F3 Knoxville

2 For Tuesday / End of Chapter 28

The Scene 

  • Asylum PM
  • 5:45pm – 6:30pm
  • Weather, etc
  • Pre-Ruck: 5:10pm

F3 Welcome + Disclaimer

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith 
  • My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this evening 
  • A few things before we begin: 
    • I’m not a professional 
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your injuries if you have any so if you need to modify anything we do today feel free to do so, but push yourselves and the men around you. They deserve it and so do you. 
  • FNGs?

💪 Pre-Blast for Tonight 💪 

– 70s

– Sunny 

– Shield Lock ruck/walk: 5:10pm

– 2 For Tuesday 

– AGNB = All Gas No Brakes 

– IP, PF, + FP = Initial Push, Push Forward, Final Push 

– ISI 

SYITFG! 💪 

Welcome to THE last 2 For Tuesday of my 28th year of life. Tomorrow I turn 29, and I can’t think of a more perfect way to ring year 29 in than with a strong 2 For Tuesday.



Warm-o-Rama

[ IP = Initial Push ]

  • Rockette: 10×4
  • Motivator: 5
  • Cherry Picker: 10×4
  • Cherry Picker: OYO for 10 seconds
  • Rockette: 5
  • Motivator: 5
  • Cherry Picker: 5×4

The Thang 

(What went down during the workout)

(Mosey to the roundabout on the right of the Coliseum)

1 — Cone’n Around 

  • 3 cones @ the roundabout 
  • 3 cones @ the wall below
  • 3 rounds total
    • 2 cones per round / 1 up top + 1 below
    • Pick a cone you want to do at each location and crush it 
  • 25 reps / cone
  • Everything on a 1 count

(10 count or so)

2 — Cone’n Around Part II – 2 For Tuesday

  • Same thing as the 1st round – but all Xs are 25 reps on a 4 count / 50 reps total

(10 count or so)

(Mosey to the bottom of the wall, where the 3 cones below are)

[ PF = Push Forward ]

3 — Up and Over 

  • 3 lanes, each with 2 cones (exercises), at the bottom of a wall, all the way up to the top to the Coliseum roundabout
  • Complete one workout at the bottom of the wall
  • Scale the wall
  • Complete the 2nd workout
  • Run up the hill to the top, then back around down the stairs to the bottom
  • Complete all 3 lanes
  • 50 reps (1 count) each exercise

(10 count or so)

4 — Up and Over Part II – 2 For Tuesday

(Mosey to the Admin Building stairs)

[ Fp = Final Push ]

  • Core 4
    • American Hammer: 25
    • LBC: 25
    • Penguin: 25
    • Dead Bug: 25
  • BTTW to the 🇺🇸)

Mary 

(Insert information about any additional post-Thang work)

  • SWS for the last 60 seconds

COT (Circle of Trust)

Count Off

  • 13

Name o Rama

  • Pele, Title9, Glamper, OnStar, Pusher, Duggar, Squirtle, Abacus, Scrubs, Sparkler, Tenderfoot, Drum Major, Steam

Word 

  • “I don’t feel brave right now”
  • “That doesn’t mean you aren’t brave”
    • From a show my wife and I watch on Netflix called SWAT

Hear some things I’ve said, either verbally or mentally, over the past year, that go along with this. 

  • I don’t know if can do this
    • That doesn’t mean I can’t do this 
  • I don’t feel like I have what it takes 
    • That doesn’t mean I don’t have what it takes 
  • I don’t feel good enough 
    • That doesn’t mean I’m not good enough 
  • I don’t feel like I’m leading or serving well 
    • That doesn’t mean I’m not leading or serving well 

So I encourage you to think about the statements you say to yourself, either out loud or in the deepest parts of mind, and flip the script. 

Just because you feel a certain way, doesn’t mean you are a certain way. 

Feelings don’t always reflect reality. 

Epiphanies of the Everyday

THE SCENE: On the warm side, but low humidity! About 85 degrees, no wind.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Check
WARM-O-RAMA:

-SSH (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Windmills (4-ct, IC)

– 20 Moroccan Night Clubs (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Steve Earls (4-ct, IC)

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct, IC)

– Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to the mulched path south of the AO, to the corner where it turns to join the main path.

JINXY’S FOUR AND A QUARTER.  Start at turn, run down to main path and do 25 reps of an exercise, return to starting position.  R&R 4 times, totaling 100 of the exercise.

  • Round 1: Carolina Dry Docks
  • Round 2: LBCs (single count)
  • Round 3: Lunges (single count)

MOSEY to Bottom of Everest.

Three points of contact w/ pain stations: 1. BASE, 2. BASE OF SUMMIT, 3. TOP OF SUMMIT

Do 20 reps of three exercises at each location.  Run down to bottom and do 20 LBCs/20 flutter kicks until 6 arrives. Stay at top after Round 3.

Three rounds:

Round 1: Seal Claps, Overhead Claps, Grady Corns

Round 2: American Hammers, LBCs, Box Cutters

Round 3: Merkins, Shoulder Taps, Plank Jacks—Ran out of time, so just ran to base of summit did 25x each, and ran back up.

MOSEY TO AO.

MARY:
A lil’ bit of stretching.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 Strong! (Twitch not tagged, 2.0 of Caveman)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I studied a bit of art history when I was in college, and ever since then I’ve had an appreciation for painting, especially from the Renaissance period until the 20th century.  One artist that I’ve always appreciated is Jan Vermeer, who was a Dutch artist active in the 17th century.  He is best known for his paintings of scenes that are quiet and still (i.e., “genre” paintings).  Two of his most famous works are Girl With a Pearl Earring— which shows a woman with her head turned part way towards the viewer, a blue towel on her head and a large pearl earring dangling from her left ear—and The Milkmaid, which depicts a woman, pouring milk into a bowl as light streams through the window.  There were other artists of his time that were more technically proficient, who painted more exciting scenes (Biblical scenes, historical battles, profiles of the rich or powerful!!), who used bolder colors and more elaborate compositions.  But the effect that Vermeer’s paintings have is sublime.  Such quiet and still scenes are rendered into beautiful depictions of everyday life.  In The Milkmaid, for instance, the room the scene takes place in is very plain, as is the woman, the earthenware vessels, and the clothing.  And yet there is such a sense of peace, of airiness, even of loneliness as this woman goes about her chore alone and in silence.  And the objects in the room look so real, you feel like you can almost taste the milk, and feel the dry crust of the bread.  The end result is more than a sum of its parts, and the beauty of the painting when you take a few moments to appreciate it is incredible.  The beauty of the simple.  Vermeer was a master taking these little, mundane moments and turning them into Epiphanies of the Everyday.

I can’t help thinking about the analogy of how God works in our daily lives.  Although I believe miracles can and do happen, the beauty and love of God is often much more subtle.  The kindness of a stranger, the perfect sunset over our AO as we enjoy a Board meeting, the phone call or text from a friend during a time of loneliness or hardship.

We’re often so busy that we’re oblivious to the little moments, the small windows of our Heavenly Father’s beauty and kindness and love that is hiding in plain sight.  Take a moment this week to pause and appreciate an Everyday Epiphany that our Lord and Father provides for us.  Just take a moment, breathe, and be grateful.  And even better, take the opportunity to BE that Epiphany for someone else.  Perform a random act of kindness to a stranger, reach out to a friend, family member, or F3 brother that you haven’t heard from in a while, share your gift of music, humor, or good nature with someone who may not be expecting it.

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sign up for the Volunteer work day at Asylum a week from this Saturday, 9 am – ??.  Send Me shirts still on sale!

Better Versions of Ourselves

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

25 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 7 Twisties, 7 Windmills, 7 Cherry Pickers, 7 Pterodactyls forward and 7 Pterodactyls Backward, Little of This and That.
THA-THANG:
There will be bricks laid out by the AO.  We will split into teams of two for Doras.  While one partner starts on the exercises listed below the other runs on the road going north and east to the large shaded tree.  Do five merkins at the tree and run back.  Partners change position and the other runs.  This pattern goes on until each team has completed the following exercises:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Triceps
  • 100  Curls
  • Rows
  • 100 Punches (both hands = 1)
  • 100 Wings Up
  • 100 Winds Down
  • 100 Wings Out.

We will mosey with the bricks to my car in the parking lot and place the bricks behind the back of my car.  Next we will run to the steps of the Admin Bldg.  There will be a list of exercises that we will do while running around the loop.  The steps of the Admin Bldg will be 12 o’clock.  We will do the first exercise at 12 o’clock and then will run around the loop stopping to do the first exercise at 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock.  The first man to finish the exercise at 9 o’clock will sweep men back to 12 o’clock.  Each time we reach 12 o’clock we will run up and down the stairs one time.  Then we will start the loop again but with the next set of exercises.  Here are the exercises:

  • 5 Burpees
  • 10  Merkins
  • 10 Big Boy Sit-ups
  • 10 Plank Jacks
  • 10 Carolina Dry Docks
  • 10 Box Cutters

Mosey Back to AO.

MARY:
Abdominals.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eleven men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I recently attending a video seminar that discussed people with disabilities and discrimination that can occur, even from the health professions, towards those with disabilities.  Some of the best moments of the seminar were when two men with disabilities were interviewed.  One of them, a man in his forties named Matt, was born with a very rare disease that caused his bones to be deformed.  His shoulders were awkwardly small, his hands deformed and turned inward, his legs small and crooked, and other bones deformed as well.  Fortunately, the disease had not impacted his brain and he was quite an intelligent person.  Because of his deformities, he had gone through periods of depression in his lifetime but was now a man comfortable in his own skin.  He has a career in film production.

Matt had many important things to say at the seminar but one that stuck out for me and which I want to share with you regarded his physical conditioning.  He was asked what it was like growing up and not being able to do things other kids did like play kickball, run around on the playground and climb the jumble gym. He did say it was difficult and that the inability to do the things others were doing impacted his self-esteem and mood. He commented that as a younger man he was overweight.  After all, he could not do the types of things that we do in F3.  After some time, he decided to work on his conditioning.  He said he began to realize that we cannot expect, through physical conditioning, to look like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson but we can certainly become a better version of ourselves.  So Matt began to work on his diet, eating healthier foods.  He also began to work out doing simple exercises that he could perform, like leg lifts and raising books above his head.  He could do things to raise his heartbeat and work up a sweat without jumping or running.  For a guy with the disabilities he had, Matt looked to be in very good condition.  He had some muscle tone despite the slumped shoulders and curvature in his body.  He felt good about himself and, like I said, was comfortable in his own skin.

Gents, we do not have to look like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but we can become, like Matt said, “better versions of ourselves.”  We may not have the speed of Swimmies or the all-around ability of someone like Woodshack but we can strive to increase our physical, mental and spiritual prowess.  That’s important to know for an old geezer like me who cannot keep up with you younguns.

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for employees at Crispr’s workplace where some things have been happening and an employee will be fired; prayer for safe travel for Drum Major and his daughter and for Dawg Paddle; prayers for Pusher’s son as he decides on graduate school; prayers for Abacus’ daughter as she prepares for graduation; prayer for all students at the end of this school year.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We will meet again to work on our Obstacles at Hardship Hill on Saturday, May 20.

Pickett’s Charges

THE SCENE: Beautiful day at the Asylum, temps in the mid-60s and sunny
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

15 Side Straddle Hops

5 Cherry Pickers

10 windmills

10 baby arm circles each way

Little bit of this and that

THA-THANG:

Mosey down towards west of park, turn on mulch path and go down to culdasack.

10 Rocky Balboas in cadence

15 curb dips own

Mosey to Dora landing.

On own do 10 star jumps, 10 plank jacks and then do wall sit until everyone completes and Q releases you.

Mosey down path set that winds over to the base of Pickett’s Charge.

1st go through do following at each tier, starting at the bottom

1 burpie

2 merkins

3 squats

4 LBCs

Then run full loop back to bottom of Pickett’s and repeat, except that the exercise amounts now double each time…so:

2, 4, 8,16, 32…. Burpies

4,8,16,32,64….merkins

6,12,24,48,96…squats

8,16,32,64,128… LBCs

MARY:
Some stretching after the hard work
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
12 men
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

My son has recently had 2 friends his age pass away. One due to a car wreck, one due to cancer. It just doesn’t seem fair, but at the same time it reiterates the point that we are all lucky to still be here and we are not promised one more breath in this life. We are all lucky to be able to stand here, beat ourselves up for 45 minutes and hang out afterwards.

This summer take advantage of what little time you may have left. Try something you have wanted to try. See something you have wanted to see, Go somewhere you have wanted to go. Just take advantage.

I have long regretted not traveling more when I was younger. I figure why not take advantage now. Next week I will set forth across the country and back for more than 3 weeks. It is exciting, yet I am anxious now as I prepare to leave. It will be great though, I will see things I have longed to see for a long time and will be giving my daughter something she can carry with her the rest of her life. Think what you may want to accomplish before it is too late and I encourage you to take advantage.

MOLESKIN:
This was tough, the jump to the 32 burpie level may be too much, may try doing it pyramid style if done again and start counting back down after the 8 burpie go ’round.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Asylum Volunteer workday will be June 10th, more info coming soon. Hardship Hill May 29, Asylum PM obstacle work on Wed, May 10. Forg3 F3 Retreat coming up this fall.

Murph Prep / 2 For Tuesday

F3 Q  – 5.2.23

  • Asylum PM 
  • 5:45pm – 6:30pm
    • Pre-ruck / Shield Lock at 5:10pm

[ The Scene ] 

  • 60s
  • Windy 
  • Sunny

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith 
  • My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this morning 
  • A few things before we begin: 
    • I’m not a professional 
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your injuries if you have any so if you need to modify anything we do today feel free to do so, but push yourselves and the men around you. They deserve it and so do you. 
  • FNGs?

The cool thing about today? It’s 2 For Tuesday ON May 2nd. So let’s roll. So let’s roll. 

[ Warm o Rama ] 

  • SSH: 5×4
    • 5 merkins 
  • SSH: 10×4
    • 5 merkins 
  • SSH: 15×4
    • 5 merkins 

(Rinse + Repeat — 2FT!)

[ The Thang ] 

— Mosey to the Coliseum — 

(1) Murph Practice — May’s Metric Workout

  • Murph 
    • 1 mile run 
    • 300 push-ups
    • 200 squats
    • 100 pull-ups
    • 1 mile run
    • All with a 20lb weighted vest
  • TOC (Top Of Coliseum)
    • 5, 10, 15 model — all on a 1-count
      • 5 shoulder presses (in place of pull-ups — hitting the lats)
      • 10 merkins 
      • 15 squats 
      • Sprint, not mosey, sprint around the circle as fast as you can 
      • Rinse and repeat once 
    • 10, 10, 10 model — all on a 1 count
      • 10 dry docks
      • 10 merkins 
      • 10 squats 
      • Sprint, not mosey, sprint around the circle as fast as you can 
      • Rinse and repeat once
    • 10, 20, 30 model — all on a 1-count
      • 10 shoulder presses 
      • 20 merkins 
      • 30 squats 
      • Sprint, not mosey, sprint around the circle as fast as you can
      • Rinse and repeat once 

— Mosey to the picnic tables beside the Coliseum —

(2) There And Back Again

  • Points of contact: picnic table + far bench on the hill
  • Ping Pong Model
    • 5 pull-ups on the table / 5 merkins on the bench
    • 10 pull-ups on the table / 10 merkins on the bench
    • 15 pull-ups on the table / 15 merkins on the bench
    • 20 pull-ups on the table / 20 merkins on the bench

(3) Enough Upper, Focus on Lower

  • Points of Contact: picnic table + wall at the Coliseum
  • Ping Pong Model
    • 10 squats / 10 squats
    • 20 squats / 20 squats
    • 30 squats / 30 squats

— Mosey back to the AO — 

[ Mary ] 

Breathe

[ COT ]

  • # off — 9 
  • Name o Rama 
  • FNGs
  • Word — Tear Up The Planks – God Wants What’s Underneath

No doubt I now grew very pale; — but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased — and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound — much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath — and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly — more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men — but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed — I raved — I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder — louder — louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! — no, no! They heard! — they suspected! — they knew! — they were making a mockery of my horror! — this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! — and now — again! — hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! —

“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed! — tear up the planks! — here, here! — it is the beating of his hideous heart!”

  • The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe

— RD’s talk at the Fellowship men’s retreat – he spoke on this idea of “tearing up the planks.”

— More recently, I’m learning a lot about flooring. We’re going to have to replace our wood floors at some point this year, and unfortunately, due to some water damage from the dishwasher and fridge, the subfloor is now damaged in some places too, which means we’ll have to replace that. Ah, the joys of home ownership. 

— All that being said, when we first realized some of the planks were warped and twisting up, and probably needed to just be taken off and covered, we tried to get them to lay flat again, or covered them with a rug.

— If you think about your life like a floor, you have a couple of components

    • Planks (floor) top level
    • Subfloor is underneath
    • Whatever is under the subfloor 

— My journey in vulnerability over the past year or so has increased tremendously, and to be honest, more rapidly than I am comfortable with — but I don’t think we’re called to be comfortable in this life. It’s in the uncomfortable places that growth happens. 

— Maybe this is true for you – it definitely it for me. Here’s what happens a lot of times: something really tough or hard happens in our life, maybe that we’ve done or caused, or maybe that someone else has, and we want to stow it underneath the surface so no one can see it. And we nail that plank down super hard – with self-denial, disassociation, coping mechanisms, distractions – these are some of the nails we use to do this. 

— This is a good fix – it’s safe for the time being, it’s underneath the surface where no one can see it. But up top on the surface, man! That floor looks good. Polished, put together, everything’s cool! 

— But unfortunately like in my case with my house — what’s not addressed and brought out of the darkness and into the light, can damage the subfloor over time. It can be maddening – just like in The Tell-Tale Heart. How does everyone not see this?! Surely they’re on to me and know what I’m struggling with! But unfortunately, our culture have become masters in the art and tactics of camouflage. 

— Over time, that plank needs to be ripped up and dealt with, and addressed — but what’s true in my life is that anytime I get the sense that the plank I don’t want to come up starts to come up, I grab some of those nails (self-denial, disassociation, coping mechanisms, distractions) and nail that sucker back harder than the first time, or the most recent time that is. 

— “I’m not ready to tear that plank up yet! I don’t want to go there. It’s too painful. I’m the only one that deals with this. No one would understand or be empathetic.” These are all lies. 

— But God is not just interested in how you look from the outside, he wants what’s underneath.

— You know what a good homeowner does? They don’t just pay attention to what’s on the surface in their home, they deeply care about what’s going on underneath. God is the best homeowner – because in reality He does own the home (our lives). And over the course of our lives there is a sometimes gentle and sometimes more urgent invitation to tear up the planks. He wants what’s underneath. Those places that are really hard to go sometimes. And His deep care and love for us wasn’t enough, he puts people and things in our life, just like F3 and our community of men, to help in this process.

The journey of vulnerability and tearing up the planks is not easy nor is it comfortable, but it is good, very good.