F3 Knoxville

Getting Misty at the Splash Pad

THE SCENE: Windy. Wet. Wonderful.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:

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

THA-THANG:

Tabata workout: eight 20-second rounds of an exercise with a 10-second rest between rounds. Short mosey between exercises as rain allows.

Exercises:

  • Pull-ups (Four rounds instead of eight)
  • Step-ups with Leg Raise
  • LBCs
  • Squats
  • BBS
  • Dips
  • Lunges
  • Flutter Kicks
  • Incline Merkins

MARY:

  • Didn’t neglect her during the workout, don’t have to make it up to her now.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

7 including an FNG: Jet Lag

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

1Pet1:13-16 – So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

Reading about holiness this week and came across this passage. Part that spoke to me especially was “Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.” 

Once we know better, we have to do better. I experience this as a parent: when your 18mo takes a toy, they don’t know better. When your 5yo takes a toy, you know better than that. Once we know better, we have to do better.

For the men in this circle, we have all experienced some level of growth, whether that’s in our maturity & leadership, in our nutrition, in our fitness, but this is a time of year that it seems especially easy to slip back into our old ways: we’re around friends and family we haven’t been around, there’s food appearing that hasn’t been around in awhile, it’s cold and we don’t want to get out of bed. But coasting and satisfying our own desires in the moment will not help us grow, it won’t get us to where we want to go, and it won’t make us feel any better about ourselves at the end of the day.

Today, God is choosing you; he’s calling you to be holy as he is holy. Keep your foot on the gas; keep accelerating.

The Hills Are Alive With The Sounds of F3

THE SCENE: Nice Day! Chilly at 7:00 am start mid 40s. Clear sky
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Follow the Covid recommendation’s …. I am worse than any amateur, modify as necessary. We are going to do some hills today.

WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH X 15 , Butterfly Stretch ( Coach Dunn’s advice always appreciated), IT Band/Hip band stretch, quad stretch, arm circles, 5 Burpees. ( Pluto has no rhythm so the counting is always off a little )

THA-THANG:

The goal for this workout was to hit each of the primary hills in the Asylum AO. While planning the workout Pluto realized that an appropriate theme was the movie the Sound of Music. At multiple points in the workout the Pax sang the “The Hills are alive with the sound of F3” The singing was high spirited, but not in tune.

  • Run from AO start to base of Everest. At Everest Base: 20 Beachball  Merkins & 20 LBCs
  • Run up Everest – Al Gore till 6 up then Mosey to Stop sign. At Stop Sign 15 Squats with 5 second hold at bottom. Mosey to bathroom building at base of Picketts Hill.
  • Run up Pickets Hill with 5 Burpees at each plateau ( 5 Plateaus & 25 burpees if the hard side was chosen) Mosey down to Picnic Tables
  • Picnic Tables – 15 Picnic Table Pull Ups, 15 Dips, 20 Merkins in parking lot. Rinse & Repeat 2x. Did a few yoga stretches and core at  flagpole then mosey between ballfields to base of Cardiac Hill.
  • Run up Cardiac Hill with 10 Imperial walkers at every second light ( We sang the Hills Are alive at Base and put a headlock on a passing walker )
  • Mosey to CMUs… 20 Curls, 20 Overheads, 20 rows with CMUs Rinse & Repeat x 2 then mosey to base of Baby Cardiac Hill.
  • Up & Down Baby Cardiac Hill 3 x with LBCs or Ankle touch core work at base x 20.
  • Finished together running up final hill to AO start point while singing “Climb Every Mountain”

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
24 Pax got better this fine morning! Pele, Drum Major, Waffle House, Lillydipper, Hot Tub, Hooker, Jumbo, Mickey, G String, Convoy, Choir Boy, Matlock, Dung Beatle, Gilligan, Abacus, Gobbler, Swimmies, High Heels, Crawldad,
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Pluto shared how one of his favorite movies to watch during the Christmas season was the Sound of Music. As we hit the four hills of the Asylum AO this morning the song the Hills are alive with the sound of F3 was an appropriate theme. It is a rare that we do all four of these hills in a workout. Only have time to do so on a 1 hour Saturday. As we finished the workout the song ” Climb Every Mountain” was a closing song and finished  the Sound of Music workout  theme nicely. Pluto then shared 10 points of Trivia related to the Sound of Music and a tie in to leadership lessons from the Sounds of Music that were in a Forbes Magazine article a few years ago.

Sound of Music Trivia:

The Von Trapps did escape Austria as the Nazis came to power, but they didn’t flee over the Alps, they got on a train to Italy and then traveled to America, where they had a concert tour scheduled. The day after they left, Hitler ordered the Austrian borders shut.

When they left Austria, Baron von Trapp and Maria had already been married for years and had two children of their own, with another on the way.

When the von Trapps came to America they settled in Stowe, Vermont. They opened the Trapp Family Lodge, which is operational to this day.

The Sound of Music was the eighth and final musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, but Hammerstein never saw the movie. He died of stomach cancer nine months after the Broadway premiere.

“Edelweiss” was the last song Oscar Hammerstein ever wrote, the production of the movie had to stop for two hours to teach all of the extras the words to the song for that scene.

When it came to the movie, Julie Andrews wasn’t the first choice for Maria! Producers wanted Grace Kelly or Doris Day to replace her.

Sean Connery, Richard Burton and Bing Crosby were in the running to play Captain von Trapp, before the role went to relative newcomer Christopher Plummer.

Kurt Russell and Richard Dreyfuss also auditioned to be von Trapp children.

While filming the iconic opening scene, twirling in the hills of Austria, Andrews kept getting knocked down in the mud by the gusts from the helicopter carrying the camera.

Adjusted for inflation, it’s one of the highest grossing films ever made, right behind Gone With the Wind and Star Wars.

It had the longest first run in U.S. cinemas ever at four and a half years.

Forbes Magazine: Four Leadership Lessons from Maria Von Trapp 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffloftus/2016/05/28/four-leadership-lessons-from-maria-von-trapp-julie-andrews/?sh=3c7d0e4210c6

MOLESKIN:

As we prayed together we as HIMS so often pray for our significant others and others in the Pax undergoing spoken challenges. Please remember that each of us has our own challenges each day & that all of us are going through something. Remember to pray for all the unspoken needs of our Pax and fellow f3’ers
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The workout was followed by a well attended and enjoyed coffee time at Panera.

Black Friday Special

THE SCENE: 40s and foggy; classic Christmas music playing
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSHs

Pigeon stretches

Groin stretches

Willy Mays Hays

Tempo squats

Little baby arm circles forward

Little baby arm circles backward

Michael Phelps

A little bit of this, a little bit of that – twice

Tempo merkins

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the splash pad – our home

We just ate a big Thanksgiving meal and are ready for a nap, but the family has other plans.  First, we have to pull out the decorations and put them up:

Bobby Hurleys x 12

Table rows x 12

Bobby Hurleys x 12

The decorations are up, so it’s time for a nap . . . not so fast, we have to hit the Black Friday sales to get Tickle Me Elmo for the kids:

Native American run to the dark circle passed the rocks and docks, loop around the circle, and jail break to the rocks because you have to get in lines and are constantly trying to get to the front of the line before the store opens and then you make a mad dash to the toys to get Tickle Me Elmo.

Pick up a rock . . . a Tickle Me Elmo . . . and run back home as quickly as you can before someone mugs you for the last Tickle Me Elmo.

Back home, we first celebrate our victorious Black Friday efforts:

Shoulder press with a squat x 12

Time to wrap the rock . . . the Tickle Me Elmo:

Rows with the rock x 12

Alternating-arm merkins using the rock (left hand on rock, right hand on ground, do a merkin to the right of the rock and then switch hands and go to the other side and do a merkin for 1) x 12

The gift is wrapped and now we can nap . . . not so fast, it’s time to go caroling:

The 12 Days of Christmas

Just like the song, start with the first day and do 1 of the exercise, then go to each subsequent day doing the same number of reps that match the day (2nd day = 2, 5th day = 5, etc.).  However, just like the song, go down from the day you are on and do the reps and exercises for the preceding days (on the 4th day, you do 4 of those exercises, 3 of the 3rd day’s exercise, 2 of the 2nd day’s exercise, and 1 of the 1st day’s exercise and so on to where you finish on the 12th day where you will do all 12 exercises).  Here are the exercises:

1st day – 1 Pull-up

2nd day – 2 Triceps Dips

3rd day – 3 Hokey Pokeys

4th day – 4 LBCs (4 ct)

5th day – 5 Burpees

6th day – 6 Monkeyhumpers (4 ct)

7th day – 7 Dive Bombers

8th day – 8 Merkins

9th day – 9 Rockettes (4 ct)

10th day – 10 Frog Jumps / Froggie Squats

11th day – 11 Pickle Pounders (4 ct)

12th day – 12 Curls with the rock

We were running out of time, so we had to drop the 4 counts and just did single counts for the last 3 or 4 days and then we had to combine the 11th and 12th days, but most everyone finished.

Bads news, we bought the Tickle Me Elmo and that was popular like 20 years ago.  The kids wanted a PS5.  So, we had to take our rock back to the store.

Mosey to the AO

MARY:
No time.  Sorry, Mary.  But, “Mary” Christmas (bad pun)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

7 PAX challenged the fog and took on Black Friday.  Everyone else was fartsacking or standing in line for a PS5 (and probably didn’t get one anyway).  In addition to the people tagged, Tortoise was there, but I couldn’t find his tag.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

We need to maintain perspective.  A lot of people have been praying for people struggling, suffering, and in the hospital because of COVID.  We should be praying for those folks.  But, we also need to remember that people have been struggling, suffering, and in the hospital from things other than COVID that may actually be worse than COVID.  People have been suffering and dying from things long before COVID, and they will suffer and die from things other than COVID long after we overcome COVID.  We do not need to forget those folks once the crisis du jour has fallen off the news tickers.  We need to always be praying and working as HIMs for everyone in need.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Ribbed’s wife, Curveball’s wife, everyone traveling, and everyone struggling, suffering, and dying in the world regardless of the cause or reason.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Congrats to all for a successful coat drive

Giving in Thanks

THE SCENE: Beautiful and sunny day, temps in low 60s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Plank Jacks, 10 Pinto Twists, 10 Windmills, Gobble Trot around the parking lot, 7 Baby Arm Circles forward and backward, 5 Wide Arm Circles forward and backward.
THA-THANG:
Mosey on trail toward Mt. Everest but stop halfway for 20 American Hammers.

Continue mosey to base of Mt. Everest.  We will do 10 Tempo Merkins and 10 Tempo Squats.  We will then run to top of Everest.  At top we will do 30 Baby Crunches, 20 Hello Dollies and 10 Shoulder Taps.

Mosey to Shaded Parking Lot across street from Northern Ball Park Entrance Parking Lot.  We will do 20 Flutter Kicks.

Mosey to Caribbean Parking Lot.  We will run a U shape around parking lot stopping at every 3 islands to do exercises.  Those getting to end of U first will sweep men back.  Here are the exercises:

  • 20 Smurf Jacks
  • 10 Hand Release Merkins
  • 20 Bicycle Kicks (4 ct)

Mosey go grassy area by first ballpark off of Northern Ball Fields entrance.  We will play a game of 10 second huddle football (no more than a ten second huddle between plays).  The game will be touch with one blitz allowed per four down and only mid field being a first down mark.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
29 men/boys with one FNG, 5-year-old Jack, son of Lunch Money.  Jack now has the F3 name of Turkey Gobbler!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I had the opportunity to look at some quotes from Presidents that each made on Thanksgiving Day.  I was struck by how many, in giving gratitude for the way our nation has prospered, also gave attention to the need to give to others, particularly the less fortunate.  I will quote from two of those presidents:

Calvin Coolidge 1925:

 “As we have grown and prospered in material things, so also should we progress in moral and spiritual things. We are a God-fearing people who should set ourselves against evil and strive for righteousness in living, and observing the Golden Rule we should from our abundance help and serve those less fortunately placed. We should bow in gratitude to God for His many favors.”

Ronald Reagan 1981:

“In this spirit, Thanksgiving has become a day when Americans extend a helping hand to the less fortunate. Long before there was a government welfare program, this spirit of voluntary giving was ingrained in the American character. Americans have always understood that, truly, one must give in order to receive. This should be a day of giving as well as a day of thanks.”

To give to others is an American call and certainly a call for F3.  I am proud of F3 for the principal we attempt to follow of giving to the community and those in need.  I have been struck by the way are N’antans, currently Judge Judy and formerly Abscess and Cap’n Crunch have made that a mission of F3 Knoxville.  Let us keep the spirit of giving in our hearts as we give thanks for our blessings.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Pinto, for Ribbed’s wife as she goes through surgery for removal of tumor by spine on Dec 14, for Curveball and his wife as they head to Florida on Saturday for surgery she will have there early next week, for the wonderful woman that F3 helped clean shelves in her garage last week, and for the lonely and isolated in our country on this Thanksgiving Day.

Earn that pie

THE SCENE: low 40’s…about perfect.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x20, Imperial Walkers x10, Windmills x10, Tempo merkins x10, cherry pickers x10, little bit of this and that.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Playground for 7’s

  • Pull-up at playground and v-ups at the flag.

Mosey to splash-pad

20-minute AMRAP of:

  • 50 Squats
  • 50 SSH
  • 40 Lunges (total)
  • 50 SSH
  • 30 Merkins
  • 50 SSH
  • 20 Big Bois
  • 50 SSH
  • 10 Burpees
  • Run to outhouse and back
  • Rinse and repeat until 20-minutes was up.

Route 66 of merkins at each light until we got back to AO.

MARY:
No time for dat.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 HIM’s
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Psalm 103 — a psalm of gratitude and blessing the Lord for his goodness in our lives.  He does not treat us as our sins deserve!
MOLESKIN:
Next time, I’d switch it up and do the same number of SSH as the exercise we are on (so decrease it by 10 each rep)