F3 Knoxville

Category: Asylum AM

Founding AO

Beyond Words

THE SCENE: Cloudy and very humid
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops.  10 Burpees.  10 Tempo Squats.  10 Windmills.  5 baby arm circles forward and backwards.  5 wide arm circles forward and backwards.
THA-THANG:

Mosey to stop sign at southeast corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers (four count).

Mosey toward Northshore gate of the park.  Stop at shade tree near Area 51.  20 Hello Dollies (four count).

Mosey to the perimeter trail that crosses road near the Northshore Gate.  We will do Nickel, Dime, Quarters (running one light and stopping for five of an exercise, running two lights and stopping for ten of the exercise, and running five lights to stop and do 25 of the exercise) heading south on the perimeter trail and staying on the perimeter trail until it reaches the Southeastern Ball Park.  We will do the following exercises during our stops:

  • Merkins
  • Squat Jumps
  • Big Boy Sit-ups
  • Star Jumps
  • Dive Bombers

Mosey to the Pavilion by Southern Ball Fields. We will do Elevens at the picnic tables starting with one decline merkin and ten bench dips.

Mosey to the Outdoor Chapel

We will pair up into teams of two men each.  While one man on time runs around the chapel on the sidewalk the other man does bench dips.  Partners switch off after one circles the chapel.

Mosey on roadway back toward the Admin Bldg.  We will stop 1/3 of way their to do 20 Flutter Kicks (four count) and 2/3 of the way there to do 20 Bicycle Kicks.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
BEYOND WORDS

Last Friday, I was reading a book when my wife, Jan, happened across the movie Steel Magnolias on television.  I had seen the movie back in 1989 when it came out.  I kept reading my book but as the movie went on I gradually cast the book aside and focused on the screen.  OK, my wife and kids make fun of me for crying at movies and I cried at this one.  The movie centers around a group of women who are friends played by famous actresses and a famous songwriter, Sally Fields, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, and Olympia Dukakis.  It also focuses on two younger women played by young actresses who would later become famous:  Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts.  All of these women are bonded to one another and their bond becomes stronger over time.  They keep that bond, despite the quirkiness of each individual.  They also keep the bond despite the fact that they sometimes say idiotic, off-base or even hurtful things to each other.  But what they say counts, is relevant, and helps each of them to grow – they are not therapists, they are friends and the power of their love for one another GOES BEYOND WORDS.

In the movie, Sally Fields plays the mother of Shelby who is played by Julia Roberts.  Shelby dies of medical issues.  The friends are together at the cemetery after the funeral.  Daryl Hannah’s character is a simple young woman and a quirky religious fanatic.  She at first sounds trite when she says to Sally Fields, “we should all be rejoicing because Shelby is with our king.”  Fields gets pissed off at this saying “excuse me if I am selfish and don’t feel like rejoicing.”  But it is the simplicity and earnestness of Daryl Hannah’s character who, thereafter, touches Field’s heart.  Hannah talks about how Shelby had to fight to stay alive and about how her “body just couldn’t keep fighting any more.”  She apologizes for her simplicity but talks about how she views heaven as a better place with Shelby there.

In another scene in the cemetery, Fields is breaking apart with her friends, hurting, angry, questioning the unfairness of her daughter’s death, and screaming that she just wants to hit somebody.  The Olympia Dukakis character pushes her friend, a sort of curmudgeon character played by Shirley MacLaine, in front of her and says, “Here, hit this.  It will make you feel better.  Go ahead and sock her one in the face.”  MacLaine stomps off pissed while the remaining women, including Fields, break down laughing.

You then see the apology scene between Dukakis and MacClaine, a touching scene where Dukakis explains she was just trying to break the tension of the moment.  She playfully nudges MacClaine and MacClaine nudges back.  The two end up bumping each other off the park bench.  It is the simple, joking act of pushing each other back and forth that shows the love between them.

I bring all this up to say that as F3 brothers, as friends to one another, we do not have to always say the right thing.  If you care for your brother that care is gonna show through, no matter what kind of stupid thing you say to him.  It may be a silly joke, it may be a bopping of hands, it may be you placing your hand on your brother’s back during prayer time in the Circle of Trust.  Our connection between one another GOES BEYOND WORDS.  It is the being there that counts.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Tank and for two people who were killed by drivers under the influence of substances this past weekend.

Ab Biscuit and Monkey Howler together again

THE SCENE: Clear, full moon and a balmy 70 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH x 20 , Tempo Merkins x 20.  That’s it

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the back brick parking lot for Ab Biscuit, variation on Sea Biscuit

  • BBS x 10
  • Hello Dollys x 20 (4ct)
  • American Hammers x 30
  • Run lap
  • Repeat ab exercises, run 2 laps
  • Repeat ab exercises, run 3 laps
  • Repeat ab exercises, run 4 laps
  • Now back down to one lap
  • LBCs x 50 (4 ct) while waiting for the 6

Mosey to the playground for 25s – Decline Merkins and Flutters (4 ct)

MARY:
Monkey Howlers:  Circle up and get into Monkey Humper pose.  Hold the pose while each of the PAX takes turn doing 10 Monkey Humpers till we make it all the way around the circle.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Yesterday was Father’s Day.  Remember that our children are reflections of who we are as fathers.  Are we a reflection of our Heavenly Father?
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Cheatsheet’s girlfriend, who lost her father yesterday (on Father’s Day).

Peanut’s Here

THE SCENE: Slightly cloudy, temps in sixties.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 10 Pinto Twists, 10 Windmills, 10 Rockettes, 10 Tempo Squats, Michael Phelps
THA-THANG:
Mosey to large parking lot that is south of northern ball fields and north of serpentine sidewalk.  Each man picks up a two bricks.  We will run, with bricks, counter-clockwise around the parking lot, stopping at each cone to do the listed exercise.

  • Cone 1:  10 Mini-man-makers
  • Cone 2:  20 Overhead Presses
  • Cone 3:  20 Wings Up
  • Cone 4:  20 Curls
  • Cone 5:  20 Wings Down
  • Cone 6:  20 Tricepts
  • Cone 7:  20 Wings Out
  • Cone 8:  20 Rows

Run one more time around parking lot with bricks, doing Bernie Sanders during first half and sprinting for the second half (not stopping at cones).  Lunge at semi circles ends of the parking lot.  Then dump bricks back in pile.

Mosey to start of serpentine sidewalk.  We will do 14’s on the sidewalk all the way to the perimeter trail.  We will bear crawl to first light, run for four lights, lunge to next light, run four more, then repeat sequence to perimeter trail.  We will do 20 Imperial Walkers as a group at the perimeter trail.

Mosey on perimeter trail until we reach cardiac hill.  We will run up cardiac hill, performing the following exercises at each of the following areas:

  • Start of cardiac hill:  20 Hello Dollies (four count).
  • Turn 1:  20 American Hammers (four count)
  • Turn 2:  20 Flutter Kicks (four count)
  • Turn 3:  20 Decline Merkins
  • Benches:  20 Bench Dips

Mosey to parking lot by entrance to the northern ball fields.  Go to CMU Pile.  We will do 20 Overhead Presses, 20 Curls, 20 Rows, and 20 Squats with CMUs.

Mosey to northern-most ball field.  We will do the great football throw.  In this, one man runs to first base and then rounds towards second.  The next man must lead him with a pass of the football as he heads to second.  If the ball hits the ground then all men must do five burpees. The ball is passed back and the man who passed the ball is now the receiver going to first and second base with the next man in line being the passer.  The group must do five burpees for any ball that hits the ground on a pass.

Mosey to playground.  We will do elevens at the benches with decline merkins as one exercise and bench hops as the other.

Mosey back to CMU pile.  We will repeat the 20 Overhead Presses, 20 Curls, 20 Rows, and 20 Squats with CMUs.

Mosey to bottom of Mini-Cardiac.  We will Bernie Sanders to No Parking Sign then sprint to the gate at the top of the hill.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Box Cutters.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight men, including P-nut visiting us from UT Martin and Abscess’ dog, Tank.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
How Do We Color Our World?

I recently viewed a quick video by Christian rapper Andy Mineo.  He talked about how he reads scripture to help relieve him from doubt about Christ.  He also talked about how scripture helps to color his world with what is good, with what is right.  And by coloring his world in that way, he then can do more in regards to what is good and right for others, because he is viewing those around him in a way that God wants him to view them.

How do we color our worlds?  Sometimes when I wake up on a work day I do not color my world with much beauty.  I may start off with a stroke that goes like this:  “Crap, another day of work.”

I can chose to color it in a different way.  I can chose to paint my morning this way:  “God, help me to greet others with strength and love today.  Help me to know you are there with me in each and every activity I perform.  Let me hear your voice whispering to me and help me to feel your hand upon me.”

Further, I can read from the bible at the start and/or end of my day.  I can get together with people who will get me in the correct frame of mind and help me to color my world in the right kind of way.  For example, I can go to F3, bust my butt with my brothers, and hear the message within the Circle of Trust that will thrust me forward with a strong spirit to meet the day.

Some of you may remember a song by the group Chicago called “Color My World.”  The last line of the song, directed toward a lover, says “Color my world with hope of loving you.”  What if we were to change the line, thinking of our Father in Heaven, and say, each day, to God “Color my world with the love you have for me.”  Saying that to ourselves may color our day with hope, with strength, with conviction, and with joy.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for the pregnancy of Small’s wife who is due in mid to late July.  Prayers for Crawdad’s wife, Kaitlin, who is having surgery.

Whiskey, Soft Beds, and Buttermilk

THE SCENE: Perfect. Low 70s, nice breeze, sunny

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Check


WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH, 20 IC
  • Bolt 45s (15 top ½ squats, 15 bottom ½ squats, 15 full squats)
  • 5 PCMBs OYO
  • 10 Plank Jacks (4-ct, IC)
  • 10 Windmills (4-ct, IC)
  • Baby Arm Circles Forward (x10, 4 Ct, IC) and backward (x10, 4 Ct, IC)

THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to grassy field below Admin building.
  • RECTANGLE OF DEATH!!!! (Q was not too original with the name…) Cones set up in rectangle.
    • Run suicides on long sides, but Bernie Sanders back to baseline instead of turning around. Run to ¼, ½, ¾, and full length.
    • Short sides, Burpee Broad Jumps (3 jumps then a Burpee)
    • Do exercise listed at the corner. Do 5 reps of each exercise the first lap, then 10, then 15
      • Corner 1: Mountain Climbers (2-ct), Tempo Squats, Iron Mikes (both legs =1) (5x/10x/15x)
      • Corner 2: Hand Release Merkins, Carolina Dry Docks, and Shoulder Taps (both shoulders = 1) (5x/10x/15x)
      • Corner 3: Star Jumps, Smurf Jacks, Bobby Hurleys (5x/10x/15x)
      • Corner 4: Big Boy Situps, American Hammers (2-ct), and box cutters (4-ct) (5x/10x/15x)

Only did two laps… too many other fun things to do.  Plus these were hard as heck and Q was out of breath.

  • Mosey to CMU pile.
    • CMU Farmer Carries!
      • Line up on Curb. Take turns lugging two CMUs around perimeter of parking lot.  Rest of PAX will be running back and forth across parking lot doing merkins at one end and squats at the other.  5x/10x/15x, rinse and repeat.  Keep repeating until everyone has carried the CMUs.  Tank, Lillydipper, and maybe one other PAX I’m forgetting volunteered to team up and do an extra lap to keep company with the last person to carry the CMUs, exmplifying the sacrifice and No Man Left Behind philosophy of F3.  Tank did it while battling calf cramps.  Beast.
      • Hat tip to Judge Judy!
  • Get a partner. One partner runs straight normal, the other Bernie Sanders up Baby Cardiac.  Switch half way up.  At top do 10 patty-cake merkins.
  • Mosey to AO.

MARY:
No time.  Barely made it back to the AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 strong! (J-Lo and Thunderstruck not tagged)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I recently revisited the book Lonesome Dove, which truly is a Great American Novel, and has countless memorable quotes and words of wisdom in it. It’s a tale of an ambitious (but tragic) cattle drive undertaken by two ex-Rangers-turned-cattle-ranchers, Gus and Call, from Texas to Montana.  During the drive, a woman companion on the trip, Lorie, a gentle soul who has led a difficult life surrounded by men who take advantage of her, is abducted by Comanches and is treated brutally while she is prisoner.  She survives and is rescued, but has many scars, both physically and psychologically.  She decides she needs to strike out on her own and finally realize a dream of hers to travel to California and start a new life.  In a letter that Gus writes to Lorie when she sets off, he says: “You see, life in San Francisco is still just life. If you want any one thing too badly, it’s likely to turn out to be a disappointment. The only healthy way to live life is to learn to like all the little everyday things – like a sip of good whiskey in the evening, a soft bed, a glass of buttermilk, or a feisty gentleman like myself.”

The message is pretty clear… The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence. If you’re always looking ahead, you will miss the enjoyment of the present.  If you are always chasing a dream, you will not realize the simple pleasures of the present that are Gifts from God.

    • Take pleasure in the simple things.  Life is what you make of it.
    • The trap we often fall into is looking at someone else’s situation and thinking that I wish I had what they have.  The reality is what they have may not be as good as it appears as we stand in our field looking across at theirs.
    • Phillipians 4:11-12 And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little.

MOLESKIN:
Several members of the PAX have friends and family members battling serious illnesses.  We are thinking of them and keeping them in our prayers.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Nope.

2 For Tuesday: Character-Building Festivities

THE SCENE: SUPER cool, like 70s cool. Breezy baby.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith! My name is Steam & I’ll be your Q this evening. I am stoked to be back here Qing with you guys. I am not a professional and you are here on your own volition – which means that you chose to be here this evening, just like everyone else. Let’s rock!

WARM-O-RAMA:

Side-Straddle Hop (SSH): 11×4 in cadence

Steam: “We will be celebrating 2 For Tuesday this evening gents”

Side-Straddle Hop (SSH): 11×4 in cadence

Baby Arm Circles: 11×4 (forward) in cadence // 11×4 (backwards) in cadence

Baby Arm Circles: 11×4 (forward) in cadence // 11×4 (backwards) in cadence)

Cherry- Picker: 11×4 in cadence

Cherry-Picker: 11×4 in cadence

Imperial Walker: 11×4 in cadence

Imperial Walker: 11×4 in cadence

Let’s get on the mosey!
THA-THANG:
[The 2nd part of any 2 For Tuesday exercise can be substituted w/5 burpees if PAX chooses]

  • Mosey towards Cardiac Hill

 

  • Every stop sign PAX passes = 8 merkins (1-count)
    • 3 stop signs = 24 merkins

 

  • “Cardiac Hill 100”
    • 4 points of contact going down Cardiac Hill
    • (1) Top of Cardiac Hill (2) curve 1 on Cardiac (3) curve 2 on Cardiac (4) bottom of Cardiac
    • At all points of contact
      • 10 squats
      • 10 big boy sit-ups
      • 5 incline merkins (facing up Cardiac)
    • PAX holds the plank at the bottom of Cardiac

 

  • PAX American Indian runs to boarded walkway by the river
  • PAX forms battle buddies

 

  • 11s
    • Boardwalk overlooking the river: LBCs (4-count)
    • Left Down the boardwalk 20ish yards: Merkins (4-count)
      • 10 + 1
      • 9 + 2 and so on
    • High-Heels leads PAX in core work exercises until 6 recovers on the boardwalk overlooking the river

 

  • PAX duck-walks up a little hill into the grass about a football field away from the Lakeshore Chapel

 

  • The Slinky
    • PAX gets into 2-man battle buddy (BB) teams
    • Q gives command to run – stop (hold plank)
    • (1) 1st BB team runs until the command “down” is given
    • (2) 1st BB team drops down into a plank
    • (3) 2nd BB team sprints past 1st BB team until the command “down” is given
    • (4) 2nd BB team drops down past the 1st BB team in the plank position
    • (5) 3rd BB team sprints past the 1st and 2nd BB teams, until the command “down” is given
    • (6) 3rd BB team drops down past the 1st and 2nd BB teams, holding the plank position
    • Rinse & Repeat – starting with the 1st BB team – until all PAX reach the edge of the Lakeshore Chapel

 

  • Doubtfire verbalizes the fuel on the fire and PAX rushes through the field in back of the chapel, across the street under a tree
  • Q leads PAX in Monkey-Humpers, in front of soccer moms, kids, and God himself
    • 11×4 in cadence
    • [2 For Tuesday]
    • 11×4 in cadence
  • Q points to an object 40-50 yards away – PAX charges at it full-speed

 

  • PAX are facing a hill
  • Q instructs PAX to get in a decline big boy setup position on the hill
  • 11 1-count big boy sit-ups
  • [2 For Tuesday]
  • 11 1-count big boy sit-ups

 

  • PAX runs up the hill and recovers by two trees close to the road leading to the Asylum PM road
  • Q leads PAX in 11 1-count Pinto Squat-Jump Twists(?) (Jury is still out on the official name)
    • Starting position: PAX facing 1 direction
    • PAX squat –> jump up and twist –> landing facing the other direction = 1
  • [2 For Tuesday]
  • 11 1-count Pinto Squat-Jump Twists

 

  • Pax charges towards the final stop sign
  • PAX charges the final road/hill back up to the AO

 

  • handy.

MARY:

Total Time: 45:20

Distance: 2.2miles

Elevation Gain: 128ft.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Use the TAGS on right-side to record PAX (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOURSELF) in attendance. Be sure to select the AO in CATEGORY above TAGS and then delete these notes!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Giving Credit/Being Your Own God

I just got a new job, am moving into a new house, have a new relationship with a great girl – things are going great in my life right now. And I feel like I need to hear this more than anyone: I need to realize that my pride is a very dangerous thing and that I am blessed with these things because there is a God above who is working in my life and putting breath in my lungs – to serve Him. None of the seeming success in life that I seem to be a part of has anything to do with “me being the man” or “me crushing it” lately. It’s so easy for me to pat myself on the back and develop a false sense of “look what you did man, you’re doing great.” Sometimes as men I think it’s easy for us to fall prey to our own pride in our work or successes in life, etc, and not remember who woke us up this morning and spoke life into the blessings we enjoy. We were created for so much more than ourselves men! Our story is just a small small part in the great HIStory He’s telling through us.

Keep the Faith & Fight the Good Fight!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Prayer Requests (PRs): Steam’s new dating relationship – struggling/wanting to keep the Lord at the center and working on being a HIM in it.