F3 Knoxville

Tag: Boucher

Do It Anyway

THE SCENE: Not too bad, all things considered… low 80s, light breeze, mostly cloudy at first, switching over to mostly sunny which made it a bit toastier.

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!


WARM-O-RAMA:

-20 SSH, 4-ct, IC

-5 Burpees for Abscess, who has a mental derangement that causes him to actually LIKE Burpees

– 10 Windmills, 4-ct IC

– 15 Grady Corns , 4-ct IC

– Little of this, then that

– Hamstring stretches, right leg over left, touch toes, reverse

– 10 Tempo Merkins, 4-ct, IC

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to the soccer field below the Coliseum:

BATTLE BUDDY AB KRAKEN with 6 cones.  Do 20 REPS of the exercise (4-ct when applicable), then run around circle PLUS ONE cone, etc., until you reach the last cone.  When finished, go to the middle and alternate 10 merkins and 20 squats until 6 finishes.

  • EXERCISES: Flutter Dollies, LBCs, Big Boy Situps, Bicycle Kicks, American Hammers, Dead Bug

MOSEY to the little parking lot just above the soccer field.  Get a BATTLE BUDDY for THREE BY FIVES.  One partner will be in the “bullpen” slowly running back and forth, while the other partner runs to stop sign and does two exercises, then runs back.  Start with 5 reps of both exercises and increase by 5, i.e., first trip do 5x, then 10x, then 15x.  Three sets of exercises:

  1. Peter Parkers (2-ct) / Half-Burpees
  2. Star Jumps / Iron Mikes
  3. Decline Merkins / Dive Bombers

AYG back to AO, cresting at least 2 of the small hills in the amphitheater on the way back.

MARY:
Plank holds, 5 more burpees for Abscess. Uggh.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 HIMs, No FNGs, one doggy
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

One of the things I’ve been struggling with the past year or two is how to maintain my efforts to be a man of character and integrity when it seems like no one else is playing by the same rules, or setting the same standards for themselves.  There comes a point where it’s easy to shrug and say, “Why bother?” and a temptation to sacrifice your principles in any variety of situations.  I am by no means perfect, but I get frustrated when I see ignorance, or selfishness, or an acceptance and propagation of falsehoods that are passed along purely for self-gain.  I get furious when I see hypocrisy, prejudice, and self-righteousness masquerading as patriotism or religious zeal.  And sometimes when I feel like I’m at my breaking point, I remember one of favorite poems, Do It Anyway, by Mother Teresa.  It goes like this:

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Pusher’s co-worker’s family, the family of Jetlag’s friend in the Philippines who died of a heart attack, and other PAX members struggling with loss or are healing from injuries.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP date change, now 3rd Sat. in August; Saturday AM will likely move to parking lot where PM group meets during winter.

DORAS Galore!

THE SCENE: Rare gem of a day! 80 degrees, sunny, low humidity.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Done and Done!
WARM-O-RAMA:

– 20 SSH (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Windmills (4-ct), in cadence (We came close to starting over because PAX lost count, except for Jetlag, who bailed everyone out.  Then the smart-alecks started exaggerating the count, shouting it out excessively loudly, which was actually kind of hilarious)

– 10 Steve Earles, (4-ct), in cadence

– 20 Grady Corns (4-ct), in Cadence

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to rock pile below Coliseum. BATTLE BUDDY UP!  Each set of partners pick up a pair of equally sized rocks. Alternate carrying the rocks between the partners as we run around.  High Heels picks up a pebble so small that a toddler could easily lift it. 🙂

MOSEY to parking lot below Coliseum. DORAS! WINGS UP x 100

  • Partner 1, RUN up to end of roundabout, 10 ROCKY BALBOAS (2-ct), run back
  • Partner 2: Do exercise, until cumulative total = 100

MOSEY to stop sign at southern corner of circle drive. DORAS! WINGS DOWN x 100

  • Partner 1, BERNIE to tree about 50 yards away, 10 SSH, run back
  • Partner 2: Do exercise, until cumulative total = 100.

MOSEY to Amphitheater. DORAS! WINGS OUT x 100

  • Partner 1, Run up hill, 10 JUMP SQUATS, run back
  • Partner 2: Do exercise, until cumulative total = 100.

MOSEY to BAT HOUSE. DORAS! SHOULDER PRESSES x 100

  • Partner 1, Run down stairs, 10 HAND RELEASE MERKINS, run back
  • Partner 2: Do exercise, until cumulative total = 100.

MOSEY to Stop sign at northern corner of circle drive. DORAS! CURLS x 100

  • Partner 1, BEAR CRAWL to edge of guard rail, 10 Diamond Merkins, run back
  • Partner 2: Do exercise, until cumulative total = 100.

MOSEY to grassy area on north side of Pickett’s Charge. DORAS! ROWS x 200 (since these are easy…)

  • Partner 1, EL CAPITAN to tree about 10 yards away up the hill, 10 IMPERIAL SQUAT WALKERS , run back
  • Partner 2: Do exercise, until cumulative total = 100.

MOSEY to Rock Pile. DORAS! PUNCHES x 100

  • Partner 1, REVERSE LUNGE up hill, 10 MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS, run back.  (These didn’t work too well.  Really tough to actually reverse lunge uphill, although Abscess gave it his absolute best.  This was actually hilarious, as he was trying to go backwards, but really not going anywhere.  TClaps for trying, though). Modified to forward lunges or Bernie up the hill instead.
  • Partner 2: Do exercise, until cumulative total = 100.

AYG MOSEY to AO.

MARY:
Leg Stretches
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
18 strong! No FNGs. Grid Iron not tagged.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Screwtape Letters were written by CS Lewis to his good friend, JRR Tolkien. The character Screwtape is a senior demon in hell who counsels his nephew, Wormwood, how to corrupt a human (called “The Patient” in the letters).  Wormwood is rather incompetent, and wants to try all sorts of extravagant tricks on the Patient, but Wormwood counsels him to take a more nuanced approach, such as the one depicted in this letter.  As he says to Wormwood in another letter, “… the safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts“.  The take home message of the letter that Judge Judy posted in the 3rd F channel is that disagreements on things such as politics can distract us from our internal (i.e., religious) growth and development.  So next time you feel your blood pressure rising after watching cable news, or see you that one post on Facebook that you are just dying to respond to, maybe try to take a deep breath, disconnect, and focus on something you can do to serve your community, your family, your God

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for several PAX going through difficult challenges, particularly with health issues to them or their families.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Wesley House work day this Saturday! Off the Chain CSAUP coming up.  Start thinking about Hardship Hill teams!

Swimmies + 2 For Tuesday Tribute

THE SCENE:

70s, feeling good, feeling great, pre-ruckers come back around 1735

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness-Fellowship-Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’m honored to be out here as your Q tonight
  • Couple of things before we kick off
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • I don’t know any injuries you may or may not have so if you do need to modify anything we do this evening feel free to do so but push yourself and the men around you

(COVID concerns – maintain 6ft if possible)

  • FNGs — Edgar (GORUCK)


WARM-O-RAMA:

(Swimmies Birthday Warm-o-Rama)

  • 35×4 SSH
  • 35×4 SSH
  • 17×4 Rockette
  • 17×4 Rockette
  • 17×4 Baby Arm Circles Forward
  • 17×4 Baby Arm Circles Backwards
  • 17×4 shoulder taps
  • 17×4 shoulder taps

 

THA-THANG:

(Mosey to the Bat Cave)

(1) 20s

  • 2 points of contact: bottom of the stairs + up here at the Bat Cave
  • Bottom of the stairs: Imperial Walkers
  • Bat Cave: BackBelly Flops
    • 1 BBS — 1 burpee (chest on ground)
  • 5 reps each POC for a total of 20 reps
    • All on a 1 count
  • Happy 2FT
    • R&R — everything on a 4 count now

(35 count from Swimmies – first 35 count in the history of F3 probably)

Running against the remaining time, PAX mosey down the hill around the back side of the AO, stopping every so often to knock out 5 reps of an exercise either on a 4 count or 1 count (SSH, merkins, flutter kicks, wall-sit bus drivers)

(Mosey back to AO — Snowflake sprints because he’s a beast)

MARY:

Core 4 – Happy Birthday edition

– Flutter Kicks while PAX sings Happy Birthday once through

– Rinse and Repeat because 2 For Tuesday

American Hammers while PAX sings Happy birthday once through

– Rinse and Repeat because 2 For Tuesday

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

26 including 1 FNG – Goosecall

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

[ “What A Time To Be Alive” ]

The Crucible – USMC

  • The final challenge of recruit training is known as the Crucible. It is a 54-hour training exercise that validates the physical, mental and moral training they’ve endured throughout recruit training.
  • The recruits are broken down into squads to face the challenges of the Crucible. They face challenges testing their physical strength, skills and the Marine Corps values they have learned throughout training. Throughout the event, the recruits are only allowed a limited amount of food and sleep.
      • Anyone else faced challenges this year that have tested their physical strength and skills and their values?
      • Anyone else had limited sleep this year?
      • Anyone else learn anything in the past year?
  • The final stage of the Crucible is a 9-mile hike from the training grounds to the Iwo Jima flag raising statue at Peatross Parade Deck. Upon completing this challenge, the recruits are handed their Eagle, Globe and Anchors, symbolizing the completion of their arduous journey to become U.S. Marines.

                                              ___________________

  • There was a time in my life not too long ago that I wanted to make it there more than anything. I studied, I worked hard, I put in the hours, I did all of the right things – and it’s not what the Lord had for me at that time.
  • I craved it. I could see it. I wanted it so bad. And it’s not what the Lord had for me at that time. But that’s not the point.

                                              ____________________

As HIM – we’re in the crucible right now. Congratulations, you made it.

And what a time to be alive — for such a time as this.

And I can understand that it might feel like we’ve been in that final 9 mile ruck March for months now. But if you stop at mile 7 you miss it. If you stop at mile 8 you miss it. If you stop at mile 8.5 you miss it.

And unlike the Marine Core Crucible – you don’t get anything for making it through tough times. You don’t (always) get this tangible thing you can hold in the palm in your hand as a representation of how much you’ve been through. No ones going to give you anything for making it through.

But there is someone who gave up everything so that you COULD go through. So that you could go through the crucible for such a time as this. And He gives you everything you need to do so.

MOLESKIN:

Proverbs 4:25-27 (ESV & Message)

Enter the Sanctuary – Embrace the Crucible (sermon by Rick Dunn) — https://subspla.sh/c6sz9xd

– Prayer requests for loved ones that are no longer with us

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

F3’s 5 Year Anniversary Convergence

– Saturday, November 7th

– Asylum AO

– 0700 – 0800 followed by transfer of leadership of Nantann role and breakfast celebration

Give Up Your Seat

THE SCENE: Perfect! Mid 70s, slight breeze, partly cloudy, low humidity
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 50 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:

– 7 decreasing Motivators (in cadence)

– 10 Steve Earl’s

– Little bit of this and that

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4 ct, IC)

–  15 Moroccan Nightclub (4 ct, IC)

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Hill near Area 51.

  • HILL PYRAMID : Do each exercise then run to hill after each set (All are 4-ct, except plank jacks)
    • 20 Tempo Squats
    • 20 Tempo Squats, 20 Mountain Climbers
    • 20 Tempo Squats, 20 Mountain Climbers, 20 Plank Jacks
    • 20 Mountain Climbers, 20 Plank Jacks
    • 20 Plank Jacks

Mosey to parking lot near Area 51

  • DORA SUICIDES- PARTNER UP!
    • Partner does modified suicide (HOP to first cone, run back, LUNGE to second cone, run back, BEAR CRAWL to last cone, run back), while partner does the following, then switch. Cumulative reps:
      • 100 CDDs, 100 LBCs, 100 Side Straddle hops

Mosey to mowed field southeast of Admin building.

  • RECTANGLE OF DEATH
    • AT FOUR CORNERS: 20 BBS, 20 AMERICAN HAMMERS , 20 BOBBY HURLEYs, 20 BOTTLE OPENERS
    • How to get to the corners… : Short Side 1: Bear Crawl Merkins (Four Bear Crawls, then 1 merkin), Short Side 2: Burpee Broad Jumps (4 broad jumps then 1 burpee) Long Side 1: Suicides, Long Side 2: Bernie Suicides.

Mosey to stairs that lead to the Coliseum.  50 Calf Raises OYO.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
Homer/Marge

Captain Thors

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 HIMs, no FNGs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-LK_MyvnLA

I recently watched the clip above, and it hit me at a time when I needed to watch something to remind me of good in the world, of true kindness.  It’s only 3 minutes long, and is worth the watch.  In summary, it portrays an elderly man walking down the aisle of a crowded train.  Most of the passengers– with one exception– avoid looking at the man, not wanting to make eye contact, out of shame… they know they should offer their seat to the old man, but are unwilling to sacrifice their own comfort for his.  The exception is a middle-aged woman who offers him her seat.  He initially refuses, as his is a standing room only seat.  She winks at him and says that hers is as well, and that she is younger and has more energy and won’t mind standing.  He finally accepts the seat, and they travel in silence for awhile.  Day turns to evening and evening to night. She has 5 more hours to go, standing the whole way.  A conductor comes down to check tickets.  When he checks her ticket, he realizes that she has a ticket for the seat where the old man is napping.  She gives the conductor a conspirational wink, indicating that she willingly gave up her seat, and that there is no need to disturb the man.  The conductor appreciates this gesture, and tells the woman there is an empty seat in another car that she can have.  She nods and thanks him.  Then she reaches up to the luggage rack and takes down crutches, which she uses to walk down the aisle.  She is handicapped. Yet she sacrificed her own comfort, standing for hours, to help a stranger in greater need than her own.

This story reminded me a bit of SANTA MOUSE, my favorite Christmas story.  Santa Mouse who was a lonely mouse in a big, empty house, who had nobody to talk to and very little food, and no name.  He has imaginary friends, has imaginary tea parties, and scrounges for scraps of food.  His greatest possession is a small hunk of cheese he has been saving.  On Christmas Eve, he carefully wraps up the cheese, his greatest treasure, to give to Santa, because he realizes that Santa gives away presents, but never receives any in return.  Santa is so grateful for the gift that he takes on the mouse as his helper, and gives him a proper name for the first time… Santa Mouse.

Real kindness is when you are willing to give up something that you very much need yourself.

LUKE 21: 1-4

1 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Guppy’s Grandmother.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence and Third F this Saturday at the Bomb Shelter, 7 am.  Bring a lawn chair and suggested $10 donation for breakfast, which will be provided.  Drifter will be the speaker.  Another convergence is planned at the Asylum on Nov. 7.

God Is God

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle-Hops, 10 Pinto Twists, 10 Tempo Merkins, 10 Windmills, 7 Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and Backward.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Northeast Corner of Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 Hello Dollies.  Mosey to CMU Pile.  Each man grabs CMU and places it on east side of Parking Lot.  Cone 1 is at that side of parking lot.  Cone 2 is on opposite west side.  We will do one of the listed exercises at Cone 1 with CMU.  We then
Bernie Sanders (without CMU) to Cone 2 and do one of the listed exercises.  We then run up mini cardiac to crosswalk and run back to Cone 1.  We will repeat this sequence with the next set of exercises.  We will have run up and down mini cardiac three times by the time we are finished. Here are the exercises at each cone:

  • Cone 1:  1. 25 Overhead Presses.  2. 25 Curls.  3. 25 Rows.
  • Cone 2:  1. 20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct).  2. 20 Bicycle Kicks (4 cts).  3. 20 Hello Dollies (4 ct.)

Replace CMUs.

Mosey to parking lot that has islands on the other side of ball fields.  We will run around the parking lot stopping at each island to do 10 Merkins.  At island that semi-circle that we semi-circle around we will bear crawl instead of run.  Once around the parking lot, we will do the same thing but do 10 Big Boys at each island.

Mosey to beginning of Pickett’s Charge.  We will Pickett’s Charge to Northeastern Corner of Parking Lot.  We will stop at each hill of Pickett’s Charge to do 5 Hand Release Merkins.  We will also bear crawl up each hill.  After finishing Pickett’s charge we will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Bat House.  We will sprint from Bat House to Parking Lot.

Mosey to AO.

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

The Kingdom grows, because the kingdom is already planted.  It grows of itself and in its own good time.  Above all, it grows we know not how.

–Robert Farrar Capon

Difficult times, like those we are facing with the coronavirus, racial protests, and our very heated political situation, test our beliefs and faith.  Our faith in our government, in other people, in ourselves, and even in God is being put to the test.  At a time like this we may be asking questions such as:

  • God, how can you let this happen?
  • God, where are you in all of this?
  • God, do you have any power to stop this?
  • God, what is your purpose?

We look to solutions to this world problem as if we know the answer, as if we know how the world should be run.  We do that individually and corporately, blaming the whole state affairs on others or claiming that surely us Democrats or us Republicans are in “the right.”

At such times of angst, of confusion, of bewilderment, it is reassuring to know that, as Robert Farrar Capon proclaims, the kingdom is already planted and it grows of itself in its own good time.  It is good to know that God is in control and that is the truth whether we like it or not.  Look at history, at humankind’s treatment of one another, at the devastation of war, of slavery, of corruption, of pollution, and we can see how we botch things when we play God.

One of my favorite songs is “God is God” by Steve Earle.   In discussing fate, uncertainty, miracles, and life he proclaims both that “God ain’t me” and “God ain’t us.”  But through the mystery and uncertainty he believes in God:

Every day that passes I’m sure about a little bit less.
(But) even my money keeps telling me it’s God I need to trust.
And I believe in God, but God ain’t us.

If we believe in God then we must accept that he has a plan that goes beyond our understanding.  His plan is a mystery but one that we must trust.  God is God.  And that is certainly reassuring in difficult times like these.  Personally, it gives me hope.  And, it gives me comfort to know that neither I nor the rulers of this world have the final say.

I will close with the last stanza of Steve Earle’s song which puts in better words than what I can say this mystery, this miracle, and our need to accept it.

God, of my little understanding, don’t care what name I call.
Whether or not I believe doesn’t matter at all.
I receive the blessin’s.
And every day on Earth’s another chance to get it right.
Let this little light of mine shine and rage against the night.
Just another lesson
Maybe someone’s watching and wondering what I got.
Maybe this is why I’m here on Earth, and maybe not.
But I believe in God, and God is God.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Sparkler’s son and daughter-in-law, whose son, who died last Christmas Holidays, would have been two today.  Prayers for Jinxy’s wife who has surgery on September 17, for Lilydipper’s wife, and for Thunderstruck’s mother.  Prayer’s for Lulu and Doubtfire whose mothers died this summer.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The Fake Gloomers will be building two obstacles for Hardship Hill.  We will get started the weekend of September 19-20.  Talk to Sparkler for details.  Be at Asylum PM this Thursday because Pusher will be on Q and is bringing Filipino noodles (made by his mother-in-law) for our board meeting!