F3 Knoxville

No Choice

THE SCENE: Clear, moony, and hovering around freezing. Perfect beatdown weather!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

25x SSH IC
15x TN rocking Chair IC
20x Mountain Climber IC
10x Tempo Merkins IC
15x LBAC each way
15x Grady Corns
Run up to the top of the hill and back down, concentrating on getting circulation to the fingers
THA-THANG:
Even though it’s election day, I’m not handing out choices except for one: Do it or don’t.

Head to the pile and pick up a cold murder block – The solid, extra-heavy ones. No counting reps today, concentrate on the heavy weight and form!
Pair up in groups of 3.
One PAX at each end of the parking lot doing reps until relieved by the third running between. At the middle of the parking lot, do one hand-release blockee.
Once each PAX has done both top exercises, run together to the top of the hill to let the fingers warm up.

BBS/Calf Raise
Run
Lunge/OHP
Run
Tricep Ext/Bent Row
Run
Squat/Derkin
Run
Curl/Stepup
Run

MARY:
Less than a minute left… Cash out with Merkins!
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 men killed this murder block beatdown.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
No matter who wins the election today, about half the country is saying that will be the worst possible thing that could happen to America. But as we head into today and especially the evening, I want to leave you with encouragement from the Word:

Proverbs 21:1 –
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
Proverbs 19:21 –
Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

So what then should we do? 1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us:
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Note that it says “Thanksgivings” for “all people”…. Not for your guy if he wins, but all.

MOLESKIN:
Tried to be a benevolent dictator today and not keep those fingers in contact with cold concrete for too long…
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
RSVP for the 5th Anniversary Convergence and Breakfast on Saturday!

New Blocks on the… Block

THE SCENE: A fine day to be at the Asylum. Mid 60’s and fairly clear. Parking lot is starting to get messy with leaves though.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x25 IC
Cherry Pickers x5 IC
Cobra Burpees x5 OYO
Tempo CDD x10 IC
Imperial Squat Walkers x15 IC
LBAC fwd x20, bwd x15 IC
Mountain Climbers x20 IC

THA-THANG:
Got some brand-spankin’-new CMUs today courtesy of Code Brown… Time to break them in a little.
Today we have a sort of reverse Dora. Partner up, one PAX does moving exercise while the other does specified reps of stationary exercise. Then switch.
After each PAX has done the exercise twice, advance to the next exercise.

10 Bus Drivers – Mosey with block
15 Blockees – Bear crawl with block
20 V-ups – Rifle Carry
25 Derkins – Weighted Duck Walk
30 Squats – Murder Bunnies
35 Curls – Twist Lunge

MARY:
Just enough time for American Hammers x20 IC
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
6 PAX today, no FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Read the lyrics to Switchfoot’s song Where I Belong. This has been resonating with me for the last couple of days…

Feeling like a refugee
Like you don’t belong to me
The colors flash across the sky

This air feels strange to me
Feeling like a tragedy
I take a deep breath and close my eyes
One last time
One last time

Storms on the wasteland
Dark clouds on the plains again
We were born into the fight

But I’m not sentimental
This skin and bones is a rental
And no one makes it out alive

Until I die I’ll sing these songs
On the shores of Babylon
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong

Where the weak are finally strong
Where the righteous right the wrongs
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong

Feels like we’re just waiting, waiting
While are hearts are just breaking, breaking
Feels like we’ve been fighting against the tide

I wanna see the earth start shaking
I wanna see a generation
Finally waking up inside

Until I die I’ll sing these songs
On the shores of Babylon
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong

Where the weak are finally strong
Where the righteous right the wrongs
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong
A world where I belong

This body’s not my home
This world is not my own
But I still can hear the sound
Of my heart beating out
So let’s go boys, play it loud

And on that final day I die
I want to hold my head up high
I want to tell you that I tried
To live it like a song

And when I reach the other side
I want to look you in the eye
And know that I’ve arrived
In a world where I belong
In a world where I belong
In a world where I belong
Where I belong
Where I belong
Where I belong

Where I belong

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Nov 7: convergence and 5 year celebration!

Avett Brothers

THE SCENE: Great fall morning.  50’s for temps
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Start with SSH on 4ct (25), Tempo Merkins (10), Thai Fighters 4ct (10) Right and Left, Cherry Pickers (8), 2 Mosey laps around the lot then grab a CMU
THA-THANG:
Mosey to parking lot for:

25 Curls then Right arm farmer carry length of parking lot, 25 up over cmu abs, Mosey to open chapel 30 sec wall sit, Left arm farmer carry back down…Replace curls with (OH Press, then CMU Merkin, then Rocky Balboa) performing all other exercises in first circuit.  Complete 4 Rounds

Mosey to Cloud for some ab work:

25 4ct Freddy Mercury

25 4ct Hello Dolly

25 4ct LBC

25 4ct Heel touch

 

 

MARY:
Return CMU’s and circle up.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Thought of the Avett Brother’s song “Head Full of Doubt” and the lyrics:

“When nothing is owed, deserved, or expected.  And your life doesn’t change with the man that’s elected.  If you’re loved by someone you’re never rejected, decide what to be and go be it.”

Remember that God is requiring us as men to be the change that is needed.  We can’t look to elections, or anything else.  God has equipped us to be leaders and we are to lead by example.  No outside factors can stop you from doing what God has put you here to do.  Go do it.

I’m Diving In

THE SCENE: Raining, temps in 60s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side-Straddle-Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Windmills, 10 Rockettes, 10 Lunges, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and Backward, Little of This and That

THA-THANG:
Mosey to Bottom of Cardiac.  We will run up hill and do the following exercises at the following areas:

  • Curve 1:  25 Carolina Dry Docks
  • Curve 2:  25 Dive Bombers
  • Curve 3:  25 Decline Merkins
  • Benches:  25 Bench Dips

Mosey to Parking Lot by South Ball Fields.  We will do suicides running to each of 6 cones, doing 10 Merkins, and running back to do 20 Baby Crunches.  Those who finish first get a 30 second break, then rinse and repeat.

Mosey back to the main street.  Do 20 Bench Dips off of curb.

Mosey to Parking Lot with Islands (Jinxy has named it “The Caribbean” and the name has been officially sanctioned by Crawdad) that is south of the Northern Ball Fields.  We will Bernie clockwise around the parking lot the first time, stopping at every other island to do 10 Hello Dollies, 4 ct.  We will skip around the parking lot the second time, stopping at every third island to do 10 Flutter Kicks, 4ct.  We will Grapevine left around half the parking lot and Grapevine right around the other half, stopping at every fourth island to do 10 Squats.

We will High Knee to sidewalk that leads to the ball fields.

Mosey to the Pavilion at the Northern Ball Fields.  We will do 20 Picnic Table Pull-ups then run to playground to do 10 step ups at benches (five starting with one foot and five starting with other.  Then we run back to Pavilion.  Rinse and repeat two more times.

Mosey to beginning of Mini Cardiac.  Bernie to park sign then run the rest of the way to the AO.

MARY:
20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct), 50 Hello Dollies (4 ct)
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
17 men, no FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

My Christian beliefs have not come about by a sudden conversion as it has for some people.  Rather, my road to belief in God has been one full of twists and dips.  I have found it difficult to commit to God in the face of my doubts.  Is God truly there?  Did God create the universe?  Is God a good and loving god?  Why would a loving God allow pain and suffering in our world?  I have read Christian books on apologetics to help me better understand the arguments for Christianity.  But like other men with much greater minds than I, including Pascal, St. Augustine and C.S. Lewis, I have found that reason alone is not enough for me to believe in God.  One can rationalize both belief and disbelief.  I had a philosophy professor at Baylor University who once said that philosophy cannot prove that God exists – but also cannot prove that God does not exist.  God is a great mystery.  To believe, we must, as Van Morrison writes in one of his songs, “let go into the mystery.”

There is a scene I love in one of the first of the Star Wars movies, The Empire Strikes Back.  Luke, after a battle with Darth Vadar, hangs to a latter.  If he falls, it appears he will certainly die, as the crevice below seems to go on forever.  He learns that Darth Vadar is his father.  Darth Vadar offers him the chance to live, beckons Luke to take his hand and join him, proclaiming that together they can rule the Galaxy as father and son.  What does Luke do?  He lets go!  And in doing so, he plunges to the depths below.  He lets go into the mystery.  He allows the “Force to Be With Him.”  And, of course, we later learn that by letting go, he lives.

Pascal, St. Augustine and C.S. Lewis found out that joining with God takes faith – a trust that goes beyond reason, beyond rational understanding.  At some point you just have to trust what you can’t see.  So, I can make all kinds of arguments for the existence of God – but, those arguments cannot take away the uncertainty – ultimately, I have learned to say, ok God, I’m going to trust you, here I am.

There is a Christian song called “Dive” by Steven Curtis Chapman that captures the need to take the plunge if one is going to trust in God:

The long awaited rains
Have fallen hard upon the thirsty ground
And carved their way to where
The wild and rushing river can be found
And like the rain
I have been carried here to where the river flows, yeah
My heart is racing and my knees are weak
As I walk to the edge
I know there is no turning back
Once my feet have left the ledge
And in the rush I hear a voice
That’s telling me it’s time to take the leap of faith
So here I go

I’m diving in, I’m going deep, in over my head I want to be
Caught in the rush, tossed in the flow, in over my head I want to go
The river’s deep, the river’s wide, the river’s water is alive
So sink or swim, I’m diving in (I’m diving in…)

Brothers, I count to 3 and I dive in, whether it makes sense or not – I dive in hoping that Jesus will catch me like he did Peter who in his fear, started sinking in the water while Jesus stood upon it.  And like Peter, I ask, “Lord, to whom else shall we go?”  I’m diving in.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Lilydipper’s wife, Jan, who is now getting radiation for her breast cancer; prayer of praise for Choir Boy’s wife whose health is improving; prayers for young people during this pandemic, including a high school student at Hardin Valley that recently committed suicide, an adolescent that Lulu knows who is coping with anorexia, and Abscess’ son who recently got into a severe automobile accident – he is ok but definitely suffered injuries; prayers for family/friends of a friend of Pele who lost his life in a solo plane crash yesterday.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence and 3rd F on Saturday, October 17, 7 am at the Bomb Shelter in Alcoa.

Chunked Topped Diced

THE SCENE: QVC emerged from a yearlong fartsack! Welcome back.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER 
WARM-O-RAMA:

I heard Preacher himself shouting all the way from the Arizonian desert that “burpees are not a warmup”

“Studies indicate” that none of us is likely to keel over dead in the next 10 years.

THA-THANG:
They took the caution tape off the Cloud, which I appreciate. Jack Webb never showed up today, which everybody appreciates! Box-Baby-Boxes x3. Some Merkins. Table row/squat 11s. Balls to the Wall.

A Merkin or two on the way to Cardiac, and Cardiac beat us like we owed it money.

MARY:
Normally I don’t like Mary, but Hands’ Evil Plank made an appearance. And Hands wasn’t even there to enjoy it!

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:
“A Good Man Is Hard To Find” by Flannery O’Connor. A favorite of mine.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
IronPax tomorrow. Much misery ahead.