F3 Knoxville

Tag: Convoy

Superficial Cracks

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy, low 60s, beautiful, but breezy as heck!!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Check
WARM-O-RAMA:

-SSH x 20 (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), in cadence, maintain position…

– Hamstring stretches, sky reaches

– 20 Grady Corns (4-ct), in cadence

– Little of this and that

– Tempo Squats, 4-ct, IC

THA-THANG:
MOSEY to Amphitheater.

  • JINXY’S FOUR AND A QUARTER. Start at bottom of hill, run to top of slope and do 25 reps of an exercise, return to starting position.  R&R 4 times, totaling 100 of the exercise.
    • Round 1: Carolina Dry Docks
    • Round 2: Lunges (single count)
    • Round 3: Imperial Walkers (single count)

MOSEY to FIELD Below Colosseum.

RECTANGLE of DEATH!!

Blue cones on Corners, Orange Cones on sides (one side has blue cone in middle).  Sheets will tell you what to do and how to get to next Blue Cone.  Rinse and Repeat.  First one done yell RECOVER.

Corner 1: Do 20 Iron Mikes (10 each leg). Suicide using orange cones to next blue cone.

Corner 2: Do 20 Plank Jacks, Bear Crawl to next Blue Cone

Corner 3: Do 20 Big Boy Situps, Bernie to Blue Cone ½ way down.

½ Way Cone: Do 10 Burpees, Bernie to next Blue cone

Corner 4: 20 Dive Bombers , EL CAPITAN to next Blue Cone

RINSE AND REPEAT (didn’t quite get 2x around)

Mosey to Area 51. Check for cars with undressed people inside.

Totem Pole.  Start at 10, do all the exercises, then run to CONE, do 10 SSH, and return. Then start at 9, etc.  Only got about 1/2 way done with this.

  • 10 Burpees
  • 9 Mountain Climbers (4-ct)
  • 8 Diamond Merkins
  • 7 Box Cutters
  • 6 American Hammers (4-ct)
  • 5 Imperial Squat Walkers (4-ct)
  • 4 Hand Release Merkins
  • 3 Bobby Hurleys
  • 2 Squats
  • 1 Star Gazers (10 seconds).  Rabbits R&R

RUN UP HILL.  WATCH FOR BEES. Mosey to AO

MARY:
Steam led the PAX in some ab work while the QIC picked up the Six.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 strong.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I hope you all read Judge Judy’s newsletter that came out this week.  Its title was Cracks in the Foundation, and alluded to some situations both in F3 and outside of it that have resulted in fractures within groups and between individuals.  We recently experienced a little bit of that here, at our very own AO.  So for my Word, I just wanted to reiterate what I feel is F3’s absolutely greatest attribute: it’s ability to inspire us all to be better men through SHARING.  Sharing of the Suck from the workout, Sharing in the responsibilities of being Q, etc., and Sharing of life experiences in the Circle that others may learn from or be inspired by.

We often use the term “Lock Shields” in F3.  Think about that for a second.  What does that look like, literally?  I have this image from Lord of the Rings of a bunch of warriors facing a common enemy, and each one of them standing shoulder to shoulder with their shields up.  If it was just one dude, he’d get surrounded, overwhelmed.  But it’s a bunch of bad hombres that are aligned in a common purpose, that being to protect each other and protect what’s behind them by being an integral part of that wall.  If there’s a crack, if there’s a gap in the wall, then everyone is in deep doo doo.  So we have our differences.  We have our differences in Faith, Politics, what kind of workouts we want to do out here, and maybe even differences in how we think F3 should operate.  That’s fine!  If everyone agreed on everything, life would be boring.  And probably those guys in the days of the Roman Empire standing next to each other didn’t see eye to eye during the course of their daily lives.  But the 45 minutes we have out here are not for solving all our differences about those things.  It’s about working hard physically, improving ourselves, supporting our brothers, and being inspired to bring positivity, leadership, and GOODNESS, dagnappit, outside of the Circle.  When we’re out here, we lay our differences aside.  When we’re out here, I’m continually trying to figure out ways to better serve you so that you can serve others.  And I hope that’s all of our mindsets.  But whatever cracks in our foundation we have are superficial, and can be overcome with Grace and empathy and understanding.  And Boys, from the bottom of my heart, it’s an honor and a privilege to come out here and lock shields with each and every one of you.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Steam and his fiancee and their venture down a new path, prayers of thanks that Lillydipper’s daughter got a job that she really wanted, prayers for Pusher and his family as his daughter deals with heartbreak.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Escape from Haw Ridge coming up!

My Team Lost!

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy skies, temp in lower 60s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 5 Burpees, 10 Mountain Climbers, 4 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 3 Burpees, 10 Twisties, 2 Burpees, 10 Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward, 1 Burpee, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:

Mosey toward stop sign at northeastern end of the admin bldg.  We will stop at the guard rail to do 15 merkins.  Then we will mosey northwest on the perimeter trail and stop when it meets the trail that parallels Lyons Bend.  We will stop to do 20 American Hammers.

Next we will run up Roadshow Run doing the following:

  • At top of first set of steps do 10 Diamond Merkins then run back to trailhead.
  • Run to top of second set of steps and do 10 Diamond Merkins.  Then run back to trailhead.
  • Run to the top of the last set of steps and do 10 Diamond Merkins.  Then circle back down Roadshow Run to pick up the six.

Next we will do a counterclockwise circle, stopping to do the following exercises

  • At bottom of the steps leading to Bat Cave do 20 Carolina Dry Docks
  • At grove area near the summit of Mt. Everest do 5 Burpees
  • At top of Mt. Everest do 20 Flutter Kicks, 4 ct.
  • At Bat Cave do 20 Star Jumps
  • Rinse and Repeat two more times.

Mosey to the stop sign at the northeastern corner of the Admin Bldg.  We will be following a path and stopping at cones on the way.  The path will go on sidewalk, then to steps of Admin Bldg, then back on sidewalk to roadway that leads to coliseum, then on that roadway north back to stop sign.  We will run on this path except where indicated below.  We will stop at cones to do the following exercises:

  • Cone 1 at end of sidewalk:  20 Hello Dollies
  • Cone 2 on steps of Admin Bldg:  20 Calf Raises
  • Cone 3 at start of other sidewalk that goes to coliseum roadway:  20 Merkins
  • Cone 4 at parking area by coliseum roadway:  20 Jump Squat then Bernie Sanders to Cone 5
  • Cone 5 by stop sign an Northeastern corner of Admin Bldg:  20 Big Boy Sit-ups
  • Rinse and repeat two more times

Mosey back to AO

MARY:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Reverse Big Boys.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
17 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
My Team Lost!

Being a sports fan is fantastic.  It has been so nice to see fans back in stadiums this year versus seeing those doggone pictures of fans they would put in the seats last year during Covid.  The roar of the crowd helps makes sports what it is.  And, I am a sports fanatic.  There is nothing wrong with that . . . unless I make sports my false idol.  God states in Exodus 20:3 that “You shall have no other Gods before me.”  I think there are many who make sports their God and sometimes I am guilty of it. Think of the amount of time people spend focusing on a sport like football or basketball versus focusing on God.  And think of how much emotion people put into sports versus worship.  Again, I am guilty.  My friend Pele can tell you one of the most frequent statements I make when my Baylor Bears are losing:  “I hate life!”  I say it in fun, but I must admit that I am guilty of feeling kind of like that when my alma mater loses.  Heck, my weekend was almost ruined when both Baylor and Tennessee lost on the same day during March Madness this year.  Only my son Bennett’s engagement to his fiancé, Sarah, saved me from going into a despondent funk.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t go nuts for our favorite sports teams.  That is actually a beautiful thing and I think God sees it that way.  But when people are so consumed by it that their lives become lopsided . . . and, when people are willing to give hush money to others just so that their favorite college can win . . . that is going too far.

As an athlete, sports has taught me so much:  the thrill of competition; the ecstasy of winning; how to put my team and teammates above myself; how to practice, practice, and practice to become become better at a task; how to serve with others in unison for a common cause; how to sacrifice; and, how to lose.  Because sports is about both winning and losing.  I thank sports for what it has taught me.  But sports, I will not make you my idol.  I will put no idols before God.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers of thanks for 3rd birthday of Pusher’s grandson and Jetlag’s son.  Prayers for Swimmie’s grandfather who is having surgery for cancer.  Prayers for the people in Ukraine in the war there.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Starting new F3 site at Kingston in April.

Steam Can’t Count Because He’s Not A Professional, But It Was Still A Pretty Good Q

[ The Scene ]

TBSIA (The Best Sunrise In America) was slowly beginning to arrive on the scene.

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness, Fellowship, Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this morning
  • A few things before we begin however:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • If you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do so. But in that moment of potential modification ask yourself this question: CAN I DO BETTER? Then ask the HIM on your left and right if they can as well.

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • Motivator: 5 (Steam can’t count to 5 for Motivators so he will need a Q101 soon)
  • Baby Arm Circles: 10×4 F / 10×4 B
  • Mountain Climber: 10×4
  • Merkin: 10×4

[ The Thang ]

(Mosey to the flagpole)

(1) Flagpole — 5s

  • 5 Xs: 25 reps on a 1 count
    • SSH
    • Merkin
    • Squat
    • LBC
    • American Hammers
  • 5 stations
    • Flagpole: 25 SSH
    • Corner 1 of parking lot: 25 merkins
    • Corner 2 of parking lot: 25 squats
    • Corner 3 of parking lot: 25 LBCs
    • Corner 4 of parking lot: 25 AHs
  • The movements
    • 5 rounds
    • Doing your SSHs here, running to corner 1 and doing that exercise, running back here, and rinse and repeat what you just did, but adding the next corner into the mix
    • For example: SSH, merkins, squats — back to the flagpole
    • Adding a corner each time until you’ve done all 4 corners in one round
  • Recover back here when you’re done

(Mosey to The 3 Strands)

(2) The 3 Strands

  • Strand 1 (Far Left) — run to the other side + execute 5 man-makers + run back on strand 1
  • Strand 2 (Middle) — run to the other side + execute 10 man-makers + run back to the other side
  • Strand 3 (Far Right) — run to turn other side + execute 15 man makers + run back to the other side
  • You’re always starting on this side, and running back to this side after the man-makers

(Mosey to The Dock)

(3) The Dock

  • Core 4 25×4
    • LBCs
    • Cockroaches
    • Flutter kicks
    • Reverse BBS

(Mosey back to the Pavilion)

  • 10 step ups
  • Run to the parking lot (AO)
  • Execute 50 SSH (1 count)
  • Rinse and Repeat

[ Mary ]

Down + Back sprints and squats and merkins across the parking lot

Cash-Out: ATMs

[ COT ]

  • # off
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
  • BOM

[ The Zelensky Leadership Model ]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s response to a potential airlift from the U.S., in light of Russia invading Ukraine, has gotten a lot of attention and spotlight over the past week or so. Here was Zelensky’s response: “I need ammunition, not a ride.”

Take the politics, the names, positions, locations out of this and what do you have? You have an incredible leadership principle +  model. In this specific situation, you have a leader asking for the tools to stay in the fight, rather than taking the first chance to get out. And don’t we do the opposite of this in our lives sometimes?

If you subscribe to the Christian faith, here’s what this can sound like, at least for me sometimes:

“God if you would just airlift me out of this situation.”

“God please get me out of this.”

If you don’t, and more culturally speaking, the soundtrack of this goes something like this:

“That’s not my job/problem.”

“This is a sign that this isn’t what the universe has for me.”

—versus—

“God supply me what I need to stay in the fight.”

“God – you have me here for a reason. Please supply me with the tools to do your will.”

—Or—

“What tools do I have at my disposal to attempt to make this situation better?”

So what is the “ammunition” that helps us keep the faith + fight the good fight, even when the fight we’re in seems insurmountable? If you’re a follower of Jesus is the Bible or the word of God. So then we take this leadership principle from Zelensky and ask ourselves “Am I asking for ammunition to fight the enemy or simply looking and waiting for a way out?” 

Takeaway: The world needs more High Impact Men that are willing to stay in the fight and ask for the ammo/tools to battle, than jump ship after the first shot is fired. Because here’s what HIM do: 3 things

  • They don’t flee from the fight, they stay rooted in the darkest of night
  • They don’t look for an extraction point, they find and create rallying points
  • They don’t escape, they elevate

“Quit looking for rides out and start asking for ammunition to stay rooted where you are.”

Flying in Stormy Conditions

THE SCENE: Sunny, temp in low 20s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Windmills, 10 Twisties, 10 Tempo Merkins, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and 7 Backward, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the stop sign by the road that head to the Coliseum.  We will do 20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey on the perimeter trail to where it curves left by Lyons Bend Road.  We will do 10 Tempo Squats.

Next, we will run up Roadshow Run to the roadway that semi-circles around the Admin Bldg.  Each man shall stop to do 5 burpees at the top of each of the three sets of stairs on Roadshow Run.  At the roadway, men should alternate between Merkins and Big Boy Sit-ups until the six arrives.

Mosey to the stairs at the front of the Admin Bldg.  We will run counterclockwise around the loop that goes between the Admin Bldg and the Coliseum.  We will stop at the following locations to do these exercises:

  • Stairs to Admin Bldg:  20 Calve Raises
  • Southern Curve of Loop:  20 Carolina Dry Docks
  • Benches at Coliseum:  20 Bench Dips
  • Northern Curve of Loop:  20 Star Jumps
  • Rinse and Repeat two more times.

Mosey south to roadway and then to old apartments.  We will do 20 Box Cutters.

Mosey to southern parking lot.  We will run to the cones set out in parking lot. At each cone, men should turn around and bear crawl for three parking spaces.  Then turn back around and run to next cone.  Do this until last cone where, once again, men should turn around and bear crawl three parking spaces.  The rabbits who finish shall run back to starting spot, sweeping men with them.  Rinse and repeat.

Do again but hop the three parking spaces.  Then, do again but lunge the three parking spaces.

Mosey to entrance to the Caribbean parking lot.  We will stop to do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to parking lot near playground.  We will do 10 Rocky Balboa (4 ct).

Mosey to AO.  At the AO we will split into two teams.  The first man of each team will throw a frisbee toward the cone near the opposite curb.  Whoever is closest wins.  His team gets to watch while all members of the other team must sprint to the opposite curb and back, retrieving the frisbees.  Then the second man of each team compete and the procedure starts again.

Run around parking lot two times.

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

Flying In Cloudy Conditions

An instrument rating is an advanced type of aviation certification enabling pilots to fly rather than be grounded even during cloudy weather and other weather conditions that cause low visibility. The Instrument Flight Rules Rating (IFR) training requirements include 30 hours of pre and post flight ground school, 40 hours of instrument flight training, 50 hours of PIC Cross-Country, and the successful completion of an instrument written exam. It is an excellent addition to a private pilot’s certificate, which by itself leaves the pilot limited to flying only during Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions.

Pilots go through a great amount of training in order to get their private pilot’s certificate to fly.  Despite all the training, that certificate limits the pilot to flying only during conditions where there is nice weather with clear skies.  Clouds, heavy precipitation, low visibility and otherwise adverse conditions are to be avoided.

In order for a pilot to be able to fly during cloudy weather and conditions that cause low visibility the pilot is required to obtain an Instrument Flight Rules Rating.  This requires many more hours of training.  Basically, the pilot must learn the instruments on a plane well enough to fly in conditions where one can’t see out the plane.  That training takes more than just learning what the instruments are.  The pilot must learn to fly while relying on the instruments in flight.  The pilot must not only read the book but put the book to use!

In life, our personal skies are sometimes clear and we can fly full speed ahead.  We can make decisions based on good old logic and we understand well what we are doing.  In life, however, the skies are not always clear.  Sometimes vision gets difficult and sometimes it is hard to see altogether.

Like pilots, we need to rely on something more to get us through difficult times – otherwise, we crash.

At age 65, I have learned to rely on a number of valuable tools to get me through the darkest of times.  First, I rely on the Bible.  It is my “life manual.”  The lessons in it are priceless, give me direction, and teach me who God is.  Second, I rely on teachings from others about the Bible, whether from my attending church, going to Sunday school and bible studies, reading bible commentaries, or discussing the bible with others.  The Bible is a large and complex read.  I can’t rely on my own reading of it alone to fully comprehend its meaning and direct me through the challenges of life.  Third, I rely on practicing the principals I have learned.  Pilots need many hours of training before they get their Instrument Rating and I need many hours of practice myself to manage life’s difficult time.  Living like Jesus isn’t something that you just “do.”  It takes a lifetime of practice to get it right and I am still working on “getting it right.”  It also takes talking to God, through prayer.  Finally, I rely on other people to help me out.  Pilots need to have instructors with them as they are learning to master flying and the use of instruments in cloudy weather.  Commercial pilots need co-pilots sitting beside them.  I rely on others to negotiate my foggy skies and you brothers are some of those I rely on.  I try to gain wisdom from the words of the Q of each BOM I attend.  You guys teach incredible life lessons.  I also know that, when I am in a pinch or feeling lost, I can call on my brothers to help me out.  I have done just that with some of you.

In summary, we need more than our senses to get through the cloudy and dark skies of life.  For me, the Bible, teachings about God’s word, application of God’s word and using the help of Godly people are what I have found necessary to get through the most challenging of times.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Drum Major’s wife and family as his wife’s mother died this last week; prayers for two missionary friends of Crawdad who are serving in Ukraine; prayers for the Special Olympics – Cheatsheet and Lilydipper will be at an event today, the Polar Plunge at the West Town YMCA – registration fees and donations serve the Special Olympics in East Tennessee; prayers for fathers and for the underprivileged who are facing troubles at this time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP on February 26 at 6:30 am, the Asylum.  Also, when registering for the event on Slack, please consider making a donation to the Wesley House.  The link for doing that will be with the CSAUP registration notice.

Live in God

THE SCENE:  Partly cloudy and cold, temp about 20 degrees.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle-Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Twisties, 10 Tempo Merkins, 10 Windmills, Michael Phelps, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to stop sign by intersection of main roadway and road that goes to the Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey on perimeter trail until it intersects with trail coming from Lyons Bend Gate.  We will do 20 Hello Dollies.

Next, we will head west and then east on the perimeter trail.  We will do nickel, dime, quarters with the following exercises:

  • Jump Squats
  • Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)
  • Dive Bombers

We will stop when we get to the Northshore Gate.

Mosey to Area 51 and go to the curb.  Find a partner for teams of two.  One one partner runs to the entrance of Area 51, does 5 merkins, and runs back, the other partner works on the listed exercises below.  Then partners trade places.  Each team will do:

  • 200 Baby Crunches (4 ct)
  • 150 Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
  • 150 Bicycle Kicks (4 ct)

Next, we will run up hill above area 51.  At the top, we will alternate between 10 Merkins and 10 Big-Boy Sit-ups until the six is there.

Mosey to the stop sign by the roadway that goes to the soccer fields.  We will stop to do 20 Box Cutters.  Mosey to the soccer fields.  We will do suicides, with Bernie Sanders to each cone, a mosey to the left of cone parallel with that cone, and then sprint back.  We will do 20 Baby Crunches each time we get back until we finish the suicides.

Mosey to the open outdoor structure that is close to the outdoor chapel.  We will do 20 four count bench dips and 20 decline merkins.

Mosey to parking lot by the playground.  We will do 20 Georgia Cheerleaders (inverted Pickle Pounders).

Mosey to the bottom of mini-cardiac.  We will Bernie Sanders to park sign, then sprint to top.  We will then run back down to AO.

MARY:
We will cash out with ATMs.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
19 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

LIVE IN GOD

Psalm 19: 7-10:

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,[c]
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules[d] of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.

I need to remember that the law and ways of the Lord are perfect.  They are more to be desired than gold.  As Van Morrison asks in his song by the same name, “When will I ever learn to live in God.”  He goes on to say, “He gives me everything I need, and more – when will I ever learn?”  I don’t know about you, but I find myself getting caught up in the ways of the world time and time again.  Am I successful enough in my job?  How does my house look compared to my neighbors?  In an effort to “get ahead”, to be liked, to be popular, to be “a winner”, I focus on things that may be out of sorts with how I truly should be.  I may go along with a business idea that is not truly honorable.  I may cut corners to get something I want, not considering how that will impact others around me.  I might participate in conversation or laugh at jokes that, if I look closely, are belittling to certain segments of our population.  Our brother, Rooney, gave a message at a recent BOM that I need to consider more carefully for myself.  He said that when we consider what we are willing to do in our life, it should align with our moral compass.

When I consider what I am to do this day, does it align with God’s laws and way?  They are perfect and I need to remember that.  I don’t have to worry so much about getting ahead, pleasing other people, or being successful.  If I act as God asks me to do, that is success.  That is what I should live for, not what Gentleman’s Quarterly, Money Magazine, Newsweek, or the latest get rich book tells me to do.  God’s ways are finer than gold and sweeter than the drippings of a honeycomb.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for the disenfranchised, for those who have lost loved ones, for Operation and his wife who are hoping she gets pregnant, and that F3 brothers will find activities that continue to help our community.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP!!!