F3 Knoxville

Tag: Drum Major

Pillars of Joy

THE SCENE: Flake Gloom at it’s finest
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER done
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH, this and that, cherry pickers, rockettes, imperial walkers
THA-THANG:
Insert information about the workout.

  • 8 Rounds Dora – One HIM runs while the other HIM:  squats, calf raises, merkins, spider mans, LBCs, hello dolly, plank jacks, SSH
  • Laps – Four Corners – Lap One 8 squat 8 calf raise per spot, Lap Two 8 merkins 8 spider mans per spot, Lap Three 8 LBCs 8 hello dolly per spot, Lap Four 8 plank jacks 8 SSH per spot

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
In my last Q – I spoke about “The Book of Joy” and the Obstacles to Joy:  fear, stress, anxiety, frustration, anger, loneliness, envy, suffering & adversity.  Tonight, I’ll touch on the second part of the book, which is the “Eight Pillars of Joy”.

  1. Perspective

We suffer from perspective myopia. We are nearsighted and unable to see our experience in a larger way.  With a wider perspective, we can see our situation and all those involved in a larger context. By seeing the many conditions and circumstances that have led to our situation, we can recognize that our perspective is not the whole truth.

This wider perspective also leads us beyond our own self-regard. Self-centeredness is our default perspective, and it comes from the fact that we are at the center of our world.  But, when we take the perspective of others, we can recognize that we do not control all aspects of any situation.

  1. Humility

Our vulnerabilities, frailties, and limitations are a reminder that we need one another. We are not created for independence or self-sufficiency, but for interdependence and mutual support.

None of us are immune to the traits of pride and ego, but arrogance comes from insecurity. Needing to feel that we are bigger than others comes from a nagging fear that we are smaller.

  1. Humor

Ultimately, I think it’s about being able to laugh at yourself and being able to not to take yourself so seriously.

There are people who think they must be somber because it gives them gravitas, and they feel they are more likely to be respected if they are serious. But I believe that one of the ways into people’s hearts is the capacity to make them laugh. If you can laugh at yourself, then everyone knows you’re not pompous.

If you start looking for the humor in life, you will find it. You will stop asking, “Why me?” and start recognizing that life happens to all of us.

  1. Acceptance

Once we can see life with a wider perspective, we can see our role with humility, and can laugh at ourselves, we get to the final quality of mind, which is the ability to accept our life in all its pain, imperfection, and beauty.

We cannot succeed by denying what exists. The acceptance of reality is the only place from which change can begin.  Acceptance allows us to move into the fullness of joy. It allows us to engage with life on its own terms rather than rail against the fact that life is not as we would wish.

  1. Forgiveness

Forgiveness does not mean you forget what someone has done, contrary to the saying “forgive and forget.” Not reacting with negativity, or giving in to the negative emotions, does not mean you do not respond to the acts, or that you just allow yourself to be harmed again. Forgiveness does not mean you do not seek justice.

Where a wrong action is concerned, it may be necessary to take appropriate response, but you can choose not to develop anger or hatred. This is the power of forgiveness – in not losing sight of the humanity of the person while responding to the wrong with clarity and firmness.

  1. Gratitude

Gratitude allows us to shift our perspective toward all we have been given and all that we have. It moves us away from the narrow-minded focus on fault and lack and to the wider perspective of benefit and abundance. It is not happiness that makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy.

When you are grateful, you act out of a sense of enough and not out of a sense of scarcity, and you are willing to share. If you are grateful, you are enjoying the differences between people and respectful to all people.

Impermanence is the nature of life. All things are slipping away, and there is a real danger of wasting our precious human life. Gratitude helps us catalog, celebrate, and rejoice in each day and each moment before they slip through the vanishing hourglass of experience.

  1. Compassion

Compassion is a sense of concern that arises when we are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to see that suffering relieved. It connects the feeling of empathy to acts of kindness and generosity.  We are most joyful when we focus on others, and not on ourselves. Bringing joy to others is the fastest way to experience joy oneself.

One difference between empathy and compassion is that empathy is experiencing another’s emotion, whereas compassion is a more empowered state where we want what is best for the other person. If we see a person who is being crushed by a rock, the goal is not to get under the rock and feel what they are feeling; it is to help remove the rock.

  1. Generosity

It seems that money can buy happiness, if we spend it on other people. People experience greater happiness when they spend money on others compared to when they spend it on themselves.

There are ways to give beyond our money. There are three kinds of generosity: material giving, giving freedom from fear, and spiritual giving.  Start giving from where you are and realize that you are not meant to resolve all problems on your own. But do what you can.

When we practice a generosity of spirit, we are practicing all the pillars of joy. In generosity, there is a wider perspective in which we see our connection to all others. There is a humility that recognizes our place in the world and acknowledges that at another time we could be the one in need. There is a sense of humor and an ability to laugh at ourselves so that we do not take ourselves too seriously. There is an acceptance of life, in which we do not force life to be other than what it is. There is a forgiveness of others and a release of what might otherwise have been. There is a gratitude for all that we have been given. And, we are able to see others with a deep compassion and a desire to help those who are in need.

Passing of the Flag

THE SCENE: Ummm… perfect? low 70s, sunny, awesome.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Done satisfactorily.  Announced that this would be a CO-Q with the one and only STEAM!

WARM-O-RAMA:

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

– REVERSE Tempo Squats x10, 4-CT, IC

– EL Capitan Lunges x10, 4-CT, IC

– SSH x10, 4-CT, IC

– PRISONER Cell Merkin Burpees x5, OYO

– E2Ks x 10 Left Side, x 10 right side 4-CT, IC

– CHERRY Pickers x5, 4-CT, IC

– TIE FIGHTERS  x5, Forward, x5 Backward 4-CT, IC

THA-THANG:

Bring CMUs down to bottom of the Summit.  Battle buddy up.

Partner 1 runs the mini-loop.  Partner 2 starts the DORAs.  Switch off.

Exercises, 50x each:

  • CURLS (4-ct)
  • OVERHEAD PRESS (4-ct)
  • GOBLET SQUATS (single count)
  • BIG BOY SITUPS (single count)
  • OFF SET MERKINS (Both sides =1)

BIRTHDAY CAKE RING OF FIRE

Get in a circle.  Battle buddies without CMUs hold a plank.  Those with CMUs will hold them above their heads, like candles.  These are those annoying fake candles that don’t blow out, though.  Sort of a Birthday cake ring of fire… One PAX will lunge around the inside of the circle, and “blow out” the candles as they pass.  PAX holding CMUs will go down and do one Blockee, PAX doing a plank will do 3 merkins.  PAX switch off holding the CMU and planking every round.

MOSEY up the summit.  One PAX rifle carries CMU, other Bernies next to him.  Switch half way. Return to AO.  HAND OFF TO STEAM, who lead us on the TOWER of POWER

MARY:
Motivators x 5

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

When I took over as AOQ on May 25 2021, I wanted us to focus on a few aspects of F3.

  1. Community Service: Coat Drive, Food drive, Cerebral Palsy center
  2. Cheerleaders for each other: Inside and outside the workouts
  3. Re-commitment to the values of F3. Effort, Form, Accountability

I’m really proud of the effort we’ve given to these points of emphasis over the past 16 months.  It has taken a commitment to these values, and we have risen to the occasion.  Well done, men!

But now it’s time to LOOK FORWARD  To a new chapter, both in my life personally as I move on the next half-century, and for the AO. Today, I couldn’t be more proud to hand the flag over to Steam.

To me, Steam is F3 in a bottle.

  • He approaches everything with a positive attitude.  There is no “can’t” in his vocabulary.
  • From constantly picking up Q’s, to taking on numerous leadership positions in F3… Social Media coordinator, Weasel Shaker, Troubadour leader and now AOQ… He leads by example, and it is infectious.
  • How often do you see him circling back to pick up the six? Say “you’re doing great, bro!” or complimenting someone on Slack?  Pretty much all the time…

I’ve never told him this, but working out with him at F3 was one of the things that helped encourage me to fully commit to the organization.  I had been coming sporadically, trying to figure out how much time and effort to put into it… I was cautiously invested in it, you could say.  After a few months, Steam showed up to the Fake Gloom (I think he had been in school for much of the previous few months?) and after working out with him a few times and getting to know him a little better, and seeing what he gave to F3 and what he said F3 gave back to him, well, it was really an inspiration to me that this organization was thought of so highly by a guy who had so many impressive leadership skills and positive outlook at such a young age. So, thank you, Steam, for being such a force of positive inertia for myself, and I’m sure many others.

The pastor at my church recently talked about 1 Timothy verses 2-7, which describes part of the conversations in letters that Paul had with Timothy.  Timothy was a very close pupil of Paul’s, many years his junior, and extremely competent and knowledgeable about the Scriptures, but preaching to his own congregation far from Paul.  The lessons Paul gave weren’t about how to give a great sermon, or what hymns to sing, etc. No.  They emphasized that the number 1 thing to do during your service is to PRAY FOR PEACE.  Big picture stuff, right?  So with Steam, in terms of teaching him how to Q, how to lead, how to inspire, I might as well save my breath.  He doesn’t need to hear one thing to me about any of that. Rather, similar to Paul’s words to Timothy, I would encourage him to maintain the Big Picture stuff.  What is F3 all about?  What makes it so great?  Steam already has everything he needs and more to step into this role, and I have no doubt he will keep the F3 flame at our AO brightly lit.

And as for RESPECT, which we spelled out using the first letter of each of the Warmup exercises (for those paying attention), I guess I get it now according to F3 tradition.  But I don’t want it from you just because it’s a number.  I want to earn it through my effort out here, my support of my brothers, and my commitment to the fundamental principles of F3.  Aye!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Prayers for several members of our PAX, who are recovering from injury or loss.
MOLESKIN:
Let’s Go STEAM!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
BROLYMPICS Nov. 5!!

Giving Back

THE SCENE: Sunny, temp in high 80s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 8 Cherry Pickers, 8 Twisties, 7 Little Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward, 5 Paradactyls Forward and Backward, Stretches
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the stop sign at the Southeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 Flutter Kicks.

Mosey to the parking lot that is to the east side of the Utilities Bldg.  We will stop to do 20 Hello Dollies.  We will then Bear Crawl across half the parking lot and Lunge across the other half.

Mosey to the shaded area the the southwestern corner of the Utilities Bldg.  We will do 10 Tempo Squats.

Next, we will go along the perimeter trail as it heads south and then east toward the water area where there are benches overlooking the water.  We will run for six lights and walk for two lights until we get to our destination.  Then, each man will grab a boulder from the boulder pile near the water’s edge.  We will do the following exercises with the boulders:

  • 25 Shoulder Presses
  • 25 Curls
  • 25 Rows
  • 25 Squats

After putting the boulders back we will go west and south along the perimeter trail until we reach the pavilion that is close to the Lily Pad.  We will get there by running for six lights and walking for two lights until we reach our destination.

Mosey to the Outdoor Chapel.  We will do 20 Baby Crunches then run on the sidewalk as it circles the chapel.  We will rinse and repeat twice.

Mosey up the grass that is south of Pickett’s Charge.  We will be running up to the stairs that goes up from the small parking lot left of the coliseum.  There will be three hills to climb.  We will stop to do two burpees af the top of each hill.

Mosey to the end of the gravel parking lot for the Admin Bldg.  We will sprint about 50 yards north on the roadway.  We will take a brief rest and sprint back to the parking lot.  Then, we will sprint back to the AO flag.

MARY:
20 Flutter Kicks and 20 Bicycle Kicks
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
During my first number of years working as a psychologist at Cherokee Health Systems (where I still work), I spent about 6 hours per week consulting on the Oncology/Hematology Unit at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (ETCH).  I saw many many kids with cancer.  I loved the staff members, including doctors Ray Pais and Shahid Malik, on the unit because they were mighty special people. The staff had such a heart for the patients and the families of the patients who came there.  I also loved the kids on the unit.  Some had bald heads due to chemotherapy, some may have had trouble walking, some were sickly, some may not have had much longer to live.  But they still loved to play, they still loved to laugh, they still were affectionate, and they still had a zest for life. You might think that a cancer ward would be a sad place to work.  Certainly, there was sadness.  But I found it to be a joyful place to work.  Love abounded there.

My wife, Jan, a psychologist who works on all floors at ETCH, recently sent me an inspiring story about a former patient on the Oncology/Hematology Unit.  Hannah Lawson was diagnosed with a cancerous stage three brain tumor at the age of 7.  Her dog, Frenchy, was the first to notice something wrong with her.  Frenchy pawed at her pillow, knowing Hannah just wasn’t right. Her parents came in and found her disoriented and non-responsive.  Two days later, on Valentines Day in 2007, surgeons removed the brain tumor.

The journey was not over for Hannah.  She had to go through radiation treatment at the Thompson Cancer Survival Center.  During her months of treatment, she would sometimes get letters from U.S Soldiers overseas.  U.S. Soldiers often write to kids who have cancer and some become pen pals with kids. Hannah’s pen pal was a soldier named David Creech.  Hannah admired what these soldiers like David Creech did.  During her treatment and recovery, Hannah began to think of how she, also, might help others.  She created Hannah’s Army Angels which raised money for the pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.  Hannah’s Army Angels also collected supplies to send to soldiers overseas.  Because of what she had accomplished through her Hannah’s Army Angels, the Tennessee legislature recognized her bravery and compassion with a proclamation and special metal coin on the senate floor in Nashville.

After graduation from high school, Hannah went on to study nursing at East Tennessee State University (ETSU).  Now age 22, she still has some remnants of the cancer and brain tumor, including left-sided weakness and permanent baldness on the right side of her head.  Guess where she is now working?  At ETCH on the same ward where she received treatment all those years ago.  Pediatric oncology was always her passion in college. And, her prior treatment is one of her greatest connections to the young patients she is caring for ETCH.

Two other things to mention in this happy story.  Hannah is getting married in October.  And, her dog Frenchy, who found her that day back in 2007 and helped to save her life – she is still alive and will walk down the aisle as the flower dog on Hannah’s wedding day.

God, thank you for warriors like Hannah Lawson.  May they be an inspiration to us and reminder how, we too, can give back to our communities.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Crispr’s friend, Chris, whose mother recently had a massive aneurysm in her brain.  She is currently at the hospital.  Prayers for Mr. Jinxy’s father who has a heart condition that is worsening.  His father was recently released from the hospital.  Prayers of praise that the brain tumor of Swimmies’ sister was found to be benign.  Prayers for Lillydipper who has total shoulder replacement surgery this Thursday.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Mt. Everest public run on September 10 at 10 am.  F3 family picnic on September 11 from 4 pm to 8 pm at Victor Ashe Park.

Hills of Pain

0THE SCENE:

88 degrees and Sunny

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

The usual house cleaning statements

WARM-O-RAMA:

Neck rolls, SSHs, Cherry Pickers, Windmills, lower back stretch, and done.

THA-THANG:

Mosey to The Field of dreams…..

  • 10 Merkins, 15 Monkey Humps, 10 mountain climbers
  • Run to 1st hill, then Bear Crawl up hill
  • Repeat 10 Merkins, …………
  • Run to 2nd hill, then Bear crawl up hill
  • Repeat 10 Merkins, ………..
  • X 3
  • Mosey to second exercise area
  • Do 10 up downs and 10 Starjumpers
  • Crossovers to 1st hill
  • Bear crawl up hill
  • repeat 10 up downs and 10 Starjumpers

We continued doing much of the same until I was all out of friends. Then, we ran back to the starting point.

  1. COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMALilly Dipper, Curveball, High Heels, Love Boat, Pusher, Title 9, Duggar, abacus, Blue Bird, Steam, MD Hammer, Drum Major, Doubtfire, and Pay Way.
    CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:Being an intentional father

Thank You Frederick Buechner

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy, temp about 70 degrees.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Motivators starting with seven, 5 Burpees, 10 Cherry Pickers, 4 Burpees, 10 Rockettes, 3 Burpees, 10 Tempo Merkins, 10 Burpees (thanks to wisecracks about the Q!), 10 Windmills, 1 Burpee, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Split into teams of two men each.  Mosey to the shady parking lot across the street from the AO to get bricks out my vehicle. Each team of two gets one set of bricks (two bricks per team).  We will then mosey back to the AO parking lot and go to the curb on the east end of the parking lot.  We will do Doras.  While one partner runs to the opposite curb and does 10 Rocky Balboas (both legs = 1), the other partner works on the exercises with the bricks.  Partners switch off after the running partner comes back.  These are the exercises that the team of partners completes with the bricks:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Wings Down
  • 100 Curls
  • 100 Wings Out
  • 100 Triceps
  • 100 Wings Up
  • 100 Rows
  • 100 Punches (where punches from both hands = 1)
  • 40 Mini Man-makers

Mosey to end of parking lot with the nice bathrooms.  We will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to the Lily Pad parking lot.  There will be four cones spread out in a very large rectangle around the parking lot.  We will be going around the parking lot to each of the cones three different times.  We will Bernie Sanders when going either east or west and will run when going north or south.  The exercise will be displayed near the cones.  We will do the first exercises the first time around the parking lot, etc.  Here are the exercises performed at each cone:

  • Cone 1:  20 Squat Jumps, 20 Merkins, 20 Dead Bugs (4 count)
  • Cone 2:  20 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1), 20 Carolina Dry Docks, 20 Hello Dollies (4 count).
  • Cone 3:  20 Smurf Jacks, 20 Diamond Merkins, 20 Flutter Kicks (4 count).
  • Cone 4:  20 Star Jumps, 20 Shoulder Taps, 20 Freddie Mercury’s (4 count)

Mosey to the parking lot with the nice bathrooms.  We will do 20 more American Hammers.  Then Butt Kick run halfway across the parking lot and High Knees run the other half to the curb.

Mosey to the playground.  We will do three sets of 10 Bench Jumps

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
Abdominals

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O–RAMA
18 men with one FNG, Bob Fautnouh (sp?) whom we dubbed “Beignet.”  We were also honored to have three visitors from other AOs:  Gipper from Omaha, Graham Cracker from Florida, and Rogue from Davidson.  Graham Cracker and Rogue have moved to Knoxville so we definitely hope to see them again soon.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

One of America’s greatest theologians died this week.  Frederick Buechner died on Monday, August 15.  He was 96.  Buechner was an ordained Presbyterian minister, essayist, novelist, poet, and autobiographer.  He was the author of 39 published books.  His writings have had a profound influence on many, including me.  One of my favorite novels by him was Brendan, but he wrote many others that were highly acclaimed.  He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award.
I am going to give you just a few quotes from his writings.
For those of you who have pondered on your vocation in life, Buechner wrote, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
For those of you who have ever struggled with the idea of the existence of God, Buechner wrote, “It is as impossible for man to demonstrate the existence of God as it would be for even Sherlock Holmes to demonstrate the existence of Arthur Conan Doyle.”
Some of my favorite lines from Buechner are the following from his book, The Faces of Jesus.
“If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter and the Last Supper is the Mad Tea Party. The world says, Mind your own business, and Jesus says, There is no such thing as your own business. The world says, Follow the wisest course and be a success, and Jesus says, Follow me and be crucified. The world says, Drive carefully—the life you save may be your own—and Jesus says, Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. The world says, Law and order, and Jesus says, Love. The world says, Get, and Jesus says, Give. In terms of the world’s sanity, Jesus is crazy as a coot, and anybody who thinks we can follow him without being a little crazy too is laboring less under a cross than under a delusion.”
My last lines from Buechner are ones that are certainly true for me. He said, “When you remember me, it means you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are.  It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us.  It means that if we meet again, you will know me.  It means that even if I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.”
Frederick Buechner, speaking from my heart, I remember you and I say “thank you.”

 MOLESKIN:

Prayers for Cheatsheet’s daughter, Willow, who was recently baptized and who also recently joined a volleyball team.  Prayers for the father-daughter relationship.  Prayers for Gipper as he heads back to Omaha tomorrow.  We are thankful he visited us.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Mt. Everest Run on September 10.  2nd F Picnic on Sunday, September 11.