F3 Knoxville

Tag: Pele

The Essential Isn’t Imposed

THE SCENE: Misty and humid, temps is 80s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 10 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 10 Toes Reaches, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward, 7 Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey to stop sign at northeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey to perimeter trail and head west.  We will follow the perimeter trail north to the shaded tree by Lyons Bend.  20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Mt. Everest.  We will do 40 Baby Crunches, then run up to large tree, circle around it and return.

Mosey to shaded area by water bldg.  20 Flutter Kicks.

Mosey to North Shore gate and head east on trail.  There will be cones in flat grassy area to the right.  We will divide up men to start at different cones.  We will go counter-clockwise to each cone. The cones will list exercises.  We will do circle the cones three times doing the first exercise listed the first time there and continue in sequence the next time there.  However, before starting into the next sequence of cone exercises we will make a full circle around the cones.  Here are the exercises for each cone:

  • Cone 1:  1. 20 Bobby Hurleys.  2. 20 Smurf Jacks.  3. 20 Star Jumps.
  • Cone 2:  1. 20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  2. 20 Squats.  3. 20 Bicycle Kicks (4 ct)
  • Cone 3:  1. 20 Iron Mikes (both legs = 1).  2. 20 Mountain Climbers (both legs = 1).  3. 20 Shoulder Taps (both shoulders = 1)
  • Cone 4:  1. 20 Merkins.  2. 20 Carolina Dry Docks  3.  20 Diamond Merkins

Mosey to beginning of parking lot at Area 51.  We will Bernie Sanders to the curb by the grass, then run back to the starting point of the parking lot, then Bernie Sanders back to the curb again.  Next, at curb we will do 20 Toe Taps (4 ct).  Then we will run to the road up top where there is a shaded tree.  There, we will do 30 Second Leg Lift.

Mosey to bat cave.  From the bat cave we will sprint to the administration parking lot.  Each man walks back to bat cave after the sprint, then sprints to parking lot again.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Hello Dollies, 20 Tempo Merkins.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
20 men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Quote from James Finley, a theologian and former monk who studied under Thomas Merton: “That which is essential never imposes itself for love is always offered, it’s never imposed, and that which in unessential is constantly imposing itself.”

God created us in His image.  He made us for communication with Him.  We fall short in life if not with Him.  We are in need of Him.  Without Him we are thirsty.  Without Him there is something wrong in our lives.  His love is Essential.  And, as James Finley says, his love is offered freely to us.  It is not imposed, it is not forced upon us. It comes to us in so many ways: the playfulness of a child, the chance for rest or Sabbath, the words of the Bible, the laughter among friends, intimacy with a partner, the love shared by a neighbor, the smile of a stranger, the songs of the birds, the beauty of the mountains, the plains, the wind, the sky, God’s creation.  Notice how these Essential things hang back, they do not force their will on us, they do not impose themselves.  Notice how we have to truly look, to truly listen, to truly observe in order to appreciate them.  It is like pulling over to the side of the road to really enjoy a sunset.  You sit there in your car and our blown away by the beauty.  And then, after you start the car up and drive on home, you think to yourself, I need to do this more often, I need to truly take this beauty in each day.  It is like when you hear a great song that makes the hair rise on your skin and you think, how beautiful, how powerful, this song makes me want to be more than what I have been.  Or, it is like when you are at worship and hear a particular sermon that makes you almost want to cry and you think, man, I need to remember this, I need to take this into the fiber of my being . . . and, a few days later you kind of forget what the sermon was all about.

A problem we humans face is that, like Finley claims, “the unessential is constantly imposing itself” on us.  What are some of these unessential things?  Wealth, power, fame, success, popularity are examples.  Think about our daily lives.  Think about what the world says we should be.  We are constantly bombarded by shoulds in our lives. “I should do more to rise to the top at work.”  “I should work more hours so that I can make more money.”  “I should get a bigger home.”  “I should get a nicer car.”  “I need to participate in more organizations so that I am doing more with my life.”  “I gotta make that deadline.” “I should be slimmer and more fit.”  “I should spend more of my time working for charities so that people see how much I am giving to others.”  “I need to be the top salesman in my region this year”.  “I need to belong to that country club because it is populated by some of the most notable people in Knoxville.”  I am not saying that any of the above things are unworthy.  But, they are unessential.  These shoulds are often what we pay the most attention to.  And by doing that, we lose sight of God’s creation, God’s love.  We miss out on what God has made essential for us.

Lord, help us to spend more time focusing on the essential.  You have given these essential things to us because you love us.  You don’t impose them on us.  You give us free will to accept them because you know that true love cannot be forced upon us.  Help take our eyes away from what is unessential and keep our eyes on you.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Prayers for Title -9 as he adjusts to living in Oregon, for Lily’s wife who will have double mastectomy surgery on Wednesday, Augut 19, for Thunderstruck’s mother as she faces chemotherapy and blood transfusions, for safety of the F3 dads and kids at camp this weekend, for the AO in Morristown that we helped start.  Steam will be going to the Morristown AO workout to support them this Saturday and welcomes anyone who would like to go with him.

Wanna Bet?

THE SCENE:

The epitome of fake gloom muggy, humid nastiness.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3. Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith. I am CRISPR, your Q for today. This is a free workout and you’re here on your own volition. I am NOT a professional. I do not know your injuries or capabilities, so feel free to modify as necessary. Safety is the #1 priority. Remember we are under social distancing rules, so keep your distance from others.

WARM-O-RAMA:

15x Side Straddle Hops, 10x Windmills, 10x Imperial Walkers, 7x Cherry Pickers, A little bit of this, little bit of that, 10x Rockettes

THA-THANG:

Mosey to The Bowl. Black Jack (Round 1):  Do 1 Hill Run, then 20 Gas Pumps, then 2 Hill Runs, then 19 Gas Pumps, and so on.

Mosey to steps of Admin Building. Deck of Death (4x):  When a “Flipper” gets to a station, they flip to the next card, and do the exercise (2-Ace, where J=11, Q=12, K=13, A=14).  If you’re not a “Flipper”, just do the card facing up when you arrive. If a deck has been finished, keep going until all are finished.

Mosey to field by AO. Black Jack (Round 2):  Alternate between Jump Squats and Plank Jacks.  Do 1 Squat, then 20 Plank Jacks, then 2 Squats, then 19 Plank Jacks, and so on.

Black Jack (Round 3):  Alternate between American Hammers and LBCs.  Do 1 American Hammer, then 20 LBCs, then 2 American Hammers, then LBCs, and so on.

Finish up with some Catalina Wine Mixers and a Wave of Merkins.  Do an “Obama” (4 count bear crawl with 4 merkins) back to the AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

25 HIMs including one FNG – Furby

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Something that’s been on my heart lately Is whether or not to keep my kids home this fall or to send them back to school. I know this has been on a lot of people’s mind and we’re all wondering if we’re making the “right” decision.  As I’ve been wrestling with this decision I’m trying really hard to remember the lesson I learned from a book called “Thinking in Bets” by former World Series of Poker Champion Annie Dukes.

Essentially, we all confuse DECISIONS with OUTCOMES. For example, many of us know a guy who always buys his wife flowers remembers every birthday and anniversary shows up for all their kids’ events and provides financially and emotionally for his family, but ultimately winds up in a divorce.  Does the outcome of a divorce mean that his behaviors bad decisions just because they resulted in a bad outcome?

In her book, Annie Dukes describes the difference between, decisions and outcomes in a poker example. Imagine going all in because you’re holding 4 Kings, but then on the River card the guy across from you backs his way into a Straight Flush and wins the pot.  Was going all in with 4 Kings a bad decision just because it ended with a bad outcome?

I’ve used the phrase “make good decisions”, but how do you do that? Annie Dukes suggests one way to make better decisions is simply to ask, “Wanna bet?”

Consider this…  Every F3 workout ends in a “Name-o-Rama” where we give our birth name, age, and F3 name. At the end of every workout I say my birth name is “David”. But, if I said, right now, “Wanna bet $100 my birth name is David?”  How does that change what you previously knew to be absolutely true?  I guarantee you’ve already started questioning yourself. Maybe my name is Andrew David Smelser, III and I just go by David as not to be confused with other family members?

By just asking that simple question “Wanna bet?”  You’ve gone from knowing something with 100% certainty to something less than 100%. And, now that you’re less than 100% certain your brain can accept new information, options, and possibilities to come in which allows you to make better decisions.

I encourage us all to ask ourselves, “Wanna bet?” and to know things with less than 100% certainty so we can make better decisions for ourselves and for those around us.

Everything You Need To Know You Learned in Sunday School and Kindergarten

THE SCENE: Sunny, around 70, and humid
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

SSH x 42 (21 on a 4 ct)

Arm circles forward x 21 (4 ct)

Arm circles backward x 21 (4 ct)

Overhead clap x 43 (single ct)

Little of this and that and that and this

Some standing Michael Phelps

THA-THANG:
Mosey to Rocky Mtn High (every light do a burpee) – 7s – incline merkins with a clap at the top, imperial walkers (4 ct) at the bottom

Mosey to Everest (every light do a burpee) – Do 42 merkins at the bottom, run to the top where the rock pile used to be and do 43 merkins

Mosey to Grinch Hill – 7s – squats at the bottom, captain thors at the top

Mosey to Tree of Life – Hokey Pokeys – 21 each leg, Rowkins (or merkin rows) – 43

Mosey to Small Pavilon (Crawdad dubbed it the Stirrups since Hands was the one who introduced the location to F3) – 7s – pull-ups and merkins

Mosey to Pavilon – 7s – pull-me-ups on the picnic tables and box jumps

Mosey back to the AO via Baby Everest

MARY:

Not much time left for Mary, but we did 43 LBCs and then merkins until the last 30 seconds or so ran out

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
19 total, including Veggie and Jumbo but their tags don’t show up
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Talked about the divisiveness that is prevalent in the world today.  We need to be part of the solution, not the problem.  Some things to consider:

“You should always go through life working on the assumption that the other guy might be right.”  Senator Howard Baker, Jr.

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”  Romans 16:17-18.

Read the Sneetches by Dr. Suess and pay close attention to Sylvester McMonkey McBean.

Don’t be McBean.  Be the person who helps find equality and common ground, not the person who takes advantage of situations and profits off of others.

Remember what you learned in Sunday School and Kindergarten and the world will be a better place.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Title IX, Mrs. Lillydipper, Lulu’s mom/Veggie‘s grandmother, and Mrs. Choir Boy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Giving Tree

THE SCENE: Mid 80s, cloudy, humid as all get out.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER 

Welcome to F3, Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. F3 is a free workout program designed to improve fitness, share some camaraderie, and foster male leadership in the community.  I’m Pele and I will be your Q today.  I am not a professional, and I do not know your fitness level or injury history.  Please push yourself, but modify the workout as necessary to avoid making any existing injuries worse.  The goal is to get better together!  Some additional COVID-19 considerations: keep your distance between you and other members of the PAX and any other folks that we pass during moseys, etc. to 6-10 feet.  We will be splitting up into groups smaller than 10 if necessary.  We need to set good examples and be good neighbors out here at this public park, especially with so many folks out and about.

WARM-O-RAMA:

-Motivators, 7-CT decreasing

– 10 Windmills, 4-ct IC

– 25 Grady Corns , 4-ct IC

– 10 Imperial Squat Walkers 4-ct IC

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to Coliseum circle in front of admin building:

Modified KRAKEN with 4 cones (“X”s on sidewalk).  Do 5 reps of each exercise, then run around circle PLUS ONE cone, do 10 reps, etc. increasing the reps by 5 at each cone until you finish with 20 of each at the last cone.

  • EXERCISES: PLANK JACKS / SHOULDER TAPS (2-CT)/ Carolina Dry Docks

MOSEY to the dingy little parking lot to the south.  Get a BATTLE BUDDY for THREE BY FIVES.  One partner will be in the “bullpen” slowly running back and forth, while the other partner runs to the Stop sign and does two exercises, then runs back.  Start with 5 reps of both exercises and increase by 5, for three trips doing 5x/10x/15x of the exercises.  The three sets of exercises are:

  1. Peter Parkers (2-ct) / Half-Burpees
  2. Star Jumps / Iron Mikes
  3. Gas Pumps / American Hammers

Mosey to the edge of the lawn in front of the admin building.  25 AMERICAN HAMMERS (4-ct, IC)

BERNIE to the steps of admin building

40 CALF RAISES on steps, OYO

AYG back to the AO.

MARY:
No time.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
14 strong.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein was one of my favorite books when I was a child.  It was about a boy and a tree, and their special relationship.  Early on, the boy swings from the branches and eats apples provided by the tree and loves the tree so much that he carves “Me + Tree” into the bark.  As he gets older, he still comes to the tree, but less often, and not so much for friendship, but because he wants things.  Apples to sell.  Wood (which he chops down) for a house and boat.  The tree is happy to give everything for the “Boy”, but is also sad because they spend less time together, and the Boy leaves as soon as he has what he wants.  When he is an old man, he comes back to the tree one last time.  But the tree has nothing left to give, as it is only a stump.  The old man says that’s all he wants, just a place to sit down.  The tree has is able to give him this last gift.  And for that, it is happy.

Some see this story as an allegory for selfless Christian love.  Pope Francis recently said the following about how natural entities do not benefit from their own qualities themselves, but rather provide for others (from Jan Neece, Lilydipper’s wife’s FB page):

 “Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.

Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other.

No matter how difficult it is…Life is good when you are happy; but much better when others are happy because of you.”

From Tank’s FB page… (Matt 22:34-40)

34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Challenge for today: go show some love to a random person today by being kind and doing something for them.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Mrs. Lilydipper as she completes her chemo.  Happy 18th Birthday to Curveball’s daughter.  Prayers for Steam and his dad as they lead the effort for some community improvement efforts in Johnson City.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Q101 in the Scorching Fake Gloom

THE SCENE: Hot enough to melt your face off… think of that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the bad guy sees the ark’s contents. 97 degrees at LEAST with probably a 110 degree heat index. It sucked.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Introduced myself as Q and Lilydipper as Co-Q for a Q101 beatdown that will include some commentary during the workout to reinforce the F3 standards of what we do and why we do it.

Done, with explanations as to what the components are and why we do it, including:

– Call out TIME WARNING (2 mins, 1 min) and START ON TIME.

– Carry a WATCH and PHONE!

–  WELCOME to F3! FITNESS, FELLOWSHIP, AND FAITH!!

INTRODUCE yourself! You will be leading these men for the next 45 minutes to an hour, establish yourself as their Q!

– IDENTIFY ANY FNGs

  1. Make sure they understand the disclaimer (get a nod of understanding)
  2. Make sure you demonstrate exercises that may be unfamiliar to them.
  3. Make them feel welcome! Pay special attention to their status during the workout.

–  Include LEGAL DISCLAIMERS:

  1. I am not a professional
  2. You are here on your own volition, and participating at your own risk
  3. F3 is a free program open to all men
  4. Know your limits, and modify if you need to, but do the best you can! ALWAYS GIVE 100%… UNLESS YOU’RE DONATING BLOOD!  Ha Ha Ha.
  5. Additional COVID-related disclaimers. 1. Limit of 50 PAX, 2. No sharing of equipment; gloves recommended, 3. If you’ve been sick, or around someone who’s sick, please stay home. 4. Maintain social distancing.


WARM-O-RAMA:
Performed exercises that would demonstrate various counts and focused on 1.) getting the heart rate up, 2.) stretching the legs, and 3.) stretching the arms.

– TAKE CHARGE!

  1. Make eye contact
  2. Use your “outside voice”
  3. Use GOOD FORM
  4. Bring great ENERGY and ENCOURAGE!

– The Warm up usually consists of 4 to 5 exercises designed to get the heart rate going and provide some stretching of the arms and legs. Call out:

  1. The NAME of the exercise
  2. Whether it’s single count or in cadence
  3. “Ready position”… “Exercise!”
  4. Change cadence on the final rep.

-20 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 Steve Earls (4-ct), in cadence

– 10 calf raises, SINGLE COUNT

– Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

THA THANG is the main part of the workout, and usually consist of 3 to 5 “stations”, where you mosey to and then do an exercise (“String of Pearls”). Keeps the PAX together and provides some variation.

– PLAN OUT the workout ahead of time!

– Keep an eye on your TIME

– EXPLAIN CLEARLY and ENCOURAGE

– If you can’t Q it, don’t do it!  Not a “clipboard” program where the Q sits out

– Be FLEXIBLE!

– Make sure everyone is always ACTIVE! Give the rabbits something to do if they finish first.

– Situational awareness! Pay attention to the PAX. Sweep back to get the 6. NO man left behind!!

MOSEY to the parking lot below the Coliseum.

DORAS: These are a common type of exercise used in F3 where you pick a battle buddy and work towards a cumulative goal, like reps of an exercise.  RABBITS, Help out with the reps of others!

One partner runs a loop up the stairs and around while the other starts the exercises.  Each pair shall complete the total number:

  • 100 Carolina Dry Docks
  • 100 Big Boy Situps
  • 100 Lunges (2-count; only count the left leg)

** Turned the beatdown over to the great and powerful Lilydipper!!**

Mosey to the shaded parking lot across the street from the Northern Ball Fields Entryway parking lot.

We will do four corners with the following exercises:

Corner 1:  20 Star Jumps.  Then Bear Crawl to Corner 2.

Corner 2:  20 Big Boy Sit-Ups.  Then Bernie Sanders to Corner 3.

Corner 3:  20 Merkins.  Then Lunge to Corner 4.

Corner 4:  20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct).  Then Sprint to Corner 1.

Rinse and Repeat.

Next we will take a short mosey to beginning of the Dragon Tail.  We will do Route 66 up the Dragon Tail with the following exercises. (Note:  Those finishing the last light of the Dragon Tail will sweep men back to start the Dragon Tail again with the next exercise.)

  • Squat Jumps
  • Dive Bombers
  • Iron Mikes (both legs = 1)

(We only finished the first one due to time). Mosey to Shady Tree area by stoplight at northeastern corner of Admin Bldg.  20 American Hammers.

Mosey to AO.
MARY:
20 Hello Dollies

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Use the TAGS on right-side to record PAX (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOURSELF) in attendance. Be sure to select the AO in CATEGORY above TAGS and then delete these notes!

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

One thing that many of us worry about in regarding to Q’ing a workout is giving the message, the BOM, at the end of the workout. We might think “I can’t speak the way that some people can.”  “I don’t have anything wise or good to say.”  “I’m not religious enough.”  “I will screw it up.”

You don’t have to deliver a long speech for the BOM.  Also, you need not know the bible well or deliver a message that must pass religious muster.  Just speak about something you have learned, something important to you, something that might help others.  Not everyone will respond the same way but I can almost guarantee that some of your brothers will get something out of your message.  I personally love hearing what different brothers have to say, the little pearls of life wisdom they can share with me.  And, as for your ability to speak well, thing about Moses, the great leader of the Israelites that led them from Egypt to Isreal:

From Exodus 4: 10-12

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

As to worrying about screwing up, your brothers are on your side no matter what.  And, screwing up is what we do.  Think of Abraham Lincoln.  The following list is from an article by Ron Kurtus:

A common list of the failures of Abraham Lincoln (along with a few successes) is:

  • 1831 – Lost his job
  • 1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
  • 1833 – Failed in business
  • 1834 – Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
  • 1835 – Sweetheart died
  • 1836 – Had nervous breakdown
  • 1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
  • 1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
  • 1846 – Elected to Congress (success)
  • 1848 – Lost re-nomination
  • 1849 – Rejected for land officer position
  • 1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
  • 1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
  • 1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate
  • 1860 – Elected President (success)

The fact is that we are supposed to screw up as leaders.  That is how we learn and how we grow.

MOLESKIN:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
GrowSchool to immediately follow the workout.  CSAUP this week-end at the Dog Pound, 6:30 am Saturday. Asylum PM is trying to break the attendance record on Tuesday to send Title IX out in style!