F3 Knoxville

Tag: Down Under

15 HIMs putting in the work at Asylum

THE SCENE: Overcast and in the mid 80’s with some lingering humidity
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH IC – 20
Cherry Pickers 15
Arm Circles IC  10 x 2
Michael Phelps a/r
Grady Corn I/C 33
Merkins OYO 10

THA-THANG:
I

Mosey down to stop sign
5 forward lunges
5 backwards lunges
5 burpees
Mosey to pathway to the left in front of small parking lot
5, 10 , 25 Nickel dime quarter
Bernie to first light, run to second light – 5 american hammers, 2 CT
Bearcrawl to next light, run to second 10
Side straddle  to first light, run to second 25, sweep back
Bernie to first light, run to second light – 5 Merkins
Bearcrawl to first light, run to second 10
Side straddle  to first light, run to second 25, sweep back
Bernie to first light, run to second light – 5 Freddie Mercuries
Bearcrawl to first light, run to second 10
Side straddle  to first light, run to second 25, sweep back
Mosey to hill side, Find partner
SSH at bottom, partner runs to top Heal Raises (20)
Imperial Walkers at bottom, merkins (20)
Mountain Climbers at bottom, Squats (20)
Back down to walkway at light
Hello Dollies – single count 5, run 2 lights, 10, run 2 lights , 25 sweep back
Shoulder Taps – 2 count 5, 2 count 10, 2 count 25
mosey  up hill directly below bat cave
Top hill with partner
Squats, partner runs to wall to do 20 bench dips
up the stairs to AO, do 3 Merkins OYO

MARY:
none
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Use the TAGS on right-side to record PAX (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOURSELF) in attendance. Be sure to select the AO in CATEGORY above TAGS and then delete these notes!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

August 31 is International Overdose Awareness day

North America continues to experience the highest drug-related mortality rate in the world, accounting for one in four drug-related deaths globally, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports.

The US rate is about 90,000 deaths per year

Knox county, there have been 11 deaths so far this year, with year to date deaths at about 291 according to the Knox County Attorney General s office, with about 498 last year and we are on that track this year.

I lost my son Grady due to an accidental overdose caused by Fentanyl in 2018.

The drug-related death report for 2021 from Knox County Regional Forensic Center brings to light some alarming statistics.

  • The five most common drugs identified in drug-related deaths in 2020 were synthetic opioids, methamphetamine, diphenhydramine, alcohol/ethanol, and cocaine.
  • The most frequent cause of drug-related deaths in 2021 was fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, which are structurally similar to fentanyl but are types of synthetic opioids.
  • Over 75% of drug-related deaths were found to be cases of polypharmacy, where more than one drug was responsible for the person’s death.
  • Knox County had a 29% increase in drug-related deaths from 2020 to 2021.
  • People ages 35-40 experienced the most drug deaths in Knox County.
  • The sharpest increase in drug-related groups was in individuals ages 55-64.
  • The presence of anxiety, anti-depressant, and anti-psychotic medication was found in 30 percent of all drug deaths in Knox County.

 

The drug dealers are lacing everything with fentanyl which is 50 times stronger that heroin and 100 time stronger then morphine – less than a drop of water or the weight of a few grains of sand are lethal. Please talk to your children, teens and make them aware of this risk. Use of naloxone/Narvan can reverse the effects of a drug od.

On Aug 31, from 5-8 pm there will be an event at Volunteer Landing sponsored by the Knoxville Metro Drug Coalition with various speakers. The event will end with a candlelight vigil.

The Metro Drug Coalition is a local resource with a goal is to increase access to evidence-based prevention education, harm reduction programs and recovery support services for anyone desiring to maintain or seek a life free from substance misuse.

The harm reduction aspect of this organization is as follows:

Harm Reduction is a way of preventing disease and promoting health that meets people where they are rather than making judgments about where

MOLESKIN:
Pray for Bluebird (his family and especially his father in law JC) who recently lost his mother in law and for Drum Major’s daughter who is moving into the dorms and all the students who are moving from home for the first time and will be on their own
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Welcome FNG Isaac (@Loveboat).

Steam and Brick will be leading a discussion every wednesday about the book “fighting the war inside your head”

Not Hidden

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy, hot but the wind began to cool things off as rainclouds moved by to the west of us.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Gas Pumps, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Tempo Merkins, 33 Grady Corns.
THA-THANG:
Mosey toward the stop sign located at the Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg.  We will stop to do 20 Hello Dollies.  Next we will run on shaded sidewalk toward the Admin Bldg loop.  We will stop in the grass be the shade.  We will split into teams to do Doras.  While one partner does listed exercise, the other partner runs to steps of Admin Bldg, does 15 Calf Raises, and runs back to take over on the exercises his partner was doing.  Here are the exercises that each team of partners will do as a team:

  • 100 Star Jumps
  • 200 Baby Crunches
  • 100 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)
  • 200 Squats
  • 100 Merkins

Mosey to the shaded area south of the sidewalk loop at the Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 Box Cutters.  Mosey to the stop sign on the Southeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg. Then mosey to the shade of the first tree on the road that semicircles around the Admin Bldg.  We will do 10 Lunges, each leg = 1.

We will so a Bernie/Run combo to the next two shaded areas.  At the first shaded area we will do 20 American Hammers.  At the next shaded area we will do 25 bench dips off the ledge and 25 incline merkin.

Next will will do a combination Bernie and Sprint to the AO.  We will pause two minutes for a water break.

Mosey down Roadshow Run but veer right to the perimeter trail after the second set of steps.  Mosey up the perimeter trail to the shaded area by the large evergreen tree.  We will do 20 Merkins.

Mosey to shaded area near the stop sign at the Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg.  From there we will Bernie toward the large tree further up the semi-circle road but run the rest of the way to the tree once we get to the rail on the side of the road.  We will do 20 Diamond Merkins.  Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey back to AO.

MARY:
Abdominal exercises.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

My wife, Jan, is a psychologist who works at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital here in Knoxville.  She has been meeting for about three weeks now with an 8-year-old boy who was in a severe car accident.  The boy suffered extensive damage to his body in the accident and currently cannot walk.  He also lost his mother in the accident.  Jan had to be the person to tell him his mother died.

The boy, initially, didn’t want to talk much about the accident.  But, he has been opening up more to Jan recently.  He told her that he doesn’t feel whole.  He misses his mother so much.  He also feels guilty toward her.  He told Jan that he feels horrible because there were times he lied to his mother or hid matters from her.  He told Jan he felt like he doesn’t deserve his mother’s love.  After saying that, He burst into uncontrollable sobs. Think of that boy, not only losing his mother but thinking he didn’t deserve her love.

Jan gave him time to cry.  Then, calling him by name, she said to him, “Look at me.”  Saying his name again, Jan said, “Your mother knew you lied to her and hid things from her.”  The boy looked shocked but doubtful and asked, “How can you know that?”  Jan said, “Because I am a mother.  All parents know that their children lie and hide things from them. That’s part of being a parent.  Rest assured your mother knew you hid things, but she loved you anyway.”

Those of us who are fathers know that our children sometimes have lied or hid things from us.  It may upset us, but we love them anyway.  That is a special love – the love of parent for child.  And is so good to know that God is our father.  As 1 John 1 proclaims, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God.”  God knows we hide things from him.  And like we parents desire our children to be truthful to us, God wants us to be truthful to Him.  Go ahead and confess to him.  He knows what you have done anyway.  You can’t hide from God.  Like Jonah in the mouth of the whale, God sees us.  How good it is to know that He loves us anyway.  He wants what is best for us.  As the great song, “In Christ Alone” states, “For I am His and He is Mine.”  We have an amazing father who is all virtuous, all knowing, and all loving.  Take that in, and freely know that you are loved by your creator.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Steam’s fiancé, Megan, and for Brick’s friend, Jason.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Q101 workout this upcoming Thursday at Asylum PM, led by our AO captain, Pele.

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!

St. Francis and the Birds

THE SCENE: Partly Cloudy Skies, about 92 degrees.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 10 Squat Jumps, 5 Burpees, 10 Twisties, 10 Windmill, 10 Tempo Merkins, Michael Phelps
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the stop sign by the Northeastern Corner of the Admin. Bldg.  We will stop under the shade of the large tree to do 20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey to the perimeter trail and take it as if going to the bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will stop, however, in the shade by Lyon’s Bend to do 20 American Hammers.

Next, we will run up Roadshow Run, stopping to do Ten Calf Raises at each set of the three sets of stairs and 3 Burpees above each set of stairs on up to the top.  At the top, we will do 20 Flutter Kicks and 25 Baby Crunches.

Mosey past the Space Needle to the steps at the Admin Bldg.  There will be a water cooler and cups to stop for one minute to have cold water.

Mosey to the sidewalk that goes underneath the shade to the stop sign at the Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg.  There will be 6 cones set up along the sidewalk and along the roadway that comes back to the Coliseum.  We will run in a clockwise motion down the sidewalk and back up the road, stopping at each cone to do 10 Merkins.

Rinse and Repeat with 10 Big-Boy Sit-ups at each cone.  Rinse and repeat with 5 Hand Release Merkins.  Rinse and repeat with 10 Star Jumps.

Mosey back to steps of the Admin Bldg for another one minute drink of water.

Next, we will run in a counterclockwise circle around the loop stopping at each of the following locations to do the following exercises:

  • 12 o’clock:  20 Bench Dips at the steps of the Admin Bldg.
  • 9 o’clock:  20 Carolina Dry Docks
  • 3 o’clock:  20 Box Cutters

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
Boat Canoe.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
17 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

God, Nature, St. Francis and the Birds

St Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic Friar, deacon and mystic.  He founded the Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of St. Clare, the Third Order of St. Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. He was canonized patron saint of Italy by Pope Gregory IX.  He is one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity.  He was known to be a man of grace and a great lover of God’s creation.  He loved animals.  Legend has it that birds would fly up to him and alight on his shoulder.  On one journey he took with fellow monks, it was told that he stopped to preach to his sisters the birds.  Legend has it the birds became still and silent while he preached.

An Irish Poet, Michael Longley, wrote the following poem about St. Francis which is a beautiful depiction of the patron saint marveling on God’s creation and speaking to birds.  By the way, Michael Longley is not a Christian although he is obviously an admirer of St. Francis.

St. Francis to the Birds by Michael Longley

And, summing up, I think of when
With cloud and cloudburst you confer,
By God’s sheer genius lifted there,
Lighthearted starling, nervous wren.
It is perfection you rehearse –
God placed the limpet on a rock,
He dressed the primrose in its frock upside down with its leg showing
And closed the chestnut in its purse:
Creating one more precedent,
With no less forethought, no less care
He gave you feathers and the air
To migrate to his best intent.
To useful angles well aligned,
At proper heights compelled to tilt,
Across kind landscapes yearly spilt –
Birds, you are always on his mind.
Quick emblems of his long estate,
It’s good to have you overhead
Who understand when all is said,
When all is done, and it is late.
May my sermon, like your customs,
Reach suddenly beyond dispute –
Oh, birds entire and absolute,
Last birds above our broken homes.

Thank you God, for your creation.  Thank you for the birds in the sky that sing to us each day.  Help us to protect the blessings you have bestowed upon us.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Doubtfire who has an ailing back – prayers that he heals quickly; prayers for Dawg Paddle whose wife has told him that he wants to divorce him – prayers for her as well.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We will have a F3 Knoxville 2nd F gathering after our Asylum PM workout this Thursday.  We will meet at Union Jacks.

Shedding Skin

THE SCENE: Beautiful late afternoon, temps in upper 60’s.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Motivators starting with seven, 10 Twisties, 10 Windmills, 5 Burpees, 10 Tempo Squats, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to stop sign by northeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  We will stop to do 10 Rocky Balboas and 10 American Hammers.

Mosey on perimeter trail toward Lyons Bend then head right on trail across roadway that goes to park entry gate.  Continue to mosey to cones in the grassy field on the right.  We will split into teams of two to do Doras.  While one partner runs up the hill to the tree by the roadway and back, the other partner does exercises.  Partners then switch.  Here are the exercises the partners do as a team:

  • 100 Big Boy Sit-Ups
  • 100 Jump Squats
  • 100 Merkins
  • 100 Imperial Walkers (both legs = 1)
  • 200 Baby Crunches

Next we will mosey to the bottom of Mount Everest.  We will do 20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct) and 20 Bicycle Kicks (4 ct) in cadence.  We will then run to the top of Everest.  Those at the top will do imaginary skip ropes until the six arrives.

Mosey south to the cone that is across the street from the gravel parking lot.  We will Sprint to cone then Walk to next cone, Sprint to cone, then Walk to next cone, and continue this process until we reach the cone by the stop sign at the southwestern corner of the Admin Bldg.  Those reaching the stop sign first will do imaginary skip ropes until the six arrives.  We will turn around and do the same thing going back but will Bernie and Walk. Those reaching the cone by the gravel parking lot first will do imaginary skip ropes until the six arrives.

Rinse and repeat.

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Comfortable In My Own Skin

Do you remember those Dove Men Body Wash commercials where famous coaches or athletes like Magic Johnson, John Elway, Tom Izzo and John Thompson III talked about being comfortable in their own skin?  Those commercials had appeal because not only was Dove was supposed to make a man’s skin comfortable; they appealed to viewers because we want to be like the coach or athlete, having reached a certain level of self-satisfaction.  We want to reach a point in our lives where we can sit back and say, “yes sir, I am comfortable in my own skin.”

Yet, if we are to grow as men, we in some ways need to be uncomfortable in our own skin.  Each of us have certain sins, certain vices, that we need to get rid of, to cast off.  God wants us to become ever more like Him.  And, if we are to do that, we must shed old selves and become something new.

The following passage is from Voyage of the Dawn Treader in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicle of Narnia.  In the passage, a boy named Eustace is telling his friend, Edmund, how he became a boy again after he had been transformed into a Dragon. The lion referred to in the passage is Aslan, who represents Jesus.  Eustace has already told Edmund about how he has shed skin about three different times to get rid of his dragon skin.  But he needed to shed even more skin to become human.  Here is what Eustace says about the process:

Then the lion said- but I don’t know if it spoke – “You will have to let me undress you.” . . . “Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off – just as I thought I’d done it myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt – and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. Then he caught hold of me – I didn’t like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I’d no skin on – and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious… After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me . . . in new clothes.

There’s a song about baptism by the Christian songwriter, Kyle Matthews.  In it, a young male describes his own baptism.  He says

“I’ve been through the water and I’ve come out clean
Got new clothes to cover me
And you don’t wear your old shoes on your brand new feet
When you’ve been through the water”

What I am trying to say is that God wants us to keep on changing, constantly grow, continually shed old skin.  Am I comfortable in my own skin?  Compared to the man I was 30 years ago, 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, I can say I am.  I know I am closer to God than I used to be.  But, I need to keep shedding that skin.

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for Swimmies whose good friend, Brandon, died one year ago.  Prayers for Thunderstruck and his family after the death of his mother.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP at Haw Ridge!