F3 Knoxville

Tag: Preacher

Be There

THE SCENE:

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

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

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


WARM-O-RAMA:

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

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

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

THA-THANG:

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

Carolina dry docks x 24 at the bottom of Everest

Run up to the first tree, do 24 squats

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

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

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

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

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

Mosey to the CMU pile and battle-buddied up

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

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

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

Mosey to the Cloud and find a bench

Derkins x 24

Dips x 24

Box jumps (or step ups) x 24

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

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

Mosey to the AO

MARY:

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

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

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

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

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

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

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

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

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

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

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

MOLESKIN:

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

Good to see Preacher again as always. 

Abscess took a lot of photos and videos. 

Still praying for Junk’s wife. 

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

Pierced by Grace

THE SCENE: Partly cloudy, sometimes raining, temps in 40’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

Planks, 20 Side-Straddle Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers (4 count), 10 Cherry Pickers, Little of This and Little of That
THA-THANG: 

Mosey to upper parking lot at northern end of park.  Each man picks up two bricks that will be in the parking lot.

Mosey on perimeter trail toward Lyons Bend Entrance of park.  Then go east on the trail that crosses road near the park entrance.  Twenty Imperial Walkers.

We will run with bricks for three lights, then stop to do 5 mini-man-makers.  We will do the same two more times along the trail.  Those who finish first do curls with bricks until all men have finished.  Then we do ten standing body twists (four count).

Next, we run for two more lights with bricks and stop to do 20 overhead presses.  Rinse and repeat twice along the trail.  Those finishing do curls again until all have finished.  Then we do ten tempo squats.

Next run for one more light with bricks and stop to do 20 wing claps with bricks.  Rinse and repeat twice as with other exercises.  Those finishing first do curls.  Then we ten tempo merkins.

We will be close to the parking lot where we picked up the bricks.  Put bricks back where they were.

Mosey to Pavilion by northern ball parks.  We will do a tadpole (doing the following exercises in ascending order, adding one exercise each time until we do all five, then dropping first exercise etc until we do only last exercise.  We will do each exercise for 30 seconds with a 30 second break after each set of exercises.  The exercises will be:

  • Burpees
  • Decline Merkins
  • Picnic Table Pullups
  • Bench Jumps
  • Bench Lifts

Next, team up into partners of two.  We will do Doras with partner running twice around the pavilion while the other partner exercises.  Then partners switch.  We will do the following exercises:

  • 300 Baby Crunches
  • 200 Squats
  • 100 Big Boys Sit-ups

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eight men, no FNG’s.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
The following message is taken from a sermon given by Matt Howell, director of RUF at UTK.  He was visiting speaker last Sunday at Redeemer Presbyterian Church.

Bible Reading from John, Chapter 13, verses 1-9.

13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”

When we read these verses, we may think Peter is being humble when he tells Jesus not to wash his feet.  After all, the Lord is taking on the role of a servant, performing a task that those of menial positions did in those days.  But, looking more closely, Peter is also displaying a veiled pride.  He is saying, I am beyond having my feet washed by you.  My God cannot take on such a subservient role.  I will have no part of it.  Jesus, in turn, is saying that if you cannot accept my loving you like a servant then you can not really share me fully. ( If we cannot accept God’s love in full, we miss out on God, we do not share in what he wants to give us.)

If we humans look at ourselves fully, we see that we, like Peter, have this veiled pride.  Look at how we accept compliments:  with great difficulty.  We generally shun them, getting uncomfortable, joking the compliment off, or saying it is not true.  Us men are also bad on accepting gifts or physical signs of grace from others.  Look at men at a restaurant:  First man:  I’ll get the bill.  2nd man:  No, no, let me take it.  First man:  No, I insist.  In some ways we do this out of courtesy but we also do this out of pride.  We do not want to be the “lowly person” who has his meal paid for.  Also, how do we accept help from others?  We usually shun it, too proud to ask for help.  Finally, we are too proud to accept our brokenness and need for God.  Or we may say, my sins are too great for God’s help, as if our sins, verses those of others, are too great for God.

Matt Howell, in his sermon, used two interesting quotes in his sermon from famous writers.  The first was from Victor Hugo, who said, “Grace is a most formidable assault.”  The second was from Flannery O’Connor, who said, “Grace must wound before it can heal.”

We must get over our veiled arrogance to accept God’s grace for us.  We must accept His assault on our pride, realizing we are broken and that we need his love.  We must get through the embarrassment of recognizing we need Him that much. We must get beyond the fear of His kind of intimacy.  We must let His grace pierce us before we can be truly healed.  Otherwise, as Jesus said, we do not really take our share of Him.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
3rd F on Saturday, December 8 at Outlook by UT strip, 8:30 AM.

Celebrity Q

THE SCENE: 45* and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
BAC forward IC
BAC reverse IC
Cherry pickers IC
Merkin NOT ON A 4 COUNT IC
Tempo squat IC
SSH IC

THA-THANG:

Everyone on Preacher at the fountains.  Each corner of the World’s Fair Park lawn has an exercise and number of an exercise to perform.  Run laps and do the work until Preacher calls time.  Each time you pass the fountains you don’t collect $200 but perform 8 burpees.  Corner exercises:

  • Mountain climbers 4-ct x12
  • Power merkins x10 (explode off the deck and clap at top of merkin)
  • BBSUs x15
  • Jump squats x15

Lather rinse repeato. Recover on Preacher and mosey towards amphitheater.

After nearly getting hit by the same truck going both forward and reverse (the truck, not us), assemble on the stage at the theater.  Routine is 11’s.  Start with 1 box jump on stage, sprint the stairs to the top, 10 rail rows at the top.  Return and repeat finishing off 11’s.  Merlot might have splashed.  Recover on Preacher.

Mosey back to the south end of the World’s Fair lawn.  Line up going across.  Preacher calls 10 count bear crawls, then remain in place and do 10 squats all in cadence.  Repeat until reaching the fountains on the other side.

MARY:
Box cutter flutter Edwards ???
American hammers
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
25 Strong for Preacher’s visit: Jenner, Crawdad, Cornhole, Red Writer, Archie, Wilson, Filter, Careless, Quarantine, Halo, Rousey, Passport, G6, Sneaky Pete, Waffle House, Operation, SiPad, Swanson, Partial, Al (FNG), Purple Rain, The Voice, Petey, Preacher, Abort
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Preacher talked about his recent move to Arizona, and how none of what has happened to him in the last few months would have been what he planned or thought he would do.  He had to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to end up where he needed to be.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Can drive competition with FiA this week.

Rise Up to Fall Back

THE SCENE: Cool and Dark… and a little grassy
WARM-O-RAMA:
Side-Straddle-Hops, Baby Arm Circles, Arm Stretches, Cherry Pickers, Windmills, 8-Count Merkins
THA-THANG:
Ring-of-Fire Merkins to 7

Buddy Bear Crawls (2x per PAX) + 25 Squats (4x)

Descending Sprint + Burpee Cardio Ladder

Tunnel of Love (2x)

MARY:
Row, Row, Row your boat (and canoe)
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 PAX
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Train your body, mind, and soul! You always fall back to the level of your training, so rise up and get better!

Kicking It

THE SCENE:  Partly cloudy, mid to upper 80’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
25 Squats, 20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Bottle Openers, 10 Windmills
THA-THANG:
Mosey to other side of Admin Bldg.  We will do 25 Squats by steps up to Admin Bldg.  Then we will run up steps to top.  We will do 20 Merkins on porch.  Run back down stairs.  Bernie Sanders to street.  Lunge across street and run down stairs to grassy area.  10 Burpees.  Run back up stairs.  Lunge back across street.  Run back to stairs of admin bldg.  Rinse and repeat.  Those who finish first do baby crunches at top of stairs.

Mosey to northeast corner of admin bldg.  20 American Hammers in cadence.

Mosey to northern parking lot and trail leading north of that that gradually turns towards park entrance on Lyons Bend Road.  We will do Route 66 with the following exercises.  Whoever finishes first sweeps others back to start.

  • Big Boy Situps
  • Star Jumps
  • Dive Bombers

We will do 14’s to where trail hits roadway coming from Lyons Bend gateway entrance.  We will bear crawl to first light, sprint the next four lights, bear crawl one more light, sprint another four, etc. until roadway.

Mosey to Bottom of Roadshow Run.  Do 25 Squats in cadence.  Run to top of Roadshow Run.  Those who get to street first do plank until everyone arrives.

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eleven men, one who was a Flying EH, a great guy named Sam Harward whom we have given the F3 name of Samsung.  Samsung is a competitor of the group he works for.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM 

John Donne’s poem, A Hymn to God the Father is a powerful and beautiful reminder of how much God loves us, despite are continuing sin.  In the first stanza, Donne asks God whether he will love him despite the fact that he continues to commit the same sins again and again, despite the fact that he himself deplores those very sins.  How could a just God continue to love him despite the fact that, given so many chances, he doesn’t ever get it right?  And yet, God still loves him.

In the second stanza Donne admits to being even worse.  He asks if God will forgive and love him despite the fact that he wins others to the very sins he has committed.  He asks whether God will love him despite the fact that he escapes from some sins, only to commit them years later – and may even wallow in those sins.  How could God forgive him.  And yet, God does.

In the final stanza, Donne, a great man of faith, admits the sin of his own lack of faith.  He fears that when he dies that he shall perish alone, devoid of anything – that death is only the end.  So he asks for God’s promise that at his death, God’s son shall shine as he shines now.  And, realizing Jesus’ love for us, he sees God, he sees his love, and in that he fears no more.

A Hymn to God the Father

Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,
         Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
         And do run still, though still I do deplore?
                When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
                        For I have more.
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won
         Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
         A year or two, but wallow’d in, a score?
                When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
                        For I have more.
I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
         My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son
         Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;
                And, having done that, thou hast done;
                        I fear no more.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Kickball tournament this Saturday!