F3 Knoxville

You Are Already There

THE SCENE: You Are Already There
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Jog around the lot, 20 Side-Straddle Hops, 15 Shoulder Taps, 10 Rockettes, 5 Cherry Pickers, 5 Windmills, Michael Phelps, A Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Men split up into teams of two.  We will go to parking lot across the street.  Each team gets two bricks.  Mosey with bricks to the Caribbean parking lot.

Team runs together around parking lot stopping at every two islands.  At each island each partner does five mini-man-makers with bricks.  While one partner does the five mini-man-makers the other partner does five shoulder taps (both shoulders = 1).

Next, we will do Doras with the bricks.  While one partner runs to the cone which is about 40 yards away, the other does the exercises with the bricks.  Then partners switch.  Each team does the following exercises:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Curls
  • 100 Rows
  • 100 Punches with each hand
  • 100 Wings Up
  • 100 Wings Out
  • 100 Winds Down

Mosey back to the shaded parking lot to drop off the bricks.

Mosey up Mini-Cardiac and then go on perimeter trail to the stop sign at road that lead to Admin Bldg. We will do 20 American Hammers in cadence.

Mosey to bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will do the following exercises before running to the top of the Space Needle, then back to the portion of the road in front of the Admin Bldg Parking Lot.

  • 20 Hello Dollies
  • 20 Flutter Kicks
  • 40 Little Baby Crunches

Mosey from Admin Parking Lot to Front Porch of Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 Calf Raises on steps then run counter-clockwise on loop that goes through Coliseum Area.  On the benches in that area we will do 20 Bench Lifts.  Then we will continue to run counter-clockwise around the loop and go back to porch.  Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey to AO

MARY:
Bernie and Skip Around the Parking Lot.  Ten Jump Squats.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
17 Men with one FNG whom we dubbed, “Britches.”
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
You Are Already There

“Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. … He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken.”
― Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Life is a journey.  In that journey, men tend to live it like a quest.  The quest is the prize and we are always yearning for something more.  And, we tend to tie our self-concept into it.  That quest can be a good thing.  We tend to grow along the way.  But if that quest is not for God, we fall short.  We get that worldly thing but will always yearn for something more.  More money, a better job, a bigger home, a faster car.  Further, if we tie our self-concepts into that quest, we are deceived.  Are egos grow too big if we attain the worldly goal or we look at ourselves as failures if we don’t attain it.

Stop to think about life’s purpose.  What are we living for?  What is it that we are supposed to attain in this life.  Brothers, what if we are already there?  What if God loves us completely, just as we are.  What if we don’t have to win the prize, set the high mark, achieve some kind of standard to have God love us to the very depth of our being?  God loves us despite our flaws.  God keeps no record of being wronged by us.  God is patient, is kind, and never gives up in us, is always hopeful for us, enduring every one of our circumstances and human failures.

If we have that kind of love, we can be satisfied with what we have and who we are.  I don’t need the fast car, the mansion on the hill, to eat at the best restaurants.

Having that kind of love, knowing that whatever I do, that I am always favored by God and I am never seen as a failure in his eyes – that gives me the confidence to go out and take risks.  Knowing that should give us brothers the confidence to try, fail, and try again.  For we may fail, but we are not failures.  God is with us.  He loves us to the end.  We may never achieve our worldly quests.  We may fall short of getting that job we want, buying the house we hope for, earning the type of money to give our wives and children the things we long to give them.  But we have already attained our heavenly quest.  God is there with us already.  And if we trust in that, even if we die tomorrow, we have achieved our prize.

MOLESKIN:
Praise for Swimmies who has a daughter due to be born and house about to be closed on for the same day.  Prayers for those who are ill or shut in, including Steam’s mother who recently contracted Covid.  Fortunately, she is doing well.  Prayers for all those who are traveling at Thanksgiving.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Christmas Party at Judge Judy’s home on December 11.  Thanksgiving workout at Asylum will be at 7 am this Thursday.  Asylum and Asylum PM will combine for that workout.

Farewell to Everest

THE SCENE: Getting chilly and dark.  Winter is coming.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Check
WARM-O-RAMA:

-20 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Imperial Squat Walkers (4-ct, in cadence)

– 10 windmills (4-ct, in cadence)

– 20 Grady Corns (4-ct, in cadence)

THA-THANG:

Mosey to EVEREST.  FAREWELL TO EVEREST!!  We’ll be switching our meeting place to the opposite side of the park for winter, so we might not see Everest again for awhile.  We shall pay our respects before we leave…

EVEREST SUICIDES x5

Up and back to tree stumps/trees. Every time you get to the bottom, do 10 reps of an exercise, which will change for each Suicide.   At end of each suicide, hold a plank until 6 catches up.

Exercises:

  1. Plank Jacks
  2. Monkey Humpers
  3. Squats
  4. Merkins
  5. Stargazers (you’re welcome)

Mosey to flat area at base of the Summit.

Partner UP.  One partner, run to bottom of the Roadshow Run stairs, do 10 SSH, run back.  Other Partner BEAR CRAWL to tree, do 10 Merkins, and Bear Crawl back. Meet back at starting point, do 5 Patty-cake merkins, and switch.  Rinse and repeat

STOMACH BUSTER! 20 Am. Hammers, 20 flutter kicks (both 4-ct IC).

AYG up the summit and to the AO

MARY:
No time for her.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 HIMs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

THE LANGUAGE OF GOD PART DEUX: Things that make you go Hmmm…

Continuing on with my Words about The Language of God by Francis Collins, I just wanted to share some of the observations he makes regarding Life, the Universe, and Everything when contemplating his Christian views and how they aren’t incompatible with his rigid and extensive training as a scientist.  [DISCLAIMER ABOUT BELIEFS].  His observations have helped me, as a scientist, understand how the origins of Creation can have a supernatural, Godly origin yet still obey the laws of science.  There are an amazing number of incredible coincidences that have led to where we are today, standing in a park, on a planet we call Earth.  Consider for example…

  • In the early moments of the universe, following the BIG BANG, matter and antimatter were created in almost equivalent amounts.   But there was one part per billion more subatomic matter particles than anti matter.  If there was pure symmetry, or more dark matter, the universe would have devolved into pure radiation.  But that tiny bit of extra matter is what forms all the mass in the universe.
  • The way the universe expanded following the Big Bang depended critically on how much total mass and energy the universe had and the strength of the gravitational constant. If this constant was smaller by even one part in 100 thousand million, million, the universe would have collapsed before it reached its current size.  If it had been GREATER by just 1 part per million, stars and planets could not have formed.
  • And there are at least 15 other physical constants whose values are impossible to predict how they came to be what they are. And yet they are exactly the values they need to be to have a stable universe capable of sustaining complex life forms.  As it happens, the existence of a universe as we know it rests upon a knife edge of improbability.  Is this really an accident?…. Are we just really, really lucky to be here today?  HMMM…

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for Abscess’ MRI, prayers for Jetlag’s return journey
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Coat Drive still going on for another week; Sign up for Brovember challenge; we’ll move our meeting spot to the parking lot across the street from where AM meets starting next week after the time change.

Farewell Q

THE SCENE: 54F, drizzling
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 Jetlag 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:

Motivators starting at 5

Box jumps + run around pavillon

High knees

Plank jacks

Mountain climbers


THA-THANG:

Pyramid: 20 reps

  1. Merkins
  2. Merkins – shoulder press
  3. Merkins – shoulder press – curls – table pulls/cmu rows
  4. Merkins – shoulder press – curls – tp – squat jumps
  5. Merkins – shoulder press – curls – tp – squat jumps – step overs
  6. Intermission break: run around pavilion twice or burpees (F3 names, F3 workouts, F3 AOs, F3 Hospital Names)
  7. Shoulder press – curls – TP – squat jumps – step overs
  8. Curls – TP – squat jumps – step overs
  9. TP – squat jumps
  10. Squat Jumps
  11. Burpees

Alleluias


MARY:

5min yoga stretching

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 HIMs in attendance.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
There will be times in your life that you may question God and His plans for you. These times are usually when you struggle, lose someone, or uncertainties in life. But, I tell you this – God’s plan is perfect. He’s timing is always right. It may not seem like it but have faith that God is working His ways for the better of you.
MOLESKIN:
My brothers, as I host my last Q (at least for this year) I am truly grateful and honored to be part of such an amazing brotherhood that we have here in F3. I was supposed to stay for only 6 weeks here in the US and that 6 weeks turned into a year. And you guys made it truly memorable for me and my family. You have made a huge impact on my life and my family’s. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you and until next time! I love you, brothers!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Coat Drive – Coats donation still on going. You can give out your old coats to Rainbow.

Confess

WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Plank Jacks, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 Tempo Squats, 10 Windmills, 5 Full Body Twists, Little of This and That

THA-THANG:
Mosey to Stop Sign at Southeastern Corner of Admin Bldg.  Do 20 Hello Dollies, 4 ct.

Mosey to parking lot that has steps leading up to Coliseum.  We will do Doras.  While Partner 1 runs up steps, runs south, then comes back to end of the parking lot, Partner 2 starts exercises.  Then, partners switch.  The exercises that each partnered team performs are:

  • 150 Squat Jumps
  • 150 Bicycle Kicks, 4 ct
  • 150 Iron Mikes, 4 ct
  • 150 Flutter Kicks, 4 ct

Mosey to Parking Lot that semi-circles past the soccer fields.  Men run 10 gate poles, do 2 burpees, then continue 10 more gate poles, do 2 more burpees, and repeat the pattern to the end of the semi-circle.  Those arriving at the end of the semi-circle do Big Boy Sit-ups until all men arrive.

Mosey to what was formerly the southern ball field parking lot.  We will do suicides by starting at southern curb, running to each light pole, run back and then do 10 Little Baby Crunches.  Then go to next light pole, come back and do 10 more LBCs.  Repeat this pattern until the curb at other end of parking lot is reached.

Mosey back to Parking Lot that semi-circles past the soccer fields.  We will run 10 poles, then lunge 5 poles and continue that pattern all the way to the other end of the semi-circle.

Mosey to stop sign at southeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  Do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to AO.

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

1 John 1: 8-10

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

I am a Christian.  Some people think that Christians claim they are not sinners – that because they go to church or read the bible or believe in God that they are somehow better, cleaner, purer than others.  That is just not true.  Christians aren’t those who have no sin.  They are those who confess their sin.

I am a Christian.  I am also a screw up.  I may say I’m going to be nicer the next time, that I am going to stop cussing at other drivers on the road, that I am never going to drink too much alcohol again, that I am going to treat my body better because it is a vessel of Christ, that I am going to stop thinking such vulgar thoughts, that I am going to stop coveting what others have that I don’t.  I may say it, but I find myself screwing up again and again.  As the Apostle Paul said of himself in the Bible:

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice (Romans 7:19).

Christians aren’t those who have no sin.  They are those who confess their sin.  I know that I have a God who loves me.  I give myself up to him.  I know he forgives me, even died for me, and that makes all the difference.  I take joy in knowing that the creator of this world is a God of Love and forgives my sin.  Does this mean that I go out and boldly sin, knowing God will forgive me?  No.  It means that because God loves me, I will try to carry that love forward, doing as He would want me to do, living His will.  And so, despite my sinful nature, I will try to do good for others, often failing, but also doing good as I strive to live for God.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers of praise for Cheatsheet getting his stolen truck back, for Drum Major’s daughter being able to start running again after her injury, and for Jet Lag and his family being able to go back to the Philippines. Prayers for Pusher, his wife, and his children who will miss Jet Leg and Jet Lag’s family.  Prayers for us who will also miss Jet Lag!  Prayers of praise for Pusher’s daughter getting her driver’s license and for Pusher and his wife who will naturally worry about her driving. Prayers for The King James during this lonely time but time when he can get closer to God.

34 and On a Birthday Q

THE SCENE: Not as chilly as it could be. 

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: Done and Done. Lots of chatter during this, mostly from the lawyer in the group.

WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH IC x34; LBAC IC x17 EWay; Tempo Squat x10; Tempo Merk x10; Butt Kicks; High Knees

THA-THANG:

Route 66 

  • Captain Thor 1:2 ratio every other light for 10 sets 

Mosey to Everest and go up it

Mosey with wet shoes to the Coliseum 

Ghostman Baseball 

  • First → 10 Merkins 
  • Second → 10 Squats 
  • Third → 10 Should taps 
  • Home → 4 Burpees 
    • 1 group goes to 1st and back while the other does ab work; switch
    • Repeat adding a base and an exercise returning back down the bases 
    • Q led one group through ab work
    • Choir Boy (the inventor of Ghostman Baseball) led the other group

Long Mosey to Circus Maximus 

Circus Maximus

  • Blindside’s Fellowship Biscuit  (PAX stays together, once 6 starts the ab work; Q starts the 10 count)
    • Lap → 34 Merkins → Hello Dolly 
    • Lap → 34 Squats → Flutter Kicks
    • Lap → 34 4 ct. SSH → Freddie Mercury

Return to AO 

MARY:

Stretching out the legs after (almost 3.4 miles) a lot of moseys 

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

17 HIMs; 1 FNG; Welcome “Bag-Daddy,” a double respect HIM who also happens to be Blindside’s own dad! 

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Luke 13:8-9 … Parable of a fig tree not bearing fruit. 3 years without fruit? The owner of the vineyard wanted to cut it down, it was wasting space. The steward pleads by saying he will dig around it, fertilize it, and tend to it more. If we want the fruit of God’s presence in our lives, then we must continually choose to make our hearts a fruitful garden in which the virtues of God grow and are nourished in abundance. 

Today is my birthday. I signed up for this Q several months ago when I learned that Birthday-Qs were a thing. It took me a while to remember that by performing a Birthday-Q, I would be publicizing my birthday. For most of my adult life, I have hated celebrating my birthday. I had several poor birthday experiences in a row during college and felt like it was always a burden on others like I didn’t want to be let down. I have gone so far as to ask my M to cancel a surprise party she was planning for me a couple of years ago because I didn’t want to celebrate. 

What I have learned recently is that by acting this way, by acting like I don’t want to be celebrated, I am actually taking away others’ ability to celebrate me. I love celebrating others and I am taking that joy away from the people that mean the most to me in my life. I thought I was being humble and not a bother to those around me, but in actuality, I was being selfish and hurtful to my family, my friends, and all those in my life that care about me. 

Don’t be selfish, ya’ll. It’s a bad look. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Coats for the Cold: Donate coats for KARM now through November 13th. 
  • Brovember Challenge: F3Knoxville’s November Challenge. Sign-up on Slack. Slack channel “brovember2021”