F3 Knoxville

Tag: Curveball

Gratefully Being Told What to Do

THE SCENE: Not too hot… but so muggy I felt like I might get robbed *ba-dum-tss!*
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER– Administered (Fitness, Fellowship, Faith / Not a Professional / Modify as necessary / $Free.99 / Cell phone for Uber Eats or an emergency)

WARM-O-RAMA:
“Not a warm-up at all”
“The hardest warm-up ever”
“Sounds like a Trolley warm-up to me!”
(all of these were heard or in some variation today during the following warm-up)

This was taken from Trolley’s Q “Slot Cars: The Grateful Grid (and my first F3 workout ever).

1. Plank Destroyer
2. Crabet
3. Freddy Mercuries
4. Mountain Parkers
5. Peter Parkers
6. Squat Walkers
7. Donkey Kicks
8. Iron Mikes
9. Burpees
10. Clap Merkins

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the Cheatsheet parking lot.

Slot Cars… but only back and forth between rows of parking spots. Basically the warmup with a 60 second stretch between called by each PAX (we had exactly 10 today!). I didn’t write down all of the stretches but a few examples I remember:

Saigon Stretch (from our FNG Braden aka Tapas!)
Pickle Pointer aka Glute Bridge Hold
Pretzel Knee stretch
Up dog (S/O to Flintstone for getting my joke on this!)

Mosey to the CMU pile for “Heavy Air”:
Reach for the sky
Let it hang
Down dog
Up dog
Hold a glute bridge with your feet on the CMU
Skull crusher (horizontal reach for the sky)

Repeat without a CMU

Mosey to Shovel Flag -> Jailbreak was called

MARY:
Q gave PAX the choice of Dealer’s Choice or Baseball stretches. PAX (Betty) chose Dealer’s choice. We got about 5 reps into SSH’s (while the Q was doing lunges) when time was called.

 

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 Grateful men.

 

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

 

3 years ago I was in the middle  of separation that ended in me losing my marriage. I had been humbled & was the most broken in my life I’ve ever been. I sowed & I reaped:
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” –‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:7-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬
Over those following months (which you can read about my journey if you starting here and working your way forward), but rather than focus on the negatives, today I want to focus on ‘the grateful grid’:
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
I’m going to shoutout men who have shield locked with me- and most of these have been done unofficially but very intentionally- & why I keep coming back. These are several of the men I’m grateful for:
Ribbed– you held my feet to the fire & made sure my faith, hypocritical in the past, was true & refined as more valuable than gold.
Trolley– you showed me what I was capable of when I pushed beyond when I want to give up as well as  such joy & camaraderie. Miss you brother.
Guardrail– you reached out even though you had no idea who I was. You’re a faithful brother who was so surprised ‘are you this open with most people?’, but my confidence in God’s ability to work & heal through a friend like you has been a great source of encouragement.
Jitters– you’ve kept in touch even though our paths don’t cross much. Your steadfast faith encourages me.
Anchorman– you just keep showing up. You’re positive & sacrifice for your family.
Mermaid– you’ve been there pretty much the whole time. You’re beyond consistent- you’re persistent! You don’t give up, you don’t let sad clowns go, & you don’t play disc golf much anymore either! Thankful to have shared 3 years of your 3 years & 2 week journey with you.
Judge Judy– you have showed me what it means to follow, lead, & lead well. Your challenges get me in a way that checks my ego just enough to make me want to get better for the right reason. Soli Deo Gloria.
Baby Boomer– we met at F3 even though we are members of the same church. What nonsense is that & yet what divine Providence to have a friend & brother in Christ like you.
And for the rest of you- your story is still unfolding.
Be the man you want as a friend.
Seek wisdom & counsel from those who you see laying down their lives for others.
Gladly assume sacrificial responsibility & when you do the authority will fall squarely on your shoulders to use it for the good of others and God’s glory alone.
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
Grace be with you, my F3 brothers.
MOLESKIN:
Prayed for the teachers going back to school already/soon.
Hard to believe 3 years has passed! Missed Mermaid a good bit this morning as he’s been a part of the journey and a huge influence at Shamrock. Next time, sir!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sign up to Q – I’m glad to help or get someone else to co-Q with you!

Thankful for Friends Like You

THE SCENE: Cloudy, muggy, low 80’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle-Hops, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 Plank Jacks, 10 Twisties, 10 Rockettes, 7 Little Baby Arm Circles and 3 Pterodactyls forwards and backwards, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to shaded parking lot that is across the street from the parking lot to entry of ball fields.  We will go around the parking lot counterclockwise stopping at each corner to do exercise then move to next corner in the following fashion:

  • Corner 1:  20 Carolina Dry Docks, Bear Crawl to Corner 2
  • Corner 2:  20 Merkins, Bernie Sanders to Corner 3
  • Corner 3:  10 Gas Pumps, Lunge to Corner 4
  • Corner 4:  10 Shoulder Taps (both shoulders = 1), Sprint to Corner 1
  • Rinse and Repeat

Mosey to Pavilion.  We will do 20 step ups on benches of picnic tables where both legs = 1

Mosey to bottom of Cardiac.  We will run up cardiac stopping along the follow areas to do the listed exercises:

  • Curve 1:  20 American Hammers
  • Curve 2:  20 Hello Dollies
  • Curve 3:  20 Decline Merkins
  • Curve 4:  20 Bench Dips

Mosey to parking lot by entry of ball fields.  We will go around the parking lot counterclockwise stopping at each corner to do the following exercises and them moving to the next corner in the listed manner:

  • Corner 1:  20 Squat Jumps, Sprint to Corner 2
  • Corner 2:  20 Squats, Bernie to Corner 3
  • Corner 3:  20 Big Boy Sit-ups, Sprint to Corner 4
  • Corner 4:  20 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1), Bernie to Corner 1
  • Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey to bottom of Mini-Cardiac.  We will Bernie Sanders to park sign, then sprint to top.

Mosey on trail going along the roadway, then turn south toward the stop sign at the northeastern corner of the admin bldg.  We will do 20 Flutter Kicks.

Next, we will sprint to start of rail by road, lunge along rail, then sprint along road until it is close to the Bat House.

Next, we will run at own pace to big tree by road that is north of the bat house then run back and go down the steps by the bat house then run back up to AO.

MARY:
Stretches
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
20 men, no FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Thank You Friends

Thessalonians 5:11:  Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Gents, I am so lucky to have brothers like you who encourage me.  When my wife went through treatment for breast cancer right when Covid-19 first hit, you guys were constantly giving my words of encouragement, offering to bring me food, and sending messages to me.  When I had my hip replacement surgery last year, you guys were encouraging me again.  Now, I will be having total shoulder replacement surgery this Thursday.  I know some of you guys have already been praying for me.  It is so good to have strong men, brothers, like you who are keeping my six.  I am going to miss the F3 workouts for the next three months.  Of course, I will be jabbering on Slack as soon as I am out of treatment.  I will be coming to Asylum PM “board meetings” as soon as I am able.  And, when I am able to walk or ride a bike, I will be meandering around the Asylum while you guys are working out.  Praise the Lord for brothers like you.  Thank you God, for the boost in my life that my F3 brothers continually give me.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Crispr’s friend, for Pop-a-Top’s friend’s mother, for Abacus’ mom, for Lilydipper’s surgery, and for the upcoming F6 Dad and Child campout.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Dad and Child Campout coming soon.

Bugs Bunny’s Birthday

THE SCENE:

Partly Cloudy Temperature Humidity Feels like Wind Speed Wind Direction
74 ℉ 95% 76 ℉ 5.3 mi/h SW

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER.
Delivered as desired. I am not a professional.

WARM-O-RAMA:

20 SSHs, 10 Imperial Walkers, 10 Rockettes, 4 Cherry Pickers, Willie Mays, Some of this and that.

THA-THANG:

Mosey to football field. Under the moon’s goal post shadow, 4 corner bear crawl.

Move to goal line and the numbers.
Basic Four Corners – Using Numbers, 50 yd line, and Goal Line.
10 reps at each corner.
• Merkins
• LBC – 4 cnt
• Reverse Lunge 2-cnt

To Bleachers. Four Corners of a bleacher section.
10 reps at each corner
• Dips
• Decline Merkins
• Gas Pumps

Back on the field but this time using hash marks and 25yd line
7 of Diamonds
• 7 reps each corner – Burpees
• 14 reps/corner – Flutter Kicks 4-cnt
• 21 reps/corner – Merkins
• 28 reps/corner – Squats

Mosey back to flag.

MARY:
16 Hello Dolly
10 BBS
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 Brothers.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Today is Bugs Bunny’s Birthday.
• He made his film debut on this date in 1940
• On screen he battled Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, and the Japanese along with other characters.
• He is an honorary Marine Master Sergent
• He was a mascot for the Kingman Army Airfield (Clark Cable and Charles Bronson trained there.)
• He was the mascot for 530 Squadron of the 380th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force, U.S. Air Force, which was attached to the Royal Australian Air Force
• Was portrayed riding a torpedo as a logo for a Marine Torpedo/Bomber Squadron
• Appeared on the nose of 2 different B-24 Liberators
• Won an Academy Award in 1958
• Had his own television show in 1960
• In 1997 appeared on a postage stamp
• Been in a bunch of video games
• He also has been a pitchman for companies including Kool-Aid and NikeQuotes:
“I know this defies the law of gravity, but I never studied law!”
“You know, sometimes me conscience bothers me… but not this time.”
“Jumpin’ without a parachute? Kinda dangerous, ain’t it?”
“Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out alive!”
“I don’t ask questions, I just have fun.”

Maybe his most famous quote – “What’s up, Doc?”

15 LESSONS YOU COULD LEARN FROM BUGS BUNNY
1. Show Interest in Others
What’s up, doc? It may not be the best pick-up line but it always got everyone’s attention. Bugs always shows willingness to make a new friend.
2. Be Fearless
Bugs was a bullfighter, an opera singer and always ready to match wits with his nemesis, Elmer Fudd. While you don’t expect to fight a bull, a little risk now and then isn’t a bad thing.
3. Be Comfortable in Your Masculinity
Costumes were a part of Bugs’ personality and his burrow must have been full of them. One of his favorites was disguising himself as a woman and fooling Elmer—who must have had pretty bad eyesight.
4. Be Yourself
With the exception of Elmer, Bugs never pretended to be something he wasn’t. He was happy just being the good ol’ boy rabbit that he was.
5. Always Leave Them Laughing
Bugs found humor in everything and made sure everyone else got the joke.
6. Eat your Veggies
Carrots were the staple of Bugs’ diet. You can learn a lesson there, not exclusively carrots of course but, a balanced diet is the key to looking and feeling great.
7. Be a Creative Problem Solver
Bugs always found a way to get out of a pickle. No matter how bad the problem, in every Bugs Bunny cartoon, he somehow discovered a way to make things right.
8. Never Give Up
Elmer and Bugs had constant battles—one chasing the other, one never being caught. To Bugs it was all fun and games. If Elmer wanted to give up, Bugs taunted him to continue.
9. Accept Others’ Differences
Bugs shared the woods with bears, turtles and of course the hunter, Elmer Fudd. To Bugs, they were all straight men for his endless jokes. Make sure you treat everyone the same, but maybe without making them the butt of your jokes.
10. Choose Your Battles
Bugs knew when he was outnumbered and found ways to avoid outright battles. He was willing to take on a pack of Elmer’s hunting dogs but, only on his own terms.
11. Don’t Take Life too Seriously
Nothing, but nothing was too serious for Bugs to make a joke about it. The more pompous the advisory the better the joke, in his view.
12. Believe in Miracles
Nothing was too great an effort for Bugs. He trusted that his mad schemes would work out and in the end, they always did.
13. Enjoy the Moment
Encourage yourself to be like Bugs and enjoy the day. Bugs found delight in everything around him, be it carrot patch or a shady spot to relax.
14. Go Big or Go Home
Don’t do things on a small scale. Be like Bugs and never play a horn when you can command a parade.
15. Be Two Steps Ahead
In Bugs Bunny cartoons, Elmer never caught Bugs unless Bugs wanted to be caught. Bugs always knew what Elmer was plotting and managed to foil his plans every time.

 

MOLESKIN:
For our friend, Mike and his battle with anxiety. For Brad, and his living situation. For those with upcoming surgeries (Lily). And for all the sick and suffering.  For the unsaid prayers in our hearts.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

August 6th workday 7AM – Cerebral Palsy Center.

Shamrock – Double CMU experiment

THE SCENE: Hot & muggy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Yup!
WARM-O-RAMA:

Mountain Climbers – IC – 15 – 4 count 

Tie Fighter 4 CT x 10 each

Side Straddle hop (IC) 4 CT x 15

Cherry Pickers x5

Buns of steel balance (lean forward balancing on 1 foot with other leg balancing you behind, then do 4-count little up and down moves with rear leg while trying to maintain balance. We did 1 set of 10 per side.

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Curb

Tricep dips – 20 

Rocky Balboa – 20 – 4ct

Calf raises – 20

Repeat for 1 more round

CMU pile 

25 Bench Press / 25 Curls / 25 Shoulder Press / 25 Goblet squats / 25 Triceps

30 Bench Press / 30 Curls / 30 Shoulder Press / 30 Goblet squats / 30 Triceps

Test out double CMU bench press with partner – a little scary for the 1st couple of reps, but it was nice to double the weight and take it slow to let it really work the arms. I think it passed the test and will be back soon. 

Mosey across Cedar Bluff to the school to the grassy hill. 

10 Monkey Humpers (Or Squats) / 10 Merkins then run up and down the stairs, keep repeating to see how many rounds we can do. I think we did 8-10 rounds of this. About sucked the life out of us. 

Slow walk for a few minutes to catch our breath, then mosey back to the flag. 

MARY:

Dealers choice :  snow angels, side crunch, LBC, mountain climbers, SSH, flutter kicks. 

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 including FNG – Caveman – Mike Compton

Anchorman, Curry, Mermaid, Betty, Honeydew, Waxjob, Curveball, Jitters
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

1 Thessalonians 5:11

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Let’s take this challenge outside of F3. I have to make an effort to ask people questions about themselves. It’s so encouraging when a brother takes the time to really talk to you. Dig in, get past small talk, follow up and encourage. 

 

I Am Mine

THE SCENE: Cool.  If you call 90 degrees cool, which, given recent temps, it actually kind of felt like.  Sunny. Nice puffy clouds.  Slight breeze.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Done.
WARM-O-RAMA:

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

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

– 20 Moroccan Nightclubs

– Michael Phelps

– 10 Plank Jacks (4-ct), in Cadence

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Stop Sign to northeast of admin building.  Do 30 seconds of the following 4 exercises (AMRAP).  Rinse and Repeat.

  1. Froggie Jumps
  2. Rocky Balboas
  3. Bobby Hurleys
  4. Smurf Jacks

Mosey to grassy hill area by side of Everest.  Battle buddy up.  Do 5/10/15s:

  • PARTNER 1 RUNS to top of hill does 5x two exercises, runs back while PARTNER 2 does a slow mosey back and forth in the “bull pen”. Switch. Rinse and repeat two more times, increasing the reps to 10x and 15x.  (* = exercise is a 2-count)
    • Round 1 Exercises: PLANK JACKS AND SHOULDER TAPS *
    • Round 2 Exercises: FLUTTER KICKS* AND BOX CUTTERS

Mosey to Everest.  RUN UP EVEREST to base of Summit

Do 30 seconds of the following 4 exercises.  Rinse and Repeat.

  1. Bottle Openers
  2. Pickle Pounders
  3. Mountain Climbers
  4. Shoulder Taps (changed to Merkins on the second round due to PAX complaints about repeating an exercise)

AYG with Battle Buddy up the Summit, in pairs, cheering on the next pair when we get to the top.  Mosey to AO

MARY:

  1. Crunchy Frogs x10, 4 ct IC (Man, these are hard!)
  2. E2K x 20 4 ct IC left
  3. E2K x20 4 ct IC right

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
18 Strong
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

There’s a line from a Pearl Jam song that I love.  The song is called “I Am Mine”, and the line that has been sticking in my head recently is:

“I know I was born and I know that I’ll die.  The in between is mine.”

The song was written by Eddie Vedder after the tragedy at the Roskilde festival in Denmark, where several members in the audience were trampled and killed at a Pearl Jam concert in 2000.  The song has an existential feel to it, and what I appreciate about the lyric I mentioned is that 1.) it acknowledges that we only have a finite amount of time on this earth, and 2) it issues almost a challenge to oneself to make the most of this beautiful gift of life we’ve been given.  Even the title of the song, I AM MINE, declares that the narrator is taking ownership and responsibility for that time in between birth and death.  It’s almost defiant.  I can choose what to do with it.  The in between is mine.

The problem is… we don’t know how long we have to make it ours.  We don’t know exactly how long we have to fully craft the tapestry of our lives.  I had a sudden reminder of that last week with my car accident.  If just one safety feature in my car had failed, I might very well be dead.

Have I lived my life to its fullest?  Have I told those I love how much they mean to me?  Have I made peace with my enemies?  Have I taken that trip that I’ve always wanted to take?  Have I served others enough to have made a difference? Have I fully committed to my Faith and my God?  Fellows, the end to our beautiful gift can come at any moment.  The “in between” is yours.  Use it well.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for an 8 year old boy who lost his mother in a car accident, and is also paralyzed from it.  Prayers to Jan, Lilydipper’s wife, who was one of the first to talk to the boy following the crash.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
F3 Work Day Aug 6!