F3 Knoxville

Tag: G-6

Flathead’s Pulpit

THE SCENE: A clear and balmy post-Christmas 56 degrees.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH, Imperial walkers, Bear hug, Daisy pickers, leg stretches, Hillbillies, Merkins, Tempo squat
THA-THANG:
Began with a quick mosey to the Big Ball itself. Stop for a circle of pain merkin style. Mosey on over to the Performance Lawn for a quick circle of pain howling monkeys.

YHC located a conveniently placed whiteboard with what looked to be a decent enough workout titled Flathead’s Pulpit:

  • 40 squats
  • 30 lunges (single)
  • 20 BBSU
  • 10 2-pump burpees
  • Lap around the lawn
  • 10 burpees
  • 10 4-ct flutter kicks
  • 10 8-ct bodybuilder
  • 10 6-ct SSH
  • Lap around the lawn
  • REPEAT

This was not as much as it sounds.

MARY:
Back at the flag we knocked out some Freddy Mercury’s, LBCs and V-up rollups to finish off strong.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Frizzles, G-6 (respectx3), Buttercup, Stacks
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
About a year ago my good friend Flathead (John Lex Kenerly) finally broke me down with his EHing and I agreed to attend an F3 beatdown in Macon, GA. I had turned him down many many times and never imagined I would ever be the guy working out at 5am. But that first day in the gloom was incredible experience and my life has truly been profoundly changed because of F3. When I moved to Knoxville back in July, one of the first things I did was make sure to post at Big Ball and immediately found community.

What Flathead did for me, we should try to do for others. Whether that means dragging someone to F3, or something completely different- we should assess the people in our lives and look for ways to meet them where they are and then do what we can to help them out. The F3 credo is “Leave no man behind but leave no man where you found him.” As we show up in the gloom to continuing sharpening one another, let’s find ways to take that sharpness and help those around us.
MOLESKIN:
If you ever get the chance to meet Stacks- ask him where his name comes from.

Circles (and squares) of Pain

THE SCENE: A balmy 50 degrees. The ground was wet but no rain was spotted.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Cherry pickers, calf stretches, baby arm circles, hillbillies, SSH
THA-THANG:
Mosey past the amphitheater down to the Cumberland ave. pedestrian bridge. Huddle up for a round of circle of pain merkins (10 each). Recover. Lung walk across the bridge. Huddle up again for a circle of pain squats. Groucho walk back across the bridge. Mosey to the amphitheater.

4 Corners (of pain):

Round 1 (complete 2x):

  • Corner 1: merkins x 20
  • Corner 2: BBSU x 20
  • Corner 3: Squats x 20
  • Corner 4: Flutter kicks x 20 (4 count)

Round 2 (complete 2x):

  • Corner 1: Burpees x 10
  • Corner 2: Single leg squat x 10 each leg
  • Corner 3: LBC x 20
  • Corner 4: Diamond merkins x 20

Round 3: complete round 1 again but stick together and exercises in cadence.

MARY:
Made it back to the flag in time for a quick Mary:

Freddie mercury, American Hammer, stargazer
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Frizzles (QIC), G-6 (respect, respect, respect), Postman (respect), Huffy (respect), FNG- Costanza
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Just a reminder to take some time to be moved by the truth of the gospel. If you are feeling heavy/shameful, open your hands and stop trying to do better. All your mistakes have already been forgiven and you are counted as a son of God!
MOLESKIN:
Lots of respect going around this morning. Outside of the QIC and FNG we had 5 respects across 3 Pax!

BACK TO SCHOOL, BACK TO SCHOOL

THE SCENE: A very brisk, 46 degree morning with the fog rolling in heavy.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
A quick stretch to loosen up in the cold followed by an Indian Run past the amphitheater, across the bridge and back down to the big ball.

Circle of pain: Monkey Humpers

Circle of pain: BBSU

Circle of pain: Merkins
THA-THANG:
We grabbed some of the classic Big Ball specialty coupons and made our way across the parking lot to a waiting whiteboard that laid out what was ahead of us: The Billy Madison. Pax were told that we were going back to school to try to prove once and for all that we are not so foolish. Each exercise represented the final exam to pass a specific grade- and each exam (much to our disappointment) was completely cumulative for all of the prior years. The final exams were as follows:

  • 1st grade: Merkins x 10
  • 2nd grade: Squats x 10
  • 3rd grade: LBC x 10
  • 4th grade: Coupon curls x 20
  • 5th grade: Plank jacks x 10 (4 ct)
  • 6th grade: Coupon squat press x 10
  • 7th grade: Iron Mike x 10 (2 ct)
  • 8th grade: Mountain climber x 10 (4 ct)
  • 9th grade: Coupon rows x 10
  • 10th grade: American hammer x 10 (4 ct)
  • 11th grade: Side straddle hop x 10
  • 12th grade: Burpee x 10

Though there were many valiant efforts made- least of which from YHC – none of the Big Ball participants had what it took to graduate and move on. Unfortunately in this reenactment of the story, O’Doyle continued to rule.

MARY:
Working as hard as we could to graduate on time left us no room for Mary today. She wil
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
G-6 (respect, respect, respect), Wedding Singer, Magic Mic, Frizzles

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Today was some encouragement towards EHing those around us. F3 is too good of a thing to keep to ourselves and we should continue to keep eachother accountable in inviting others in. A quick example of the way that F3 can be used in a man’s life was seen at the F3 10 year convergence a couple of weeks ago when F3 Nation leadership was naming FNGs on the beach:

“Our newest FNG was named ‘Rojas’ at the 10 year convergence. Olaf from F3 The Fort gave him an EH as we ran to the workout. He joined us for the full beatdown. After a couple of minutes of throwing out ideas in the Name-a-Rama, we settled on ‘Rojas’ after a character on the show ‘Ted Lasso’. We didn’t know until afterward, but he was honored to get the nickname. Unbeknownst to any of the 355 men there, Rojas was his mother’s maiden name. She passed away three months ago and on the morning we ran by him, he was thinking about her. If you do not believe in a higher power, perhaps this story will remind you that there are no coincidences. Leave space for the miraculous.”
MOLESKIN:
It is unfortunate that the exams were timed as I believe all Pax would have successfully graduated if they had been allowed all the time they needed. Perhaps next time we will move quicker in to the exam time and see what kind of performance is achieved. Maybe we can even see what some of these guy get up to after graduation! It was also a disappointment when everyone realized there would be no recess included in the studies. Perhaps including a quick recess in future attempts would improve morale and allow for some graduates to shine.

The Fallen 13

[ The Scene ] 

Ruckers just getting in from a pre-ruck sesh. The quiet before the storm looked like light stretching and mumble chatter.

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness, Fellowship, Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’m honored to be your Q this morning 
  • Few things before we begin: 
    • I’m not a professional 
    • You’re here on your own volition 
    • If you need to modify anything we do this morning, feel free to do so, but push yourself and the men around you, they deserve it and so do you! Hang in there with me and them for a solid 45 minutes.
  • FNGs?

[ Warm o Rama ] 

  • SSH: 30 (1ct)
  • Mountain Climber: 30 (2ct)
  • Baby Arm Circles: 20 (F – 1ct)
  • Baby Arm Circles: 20 (B – 1ct) 
  • Rockette: 10 (4ct)
  • Windmill: 10 (4ct)

[ The Thang ] 

(Mosey to the track) 

  1. Honor the 13
    • 13 fallen heroes in Afghanistan
      • David L. Espinoza
      • Nicole L. Gee
      • Darin T. Hoover
      • Ryan C. Knauss
      • Hunter Lopez
      • Rylee J. McCollum
      • Kareem M. Nikoui
      • Johanny Rosariopichardo
      • Humberto A. Sanchez
      • Jared M. Schmitz
      • Maxton W. Soviak
      • Daegan W. Page
    • 13 laps with an exercise in between
    • Each lap will be dedicated to one of the slain heroes 
    • Laps will be ran in silence
    • Lap 1 — Marine Corps Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza
      • “David Espinoza, a Laredo native Marine killed in Afghanistan, embodied the values of America: grit, dedication, service, and valor,” Cuellar wrote. “When he joined the military after high school, he did so with the intention of protecting our nation and demonstrating his selfless acts of service. I mourn him and all the fallen heroes in Afghanistan.” We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
      • The X: 13 merkins (up/down)
      • Run the lap
    • Lap 2 —  Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee
      • Just days before her death, Sgt. Nicole Gee posted a photo on Instagram of herself in uniform while holding a baby in Afghanistan with the caption, “I love my job.” We owe her our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
      • The X: 13 big boy situps (up/down)
      • Run the lap 
    • Lap 3 — Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover
      • “Staff Sgt. Hoover served valiantly as a Marine and died serving his fellow countrymen as well as America’s allies in Afghanistan,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said. “We honor his tremendous bravery and commitment to his country, even as we condemn the senseless violence that resulted in his death.” We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
      • The X: SSH: 13 (4ct)
      • Run the lap 
    • Lap 4 — Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss
      • Ryan was a fellow Knoxvillian and Tennessean, and we own him our gratitude for his sacrifice. We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
      • The X: The Bend and Reach: 13 (4ct)
      • Run the lap 
    • Lap 5 — Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lopez
      • Lopez is the son of two Riverside County Sheriff’s Department officers, Captain Herman Lopez and Deputy Alicia Lopez. The department announced Lopez’s death on Friday. Sheriff Chad Bianco said on Facebook that Lopez planned on following in his parents’ footsteps and joining the department as a deputy when he got home from his deployment. We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
      • The X: Squat: 13 (4ct)
      • Run the lap 
    • Lap 6 — Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum 
      • McCollum’s father, Jim, told The New York Times that McCollum was helping with evacuations and guarding a checkpoint when the attack at the airport happened. His father said this was McCollum’s first deployment and that he had gotten married recently. His wife is expecting with their first child. McCollum’s sister Cheyenne told East Idaho News that her brother was “going to be the best dad.” Cheyenne said her brother was the youngest of four siblings, her single father’s only son, and that he knew he wanted to be a Marine from a young age. We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
      • The X: Imperial Walker: 13 (4ct) 
      • Run the lap 
    • Lap 7 — Marine Corps Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola 
      • Cpl. Dylan Merola was a graduate of Los Osos High School, according to ABC 7 of Los Angeles. Students honored him at a football game on Friday night by wearing red, white and blue, the TV station reported. He was only 20 years old. We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
      • The X: Mountain Climber: 13 (4ct)
      • Run the lap
    • Lap 8 — Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui
      • “My understanding is that he rescued – per a sergeant that wrote the family – he rescued three families,” Bash told the TV station. “And he was in the process of saving children, translators that had worked for the U.S. government. He passed off a child and went back into the crowd and that’s when the bomb went off.” “He really loved that [Marine Corps] family,” Steve told The Daily Beast. “He was devoted—he was going to make a career out of this, and he wanted to go. No hesitation for him to be called to duty.” We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
      • The X: LBC: 13 (4ct) 
    • Lap 9 — Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosariopichardo
      • Johanny was 25 years old and from Lawrence, Massachusetts. We owe her our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice. 
      • The X: The cherry picker: 13 (4ct) 
      • Run the lap 
    • Lap 10 — Marine Corps Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez
      • Humberto was only 22 years old and from Logansport, Indiana. We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice. 
      • The X: The Iron Mike: 13 (1ct) 
      • Run the lap 
    • Lap 11 — Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz
      • His father told the St. Louis radio station KMOX that his son had always wanted to be a Marine and that he had “never seen a young man train as hard as he did to be the best soldier he could be.” We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
      • The X: Flutter Kick: 13 (4ct) 
      • Run the lap 
    • Lap 12 — Navy Hospitalman Maxton Sonika
      • His family says that Max was most proud of being a Navy Corpsman and “devil doc” for the Marines. The statement said Max leaves behind a big family of 12 brothers and sisters. “Our nation mourns the loss of Navy Corpsman Max Soviak, whose uncommon courage in the face of unfathomable danger ensured the safe passage of countless civilians,” Kaptur said in her statement. “We will never be able to repay the debt we owe him, but we will be forever grateful for his willingness to serve when America needed him most. Our hearts go out to his family during this time, and we lift them up in prayer that they may find comfort in his memory.” We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice. 
      • The X: Plank Jack: 13 (4ct) 
    • Lap 13 — Marine Corps Corporal Daegan W. Page
      • Daegan was 23 years old and from Omaha, Nebraska. We owe him our gratitude for paying the ultimate sacrifice. 
    • Run one more lap together in silence in honor of them all

(Mosey back to the AO)

[ Mary ]

Moment of silence for the fallen.

[ COT ]

  • # off — 12
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs? — No
  • BOM
    • Everything in life will fail you at some point in time. The tragic loss of life that was seen last week in Afghanistan was an incredibly visible failure of leadership and ownership. Your government will fail you, your president will fail you, your country will fail you, your friends will fail you, your family will fail you — at some point in time everything will fail you to some degree.
    • But God.
    • But God are probably two of the most powerful words in the world. But God will not fail you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6 — Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you).

Remember and Honor the fallen.

Big Ball Summer Olympics 2021

THE SCENE: partly cloudy, warm, mid 70’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Everyone was numbered off into 2 teams, each representing fictional nations competing for gold. Teams were Narnia and Rivendell.
THA-THANG:
5 events were held at this year’s Summer Olympics. With Olympic theme blasting in the background, Narnia and Rivendell gave their blood, sweat and tears to bring home gold and represent their fictional homelands. Here are the events:

  • Spikeball: Teams lined up in order, sending 2 representatives at a time to square off in a round of Spikeball against their opponents. After each point, whoever was in longest went to the back of the line and the next man subbed in. While 4 battled it out on the court, everyone else was doing typical warm up exercises (SSH, Hillbillies, Arm Circles, Tempo Squats, etc.) while waiting for their shot at glory. Narnia took gold in this event after a display of absolute dominance
  • Box Ultimate: Ultimate frisbee with an Olympic sized twist, instead of two end zones there is one box in the middle that serves as a universal end zone. Teams had to complete 3 passes before being able to toss to someone in the box for a point. Every time the frisbee hit the ground everyone had to do 5 merkins. First to 3 points took gold. Rivendell won a close game of 3-2
  • 100ish Meter Sandbag Relay: Sandbags were placed at one end of the field near the fountains, one for each nation. Teams got into order again. Whoever was in the front of the line ran to the bag, tossed it as far as possible, ran back and did 5x Jumping Knee Tucks, Carolina Dry Docks, and Big Boy Sit Ups each, and then returned to line. The next person ran as soon as the first person completed their toss. First team down and back again won. Narnia took gold in a hard fought battle
  • CMU Capture the Flag: Exactly what it sounds like, CTF with CMUs. The field was divided in half. You could be tagged on the other half but were safe on your own half. Anyone with the flag could be tagged at any time. Once tagged you had to run back to your own field’s far side and do 5x American Hammers on a 4ct. No one won, but Rivendell took gold due to being the only team to move the flag, a whopping 5 ft
  • Bear Crawl Ball: Soccer in a bear crawl where you can hit with your hands. Everyone had to stay in bear crawl in order to move of touch the ball. First to 3 would have won, but with a buzzer beating clutch shot from PDA we ended right at 8am with a tie at 2-2

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Shared the story of Robert McCherye, who was a 19th century minister who was just as well known for his faith as he was for being a workaholic. He died of cardiac arrest at 29 and on his death bed wrote “God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride on. Alas, I have killed the horse and now I cannot deliver the message.” I think we tend to acknowledge that rest is worthwhile but are still reluctant to take the time needed for it. Sometimes it makes us feel weak or like we’re wasting our time. When Jesus was confronted about working on the Sabbath He said that man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man. It’s easy to walk away from that saying “OK, Jesus said its fine for me not to rest”, but rather we should hear that and acknowledge that if the Sabbath was made specifically for us then it must be worthwhile. So let’s seek out rest wherever we need it, whether that be physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually