F3 Knoxville

Tag: Curveball

Tears of Joy

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Motivators, starting with seven.  10 Tempo Merkins.  10 Cherry Pickers. 10 Windmills.  Ten Twisties.  Ten Baby Arm Circles forward and backward.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the stop sign by the main park road and the road that goes to Admin Bldg.  We will do 10 Imperial Walkers and 10 Lunges with each foot.

Mosey to the bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will do Ten Speed Skaters, then run up Mt. Everest.  Those reaching the top can do invisible skip ropes until everyone arrives.

Mosey to the steps at the front of the admin bldg.  We will go around the loop that goes from the Admin Bldg to the Coliseum.  We will stop at the following spots to do the following exercises:

  • On porch of Admin bldg:  20 Merkins
  • At south curve of loop:  20 Squat Jumps
  • At benches of Coliseum:  20 Bench Dips
  • At north curve of loop:  20 Squats
  • Rinse and repeat above two times.

Next, we will have a snowball fight in the grassy area in the middle of the loop.  Last man hit by a snowball gets a free breakfast from your Q.

Mosey to Pavilion that is close to AO.  We will do 20 Bench Dips then run to AO parking lot to do 20 Iron Mikes (one leg = 1).  Rinse and repeat but with 20 Decline Merkins at the Pavilion.  Rinse and repeat one more time but with 20 Picnic Table Pull-ups at the Pavilion.  (Note:  we will do 20 Iron Mikes in the parking lot with each rinse and repeat).

Mosey to the baseball field directly behind AO parking lot.  We will go to grassy area.  We will have a game of Ultimate Frisbee Football.

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eleven men, no FNGs.  Great to have La-Z Boy visit our AO this Saturday morning.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Feeling The Tears of God Brings Joy

I heard in interesting story on NPR this past Monday.  It was about a man named Brandon Jackson who was recently released from prison after being convicted of armed robbery 25 years ago.  The conviction was based on a 10-2 split jury decision in the State of Louisiana.  Louisiana courts began to allow 10-2 decisions on such felony cases during the Jim Crow era.  The purpose was to be able to dismiss the votes of the occasional black juror that might make up a jury and vote someone innocent.  No one actually witnessed Brandon Jackson commit the alleged robbery.  His conviction was based on the testimony of a witness who had changed his story a number of times and got off on a lighter sentence based on his testimony.  The Louisiana Supreme Court in 2020 declared a split-jury conviction on such a felony case to be unconstitutional.  However, the ruling was not considered to be retroactive.

Brandon Jackson spent his time in Angola prison, a notoriously violent prison.  After an altercation with correctional officers, five of his years was spent in solitary confinement.  He got out on parole one month ago.  He has always maintained that he is innocent.  I don’t know whether he was innocent or guilty of the crime but I liked his interview.  Imagine your own reactions to our world today if you had spent 25 years behind bars.  He told the interviewer about how he waited at the counter of a grocery store for a long time waiting for someone to check him out.  Finally, an employee showed him how to scan his own items.  He was baffled and amazed.

I also liked some of the things that Brandon Jackson had to say about happiness and joy.  He said happiness is fleeting but that joy is something different.  He said that he doesn’t hold any grudges or regrets about what happened to him in the past.  Now that he is out of prison, he wants to help those in his community who may also have been in trouble.  He commented that, perhaps God had allowed his imprisonment to happen to prepare him for some purpose he needs to fulfill. As for joy, he finds it in small things.  He finds joy in sipping coffee with his mother each morning and reading the bible with her.  He finds joy in simply going outside.  This man, who had spent so much time behind bars, remarked, “We had a little rain one day, so I just went outside and stood in the middle of the backyard.  I wanted to feel God’s tears pour on me, so I just stayed there.”

The great Christian theologian, C.S. Lewis, also talked about the difference between happiness and joy.  He also said happiness is fleeting.  Joy is different.  It is a walk, a journey, a state of being.  C.S. Lewis indicated that people long for joy but do not find it in riches, fame, or power.  He said that when we finally discover joy, we find that joy itself is not what we are really seeking.  It is the Source of Joy that we seek.  That source, Lewis says, is God and Jesus Christ.

Brothers, may each of us find the source of Joy in our life journey.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Crawdad’s friends in the Ukraine.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Brolympics on November 5 this year!

Shamrock – Pass it on

THE SCENE: Cold / Dark
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Run in circle

Side shuffle then reverse 

High knees

Butt kicks

Side Straddle hop (IC) 4 CT x 25

T-bombs

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 2 sets of 10 per side.

Stretch 

THA-THANG:

Mosey to grab CMUs – carry them to the playground – 

Partner up 

Swingset – 20 – pullups / CMU rows  –  2 rounds 

Picnic shelter – 25 curls / step-ups or jump ups – 2 rounds 

Bus lot- 25 CMU Tricep extensions  / Side Straddle Hops – 2 rounds 

Return CMUs

Mosey to football field for 4 corner abs  

Corner 1 – 25 – single count hammers

Corner 2 – 25 – single count hammers / 50 single Flutter kicks

Corner 3 – 25 – single count hammers / 50 single Flutter kicks / 75 cockroaches 

Corner 4 – 25 – single count hammers / 50 single Flutter kicks / 75 cockroaches / 25 Big Boys

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA – 8
Voo Doo, Skid Mark, Honeydew, Mermaid, Curveball, Slappy, Spittoon, Anchorman,
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Booster talked about the example of sacrifice that Jesus gave us. That has stuck with me so I spent some time looking up quotes about sacrifice. 

“Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. You’re just passing it on to someone else.” Mitch Albom – author

Time, attention, money, love, family time. 

 

Shamrock F3 vs. FiA Workout

  • THE SCENE: Shamrock. Weather high 30’s clear morning
    F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
    WARM-O-RAMA:
  • 20 X SSH
  • 10 X Merkins
  • 15 X Forward Baby Arm Circles
  • 16 X Reverse Baby Arm Circles (apparently I lost count)
  • 10 X Tempo Squats

THA-THANG:
The workout was a Tabata Timed workout with :40 seconds of workout at :20 seconds of rest 3 sets of each exercise.  The exercises listed below were a mixture of FiA workouts “borrowed” from my wife “Rapking,” and F3 staples. I had a random list of music playing so that when a song mentions men we would do a workout from the F3 side. When the music mentions women in the song we did a FiA workout. The only exception was Aerosmiths “Dude Looks Like a Lady” this song was the wild card and you could pick any exercise to complete. Some of the songs were “Man I feel Like a Woman,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” and “Watta Man.”

F3 List

  • Merkins
  • Curls
  • Overhead Press
  • Big Boy Sit-up
  • Snow Angels
  • Tricep Press

FiA List

  • Goblet Squats
  • Freddy Mercury
  • Plank
  • Flutter Kicks
  • Calf Raises
  • Lunges

 

MARY:
10 X Little Baby Crunches
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
The message in the workout is to not assume that a female workout is less intense or not as effective as a male workout. This message should be carried over in common life as well, and to never take for granted the importance of your partners role in a relationship. A relationship should not be dominated by one person and instead needs to be a team effort with equal input and contribution. Also today is the start of Lent for most faiths and is practiced by many. Always remember to never take the women in your life for granted and to treat them with the utmost respect just as a HIM should, but also don’t assume that the females are the weaker sex, the workout should be an indication of just how strong most women in our lives can be.

MOLESKIN:
We did say a prayer for Mermaid’s and Anchorman’s friends who are both going through major medical issues in their life. We prayed to keep them and their family strong during this very stressful time in their life.

1000 Rep Bodyweight Workout

THE SCENE:

Partly Cloudy Temperature Humidity Feels like Wind Speed Wind Direction
57 ℉ 100% 57 ℉ 3.9 mi/h E

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

WARM-O-RAMA:

25 SSHs, Cherry Pickers OYO, 10 Tie Fighters each leg, 15 Grady Corns.

THA-THANG:

Mosey to walkway in front of church.

25 reps of each exercise.  4 times through. = 1000 reps.

Merkins push ups
Squats
Tricep dips
V-ups
Lunges, left leg
Shoulder taps
Lunges, right leg
Freddie Mercurys
Mountain climbers
Pickle Pointers

Mosey back to AO
MARY:
No time for Mary.  Sorry.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 Brothers.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

We’re all role models. Remember that as you go through your day.

 

MOLESKIN:
For all the sick and suffering.  For those suffering from covid and other illnesses. For the unsaid prayers in our hearts.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Flying in Stormy Conditions

THE SCENE: Sunny, temp in low 20s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Windmills, 10 Twisties, 10 Tempo Merkins, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and 7 Backward, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the stop sign by the road that head to the Coliseum.  We will do 20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey on the perimeter trail to where it curves left by Lyons Bend Road.  We will do 10 Tempo Squats.

Next, we will run up Roadshow Run to the roadway that semi-circles around the Admin Bldg.  Each man shall stop to do 5 burpees at the top of each of the three sets of stairs on Roadshow Run.  At the roadway, men should alternate between Merkins and Big Boy Sit-ups until the six arrives.

Mosey to the stairs at the front of the Admin Bldg.  We will run counterclockwise around the loop that goes between the Admin Bldg and the Coliseum.  We will stop at the following locations to do these exercises:

  • Stairs to Admin Bldg:  20 Calve Raises
  • Southern Curve of Loop:  20 Carolina Dry Docks
  • Benches at Coliseum:  20 Bench Dips
  • Northern Curve of Loop:  20 Star Jumps
  • Rinse and Repeat two more times.

Mosey south to roadway and then to old apartments.  We will do 20 Box Cutters.

Mosey to southern parking lot.  We will run to the cones set out in parking lot. At each cone, men should turn around and bear crawl for three parking spaces.  Then turn back around and run to next cone.  Do this until last cone where, once again, men should turn around and bear crawl three parking spaces.  The rabbits who finish shall run back to starting spot, sweeping men with them.  Rinse and repeat.

Do again but hop the three parking spaces.  Then, do again but lunge the three parking spaces.

Mosey to entrance to the Caribbean parking lot.  We will stop to do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to parking lot near playground.  We will do 10 Rocky Balboa (4 ct).

Mosey to AO.  At the AO we will split into two teams.  The first man of each team will throw a frisbee toward the cone near the opposite curb.  Whoever is closest wins.  His team gets to watch while all members of the other team must sprint to the opposite curb and back, retrieving the frisbees.  Then the second man of each team compete and the procedure starts again.

Run around parking lot two times.

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

Flying In Cloudy Conditions

An instrument rating is an advanced type of aviation certification enabling pilots to fly rather than be grounded even during cloudy weather and other weather conditions that cause low visibility. The Instrument Flight Rules Rating (IFR) training requirements include 30 hours of pre and post flight ground school, 40 hours of instrument flight training, 50 hours of PIC Cross-Country, and the successful completion of an instrument written exam. It is an excellent addition to a private pilot’s certificate, which by itself leaves the pilot limited to flying only during Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions.

Pilots go through a great amount of training in order to get their private pilot’s certificate to fly.  Despite all the training, that certificate limits the pilot to flying only during conditions where there is nice weather with clear skies.  Clouds, heavy precipitation, low visibility and otherwise adverse conditions are to be avoided.

In order for a pilot to be able to fly during cloudy weather and conditions that cause low visibility the pilot is required to obtain an Instrument Flight Rules Rating.  This requires many more hours of training.  Basically, the pilot must learn the instruments on a plane well enough to fly in conditions where one can’t see out the plane.  That training takes more than just learning what the instruments are.  The pilot must learn to fly while relying on the instruments in flight.  The pilot must not only read the book but put the book to use!

In life, our personal skies are sometimes clear and we can fly full speed ahead.  We can make decisions based on good old logic and we understand well what we are doing.  In life, however, the skies are not always clear.  Sometimes vision gets difficult and sometimes it is hard to see altogether.

Like pilots, we need to rely on something more to get us through difficult times – otherwise, we crash.

At age 65, I have learned to rely on a number of valuable tools to get me through the darkest of times.  First, I rely on the Bible.  It is my “life manual.”  The lessons in it are priceless, give me direction, and teach me who God is.  Second, I rely on teachings from others about the Bible, whether from my attending church, going to Sunday school and bible studies, reading bible commentaries, or discussing the bible with others.  The Bible is a large and complex read.  I can’t rely on my own reading of it alone to fully comprehend its meaning and direct me through the challenges of life.  Third, I rely on practicing the principals I have learned.  Pilots need many hours of training before they get their Instrument Rating and I need many hours of practice myself to manage life’s difficult time.  Living like Jesus isn’t something that you just “do.”  It takes a lifetime of practice to get it right and I am still working on “getting it right.”  It also takes talking to God, through prayer.  Finally, I rely on other people to help me out.  Pilots need to have instructors with them as they are learning to master flying and the use of instruments in cloudy weather.  Commercial pilots need co-pilots sitting beside them.  I rely on others to negotiate my foggy skies and you brothers are some of those I rely on.  I try to gain wisdom from the words of the Q of each BOM I attend.  You guys teach incredible life lessons.  I also know that, when I am in a pinch or feeling lost, I can call on my brothers to help me out.  I have done just that with some of you.

In summary, we need more than our senses to get through the cloudy and dark skies of life.  For me, the Bible, teachings about God’s word, application of God’s word and using the help of Godly people are what I have found necessary to get through the most challenging of times.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Drum Major’s wife and family as his wife’s mother died this last week; prayers for two missionary friends of Crawdad who are serving in Ukraine; prayers for the Special Olympics – Cheatsheet and Lilydipper will be at an event today, the Polar Plunge at the West Town YMCA – registration fees and donations serve the Special Olympics in East Tennessee; prayers for fathers and for the underprivileged who are facing troubles at this time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP on February 26 at 6:30 am, the Asylum.  Also, when registering for the event on Slack, please consider making a donation to the Wesley House.  The link for doing that will be with the CSAUP registration notice.