F3 Knoxville

Tag: Pele

Broken Leaders

THE SCENE:  Cloudy, temp in upper 30’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-straddle-hops, 15 second squat, 10 Plank Jacks, 30 Second Squat, 10 Cherry Pickers, 45 Second Squat, 10 Windmills, 60 Second Squat, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to South Ball Fields Parking Lot

Suicides to cones but with variations vs running.  Also, each time back we will do 25 Baby Crunches.  The following shows how we will go to each cone.  We will always sprint back from each cone.

  • Bear Crawl to Cone 1
  • Sprint to Cone 2
  • Lunge to Cone 3
  • Sprint to Cone 4
  • Hop to Cone 5
  • Sprint to Cone 6
  • Bernie Sanders to Cone 7
  • Rinse and repeat but do 20 Merkins each time back.

Mosey to perimeter trail just past ball park pavilion.  We will be doing nickel dime quarters east and then north on the perimeter trail all the way up cardiac hill and to where the trail hits roadway near the AO.  We run for one light and do 5 of exercise, run two lights and do 10 of exercise, then run five lights and do 25 of exercise.  The following will be the exercises:

  • Jump squats
  • Big Boy Sit-ups
  • Dive Bombers
  • Star Jumps
  • American Hammers (four count)
  • Imperial Walkers (four count)
  • Box Cutters
  • Smurf Jacks

Mosey to parking lot near entrance of northern ball park.  We will be split into four groups with each group starting at a corner.  We will circle the parking lot counter clockwise going to each corner of the lot.  There will be exercises listed at each corner.  We will circle the lot three times doing the first listed exercise first, next exercise the second time around, and last exercise the third time around.

  • Corner 1:  20 Hello Dollies (four count), 20 Flutter Kicks (four count), 20 Bicycle Kicks (four count)
  • Corner 2:  20 Diamond Merkins, 20 Bottle Openers from regular plank position, 20 Hands down merkins
  • Corner 3:  (using CMU’s)  25 Overhead Lifts, 25 Curls, 25 Rows
  • Corner 4:  15 Mountain Climbers (four count), 10 Burpees, 15 Plank Jacks (four count)

Mosey to AO

MARY:

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

From 2 Corinthians 4:

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Cap’n Crunch has been having us read excellent excerpts from the F3 Leadership Manual, the Q Source, in the weekly newsletters we are receiving by email.  As men of F3 we are called to lead others.  Does that mean that we are supposed to be perfect?  NO WAY!  Does that mean we have to be better than those we lead?  NO SIR!

Consider the “heroes” of the bible.  The bible is littered with flawed leaders.  Jonah constantly complained about what God wanted him to do and ran from God before God used him to save the City of Ninevah.  Jacob purposefully tricked his blind father to try to inherit his brother’s birthright.  Moses fumbled around with his people in the desert for 40 years before they finally entered the promised land.  David slew Goliath but had to run from King Saul to stay in a cave, sometimes crying in anguish that God had forsaken him.  He later committed adultery with a woman and purposefully sent her husband off to war to be killed.  Peter was an emotional roller coaster disciple of Jesus who denied him at his death, yet later led thousands to believe in Him.

We are broken people who, like Pauls says in 2 Corinthians, are afflicted in every way but not destroyed.  God has a wonderful way of using broken people to be the vessels, the jars of clay, that carry out His purposes.  Quoting from the book I Am a Follower by Leonard Sweet, “We bless others naturally through our strengths.  But we bless others supernaturally through our weaknesses . . . and Scripture makes this clear:  God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

What kind of man do you want to turn to at your time of doubt?  Would you really want to turn to someone who has always been on top?  First of all, good luck at ever finding such a person. Second, those men who have not examined their failures, who have not learned from their challenges, struggles, and defeats, would not be ones that would understand your struggles very well.  It is through our struggle and brokenness that we become wiser.  It is through are failures that we can learn to empathize with others who fail and need our help.

The great pastor and religious writer, Charles Spurgeon said this about leaders:

Such mature men as some elderly preachers are, could scarcely have been produced if they had not been emptied from vessel to vessel, and made to see their own emptiness and the vanity of all things round about them.

Your brokenness is what you can use to help you be a great leader.  As a HIM, you are a vessel of God, leading others not for your glory but for God’s glory.  Lead on brothers and fear not – God will use your imperfection.

More than cards and candy…

THE SCENE: cloudy and pleasant, upper 50s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER 

Nailed it.  Did I say I wasn’t a professional?… I think so.  Not sure.


WARM-O-RAMA:
20 SSH IC, 13 Steve Earls (lost count), 10 Cherry Pickers, Little of this/that, 10 Tempo Merkins IC, 10 Windmills IC

THA-THANG:
Valentine’s Day warm up! Mosey to the fields by the new bathroom.  Four cones will be set up for BUCK 25s! Bernie Sanders from center cone to cone to right. 10 pickle pounders/ 10 pickle pointers

Run back to center cone and Bernie to cone to left. 10 pickle pounders/ 10 pickle pointers

Bernie Sanders to cone behind 5 pickle pounders/ 5 pickle pointers

Charge up two terraces of hills, 100 Side Straddle Hops for the Buck 25!

Mosey to Parking Lot across the street.  Q had hidden bag with Valentines for the PAX, but almost couldn’t find where he hid them. (Thanks Ice Man for finding them!)  Each PAX gets a Valentine.  There is a poem with a related exercise.  We will do the exercise at the cones separating the bays, and then run the length of the parking lot and return to the next bay up, or lunge to the next station once we turn the corner.  Another PAX will read their Valentine, and we will continue until all Valentines have been read.  The poems and exercises are (random order):

  1. Roses are Red, violets are blue, I’d climb any mountain, to finally reach you.
  • Do 20 mountain climbers 4-ct

2. I said to you, “Oh, please be mine; Be mine forever, Valentine. I must have seemed like quite a bore, So join me in some Captain Thors!

  • Do Captain Thors (1:4 ratio of BBS:American Hammers up to 5:20). 1x each side = 1 American Hammer
  1. I swore that we would never part,
    As I put my hand upon my heart.
    Had I been thinking with my head,
    I probably would have fled instead
  • Sprint to end of parking lot and back (then do it again to get to next station!)

4.  You’re sharp as a tack and quick as a fox! I got you a gift, just open the box!

  • 20 Box Cutters (4-ct)
  1. After six shots of vodka at the bar,I find you as pretty as a shining star
  • 20 Star Jumps
  1. Valentine, O, Valentine, I’ll be your love and you’ll be mine.
    We’ll always be happy, and that is a fact You’ll be my Jill, and I’ll be your Jack!
  • 20 Plank Jacks (4-ct)
  1. She sent her love a Valentine;
    But he did not reply.
    He packed his bags and waived Adios! And from her he did fly!
  • Do Superman pose, hold for 60 seconds
  1. Oh will you be my wallaby?”
    Asked Mr. Kangaroo.
    “For we could find so very many
    Jumping things to do.”
  • 20 Jump Squats

Mosey to baby cardiac.  We will do two runs up.

  • Run #1, 20 Monkey humpers, Bernie Sanders up, 20 dive bombers at top
  • Run #2, sprint to top, 3 burpees, return to AO

MARY:
Heart Shaped leg lifts, flutter kicks, box cutters, Peter Parkers

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Six men strong, plus one FNG who we named J-Lo.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

It’s Valentines Day, after all, but who was St. Valentine?  Glad you asked.  He was a 3rd Century Roman Saint, martyred and buried on February 14, 269 AD, and is the saint of couples, beekeepers, marriage, love, and plague and epilepsy, of all things.

Valentinus (Latin version of his name) defied the emperor Claudius’s orders and secretly perform Christian weddings for couples.  This was prohibited, because Claudius felt single men made better soldiers, as they had less to lose.  To remind the men of their vows and God’s love, Valentinus cut hearts out of parchment and gave them to them, perhaps the origin of heart-shaped Valentines.  For his crimes, he was tortured and ordered under house arrest in Rome.  He pleaded his case to the Judge, and discussed the validity of Jesus’ teachings with him at length.  The Judge tested Valentinus by bringing in his blind daughter.  If Valentinus could restore her sight, the Judge would convert to Christianity.  He touched her eyes and restored her sight.  The Judge was humbled and immediately converted.

So, he was released, but he continued to preach where he wasn’t supposed to, and kept performing Christian marriages, was eventually caught and was sent to the emperor, Claudius II for punishment.  Claudius took a liking to this fellow (I get the impression Valentinus was quite the charmer), but then Valentinus went too far, and tried to convert the emperor to Christianity.  Claudius demanded that Valentinus renounce his faith, and when he didn’t he was beaten with clubs. That didn’t kill him, so they stoned him.  This guy was apparently like the Terminator, and just kept going, so they chopped off his head.  Yep, that did it.  Before he was sentenced, it is rumored that St. Valentine wrote a note to the daughter before he died, signed, “From your Valentine.” Thus inspiring the tradition of love letters.

SO, Valentine’s Day isn’t just about chocolates and flowers and Hallmark cards.  Human love and sexuality is wonderful, and blessed by God, and all that is celebrated by the holiday.  But the saint who it is named for was willing to put his life on the line for what he believed.   And with the power of the Holy Spirit he was able to do that —even to the point of death.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers went out to Swimmie’s uncle, who is suffering for some health issues, and continued prayers for Abscess and his family.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Bear Necessities

THE SCENE: warm Thursday. Cloudy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:
25 four count side straddle hops

30 total arm circles

10 pushups on your own

15 Windmills

15 cherry pickers

THA-THANG:

Indian run to bottom parking lot for Bear (crawl) necessities: 2 cones each side of circle 10-15 yards apart for bear crawls. Workouts at each of 4 cones listed below.  Run 1/2 circle after each set of two cone workout.

set 1:

10 burpies

20 pushups

20 flutter kicks

20 big boys

set 2:

20 bicycle crunches

20 squat jumps

20 hello dollies

20 diamond pushups

set 3:

20 LBC

10 tempo push ups

20 box cutters

20 mtn climbers

Mosey to pavilion for 11’s of bench rows and dips

Mosey to cardiac hill, 2 sets of corner workouts: 10 big boys, 10 no hands push ups, 10 squats, front runners circle back to gather others for round 2.

Mosey to brick pile in parking lot for team 100’s: 100 curls and 100 over head press, partner runs to light pole with 20 side saddle and Bernie sanders back.

Finish with bug swats? and ATM’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
3 FNG’s
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Staying humble and taking care of one another.  referenced a video from the super bowl.
MOLESKIN:
I hope everyone enjoyed this workout and I very much appreciate each and every one of you!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Death Shall Die

THE SCENE: Sunny and pleasant, temps in upper 60’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Rockettes, 10 Temp Squats, 10 Windmills, 10 Little Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey to new restroom area by new parking lot.  We will do Pickett’s Charge to Admin Bldg.  Those finishing first circle back to retrieve their brothers.  We will next do 20 heel lifts regular, 20 with toes in, and 20 with toes out on the steps of the Admin Bldg.  We will next Bernie Sanders to roadway.

Mosey to dragon tail sidewalk and down to where cone is set up for Route 66.  We will do Route 66 up the dragon tail with the following exercises:

  • Squat Jumps
  • Dive Bombers
  • Imperial Walkers (four count)

Mosey to parking lot that is by entry way to Northern Ball Parks.  We will be running around corners, doing the following exercises:.  The corners show three sets of exercises because we will circle the parking lot three times.

  • Corner 1:  25 Merkins, 25 Diamond Merkins, 25 Carolina Drydocks
  • Corner 2:  (all of the following are 4 count) 20 Flutter Kicks, 20 American Hammers, 20 Hello Dollies
  • Corner 3:  (all are with CMU’s) 25 Overhead Presses, 25 Curls, 25 Rows
  • Corner 4:  25 Smurf Jacks, 25 Star Jumps, 25 Plank Jacks

Mosey back to AO.

MARY:
Planks with reaches.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Twelve men, no FNG’s.

BOM:

John Donne is an English Poet who lived in the 1500 and 1600’s.  He wrote a number of sonnets called his holy sonnets and his 10th holy sonnet is one of his famous ones that is now entitled “Death Be Not Proud.”  Donne, as a Christian, knows that, in God, he need not fear death.  In the first four lines (quatrain) he mocks death, saying that though some have called it mighty and dreadful, it cannot kill those it thinks it can overthrow, such as Donne.  In the second quatrain, Donne ironically praises death, noting that through it good men can finally rest from the suffering they face here on Earth.  In the third quatrain, Donne chastises death again, claiming it is a slave to “fate, chance, kings and desperate men.  How can death be proud when it only dwells within “poison, sickness and war?” In the final couplet of the sonnet, Donne delivers the final blow to death, turning death upside down.  Knowing that, through God, we who believe in Him shall live on into eternity, Donne points out the truthful irony:  once we die here on Earth, death no longer exists.  Once we die, death is no more – death dies!

Here is the beautiful sonnet.  Read it knowing that, through our faith in God, we need not fear death.  If we believe that God is eternal and that, through him, we live eternally, we have nothing to fear.

Holy Sonnets: Death, be not proud

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

 

Antarctica or Knoxville

THE SCENE: Sunny, temps in 30’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Windmills, 25 Prayer Reaches, 10 Cherry Pickers, Little of This and That
THA-THANG:
Mosey to large parking lot south of northern ball parks.  We will be doing suicide sprints to five different cones set up along parking lot.  Each cone is a further distance from starting line.  After we are finished with the first set of suicides we will do 25 Merkins and 20 Hello Dollies.  We will do a second set of suicides but each time back from an inlet do 20 Baby Crunches.  Afterwards, we will do 25 more Merkins and 20 more Hello Dollies.

Mosey to start of Serpentine Sidewalk.  We will be doing 14’s all the way to the perimeter trail at the end of the side walk.  In the first set of 14’s we bear crawl for one light, then run four lights and continues this pattern until the end of the serpentine sidewalk.  Those finishing first sweep others back.  In the second set of 14’s we lunge for one light then run four lights to the end of the serpentine sidewalk.

Mosey to parking lot by northern ballpark entrance.  Split into teams of two.  Each team grabs a Cinder Block.   We will do Doras with one partner doing Bernie Sanders to end of parking lot, then sprinting back while other partner does exercise with cinder block.  Then partners switch.  We will do 100 each of the following exercises:

  • Overhead press
  • Curls
  • Rows

Place cinder blocks back in pile and mosey to AO

MARY:
20 Boxcutters, then leg lifts high to low
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
9 men, no FNG’s.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
While listening to NPR yesterday, I heard a story about and interview excerpts with Colin O’ Brady, who recently became the first man to trek across Antarctica solo, unaided by assistance or wind power.  The 932 mile trip took him 53 days.  He started his journey dragging a sled of gear (tent, sleeping bag, skis, food) that weighted 375 pounds.  He generally traveled 12 hours per day and many times faced white out conditions in incredibly cold temperatures.

O’ Brady can be admired for not only what he did, but what he overcame to get to the point where he was able to make the trek.  The 33-year-old from Portland, Oregon was burned in a freak accident and suffered major burns on the lower half of his body.  He was told he would never walk normally again.  His mother encouraged him to overcome his circumstances and he worked hard at doing so.  A few years later he won an Olympic Distance Triathlon.

To prepare for the Antarctica trek he spent many hours preparing.  He did planks by plunging his feet and hands in ice water!

O’ Brady accomplished this feat through hard work and a belief in improving himself.  We may not accomplish a trek across Antartica through our work outs in F3.  But we are each working on bettering ourselves.  We each know what it is like to want to give in but keep pushing on.  O’ Brady was asked by the interviewer if he felt like giving up.  He told her there were many times he wanted to give up.  The second day of his journey he thought about contacting his wife and telling her the whole thing was stupid and impossible.  The time he wanted to quit most occurred in the last week of his journey.

Another thing about O’Brady’s story that made me think of F3 was a story about O’Brady’s relationship with another man from Great Britain named Louis Rudd.  Louis started his own separate trek across Antarctica at the same time.  The two were acquainted with each other and shook hands before the trip started.  The only other time they saw each other before the end of the trek was when O’Brady passed Rudd after about a week on the journey.  But they did see each other again when Rudd finished.  That is because O’ Brady waited for Rudd, sleeping in the cold for two days at the finish line while he waited for Rudd to finish his journey.  Leave no man behind!!!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Beer gathering at Union Jacks immediately after this workout!