F3 Knoxville

Be There

THE SCENE:

Cloudy with a chance of burpees.  No rain.  Around 70ish degrees or so.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

I’m still not an expert, so it’s still free and the usual disclaimers.


WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 20, baby arm circles forward x 20, baby arm circles backward x 20, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, tempo squats x 10, tempo merkins x 10, cherry pickers x 5.

That was going to be it as I had just mentioned to Preacher (who was back from AZ) that we would not do burpees because they are not a warm-up, but Cheat Sheet arrived at that time, so we did 5 burpees OYO.

PAX counted off – 24 HIMS, so, when we do reps, we will do 24 of them.

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Everest via the long, windy path with all of the light posts (not sure if it has a name).  Pass a light post, do a burpee.

Carolina dry docks x 24 at the bottom of Everest

Run up to the first tree, do 24 squats

Run back to the bottom of Everest, do 24 merkins and then hold plank until the six arrives and finishes the merkins

Rinse and repeat, this time running to the second tree up Everest and back

Rinse and repeat, this time running to the tree at the top of Everest and back

Back at the bottom of Everest, we were on the wrong side of Everest, so we had to run all the way to the top of Everest to the area formerly-known-as the rock pile (we skipped the exercises on this trip)

Mosey to the monument for some family that gave a lot of money where the normally-wonderful view of the sunrise was dampened by clouds, but it did not affect the 24 American hammers that we did on a 4-count

Mosey to the CMU pile and battle-buddied up

One person runs across the parking lot, down the hill, around the Pavilon (counter-clockwise), stops at the picnic tables in the Pavilon, does 24 pull-me-up rows on the tables, and returns to the CMU pile

The other person does Mr. Spectaculars using the CMU until his battle buddy returns

Switch out and repeat – each person ended up doing each exercise at least twice

Mosey to the Cloud and find a bench

Derkins x 24

Dips x 24

Box jumps (or step ups) x 24

Only had time for one round of those before holding a plank until the six finished

While planking, right arm up, right leg up, down, left arm up, left leg up, down

Mosey to the AO

MARY:

Proton led the PAX through some flutter kicks while the Q grabbed his phone, and Proton didn’t stop until 30 (on the 4-count) for some reason (after all of those reps of 24, you would think he would have gotten it, but Proton loves exercise so much, he probably just wanted to do those extra 6 reps)

Q returned and led the PAX through box cutters x 30 and hello Dollys x 30 (both on the 4-count) since Proton went to 30

Finished out with boat/canoes until time expired (some PAX mumbled that the workout went over, but it was 8:00 by the Q’s watch, which is the only time that matters – and it matched the time on the Q’s cell phone, for what it’s worth)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

We started with 24 and ended with 25.  Assfault completed a Flyin EH on someone he knew along the way, so we were able to welcome Real Chill.  Another FNG started with us and ended with us – welcome Caitlyn.  Tank, the dog, also joined us.

Nacho and Jumbo were also there, but they did not have tags that showed up, so there are only 23 tags, but there were 25 HIMs.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Caedmon’s Call had a song out in the 90s called Center Aisle that was about the writer’s first experience at a funeral, which happened to be the funeral of his friend’s sister who had committed suicide.  It is a good song, check it out if you haven’t already.  This line from the song has always stuck with me: “There aren’t words to say/Words aren’t remembered/But presence is.”

Show up.  Hopefully, we can also say the right things and do the right things, too, but we can’t if we don’t show up first.  And, if we can’t say and do the right thing that will make everything better, then at least we can be there, which is important, both in bad times and good times.  There are moments in people’s lives that they will remember who was there and who was not, e.g., funerals and weddings, and often times we would rather not be there because it makes us uncomfortable or it is too much of a hassle or whatever.  But that doesn’t matter.  What matters is this: should we be there for that person for that moment in his/her life?  (I’m not talking about the times that you cannot because of work, family, or other commitments – I’m not suggesting that we, as humans, can be everywhere and do everything.  I’m talking about the times that you can, but you just don’t.)

The Bible has a lot of references to God’s presence in our lives, e.g., Matthew 18:20, Matthew 28:20, and John 14:18, and Jesus is the manifestation of God’s presence.  Let God be present in your life and then be there for your wives/girlfriends (as long as you don’t have both at the same time), be there for your kids, be there for your parents, be there for your other family members, and be there for your friends.

Your presence will be remembered.  Your absence may not be forgotten.

MOLESKIN:

Props to Archie for posting after being up since Friday morning.  And, he took the message to heart and attended a wedding the same day that he thought about missing.  How about that?  That is either good timing or bad timing.  Part of me wants to apologize to Archie since he probably needed to sleep.  

Good to see Preacher again as always. 

Abscess took a lot of photos and videos. 

Still praying for Junk’s wife. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Someone said something about something that was coming up, but I can’t remember what it was now.  It might have been about the IronPax Challenge and/or Truckin to the Pound on 9/14.  I do know that there is a 2.0 event coming up on 9/22, but I did not say that then.

CMU, CMMe… CM4always, That’s the Way It Should Be

THE SCENE: There was weather.  I think.  It might have felt a little cooler than recent, I forget.  Once we got going, sweat volume was unchanged.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x25 IC
CherryPickers x9 IC
Imperial Squat Walkers x15 IC
Tempo Merkins x15 IC (reduce cadence speed after each 5)
Go get some CMUs and circle back up!
Round-the-Blocks merkins to the right, then to the left (11 each way)
Blockee Hop x5 OYO (demo exercise for later) – Burpee with hands on CMU, leave it on the ground and hop over.
Blocky Hurley x5 OYO (demo exercise for later) – Bobby Hurley holding CMU
Merky-Derky x5 OYO (demo exericse for later) – Merkin on block, bear crawl forward, derkin with feet on block, bear crawl back (that’s 1)

THA-THANG:
Mosey with blocks over to the Dragon and pair up in groups of 3.
One PAX up the hill (with CMU), one at bottom (with CMU) one in transition.
Do each exercise until relieved by PAX in transition. Advance to next exercise in list upon return.

Transition:

Uphill: Bernie Sanders
Downhill: Bear Crawl

Top of the hill:
Overhead Press
Pull-over
Lawn Mower
Upright Row
Forward Press
Merky Derky
Curl

Bottom of the hill:
Squat
Step-up (onto vertical CMU)
Overhead Lunge
Calf Raise
Blocky Hurley
Blockee Hop
Lunge (back foot on block)

PAX complained about lack of preparation for Q by YHC – Grass on the hill had not been adequately dried off in advance, leading to somewhat slippery conditions.
MARY:
Dagnabbit, outta time again.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 PAX came out for this CMUesday!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
This week marks the second anniversary of my first Q. I encourage everyone, if you’ve not tried it, take the plunge. It’s leadership, it’s service, and it’s fun!
MOLESKIN:
The AO was a bit of a mess this morning due to someone firing off a bunch of fireworks in the parking lot. Thanks to everyone for hanging around afterward and cleaning it up!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Watch for info about 3rd F coming next month!

Smile! You’re on Candid Camera!

THE SCENE: Low 70’s, high humidity.  Easy to get the muscles warm.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 25 (4 ct); Imperial Squat Walkers x 15; mosey around the circuit for a preview of each station

THA-THANG:
Divide into 5 groups, 1 group per station as follows:

Station 1: Baby Cardiac.

Bernie up the hill.  3 burpees.  Back down.  3 burpees. Sprint up the hill.  3 burpees.  Back down.  Wagon wheel to pick up the 6 and finish together.  Mosey to Station 2 and bump that group on.

Station 2:  Brickyard Bearcrawl:  Bearcrawl across parking lot, 1 derkin with feet on curb.  Bearcrawl back, 2 derkins. Bearcrawl across again, 3 derkins.  Etc till you reach 10 derkins.  Then Flutters x 25 (4 ct).  Repeat till you’ve been bumped.

Station 3:  Doras in the opposite parking lot.  Partner up for 50 man makers, and then as many monkey humpers as you can get before you’re bumped.

Station 4:  The cloud for 11s of Box Jumps/ Dips and then BBS/CDD.  Rinse and repeat till bumped.

Station 5:  CMU station.  With 2 CMUs set up, dips to a sitting position and then back up.  At the highest point, touch head with one hand, then another dip.  Next up, touch head with other hand.  Do 20 of these, then 25 curls.  Rinse and repeat till bumped.

I believe everybody got through one circuit at every station.

MARY:
Boat/Canoe for 4 minutes.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
We focused on Lou Gehrig and the type of character demonstrated over a lifetime to feel like you are “the luckiest man on the face of the Earth” in the face of adversity like being diagnosed with ALS in the prime of your life.  It was inspired by listening to an F3 podcast about Crablegs (from the Raleigh area, not our own Crablegs) who has been diagnosed with ALS and is on a tour of the country visiting F3 AOs and MLB ballparks with his family, all while demonstrating the same strength of character we saw with the “Ironman” and his famous speech at Yankee Stadium.  Gehrig gave his famous speech on July 4, 1939.  He died less than 2 years later, June 2, 1941.  If you want to watch his speech some of his speech and the background , there’s a nice segment here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLoq_st_JEo

MOLESKIN:
Thanks to Filter for following us around to get some great photos and his work on updating our website and social media.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

47 Problems…

Warm-o-rama

  • Side Straddle hop X 47
  • Imperial Walkers x 20
  • Little baby arm circles Front x 25 and back x 15, overhead 20
  • Burpees x 5

47 Problems

2 Sets 47 each exercise and take the hill between

  • Merkins
  • Get-ups
  • Curls w/ CMU
  • Squats (sit on CMU)
  • 4-count Mountain Climbers
  • Triceps extensions w CMU

Burpees

  • 4 x and 7x Burpees

Aborama

  • Flutter Kick x 25
  • Box Cutter x 10
  • Peter Parker x 10

Expectations

Expectations can rob you of your Joy.    At some point in life you are going to be let down by the things that the world holds on to so tightly.  A job, a spouse, a child, a parent, money,….you fill in the blank.  We are designed by the creator in such a manner that none of these things will ever fill the need we have for Christ.  If we are looking for Joy and expecting to get fulfillment in life from any of these things we will be let down.   Christ is the only thing that we can rely on to fulfill and sustain us through good times and bad.   It is easy to fall into the trap of setting our hope and expectations on things of this world both big and small.   I pray that we would all have our foundations in Christ and Christ alone and that he would help us to right size our expectations on the things that we hold on to the tightest

Happy Birthday, America! With fireworks and beat downs- 1776 Challenge

THE SCENE: It’s July, so warm and humid!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Begin with a bang!  Fireworks provided by Code Brown while we warm up with SSH x 50, Squats x 50, Moroccan Nightclubs x 50 and Overhead claps x 50.
THA-THANG:

Despite the Q’s best efforts to plan out a very organized workout to get everybody to Patriot or American Eagle status, things fell apart rather quickly as the PAX finished things at different intervals and moved on to the next exercise.  In the end, we all completed the 1776 challenge, with 4 PAX (Swimmies, Gobbler, Trolly, and Cheatsheet) doing double time and finishing the American Eagle.  Everybody else became Patriots today.  We broke up the pull ups.

Everybody started the mile run together.  Everybody gathered around the flag at the Pavalon together for flutter kicks and plank jacks, and everybody finished together with the bear crawl to the flag and burpees.

MARY:
None today!
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
1.  When our founding HIMS adopted the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin famously said “we must all hang together, or we will surely hang separately.”  There is a lesson here for us today.  We cannot and should not battle alone.  Rely on your brothers and in turn, support them as well.  Great things can be accomplished!

2.  The Declaration of Independence established a new nation built on the idea that “all men are created equal,” that we have the right to pursue our happiness (not the same as the right to be happy!).  As Abraham Lincoln noted almost 90 years later, that a country could be so formed and survive was not a sure thing.  And we have not, as a country, lived up to that idea.  But what makes our country special among all other nations is that we continue to strive toward that idea.  F3 is dedicated moving this country forward toward that very idea.
MOLESKIN:
4 American Eagles, including an FNG (welcome Gobbler!) and 8 Patriots today!
ANNOUNCEMENTS: