F3 Knoxville

Tag: Abacus

244th Edition of Patriot Games – F3 Style

THE SCENE: Pre-Ruck with the Flag at 0615 to finish scouting out F3 route – arrived back at the AO at 6:50 to Cheatsheet and Mermaid ready to rock

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • WELCOME to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith
  • My name is Steam and I am HONORED to be your Q this morning, on America’s 244th birthday
  • A couple things before we begin
    • Any FNGs?
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition – meaning you’re here on purpose. And I firmly believe that.
    • I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have so if you need to modify anything we do this morning, feel free to do it, but push yourselves and the men around you – they deserve it and so do you.
  • Like I said earlier – you are here on purpose. It is no accident you showed up this morning – just like 244 years ago the greatest nation was founded on purpose, with things like this in mind.


WARM-O-RAMA:

 

  • SSH: 61 x 1
  • Mountain Climber: 61 x 1
  • Flutter Kick: 61 x 1
  • Squat: 61 x 1

= 244 (Happy Birthday 🇺🇸)

  • Merkin position —> all PAX sing “Happy Birthday” while holding the Merkin plank

THA-THANG:

***The Standard for the Q*** = The Shovel Flag will stay at the front of the PAX for the duration of the Q. The QIC does not go past it and neither does anyone else. This will be our rallying point for the entire Q. Flags out front.

(Mosey over to Pickett’s Charge)

  1. Pickett’s Charge
  • Pushups have been crucial to our country since day 1
  • The founding fathers coined the phrase “Merkin” for pushups before they signed the Declaration of Independence. Once again, I’m not a professional so don’t hold me to that
  • So we will honor them this morning by doing 10 Merkins on a 4 count together in cadence – taking the small hill – executing 10 more Merkins on a 4 count in cadence together and rinse and repeat until we hit the top, AYE?
  • Execute 10×4 Merkins and take the hill
  • PAX executes evolution on Pickett’s Charge – the Flag being passed to a new HIM after each iteration of merkins

 

(Mosey to light post path across from Veterans Memorial)

 

2. Light-Post Path Across from Memorial

  • “Bringing the Hammer Down”
  • Every other light = 13 x 4 American Hammers
  • Finish at the street/crosswalk

 

(Mosey to Everest)

 

3. Everest

  • Q sends Cheatsheet 1/4th up (big stump where a tree used to be) with the flag – with instructions to wave it and give the command to charge up the hill balls to the wall after SSHs are completed by all PAX
  • Line up facing Everest
  • Buy-In = 50 SSHs (1 count)
  • TAKE THE HILL

(Wagon wheel with the flag to get the 6 up)

  • At the top – Steam asks for a 50 count – yes you heard right – a 50 count
  • Q asks men to focus on their breathing and think about their time “in country” from the day they were born

(Mosey carefully back down Everest to the other side of the walking path and with the flag out front execute 10 x 4 merkins

(Mosey down the street across from Veterans Memorial)

  • Out of respect, when we get to the top, we will stay in silence until we step off to mosey back to the AO. I will instruct us in a few things, we’ll take a moment, and head back. Sound good?
  • American Indian walk up the veterans memorial hill – flag stays up front
  • all the way to the top where the flags are
  • At the Top
    • 10 Merkins in silence
    • When you’re done — recover, and focus on your breathing
  • Here’s what’s about to go down:
    • We’re going to take a moment of silence together – I’ll say a prayer over us (below in BOM section) take a moment and look at these white stones, at the flag and just breathe. 

(Mosey back across the street)

Final push to the AO –> 100%

Post-Thang:

  • Go out the same way we came back in
    • SSH: 244 x 4
  • CheatSheet leads in 100 SSHs
  • 25 merkins on a 4 count

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

18 PAX

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

 

  • “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness……….And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
    • Declaration of Independence

 

  • Recited from the “Pray for America Bible” at the top of the Veteran’s Cemetery (See here on Amazon)
    • From the D-Day radio broadcast, June 6, 1944: “My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
      • Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. And for us at home – fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas – whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them – help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice. Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts……And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade……With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Leas us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.”

 

  • 1 Corinthians 16:13-14: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. (14) Act like men.”

 

  • The Declaration of Independence cannot exist without the Bible. Neither can this country. It’s what it was founded on. However, the Bible transcends time and exists so that things like our great Nation, the Founding Father’s guidance, and the Declaration of Independence could come about.

 

  • This is the most unique and greatest nation in the world. And it was founded by High Impact Men. 244 years later – the United States (and the world) needs High Impact Men just as much as it did in 1776. More than ever. The High Impact Men that founded the United States of America believed in what they stood up for – that truly, by the hand of Almighty God – all men are created equal and there are certain unalienable rights. They stood for something. They were men of initiation and courage. 244 years later – we need those same men more than ever. We need fathers, sons, bosses, brothers – we need men of impact to stand up and follow the 1 Corinthians 16:13 model to the fullest. And it starts with you. Praise be to God we exist in the greatest country in the world – where we can openly say the name of Jesus and do things like F3.

 

  • The necessity for Iron Sharpening in 1776 still exists in 2020.

 

  • Just as the founding fathers understood their necessity for a savior and for freedom – we too, need to recognize this same need, 244 years later.

 

Goliath

THE SCENE: High 60’s, 94% humidity. A great morning to sweat and sharpen some iron!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 SSH 4ct IC
10 burpees
5 cherry pickers
10 burpees
10 windmills

THA-THANG:
3 rounds:
10 CMU curls
10 CMU overhead extensions
10 CMU mowers – each arm
10 Lion Kings (David first killed a lion)
10 burpees

Indian run to base of Matterhorn
3 rounds:
10 merkins
10 BBS
10 squats
Bear crawl (1st round) to Backbone
(David also took on a Bear)
5 pull-ups
5 toes to bar
5 chin-ups
5 knees to chest
Run to summit
10 burpees
Run back to base

Indian run back to AO

MARY:
10 burpees (that makes 100!)
25 hello Dolly’s 4ct IC

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Abacus, Biscuits, Homebody, Junk, La-Z-Boy, Snitch, Turtle, Waxjob, Yo-Yo
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
We all know the story of David and Goliath. And I feel like 100 burpees mixed with the Matterhorn is worthy of being called a Goliath. Goliath was a giant of a man, standing 9 ft tall. He was a seasoned, battle-hardened warrior. His spear was longer than David was tall. His shield weighed more than David. The Israelite army trembled in fear of this beast who, every day for 40 days, would come out and taunt them, challenge them, ridicule and slander both them and their God. Our God. Even King Saul was too afraid to challenge the giant, instead offering great rewards to the man who did.
Enter David. We all know about David the king, but let’s look at him at this point in time. He was the 8th and youngest son of Jesse. He was the smallest, the weakest, the least significant of all his brothers. He was relegated to be a farmer and tend the flocks as his brothers were fighting in Israel’s army. He was such an afterthought that he didn’t even make the initial lineup when the prophet Samuel, led by God, came to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the next king of Israel. They had to go call him in from the fields. Even Samuel himself didn’t think that it would be David.
So David the shepherd, in his late teens or early 20’s, is sent by his father, Jesse, to deliver food and provisions to his brothers on the front lines. He arrives and hears Goliath insulting and slandering God and is overcome with righteous anger and asks why no one has stood up to this man for God’s glory. His brother gets angry and rebukes him. But David, standing for the Lord, presses on and confronts King Saul. Saul offers this young boy his armor and sword, likely the best equipment in all of Israel. David refuses, choosing only a few river stones and his sling instead. This boy, having already killed a lion and a bear barehanded, walks out onto the battlefield, dressed in shepherd’s rags and carrying a slingshot. Goliath laughs at him and ridicules him. But David, standing firm in his faith and fighting for our God and His glory, slaughtered the giant with a single stone.
Goliath takes many forms today, including the 100 burpees we just tackled. It could be that you’re facing an illness, work stress, family struggles, addiction, whether it’s substance or porn or even just comfort (we don’t like to step out of our comfort zones very often, guilty here too). It may not be one single thing. It may be a bunch of little things that, stacked up, take on the form of this giant. But whatever it is, whatever you’re facing, remember that you aren’t facing it alone. You have a power in you that cannot be shaken, cannot be uprooted, that cannot fail. If you stand firm in your faith, if you are being obedient, if you are fighting for Him and the glory of His kingdom, all you have to do is call out to Him. He will come meet you where you are. No matter who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done, whether you’re the greatest or the least of your clan. Stand for Him. Fight for Him. Lean into Him. He will lead you to victory. That’s my encouragement and my challenge to you. Our God is greater than anything else out there. He is the one true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Whatever is your Goliath, stand for Him and all else will fall into place.
MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Off the Chain CSAUP – July 18
Sign up posted on Slack
1st 50 to sign up get patches

Patience of Unanswered Prayer

THE SCENE: Sunny, temp about 90 degrees
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, Plank Stretches, 10 Rockettes, 10 Windmills, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Stop Sign at Southeastern Corner of Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to grassy area that is south of Area 51.  There will be four cones set up in a square pattern.  We will be going in a counter-clockwise route around the square four times, stopping to do an exercise at each cone.  By the end we will have done four exercises at each cone.  Following are the exercises at each cone and the method by which to get to the next cone:

  • Cone 1:  1. 20 Side Straddle Hops (4 ct)  2. 15 Mountain Climbers (4 ct)  3. 20 Star Jumps  4.  20 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)  (After exercise, Sprint to Cone 2)
  • Cone 2:  1. 20 Merkins  2. 15 Shoulder Taps  3. 10 Hand Release Merkins  4. 20 Carolina Dry Docks  (After exercise, Skip to Cone 3)
  • Cone 3.  1. 20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  2. 20 Hello Dollies (4 ct).  3.  20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct.)  4. 20 Bicycle Kicks (4 ct)  (After exercise, Bernie Sanders to Cone 4)
  • Cone 4.  1. 10 Burpees  2. 15 Imperial Walkers (both legs = 1)  3. 20 Bobby Hurleys  4. 20 Squat Jumps  (High Knees to Cone 1).

Mosey to Northshore Entrance to Park.  We will go south then east on the perimeter trail, doing Nickel Dime Quarters with the following exercises:

  • Squats
  • Dead Bugs
  • Diamond Merkins
  • Dive Bombers

We will be near the Southern Ball Fields when we have done the above.  Mosey to the parking lot at the Southern Ball Fields.  We will do 8 count Bear Crawls then 8 Count Lunges, repeating this pattern from one end of the parking lot to the other.  

Mosey to Outdoor Chapel.  Take 15 second breather.  Then mosey up hill all the way to the new built area near the Admin Bldg.  Take 30 second breather.  Mosey to AO.

MARY:
25 Hello Dollies
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
22 men with two FNGs whom we named Whistler (Brett Marshman) and Leo Turcas (Nadia).  Nadia was a Flying EH victim!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Asking with Patience

Matthew 7: 7-8

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Romans 8:25

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

2 Peter 3:8

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

At last week’s internet streamed worship service at my church, a line struck me from one of the songs we sang.  The song is “Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart” by Croly and Digerness.  The line that struck me is “Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.”  That is certainly a line I need to hear during the time of this coronavirus and national unrest after the death of George Floyd.  I read the bible verse that says, “everyone who asks receives.”  I know that people all over Earth are asking that this coronavirus would end.  I ask, “God, when will you answer our prayer?”  Yet, I need to also ask, “God, teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.”

When I was a boy, my best friend, Neil, who lived next door, was the first family on our block to get a Color TV set.  Seven years later, most people had Color TV sets but I was still praying for our first one.  My mother was a single parent and a teacher – and, just like today, teachers don’t make enough money for all the work they do.  I remember getting excited when we went to a big store that had a television promo.  As part of the promo, people could bring in advertisements they received in the mail.  If your code number on the advertisement was one of the winning code numbers, you could get a free TV set.  My mother, of course, told me the odds were minuscule for us to have a winning number.  We went to the store and there were all these magnificent color television sets, sitting there for a kid like me to gawk at.  Needless to say we didn’t win a set.  “But, mom, can’t we even buy one of the smaller sets?”  I know my mother felt bad for me but with her lack of funds she was also teaching my about life – about limiting oneself to a budget; about not coveting; about appreciating what we have; about patience.

About six or seven months later I came home to find a portable television set sitting on a cabinet in our living room.  It was on, it was playing a television show, and the show was in living color!!!  My mother had saved for quite some time to get that portable but color TV set.  I was so happy!  It may have been small but it was a COLOR SET!

God, teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.  I think of people who have endured wars that last for many years.  Teach me to be grateful for what I do have.  I think of people who endured plagues like the Black Plague where cities of people were wiped out by the disease or indian tribes in America who were practically wiped out by diseases that Europeans brought from another continent.  God, teach me to have trust that you are there for me, for us, no matter what difficulties and even tragedies beset us.  For in You we have something that hardship, suffering, even death cannot take away.  As the famous poet, John Donne, said, in you Death Shall Die.

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for our nation at this time of unrest, prayers for Iceman’s father who will need surgery for his heart again, prayers for Thunderstruck’s mother and grandfather, prayers for Lillydipper’s wife.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
F3 Launch at Morristown this weekend.

Who needs a spartan race when you have a couple of cones

THE SCENE: The Equalizer, 5:30am, Late May. Rain, clear, spotty showers…who knows
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA: 

some stretching of the legs and getting the body warmed up
THA-THANG:
“Virtual Spartan 5k”

5K run while stopping to do the following 20 obstacles:

    • 10 Merkins
    • 10 burpees
    • 10 mountain climbers 4ct
    • 10 SSH 4ct
    • 10 squats
    • 10 forward lunges
    • 10 hand-release Merkins
    • 10 tuck jumps
    • 10 Inch worms
    • 10 shoulder taps (per side)

Run four cones -walk fast two x3

Sprint two cones-walk two x4

mosey back to AO for dealers choice and

10 single leg squats (per side)

“10-second” 6” planks

ring of fire with jump overs and merkins

MARY:
side crunches, box cutters
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 pax
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Stealing a page from G-6 and doing some star gazing while reflecting on Gods wonderful creation and blessings. Take time to concentrate on God‘s word and his blessings
MOLESKIN:
Good work from the PAX today. Saw some good hustle on the sprints
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP

The Return of the Big Dipper!

THE SCENE: Awesome evening.  Partly sunny, low 70s, not much breeze
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!  Some additional COVID-19 considerations: keep your distance between you and other members of the PAX and any other folks that we pass during moseys, etc. to 6-10 feet.  We will be splitting up into groups smaller than 10 if necessary.  We need to set good examples and be good neighbors out here at this public park, especially with so many folks out and about.

WARM-O-RAMA:

-20 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), IC, 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), IC, 10 Steve Earles (4-ct), IC, 10 Grady Corns (4-ct), IC.  We also scattered in 30 “Marine Burpees” (burpee minus the Merkin at the bottom) in honor of Mandolin’s 35th b-day.  The Q was getting tired during the dang warmup, so we stopped there but added 5 more during the workout to make 35.

THA-THANG:

We split into two groups to be in compliance with local health guidelines.  Mr. Jinxy was Q2.

  • Mosey to the Grinch’s Hill. Do 3 sets of 7s, going up the hill a different way for each (always run down the hill):
    • First 7s. BERNIE SANDERS up the hill
      • Mountain Climbers (4-ct)
      • Burpees
    • Second 7s. EL CAPITAN up the hill
      • Star Jumps
      • Smurf Jacks
    • Third 7s. BEAR CRAWL up the hill
      • BBS
      • American Hammer (4-ct)
  • Mosey to Perimeter Trail near Area 51. Nickel-dime-quarters (run 1 light, do 5 of the exercise, run 2 lights do 10, run 5 lights do 25), with Carolina Dry Docks as the exercise.
  • Mosey a little ways up the base of EVEREST to get off the trail and out of people’s way. Do 10 of each exercise, run up 1/3 of hill and back down, then 20 of each exercise, run up 2/3 of hill, then 30 of each exercise, then run to base of summit.
    • Exercises: Big Boy Situps, LBCs, Flutter Kicks (4-ct; switched to 2-ct for the last set)
  • At BASE OF SUMMIT do 10 of each exercise, and then TAKE THE HILL!
    • 10 x Burpees, Bobby Hurleys, and SSH

MARY:
Q1 did X’s and O’s and Homer/Marge until Q2 finally decided to show up at the shovel flag.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
18 HIMs, including Clooney (couldn’t tag) and FNG Duck Hunt, who is Mandolin’s 2.0.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Jesus said that following his death, “You will know the Holy Spirit. It will be in you, and I will be in you, and you will never be alone.”  The Bible also says that God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve wondered what the Holy Spirit looks like, and I’m still not 100% sure.  I thought it might look like a benevolent ghost, or a sparkling cloud with rainbows and unicorns or something that would fill you with wonder if you were to look upon it.

But these days, when it may appear that God is keeping His distance from us, I think the Holy Spirit looks a whole lot like the doctors that hold the hands of patients dying from the COVID-19 virus, who can’t have family members be with them during their final hours.  I think it looks like volunteers and loved ones who drive by and wave and hold pictures up at the windows to cheer up the residents of nursing homes.  Or parents who tirelessly help their children learn at home. Or people who contribute money or time to food pantries.  Or communities who gather outside and bang on pots at a certain time to congratulate the graduating high school class, like they did in my home town.  Or the local baker who baked a thousand cookies for the first responders at Beth Israel hospital in NYC.  At first glance, God and the Holy Spirit may seem to be distant from us these days.  But in truth, I think they are closer than ever.

“God will be with us, if we follow his commandment to love each other as Jesus loved us.” (John 13:34).

MOLESKIN:
It was just awesome to have our fearless leader Lilydipper join us again.  We prayed for him and his wife, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.  Prayers also for 3 classmates of Abscess who passed away last week.  Prayers of thanks for Pusher’s anniversary, and Thunderstruck’s mother, who is ill but felt well enough to do a short hike to a waterfall on Mother’s Day. And Happy 35th, Manilow!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Some PAX are going to Morristown to assist with their launch on Saturday.  They will be leaving around 5:30 am. Contact Abscess or Steam for more details.