F3 Knoxville

Lose Yourself

AO: asylum-daybreak
Q: Lilydipper
PAX: Pusher, Brick, Backflow (Wesley Hunt), High Heels, Steam, Honeydew, Choir Boy, Drum Major, lebowski, Pele (Jon Lindberg)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
WARMUP: 25 Side-Straddle-Hops, 10 Tempo Merkins, Curly Stomps, 10 Tennessee Rocking Chairs, 8 Twistees, More Curly Stomps, 10 Tempo Jumps Squats, 8 Windmills, 10 Baby Arm Circles Forward and 10 Backward, Little of This and That.

THE THANG: Mosey to the Pavilion. We will start with a totem pole where we will do five exercises. We start with the first for 30 seconds. We then add the second exercise and do 30 seconds each. We then do three exercises for 30 seconds each, etc. until we have done five exercises for 30 seconds each. We then cut off the first exercise in the totem pole so that we do only four exercises for 30 seconds each. We continue this process until we only have the last exercise to do for 30 seconds. By the time we are done we will have performed each exercise five times. Here are the exercises:
Mountain Climbers

Picnic Table Pull-Ups

Decline Merkins

Iron Mikes

Bench Dips

Mosey to the Caribbean Parking Lot. From the East End of the parking lot we will run around the parking lot stopping at every other island to do one of the following exercises. After doing the exercise at the eighth island, rabbits will sweep other men back to the start. We will then do the next listed exercise and repeat the process. Note: We will do each of the exercises at the beginning before starting the running. Here are the exercises:
– 20 Merkins
– 20 Imperial Walkers (2 Count)
– 5 Hand Release Merkins

Mosey to the entryway near the AO. We will each pick up a CMU size rock by the entryway and bring it back to the pavilion. We will do the following exercises in sequence but run around the pavilion twice before doing the next exercise.
20 Overhead Press

20 Overhead Bench Press

20 Curls

20 Rows

20 Tricepts

20 Squats with CMU at chest

Mosey to the AO.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Forg 3 will be next Saturday. The Hot Toddy Quadruple Birthday Q (Snitch has joined Charmin, High-Heels and Lilydipper will be the following Saturday on February 1

COT:
Message: Lose Yourself

Some of you know that my mother-in-law, Ruby Grimes, who had coped with significant dementia for the past year, died on Tuesday, January 14. The week I spent in Kentucky after her death and my involvement in her visitation, funeral, and burial, was powerful for me.

When, in preparation for the funeral, we met with Reverend Bill Fort, who had been Ruby’s minister and known her for 25 years, he commented that in the days when he was a young man in seminary, he and many of his fellow students dreamed and talked about what they would like to achieve as ministers. One of Bill’s favorite professors didn’t admonish the students for desiring “big things” as ministers but also told them this: in true ministry, we don’t grow larger in serving God but actually grow smaller.” Bill Fort then told our family that Ruby Grimes exemplified that statement. And, Bill was correct. At Ruby’s visitation before her funeral we met an incredible number of people who told us about how much Ruby had impacted their lives. She did that in ways that didn’t make newspaper headlines – rather, Ruby’s ministry was about loving others in small but consistent ways that grew on those she was around and made them better for it.

My wife, Jan, spoke at her mother’s funeral and, in her reflections, informed us that we can all learn lessons from Ruby Grimes. One lesson is that as a servant of God we should Lose Ourselves. You see, Ruby was not about taking the limelight. She shined the spotlight on you. If you visited her house she made sure you were comfortable, that you felt special, that you deserved the best. And you felt her love and interest as genuine.

Ruby Grimes didn’t have a college degree. She went to college for one year and then gave up the college dream after marrying her husband, Dorlan Grimes, when he was training to serve in the military. She was not some high ranking official in a company. She was not the president of a social club. She was a mother of two children who later worked as a kindergarten teacher, a phone operator, and in administration for local schools.

What Ruby did best was smile at others, truly get to know them, and love them truly. She was the adoptive grandmother for all kinds of kids on her block in her neighborhood. I remember spending Christmases at Ruby’s and Dorlan’s home when, on Christmas day, there would be neighborhood children coming by to give a card or gift to Ruby because they loved her so much. At the visitation before Ruby’s funeral we met children from four different families (some of these children were now middle age) that informed us how much Ruby had meant to them as children and impacted them in their lives. By the way, Ruby’s refrigerator was always lined with pictures those “adoptive grandchildren” would send her throughout their lives.

So, the message for today is Lose Yourself. Guys, it’s not about us if we are to be true HIMs. It’s about others. Where is your focus? When we over-focus on ourselves we get in trouble. Of course, all of us tend to do that and we all get in trouble. But if we do over-focus on ourselves, Ruby’s message to you would be, “Oh, that’s ok. You are a good person and I see that goodness in you. You are going to be just fine. You just go on being you. Now, can I get you another slice of pie?”

Prayer Requests

Prayers for the brothers going to Forg 3 in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area and for Steam and Brick who have been so busy planning it. Prayers for Backflow with the upcoming birth of his fourth child. Prayers for his family as well. Prayers for three of our brothers coping with health issues: Sparkler, Jenner and Eliza. Prayers for Dorlan Grimes, husband of Ruby Grimes (discussed in message above).

Lights and Dice

AO: shamrock
Q: Stitch
PAX: slappy, Anchorman, Waxjob, Honeydew, Crawlspace, Snaggletooth (Elijah Tafao)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 7
WARMUP:
SSH
Hillbilly Walkers
Grady Corns
Shoulder Taps
Hallelujahs
Cherry Pickers

THE THANG:
Mosey to the football field

Line up at the goalline. The Q will start by throwing the frisbee down field. Wherever it lands, we run and do a set of exercises. The number of reps will be determined by the roll of 3 dice inside the frisbee. If a triple is rolled, we do the exercise and then jog one lap around the field and back to our place. Next man throws, and we take turns all the way to the other goalline. Next trip back starts a new exercise.

1. Merkins
2. Bobby Hurleys
3. 2 CT Freddy’s
4. SSH
5. Dips
6. Squats
7. Box Cutters
8. Burpees

Worked in a couple more laps up and down with frisbee throws and if dropped, all did 2 burpees.

MARY:
Side crunches
Heels to Heaven
American Hammers
Plank leg lifts

COT:
I came across this passage while reading on Sunday morning…

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” – 2 COR 1:3-4

It’s a bit repetitive but there’s a point to be made! The words “All comfort” here are founded in the ancient Greek word paraklesis, which also means “to come alongside and help”. To strengthen. Make stronger. The latin word for comfort is fortis, which also means Brave.

And when you read through the remaining passage, it becomes clear that “comfort” is truly moving us from weakness to strength.

“…so that WE may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we are comforted by God.”

The WE here is us! God enables us to bring comfort to others. F3 is the WE. Look at the comfort and strengthening we brought to Cardinal’s wife and children. Look at how we give, support and pray for one another. We are not the comfort of God, but we can use our gifts, our resources, and our fellowship to bring comfort to others.

So many of us are dealing with something. Life is hard! If you need prayer and support, let me know. Talk to somebody. If you can be that one to pray and support, reach out. We are all in this together.

Double the fun

AO: shamrock
Q: Anchorman
PAX: slappy, Honeydew, Crawlspace, Stitch, Baby Boomer, Mermaid, Skidmark, Anchorman
FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
WARMUP:
Circle run

Side Straddle Hops 10-4 count

Tie Fighters 10-4 count each way

Cherry Pickers 5

LBCs – 25 OYO

Stretch: Quads, Down Dog, Up Dog

THE THANG:
Mosey to turf

– Ab station – 45 seconds each

– Alternating Knee Pull

– 5 – Circles – Toes pointing up

– Slow Bicycle Knees to Elbow

– Pilates 100 – Elevate back and pump arms fast

– Plank Merkin – roll down forward then back

– Side Crunch Toe Touch

– Flip it

– Plank Knee Touches – Down Down Up Up

– Fire Hydrant – Knee into chest then out to pee – right leg

– Left leg

Mosey to CMU pile

– 25 – Bench press
– 25 – Heavy Squats
– 25 – Rows
– 25 – Heavy Calf Raises
– Go for a little run to the loading dock to climb up and run back

– 50 – Bench, Squats, Rows, Calf, then run again
– Double up CMUs – for 25 Bench with buddy helping, then double CMU squats, rows, calf, then run.

MARY: 25 dips and 25 merkins

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT:
Psalm 145:14

The Lord upholds all who fall
    and lifts up all who are bowed down.

This verse speaks to me right now. I was a bit in a slump spiritually. I think the Christmas season really wore me out this year. It pissed me off how all the “Christmas” things pulled me away from the whole point of the season.
This verse encourages me because Jesus loves to find us in these low seasons so he can pick us back up and walk with us.

Be Consistent

AO: asylum-daybreak
Q: CRISPR
PAX: Crawdad (Robbi Dickens), Pusher, Veggie (Rylen Huddy), Jumbo(Carter Dickens), Pac-man, High Heels (Henry Ritchie), Drum Major, Choir Boy, lebowski, Waffle House (Brady Greene), Stripped, Swimmies (Nathan Chesney), Honeydew, CRISPR
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
WARMUP: SSH, Rockettes, Cherry Pickers, other stuff

THE THANG:
– 10 Inch Worms – Run
– 20 Apollo Ono – karaoke
– 30 Mountain Climbers – Bernie
– 40 Imperial Walkers – karaoke
– Mosey
– 10 – Reverse lunch w/ high knees – bear crawl
– 20 Squats – long jump
– 30 Shoulder tap merkins – crab walk
– 40 American Hammers – super Mario
– Mosey
– 10 Romanian deadlift – run lap
– 20 Alt Plank rows – run lap
– 30 Freddy mercury – run lap
– 40 Georgia cheerleaders – run lap
MARY:

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hot Toddy Triple Q next week

COT:

Brad Stulbeg:
Consistency is more important than intensity. If you win at consistency, you have a good chance of winning at everything else. Consistency means:

– Showing up on good days and bad days.
– Zooming out and playing the long game.
– Focusing on the process over outcomes.

James Clear:
If you want to maintain your sanity, reduce stress, and increase your odds of long-term success, then you need to plan for failure as well as focus on consistency. Research from Stanford professor Kelly McGonigal has shown that the number one reason why willpower fades and people fail to remain consistent with their habits and goals is that they don’t have plan for failure.

Planning to fail doesn’t mean that you expect to fail, but rather than you know what you will do and how you will get back on track when things don’t work out. If you’re focused on being perfect, then you’re caught in an all-or-nothing trap.
Meanwhile, if you realize that individual failures have little impact on your long-term success, then you can more easily rebound from failures and setbacks. Being consistent is not the same as being perfect.

First Ruck of the year

AO: shamruck
Q: Mermaid
PAX: Fabio (Joe Hamilton), Honeydew, Hot Pants, Mailbox, Mermaid
FNGs: None
COUNT: 5
We knocked out about 3.6 miles and were challenged to be a better version of ourselves in 2025