F3 Knoxville

Tag: High-Heels

Ladders and Sh@#ts

THE SCENE: Nice and cool.  Almost spitting snow.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
Warm up burpee ladder:  10 4 ct SSH, IC; 2 burpees OYO; 10 BAC forward IC; 4 burpees OYO; 10 BAC backwards; 6 burpees OYO; 10 Imperial Walkers IC; 8 burpees OYO; 10 tempo squats IC; 10 burpees OYO.
THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to Circus Maximus for Merkin Ladder.  Run (not mosey, run!) 1/4 lap at a time, add 1 merkin at each stop up the ladder till you reach 10 merkins.  Then 1/4 lap back down the ladder to 1 merkin.
  • Mosey to Cardiac for the cardiac ladder:  10 SSH at the bottom, Bernie to the first curve; 10 SSH + 20 Carolina Dry Docks.  Bernie to the 2nd curve.  Repeat SSH and CCD, add 30 4 ct Freddy Mercurys.  Sprint to the top.  Repeat SSH, CCD, Freddy Mercurys.  Add 40 squats.
  • Mosey to bottom of Baby Everest for Jimmy’s (Jacob’s big brother) Ladder.  Run Baby Everest and do a Man Maker.  Add a Man Maker each time you run to the top, topping out at 7 Man Makers.

MARY:
Hurricane Hoedown ladder.  Sitting flutters with hands over head x 7; reclining flutters x7, regular flutters x7.  Repeat x6, then x5, etc. all the way down the ladder.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Even in dark days, there are things to be thankful for.  From Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation establishing a recurrent Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November, at a time when our nation was more divided than it has ever been:  They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Cheatsheet’s daughter
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Need supplies for the VA home, please!

The Burpily Feud

THE SCENE: Shorts Weather, but for real
WARM-O-RAMA: 

Those tricky SSHs where we do the last 20 in silence to see if everybody can count and stay focused. We came close, but it was 10 burpees for those of us who showed up on time (looking at you High Heels and Cheatsheet). Cherry Picker stay-downs, more baby arm circles than anybody wanted.
THA-THANG:
We moseyed low and slow, like Pele after Beaujolais. QIC stole a trick from the Lillydipper hisself and did some nickel-dime-quarters all the way to the Area 51 dropoff. Everest is for the kind of people who like wet feet and shaky legs; we were not those people.

Whatever else happens today, one thing went just right: 10 PAX came up on 10 CMUs up by the Esplanade construction. PAX choice CMU AMRAP. Question: where’s the only place Cheatsheet’s going to find singles? Answer: Wendy’s. Mans hits the double count every time. Don’t cheat yourself. Fist emoji.

Catch me if you can to the Cloud – thank you Curveball for not catching me the second time.

The Burpily Feud! No uhs, ums, pauses, or repeats.

Have a Nice Day on the 2 count.

My old college roommate Jack Webb showed up. I hate that guy.

Up the Little Hill and yours truly was shot.

MARY:
Who Mary?
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 good ones. Lillydipper, Rooney, Curveball, Choirboy, Abscess, High Heels, Mr Jinxy, Goober, and Cheatsheet, plus YHC.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Sic transit gloria mundi.
MOLESKIN:
Thanks men, for getting me out there again. I would not do any of it without you.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence next week!

First Last and Last First

THE SCENE: Beautiful chilly morning, temps in low 30’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Pinto Twists, 10 Windmills, Plank Stretches, Michael Phelps.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to parking lot by Southern Ball Fields.  There will be eight cones set up in the parking lot.  Cone 1 and 8 will be on one side of the parking lot.  Cones 2 through 7 are on the other side of the parking lot.  We will circle clockwise around the cones.  The following will be the exercises at and from each cone:

  • Cone 1:  20 Squat Jumps.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  20 American Hammers (four count).  Crab Walk to Cone 3.
  • Cone 3:  20 Star Jumps.  Bear Crawl to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4:  20 Hello Dollies.  Broad Jump to Cone 5.
  • Cone 5:  10 Shoulder Taps (each shoulder).  Gorilla Hop to Cone 6.
  • Cone 6:  10 Hand Release Merkins.  Sprint to Cone 7.
  • Cone 7:  15 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)  Bernie Sanders to Cone 8.
  • Come 8:  15 Dive Bombers.  Sprint all the way back to Cone 1.
  • Those finishing first rinse and repeat cycle until last man finishes first cycle.

Mosey to perimeter trail just past the pavilion at the southern ball fields.  We will do the following (what I call the 10 light nerve-wrecker) heading east and then north on the perimeter trail until we go on the boardwalk by the water and finally reach the serpentine sidewalk.  We will continue the 10 light nerve-wrecker on the serpentine sidewalk until we reach the roadway that is east of Pickett’s Charge.  With the 10 light nerve-wrecker, we run the length of 10 lights.  We then stop and do the following exercises in order:

  • 10 Big Boy Sit-ups
  • 20 Merkins
  • 30 Squats
  • 40 Baby Crunches.
  • Rinse and repeat until every man has gone through the cycle of exercises.  Then run another 10 lights and do it again.

Once at the roadway, we will mosey to the playground.  We will do elevens at the benches, starting with one bench dip and 10 bench jumps.

Mosey to CMU Pile.  Each man grabs a CMU.  We will do the following exercises:

  • 20 Overhead Presses
  • 50 Bench Presses
  • 20 Curls
  • 25 Rows

Put CMU’s back in pile.  Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Box Cutters
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 men, no FNGs
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Welcome Is Our Greeting

Matthew 20:  26- 28.  But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,c 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,d 28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

At the Broylmpics last Saturday, I was one of the brothers who ran in the long distance run.  I started with the group and very quickly saw the group dash on ahead of me.  After about 1/4 of the race, Mandolin and I were consigned to last place.  We had already competed in all of the prior events.  Our bodies were aching and Mandolin was nursing a problematic leg.  We suffered onward.  About halfway through the race we see the brother who ended up being the overall Brolympics Champ, Woodshack, running towards us.  He joins us, at a pace that was much slower than his typical mosey, and encourages us throughout the remainder of the race.  He didn’t belittle us, didn’t ingratiate us, he just ran by us, commenting on the great effort he was seeing and inspiring us in a thoughtful and brotherly manner.  We finally get to the final stretch of the race along the Serpentine Sidewalk.  By this time, all others in the race had already finished it.  As I am running ahead, what do I see?  A whole line of bros coming towards us, giving us high fives and finishing the race with us.  I can’t tell you how good that made me feel.  These were my brothers.  I might have been the slowest on the distance run but I was one of them.  Something pushed me a little faster as I crossed that finish line.  And on past the finish line were the other bros, smiling at me, Hey Lillying me, and getting me in the breakfast line for some of Junk’s famous cooking.  A slice of heaven with my brothers.

This kind of fellowship is what we all need.  In F3, all are welcome, no matter what the age or what the athletic condition.  “No Man Left Behind” is our philosophy.  As Q leaders, we need to design our workouts to make sure that happens.  Those men who get to a particular destination first can keep on working on exercises, whether Burpees, Side Straddle Hops, Running in Place, or Big-Boy Sit-ups as they wait for the remaining men to catch up.  Sometimes, we even Wagon Wheel back to join our brothers at the six.

Here’s another thing that we need to remember in F3.  Those of us who are less athletic or less fit should not pridefully shun the efforts of the more athletic who come to meet us.  We should not be embarrassed or angry because we are slower.  We should greet those circling back with glee, accept their gift of encouragement.  We should also remember that we too, even though we may be less athletic, have so much to offer the brotherhood – whether it be our mumble-chatter, our humor, our smiles, our social leadership, our aged wisdom, or plain old humility.  We all are living examples to one another, to the community around us, and to the FNG’s we welcome to our PAX.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Junk and his wife, for Messi and his wife, and for Cheatsheet’s friend who died at the age of 49.  Be with the friend’s family at this difficult time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
On December 7 at 7 am in the morning we will have a Convergence at the Truck Stop.  We will then go to Two Rivers Church nearby for a 3rd F Gathering with Manilow as our speaker.  Food from Einsteins Bagels will be provided.

Hey, guess what?  Today is Crawdad’s birthday.  The man is now 40.

Bare November Days

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy, cool but not cold, mid 40s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Check. Still not a professional.
WARM-O-RAMA:

Motivators (7 reps/level)

– Yoga stretches: legs spread, hang straight down, reach to right and left ankle, touch the ground and reach one arm up twisting torso, reverse hands.  There was much inappropriate mumblechatter about bending over and grabbing ankles at this point.

– 10 Baby Arm Circles Forward/ Backward (4-ct, IC), making them wide arm circles half way through.

– 10 Tempo Merkins

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Chapel parking log, stopping to do a WELSH DRAGON along the way.

In parking lot, cones will be laid out in a rectangle, short/medium/long distance on each side. Pair up.  One partner will get to the cone using various means, does 3 burpees, and returns while partner performs maintenance exercises. Switch.  Do each cone for two minutes. Cones are, counter-clockwise order:

    • Cone 1 (Long): Bear Crawl, partner does Bobby Hurleys
    • Cone 2 (Medium): Broad Jumps, partner does Iron Mikes
    • Cone 3 (Short): Crab Walk, partner does Burpees
    • Cone 4 (Long): Bear Crawl, partner does BBS
    • Cone 5 (Medium): Broad Jump, partner does American Hammers
    • Cone 6 (Short): Crab Walk, partner does Gas Pumps

Mosey to playground, do 7s with dips and bench jumps

Mosey to Baby Cardiac: Bernie to the top.

Mosey to the monument, do a few minutes of BOAT/CANOE.

Mosey back to AO.

MARY:
Out of time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 strong.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

My November Guest by Robert Frost is a poem that on its surface is about a person embracing the melancholy feeling that comes with the passing of summer and the beginning of the long winter, with “Sorrow” personified as a woman.  For some, the onset of winter is ominous and unsettling, but there is a different kind of beauty in these shortening days.  But there is more to this poem… it’s about more than just natural beauty the author is referring to.  It’s about opening yourself up and embracing your own personal grief and sorrow, and accepting it as an important and enriching facet of the human condition.

My Sorrow, when she’s here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She’s glad the birds are gone away,
She’s glad her simple worsted grey
Is silver now with clinging mist.

The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.

Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.

Many times we feel ashamed of our grief and sadness, we try to bury it, and pretend it doesn’t exist. The author is encouraging us to look at that part of us not with shame or trepidation, but to embrace it as part of our humanity, and to appreciate that part of our emotional spectrum.  For me, this time of year brings back memories of my mother’s illness and passing, and for years I dreaded the onset of November.  But I read this poem and it encourages me to use this time as a period of reflecting on her love and the wonderful times we had while she was on this earth.  “Not yesterday I learned to know the love of bare November days”. Try to learn to know the value of your own sources of sadness and grief.  And know that there’s a God in your life that will never be far from your heart, and seek comfort and refuge in the love of our Almighty Father.

PSALM 34:18: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Third F December 7, with Convergence at the Truck Stop!

Veteran’s Day Tribute

THE SCENE: Clear and cool (42f) – Beautiful morning
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Side straddle hops (I.C.) 25
  • Michael Phelps
  • Arm Bars
  • Baby Arm Circles (forward & back) from TIE fighter position

THA-THANG:

Props to CODE BROWN for  carrying The Colors for us throughout the Q!!

Mosey from AO to skunk hill – Honoring the U.S. Marines at Iwo Jima:

  • Up skunk hill – 11 Merkins – back down
  • Up skunk hill – 11 Merkins – back down
  • Up skunk hill – 19 Merkins – back down

Mosey from Skunk Hill to river walk – Honoring the U.S. Navy:
• Row Boat (I.C.) 11
• Drydock (I.C.) 11
• Hello Dolly (I.C.) 19

Mosey from boardwalk to chapel – Honoring U.S. Coast Guard:
• Captain Morgan (I.C.) 11 (Each side)
• Flounder Pounder (I.C.) 11
• Doggie Paddle (I.C.) 19

Mosey from chapel to cloud – Honoring U.S. Air Force:

  • Triceps dip (I.C.) 19
  • Dive bomber 11
  • Wind Mill (I.C.) 19

Bernie from cloud to AO / CMU pile – Honoring U.S. Army:
• CMU Curl (I.C.) 11
• CMU Squat (I.C.) 11
• CMU Bench Press (I.C.) 19

*Threw in 19 CMU overhead presses for good measure

MARY:

  • Box cutters (IC 20)
  • Mtn Climbers (IC 20)
  • Flutter kicks (IC 20)
  • Old Man Stretch

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
24 HIMS shared in a tribute to our armed forces by working our way around various Asylum landmarks and honoring our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Special shout out to the veterans in our group as well.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
History lesson – 100th anniversary of Armistice day:
November 11th, 1918 marked the end of WWI – One year later on the 11th day of the 11th month in the year 1919, (11/11/1919) the first National Holiday known then as Armistice Day was celebrated to commemorate the end of the first world war. Armistice Day remained so until 1954 when the name was changed to Veterans Day to be inclusive of all veterans who had come before and after WWI. That makes today, November 11th of 2019 the 100th anniversary of this national day of recognition of the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces. Over the course of that 100 years, millions of soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines have served and sacrificed for our freedom and to ensure the greater safety and wellbeing of the world as a whole. Today is a day to say thank you.

MOLESKIN:
CHALLENGE: At some point today, reach out to a friend, a colleague or even a stranger and simply thank them for their service. To keep it top of mind throughout the day, post an American Flag on the group me once you’ve done it.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: