F3 Knoxville

Tag: Cowbell

Return the ring to Mordor

THE SCENE: 72 degrees. Heckin sweaty
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH – x25 IC

Cherry Pickers – x10 IC

Annie’s – x7 ea front and back IC

Imperial Walkers – x15 IC 4CT

Captain Thors – x5 IC

THA-THANG:
Indian run with the One Ring (my 3-y/o’s hula hoop) held high over head to the bridge that crosses the creek below the hill. Welsh Dragon across the bridge. Mosey to bottom of Stairs to Mordor for some Dora.

  • 150 LBCs
  • 150 Merkins
  • 150 American Hammers 4CT
  • 150 Jump Squats
  • 1 PAX does the exercise while partner runs to the top of the stairs for 1 burpee and then back down to pick up where partner left off. Repeat until finished.

Indian run back to AO with the One Ring – stopping at bridge to Welsh Dragon across.

MARY:
Flutters – x15 IC 4CT

Edward Scissorlegs – x10 IC 4CT

Boat / Canoe for time

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Half Caff, Swanson, Abort, Reverb, Jenner, The Voice, Cowbell, Filter, Amazon on ruck.
MOLESKIN:

From Gandalf –

“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.”

 

Full Bird Beatdown

THE SCENE: 76* and humid as crap.  A few different Misfires listed in GroupMe, this Misfire is Colonel Mike Anders. At least the fourth of the Anders clan to ring the second bell and Q in Knoxville.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Bend and reach stretch
Row stretch (arms extended overhead and flat, then sit up while also crunching your knees in, then holding)
Squat and reach
Crunchy twists (can’t remember what he called them, 4 count exercise with legs up like you’re going to crunch, but rotate knees together to each side)
Merkins

THA-THANG:
Top 40 countdown around the World’s Fair Lawn.  At each corner of the lawn, there is an exercise listed and on the longer sections a method of movement.  Instructed to do 4 laps, starting with 40 of each exercise, then 30, etc.  So 40/30/20/10 but the movement between remained.

  • Merkins – then lunge over halfway down the long side, run at the line to next corner
  • Squats – run to next corner
  • Mountain climbers – power skip/jump halfway, then run to next corner
  • Prisoner squats (hands behind head, feet pointing outward as much as comfortable) – run to next corner

Repeat four laps with decreasing reps.

Form up in field for Jane Fonda 5:1 for each leg, just to completely destroy what was left of our legs.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 Strong: Casper, Duggar, Misfire, Cowbell, The Voice, Jenner, Reverb, Passport, Abort
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
(Doing my best to remember) Character versus competency.  We all strive to do our jobs and perform daily tasks with competency, to do the best job we can do.  However, always be aware of risking your character to get the job done.  We can always change careers, but our character should remain unflinching and unbroken. Aye!

pretty simple routine

THE SCENE: 75* and humid, perfect for watering the sidewalk with sweat
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Moroccan night clubs x25 IC
Tempo lunge x10 IC
High knees x25 IC
OH claps x25 IC
Static stretches – middle, left, right for 20 sec each
THA-THANG:
Fairly simple this morning, mosey out of start point and over to the amphitheater.  Routine is the eight exercise escalator.  Do the first exercise, run a lap out of the amphitheater (heading away from start point), left across pedestrian bridge, left by the Big Ball and back around the pond to the amphitheater.  Do first exercise and add an exercise each lap.

  • Plank jacks x20
  • Merkins x20
  • Box jumps (or step ups) x15
  • Pull ups on Big Ball x10
  • Lunges x20
  • Burpees x5
  • Dips x20
  • American hammers x20

Had to call an audible at lap 4 (the loop was too long).  All things stayed the same except the loop was to run out the flat part of amphitheater, turn right and run up the ramp to go to the high side, do inverted rows instead of pull ups, then run down the other side and return to the amphitheater stage.

MARY:
No time for Mary, the escalator took too long.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
5 strong in the sweat box: Cowbell, The Voice, Misfire, Amazon, Abort
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Friday was the 14th anniversary of Operation Red Wings, which led me to look up lessons learned from that event (depicted in the book and movie Lone Survivor).  Marcus Luttrell detailed one of his experiences not of those events particularly, but it stuck with me.  That is, that we have a tendency to put ourselves in a pecking order by comparing ourselves to those around us.  “That guy can lift more, he can solve the Pythagorean theorem faster, etc etc.”  In Luttrell’s case, during Hell Week of his BUD/s course the strongest swimmer in the class tapped out.  His immediate thought was, if that guy can’t make it, there is no way I can make it.

But courage, grit and determination are much harder to quantify to allow you to place yourself in a pecking order.  Just because someone might be more talented, doesn’t mean you can’t beat them.  The man that is hard to beat is the one who won’t quit.
MOLESKIN:
Continue praying for Carrot and his 2.0, and for Crawdad and his M.

Knowing the difference

THE SCENE: 75* and about 98% humidity, perfect for sweat
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Windmills x10 IC
BAC forward and reverse 10x IC
Static even/odd stretches
Tempo merkins x10 IC
SSH x15 IC
THA-THANG:

Grab key bag and mosey over to the Big Ball stairs to build a pyramid.  Start at the bottom with 10 squats, run to the top and do 10 merkins, return to the bottom.  Rep count goes 10, 20, 30, 20, 10 of each exercise running up and down stairs.  We all finished basically at the same time so no Mary and no 10 count.  Just grab keys and mosey over toward amphitheater for circuit work.

Four locations with four difference exercises in and around the amphitheater.  AMRAP for time.

  • Wall squat OH claps x15 on 4-count at the bridge underpass, mosey to wall beside amphitheater
  • Dips x15 on wall, mosey to amphitheater stage
  • Catalina wine mixers x10 on stage (wood hurts less, barely), run up stairs of amphitheater
  • Inverted rows on rails x15, mosey back down to underpass and lather rinse repeat

We all made it through 4 rounds of this before starting our return mosey to the start point.

MARY:
American hammers x20 IC
Edward scissor legs x20 IC
Merkins x20 OYO (needed an ab break…)
Flutter kicks x25 IC (did an extra five to hear some complaining)
Boat/canoe ring of fire: Swanson led some canoe paddles, Puddle flutter kicked some water out of the canoe, and Cowbell through in the very awesome kayak style paddle for our canoe
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
4 ballers balling: Swason, Puddle, Cowbell, Abort
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Short and simple word on a last minute Q.  “Courage is knowing it might hurt, and doing it anyway. Stupidity is the same. And that’s why life is hard.” – Jeremy Goldberg.  This quote is 100% true in my opinion, but just the quote is not the point.  The point is either having or developing the wisdom to know the difference.  Do not to let fear of pain or fear of the unknown prevent you from doing something, but also don’t let stupidity take over and risk injury (be it physical or emotional) doing something unnecessary.

D-Day Anniversary Memorial Beatdown

THE SCENE: 70s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3 men! Fitness – Fellowship – Faith. And welcome to the 75th anniversary of D-Day 21-gun salute. My name is Steam and I am honored to be your Q this morning. I am not a professional and you are here on your own volition this morning. You chose to be here – just like the man on your left and right did. If you need to modify any of the exercises we do this morning, feel free to do so – you know your body better than anyone else. HOWEVER – I encourage you to look across the street (points to the East TN Veterans Memorial site) and REMEMBER those who chose to run into open gunfire so you could be here this morning. When it gets tough in the next 45 minutes, when you’re hurting, or when your battle buddy is hurting – remember those who are worth remembering.

Everything we do this morning will be 21 reps either on a 4-count or 1-count

WARM-O-RAMA:

Side-Straddle Hop (SSH): 21×4 in cadence

Bend & Reach: 21×4 in cadence

Windmill: 21×4 in cadence

Merkin: 21×4 in cadence

Baby Arm Circles: 21×4 in cadence

THA-THANG:

  • Q aligns PAX shoulder to shoulder facing the Big Ball AO green space/field
  • “I’m Up – He Sees Me – I’m Down”
    • ^^ 3 commands ^^
      • I’m Up = sprint
      • He Sees Me = get down flat
      • I’m Down = Stay down flat until the I’m Up command is given
    • PAX sprints across field listening for the 3 commands
    • Simulates running towards an objective with enemy fire coming toward you
  • Rinse & Repeat back across – but with buddy drags/fireman carries

 

  • PAX mosey to Big Ball stairs
  • “Take The Hill”
    • Get in battle buddy teams
    • Teams bear crawl up the stairs until they reach a flat landing
    • Flat landing = 21 sit-ups each person
    • Rinse & Repeat until all PAX are at the top
  • Once at the top – PAX holds the plank for 21 seconds – 2x

 

  • PAX mosey to bridge to the left of the amphitheater stage
  • Hands interlocked behind heads – PAX lunges across bridge and moseys into the amphitheater, on the stage
  • Q leads PAX in 21 1-count SSHs on stage, sprint to the top of the amphitheater
  • Swanson leads 21 1-count SSHs, everyone sprints back down
  • PAX performs 21 1-count incline merkins on the stage – with the commands of “Up – Down”

 

  • Mosey to the edge of Big Ball AO field/World’s Fair Park field

 

  • Q instructs the PAX that the last part of this workout will be in silence after a quote and explanation of what’s to come

 

  • Q reads General Douglas MacArthur

  • It is my earnest hope – indeed the hope of all mankind – that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past – a world founded upon faith – and understanding – a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice

  • Q: “Now we’re going to take this field, and we’re going to take it hard. We will sprint all the way across the field, across the street, to the front of the East TN Veterans Memorial Site. I will lead us in 21 1-count merkins and 21 1-count SSHs in silence once we are over there.

 

  • PAX takes the field – and takes it with a sense of urgency and purpose.
  • PAX executes silent exercises and walks into the center of the memorial.
  • Q prays over the site, the men, the PAX, and initiates the COT

MARY:
Time of Workout: 50:13

Mileage: 1.2 miles

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 PAX – no FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Soot called in from deployment in Kuwait to deliver the BOM this morning – talked about the character of those men who charged the beaches 75 years ago – tied it into the 3 Fs of F3 – specifically the importance of the third F – realizing that we were created for so much more and that there is a higher being that we serve. No matter what the “beach” looks like in front of you – no matter how daunting it looks – charge at it knowing He goes before you.