F3 Knoxville

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:

Taking Risks

THE SCENE: Cloudy, temp in 70’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side-Straddle-Hops, 10 Plank Jacks, Plank Stretches, 10 Imperial Walkers, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to stop sign at northeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers (for count).  Mosey to perimeter trail and take trail east until we hit roadway that goes toward the parking lot with CMU’s.  Each man grabs CMU.  We will run around the parking lot with CMU’s preferably overhead and stop at each corner to do the following exercises:

  • Corner 1:  20 Overhead Presses
  • Corner 2:  20 Curls
  • Corner 3:  20 Rows
  • Corner 4:  20 Squats with CMU at chest.  20 Incline Merkins with hands on CMU.  20 Big Boys with CMU.

Mosey past pitching cage area to perimeter trail east of the ball fields and stop at Cardiac Hill.  We will run up Cardiac Hill doing the following exercises at each corner:

  • Corner 1:  20 Bicycle Kicks (four count)
  • Corner 2:  20 Flutter Kicks (four count)
  • Corner 3:  20 Decline Merkins
  • Corner 4:  20 Bench Dips

Mosey to the Bro Olympics Field.  We will do sprints from sideline to flags in ground. Then sprint back to sideline.  After that we do 25 Baby Crunches.  Rinse and repeat three more times.

Mosey to stop sign at southeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  We will do 20 American Hammer (four count).

Mosey to Mt. Everest Summit.  We will do 15 Big Boy Sit Ups, then run down the summit to pine tree grove.  Do 10 Burpees.  Then run back up the summit and continue to do Big Boy Sit Ups until all men make it back.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
Sky lifts with legs, then slow drops Hello Dollie position.  Hold for ten count, then spread legs and hold again.  Rinse and repeat four more times.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight men, no FNG’s.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Taking Risks With God

Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

At age 62, I am thankful for the blessings the Lord has given me.  I have sometimes been asked if I would change anything in my life – I am lucky in that nothing hits me drastically concerning what I would change.  Certainly I would want to change some of my sinful actions.  But I think I would also want to have taken more risks at those times I was too cautious or insecure to act.

It is through the courage to act that great things occur for us.  Think of Abraham in the Bible.  God told him to go to a completely new land.  He did it.  Moses did the same.  That took courage and faithfulness.  They trusted that the Lord would be there with them.  Think of when you first came to workout with F3.  You had to get up at some awful hour of the morning to join some weird group of guys doing strange military exercises.  Think of the benefits reaped from taking that risk.  One risk I took in my life was to move my family from a comfortable home in Texas, close to family and friends I had grown up with, to come to Knoxville, Tennessee where we didn’t know anyone.  Because of the move, my kids have grown up in a wonderful setting.  My wife, who had no job when we arrived, now is director of the psychology dept at Children’s Hospital.  And me:  I have this wonderful group of friends in F3 who have become an inspiration for me in my life.  When we take risks, we learn, we grow.  And, God is our shepherd along the way.  He will not abandon us.

But what about those times when we take a risk, make a change, and meet up with misfortune instead of success?  Is God there for us even when we stumble, even when the risk we take does not reap what we hope for?Barbara and Jim were a married couple, each about age 50, who bought a seafood restaurant that I was already working at as a teenager in Dallas, Texas.  I knew their two sons, who were a few years older than me, from our younger school days.  Barbara had already worked as a manager of the restaurant before she and Jim purchased it. They invested a great bit of money to get it.  But to have their own business was a dream for them. They made some nice changes to the restaurant and, at first, the crowds coming to eat and drink there seemed to grow.  But, problems came.  The restaurant was located on Forest Lane in Dallas, a four lane street located between two large high schools.  Forest Lane came to be The American Graffiti street of the area.  Kids drove up and down the strip, revving the engines in their cars, drinking beers and basically having a great time.  Fast food restaurants began to spring up on Forest Lane, all around the seafood restaurant.  Kids would park in the parking lots, drinking their beers in the cars and eating fast food.  The business was great for the fast food chains but not for the more expensive seafood restaurant.  Adult customers began to avoid the seafood restaurant, not wanting to deal with the traffic, the screaming teenagers, and the beer cans.  Barbara and Jim started losing money.  They contacted the city police on numerous occasions, hoping to have them correct the problem.  However, either due to lack of legal means or just because the police didn’t care that much, nothing really happened.  Barbara and Jim’s dream was slipping into the abyss.  On one Saturday evening, Jim reached the breaking point.  He came into the back part of the restaurant (the kitchen area) with a shotgun in his hands.  If the police weren’t going to run the scoundrels off, he was going to go out to the front parking lot and do it himself.  That kind of action, of course, may have been realistic in the Clint Eastwood movie wild west but not in a modern city.  Barbara hysterically pleaded with Jim to get rid of the gun.  He finally came to himself and handed the gun to her.  He was embarrassed and humiliated to have had us employees see him in this state.  He slowly walked out the back door and went on home.

The restaurant continued to lose money as the crowds continued to dwindle.  I remember the night Barbara and Jim decided to give up on the restaurant.  The store had closed and many of us employees were still there to clean up.  Barbara and Jim made their announcement to us.  The side of the restaurant that had a bar also had music speakers placed at various points along the ceiling.  Barbara and Jim put on a song and slow-danced together, right their in the middle of the restaurant.  The song they chose to play was Frank Sinatra’s version of “I Did It My Way.”  The couple had invested in a dream and lost the battle.  But they had the guts to take the risk and had given it all they got – and did it their way.

I went on to college after that senior year of school.  I don’t know what happened to Barbara and Jim as my life took me on to other things.  I hope they sold the store – most likely to some fast food restaurant.  In any case, I chose to believe that God worked with the couple.  And I have some evidence that supports my belief.  The primary evidence is the nature of our God, one who loves and is filled with grace.  But Barbara and Jim also exhibited evidence that supports my belief:  First, they hung together in their marriage through the hard times, despite the anguish and gnashing of teeth.  Second, despite the losses they suffered, they were always good to us employees and paid every cent of our paychecks, never delaying the payments.  And finally, on the night they conceded the restaurant, they danced a dance that stays in my mind more than 40 years later.  I will close with some lines from the song they chose to dance to:

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall
And did it my way.

MOLESKIN:

Praise:  for Mr. Jinxy’s return post heart catheter.  Prayer:  that God be with Pinto, Hooker, and Mr. Jinxy after the death of Pinto’s mother.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bring non-perishable canned goods to next workout for 2nd Harvest Food Drive.

I’m Not Woodshack

THE SCENE:  55 degrees, 88% humidity with cloudy skies.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH, Overhead/Out Front Claps, Imperial Squat Walkers, Plank Walk Out, Cherry Pickers

THA-THANG:

Run to Wax Job Hill

Wax Job 7’s

Merkins @ Base

Bear Crawl Up

WWII Sit Ups @ Summit

Run Down

Indian Run to 1st Baptist Parking Lot

Church Times

Dry Docks x20, Burpees x5, Rock Balboas x100

Indian Run to Alcoa Elementary

I Go – You Go (Partner Up)

100 Toes to Bar/Bear Crawl 20 Yards

100 Box Jumps/Run Across Soccer Field

150 Flutter Kicks (4 Count)/Bernie 40 Yards

200 Squats/Ascend Mt. Suckmore

Indian Run to 1st Baptist Parking Lot

Church Times

Dry Docks x20, Burpees x5, Rock Balboas x100

Indian Run to AO Scrap Yard

Scrap Yard Push/Pull (5 Rounds)

Pull Ups x10

Merkins x10

MARY:

Box Cutters, Protractors, LBC’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
8 HIMs including 2 honored guests that usually post in Knoxville.  Welcome Abscess and High-Heels

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Science says that we need at least 4 basic elements to survive.

    1. Water
    2. Air
    3. Food
    4. Light

And look what the Bible tells us about Jesus.

    1. I am the Living Water
    2. I am the Breath of Life
    3. I am the Bread of Life
    4. I am the Light of the World

Science was right, we need Jesus to Live

FB.com/God411

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Matterhorn BurpeeFest

THE SCENE: PAX consensus said 43 degrees and chilly
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 20 IC
Baby arm circles x 10 IC (each way)
Imperial Walkers x 20 IC
Cherry Pickers x 5 IC

THA-THANG:
Mosey to Matterhorn and Partner Up for Matterhorn Dora Ladder

  • Partner 1 – run to first light; Partner 2 – 100 merkins, switch
  • Partner 1 – run to second light; Partner 2 – 200 burpees, switch
  • Partner 1 – run to first light; Partner 2 – 300 V-Ups, switch

Mosey around boats
(5) 8 Count Body Builders on command

Mosey to AO (Waxjob called for Jail Break)

MARY:
Ab Cycle: Flutter kicks x 20 IC; Hello Dolly x 20 IC; Reverse Crunches x 15 IC
Box Cutters x 20 IC

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 key to success is playing the hand you were dealt like it was the hand you wanted.” -Inky Johnson.

MOLESKIN:
Mumble chatter was high today even throughout the burpees. PAX pushed hard and kept YHC motivated to push to the end.  Success was had throughout the workout with the only audible being the 300 V-Ups.  I believe we hit about 1/3 of those.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Goliath at the Gorge this weekend.  See @Tank for details
Pray for Lady Junk – continued chemo treatment but prognosis is looking good.
Pray for Excite Bike’s family.  BIL passed away last year and family is still struggling.

Foxes, Skunks and CMUs

THE SCENE: Another beautiful morning, cool and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSHs, plank pointers, squats
THA-THANG:
CMU carry to parking lot big island. Do some presses, OH carry and curls on the way.

Carry 1 CMU on a speed walk. At cone, Run back to previous cone and back w/o CMU then do exercise. Pick up CMU speed walk to next cone and repeat. Exercises are:

  • 15. Merkins
  • 20 OH presses w/CMU
  • 20 jump squats
  • 20 plank pointers
  • 20 dry docks
  • 20 curl/press
  • 20 plank over CMUs (each side is 1)
  • 20 SSH
  • 20 “bench presses” w/CMU
  • 20 tri presses

run a full lap around after completing each round

REPEAT till time ends

MARY:

Flutter Kicks and a creative circle of pain Merkins

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 PAX
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:6-9‬ ‭

let your wife know you are one.
MOLESKIN:

great morning, great weather. Wax job came up with the topper for ring of fire merkins. The “real Superman” doing a merkin and on way up putting your arms and legs off the ground.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Goliath at the Gorge, Brolympics