F3 Knoxville

Tag: Pele

Grainger County Christmas Story

THE SCENE: Clear skies, temps in high 20’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Run around the parking lot to get warm; 20 Side-Straddle Hops; 10 Burpees; 10 Cherry Pickers; 10 Rockettes; 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey to start of the Dragon Tail.  We will run up dragon tail stopping at every other light to do 10 of the following exercises (one exercise for each run up).  After reaching the top, run on trail to road, back down to lower parking lot, and back to the start of the Dragon Tail to do the next exercise.  Here are the exercises:

  • Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)
  • Big Boy Sit-ups
  • Jump Squats
  • Merkins

Mosey to stop sign that is on the northeastern corner of the admin bldg.  We will be moving in a route with signs giving the directions for exercises along the way and where we go next.  The signs will be numbered and by cones.

  • Cone 1:  Do 10 Burpees.  Then bear crawl on sidewalk heading south to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  Do 15 Dive Bombers.  Then lunge on sidewalk south to Cone 3.
  • Cone 3:  Do 10 Shoulder Taps (both shoulders = 1).  Then run to Cone 4 at porch of Admin Bldg.
  • Cone 4:  Do 20 Calf Raises on stairs and 20 Hello Dollies (4 ct.) on porch. Then run south on trail and back north on trail to Cone 5.
  • Cone 5:  Run down steps to parking lot below Coliseum.  Then run south up parking lot, around to southern end of Coliseum and north to Cone 6 which is by marble bench area of Coliseum.
  • Cone 6:  Do 20 Bench Dips.  Then run to Cone 7.
  • Cone 7:  Do 40 Baby Crunches.  Then run to Cone 8 which is on street near to the admin stop sign where we started.
  • Cone 8:  Do 20 Carolina Dry Docks.
  • Rinse and Repeat.

As a group we will take a 30 second gander at Beautiful Eastern TN below us.  Then we will mosey to parking lot with CMUs.

Each man grabs a CMU and teams up with a brother.  We will do Doras. While one man runs to pavilion and does 10 Picnic Table Pull-ups, the other does the exercises with the CMU.  Then partners switch. Each team will do the following exercises:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Curls
  • 100 Rows
  • 100 Squats

Put CMUs back and mosey to start of mini-cardiac.  Bernie up mini-cardiac to park sign, then sprint the rest of the way to the AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
28 men with one FNG:  John Case.  He is now named Lamont.  He is the father of member Mickey.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
In my work as a therapist I heard a mighty fine Christmas story from one of my patients and decided to share it to you here in February.  My patient lives in a mountainous area in Grainger County, Tennessee.  Some of you may have heard of Grainger County tomatoes.  Most are grown in the valley of the county but some areas of the county can be pretty rugged.  Here’s a little demographic news for you in regards to Grainger County.  It is 94% white, 3.3% Hispanic, and probably less than 1% Black.  If you are a black man, you may not want to get stuck alone in Grainger County.  The patient I am talking about is a middle-aged white woman and she would tell you that.

She also told me about an African-American truck driver who was driving on a winding highway through the area she lived in on Christmas Eve.  As you may recall, Christmas Eve is the day we got that snow that gave us all a White Christmas.  The highway the man was driving on was curvy and slick.  Unfortunately, his 18 wheeler went off the side of the road and landed in a deep ditch.  There was no way to get that truck out easily.  It was going to take more than one large wrecker truck to get the truck out.  It being Christmas, that would take well over 24 hours.

The truck had valuable cargo and the driver was required to stay with his truck until it could be towed.  So this African-American truck driver was stuck on Christmas Eve miles from his home – in one of the most rugged areas of “redneck country”.  In Grainger County, if you aren’t driving a pickup truck with a gun rack inside your back window, “you probably ain’t from around these parts.”  The necessary clothing for a man is a pair of jeans with a can of snuff in your back pocket.

News can spread pretty fast in a rural county and the news of the sidelined truck came to my patient quickly.  She was frankly worried about this African-American truckdriver stuck in her neck of the woods.  She was concerned someone might try to start some trouble with him.  She wanted to go out to his truck to check on him but was worried about doing so until her husband got home.  He did later that day and they went out to the area where the truck was located.

What they found was a number of “neighbors” already congregated by the truck.  They also found these same “redneck” neighbors had brought the African-American truckdriver some hot dinner, hot coffee, and baked goods to snack on through the evening.  People from all over were coming to make the driver feel as comfortable as he could.  They even brought blankets but he had those in his cabin which he was able to keep warm through keeping the engine on.  They offered for him to come to their homes but he had to stay with his truck.  By the next morning the driver had hot breakfast and gifts of goodies and Christmas cards.  When the truck was finally pulled out of the ditch, the driver went home with more hot food and goodies that were brought to him at lunch and dinner time on Christmas Day.

My patient went to sleep on Christmas night feeling wonderful about the residents of Grainger County.  Whatever their beliefs and prejudices’, they had made an African-American stranger feel blessed and welcome.  It was a Christmas that I am sure he will never forget.  And, my patient, who has had a difficult year, sang “Joy to the World” a little louder on Christmas day.  The air smelled mighty fresh in Grainger County and the stars shone brighter for the rest of 2020.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for the disenfranchised; for caregivers who are taking care of others and that they would have patience in that difficult task; for Ribbed and his wife, Sarah, after the surgery to remove the tumor by her spine; for Abacus’ mother who will need surgery on her leg; for those in F3 who have lost loved ones this year.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Reward at Coffeeteria!

Two For Tuesday: Buy One Get One Half Off

[ The Scene ]

  • 60s?! 60s.

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness-Fellowship-Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’m honored to be your Q this evening
  • Couple of things before we kickoff
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your body better than anyone else so if you need to modify anything we do this evening feel free to do so but push yourselves and the men around you!
      • They deserve it and so do you
  • FNGs?
    • Trent Keeler

Two For Tuesday: Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • SSH: 20×4
    • SSH: 10×4
  • Baby Arm Circles: 10×4 (F)
    • Baby Arm Circles: 5×4 (B)
  • Shoulder Tap: 10×4 (F)
    • Shoulder Tap: 5×4 (B)
  • Merkin: 10×4
    • Opened-Arm Merkin: 5×4
  • Squat: 10×4
    • Squat: 5×4

[ The Thang ]

(American Indian Run with 🇺🇸 out front to parking lot next to small playground)

(1) The Mini-Pav Shuffle (Sprint)

  • Toe the line on the curb
  • 2 Main POCs: Curb and Pavilion on opposite end
  • Rinse and Repeat this 3x — each time with a different theme
    • 1 = Upper
    • 2 = Core
    • 3 = Lower
  • Between each round we will regroup here BUT if you get done with your round and there are others still out there – go finish with them
  • Everything on a 1 count
  • 1 = Each light post on the way: 20 merkins
    • Pav: 20 incline/decline merkins
      • On the way back: 10 merkins
  • 2 = Each light post on the way: 20 90 degree leg ups
    • Pav: 20 BBSs
      • On the way back: 10 90 degree leg ups
  • 3 = Each light post on the way: 20 squats
    • Pav: 20 squats (led by SpeedFlash!)
      • On the way back: 10squats

(Mosey up Picket’s charge — past Hallam Rock — to AO – American Indian Style 🇺🇸 out front)

[ Mary ]

ATMs

Light stretching

[ COT ]

  • # off
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs
  • BOM

“Memento Mori” = Remember that you must die.

It’s how we live that defines us as men.

The legacy we leave is based on how we lived, not how we died.

So then the question must be asked “How are you living (and impacting) while there’s still God-given breath in your lungs?”

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” (Colossians‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

CMSaturday

[ The Scene ]

  • High 20s
  • Sunny
  • Ruckers and PAX unite

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’m stoked to be your Q this morning
  • FNGs?
  • Couple of things before we begin:
    • Not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your body better than anyone so if you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do so
      • BUT push yourself and the men around you
      • They deserve it and so do you
  • COVID precautions

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • Shoulder-tap: 15×4 IC
  • Baby Arm Circles: 15×4 IC (back)
    • Little bit of this: R arm over
    • Little bit of that: L arm over
  • Cherry-Picker: 10×4 IC
  • Windmill: 10×4 IC
    • Little bit of this: R arm back
    • Little bit of that: L arm back
  • Merkin: 5×4 IC
  • Squat: 5×4 IC
    • Little bit of this: Michael Phelps
    • Little bit of that: torso twist

[ The Thang ]

(1) Quarter Pounder

(Mosey to CMU pile via the Dragon — all the way to the street/past the morning AO lot)

  • Every light: 25 reps (1count) broken into these ingredients
    • 5 Merkins
    • 5 Squats
    • 5 BBS getups
    • 5 SSHs
    • 5 mountain climbers
  • All together
    • 6 was recovered an all PAX completed 2 rounds together before heading to the CMU pile

(2) CMU Pile

  • Everyone get a CMU
  • Toe the line facing the play ground — CMUs in front
  • Bear Craw CMU drags
  • Every 5 drags = 10 BBS with CMU on feet
  • All the way to the other side of the parking lot

(Mosey with CMUs to The Island — parking lot below Pav)

(3) 100s

  • Bottom of The Island:
    • 25 curls (1 count)
    • 25 deadlifts (1 count)

(Mosey around to the top of Island with CMU on 1 shoulder)

  • Top of The Island:
    • 25 CMU chest presses (1 count)
    • 25 CMU lunges (knee to CMU) (1 count)

(Mosey with CMUs to the big tree outside the middle of the parking lot close to the river)

(3) CMU OffRoading

  • PAX walked with CMUs and circled up in field below baseball fields
  • Core Xs + one handed CMU merkins

(Carry CMUs to Picnic Table 1)

  • Flutter kicks: 10×4 w/CMU overhead

(Carry CMUs to picnic table 2)

  • American Hammers: 10×4

(Carry CMUs to picnic table 3)

  • LBCs: 10×4

PAX carry CMUs back to CMU pile

The Final Push

  • Pax get into lines of 4 facing up the hill to the AO/top of Cardiac
  • Teams of 4 sprint up to the AO and knock out ATMs as a team

Once all teams are done with ATMs — Core 4 (4 core Xs for the final 4 minutes – 60 seconds each

    • Flutter Kicks
    • BBSs
    • LBCs
    • American Hammers

[ COT ]

  • # off — 24
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs — GooGoo joined us from F3 Chattanooga
  • BOM

Michael Jordan Quotes — January 23rd

(1) – “You can practice shooting 8 hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.”

    • Pursue excellence in the basics, fundamentals

(2) – “I want to be the bridge to the next generation.”

  • High Impact Men and Women build bridges
    • We were created to build and strengthen things
    • Plant. Grow. Serve.
      • Plant something, grow it into something bigger than yourself, and serve it well.
  • High Impact Men and Women leave their legacy for the next generation
    • This is not contingent on if you have kids
  • High Impact Men and Women connect and help others get from point A to point B
    • This is not always a physical locationn

(3) – “Winning isn’t always championships.”

  • Learn how to discern a win this year.
  • Quit mis-labeling victories and wins because they don’t look what you thought they would/what you’re told they should look like

Baptized

THE SCENE:  Cloudy, temp in mid-forties.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 10 Jump Squats, 10 Rockettes, 10 Windmills, Michael Phelps, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to South Ball Fields Parking Lot.  We will start at southern curb.  There will be five cones places along parking lot toward northern curb.  We will run to each cone, hop backwards three parking spaces, then run to the next cone, hop backwards three parking spaces, and continue this pattern until we reach the northern curb.

We will do the same thing going back but instead of hopping back three spaces will bear crawl back three spaces.

Next, we will have a race to pick up the cones.  The idea is to get a cone and run back to southern curb or to the middle light pole with the cone.  However, anyone who is touched by another men must give that man his cone and allow him a second to run off.  Whoever ends up back at the southern curb or at the middle light pole with the most cones wins.

Mosey to stop sign at main drive.  10 Tempo Squats.

Mosey to parking lot with the nice restrooms.  We will do 20 American Hammers.  Then we will Bernie Across parking lot.  On the other side of the parking lot we will do 20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey to playground.  We will do the following in a counterclockwise triangle:

  • At Playground:  20 Bench Jumps and 20 Bench Dips
  • At Pavilion:  20 Picnic Table Pull-ups and 20 Decline Merkins
  • At Flagpole:  20 Sky Jumps and 20 Squats
  • Rinse and Repeat

Mosey to parking lot by the entry gate to the Northern Ball Fields.

We will do Sprints, Bernies, Karaoke’s, and Skips back and forth across parking lot.

Mosey to AO

MARY:
20 Flutter Kicks, 20 Pickle Pounders, 20 Bicycle Kicks, then stretches.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
15 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
I have read from this song in the past in reference to topics but I thought I would read the whole thing today.  To me, it is a beautiful song about what it means to be baptized.  The name of the song is “Been Through the Water.”  It is written by Kyle Matthews.  It follows the life of a person baptized as a boy and talks about how his baptism follows him through marriage and as an old man before he dies.

Been Through The Water – Kyle Matthews

Preacher pulled the boy up from the water
Alleluias rose from the banks
There was a new suit of clothes from his Father
And a prayer of thanks

The boy walked barefooted all the way home for dinner
And when they laughed at his muddy feet…

He said I’ve been through the water and I’ve come out clean
Got new clothes to cover me
And you don’t wear your old shoes on your brand new feet
When you’ve been through the water
Ah been through the water

Preacher turned them around at the altar
Pronounced the boy and his girl “man and wife”
In two years they were Mother and Father
And they built them a life
And his old girlfriend saw a moment of weakness
And she said “If you’re lonely come see me sometime…”

He said I’ve been through the water and I’ve come out clean
Got new clothes to cover me
And you don’t wear your old shoes on your brand new feet
When you’ve been through the water
Ah been through the water

He baits a hook with his grandson of seven
And says “Soon, I’ll be free from these pains.”
The boy asked if he’s ever been to heaven
He says “No… but I think I know the way… ’cause I’ve been through the water…”

I’ve been through the water and I’ve come out clean
Got new clothes to cover me
And you don’t wear your old shoes on your brand new feet
When you’ve been through the water
Ah been through the water

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Pele’s cousin, Tom, who is in 80s and has Multiple Myeloma.  He, further, was recently diagnosed with Covid.  Prayers for Crawdad on a safe journey to Huntsville.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP on Saturday, January 30.  Arrive at 6:15 am at the Asylum to register.  We will start at 6:30 am and end at 9 am.  Breakfast will follow.  Blood drive at Asylum the day before.

The Light and the Dark

THE SCENE: Pleasant but cool, upper 40s, partly cloudy, persistent chilly breeze

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Check, with an extra emphasis on COVID

WARM-O-RAMA:

-20 SSH, (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Rockettes (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Windmills (4-ct), in cadence

– 5 baby/5 big arm circles forward, and backward (4-ct), in cadence

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to Bathrooms, DO PICKETTS CHARGE.

  • Do 25 MERKINS, 25 BBS, and 25 BURPEES on the way up, whenever you want and in whatever order you want.

MOSEY to stop sign on northwest side of Admin circle road.  Get a Battle Buddy.

  • Partner 1 will run up to big tree and back. Once he reaches the tree, Partner 2 will run up to join him, give him a COVID high 5 (no touching), and Partner 1 will return to the bottom. Rinse and repeat three times. The method of running will vary:
    • Lap 1: run
    • Lap 2: Bernie
    • Lap 3: Karaoke left/right (switch halfway)
  • When not running, do the following exercises for all three laps:
    • TOP: 20 APOLO OHNOS, 20 TEMPO SQUATS, R&R until partner arrives
    • BOTTOM: 20 CDDS, 20 MTN CLIMBERS R&R until partner arrives

MOSEY To little hill north of northern parking lots:

  • 7s with BOTTLE OPENERS (2-CT) and FROGGY JUMPS

MOSEY to CMU Parking Lot, grab a CMU, line up young to old (old closest to Pavilion)

  1. Slow LUNGE to far end.
  2. Run to Pavilion, do 10 bench pullups, 10 decline merkins, 10 Bench Dips
  3. Run back to CMU
  4. Rinse and Repeat so CMUs are back at start point. When done, put up the CMUs and go to the middle of parking lot and do Imperial Squat Walkers until 6 catches up.

MOSEY to AO Four corners Abs.  Sprint the long sides, Bear Crawl the short side.  At the four corners do 10 V-UPS, adding 10 more reps at each corner. (we only got to two corners before time was up.)

MARY:
No time.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
26 strong
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

New Year’s resolutions…  I’m not big on them myself; they are usually unrealistic and just set me up for feelings of failure or disappointment when I slack off of them after a few weeks.  But I do try to “recalibrate” at the start of a new year, and just focus on improving a few things that need tweaking in my life.  For me, one of those things involves improving my relationship with God.  As many of you have probably been doing, I’ve been watching streaming services on Sunday morning.  While I love the convenience of doing that, I’ve also found—stop me if this sounds familiar—that it’s easy to be distracted, to not be all “there”, to not be intentionally present.  In F3 workout terms, I wasn’t using GOOD FORM during my time in worship.  I was modifying.  During one recent service, I realized after the service had ended that I couldn’t remember anything in it.  I had been checking my phone for some “important” emails that I was waiting for, making (and then eating) breakfast, and even playing with my cats while the service played on my computer screen.  I realized right then that that just wasn’t good enough.  That’s just not respectful.  Can you imagine having a deep conversation with your friend, spouse, child, or colleague and having them act like that?  I sat back down, turned off my phone and the tv, and watched the service again.  By limiting distractions, putting my mind in a place where I’m more “present” and committed to spending that time with God, and focusing more on the messages of the church I can improve my relationship with God.

If you’re looking for a worthwhile goal for the new year, then I encourage you to do the same.  To tie in with a message that Pusher gave during his BOM recently, sometimes it’s a little difficult to figure out how best to communicate with God and to show him your love, voice your worries and concerns, and thank him for his Blessings. I loved Pusher’s suggestion to talk to God like you would talk to someone sitting next to you in a car. Just have a conversation with him.  And Pusher’s concern that he voiced to his pastor that he didn’t know how best to pray reminded me of these lyrics from a great Singer/Songwriter:

I went to see a preacher, to teach me how to pray. He looked at me and smiled, then that preacher turned away. He said if you want to tell Him something, you ain’t gotta fold your hands. Say it with your heart, your soul, and believe it, and I’d say Amen.

  • Jon Bon Jovi, “Bang a Drum”

So if you find yourself struggling with how best to pray, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid).  Say it with your heart, your soul, and believe it.  God will hear you.

In closing, in honor of Martin Luther King Day, I would like to close with these words from the great man himself:

“Returning Hate for Hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.  Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” (hat tip to Title 9)

MOLESKIN:
Praying for some brothers who were assigned to protect national and state capitols; congrats to J-Lo for completing the Highway Patrol program.  Prayers for Lilydipper’s barber who passed away from COVID and his family.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CSAUP at the Asylum Jan 30, 6:30 am, show up at 6:15 to register.  Ends at 9 am sharp.  Sign up with a battle buddy or solo.  Breakfast included.