F3 Knoxville

Sharing The Victory

THE SCENE: ~62 degrees.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Brief warm-up: Cherry Pickers, arm circles (up/down), overhead clap, tempo squats. Mosey to coupon area while doing drop-off burpees.
THA-THANG:
2 Man teams. See chart below.

Man 1 does 30 merkins, tricep ext, curls, Russian twists, thrusters, and 24 burpees, bent rows, back lunges, and shoulder taps.

Man 2 is holding exercises while his partner is pushing their team stone forward a parking space at each victory. His holds alternate: plank, Al Gore, and holding coupon Overhead.

Both men run to the wall/stairs while one runs up the stairs and does (we changed the bar hold to 3 pull-ups), the other is holding upside down against the wall.

Then both men run back to the coupons, change positions, and start round 2.

3 pull up Wall Invert
24 shoulder tap Overhead Hold
24 Back Lunges Al Gore
24 Bent Rows Plank
24 Burpees Overhead Hold
30 Thrusters Al Gore
30 Twists Plank
30 Curls Overhead Hold
30 Tricep Ext Al Gore
30 ‘merkins Plank

We got 2 rounds in and finished by running (the long/scenic route) with drop-off burpees again.

MARY:
finished right no time so no additional time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 present: Butter Knife, 5K, Erector, Dart Gun, Wheelchair, Survivor, Ralph, Wanderer, Kenjo, Guardrail, Gump, Spotter, Judge Judy, Hound Dog,
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
We did groups of 30 and 24 in the exercise to work in a word from 1 Samuel 30:24.

In 1 Samuel 30, David and his men come back to Ziklag only to find that the Amalekites have destroyed everything, taken their families and possessions, and run off. David and his men wept and then asked the Lord, if they should follow and if they would catch them. The Lord says “yes” to both questions. So they take off to save their families.
Along the way, they go down from 600 to 400 because 200 of the men are too exhausted to keep up. They are running for days without food or water. They finally catch up with the Amalekites, who are partying and thinking they escaped. David and his men slaughter the enemy, retrieve their families and possessions, and go home.
As they are returning, men who are called “wicked and worthless,” who were among those who went into battle, said that the two hundred who stayed with the baggage should get nothing because they did not go to battle.
David corrects this, saying, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us” (23). He continues, “For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike” (24).

So…the message:

I see a number of lessons we can draw from this as men:

  1. Are there people in your life who are in the “background” or “behind the scenes” of your victories. Because you know the stuff is protected and well maintained, you have the confidence to run off to battle. As men, we tend to have a “to the victor goes the spoils” mentality. Be sure to reflect on, and honor, and share with others.
  2. Our victories come from the Lord. It is written down that the men were “wicked and worthless” who thought otherwise. They concentrated on their own strength and victory. Rather, look to the Lord who strengthens us.
  3. Is there someone today, who you can encourage? Support staff? Mentor/teacher? Spouse? We can all “share the spoils” by letting someone know that we appreciate how they “watch over the baggage” so we can do our jobs.
  4. We should be sure to recognize that all good things come from the Lord, and we all benefit from Jesus sharing with us in His victory. We are to have this same attitude in us and share with others as He gave so freely to us.

MOLESKIN:
It wasn’t a perfect example by any means, but as one man seemed to be doing the work of hard exercise and moving the stones, while the other stayed “at base,” doing the easier exercise, there was a potential for resentment. But when we swapped, we saw that the “base” work was hard too!

Thanks for helping me have a great VQ! 🙂

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
not sure of any announcements and there were no FNG’s

 

Repeating the Word

THE SCENE: About 60 or so and clear. Not a pool in sight.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: I’m not a professional. COVID distancing. Cell Phone ICE. Repeat of my VQ (small modifications)

WARM-O-RAMA:
All of these are OYO but started by the Q:

3 x Inchworms forward (moving arms only)
3 x Inchworms backward (moving legs)
3 x Toe Touch Squat and Reach (3 each arm)
3 x Werewolf (downward dog to upward dog back to downward dog = 1 rep)
3 x Stationary lunges forward (3 each leg)
3 x Stationary lunges left
3 x Stationary lunges right
3 x Stationary lunges backward (3 each leg)
3 x Merkins (hold plank)
3 x Diamond Merkins (hold plank)
3 x Wide Merkins (hold plank)
5 x Tempo Merkins (recover)

THA-THANG:
From the AO to Freshman Hill past the coupon pile, Double Applesauce (aka 2-column) Falling Indian Run doing Burpees until you reach the back of your line and fall in.

Individual Competition: Exercise then Mary
33 of each of the following and once done do the corresponding Mary exercise until the Q calls recover:

Exercise F3 Name Mary until Q calls done
Lunges touch ground w/hands El Capitan Pickle Pounders
Down dog to up dog Werewolf Freddie Mercuries
Burpees Burpees BBS
Starters (like Monkey Humper but the toe of one foot is directly behind the heel of the other). Do 33 each leg forward N/A LBC

Team DORA Competition: (teams of 3 were did not turn out as well as it did last year)
1 person running or at Station 1 / 2. Rotation is as follows:
Station 1, run up the stairs and back down to Station 2, Station 2, run to Station 1

Variations
Station # Base Exercise 1st Rd 2nd 3rd 4th
1 Squats Parallel Below Parallel Pistol Quarter
1 Stationary Lunge Forward Left Right Backward
2 Merkins Normal Diamond Tempo Wide
2 CMU’s Colt ’33’s OHP Tricep Extensions (Bent Over) Rows

I said this last time but I really mean it for Team Dora – next time we do Team DORA I’ll probably still have 2 stations but more reps per exercise and maybe fewer exercises at the station and/or variations, writing it out linearly what each team should do. All feedback is still welcome!

Repeat Double Applesauce Falling Indian Run(Do-ah-diddy variation)  but you can fall off and just get in at the back of the line. S/O to Erector for pushing it and doing burpees the whole way back which encouraged me to do some too!

MARY:
One dealer’s choice – Dart Gun led about a million (okay actually 30) hello dolly’s and the Q led 18 LBC’s (both IC) until the 6:15 alarm sounded on my watch.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

19 PAX. No FNG’s but welcome Dumpster Dive from Shamrock!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I cannot believe it has been a year since my VQ! Over this past year so much has changed. God saw 2020 coming but I can tell you He has been faithful every step of the way. From physical distancing (I’m not being antisocial with anyone in these trying times!) to the coming election to Zoom calls ad nauseum to being so thankful for what God is doing in and through all the chaos and confusion it has truly been good in spite of all the trials that have come.

God and His Word never change. Just as last year, how important it the Bible is hasn’t changed and seems to only increase when it seems the earth beneath us might move any moment now. As we know, God’s Word NEVER returns void. So again, to emphasize the importance of putting the Word in our hearts and our minds and letting it fill us, I recited from memory Colossians 3:1-17 (this is why we did 3 and 33 of everything today ICYMI):

If, then, you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, you also will appear with Him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, & covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked when you were living in them, but now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its desires, and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Here there is not Greek & Jew, circumcised & uncircumcised, Barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

Put on then as God’s chosen ones, holy & beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing songs and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

God’s Word is so important to us we should prioritize it over everything. We should take it in slowly, daily, and consistently. It should be more precious to use than anything and we should fight to put it before us so we are changed by it and have it ready at all times when we are under spiritual attack or temptation from anywhere. It does so much for us (2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:9-11, and many more).

One additional note I want to personally reiterate from 5k’s “Window Shopping on Hardin Valley” Q on  Wednesday: “Log Speck” applies here. I haven’t been intentionally churning over and over and memorizing the Bible like I was at this time last year.

3 questions to consider about God’s Word:

1. Are you prioritizing time in the Word and with Christ above all else?
This means over breakfast, lunch, sleep, Netflix, even F3 and working out. Nothing is more important than Christ’s Word.

2. Are you memorizing Christ’s Word so it is always with you, dwelling in you richly?
-Next up on my list to memorize is Ephesians 1:15-23 and James 1 (all 27 verses). These have been on the list for some time but just as I would say I’m not going to let it discourage me, don’t let something you haven’t done that you should do discourage you!
-There are many tips and tricks to memorization I’d be glad to discuss with you (just ask!), but the main thing is just like F3: show up and do it! You’ll get better faster from just reading and trying to memorize while asking God to bring your heart into alignment with not only loving His Word but a passion for the verses He puts on your heart to memorize – and if you don’t feel a zeal for God’s word then start with verses about treasuring God’s Word like Psalm 119:11, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and Romans 10:17 to chew on them over and over and get the flavor so that you crave His Word like your favorite food!
-Fast from other things and devote time to the Bible. This is huge when we feel like home and work and life all blur together in 2020. Take intentional time to just be along with the Bible. 5 minutes, a half day off work, even a yearly weekend retreat to spend time with God’s Word are possible if you plan them.

3. Are you talking about God’s Word with people in your life?
With your wife, your kids, your small group, other F3 HIMs, friends, & coworkers. Unsaved and nominal. And of course and most importantly with God Himself through praying His Word back to him!

MOLESKIN:
Praise for my friend Sam’s 5th surgery post-accident going well. Prayed for Brenda, Chris, and Steve. S/O to Booster for sending us a message from the airport about reading backblasts while he was heading back to Ktown.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-F3 JUCO Pre-order shirt deadline is October 24th, 2020 (that’s tomorrow if you’re reading this the on the day this workout was done!)
-In lieu of the F3 Brolympics this year we’re having a Convergence at #the-asylum and ICYMI F3 Knoxville will have a new Nantan. Come and see who our new Knoxville PAX leader of VAPE will be!

STOPPING FOR BISCUITS ‘N GRAVY

THE SCENE: Damp and in the 50’s

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER✔

WARM-O-RAMA:
(All IC, sets of 10): Cherry Pickers, Windmills, Tempo Merkins, Tempo Squats
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Courtyard brick walls, stopping along the way for the QIC to send a quick text message (while PAX hold an Al Gore) to Sargent Slaughter to let him know where his Hardship Hill tools were staged at the QIC’s house……..then 10 Burpees. Stopped again for 20 Merkins.  Stopped again for 30 Squats.  Stopped again for 40 Dips……

Finally at Courtyard walls and inner oval pathway……Seabiscuit style circuit:

  • 10 Burpees, 20 Merkins, 30 Squats, 40 Dips, Run 1 Lap
  • 10 Burpees, 20 Merkins, 30 Squats, 40 Dips, Run 2 Laps
  • 10 Burpees, 20 Merkins, 30 Squats, 40 Dips, Run 3 Laps (stopped for time)

Mosey to Coupon Pile:

  • 30 Coupon Curls, 30 Coupon Tricep Extensions
  • 20 Coupon Curls, 20 Coupon Tricep Extensions
  • 10 Coupon Curls, 10 Coupon Tricep Extensions

Mosey back to shovel flag.

MARY:
Dealer’s Choice (practiced cadence calls): Freddy Mercury, Hello Dolly, Shoulder Taps, Flutter Kicks, Imperial Walkers, Mountain Climbers.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
8 Men not afraid of a little rain.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
QIC discussed his practice of sticking to tasks, to-do’s etc throughout his day – sometimes being so focused on what he perceives as priority, he misses the call to help another person as he’s either “too busy” or it’s “inconvenient.”  Jesus was not like that.  We see this in Mark 10: 46-52, when Jesus heals a blind man days away crucifixion and in the midst of his mission to save the world. With all he had going on, the crowd, the knowledge that he would soon die a brutal death, Jesus stopped – dead in his tracks – for a poor blind beggar.

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Pray that each of us become more like Jesus in this story – that we can set aside “priority” tasks, to-do’s, and other orders to stop, listen and obey the Holy Spirit’s call on our lives.

MOLESKIN:
N/A
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F @ Bomb Shelter Saturday

Use Your Words

THE SCENE:  48 and clear.  Perfect for a beatdown.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER:  Administered. 
WARM-O-RAMA:
 

Overhead clap IC x 8
Seal jacks IC x 8
Hillbilly walkers
Knee tap merkins
Mountain climbers
Monkey humpers

Grab a block…

Tempo curls
Tempo shoulder press
Tempo squat
Let it hang

THA THANG:

Heavy suicide.  Rifle carry CMU to line 1.  25 heavy freddies (4 ct).  Mosey carry back.  30 CMU curls.  Repeat with lines 2 and 3.

Bearicide – Bear crawl 1 line, do 1 donkey kick, crawl bear back, do 1 CMU thruster.  Repeat w/ lines 2-7, donkey kick and thruster reps equal the number line (e.g. line 7 = 7 donkey kicks and 7 thrusters…)

Doracide.  Partner up.  P1 runs to first island and does 2 burpees then back, run to second island and does 2 burpees then back.  P2 does exercises.  Switchero.
Team does 100 CMU squat curls, 150 uneven merkins, 200 heavy LBCs

Block work with serpentine run.  20 Triceps. 15 curls, 10 shoulder press.  Run serpentine around the islands (about ¼ mile total).  Sprint the straights, jog the curves.

MARY:

Sprint to a line.  First one there calls out an ab exercise and leads IC.  Got through flutter kicks, pickle pounders, pickle pointers.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

9 plus 3 Rushers

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Inspiration for this morning’s Word came from the Hardship Hill race, which several of us competed in two weeks ago.  The event was raising funds and awareness for Operation Enduring Warrior, an organization that provides rehabilitation opportunities for wounded military and law enforcement veterans.  As the race was being introduced, a combat veteran came to the microphone and said this… “Two years ago, I went onto the back deck of my house, put a gun into my mouth, and pulled the trigger.”  Mercifully, the gun misfired.  He went on to start working with the awesome men and women of OEW.  That organization helped him rehabilitate, and now he is helping others work through trials.

Closer to home… The division I work in has 19 people – about half are my staff, about half are my peers.  Last summer, we had an intern – an engineering student from UT.  For 8 weeks, he worked with us 8 hours a day, sat near us, ate with us, and laughed with us.  At the end of the summer, he went back to school to finish his senior year – and we talked about having him back during Christmas break.  But by this time last year, he was dead.  That young man who had just spent so much time around me and my colleagues had killed himself.  You know what?  None of us had any idea that he was suffering from depression.  We spent months living most of our days right next to him, and we had no idea.  I’ve replayed conversations with him – and cannot think of one word he said that indicated he was suffering.

 

Quick story to make a point…

Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible…”  That was the first line in a speech given by Teddy Roosevelt 108 years ago today – October 14, 1912.  The second line was a bombshell – and it revealed why he needed utter silence from the crowd that evening… “I don’t know whether you fully understand…that I have just been shot”. 

The 53-year-old former president was in Milwaukee, campaigning for a third term.  He stepped out of his hotel and into an open car waiting to take him to an auditorium where he would deliver a speech.  As he stood up in the open-air automobile and waved his hat, a would-be assassin fired his Colt .38 revolver straight into Roosevelt’s chest.  Roosevelt reached inside his heavy overcoat and felt a dime-sized bullet hole on the right side of his chest. Having handled guns as a hunter, a cowboy, and an officer during the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt knew enough to put a finger to his lips to see if he was bleeding from the mouth. When he saw that he was not, he concluded that the bullet had not entered his lung.  An accompanying doctor naturally told the driver to head directly to the hospital, but Roosevelt gave a different order; “You get me to that speech.”

They took Roosevelt to the arena.  He went to the podium and stunned his audience by opening his shirt to show the bleeding wound.  Then he took out his manuscript, showed that the bullet had passed through it, and said, “…(this) probably saved me from (the bullet) going into my heart.”  His nervous aides positioned themselves around the podium to catch him if he collapsed, and they begged him to stop speaking.  He answered their petitions with a glare – and went on to give an 87-minute long speech…with that bullet still lodged in his chest (what a dude!).

After the campaign event, Roosevelt went to a hospital.  X-rays showed the bullet lodged against his fourth right rib – and confirmed Roosevelt’s self-diagnosis.  The bullet had halted on an upward path to his heart.  It had been slowed by the manuscript – a 53-page speech, folded double, and held in his breast pocket.

The message is this; the way you use your words can save your life. 

 

The point:  If you are depressed, don’t suffer alone and in silenceThe way you use your words can save your life  If you can tell someone, “I need help… I need prayer… I’m depressed… I have thoughts of killing myself...” – those words might just save your life…

If you are suffering with depression or thoughts of suicide – brother, TALK TO SOMEONE.

Talk to me or anyone else in F3.  Talk to another trusted friend, or a minister, or a counselor, call a hotline and talk to a total stranger…just talk to someone.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 (The Message translation).  “By yourself you’re unprotected.  With a friend, you can face the worst.  Can you round up a third?  A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.”  Maybe you think that your confidant will react with alarm or judgement – but don’t believe that lie for a second.  What you’ll hear is some version of, “It took real balls to share that with me – thank you.  Now, let’s do the work to get you through this and back on your feet.”

One CDC study has estimated that a little over 40% of your peers have experienced symptoms of depression during COVID, and 11% (ELEVEN PERCENT!!!!) have seriously considered suicide.  White men are a high-risk population – dying at 3.5 times the rate of other demographics.

Men, we must talk to each other about hard things.  We must listen closely to each other and remain alert for signs of a brother in despair.  We must look out for each other and speak life to one another. 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue”.  Proverbs 18:21 (CSB)

MOLESKIN:

Around the time COVID started, I remember somebody posting on the F3 main chat an alarming statistic about an uptick in suicides – particularly in men.  The response to that post was one of the coolest things that I’ve ever seen a group of men do – several posts rapid-fire, all with the same basic message, “if you need to talk, call me!” and a phone number.  I’ve never been prouder to be a part of this remarkable group of men. 

T-Claps to Steam and Tank for talking about depression and suicide awareness during Episode 2 of the F3 Knoxville Podcast. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Convergence at the Bomb Shelter this Saturday.

Mini Hardship Hill

THE SCENE: Post rain gloom. Soggy slimy but not wet.  In the gloom but not of the gloom.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER: You heard the man, we are not professionals.
WARM-O-RAMA:

* Go review the laid out course and answer questions – then get to it!
THA-THANG: A Mini Hardship Hill

The hardship hill event https://dirtybirdevents.com/hardship-hill-ocr/ On October 3rd had 34 obstacles and so do we. Those obstacles were laid out in a 2.5 mile loop. Our course is about 1/4 mile loop.  This will be an 35 Minute AMRAP (As many rounds as possible).

  1. Progressive Sprint
  2. Bernie
  3. Bear Crawl (for three parking lot stalls)
  4. Broad jump for four parking stalls
  5. Reverse Bear crawl for 5 parking lot stalls
  6. Walk the elevated ledge
  7. Bridge Merkin Shuffle
  8. Stair Loops
  9. Poll Bridge Crawl
  10. Spinning Shuffle
  11. Box Jumps
  12. Squats
  13. Merkins
  14. SSH
  15. American Hammers
  16. Imperial Walkers
  17. Burpees
  18. Box Jumps
  19. Lunges
  20. Flutters
  21. Stair Loops
  22. Dips
  23. R. Side Straddles
  24. Bench Leg Lifts
  25. Mtn Climbers
  26. L. Side Straddles
  27. Freddie Mercuries
  28. Gas Pumps
  29. Hello Dolly’s
  30. Big Boys
  31. Dips
  32. Bunny Hops
  33. Bear Crawl Over 5 Picnic Tables
  34. Incline Burpee Hop Overs.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I love the bible app and it’s reading plans. Regardless that it took me 5 years to get through the 1 year plan, I could use the tool to really see that I read the whole thing.  Now I’m using the four streams plan which is a 2x NT and 1x OT reading in a year.  I’m already way behind in it but still enjoy the variety and thoroughness it enforces upon me. Currently I’m reading through Hebrews (one of my favorites) and Exodus.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”[f]

I plead with you to be grateful today … for everything.

MOLESKIN:
As always I hope they all had fun and pushed themselves beyond their limits!  We were able to finish about one lap.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • F3 Podcast
  • Bombshelter T-Shirt Pre-Order: https://f3.mudgear.com/products/f3-alcoa-bombshelter-pre-order
  • Slack Daily Challenge channel: https://app.slack.com/client/TP1NZP6Q3/C01AXNTD6EP/thread/C013Q6N5BDF-1602445568.110900
  • Oct 17th, Convergence and 3rd F at Bombshelter