F3 Knoxville

Bear v. Crab

THE SCENE: Beautiful – 68 degrees

WARM-O-RAMA:
Follow the leader, highlighted by a bunch of grown men skipping under the lights.  Toe taps, leg pulls, side shuffles, skips, cross overs, bernie sanders, run, run (double time). Approx 5 mins.

THA-THANG: Bear v. Crab

1st Half and 2nd Half:

Two teams (approx 12 persons each team), attempting to get 5 small balls into a small hockey net all the while remaining in either a bear craw and crab craw (alternating 3 minute increments before switching positions), the HIM with the ball only able to advance 5 steps before passing. Balls in the center to start game play, with crab v. bear crawl race to retrieve them.

Each ball had two exercises written on it – one a harder exercise (merkins, burpees, squat jumps) and one an ab exercise (flutters, LBC, leg raises).

The team that scored did the ab exercise written on the ball that went in the net; the team that got scored on did the harder exercise written on the same ball.

Initially, I was concerned there would not be enough scoring with the small net.  After the 5th set of 15 burpees – in the first quarter – that was no longer my concern.

Halftime:

Round 1 (with pee rock): Squat Pulses x20; Kettle Bell Swings x10; Lunge&Twist x5 (each leg); Run; Single Leg Calf Raises x10

Round 2 (with pee rock): Biceps x20; Rows x20; Triceps x20; Overhead Rock Run

Rinse and Repeat

MARY:
None.  No time for a victory lap, even though my team clearly won.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
23 stronger, sweatier men.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I have an uncanny ability to think that I can solve all my own problems and those of my family.  I will reason or motivate (carrot or stick) through the issue, or at least I will try to.  I was reminded again recently — for the hundredth (x100) time — that this thinking/behavior is quite a vice, and some circumstances (and by “some,” I really mean “all”) are best left to God.

After a week of my 5-yr old daughter’s inexplicable fear/panic/stubbornness to swim across the pool for swim team practice and in the swim meet (one of which she scratched from last minute), I was at my wits end.  I knew she could do it; I’ve seen her swim the pool length innumerable times.  She simply refused and melted down day in day out at the prospect of doing what she could do.  It was so obviously mental, but at 5 years old, she could not work through it or verbalize the issue.

Then it dawned on me: I don’t know her thoughts and fears, but God does. So we prayed, together, that God would intervene.  We prayed over Joshua 1:9 (“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”).  And, you guessed it, she had changed, she swam, and in the process she conquered a huge obstacle in her life.

So, I am reminded again, to petition God, even for the seemingly small things in life, because He is there and here, and because the small often turn out to be big.

Truck stop running

THE SCENE: 70, nice
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Stretch oyo
THA-THANG:
Ran to mcfee rd. And a lap around the truck stop path   4.25 miles

MARY:

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Insert the WORD here.
MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Fun & Games

THE SCENE: upper 60’s I think….forgot to check the weather.  Clear & muggy.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER


WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH x 20
  • High knee run to light pole & back
  • Butt kickers to light pole & back
  • Karaoke to light pole & back
  • Warm up lap around the island

THA-THANG:

  1. Mosey to soccer field
    • Wham-o lunges.  PAX take turns throwing a frisbee, sprint after it while it’s in the air, then lunge to it once it hits the ground.  We changed to bear crawls at some point instead of lunges.
  2. Mosey to the other soccer field
    • Dizzy bat spin.  Each man spins around a bat 10 times then try to hit a ball off of a tee.  Remaining PAX hold plank or Al Gore.  If the batter makes contact, all PAX sprint to the ball & do 5 merkins then return to the tee.  If they miss the ball, everyone does 5 burpees…we did a lot of burpees, and it was awesome.
  3. Mosey to mid-field
    • Sack race.  Relay race style.  Split into 2 teams & bunny hop to midfield then sprint back & tag the next man.  PAX does squats while waiting for their turn to hop.  Prize was 5 burpees for all contestants.
  4. Mosey to other end of soccer field
    • 3 legged race.  Keep same teams as before.  2 pax at a time tie their ankle together & run to midfield and back.  Remaining PAX alternates between merkins & squats while waiting.  5 burpee prize for all contestants when finished.
  5. Mosey to baseball field
    • Kickball.  Offense must do 5 burpees each time they incur an out.  Defense must do 5 burpees each time a run scores.   Stay moving between pitches…squats, jump rope, etc.

MARY:

  • LBC x 20
  • Box Cutter x 20
  • ATM

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Tank, La-Z-Boy, Butters, Sparky, Frosty, Cosmo, Cornhole, Driftwood, I-Beam, Gibbler, Bartman

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Have some fun every once and a while.

I like to work hard, but sometimes it’s good to relax a little and have some fun.  We did that today.  There were no records set for max heart rate or calories burned or mileage.   We got in plenty of sprints and quite a few burpees…it was workout worthy, but most of all it was a good time laughing at ourselves and enjoying the F3 brotherhood.

MOLESKIN:

Special recognition to Cornhole & Sparky for their dizzy bat efforts.  Cornhole pretty much did a helicopter spin when he whiffed, and Sparky missed the ball by at least 10 feet.  Well done men…well done!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Good livin at The Burbs

THE SCENE: Beautiful morning – moderate humidity

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

THA-THANG:

Partnered up with a battle buddy – 1 sandbag per team. Alternated sandbag carries between battle buddies until we arrived at the school. 20 Ruck Merkins, 20 Ruck Squats. From there, we made our way over to the Bearden track. On the way, Partner 1 would carry the sandbag while Partner 2 did 10 Ruck Merkins and 10 Ruck Squats. Partner 2 would then catch Partner 1, take the sandbag, and continue rucking while Partner 1 would then do the merkins and squats. Rinse, repeat until we made it to the track. At the track, we did 4 sets of the following exercises (15 reps for each). After each set, we ran a lap around the track.

  • Ruck Curls
  • Flutter Kicks (4 ct) with Ruck Overhead
  • Overhead Presses
  • Lunges or Squats (Ruck on)
  • Bent-over Sandbag Rows

Made our way back to the AO alternating sandbag carries between battle buddies. Stopped a couple times for 15 Ruck Merkins and 15 Ruck Squats. Once back to the AO, one last set of ruck curls, flutter kicks, presses, lunges, and sandbag rows. Flutter Kicks for the last 45 seconds to finish.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

15 strong this morning!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I felt scattered during my BOM and didn’t put in the time that I should have last night to prepare a strong word for the PAX.

I’m constantly reminded just how thankful I am for the men that God has put in my life each morning that I get to be surrounded by F3 brothers. I would never get up at 4 am to go suffer through brutal workouts without the encouragement, support, and accountability provided by my brothers. And while the physical push is great each morning, there is a much greater impact that the men of F3 make outside the 5:30 – 6:15 am timeframe (or 4:50 am on some days). When the men of F3 Knoxville catch wind that a fellow brother is struggling with something or going through a tough season in his life, it’s incredible to witness the love and support that they provide for him. That’s what being a part of the PAX is all about.

Merkin Mania!!

  • THE SCENE: warm, humid, armpit-like
    F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
    WARM-O-RAMA:
  • SSH IC 20
  • Tempo squats IC 15
  • little this and a little that
  • Michael Phelps
  • Cherry pickers IC 10
  • Imperial walkers IC 20
    THA-THANG:
    We started out over to the play ground, by way of a baatan death march, the PAX were concerned about what exactly “merkin mania” was going to look like for them. Once to the playground we finished our warm up with some 7’s, pull ups at the bottom 4ct calf raises at the top Burnie Sanders up the hip and bear crawl every other trip down. Once we woke up our shoulders we officially said good morning to them with some bear crawls in the parking lot. 30yds out with 10 dry docks at every 3rd parking space and 30yds back with 10 plank jacks. Then we mosied over to the concrete bleachers….it was there we had merkin mania….
  • 7 one arm incline merkins & 7 super man merkins
  • 15 diamond merkins & 15 cobra merkins
  • 10 one legged merkins and 10 grasshopper merkins
  • 15 alligator merkins & 15 lizard merkins
  • 15 decline & 15 Spider-Man merkins

After each complete round the PAX would run to the end of the fence and back and start again eliminating the bottom set. I called an audible after two rounds through.

We then slow mosied to the soccer field and did some sprints (600yds worth)

then it was back to the AO

MARY:
We started with some ring of fire abs (legs up at 45), then 25 each of flutter kicks, hello dollies, and LBC (which bartman led us in). And lastly an agonizing minute of boat canoe.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I have been reading a book titled “Beautiful Outlaw” and in reading through it I often pondered how awesome it would be to be a disciple of Jesus in those times, all the camp fires they sat around laughing and cutting up, miles and miles they walked with Him, and many numerous gatherings they were a part of with Jesus. It almost gave me a feeling of envy to think how close they became with Jesus while he was walking amongst us. It then dawned on me how that is exactly what we are called to as Christians today. Jesus may no longer be walking amongst us in Human form but He is still very much alive and speaking and listening. I encouraged the PAX to not fall into the trap of trying to fall in love with a set of rules or the idea that God loves them but instead to pursue a friendship with the person of Jesus, just the same as his disciples did so long ago.
MOLESKIN:
Closing prayer
ANNOUNCEMENTS: