F3 Knoxville

JUCO Redux

THE SCENE: 54 degrees F, 81% humidity, dark
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH, Walkout merkin plank stretch with Peter Parkers, Windmills
THA-THANG:
Dora:

Partner #1 starts the following:

  • 200 CMU thrusters
  • 200 CMU curls
  • 200 CMU triceps extensions
  • 200 Merkins

Partner #2 runs to the scrapyard, performs 20 WWII sit-ups and either 5 pull-ups or 10 inverted pull-ups, runs back, and then swaps with Partner #1.  Restart at thrusters if time allows.

MARY:
20 box cutters, 30 crunches, 15 box cutters, 20 crunches, 10 box cutters, 10 crunches, 5 box cutters, 0 crunches.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 HIMs in attendance
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I remember a tour of our smelting operations of Tennessee Operations of ALCOA in 1992 by the president, the technical director (Dick Taylor), controller, and the process technology director.  It was a time to strut our stuff … and to get raked over the coals.  The local management team assembled with the visiting entourage for a wrap-up late in the day to receive feedback.  At one point, Dick Taylor asked Rhea Miller, the carbon plant manager, if he knew that the ceiling of the carbon plant was painted blue at the Massena, New York plant.  The carbon plants are typically a very dusty environment with very fine carbon dust everywhere including the air.  Spending just 15 minutes inside without a respirator will have you blowing black snot for a day or more.

So, lets get back to the question about the blue ceiling in Massena.  Before Rhea could answer Dick’s question, Smelting Manager Dave Musi, quickly stated, “Well, Dick, how do you know that the ceiling in our carbon plant isn’t painted blue?”  Things were quiet for an uncomfortable amount of time … at least long enough for Dick’s face to return to its natural color.

Jesus knows our true colors.  He knows everything about us. As the Bible tells us in Isaiah 64:6, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” or in Romans 3:10, “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;”.

In spite of that, Jesus came to live among us and to provide salvation to all who profess Him as Lord and Savor.  He will wash away our darkness and make us clean.  Two verses that should give us all hope and peace are 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” and 1 John 1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Confess our sins and walk in the light as we are instructed.  The rewards are worth it.

MOLESKIN:
We pray for Butterfingers’ dad as he recovers from a stroke.  Initial prognosis is very good.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F at JUCO on March 28th starting at 7:00 am.

Spring Forward 20 Hills

THE SCENE: Bright and sunny.  The sky was clear and the air was brisk.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Arm Circles

Tempo Merkins

Shoulder Taps

High Knees and Skips around parking lot
THA-THANG:
Started on top of Butterfingers’ hill.  We did 20 merkins at the top and 20 squats at the bottom.  We reduced the merkin and squat rep each time we ran up the hill.  Total of 210 merkins and squats if completed.

MARY:

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Butterfingers, Espy, Hammy, Fins, Drifter, Smoke, KY
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Colossians 1:9-13

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
MOLESKIN:
N/A
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
N/A

Super Set Tuesday

THE SCENE:  Warm and Wet
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

15 SSH’s 4ct , 5 Cherry Pickers, Tempo Merkins, Lunge to the end of the grind
THA-THANG:
Super  Set   Suicides
4 Sets  15   CMU Curls  Bench Dips to Failure
4 Sets  15   Tri Ceps     Ext Pullups to Failure
4 Sets  15   Squat        High Knees to Failure
4 Sets  20   Single Leg  CMU Jump Overs to Failure
4 Sets  20   Merkins      Inverted Pullups to Failure
4 Sets  20   Overhead Press  Upright Row to Failure

Between set 1 and 2 run to the far cone (cone #1). Between 2 & 3 run to (cone#1) back to start and then to (cone#2)……add a cone each time.  Finish with 4 cones on the last set.

MARY:
Alternate between Scissor Kicks and Dancing Bears……finish with LBC’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Butterfingers, Drifter, Espy, KY, Napster, Pinnochio, Radio Shack, Snorkel, Swayze, Taco
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Like the Stone of Wisdom, friendship may be lying right in your back yard and you may never know it.  Your best friend may be a stranger to you, or you may lose him because you didn’t bother to hold him.  Friends must be cultivated by sincerity, frankness, and deeds of affection.  No one can remain your friend if you hide your soul from him.  You needn’t save face before your friend.  Your friend will save it for you.

Life is a chain of little events.  Close your soul to your friend, and he will lose sight of you.  And if you find your friend, give of your friendship and it will return to you tenfold.  Those who cannot give friendship will rarely receive it and never hold it.

-Dagobert D. Runes

Saturday Super Set Suicides (S3+1?)

THE SCENE: Clear, cold, and frosty (frozen fingers)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 SSH’s 4ct , 7 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Super Set Suicides
4 Sets 15 CMU Curls  Bench Dips to Failure
4 Sets 15 Tri Ceps     Ext Pullups to Failure
4 Sets 15 Squat        High Knees to Failure
4 Sets 20 Single Leg  CMU Jump Overs to Failure
4 Sets 20 Merkins      Inverted Pullups to Failure
4 Sets 20 Overhead Press  Upright Row to Failure
Run to the cone of the same set and back. Set 1 run to Cone 1,
Set 2 run to Cone 2….

MARY:
Alternate between Scissor Kicks and Peter Parker……finish with LBC’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
3 HIMS for Saturday….Butterfingers, Drifter, KY
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Psalm 1

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

I wanted to share these verses from Psalms 1, because I sometimes find strength from these words.  In times of struggle when we might feel more like chaff than the tree planted by the stream.  However, if we draw deeply upon our faith we can weather any drought.  I highlighted my favorite verse above.  Hopefully, you can find something here too.

-Butterfingrs

Springbrook Legacy

THE SCENE: 48 degrees F, 64% humidity, dark
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH, Little baby arm circles, Windmills, Inchworm merkins with extra stretch.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the upper field and stop at the fountain.

Route 66 #1:  With the fountain light pole as a home base do a compound Route 66 up the Greenway.  Run to first light pole and do 1 merkin and 11 WWII situps, run back to starting point and then run to the second light pole to do 2 merkins and 10 WWII situps.  Continue back to the starting point before running to each successive light pole to increase by 1 merkin and decrease 1 WWII situp.

At light pole 7 we all recovered and then ran cross country to the source of the Springbrook stream.  After some comments we ran back to the home base at the fountain.

Route 66 #2:  With the fountain light pole as a home base do a compound Route 66 down the Greenway.  Run to first light pole and do 1 dry dock and 11 squat jumps, run back to starting point and then run to the second light pole to do 2 dry docks and 10 squat jumps.  Continue back to the starting point before running to each successive light pole to increase by 1 dry dock and decrease 1 squat jump.

Around light pole 7 we all recovered and ran back to the fountain to learn a few things about the fountain construction and the King’s and Queen’s Chairs rock formation above the fountain.

We ran back to the AO via the Troll Bridge, another structure from the early Springbrook era.

At the scrapyard we did 20 pull ups and 20 step ups per leg before circling up at the Pavilion side for Mary.

In reality, no one was able to complete all of the prescribed beat down due to time constraints.  No complaints were registered.

MARY:
Edward Scissorlegs, flutter kicks
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 HIMs and no FNG’s
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Springbrook was an area owned and developed by the Aluminum Company of America starting in the 1910’s.  Company executives at the time decided to set aside one acre of park land for every 100 employees.  What is now Springbrook Park from Hunt road past Springbrook Pool originated from the ALCOA promise. Many of the structures like the fountain, stone bridges, and pool date back to the early 1930’s with much of it being built by company employees.  When orders were low during the Great Depression, management would assign workers to perform construction work at the park.  We also need to remember that most of the infrastructure of the area was provided and build by ALCOA because none existed prior to the company’s arrival.

This is a significant difference from our day and time.  Now, companies want concessions from local governments before they commit to moving in.  They want tax reductions and improved infrastructures.  They expect the communities to already exhibit those things that add up to good quality of life for their employees.  Seldom do we hear of a company starting from scratch and providing all those things.

It is good to know our beginnings.  It is good to know of our legacy.  F3 is leaving a legacy in Springbrook Park (the Bomb Shelter).  The great thing is that F3 is adding to the legacy of Springbrook Park with its goal of providing Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith to anyone that shows up.  I think it is a legacy that those who poured and will pour their effort into Springbrook Park will be pleased to see.

No man left behind; no man left unchanged.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Swerve as he officiates a funeral and for Woodshack and Dreamer and their families in the death of David White.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F at JUCO on March 28th.