F3 Knoxville

Category: Equalizer

Looking Back and Moving Forward

THE SCENE: Low 30s, clear, full moon in the sky (the halo arrived towards the end of the workout)

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Some stretching and 1 SSH

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the splash pad

My family gave me the official F3 Workout Deck for Christmas, so we did that.  Each card has a different exercise, and the reps are determined by the card: 1-10 = the number on the card plus 10 (e.g., a 2 = 12 reps, a 5 = 15 reps, etc.), J,Q,K = 25, and Aces = 100 (we drew 2 aces).  We made it approximately 75% of the way through the deck.  I would list all of the exercises that we did, but it might spoil the surprise for others as to what all the deck contains.  Needless to say, we did some cardio, some core, some legs, and some merkins.

Mosey back to the AO

MARY:
We just had a little time for Mary, so we did 20 boat/canoes and about a 12-second plank before time.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
8 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
On 1/4/20, I led the first Saturday workout in 2020 at the Asylum.  I wrote this in my back-blast for that workout:

It is a new year and a new decade and no one knows what it holds.  It could be the year that someone is added to your life, or it could be the year that someone is taken away.  It could be the year of the promotion, or it could be the year of the demotion.  It could be the year of kindergarten, or it could be the year of graduation.  It could be the year of the big win, or it could be the year of the big loss.  Regardless, you don’t need a resolution, you need a constitution, a foundation.  On a big scale, it should be God, your family, your friends, etc.  But, it can be anything that grounds you.  It can even be as simple as the F3 workouts.  The asphalt, concrete, and grass do not change, and they are always there waiting for you whether you have a good day/week or a bad day/week.  They are checkpoints after good times or bad and before whatever lies ahead.  If nothing else, start there and build.  Have a good new year but not just for what good fortunes may come your way during the year but based on what you keep your eye on and focus on while the year goes by.

I certainly did not know (nor could I have imagined) how 2020 was going to play out.  It has been a year of a whole lot of something and a whole lot of nothing at the same time.  It’s been a long year and one that has hardly existed.  I’m usually reflective at New Year’s, but this year is different.  The usual events are not there to reflect on.

But, it has been a good year to get back to those basic foundations that I mentioned in January.  I’ve spent more time at home and with my family.  I’ve attended more F3 workouts thanks to my telework schedule. I’ve prayed a lot.

A lot people are happy to end 2020 in favor of 2021.  Those people need to be careful.  We should not wish our lives away in hopes of better days to come.  Find the joy now.  If you can’t find any, then look harder.  If you still can’t find any, then make some.  We have to live the days we are given as there is no guarantee of tomorrow.  Also, things are not going to change just because the year changes from 2020 to 2021.  Things will change with positive attitudes and actions.

When you look back on 2020, look for the good and don’t dwell on the bad.  As you look forward to 2021, look with hope and with the intention of doing something positive with it.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Ribbed, his wife, and his family and for 2021.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Coming up: polar plunge and Asylum CSAUP

10 for 11s at the Equalizer

THE SCENE: Low to mid 30s. Perfect gloom.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Cherry Pickers IC | Baby Arm Circles IC
  • SSH IC | Rockettes IC

THA-THANG:

Simple Q today: a pair of 11s

  • 10 Pull-up at Playground | 1 squat at splash pad
  • Break for Cobra Kai x5 OYO
  • 10 burpees at outhouse. | 1 BBS at splash pad until recover was called

MARY:

  • Pickle Pounders
  • LBCs IC
  • Flutter Kicks IC

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Luke 2:39-40 – When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

The Christmas story is incredible and powerful, but it’s not the end. Jesus lived a life that serves as an example to us. What is one aspect of Jesus’ character you wish was more a part of you? Make a plan to make Jesus’ whole story a part of your daily life & routine.

MOLESKIN & ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

Check out the 43 Challenge on Slack & fill that 2021 Q Calendar

Rainy Days & Mondays at the Equalizer

THE SCENE: Rainy. Windy. Fantastic.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Cherry Pickers IC | Baby Arm Circles IC
  • SSH IC | Rockettes IC

THA-THANG:

10,20,30,40 of these exercises:

  • Pull-up, Single leg Bridge, BBS, SSH
  • Burpees, VUps, Squats
  • Step ups, Mtn Climbers, Dips, LBCs
  • American Hammer, Incline Merks, SSH, Lunges
  • Table row, Signle leg dead, BBS, SSH

Rinse & repeat

MARY:

  • Flutter Kicks IC

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Prayers for our brother, his wife, and the medical staff taking care of them.

MOLESKIN & ANNOUNCEMENTS:

DORA Bricklayer

THE SCENE: 35 and foggy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH x25, Imperial Walker x10, Cherry Picker x5, Tempo Merkins x10, BAC x10 (both ways), little bit of this and little bit of that.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to location where Blair Witch Project was filmed to retrieve bricks.

DORA in upper parking lot.  Goal was to hold onto your bricks the whole time.

  • 100 — Merkin rows
  • 200 — V-ups
  • 300 – Squat press
  • Partner runs with bricks around island while other is doing exercises.

Mosey to playground for Pull-ups and Flutter-kicks (alternating between partners)

MARY:
Hello Dolly x25

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Encourage the PAX to make memories with their families. Put ideas on the calendar in pen, not pencil.  Make it stick. Make memories. Invest in your kids and your relationship with them. It’s the most productive thing you can do with your time.

If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.

Infamy and Unity

THE SCENE: 40s and damp but no rain
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

79 years ago (12/7/41), Pearl Harbor was bombed.  The attack began at 7:55 a.m. and lasted for almost 2 hours.

12 SSH (4 ct)

7 Burpees

41 Squats

THA-THANG:

Mosey to the flag pole

19 American ships were destroyed or damaged.

19 boat/canoes

188 American aircraft were destroyed or damaged.

188 tie fighters (single count)

2,403 American lives were lost – 2,008 from the Navy, 218 from the Army, 109 Marines, and 68 civilians.

2,403 merkins as a group in honor of everyone who died at Pearl Harbor (regular, inclined, declined, hand-release, WWII, etc., or a combination – PAX choice – but try to mix it up).  There were 12 PAX, so each PAX did 200 merkins.  After the first 100, we all ran a lap around the track.  After the next 50, we ran another lap.  After the final 50, we ran another lap.  We did the last 3 merkins together, in cadence, in the form of WWII merkins.  After completing the 2,403 merkins as a group, we ran a fourth lap to complete the mile.

Back at the flag pole, we honored the 15 members of the Navy who received the Medal of Honor for their actions at Pearl Harbor by doing 15 American Hammers (4 ct).

Minute of silence under the flag for everyone who has fought and died for our country followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, which broke out spontaneously from one of the PAX.

We had some extra time and hadn’t done enough merkins, so we cashed out with some ATMs (15 shoulder taps (4 ct), 10 tempo merkins, and 10 merkins (OYO)).

Mosey back to the AO

MARY:

Hello Dollys x 20 (4 ct)

Flutter Kicks x 20 (4 ct)

Hold plank for about a minute until time

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 HIMs, including FNG Floater and last week’s FNG Jetlag whose tag is not in the system.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Our workout lasted 45 minutes.  79 years ago, Pearl Harbor had another hour or so of hell to fight through by the time that we were done.  What we did was nothing compared to what the people at Pearl Harbor did and went through.

The USS Arizona still rests under the water at Pearl Harbor.  Its fallen crew members still rest there, too.  Among them, 23 sets of brothers died on that ship on that day.  Former crew members who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor can have their ashes placed under one of the sunken gun turrets.  44 have done so with the last one occurring in 2019.  Former crew members from other ships who survived can have their ashes scattered where their ship was located during the attack.

There are lots of interesting stats and facts about Pearl Harbor.  Here is one that jumped out to me – after Pearl Harbor, 97% of Americans approved of entering WWII.  Sadly, it is hard to think of the last time 97% of Americans agreed on anything.

FDR said that 12/7/41 was a day that would live in infamy, which means being well known for some bad quality or deed.  He was right.  It was, and it has.

It also led to unity.

Let’s pray for the same bravery and unity that defined the Greatest Generation.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for unity (hopefully without the infamy).  Prayers for everyone struggling with addiction (spoiler alert: we all do over something to some degree) and praises for those who overcome addiction and find better ways and better days.  Prayers for Ribbed’s wife.  Prayers for Curveball’s wife.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Polar plunge coming soon