F3 Knoxville

Tag: Mermaid

This Is 2020 (Without Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters)

THE SCENE: Rainy, low to mid 50s

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH x 20, baby arm circles forward x 20, baby arm circles backward x 20, 20-second plank, Pilates push-ups x 20 (10 each leg – merkins with left leg raised up x 10 followed by merkins with right leg raised up x 10), tempo squats x 20

THA-THANG:
Mosey to CMU pile via the Dragon’s Tail stopping at each light pole to do an exercise x 20 reps – alternating between merkins and squats

Pickup a CMU and mosey to the pavilon

CMU curls x 20 followed by 20-second recovery, rinse and repeat for 4 rounds (80 total reps)

Mosey to Crawdad’s Yoga Studio

Carolina dry docks x 20 followed by 20-second recovery, rinse and repeat for 4 rounds (80 total reps)

Mosey back to pavilon for table rows using the same reps and recovery as before

Mosey back to the yoga studio for flutter kicks, same schedule

Mosey back to the pavilon for CMU overhead presses, same schedule

Mosey back to the yoga studio for more Pilates push-ups, same schedule – Cheatsheet and Crawdad started singing the Hokey Pokey Song and dubbed the Pilates push-ups the “Hokey Pokeys”

Mosey back to the pavilon, pick up the CMUs and mosey to the CMU pile to return them

Mosey to Cardiac with just a few minutes to spare, so we only had time for one run up Cardiac and to the AO without stopping for any exercises

MARY:
We ran out of time for Mary, but we did get some ab work in during the workout

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 HIMs getting better in the rain on the first Saturday workout at the Asylum in 2020

Veggie was here, but he is not in the group, so I couldn’t tag him.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
It is a new year and a new decade and no one knows what it holds.  It could be the year that someone is added to your life, or it could be the year that someone is taken away.  It could be the year of the promotion, or it could be the year of the demotion.  It could be the year of kindergarten, or it could be the year of graduation.  It could be the year of the big win, or it could be the year of the big loss.  Regardless, you don’t need a resolution, you need a constitution, a foundation.  On a big scale, it should be God, your family, your friends, etc.  But, it can be anything that grounds you.  It can even be as simple as the F3 workouts.  The asphalt, concrete, and grass do not change, and they are always there waiting for you whether you have a good day/week or a bad day/week.  They are checkpoints after good times or bad and before whatever lies ahead.  If nothing else, start there and build.  Have a good new year but not just for what good fortunes may come your way during the year but based on what you keep your eye on and focus on while the year goes by

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Pinto, Flashback 2, Lady Tank, Cheatsheet’s family, Lady Junk, and Veggie going back for another semester of college
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Party at Tank’s house on 1/10

Still need money for pull up bars for the Dog Pound

Mt. JUCOnte – Round 2

THE SCENE: 50ish and raining. Wet, very wet.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Barely, but got it done.
WARM-O-RAMA:
10 x Windmills, 10 x Hairy Rockettes, 10 x Tempo Merkins, 10 x Mtn Climbers
THA-THANG:
Mosey across the street and past Mikata parking lot to Mt. JUCOnte!

Demonstration of five exercises to be performed along the five light poles up the center of the road.

Progressive workout performed as such:

Complete first station then run to second and complete. Run back to start and complete stations 1-3. Run back to start then complete stations 1-4. Run back to start then complete stations 1-5.

Stations:

  1. 10 x Burpees
  2. 20 x 4-count Mtn Climbers
  3. 3 x Clockwork Merkins (performed on steepest part of hill) (perform one merkin at 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock by rotating yourself after each merkin. one rep = one time around the clock)
  4. 40 x Monkey Humpers
  5. 50 x 4-count SSH

This is a  true grinder up Mt. JUCOnte and proved once again to be a tough one, but the PAX pushed through and got work done.

Mosey back to the shovel flag for some Mary.

MARY:
5 minutes of Quick-fire Mary.

10 reps of an exercise as called by a member of the PAX. Immediately upon completion, the next PAX in line calls out the next exercise. We did BBS, Breast Stroke, Flutter Kicks, LBCs, BBS, Shoulder Taps, Box Cutters, and SSH

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
19 HIMs tackled Mt. JUCOnte in the pouring rain. 2 FNGs defied all odds to come out on a rainy, cold day. Welcome Tinker Bell and White Noise!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
As we start a new year, reflect on your commitments in 2019 and learn to say “No” to those that don’t benefit more than just you. In 2020, my goal is to say “No” to those things that only benefit me and take time/passion away from my faith and my family.
MOLESKIN:
Shoutout to Tinker Bell and White Noise for making the HC to come out on such a nasty day. I felt bad having their first Q be such a grinder, but they both killed it.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hardship Hill – Mandolin has stepped up to design the obstacles that JUCO will be building for race day. Let’s work with him on collecting the needed materials. Keep an eye out for a future workday to get the obstacles built.

New Year’s Day at JUCO

THE SCENE: 35 Degrees, a slight wind, but otherwise comfortable.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
The Motivator from 10
THA-THANG:

Mosey to the pond .75 miles
Warmup exercises
Karaoke
Walking Lunges
Cherry Pickers
1 mile run
once finished, find people still running and encourage them, pick up cones
Push up PT test
Sit up PT test
Mosey to AO

I will add a tab to Mandolin’s spreadsheet, so that if we want to repeat these, we have a baseline to measure improvement.  See link here.  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QvJB3KJoW9XvUVQYBBMQ-kUdJR3yOgKx_jjZbzyHQxY/htmlview# 

Results from testing:

January 1, 2020
PAX Weight Mile Time Pushups in 2 min BBS in 2 Min
Booster 9:16 45 47
Cheatsheet 8:08 100 61
Erector 6:07 81 50
Hurry Can 7:06 41 50
Judge Judy 6:57 75 55
Mailbox 6:45 41 50
Mandolin 11:29 55 40
Mermaid 199 N/A 56 50
Ralph 9:05 15 33
Spotter 6:06 68 57

MARY:
The mile run and additional warm up exercises took longer than expected.  No time for Mary.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 guys, no FNG’s today  Ralph was here too, but not yet entered into the website, so he can’t yet be tagged.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
The new year an new beginnings.  I spoke about my professional life, and some challenges that led me to the where I am professionally today.  Don’t be afraid to make a professional change.
MOLESKIN:
Prayer Requests:
Cheetsheet – Pray for his family
Booster –  A friend named Jim Johnson who recently passed.  His family and their grief.
Judge Judy – His Wife’s family member Chris Kerr who is gay and is having issues with his family because of his decision to come out.
Mailbox – his wife has had some good days, continued prayer for her hart condition because the cause is still not known.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Polar Bear Plunge New Years day at noon, clown car options avail.
F3 New Year’s Party on Friday night 1/3 @ 7:00PM.

When you can’t do anything dumber…Totally redeem yourself

THE SCENE: post rain – 53 degrees and clear.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
15 SSH, 5 Cherry pickers, 5 tempo merkins, 5 tempo squats
THA-THANG:

  • Indian run with back two men racing to the front (ran to the rear parking lot in front of the ‘Stadium’ hill.
  • 3 x Circuit Breaker – broadjump two parking stalls, lunge one parking stall to the end of the parking lot. Alternate sprinting forward, shuffle, bernie, shuffle, burpee in each parking lot stall until reaching the start point.
  • 11s on Stadium Hill – Hip thrusters on the parking lot, sprint up the hill, monkey humpers at the top of the hill.
  • Dora – 100 merkins, 200 Squat Rockettes (Squakettes), 300 American Hammers (cut short on time), partner runs with CMU up the stairs and slapped the Rec Center wall.
  • Mosey back to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
31 total: 26 Pax//5 FNGs

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Classic scene in Dumb and Dumber – Just when I think you can’t do anything dumber, you go out and totally redeem yourself! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnkefjCES-4

Matthew 5:23-2423 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

When things are wrong, whether it is your fault or not, we must be about making things right. This is not an obstacle, it is an opportunity. I shared a story from my time as an officer in the Navy. A sailor opened the door to a pressurized space and it caused the door I was opening to slam, nearly taking off the fingers on my right hand. I rushed at the sailor and got about two inches from his face and started berating him. He was in the wrong and I outranked him. In the middle of yelling at him, I look down to see another sailor that I had been studying the Bible with. Seeing her replaced my anger with shame. I walked away and cooled down. About an hour later, I found the sailor I had yelled at and I apologized to him for embarrassing him and for the things I had said. Two hours later, I found the female sailor that I had previously studied the Bible with. I owned what I had said and done and shared that I had apologized to the other sailor. I shared that the anger she saw in me was the man that I had to die to daily, the man whom Christ has helped me change from. She said that she knew I had apologized because the whole crew was talking about it (it’s rare for an officer to apologize to an enlisted sailor). 15 years later, we are still close and I saw her over Thanksgiving. She is married to a preacher and they have two kids.

Just when I couldn’t do anything dumber, I totally redeemed myself in her eyes and we are both better for it. Make wrongs right and see obstacles as opportunities.

 

Struck Down But Not Destroyed

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers (four count), 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Rockettes, 10 Baby Arm Circles Forward and 10 Backward
THA-THANG:
Get Bricks out of Truck.  Mosey Across Street to Trail that meanders to gate at Lyons Bend.  We will run with bricks for five lights then do 5 Mini-Man-Makers, 10 Jump Squats, 20 Squats and 25 Wings Up (still holding bricks).  Those getting finished first run in place with bricks.  We will then run for five more lights doing same exercises when stopping but with 25 Wings Out (instead of Wings up).  We will then run five more lights doing same exercises but with 25 Wings Down.  Next, five more but with 25 Overhead Presses.  Finally we will run for five more lights and do same exercises but with 25 Rows.  We will then mosey on roadway back toward AO.  However, we will stop in lowest parking lot on way back to bear crawls to inlets with bricks.  Finally, mosey back to AO and drop off bricks.

Mosey through entrance way of northern ball fields and go to northernmost ball field.  We will number off into two teams.  One team starts at home plate and the other team starts at second base.  We will do relay race with each man running around bases before next man starts.

Mosey to striped field in outfield.  We will do suicides running to each line and back to start but doing 15 Baby
Crunches each time we come back.  Those who finish suicides first will alternate between 10 Big Boys and 10 Merkins until everyone is back.

Mosey to pavilion.  We will alternate between 25 Picnic Table Pull-ups and 25 Bench Dips. Next we will do 20 of each, then 15 of each, then 10 of each, and, finally, 5 of each.

Mosey past pitching cages at Northern Ball Fields to Cardiac Hill.  We will run up the hill stopping to the following exercises at the following locations:

  • Curve 1:  25 American Hammers (four count)
  • Curve 2:  25 Hello Dollies (four count)
  • Curve 3:  25 Decline Merkins
  • Benches:  25 Bench Dips

Mosey to CMU Pile.  We will break into teams of two each for Doras.  While one man Bernie’s to curb and sprints back, the other works on the exercises, then each man switches.  Teams will do the following exercises:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Curls
  • 100 Bell Ringers
  • 100 Rows

Mosey back to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

2 Corinthians 4:8-11

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.”

As the year of 2019 comes to a close, I have been thinking about our brother, Pinto.  This has not been an easy year for him.  As you know, he had a major heart attack at the start of the year.  His mother died later in the year.  He began to cope with exhaustion and significant weight loss and weakening of the bones that led to a break in his back and tear in his rib cage.  He found out that multiple myeloma, a disease that causes cancer cells to accumulate in the bone marrow, was causing his bone weakness, weight loss and exhaustion.  Pinto is now undergoing chemotherapy and may have to receive stem cell therapy.  All of this has certainly given him pause to think about life in ways that we usually do not slow down to do.  As he told me at UT Hospital after he was diagnosed, “Lily, don’t take the chance to exercise with your F3 brothers for granted.  It is a blessing to be able to do so.”

Pinto was willing to admit anxiety in facing his treatment for multiple myeloma.  He is not only facing difficult treatment that can lead to sickness and exhaustion – he is facing his own mortality.  That can be a horrifying task.  But, as I think of our brother, I also think about the armor he has for his fight.

Pinto has the knowledge that he has loved his family strongly.  He is a wonderful father.  I remember the time he wanted to make sure who the hell my wife, Jan, and I were when we invited his daughter, Molly, to a Children’s Hospital Event where families stayed at a local hotel.  Fortunately, his wife already knew Jan well (and had met me a number of times) and after finding out we were alright people, he allowed Molly to go with us.  But Pinto was going to make doggone sure his little girl was going to be safe.  I think of Pinto’s relationship with Hooker, the strong bond between father and son, how much pride he takes in Hooker and who Hooker has become (as well as in Molly and who she has become)  And, I think of the powerful love Pinto has for his wife, Tessa.  That love was particularly poignant that day I saw them both in the hospital.  Both of them were exhausted, Lee from recent back surgery and Tessa from the sleepless nights by his side in the hospital.  The power of their love was tangible.

Pinto also has the armor of his relationship with God.  He believes in God and knows that God will be with him no matter where the journey with multiple myeloma takes him.  Gents, how many of us have truly faced death square in the face?  When we do, will we have what Pinto has?  I know that Lee Gentry wants to beat this cancer, to live on to enjoy life with his granddaughter (Hooker’s future child) that is due in May.  I think he will.  Yet, even if that were not the case, Pinto knows where he will go when he breathes his last breath here on earth.  That has to be comforting.  He knows that life goes beyond these fragile moments here.  He has a Father in Heaven who will never abandon him and will take him Home when his days here are gone.

Finally, when I consider my friend, Lee Gentry, I know that whenever his final day comes (which will probably be after mine since I am older than he is), Christ’s life will be revealed in Lee’s mortal body.  Because Pinto, Lee Gentry, though hard pressed by cancer and persecuted from every side is living the kind of life that God wants him to live.  He will be the first to tell you that he has had and will continue to have his human moments of doubt and anger.  But, he strives for more and seeks God in doing so.  And, in so doing, he reveals the love of Christ.

So, as 2019 comes to a close, I not only pray for Pinto’s health but I give thanks for his presence in our lives.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for our brother, Pinto, and his family.  Prayers for Ed, cousin of Curveball, who died yesterday.  Prayers for Ed’s family.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day and 2nd F party (wives or partners only, no children) at Tank’s home on Friday, January 3.