F3 Knoxville

Adventures of Little Spur

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Curveball
PAX: Drum Major, Pele (Jon Lindberg), SlideRule (Stephen Sloan), Steam, Brick, Glamper, CRISPR, MD Hammer, Pusher, Welches (Leland Murphy), Curveball, Lilydipper
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
WARMUP:
SSHs
Baby Arm Circles
Tempo Squats
Cherry Pickers
2 Burpees

THE THANG:
At the rock pile.
15 – Colt 45s
15 – Overhead Press
15 – Triceps
RNR until Indians take over and you have to run away.

Charles Bronson with a few more activities.
Charles Bronson
Start with 3 shovel flags, cones or other distance markers with first two 100 yards apart in a line, the last another 10-30 yards past. At starting point, perform 50 SSH’s, sprint to 2nd point, then army crawl or bear crawl to 3rd point. Mosey back to start, 50 Merkins then rinse/repeat. 50 burpees, rinse/repeat. 50 LBC’s, rinse/repeat. Finish with 50 Jump Squats rinse/repeat. Also added 50 Curls, 50 Triceps, and 50 Overhead Claps

MARY:
Pickle Pounders
Monkey Humpers
Pickle Pointers
LBCs
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bro Olympics in November.
COT:
What do you say to a one legged hitchhiker? Hop in.

As I’ve gone through this past couple years, it’s become really apparent that laughing is a great remedy for the stuff that ales you.

The person who has a sense of humor is not just more relaxed in the face of a potentially stressful situation, but is more flexible in his approach.
JOHN MORREALL

Laughter connects you with people. It’s almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you’re just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy.
JOHN CLEESE

Birthday Q

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Lizzy
PAX: Tenderfoot, Lilydipper, Curveball, Pusher, Rooney (Carl Whipple), Windex, MD Hammer, High Heels, Crash Dummy
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
WARMUP:

Tempo squats
Arm circles
Indian run up Everett

THE THANG:
Manmakers x 5
Mosey to base of pickets ridge then 11s with burpees at the bottom monkey humpers with bear crawl up the hill.
Rabbits came over and finished the 11s with entire group. We mixed in 15 more man makers as well.
Mosey to the bottom of the hill. 10 more manmakers.
Mosey back up to Pickets Ridge then 10 more man makers. Reverse lunges up the hill. Then 10 more man makers. Bear crawl to the top then 5 more manmakers. Mosey back over to ao.

MARY:
None

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bro olympics in November

COT:
I asked the question about why we wake up every day? A few folks said the alarm clock. By why are we waking up. Are we stumbling through the day checking boxes to just get to the end. Or are we having purpose in our days. Back in August I had a really bad health scare. Chaplains were called in at one point to talk with Adriane. I don’t remember at all from Tuesday through Saturday morning. After a couple of days I told Adriane the thing that worried me the most was I don’t remember telling you I love you before my last surgery. Keep in mind this is when I had no memory. She said I did in my weakest moment. So my underlying cognitive thought was I love you. I also asked Adriane if I was going to die. She responded if you quit doing stupid shit you won’t :joy: :joy: :joy: this year has been shit with the loss of my brother and now this health event. But, I refuse to live in sadness and unhappiness. I’m choosing to live each day with purpose

The Long and Winding Road

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Lilydipper
PAX: Lizzy, Brick, Rooney (Carl Whipple), Pusher, Curveball, Crash Dummy
FNGs: None
COUNT: 7
WARMUP: 20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 5 Burpees, 10 Cherry Pickers, 3 Burpees, 7 Twistees, 2 Burpees, 10 Tempo Merkins, 1 Burpee, 6 Pterodactyls Forward, 6 Pterodactyls Backwards.

THE THANG: Mosey to Front Steps of Admin Bldg. We will do 20 Regular Calves Raises, 20 Calves Raises with right foot on higher step, and 20 Calves Raises with left foot on higher step.
Mosey past Cul-de-sac at southeast side of Admin Bldg and run to raised garden at intersection of roads. We will do 15 Rocky Balboas off garden curb.
Mosey to West Side of New Pavilion by ball fields. We will do 15 Merkins.
Mosey to the trails behind the Ball Fields area. We will then mosey to the pier area by Lake Inlet. We will break into groups of three. Each group will start at a different cone to do first exercise, then rotate clockwise to do first at next cone, then go to 3rd cone for first exercise, then back to cone the group started at. They will go through the same sequence with the second and third exercises. Here are the exercises at each cone:
Cone 1 at benches near pier: 20 Bench Dips, 20 Incline Merkins, 20 Decline Merkins

Cone 2 back on trail near ball field parking lot: 20 Star Jumps, 20 Smurf Jacks, 20 Squat Jumps

Cone 3 at Rocks Pile: with rocks 20 Overhead Presses, 20 Curls, 20 Rows

Mosey back to Ball Fields area and street. We will do sevens from outfield in small ball field area to street up the hill. Start with six plank jacks on field and one squat on street.
Mosey back to intersection with raised garden. We will do ten more Rocky Balboas off curb of garden
Mosey to Coliseum. We will do 10 Bench Jumps on steps.
Mosey to Stop Sign at Northeast Corner of Admin Bldg. We will stop to do 20 American Hammers.
Next, we will Bernie race toward first no parking sign toward the AO. Next, we will sprint race to the AO.

MARY: Stretches

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Brolympics November 16 at Asylum

COT:
Prayers
Prayers for all those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Message
These words come from Wendell Berry in his book, Jayber Crow:
If I could do it, I suppose, it would be a good idea to live your life in a straight line – starting, say, in the Dark Wood of Error, and proceeding by logical steps through Hell and Purgatory and into Heaven . . . But that is not the way I have done it, so far. I am a pilgrim, but my pilgrimage has been wandering and unmarked. Often what has looked like a straight line to me has been a circle or doubling back. . . I have had my share of desires and goals, but my life has come to me or I have gone to it mainly by ways of mistakes and surprises. . . I am an ignorant pilgrim, crossing a dark valley And yet for a long time, looking back, I have been unable to shake off the feeling that I have been led – make of that what you will.

Guys, do you feel like Wendell Berry, like your life is anything but a straight path forward? So any of you feel like you are somehow being led?

These words come from Paul Tournier in his book, Reflections:
He leads us step by step, from event to event. Only afterwards, as we look back over the way we have come and reconsider certain important moments in our lives in the light of all that has followed them, or when we survey the whole progress of our lives, do we experience the feeling of having been led without knowing it, the feeling that God has mysteriously guided us.

Guys, I am 67-years-old. I am a psychologist and people often look to me for answers. I can tell you that when it comes to the difficult dips and turns in life – the conflicts where we just don’t know the way to turn – I generally don’t have “The Answer” whether that be for me or you. So I pray. I pray for guidance. And, that guidance often doesn’t come to me in crystal clear messages cut in stone. But, at age 67, I look back at me life and I see that God has been guiding me. He has provided beautiful answers for me without my recognizing it at the time, blessings that I am so thankful for. Those blessings often came after significant hardships.

Each one of you is on your own journey. Sometimes the path will seem clear. You know exactly what to pray to God for. At other times, the path will be unclear and arduous. You may not know what to pray for other than HELP. So, pray for help. Pray that God will direct you. God is mysterious, but he is powerful. And, although your prayers may seem unanswered, he is listening and he is guiding you.

The Irony

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Lilydipper
PAX: Lizzy, Brick, High Heels (Henry Ritchie), Curveball, Rooney (Carl Whipple), MD Hammer, Crash Dummy, Doubtfire (Nick Bond)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 9
WARMUP: 20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Tennessee Rocking Chairs, 10 Rockettes, 7 Twistees, Little of This and That

THE THANG: Mosey to cones. We will do 15 Yard Bear Crawl from one cone to other, then Three Burpees and Three Broad Jumps until back to other cone
Next, each man goes to CMU. Do following exercises:
20 Sideways Jumps over CMU (ten to left and ten to right).

20 Overhead Squat Thrusts with CMU

20 Bonnie Blairs (ten each leg)

20 Hand Release Merkins

20 Big Boy Sit-ups

Next, do 360 meter run and then repeat the 15 yard Bear Crawl and Burpees then Broad Jumps routine. Then repeat exercises at CMUs but do 15 of each exercise.
Next, do 360 meter run and then repeat the 15 yard Bear Crawl and Burpees/Broad Jump routine. Then repeat exercises at CMUs with 10 of each exercise.
Next, do 360 meter run and then repeat the 15 yard Bear Crawl and Burpees/Broad Jump routine. Then repeat exercises at CMUs with 5 of each exercise.
Those finishing above work way back up ladder with the run, Bear Crawl and Burpees/Broad Jump routine and 10 of each exercise, etc.

MARY: 15 Side Straddle Hops, 15 Hello Dollies, Stretches.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Brolympics on November16 at Asylum.

COT: Prayers
Prayers for sister and sister-in-law of Lizzy who are in Florida and will face storms from hurricane. Prayers for all those who will cope with hurricane and storms from hurricane. Prayers for safe travels for Pele who is on a ten day trip in Midwestern United States.
Message
This is a quote from the theologian, Rebecca Manley Pippert, about Jesus Christ:

“What do you do with a man who is supposed to be the holiest man who has ever lived and yet goes around talking with prostitutes and hugging lepers? What do you do with a man who not only mingles with the most unsavory people but actually seems to enjoy them? The religious accused him of being a drunkard, a glutton and having tacky taste in friends. It is a profound irony that the Son of God visited this planet and one of the chief complaints against him was that he was not religious enough.”

Gents, think about that the next time you judge someone else. Also, think about that the next time you feel like you are not good enough for God. God is here for us, even in the Fake Gloom, even through our mumble chatter, even at our Board Meetings. And you know what? He probably enjoys us. This holiest of holies is on our side. So, let’s feel good about that and let it give us the energy to go about our days working to be true HIMs.

Aluminum PAX

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Drum Major
PAX: Lizzy, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Lilydipper, Switchhitter (Tony), Brick, Steam, Rooney (Carl Whipple), Welch’s, Pusher, MD Hammer, Dain Bramage (Will Olson), Curveball, Abacus
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
WARMUP:

10 Side Straddle Hops

10 rockettes

10 baby arm circles each way + overhead claps

10 cherry pickers

THE THANG:

Mosey to traffic circle – 20 flutter kicks together

Mosey to new parking lot by new baseball fields

Aluminum PAX modified workout

Set Tabata timer for 1 minute, rotating

When 1 minute timer sounds every time do 5 burpees. Then start in on the rotation of exercises.

100 squats

100 LBCs

100 SSHs

When you complete 100 of your exercise run loop mapped out around full outside of parking lot.

If you get through all 3, rinse and repeat.

 

Mosey to small turf baseball field and lineup up at home plate.

“Diamond of Fire”

1 man goes around bases forward. When he hits 1st base the next man goes. Everyone else does merkins until their turn comes.

After home lineup on other side as you come in and start doing box cutters until last man comes in then do the same thing going backwards (3rd, 2nd 1st, home).

 

Mosey back to flag, via Pickett’s Charge

MARY:

Ended with some stretching at the flag

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT:

Loneliness Epidemic article

Between 1990 and 2024, the percentage of college graduates who reported having zero close friends rose to 10 percent from 2 percent, which is upsetting enough. Among high school graduates, the percentage rose to a heartbreaking 24 percent from 3 percent.

For context about 55% in America are college graduates, so that leaves 45% who have a high school diploma or less.

In 1990, an impressive 49 percent of high school graduates reported having at least six close friends. By 2024, that percentage had been cut by more than half — to 17 percent. The percentage of college graduates with that many friends declined also, but only to 33 percent from 45 percent.

Causes? You may think politics, but I would say that may be more a symptom than a cause. Surely COVID and everything being online and the ease it is to isolate yourself, surely cannot help. We as a collective group need to worry less about the cause…

 

Article in NYT is quoted:

 

What is the most important single thing that you can do to heal our national divides and to improve the social and economic mobility of your struggling neighbors?

I’d submit that it’s not voting for the right candidate (though you should certainly do that), nor is it engaging in activism to raise visibility for a worthy cause (though I endorse that as well). Instead, it’s something that is at once much simpler but also much more difficult.

Make a new friend.

 

Maybe you could even make a new friend outdoors, away from your phone, spending zero dollars, while getting some exercise and hanging out with other guys where politics, education and economic levels are not a factor? If only such a thing existed, wow what a cool thing that could be. I reiterate Crash Dummies challenge from Tuesday. In the next month try and convince a FNG to come out, you may be helping them more than you realize.