F3 Knoxville

The 600 Club

THE SCENE: Beautiful Late Summer morning
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH IC x 25
  • Squat IC x 10
  • Demonstrate Crab Toes, Side MTN climber, lunge hops & Pistol Merkins

THA-THANG:

  • Circuit – Decline Merkins, Box Jumps, Squats x25 – 1 hill climb R&R x 2
  • Merkins OYO x 25
  • The 600 club:
  • Lunge Hops x 20
  • Crab Toes x 20
  • CDD x 20 (feet on hill)
  • Slap Squats x 20
  • Side MTN Climbers x 20
  • Pistol Merkins x 20
  • Run to parking lot R&R x 5
  • Mosey to the clean soccer field – Bear Crawl, back peddle, Sprint the goal box x 3

MARY:
Swirlie worked over the boys while I grabbed my phone.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
What we do here at F3 has been passed down from man to man for generations. It’s not just a workout it’s a right of passage.
MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Earn the Stargazers!

THE SCENE: Started out clear and bright, but clouds and fog moved in to keep us cool.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x25 IC
Cherry Pickers x8 IC
SSH x5 more just for Crawdad, who rolled up late…
Crabettes (Like Rockettes, but from crab position) x20 IC
Cossack Squats x20 IC
Mountain Climbers x10 IC
Walk toes forward as far as possible toward planche position for 10 more IC
Walk toes backward until abs are fully engaged, 10 more IC

THA-THANG:
Mosey toward the base of Everest, stopping about halfway for 15 Inchworm Merkins OYO

At the base of Everest, 10x Travoltas each side

Promised everyone 30s of Stargazers after an AYG charge up Everest. If you can breathe when you get there, you didn’t push hard enough…
30s count is OYO, then flutters until everyone has had their 30s.

Everyone grab a CMU-equivalent coupon (1 per person) and partner up.
Coupons go in a line about 10 yards away. Entire group goal is to move all coupons to a line about 70 yards away.
One partner runs to the nearest coupon, does 3 Burpee Broad Jumps with coupon to advance, then mosey back to switch with partner.
Stationary partner alternates between squats and crabettes after each trip.

Once all coupons are across the line, everyone grab one and mosey partway down Everest, line up across the hill for Tombstone Toss.
Everyone toss coupon as far up the hill as possible. Bunny hop to your coupon, pick it up, and continue hopping until you reach the furthest one. Once everyone has arrived at the furthest one, toss again.

When everyone has reached the top of the hill, put away coupons and 10 Hand Release Merkins OYO.

Mosey back toward the AO, stopping at the corner for a 30/30/30 of merkins, big boys, and squats.

Q noticed the big ol’ stone block monument thing just sitting there, so 10 Derkins on the block

MARY:
Mary started out with 10ct Stargazers, just because I’m nice…
30x flutter kicks IC (with a small rest as Crawdad attempted to avoid being run over…)
15x slutter kicks IC
15x side crunch IC (each side)
4x Row Your Boat (caused a bit of a scene since traffic is kinda picking up in the park by this point)
Everyone had to hop up and allow a vehicle to exit the parking lot. This presented a great opportunity for some Monkey Humpers (x15 4ct IC)
10x Shoulder Tap Merkins
About 30s of OYO SSH to finish out the hour.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 strong this morning, including one FNG – Snoopy (Terry Hill)
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Ephesians tells us to love our wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her. The thing that first comes to mind when you hear this is how He died for us. As men, we like to think, “Yeah, I’d die for my wife.” However, Christ gave himself fully, not just on the cross, but daily as he lived on earth. He walked dusty, excrement filled roads, lived day and night with 12 of the most annoying, bad listening, etc. guys you can imagine. Did everything that sucks with no thought for himself, poured his life into them. Through each day, look for opportunities to give yourself in those kinds of ways.
MOLESKIN:
I forgot about the Saturday relocation to the upper parking lot… Much appreciation for Hawk running down and getting me before time to start the beatdown! I had a great time working out with the Asylum PAX this morning. F3 Knoxville is full of HIMs – I would encourage everyone to be promis-Q-ous and make your way around to as many AOs as you can. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do them all in a single week!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sendoff this morning for Soot (Daniel Anders) at the Overlook. Heading off to be stationed in Colorado Springs.

yard sale – A Pickers nightmare

THE SCENE: 68 or so
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Speed ruck the Loop, yep a LOOP!
THA-THANG:
YARD SALE!!  Items that were fjr sale were ;

wooden hand rail, 6 cmu , 2 buckets full of river rock , 1 bucket full of wAter, the COW, stiffy (70 lbs of sand stuffed in a 60lb bag ) 10×10 timber post, 8 inch round timber , Iron rail

  • One mile loop carrying yard sale items . 2 pax carried 4 cmu that were hanging from the iron rail , 2 pax carried 10×10 timber posts , 1 pax carried 2 buckets of rocks, 1pax carried the cow.
  • Alternate carrying items when the pax carrying the buckets full of rocks gets burned out.
  • Once we completed he loop carrying, we drop all coupons and speed rucked up LOWES lane. At the top, 20 Ruck merkins and 20 squats , run back to the AO
  • 2nd coupon loop consisted of carrying what we had not carried yet, 2 cmu, bucket of water, wooden hand rail , 8 inch round post , stiffy
  • duromg the 2nd coupon loop, the 2 pax sharing the 8 inch posts does 40 over head presses while rucking with it. Once done with reps, next 2 pax takes the posts and does the same , 40 reps. Pax not doing reps on the post are carrying the other coupons. ALL pax got 2 sets of 40 overhead presesss in before we completed the loop, nice work !

MARY:
15 minutes left so we did Ruck DORA

100 Ruck merkins , 100 Ruck front load sit ups w ruck high on the chest , 200 Ruck squats . Run the short loop on the parking lot while partner is exercise
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 Ruckers
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Thanks for coming out
MOLESKIN:
Carry more SHIT! We speed ruck, we do lots of PT but we need to carry more stuff ! The 5 gallon buckets of rocks sucked , the COW sucked , the iron rail digging into my shoulder sucked, the farmer carry w 2 CMU sucked , but I neeed it in a bad way . In fact, it sucked so bad, I loved it! On top of that , I knew my bros around me would be there for me when I could not go any further . Have a great day abs carry more shit!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Dear John

THE SCENE: Clears skies, 74 degrees F., 92% humidity
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Completed
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x20

Little Baby Arm Circles: x12 forward, x12 backward

Cherry Pickers x12

Overhead Claps x25

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Mt. Crumpet

Partner Up (one teammate ascends while other starts exercise count):

Run up, Merkins x12, Dry Dock x12                                     300 squats

Bernie up, Merkins x12, Dry Dock x12                                 150 BBS

Bear crawl up, Merkins x12, Dry Dock x12                          150 OH claps

Mosey to Grinder

Partner Up (one teammate runs suicide while other starts CME exercise count):

100 OH lifts                                                                            Suicides

150 Bent rows

100 Curls

100 cross over merkins

100 lunge dead lifts right

100 lunge dead lifts left

MARY:

Box cutters x20

Flutter kicks x20

Protractors, various

LBC’s for 1 minute

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Total of 20 HIMs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
It happened on my 5th of 14 trips to Saudi Arabia.  Typical of the United Airlines flight from Washington, DC we landed in Kuwait City and had to deplane while refueling the plane and taking on more passengers.  Over an hour later we would load up and head to my final flying destination in Manama, Bahrain.  3 to 4 hours later I would finish the drive from Bahrain to the work site in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia.

About a minute after deplaning in Kuwait City, I saw John entering the gate holding area and coming toward me.  I stood up, stuck out my hand, shook his, and said “hello, John, it’s good to see you.”  John nodded his head, gave a sheepish grin, and said it was nice to see me.  He continued over to a seat a few rows away.  I sat down and was kicking myself for saying what I said.  I decided to pull out a piece of paper and I wrote a note.  In it I apologized for greeting him with a casual “hello John.”  He deserved much more respect that that.  I recognized the service he has given to our country as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War, the awful conditions and treatment he endured as a prisoner of war for many years, and his continued service as a United States Senator.  I wished him the best and continued success in his job.  My note began with “Dear Senator McCain.”  I handed Senator McCain the note as we were getting on the plane.  I said, “Senator McCain, this is for you.”  I got another sheepish grin and a slight head nod.

Getting off in Bahrain meant descending the stairs to the tarmac and getting on a shuttle bus to get to the terminal.  Senator McCain entered the bus shortly after I did.  From about 12 feet away we looked at each other.  This time he gave me a real big smile and a more deliberate nod of his head.  I believe his gesture indicated acceptance of my note to him.  I felt better about the entire encounter.

I reminded the group this morning that many of the exercises we did could not have been performed by Senator McCain because of the broken arms and leg he sustained while ejecting from his jet bomber and the subsequent abuse and lack of medical care he received in captivity.  I also said that this story is not really about him.  It is just because of his recent death that I was reminded that I learned something a long time ago that I wanted to share – especially with the younger men in our group.

There are many things that I have done wrong in my 66 years of life.  I have been unkind, judgmental, angry, and a host of other things.  I have hurt others with my words and deeds.  I have found that the best thing to do for those I’ve hurt, and for myself, is to try to make things right.  I try to own up to my mistakes and let those I’ve hurt know that I am sorry, that I recognize how I was wrong, and that I seek forgiveness.  It certainly isn’t easy but it is always good for the soul.  Going through that act of self-inflicted punishment introduces a little bit of pain that helps me on the straight and narrow in the future.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

The Gate

THE SCENE: Cloudy and hot
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 25 Squats, 10 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Mosey to big tree by stop sign at northeast corner of admin bldg.  We will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to park perimeter trail where it intersects with roadway that heads to admin bldg.  We will do 25 Squats.

Run on perimeter trail as it heads west and north and curves toward the bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will stop at every fifth light to do 10 merkins, then continue.  At bottom of Mt. Everest we will do 25 Squats then run around big tree in middle of Mt. Everest, then come back to perimeter trail.  We will then do 20 Bicycle Kicks (four count).

Run to every fifth light and stop to do 10 Big Boy Situps.  Continue this until we get to roadway that comes in from Northshore gate.  Stop to do 20 Hello Dollies.

Run across roadway, staying on perimeter trail.  Run to every fifth light and stop to do 10 Shoulder taps (ten taps each shoulder).  We will run until we reach soccer fields.  Stop to do 20 Box Cutters.

We will next go across soccer field.  We will lunge to first line, run to next line, lunge to next, run to next in alternate fashion until we reach the end of the soccer field.  We will stop to do 25 Squats.

Mosey to stop sign at southeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  Stop to do 20 pickle pounders (four count).

Run to Boulder Pile.  Pick up appropriate size boulder.  We will do 25 overhead presses, 25 Curls, 25 Rows and 25 Triceps.

MARY:
Plank Stretches.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Seven men present, one FNG, Josh, a good friend and coworker of Hooker.  We named Josh “Hotspur.”
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
This is a poem written by Marie Howe.  It is about her brother who died.  He was sick and knew he would die when the moments this poem describes takes place.  In this poem he points out to the poet the importance of life’s everyday moments – like eating a cheese and mustard sandwich.  Maybe it is these moments that we are really waiting for, not the big successes, the big job, the big whatever.  For what do the big successes gain us?  Only the opportunities to have special moments with others.

THE GATE BY MARIE HOWE

I had no idea that the gate I would step through
to finally enter this world
would be the space my brother’s body made. He was
a little taller than me: a young man
but grown, himself by then,
done at twenty-eight, having folded every sheet,
rinsed every glass he would ever rinse under the cold
and running water.
This is what you have been waiting for, he used to say to me.
And I’d say, What?
And he’d say, This—holding up my cheese and mustard sandwich.
And I’d say, What?
And he’d say, This, sort of looking around.
We spend much of our loves working towards something, trying to achieve whatever version of success we or others have implanted in our minds.  We often fail to take notice of the simple events of daily life, the simple things around us, such as the folding of sheets after laundry, the walls and pictures in the residences we live in, the simple conversations with loved ones and friends, the beauty around us, whether it be the mountains in the distance or a simple weed growing on the ground in front of us.  Marie Howe’s brother points out that these are the moments and things we are waiting for.
Let us savior these days, these things, these moments that God has given us.  Van Morrison speaks of this in his song, These Are The Days.  He says in the poem that we must savor these days as if there is no past, no future, only now.  He goes on to say:

These are the days by the sparkling river
And His timely grace and the treasured find
This is the love of the one great magician
Turned the water into wine

These are the days now that we must savor
And we must enjoy as we can
These are the days that will last forever
You’ve got to hold them in your heart.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Beer run to Union Jacks directly after this workout.