F3 Knoxville

Do you remember that time we did Picketts and Everest the same day?

THE SCENE: Perfect July Morning ! Temp was about 74. Had rain over the weekend. Dew on the grass, did not see or smell any skunks.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Reminded everyone that I was worse than any professional. Monitor and modify..etc. Covid disclaimer – do not spit on each other!

WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH, Cherry Picker, Butter Fly ( Included Coach Dunn’s advice) , Shoulder Stretch, Arm Circles, 50 % pace lap around parking lot.
THA-THANG:
Mosey down to playground

  • set of 11s – Box Jams and Decline Merkins

Mosey to Picketts Hill

  • Set of 7s – Run 1/2 way up Picketts and do Burpee with Carolina Dry Dock on bottom.
  • 10 Count Recovery after 7 set complete.
  • Run up Picketts Hill

On Top of Picketts Hill – 10 count set of Squats followed by Mosey to bottom of Everest.

At Bottom of Everest

  • 10 Merkins, 10 4 Count Flutter Kicks, then run to stump that is approximately 1/3 up Everest. Repeat this 3 exercise set 5 times.
  • Run to top of Everest and then 10 count recovery. Followed by mosey to AO.

At AO

5 minutes game of Duck Duck Goose with Pax doing core exercises while the “Ducker” goes around the circle to finish.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 Pax got better today.

 

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Shared today the contrast of the story of  Job vs the book of Proverbs. Proverbs gives us practical wisdom and advice for living our life. The story of Job is a story of a good life gone bad as God gives Job the many challenges he has to face. You could argue that these two parts of the Bible are so different that you would wonder if they are in the same book! So much of our lives we have been fortunate to have lived in a Proverbs world. However all of us will from time to time find ourselves in a Job world through challenges in our personal, professional, spiritual or physical ( health ) life. In the current world – pandemic, economic, political , racism etc.. it seems like we ( our country/ community, world) have all been going through a Job phase. As leaders we need to keep that focus like Job. There is another side and it is up to HIMS like us to help and be strong for our community and Pax.

After the Proverbs / Job word I shared that I had found an old book about change that I had lost. The book “Who moved my cheese” was a successful book 20 years ago about change in the workplace and how to adapt. The book is a 10 minute read and I recommend it in our quickly changing world – here is a summary I found online:

Who Moved My Cheese Summary

Have a great week everyone

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Code Brown reminded that there were still a couple of Qs left for the week.

25s on the 26th

THE SCENE: Just about perfect for running around.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Aye-Corona.  I’m not a medical professional.
WARM-O-RAMA:

Straight into it with the Side Straddle Burpee Block of Fire.  PAX do SSH IC while each HIM goes in turn to grab a CMU from the pile and rejoin the group with a Burpee flourish.  This was worse than Cat-Gut’s birthday.

THA-THANG:
25s around various spots of the Asylum:
AO: Blocky Balboas (4ct) / Asymetrical Merkin (1 ct)
Corner 1(Top of block paved lot): BBS / Hello Dolly (4ct)
Corner 2 (other end of block paved lot): Plank Jacks (4ct) / Crab Jacks (4ct)
Corner 3 (Top of Circus Maximus) : Upright Humper (Al Gore’s Calf Raise) (4ct) / Iron Mike (2ct)
Corner 4 (Bottom of Circus Maximus): Captain Thor (up to 4 => 20, 3 =>15, etc.) / Reverse Crunch
Pavalon: Dips / Table Rows
Back to the AO and round again.
We did three laps and finished with the last set of Balboas and Merkins.

MARY:
Time to tidy up with Freddie’s Ring of Big Boy Block Return.  PAX do Bicycle Race (Freddie Mercury’s to said song with a Big Boy on every Bicycle/Bike) while putting the blocks back in turn.  We went through the song twice to get all the blocks away.  It’s a 3:00 song.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Fortunately only 9 HIMs, or we might have needed a third repeat of the song!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I’ve been struggling to adjust to the new normal.  I lost my way mentally in March and April.  Getting back out in the gloom really helped anchor me once more and I’m feeling better about myself.  Thanks to my brothers for that.

Perspective

THE SCENE: Foggy, temps in high 60’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Jump Squats, Around the World Each Hand, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Windmills, Michael Phelps

THA-THANG:
Mosey to Southern Ball Fields Parking Lot.  We will circle the parking lot twice, stopping at each cone to perform exercise and moving to the next cone by the method designated on the cone:

  • Cone 1:  20 Bobby Hurleys.  Butt Kick to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  20 Hello Dollies (4 ct). Sprint to Cone 3
  • Cone 3:  20 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1).  Bear Crawl to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4:  20 Merkins.  Bernie to Cone 5.
  • Cone 5:  20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  High Knees to Cone 6.
  • Cone 6:  20 Star Jumps.  Grapevine Left to Cone 7.
  • Cone 7:  20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct).  Hop to Cone 8.
  • Cone 8:  20 Carolina Dry Docks.  Grapevine Right to Cone 1.

Mosey toward the Northshore Entrance to park.  We will stop at shaded area by apt buildings.  20 American Hammers.  10 Tempo Merkins.

Mosey to stop sign at southeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  30 second gander at scenery.  Mosey to Bat House.  We will do High Mountain Roundabout which will be the following:

  • 10 Hand Release Merkins by Bat House.  Then run down initial steps of Roadshow Run to grassy field below.
  • 20 Diamond Merkins.  Then run to grove of trees just below summit of Mt. Everest.
  • 10 Burpees.  Then run uphill to summit of Mt. Everest.
  • 20 Boy Boy Sit-ups.
  • Rinse and Repeat above.

Next, we will run down Roadshow Run to Perimeter Trail. From there we will head on trail toward Lyons Bend.  At perimeter trail we will head east and across road that goes to entrance way at Lyons Bend.  We will cross the roadway and stop to do 20 American Hammers.

We will then head on trail east and south to lower area parking lot.  We will head that way by doing 14’s, lunging for one light and then sprinting for four until we reach parking lot.

Next, head back to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
2020 has certainly been a difficult year and citizens in our country are a bit on edge right now.  You see it in the arguments between citizens on how serious a threat the Coronavirus truly is and whether we should be opening businesses at this time.  You see it in the protests going on related to the recent killings of black men by police.  Whether you support or are against opening up during the Coronavirus, whether you tend to look favorably upon the protests or are more prone to see the destruction caused by rioters, it is easy to judge that “other side”.  In some of our BOMs, however, we have been asking ourselves whether this is what God wants us to do.  Should we angrily judge someone whose ideas are different than ours or should we try to love them and make the attempt to understand their perspective?

We can learn to love even our worst enemies if we can learn to truly put ourselves in their shoes, openly hear their stories, and do so in a non-judging way.  And I think that is what we are needing more of at this time when politicians and even newspapers and news stations make quick judgments and fail to view the perspective of the other side.

When I spoke in my last BOM, I did not have time to talk about a story that I had actually included in the written Back Blast. The story is about White Fang.  White Fang is the name of a novel written by Jack London.  Some of you may have read it.  In the novel, White Fang is a vicious dog, one that will strike you and tear you apart.  He is a dog to avoid because his look and actions spell D-A-N-G-E-R and H-A-R-M.  Why is he like this?  Part of the reason is his genetics.  He is part wolf and wolves can certainly be savage.  The bigger reason, however, it that he has been taken advantage of by humans his entire life.  He has been beaten by others for use as a work and sled dog and has been unfairly used by men in betting games where White Fang fights with other dogs.  A guy named Weedon Scott meets White Fang for the first time after one of these fights where White Fang is almost killed.  He takes pity on the dog and takes him away from it’s current owner who has used him in the dog fights.  He feeds the dog and nurtures him back to life.  The dog doesn’t trust him but Weedon certainly can understand why, given what the dog has gone through.  Weedon slowly, slowly gets closer to the dog, trying to develop a bond with him.  At one point he goes too quickly and is viciously bitten.  But, Weedon doesn’t give up on the dog.  He takes the dogs perspective, realizing that he had tried to quickly to pet the dog when the dog feared him and didn’t trust him.  He continues to feed the dog, continues to use cooing language and weeks later touches the dog again.  White Fang growls a low growl.  He both doesn’t like the touch but also likes it.  This touch thing is different and for some reason it feels good.  Over time the man and dog form a wonderful bond. Those of you who love dogs know what that bond can be like.  Weedon Scott is long longer seen as a threat – he is seen as a Love God by White Fang.  This once vicious dog is so strongly bonded to Weedon that he will do anything for him.  And, at the end of the book he saves both Weedon Scott and his family from their own harm and possible deaths.

As HIMs, we can learn to patient and loving.  We can learn to take the perspective of others, even when we don’t agree with their opinions.  We can learn to love our enemy as Jesus would want us to do.  In so doing, we may form bonds we never thought we could have and even change the lives of those former enemies for the better.

MOLESKIN:

Praise for Choir Boy’s wife that, although she is having lymph node issues, her Ultra Sound looked good.  Prayers for the wife of Rainbow’s wive’s grandmother who is at her last days of life.  Prayers for Rainbow’s friend whose wife died.  Prayers for Lillydipper’s wife, Jan, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment at this time for breast cancer.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Q101 is occurring this morning at Bomb Shelter

Training for the Beach

THE SCENE: Cool with a nice break in the rain (i.e. perfect)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER (no snot rockets, don’t get close enough to hold hands and swap spit)
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 15, IC;  CP x 5, IC; Tie Fighters, front and back x 15 each way, IC
THA-THANG:
This is a 4 corners workout.  To maintain social distancing protocol, no more than 5 in a corner at a time.  This is a workout scientifically designed to get a HIM ready for the beach.  First order of business is to, one at a time, grab a coupon from the CMU pile.  This is yours for the entire workout.  Because HIMs are the ones to carry all the heavy stuff across the sand to the beach, everybody carries a CMU everywhere they go.  Beach themed music provided.

  • First Corner – 3 exercises:  Curls (for the girls) x 25; Flutter Presses x 25 (2 ct); Goblet Squats x 25
  • Second Corner – 3 exercises:  Superman Swims x 25; CMU rows x 25; Lunges x 25;
  • Third Corner – 3 exercises:  Derkins x 25; American Hammers (with CMU option) x 25 (2ct); More Curls x 25;
  • Forth Corner – 1 exercise.  25 Blockees (it helped to think of the CMU as a cooler full of beer)
  • If you hear Queen’s “Bicycle Race,” stop what you’re doing and hit your six for Freddy Mercury’s the duration of the song (3:01).
  • Complete at least 2 circuits
  • Q calls an audible after 2 circuits to go run a little bit.  Groups split up to run up Baby Everest and down the Dragon or vice versa, stopping at one point to knock out 5 burpees.  Race ensues. Bunny may or may not have taken a short cut to beat Gibbler.  All wagon wheel and finish together at the AO.

MARY:
Just enough time to get to 5/20 on Capt. Thors
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
A reflection on a couple of quotes.  From Henry Ford: “He who says he can and he who says he can’t are both usually right.” And from Hallerin Hilton Hill: “Attitude determines altitude.”  Stay positive men!

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Mrs. Lillydipper and family, Pinto and family, and for a good, safe summer for everybody but special request for Dung Beetle as he guides the kids of Emerald Youth this summer.

Playlist from the morning:  School’s Out, Alice Cooper; Summertime, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince; Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys; Beautiful Girls, Van Halen; Heat Wave, Martha and the Vandellas; Bicycle Race, Queen; Hot Fun in the Summer Sun, Sly and the Family Stone; Cruel Summer, Bananarama; Rockaway Beach, Ramones; Wipe Out, The Surfaries; The Boys of Summer, Don Henley.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Regular time for Monday.  Pluto will Q and have something special.

The Return to the Gloom

THE SCENE: Thought it was gonna rain – it didn’t. 60s and feeling good. Ruckers finishing up, men gathering up and catching up at the top parking lot used for Asylum Saturday Qs because the normal morning A) lot and parking lot were taped off.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

In full disclosure – there was a lot of rust needed to be shaken off by the Q this morning so the disclaimer was basically non-existent…..caught it when we finished, so that’s what counts right?……..

Welcomed the men BACK to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith

    • Dang it’s good to be back

This is going to look a little different than we’re probably used to – but we’re going to adapt and make it work.

No FNGs


WARM-O-RAMA:

 

  • SSH: 10×4 IC
  • Rockette: 10×4 IC
  • Imperial Walker: 10×4 IC
  • Merkins: 10×4 IC
  • Cherry-Picker: 7×4 IC
  • 3 burpees on your own

THA-THANG:

Split the PAX into 2 groups of 7 – 1 with Steam and the other with Charmin for 2 different workout locations to be safe. Workouts/exercises written in chalk for both teams

  1. 10 for 10 + 4 Corners + Pyramid 10 for 10

[ 10 for 10 ]

    • 10 light-posts from top parking lot going down to normal AO parking lot 
    • Every light-post = 10 reps of an exercise
      • Merkins
      • Squats
      • Dry Docks
      • LBCs
      • Imperial Walkers
      • Plank-Jacks
      • Burpees
      • American Hammers
      • SSHs
      • Iron Mikes

[ 4 Corners ]

    • 4 corners of normal AO parking lot
    • C1 = 25 incline merkins
    • C2 = 25 squats
    • C3 = 25 line-hops
    • C4 = 25 merkins

[ Pyramid 10 for 10 ]

    • Going back up the same way we came down except:
      • Every light = # of reps that the light is + the previous light’s exercises and reps
        • For light 1 = 1 SSH
        • For light 2 = 1 SSH + 2 Plank Jacks
        • For light 3 = 1 SSH + 2 Plank Jacks + 3 Burpees
        • So and so forth until you get back to the top and end with 10 merkins (start point)

( Both teams get 30 seconds to breathe and recover —> switch missions/workout locations)

  1. Ping Pong + Fab 5 Crosswalk
    • Parking lot just to the left of the Saturday Morning AO parking lot

[ Ping Pong ]

    • Cash-In = 25 SSHs (1 count)
    • Run to 1st light post in the small parking lot
      • 25 incline merkins on curb
    • Duck Walk to 2nd light post in the small parking lot
      • 25 squats (1 count)
    • Bernie Sanders to 3rd lightpost in the small parking lot
      • 25 dips on the curb
    • Bear Crawl to 4th light post in the small parking lot
      • 25 flutter kicks  (4 count)

[ The Fab 5 ]

  • 5 cross-walk lines:
    • 1st = 10 merkins
    • 2nd = 20 squats
    • 3rd = 30 Dry Docks
    • 4th = 40 flutter kicks (2 count)
    • 5th = 50 SSHs (1 count)
  • Run to the middle of the parking lot
    • 5 merkins — straight into 5 dry docks — straight back into 5 merkins — straight into 5 dry docks
  • Cash-Out: 25 SSHs (4 count)

(both groups finish about the same time and recover in the starting parking lot)

  • 2 teams of 7 split up – 1 team in 1 corner of the lot and the other in the opposite corner of the lot
  • 2 teams take turn calling out/leading an exercise for 25 reps either on a 1 count or 4 count — then sprinting to the next corner = around the world
  • 1 around the world later — Q calls to circle up – time to end strong
    • 10×4 flutter kicks
    • 15×4 SSHs

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

Did the count off/name-o-rama from an extended distance

14 PAX – No FNGs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

“Entertain the idea that there’s a possibility that what you’re going through is not about you.”

MOLESKIN:

 

Luke 22:31-32

“”Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.””

We have been shaken up, we are being shaken up, and we will continue to be shaken up by an enemy who seeks to exhaust us. The devil knows he can’t win, he can’t destroy us or our faith, but he can work tirelessly to exhaust us in our faith, our relationships, our work, our calling and our purpose. But in the process of being shaken up and sifted – we start to let go of things, start to let things fall off that maybe we didn’t realize were on us – start to become more refined and attuned to being men after God’s own heart. 

Entertain the fact that there’s a possibility of what you’re going through is not about you. What if you’re going through this (fill in the bank of something you’re going through) so that you can gain and renew your strength and in turn help someone else through something. Maybe what you’re going through right now has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with how it’s shaping and refining you to further step into kingdom roles as a HIM.

Don’t run or try to fight being shaken by the enemy! Embrace it as a way to test and strengthen yourselves and your faith as HIM so that when the time comes – your strength will be divinely utilized for someone else.

    • “….and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
    • As He renews your strength and faith and guides you through life – don’t let it just become stagnant —> internalize and externalize that to strengthen a brother/sister/those around you. Sounds pretty similar to “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” IT’S TRUE.

Last thing: As you walk through whatever you’re walking through and go through whatever you’re going through, entertaining the idea that this may have nothing to do with you, also entertain the idea that you, as a High Impact Man, are walking/going through this for a purpose – for such a time as this. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • F3 Dad’s Camp coming up later this year – reach out to Gibbler for more info
  • F3 Hike coming up on Saturday, May 16th – look at the event in the main F3 GroupMe – reach out to Steam or Abscess for more info
  • F3 Morristown Launch is BACK ON: Saturday, June 6 – more info to come
  • Prayer Requests
    • Those who are out of a job and/or looking for a job
    • Lillydipper and his family
    • BlueBird’s son – interview today
    • Pac Man’s sister/family – walking through the loss of a loved one
    • Health & Safety of our region and families