F3 Knoxville

What the Hard Times Reveal

THE SCENE: Perfectness
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

THA-THANG:

  • Pyramid Dora 42 each
    • Merkins
    • Carolina Dry Docks
    • Grady Corns
    • Kettle Bell Swings
    • Lunges (1 ct)
    • Calf Raises
    • Ankle Taps
    • LBCs
    • Hello Dollys (1ct)
    • Crab Kick Outs
  • Pyramid Dora 42 each
    •  Good mornings
    • OH press
    • Bench Press
    • Rows
    • Curls
    • Squats
    • Big Boys
  • Pyramid Dora 42 each
    • Frog Squats
    • Twisting Gas Pumps
    • Rocky Balboas
    • Flutter Kicks (1 ct)
    • SSH

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
18

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I recently went through an experience with an old friend.  We grew up together, were room mates in college for years, and then live drifted us apart nearly 20 years ago.  So much so that I ran into his “wife” in the grocery store, asked how he was, and found out they got divorced.  A few months ago, his mother had a major medical issue.  He called me needing help, and like we’d never grown apart, I reacted, stepped in, helped get some stuff local handled so could get on the road to be with his mom.

The situation reminded me of a song called “Daylight” by Shinedown.  There’s a line in that song that says, “It’s amazing what the hard times can reveal.  Like who shows up, who walks away, and who’s for real.”  It’s easy to show up when times are good.  So, I challenge everyone to think about their life and to think about the people and situations where you will show up, and when you’re going to walk away.

 

Get in the Wheelbarrow

THE SCENE: Cool and breezy, around 40 degrees moderate cloud coverage
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Check, if you could hear it over the mumblechatter, which picked up significantly when Brick and Steam decided to go bare chested.  Glass cutters club!
WARM-O-RAMA:

-10 SSH (20x, (4-ct), in cadence) RUN 2 CIRCLE LAPS (TO THE LEFT) R&R 10 SSH RUN 2 CIRCLE LAPS TO THE RIGHT

– 10 STEVE EARLES (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Rockettes, (4-ct), in cadence

-LBCS Forward/backward  (4-ct), in cadence

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

THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to Serpentine Sidewalk north of the AO.
    • “2-4-6-8 WHO DO WE APPRECIATE” Run down sidewalk, suicide style, stopping at EVEN # lights to do the following exercises:
      • 2 lights: 4 MERKINS/ 4 lights: 8 merkins/ 6 lights 12 merkins/ 8 lights, 16 merkins. ON LAST REP SWEEP FOWARD
      • Rinse and repeat with SQUATS
      • Rinse and repeat with BBS (2-ct)
    • Mosey east on path to intersection, stop to do 20 Imperial Walkers
    • Mosey to base of Cardiac
      • 5s from base to first curve, starting with 1 OFFSET RIGHT MERKIN, run up and do 4 OFFSET LEFT MERKINS 1 JUMP SQUAT
      • Fellowship Mosey to second curve
      • 5s from Second curve to Benches, Starting with 1 FROGGY JUMP, run up and do 4 SMURF JACKS.
    • Mosey to AO

 

MARY:
I wanted to give Mary her due, since we’ve been ignoring this fair lady for awhile, so we had a good 5-6 minutes of Mary…

  • MURDER PLANKS
    • Plank position, knee to opposite elbow x 10
    • Reverse, x10
    • Hold Elbow Plank x10 seconds
    • R&R until time called
  • Captain Thors
    • 1 BBS/1 4-ct American Hammer
    • 2/8
    • 3/12
    • 4/16

Stretching with Pele
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 Hims and 1 2.0, Cheetah Boy
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

THE TIGHTROPE WALKER

There’s a story I read recently about a tight rope walker in Europe who was very talented, could do all sorts of tricks.  One of these tricks was to walk on tightrope while pushing a wheel barrow.  A Big Time Promoter over here in the States heard about him, and invited him over to North America to walk over Niagara falls for a lot of money. A LOT of money.  But the Promoter wanted to make sure the guy really was all that and a bag of chips, so he asked him to come over for a demonstration.  The tightrope walker was a bit insulted that his talent was being questioned, but he flew over, they went to Niagara Falls, he walked back and forth over the falls, without the wheelbarrow, and then he did it with the wheelbarrow.

When he was finished, he returned to the Promoter and said, “There!  Now do you believe I can do it”?

The Promoter said, “Yes, I’m sorry I doubted you, I believe you can do it.”

“No No” said the tightrope walker, “I want to REALLY make sure you believe in my abilities! After all, I don’t want you to have any doubts”.

“Of Course I believe you! I just saw you do it!  Yes, yes, I believe you!”

The Tightrope walker said with an evil grin…  “If you really believe I can do it… Then get in the wheelbarrow.”

Living in Faith requires us to get in that wheelbarrow and have trust and faith. Must give control up to God.  It can be a little bit scary.  When I was about 10 I went on the American Eagle roller coaster at Great America in Gurnee, Illinois for the first time.  Wooden roller coaster that held several records when it was built in the 80s, including longest drop and fastest speed.  Here are some stats on that sucker:

  • built with approximately 1,360,000 feet (410,000 m) of lumber,
  • 129,720 bolts,
  • 30,600 pounds (13,900 kg) of nails (How many of those have come loose over the years?)
  • 55 degree max invert angle (Think of that!)

Rickety, wheels squealing on the rails, lots of motion.  I was petrified.  But you have to believe that the safety measures are in place and that you’ll be ok.  But you don’t really KNOW it until you take that ride.  There are ups and downs, twists and turns on your faith journey.  But in the end, you’ll be exhilarated, like that 10 year kid on a rollercoaster.

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Get your dogtag order in!  Looking for new F3 Knoxville F1 and F3 leaders.  Hot Toddy Q this Saturday!

You Are More Than Your Job

THE SCENE: Windy, temps in low 60s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Plank Jacks, 10 Cherry Pickers, 20 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Windmills, Sitting knee stretches 10 count right, forward and left.
THA-THANG:
Mosey up Dragon Tail to Haslam Rock.  Stop on roadway to do 20 Box Cutters.

Mosey to Coliseum Courtyard Area.  We will run counterclockwise around the sidewalk loop.  We will do the following exercises around the circle:

  • First loop:  20 Bench Dips at Coliseum and Admin Bldg steps and 20 Merkins at the two sides of loop.
  • Second loop:  20 Box Jumps on Steps and 20 Carolina Dry Cocks at sides of loop.
  • Third loop:  20 Calf Raises on Steps and 20 Diamond Merkins at side of loop.
  • Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey to roadway area close to Haslam Rock.  We will do 20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey on Perimeter Trail to area at bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will split into teams of two and do Doras.  One partner runs to the construction fence going south on the perimeter trail, touches the fence and runs back.  The other partner works on the listed exercises and then partners switch.  As a team, the partners will do the following exercises:

  • 150 Freddie Mercuries (4 ct)
  • 150 Jump Squats
  • 150 Baby Crunches
  • 150 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
Abdominals
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
21 men with one FNG:  Robert Kelly whom we dubbed Kung Blue.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I know that some men in our brotherhood and some M’s of our brothers have struggled with the jobs they are in and the vocational decisions they are attempting to make. It is difficult to have a job that just doesn’t seem right for you.  It can be bewildering to wonder what direction your professional life should take. It can feel oppressive to go to a job you just don’t like and wonder when the right job will come along.  I look back to my own vocational struggles when I was in my 20’s and early 30’s. I can say that during some of those struggles I was clinically depressed.

As a 66-year-old who has been in the job market for quite some time, let me offer some words to you that may help be of benefit to those of you who have struggled vocationally or who have loved ones who have struggled:

  1. You are more than your job.  I know of people who feel they have never found the “right job.”  But some of them are amongst the finest people I know.  Yes, at parties we may introduce ourselves to others and answer the questions about what we do for a living.  But that isn’t our identity.  There is so much more:  our worship, our families, our friends, our activities outside of work, how we listen to others, how we treat others, how we lead others.
  2. If you are dissatisfied with your job, keep looking.  That doesn’t mean quit your current job.  But network with others, talk to your brothers, let them know you are looking for something new.  Also, when you interview for jobs, that in itself can be a learning process.  I am proud of my son, Bennett, for his growth through networking and interviewing in the past year.  He had a good job but wanted something different.  He thought he wanted to get into the banking industry but he wasn’t sure in what area or what direction to take.  He gradually found out a job that is fitting his desires by networking and interviewing for jobs that weren’t quite the fit.
  3. As our brother High-Heels said in a recent Q, even if you aren’t thrilled with your job, it’s a blessing to have it.  You are getting paid.  Your job is putting food on the table.  There are many people who are jobless and hungry.  Don’t forget that.
  4. You have an opportunity to serve others, no matter what your job.  You can smile at your customers, try to make their lives better, and enhance the lives of your fellow employees with a kind and eager spirit.  And, no matter what your job, whether physician or trash collector, that work is probably contributing to what makes our world spin.

I will sum up the last point with some of the words from a song we sometimes sing at my church called “Day by Day.”

Server, you remind us of our Savior's bowl and towel.
Teacher, you are raising up a child to be kind.
Lawyer, give us hope that justice one day will surround us.
May God's kingdom come, on earth His will be done.

Farmer, you are working for a table full of bounty.
Painter, with each color you are teaching us to see.
Nurse, yours are the healing hands that touch the poor and broken.
May God's kingdom come, on earth His will be done.

Lord, be close to us.  Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, please put Your hand on us day by day.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Jinxy and his family after the death of Jinxy’s father.  The funeral was today.  Prayers of praise for Operation as his wife is over six weeks pregnant after she and Operation went through such a lengthy time with issues of infertility.  Operation is going to be a great father!!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hot Toddy Triple Q at the Asylum on Saturday morning, January 28 at the Asylum!  Pusher will have his Birthday Q with Lumpia likely in February!

Infinite Games

THE SCENE: 43 and getting colder by the minute
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH, rockettes, cherry pickers, runners lunge, Michael Phelps
THA-THANG:
Insert information about the workout.

  • Round 1:  25x cacoons, dips, SSH, calf raises
  • Round 2:  20x supermans, step ups, Rocky Balboas, squats
  • Round 3:  15x LBCs, incline merkins, Bobby Hurley, Apollo Ono
  • Round 4:  10x v-Up, decline merkins, plank jacks, lunges
  • Doras:  planks + calf raises, then shoulder taps + sprints

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
From The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek.  BLUF: play the long game of life.

We can’t choose the game.  We can’t choose the rules.  We can only choose how we play.  With finite games, like football or chess, the players are known, rules are fixed, and the endpoint is clear.  The winners and losers can easily be identified.

With infinite games, like business, politics, or life itself, the players come and go, the rules are changeable, and there is no defined endpoint.  There are no winners or losers, there are only those ahead and those behind.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:Convergence at Bomb Shelter Jan 7, check out new way to sign up for Q in Slack

The Results You Didn’t Get

THE SCENE: 33 and glorious
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH, imperial walker, cherry pickers, this and that, rockette, runners lunge
THA-THANG:
Insert information about the workout.

  • In the Caribbean: 20 kneel ups + 10 downward facing merkin / 10 reverse lunges + squats
  • Mosey: At each island, 10 flutter kicks + 10 butterfly kicks
  • Mosey:  Dora w/ 250 SSH, 200 Rocky Balboa, 150 calf raise, 100 mountain climber, 50 big boy, 25 burpee
  • Mosey:  11’s with incline merkin + bench dips

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
22 w/ and FNG! @Bomber

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“Don’t be upset by the results you didn’t get with the work you didn’t do”.  As you look around your life and the goals you set, keep the results you want in perspective with the work you’re doing for those goals.  Is the level of work you’re doing in line with the level of results you want to achieve?  If not, re-evaluate.  Could be the results you want are too high for what’s realistic for you right now.  Could be you need you can put in more work and get closer to getting those results.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Convergence at Bomb Shelter Jan 7