F3 Knoxville

Tag: Pele

Polar Bear Plunge 2024 – You Can Do Hard Things

THE SCENE: The Townsend Wye. Freezing – low 30s + wind.


THA-THANG:
This year marked the 21st annual (official) 12-noon Polar Bear Plunge on New Years day at the Townsend Wye. While the exact origins of this tradition are somewhat unknown, Abscess, along with other HIM such as Lillydipper and Pele, has spearheaded the F3 Knoxville pilgrimage to this event for the past 5 (or 6ish?) years. Unfortunately, Abscess made the very wise decision to be somewhere tropical for New Years this year, and while we missed him in those freezing waters today, I figured this awesome tradition must go on! Over the past 3-4 years or so, I’ve personally been blessed by the opportunity to participate in this tradition, and wanted to ensure the legacy Abscess, Lilly, and Pele have built continued this year. Here’s a pic from the crew that took the Plunge in ’22.

We had a solid crew of men make the hard commit to take on the ’24 Plunge this year, and as Cheatsheet and others mentioned – “I think this was the coldest year.”

The plan for this year looked like years past:

  • 10:00am – Gather at the Northshore Starbucks to grab coffee and figure out clown cars
  • 10:30am – Head out to the Townsend Wye
  • 11:30am(ish) – park + prepare mentally and physically. Some liquid courage shared with F3 bros always helps.
  • 12pm – Take the Plunge!
    • A few words are said by the man who is credited with running this tradition for the past two decades: Phillip Colclough.
    • To officially complete the plunge, one must enter the water + submerge. There is no time limit to stay in or anything like that – thank goodness, because the water was freezing this year.

The Before

The After

After a few extremely cold group photos, we hustled back to our cars and began the trek back to the Northshore exit. We stop at the Townsend Visitors Center on the way, to change into warm clothes and try and regain some warmth back in our fingers and toes again. What makes taking the on the Plunge worth it though? The 2nd F afterwards of course! We head to the Soccer Taco off of Northshore when we return, for a healthy combination of a 2nd F lunch + Board Meeting.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Lilydipper, Pele, Brick, Glamper, Tenderfoot, Cheatsheet, Icy Hot, Steam, Pusher (joined at Soccer Taco for 2nd F!)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
-A few thoughts on this year’s PBP-

So why do the Polar Bear Plunge? I mean, it sounds insane when you really think about it. Especially given the fact that we drive into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and jump into (usually) freezing cold river water. It’s cold. Most of us are tired from the night before or the morning’s workout at one of our many AOs. Most of us haven’t done something like this since last year. We could be doing ANYTHING on New Years day, but for some reason we decided to take on the Polar Bear Plunge. Why is doing this good for you, and why does this actually make sense?

5 reasons: 

  1. Health benefits – I’m sure there are certain health benefits that come with shock therapy, cold water therapy, etc. I just haven’t done extensive research on this.
  2. Starting your year off with something challenging is good – what is going to have a more concentrated and longer-lasting impact for you at the start of the year: staying in your comfort zone or having the courage to step outside of it? There’s nothing comfortable about jumping in a freezing body of water. Especially when the conditions are in the low 30s + windy in the mountains. Throw out what happened last year. It’s a new year, and your choices matter day 1. Not only later on day 2, day 30, or day 100, but day 1. Whether you realize it or not, your choices the first day of year will set off a chain reaction of choices later down the road and throughout the rest of the year. Starting your year off with doing something challenging is good because not only is it a step in the opposite direction of coddling your comfort zone, but it also sets in motion decisions that will propel you to continue choosing to do challenging things the remainder of the year.
  3. It reinforces the importance of strong community – Just like many men who show up to an F3 workout proclaim, “I would not be out here doing this by myself.” Duh! I would never think to drive up to Townsend on New Years day when it’s super cold and jump into a freezing river by myself. But with the challenge and encouragement of F3 brothers around me – rallying together to do something challenging together? Let’s go! “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.“
  4. It proves that you can do hard things – there is something powerful about doing something hard to start the year, either by yourself or with others. In doing so, it affirms that yes, you do have the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual ability to step up to the plate of life and do hard things. What an important precedent this is, to start the year by doing something hard, and letting it echo and reverberate throughout the rest of the year.
  5. It’s symbolic – Not to get too cheesy on you the first day of the year, but to neglect the importance of the spiritual realm would be a disservice. While it may just seem like a bunch of crazy dudes going to jump into a freezing body of water on New Years day, and taking into account the four points above as well, I actually believe there is a symbolic nature to this tradition. Let me explain. Take a look at 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. If you are in Christ – you’ve been made new! Now, is there anything magical about a new calendar year, or the transition from the last day of one year to the first day of the next? Not necessarily. But historically, and I believe this to be widely adopted and popular in the United States, the new year comes with New Years resolutions, goals, and this sense of “the old has passed away, and the new has come.” As we take off our warm layers (not all of them) before jumping into the freezing cold water on New Years day, I believe this to be symbolic of “the old has passed away.” We’re getting ready to enter into freezing cold water, yes, but as will happen throughout the rest of the year and as seasons change, the old passes away and a new way or condition comes. We enter the water, submerge, and come back out. Nothing magical happens (other than the fact that we are tremendously colder than we were before). But as we come back to the surface and out of the water, I believe there is symbolism with this – “the new has come.” Or, as the Message version states – “The old life is gone; a new life emerges!” As the water washes over us, it feels cleansing, refreshing, and even healing. It feels cold, but it also feels symbolic of the grace, love, and mercy Christ washes us with every single day. To start the new year with both a physical and symbolic washing of water has proved to be an extremely refreshing tradition.

If you missed out this year, not to worry – we’re less than a year away from the next one! Thanks to all the men who rocked the ’24 Plunge this year – it was fun (sort of)!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Same day / time next year!

8 Year Anniversary Brolympics Pre-Blast

THE SCENE

Date: Saturday, November 4th, 2023

Time: 7:00am – 9:00am

Location: The Asylum AO

➡️ Register For Our 8 Year Anniversary Brolympics Here ⬅️

Click the link above to register either as a competitor or volunteer. If you’re not competing this year, please consider participating as a volunteer – to help make this event a success. Someone from our Brolympics planning team will reach out to you soon with more info.

THA-THANG:

Our Brolympics team is working on putting on an awesome event to celebrate 8 years of F3 being in Knoxville.  Stay tuned into Slack over the next few weeks as we share some of the things you can expect this year. You’ll also see updates and info in the weekly regional newsletters Kickflip sends out.

⬇️ Check out some of the photos from our anniversary / Brolympics events in the past below ⬇️

Including this epic hype video that La-Z-Boy made

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What you don’t want to do is miss this epic event!  Join F3 brothers from around Knoxville in this epic event of Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith. Iron Sharpens Iron!

-Onstar and the 2023 Brolympics Planning Team

St. Ruby

THE SCENE: Cloudy, low 70’s but muggy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 5 Burpees, 10 Iron Mikes, 4 Burpees, 10 Twistees, 3 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 2 Burpees, 7 Pterodactyls Forward and 7 Backwards, 1 Burpee, Little of This and That.
THA-THANG:
Mosey up Mini Cardiac.  We will stop to do 10 Tempo Squats.

Mosey on trail toward Lyons Bend until we get to rock pile.  We will each take a boulder to do 25 Overhead Presses, 25 Curls, 25 Tricepts, and 25 Rows.  Place boulders back in rock pile.

We will Mosey north and west on the trail until we get to a grassy area south of the trail.  There is a large tree stump near the roadway south of the grassy area.  We will stop in the grass about 50 yards away from the stump.  We will split into teams of two for Doras. While one partner runs to the stump, touches it, and runs back the other works on the exercises.  Then partners trade places.  Here are the exercises the partners do as a team:

  • 100 Hello Dollies
  • l100 Flutter Kicks
  • 100 Gas Pumps
  • 100 Freddy Mercuries
  • 200 Baby Crunches

Mosey on the perimeter trail pass the entryway from Lyons Bend and to the rock pile that is on the way to Mt. Everest.  Each man will take a boulder to do 25 Overhead Presses, 25 Curls, 25 Tricepts, and 25 Rows.

Mosey to the bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will do 20 Merkins and 20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  We will then run up Mt. Everest heading left by the split and then going to the roadway.  We will do 50 Baby Crunches and 25 Dead Bugs.

Mosey to the Space Needle.  We will go clockwise around the admin building.  First we will run up to the back porch, run across it, then run to the north side of the building.  There, do 20 Diamond Merkins.  Next, run to the front steps of the admin bldg.  Run up the right side of the stairs and run down the left side.  Next run to the south side of the building.  Do 20 Carolina Dry Docks.  Then run to the Space Needle and go up the stairs to the top and back down.  Rinse and repeat the circuit two more times.

Next we will run to the Coliseum Area. Next, we will run counter-clockwise 3/4 of the way around the circle.  At 1/4 of the way around the circle we will do 20 Squat Jumps.  At 1/2 of the way around the circle, run up the right side of the stairs of the admin bldg. and down the lefts side.  At 3/4 of the way around the circle, do 20 Smurf Jacks.  Those finishing the Smurf Jacks first sweep everyone back, clockwise, to where we started in the Coliseum Area.

Mosey to Haslam’s Rock.  We will take a 30 second gander at the best sunrise in America.

Mosey to bottom of Mini Cardiac.  We will race up Mini Cardiac.

Slow Mosey to AO.

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

St. Ruby

Matthew 20:25-28

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

Leadership comes in different forms.  I think that when we generally think of a leader, we think of someone having power or command over others such as the president, the general, the drill sergeant, the CEO, the coach, the quarterback or, yes, the N’antan.  And, certainly, those titles are examples of leadership.  But the power or command type of leadership, as Christ states in Matthew 20, is not the only form of leadership or, to God, the most desired.

Today, I want to talk about a special leader in my life.  She is my mother-in-law, Ruby Grimes.  She is such a good person that those in her family, like me, often jokingly call her St. Ruby.  What is she like?  Well, Ruby Grimes is someone that just makes you feel better in her presence.  What do you feel?  ACCEPTANCE.  With that southern voice of hers you just feel the love. Ruby is going to remember your favorite food and the next time you visit you will get that food.  For me it is always Ruby’s famous Chicken Salad.  She also remembers how I love Pecan Pie and I always get that on my birthday.

Now just because Ruby is a sweetheart does not mean that she is a pushover.  She is going to defend her Kentucky Wildcats to her dying day.  At Christmas time, Ruby has always had two Christmas trees up in the house – the normal Christmas tree and the blue and white Kentucky Wildcat tree.  When you watch a Kentucky basketball game with Ruby you must keep your hands up in the air when a Kentucky ball player is shooting a free throw shot and then come down with your hands yelling ”whoosh” after he makes the shot.

Ruby loves her grandchildren.  And, she has always thrilled with laughter to see their play.  I remember walking into her house, after taking a walk in the Grimes neighborhood, to find my two children, who were young at the time, and their cousins, who are about the same age as them, taking turn sliding down the basement stairs on an old thin mattress.  I exclaimed, what are you doing, you could mess up the stairs, tear up the mattress or get hurt!  “Naw, Gigi gave us the mattress and told us it’s ok.”  I gotta admit that I tried it a few times and had a blast.

Ruby is like a light or magnet that you are just drawn to.  If you go to the Grime’s church with her, expect to have to wait around forever after the service is over.  Ruby has all these church members crowding around her, jabbering with her before we get to ride home in the car.

It has always been tradition, since I married my wife, Jan, that, wherever we lived, we would be at the home of Ruby, and my wonderful father-in-law, Dorlan Grimes, at Christmas.  When my mother was living, she would look just as forward to going to their home for Christmas as I would.  Ruby and Dorlan were wonderful to my mother.  One year, when we were living in Utah, my mother got pneumonia and we could not go to Kentucky for Christmas.  I remember crying like a baby, not only sorry that my mother was so ill, but also that we would miss out on seeing St. Ruby and Dorlan.

Ruby is now 90 years old, as is her husband, Dorlan.  Ruby has Alzheimer Disease now, has had it for years. If you talk to her, she will sound normal for some time until she asks you the same question three or four times. She can no longer cook because her memory is going.  She and Dorlan sold their home a year ago and now live in a senior living setting – but a nice one where they can interact with friends.  Dorlan must look after Ruby, helping her sometimes with getting dressed.  Ruby can no longer bake me those famous pecan pies or make that amazing chicken salad.  Ruby cannot have the deeper intellectual conversations that she used to.  But she has kept that amazing smile and still exudes that special kind of love.  And what happens when your memory goes?  You get to look at pictures of your family and friends, again and again, day after day, and experience the same joy because you forgot you looked at them yesterday.

Ruby Grimes, you mean so much to me.  I love you Saint Ruby.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Kinsey family and Dung Beetle’s son, Baby Cronk, after a recent fender bender.  Prayers also for them financially and personally after some damage to home.  Prayers for father and father-in-law of Q-Bert, particularly for his father-in-law who had recent seizure and possible stroke.  Prayers for Matlock’s 15-year-old nephew, John, who has had significant neurological issues and recently has another surgery where he had 13 more holes drilled in his head.  Prayers for the 18-year-old daughter of one of Abacus’ friends, who also recently went through neurological surgery.  Prayers for those, like St. Ruby, who have Alzheimer’s Disease.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The F3 in the Nude event will be at 7 am at the Cove, next Saturday.  It will be a beach type workout.  Crispr will still lead a workout at Asylum Breakout that morning at 7 am.

Let Freedom Ring

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy, low 80s but humid
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
25 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Tennessee Rocking Chairs, 10 Tempo Merkins, 10 Tempo Squats, Patriotic High Knees Around Parking Lot, Patriotic Butt Kick Around Parking Lot, Patriotic Bernie Sanders Around Parking Lot, 7 Twisties, 7 Windmills, 7 Pterodactyls Forward and Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey to the parking lot with the nice restrooms.  We will Bear Crawl to First Island, Lunge to Second Island and Sprint to End of Parking Lot.

Mosey to the Caribbean Parking Lot.  We will do candy canes, moving in a counter-clockwise direction around parking lot until we get to the cone at the end of the candy cane.  We will stop at every other island to do the listed exercise.  Once the first man arrives at the end of the candy cane and completes the exercise, he sweeps all men back to the start.  We then do the next exercise.  Here are the exercises:

  • 10 Merkins.  Sprint between islands.
  • 10 Squats. Sprint between islands.
  • 10 Baby Crunches.  Bernie between islands
  • 10 Hello Dollies. Sprint between island.

Mosey to picnic tables that are east of the Caribbean.  We will alternate between 20 picnic table pull ups, 20 Bench Dips, and 20 Step Ups.

Mosey on the perimeter trail south until we get to the area that splits into three trails:  the boardwalk trail, the pine needle trail, and the concrete trail.  We will split into teams for Doras.  While one partner does the exercise, the other partner takes one of the routes to the other convergence of trails and then comes back.  Then partners switch.  Partners should take alternate routes each time. Here are the exercises that partners will do as a team:

  • 100 Jump Squats
  • 100 Big Boy Sit-ups
  • 100 Carolina Dry Docks

Mosey north to grassy area by where perimeter trail and serpentine trail converge.  We will stop to do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to the Pavilion near baseball field entranceway.  We will do 20 Incline Merkins on picnic tables.

Mosey to the AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
We had 12 with no FNGs.  Kentucky brought his 2.0s, Smartie and LeBron.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Let Freedom Ring

Herbert Hoover

“Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.”

Albert Einstein

“For everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labour in freedom.

Alice Walker

“No person is your friend (or kin) who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.”

The news of today is often a running complaint on American politicians, cities, institutions, and the state of our nation.  I sometimes get caught up in that stuff and wonder about our nation.  But gents, we are so lucky to live in a land that is built on the notion of freedom and continues to work to protect our rights to be free.  Many of us tend to take that for granted.  But think of people in other countries that do not have our freedoms:  the freedom of religion, to choose where we want to live, to go into the vocation that we desire, to associate with whom we desire.

I am thankful for that freedom and thankful for those who helped establish it.  I am thankful for those who fought for our independence. I am thankful for those who continue to fight for our freedom.  I am thankful for those who serve our government, whether federal or state.

Like my brother High-Heels was saying the other day, we have plenty of brothers in F3 who were born in other countries but who are thankful to be living here in the United States.  And like he was also saying, in the United States, if you are willing to work hard and put in the effort, you are going to do alright in life.

So on this independence day, let’s give thanks.  Thank you God for our country.  Let Freedom Ring.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Wedding Singer’s son who graduated from high school in May, for Soot and his health after the fainting spell, and for Q-Bert’s father and father-in-law.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence at Shamrock at 7 am on July 8.  Arrive at 6:45 am.

27 – Simpler Than You Think

The Scene 

  • Asylum PM 
  • 5:45pm – 6:30pm
    • ShieldLock ruck at 5:10pm
  • Hot + sunny


F3 Welcome + Disclaimer

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith 
  • My name is Steam and I’ll be your Q this morning 
  • A few things before we begin: 
    • I’m not a professional 
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your injuries if you have any so if you need to modify anything we do today feel free to do so, but push yourselves and the men around you. They deserve it and so do you. 
  • FNGs? — 1 (Pre-rucked his FNG workout!)

Warm-o-Rama

  • Apollo Slowno: 8
    • Apollo Ono, but slow
  • Baby Arm Circles: (F) 10×4 (B) 10×4 
  • Windmill: 10×4
  • Chattanooga Cherry Pickers (Shoulders): 10×4 
  • Squat: 10×4

The Thang  — Theme of 27

(Mosey to the the rock pile below the Coliseum)

(1) A Rocky Start 

  • Grab a rock 
  • Warm up round:
    • 1 count
    • 27 chest presses 
    • 27 curls 
    • 27 triceps 
    • 27 rows 
  • Mosey down the hill to the field 
  • Execute the Xs again at the bottom
  • Use your rock to get to the next plateau – incline murder bunnies
  • Repeat the Xs again
  • Mosey to the next incline
  • Use your rock to get to the next plateau – incline murder bunnies
  • Repeat the Xs again
  • Rinse and repeat until we get to the top of the stairs by the coliseum 

(Fellowship mosey to the parking lot below the stairs with the wall)

(2) Keep Rockin’

  • 2 POC: here and top of the curve 
  • 4 rounds 
  • Round 1
    • 27 American hammers w/rock 
    • Run to the top of the curve
    • Execute 2 man-makers 
    • Run back 
  • Round 2 
    • 27 flutter-kicks w/rock overhead 
    • Run to the top of the curve 
    • Execute 2 man makers 
    • Run back 
  • Round 3
    • 27 rock squats 
    • Run to the top of the curve 
    • Execute 2 man makers 
    • Run back 
  • Round 4 
    • 27 rock curls
    • Run to the top of the curve 
    • Execute 2 man makers 
    • Run back 

(Mosey to put rocks back)

(Mosey back to the AO)


Mary 

(Insert information about any additional post-Thang work)

ATMs

SWS


COT (Circle of Trust)

Count Off

  • 20

Name o Rama

  • Dung Beetle, Brick, Pusher, Petunia, Crisper, Tenderfoot, Lizzy, Onstar, Scrubs, Pele, F6, High-Heels, Glamper, Z-Bone, Drum Major, Lillydipper, Doubtfire, Cheetah Boy, Sparkler, Steam

Word — 27 Things From Proverbs 27

There are 27 verses in Proverbs 27 — one of which we use quite frequently. So on the 27th day of June, here are 27 encouraging reminders and wisdom from Proverbs 27:17 (MSG)

⬆️ this was the original plan for my Word tonight ⬆️ and obviously it went with the theme of 27 reps tonight – I like simple what can I say. 

But after my wife got home from work today, we were sitting on our back porch with these 2 things – and call it the Holy Spirit leading me in a different direction and putting this on my heart instead or just a simpler Word, but here is my actual Word. 

(I’ll post the original one too in case you were wondering). 

Some thoughts on fans

  • We all need a fan in our lives – we all need people cheering us on in our lives
  • Fans come in different sizes 
  • We can be a fan to anyone in our lives, no matter how big or small our influence or power is
  • The true value of a fan is not what it is, but it’s what it does
  • Fans help create energy for others 

So be a fan of someone to someone else this week. 

Here’s the original Word I thought of – Proverbs 27

A little backstory: Because these proverbs are a part of the whole of God’s Word, they are not simply for entertainment; they exhort, encourage, and offer hope. Solomon called readers, especially youth, to pursue wisdom rather than foolishness. He encouraged the inexperienced to become wise rather than mockers, to be teachable rather than incorrigible, to live rather than to die. He predicted that people who pursued wisdom would generally find success and happiness in this life, but he promised they would absolutely find joy and blessing in eternity. 

This rich book of short, pithy wisdom presented a consistent theme: fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

(You Don’t Know Tomorrow: verses 1 – 16)

  1. Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. 
  2. Don’t call attention to yourself; let others do it for you. 
  3. Carrying a log across your shoulders while you’re hefting a boulder with your arms is nothing compared to the burden of putting up with a fool. 
  4. We’re blasted by anger and swamped by rage, but who can survive jealousy?
  5. A spoken reprimand is better than approval that’s never expressed. 
  6. The wounds from a lover are worth it; kisses from an enemy do you in. 
  7. When you’ve stuffed yourself, you refuse dessert; when you’re starved, you could eat a horse. 
  8. People who won’t settle down, wandering hither and yon, are like restless birds, flitting to and fro. 
  9. Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. 
  10. Don’t leave your friends or your parents’ friends and run home to your family when things get rough; better a nearby friend than a distant family. 
  11. Become wise, dear child, and make me happy, then nothing the world throws my way will upset me. 
  12. A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered. 
  13. Hold tight to collateral on any loan to a stranger; be wary of accepting what a transient friend has pawned. 
  14. If you wake your friend in the early morning by shouting “Rise and shine!” It will sound to him more like a curse than a blessing.
  15. (And 16)A nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet; you can’t turn it off, and you can’t get away from it. 

(Your Face Mirrors Your Heart: verses 17 – 27)

  1. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. 
  2. If you care for your orchard, you’ll enjoy its fruit; if you honor your boss, you’ll be honored. 
  3. Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart. 
  4. Hell has a voracious appetite, and lust never quits. 
  5. The purity of silver and gold is tested by putting them in a fire; the purity of human hearts is tested by giving them a little fame. 
  6. Pound on a fool all you like — you can’t pound out foolishness. 
  7. Know your sheep by name; carefully attend to your flocks. 
  8. Don’t take them for granted; possessions don’t last forever you know. 
  9. (And 26) And then, when the crops are in and the harvest is stored in the barns, you can knit sweaters of lambs’ wool, and sell your goats for a profit. 
  1. There will be plenty of milk and meat to last your family through the winter


Announcements 

(Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements)