renaissance period until the 20th century.  One artist that I’ve always appreciated is Jan Vermeer, who was a Dutch artist active in the 17th century.  He is best known for his paintings of scenes that are quiet and still (i.e., “genre” paintings).  Two of his most famous works are Girl With a Pearl Earring— which shows a woman with her head turned part way towards the viewer, a blue towel on her head and a large pearl earring dangling from her left ear—and The Milkmaid, which depicts a woman, pouring milk into a bowl as light streams through the window.  There were other artists of his time that were more technically proficient, who painted more exciting scenes (Biblical scenes, historical battles, profiles of the rich or powerful!!), who used bolder colors and more elaborate compositions.  But the effect that Vermeer’s paintings have is sublime.  Such quiet and still scenes are rendered into beautiful depictions of everyday life.  In The Milkmaid, for instance, the room the scene takes place in is very plain, as is the woman, the earthenware vessels, and the clothing.  And yet there is such a sense of peace, of airiness, even of loneliness as this woman goes about her chore alone and in silence.  And the objects in the room look so real, you feel like you can almost taste the milk, and feel the dry crust of the bread.  The end result is more than a sum of its parts, and the beauty of the painting when you take a few moments to appreciate it is incredible.  The beauty of the simple.  Vermeer was a master taking these little, mundane moments and turning them into Epiphanies of the Everyday.

I can’t help thinking about the analogy of how God works in our daily lives.  Although I believe miracles can and do happen, the beauty and love of God is often much more subtle.  The kindness of a stranger, the perfect sunset over our AO as we enjoy a Board meeting, the phone call or text from a friend during a time of loneliness or hardship.

We’re often so busy that we’re oblivious to the little moments, the small windows of our Heavenly Father’s beauty and kindness and love that is hiding in plain sight.  Take a moment this week to pause and appreciate an Everyday Epiphany that our Lord and Father provides for us.  Just take a moment, breathe, and be grateful.  And even better, take the opportunity to BE that Epiphany for someone else.  Perform a random act of kindness to a stranger, reach out to a friend, family member, or F3 brother that you haven’t heard from in a while, share your gift of music, humor, or good nature with someone who may not be expecting it.

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sign up for the Volunteer work day at Asylum a week from this Saturday, 9 am – ??.  Send Me shirts still on sale!

Talk Less, Smile More

THE SCENE: Started off a bit misty, but turned out to be cloudy and downright pleasant, around 65 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3, Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. F3 is a free workout program designed to improve fitness, share some camaraderie, and foster male leadership in the community.  I’m Pele and I will be your Q today.  I am not a professional, and I do not know your fitness level or injury history.  Please push yourself, but modify the workout as necessary to avoid making any existing injuries worse.  The goal is to get better together!


WARM-O-RAMA:

– Motivators (5-ct, descending)

– 10 Windmills (4-ct), in cadence

– Michael Phelps

– 10 Tempo Seal Claps (4-ct), in Cadence

– 10 Tempo Overhead Claps (4-ct), in Cadence

-10 Steve Earle’s (4-ct), in Cadence

– OYO leg stretching

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to Small parking lot south of Colosseum.

  • Do each group of exercises, running a loop after each group is completed, for a total of 5 times around the lot. Can be done in any order.  Exercise groups are:
  1. AB BLASTER:
    • 20x: LBCs, BBSs, American Hammers (2-ct), Dead Bugs (2-ct)
  2. ARM BLASTER:
    • 20x: Merkins, Carolina Dry Docks, Bottle Openers (2-ct), Shoulder Taps (2-ct)
  3. LEG BLASTER:
    • 20x: Bobby Hurleys, Iron Mikes (2-ct), Froggie Jumps, Squats.
  4. CARDIO BLASTER:
    • 20x: SSH (2-ct), High Knees (2-ct), Butt Kickers (2-ct), Mountain Climbers (2-ct), Smurf Jacks
  5. STRETCH BLASTER:
    • 10 x: Cherry Pickers (4-ct), Windmills (4-ct), Grady Corns (4-ct)

Mosey to Road by Roundabout.

  • 5 sets of 30 seconds, AMRAP, 10 second break, BERNIE up to Curb at end of each set:
    • PLANK JACKS, LUNGES

MOSEY to roadway leading up to AO.

  • PARTNER PYRAMIDS! Partner up with like speed. Start ½ way between flag and tree. One partner runs towards flag, other partner runs towards stop sign or tree and back.   Meet at center point and   do the following exercises in REPS of 15.  Then switch directions.
    • LAP 1 Patty-cake Planks (2-ct)
    • LAP 2 Patty-cake Planks, LBCs
    • LAP 3 Patty-cake Planks, LBCs, Mtn Climbers (2-ct)
    • LAP 4 Patty-cake Planks, LBCs, Mtn Climbers (2-ct), Bobby Hurleys
    • LAP 5 LBCs, Mtn Climbers (2-ct), Bobby Hurleys
    • LAP 6 Mtn Climbers (2-ct), Bobby Hurley s
    • LAP 7 Bobby Hurleys

(we got about 1/2 way through this before running out of time.)
MARY:
Nope
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
7 sweaty dudes
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Early in the musical HAMILTON, Alexander Hamilton introduces himself to his hero (and future killer), Aaron Burr.  He’s nervous, trying to make a good impression, etc. is kind of hyper, talking passionately, and he’s sort of running off at the mouth a bit.  Aaron Burr stops him and gives him some advice.  “TALK LESS.  SMILE MORE.  DON’T TELL THEM WHAT YOU’RE AGAINST OR WHAT YOU’RE FOR.”

I constantly go back and forth with this concept in my head.  I’ve heard athletes, politicians, movie stars, all sorts of public figures say some version of “I’m going to speak my mind and I don’t give a BLEEP what you think about it.” And they get applauded for it.  Yeah, you go girl.  That’s right, tell them what you think and don’t let anybody tell you you’re wrong.

Well, the knife cuts both ways sometimes.  I was recently in a pretty intense discussion about some deep topics with a friend of mine. I was pretty dang sure that I was on the right side of the argument.  I was dropping knowledge bombs left and right.  Boom. There’s another one, Boom!  Big one coming, BOOM!  Shock and Awe kind of stuff.  And became more and more frustrated and angry that my friend wasn’t agreeing with me or seeing things the same way.  Afterwards, it really bothered me NOT that he didn’t agree with me so much, but that I had been so hard on my friend for not agreeing in the World According to Pele.  I went back to him and apologized, and those lyrics from Hamilton ran through my head.  Talk less. Smile more. Hmmm… maybe I should do that.

This probably isn’t a news flash to you, but people aren’t always going to agree with you.  And when that happens (not if, but when), don’t be like me, and don’t let your emotions get the best of you.  Give THEM an opportunity to explain what their point of view is and be patient, don’t interrupt them at every step pointing out what you think are the flaws of their argument.  TALK LESS.  And at the end of it, even if you never reach an agreement, shake their hand and say you respect their position.  SMILE MORE.  Like the Avett Brothers song says, No Hard Feelings.  Love Thy Neighbor (even when they’re wrong, hee hee).  Friendships are worth more than a fight about who’s right and who’s wrong.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for various PAX, their families and friends
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Jesus Wept

THE SCENE: Beautiful spring day, sunny, little breeze, low 70s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Done adequately
WARM-O-RAMA:
Bolt 45s, Tempo Squats, Motivators, El Capitans, LBAC forward and backward, Grady Corns
THA-THANG:

MOSEY to bottom of Pickett’s…

Run PICKETT’S CHARGE, Bernie-ing the slopes and running on the flat parts.

Mosey to center of colosseum.  Do Mucho Chesto, then Run to 12 o’clock position, do Aiken Legs. R&R.

Aiken Legs: 20 Squats, 20 Squat Jumps, 20 Lunges (10 each leg), 20 Split Jacks (10 each leg forward)

MUCHO CHESTO: 10 x Merkin / 10 x Wide Merkin / 10 x Diamonds / 10 Stagger Merkin Left / 10 Stagger Merkin Right

Mosey to field below Overlook.  Cones laid out in a rectangle pattern.

FIELD OF PAIN:

  • Long side 1: Suicides
  • Short Side 1: 10 merkins, Bear Crawl, 10 Merkins at opposite corner.
  • Long side 2: Bernie to ½ way cone, 20 Iron Mikes (2-ct), 20 Bobby Hurleys. Run to next corner
  • Short Side 2: El Capitan lunge , with 5 Prisoner Cell Merkin Burpees at each cover.

Mosey about 1/2 way to road, then do 7s on small hill.  Flutter Kicks and Bobby Hurleys.

MARY:
Flutter kicks and Homer/Marge
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 strong.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Today’s Word is taken from John Chapter 11, which is a story that’s probably familiar to many of you, as it describes Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead.  It builds on Steam’s WORD about Expectations that he gave last week, which also referred to a passage that included the sisters Mary and Martha.  In John Chapter 11, Jesus travels to Bethany to visit Mary and Martha after their brother Lazarus died.  THREE TIMES the sisters ask “Why? Why did my brother have to die? If you had been there, he would still be alive.”  Expectations.  That question of “If I had mattered to you, this wouldn’t have happened” is a question I think we’ve all asked ourselves, and certainly for those friends and family of those killed in yet the latest mass shooting event just down the road in Nashville, that has affected some of our F3 brothers.

But I want to focus on one specific part of the passage in John 11.  It contains the answer to a great Trivia Question  When confronted with the reality of the situation, what did Jesus do?  Jesus wept.  Our God is deeply moved and troubled when his Children suffer, and when we grieve.  We have a feeling and empathizing God.

Dr. William Sloane Coffin was a famous Presbyterian minister from Boston and Chaplain for Yale for a number of years, who lost his son in a car accident a few decades ago.  He gave a sermon just 10 days later.  (How does someone DO that??)  Dr. Coffin had the same questions about his son’s death that we all would have, that Mary and Martha had.  Where were you God?  But he said in that sermon,.

He said, “For some reason, nothing so infuriates me as the incapacity of seemingly intelligent heads that God doesn’t go around this world with His finger on triggers, His fist around knives, His hands on steering wheels.  the one thing no one should say to someone dealing with tragedy is “I know it was the will of God”.  Never do we know enough to say it is the will of God.  When my son died, my own consolation is that it is NOT the will of God that he died, it is that God’s Heart was the first of all of our hearts to break.”  As he closed his sermon, he said “As the grief that once seemed unbearable now turns to bearable sorrow, The truths in Biblical passages are beginning to once again take hold.  ‘In this world you shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer.  I have overcome the world; My light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  Weeping may endure in the night, but joy cometh in the morning’.  When my son beat me to the grave, it was not because God WILLED it.  It was because for him, the Dawn had come.”

This is the key lesson of John.  What God wills is Life out of Death.  What did Jesus do in the presence of Mary and Martha when told the news about Lazarus?  Jesus wept.  This is the compassionate nature of God.  God doesn’t just see from far away our pains and sorrows.  He is WITH us in our sorrow.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for those who were affected by the Nashville school shooting earlier in the week. Prayers for Title 9 as he looks for other career opportunities.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
FORGE! growth week-end, end of September.  Haw Ridge and Hardship Hill coming up!

Facing Your Fears

THE SCENE: Gorgeous! Mild (almost warm) 78 degrees, outstanding sunset
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Check
WARM-O-RAMA:

-25 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Imperial Walkers (4-ct), in Cadence

– 10 LBACs backwards and forwards (4-ct)  (in cadence)

-10 plank jacks (4-ct)  (in cadence)

  • Misc. stretching

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to bottom of Pickett’s Charge:

  • 5/10/15s up 3 of the small hills
    • PARTNER 1 moseys up to the top of the hill, does 5x of both exercises, then hands off to PARTNER 2, who is slow moseying in the bullpen (flat part). R&R with 10x, then 15x. If you finish early, start over until 6 is done.
      • ROUND 1: MERKINS AND PLANK JACKS (2-ct) /BEAR CRAWL
      • ROUND 2: BBS AND AMERICAN HAMMERS (2-ct) / BERNIE
      • ROUND 3: SSH AND IRON MIKES (both 2-ct) / RUN

MOSEY to Small Parking Lot next to Coliseum:

  • 25’s:
    • Run around loop. At bottom and midpoint do 5/20, 10/15, 15/10, 20/5 reps of:
      • Shoulder taps (2-ct) / Flutter Kicks (2 ct)

MOSEY to Haslem’s rock, 20 American Hammers (4-ct, IC)

MOSEY To AO

MARY:
We did a Welsh Dragon contest to see who could go farthest without stopping.  Of course it was Doubtfire…
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
21!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Today I want to talk a little bit about the pilot Neal V. Loving. 

  • Loving was born in 1916
  • Was passionate about being a military pilot from a young age but had to switch his focus to aeronautical engineering upon discovering that the Army Air Corps did not accept Black aviators (the US AIR FORCE wasn’t established until 1947- TRIVIA QUESTION!).
  • He helped found an all-black squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, a volunteer training program for young pilots. This led to a horrific crash while flying for the patrol and left him a double amputee. When the doctors removed his second leg, they estimated a 50-50 chance of survival. He did survive, and was fit for protheses.  He recalled being asked by the prosthesis fitter what size shoe he would like to have with his new legs.  What a question!

 He was made an offer to visit a local municipal airport.  He was hesitant, but ultimately agreed, and when he got there he felt his passion for flying returning, and was given the opportunity to climb into the cockpit again.  While on his first flight back, as he says, “I entered a 180-degree turn followed by a stall entry and spin, the same sequence of events that led to my accident. The ground rushed toward me, spinning in a familiar blur of green and brown. I recovered quickly and returned to level flight. My co-pilot leaned forward and patted me on the back. I smiled in return, happy in the realization that the fears or emotional scars that might destroy my love of flying had not materialized.”

 

After returning to the cockpit, Loving continued his love of aviation by:

– launching his own flight school

– building experimental rading planes. One of Loving’s airplane designs is on display at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

– Earning a degree in aeronautical engineering  

– Conducting research for the Air Force, retiring in 1982 and

– publishing his memoir in 1994. He died in 1998 at age 83.

 What fears do you have that are keeping you from pursuing your goals?

MOLESKIN:
Perfect weather, and a big welcome to FNG Z-Bone!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Saturday AM triple Q this Saturday!