Pusher – F3 Knoxville

Welcoming BSIA…A Day on Pickett’s

March 14, 2026 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-daybreak
Q: Crawdad (Robbi Dickens)
PAX: Waffle House (Brady Greene), Crash Dummy, Lilydipper, Pusher, Lizzy, Brick, Dung Beetle, Jumbo(Carter Dickens), Pac-man, Snitch (Cory Beilharz ), Swimmies (Nathan Chesney), @breaststroke, @kungblue
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
2+ miles of hills and sprints, a full morning on Pickett’s, two oil changes and some serious core for our first grind of daylight savings! Self-rating (8/10) :muscle::runner:

WARMUP:
100 SSH
Imperial Walkers
Hillbillies
Michael Phelps
Little of this and that
Tempo Merkins
Lap around the pond

THE THANG:
We moseyed to the yoga studio and hammered out core to start it off.
100 hello Dollie’s
2 x 50 =100 Flutter kicks
60 second plank
30-60 second elbow plank

>From there we headed to the bottom of Pickett’s Charge.
We did Dora’s up the first hill / ledge:
100 Merkins
200 Squats on the 4 count
300 LBCs

Then we did 7s up the next ledge if Pickett’s (touch the wall of the Celleseum) with merkins at the bottom and Smurf Jacks at the top. As we ran, we forced ourselves to put smiles on our faces. 😀

We gathered at the bottom of that ledge and did another oil change (100 SSH) as a transition workout.

Everyone moseyed to the bottom of Pickett’s and did a full Pickett’s (got grounded by touching the Asylum) and then gathered at the Colleseum for the pre-BSIA 60 seconds of silence and reflection.

Mosey to the parking lot (squats on the sidewalk) and did a full sprint back to the AO together. Gathered on the curb for some more sprints and then we circled up.

Each person picked a number of Merkins in their head that they wanted to complete. The point is not to compare yourself to someone else but to pick the number and grind it out. Comparison the thief of joy.

Recover!

MARY:
Yoga Studio for the dub

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hall Ridge

COT:
A couple themes:
1. Comparison is the thief of joy.
2. It’s been scientifically observed – not junk science – that you can force your body to feel emotions with your facial expressions. That’s why we forced ourselves to smile as we ran to get ourselves in the right headspace.
3. As we did Pickett’s today we heard the Bassmaster boats flying by. Those guys are the best at their sport and they did not become the best just by purchasing boats and showing up for the Classic. They had to show up each day and practice and grind and work hard.

The quote for today is, “You are not your grand plans, but your daily patterns.“ James clear

Let’s go!!!!

Eyes on the Prize

March 10, 2026 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Crash Dummy
PAX: Lilydipper, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Pusher, Lizzy, High Heels, Curveball, Tenderfoot, Dung Beetle, Dain Bramage, Shogun
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
WARMUP: Run around pavilion/playground back to AO. SSH – 20ea. Windmills – 10, Monkey Humpers – 10. Pterodactyls – 10 (fwd/bwd). Stretching. Run the parking lot.

THE THANG: Partner Up! Partner A: Bernie up Baby Cardiac. Partner B: Reverse Lung. X3.

Run to top of Cardiac: Suicides: 5 Merkins at top. Turns: Jump Squats 10 reps. Finish at the bottom.

Mosey to Caribbean: Every other island 5 Burpees.

MARY: N/A

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hardship Hill, Genesis

COT: Proverbs 17:24: “A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.”

2026 Translation: Wise men lock in, fools fantasize. Wise men create; fools just wait. Wise men build what’s in front of them. Fools daydream about what they’ll do someday.

I love daydreaming. I buy a lottery ticket hoping it hits but the truth is, it wouldn’t hit if I played the lotto every day from the day I was born until the day I die. What matters is hard work and dedication. You have to put in the work. Every. Single. Day!

I can’t survive 55…

March 4, 2026 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Drum Major
PAX: Lilydipper, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Doubtfire (Nick Bond), Dung Beetle, Curveball, Pusher, Mr Jinxy, Lizzy, Switchhitter (Tony), Shogun
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
WARMUP:

5 Motivators
5 Cherry Pickers
Baby arm circles – front, back, overhead claps, raise the roofs, Moroccan night clubs
Little of this and that
5 motivators

THE THANG:
In field near parking lot, 5 stations.
Do 11 of exercise and move to next station do 5 of next exercise, until full circle. Repeat 4 more times for total of 5 rounds.
Will have done 55 each round and 55 of each exercise once complete.

1. Merkins
2. Squats
3. Big Boys
4. Lunges
5. Carolina Dry Docks

Rabbits can do more and start over again if 6 is a good bit behind.

If still time move to rock pile by flag parking lot. Do 11 of each and run a lap around lot between each exercise.
Curls
Overhead Press
Rows
Triceps
Goblet Squats

MARY:

55 LBCs and some light stretching

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Haw Ridge, late March

COT:

Sorry young guys, us Respect folk are just better than you. Sorry, not sorry. Don’t worry though, with hard work and time you’ll get there.

Success later in life is not only possible but increasingly common, with research showing 50-year-old entrepreneurs are twice as likely to create top-performing businesses as 30-year-olds. Major, lasting success often comes after age 50, driven by experience, refined skills, and a clearer sense of purpose.

Crash Dummy Performs A Pusher Q (Guest Speaker at the COT)

February 28, 2026 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-daybreak
Q: Crash Dummy
PAX: Mr Jinxy, Lizzy, Pusher, Brick, High Heels, Pac-man, Crawdad (Robbi Dickens), Veggie (Rylen Huddy), Lulu (Greg Huddy), Cart Girl (John Sadler) (Chatt, TN), Honeydew, Swimmies (Nathan Chesney), Snitch (Cory Beilharz )
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
WARMUP: Run around pavilion/playground back to AO. SSH – 20ea. Windmills – 10, Cherry Pickers – 5, Mountain Climbers – 20. Pterodactyls – 10 fwd/bkwd. Monkey Humpers – 10. Stretching. Run the parking lot.

THE THANG: Mosey to bathroom: Every 4th light pole, 10 Merkins. 4x. (Rabbits hold squat).

Run back to bathroom. Run up Pickett’s Charge to the Coliseum.

4 Stations (3, 6, 9, 12 o’clock): **2 count when applicable.

1st Rd: Dry Docks/Squats/American Hammers. 10 reps each.
(Rabbits: Wall Sit till 6 arrives. After each rd)

2nd Rd: Jump Squats/Merkins/American Hammers. 10 reps.

3rd Rd: Iron Mikes/SSH/American Hammers. 10 reps.

4th Rd: Bobby Hurleys/Reverse Lunges/American Hammers. 10 reps.

Mosey back to bathroom parking lot: Lunge walk or bear crawl to the end. Turn around and do 5 Burpees every other island to the other end. Run back to AO.

MARY: Pusher led Motivators – 5 count. LBCs until the end.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Escape from Haw Ridge. 2nd F at Xul.

COT: Guest speaker: My father, Carl Reitz, who spent time in Pakistan and Guatemala, talked about winning the lottery by being fortunate to live in the US. He explained how lucky we all are to not have to worry about food, shelter, clothing, etc. He asked each man to give thought to the air we breathe each day because so many people in this world aren’t as fortunate as we are.

4 Corners

February 13, 2026 BackBlasts

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Drum Major
PAX: Lizzy, Kung Blue, Franzia, Mr Jinxy, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Lilydipper, Crash Dummy, Pusher, Rooney(Carl Whipple), Switchhitter (Tony), MD Hammer
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
WARMUP:

5 Motivators
5 Cherry Pickers
10 Rockettes
Baby arm circles each way, throw in Morrocan Night Clubs
This and that and one jog around parking lot then go grab rocks

THE THANG:

Grab a coupon and start in corner of parking lot.
Start with 4 corner, karaoke or shuffle to corner, Bernie to 2nd, shuffle other way to 3rd and run to 4th. Face the same way all the way around. Run 2 laps between each circuit.
Circuit 1- 25 each
1.    Merkins
2.    Rows
3.    Overhead press
4.    Curls
5.    Carolina Dry Docks
Circuit 2 – 25 each
1.    Goblet squats
2.    Lunges
3.    Calf Raises
4.    Backwards lunges
5.    Bobby Hurleys
Circuit 3 – 25 each
1.    LBCs
2.    Flutter Kicks
3.    Mountain Climbers
4.    American Hammers
5.    Box Cutters
If you complete all 3, start from beginning until Recover is called.

MARY:

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Haw Ridge coming soon.

COT:

Empathy: Understanding and Connection
• Definition: The capacity to feel what another person is feeling and understand their perspective.
• Purpose: Fosters prosocial behavior, compassion, and kindness.
• Nuance: It does not always lead to compassion; one can understand another’s pain without wishing to alleviate it.
Cruelty: Deliberate Infliction of Pain
• Definition: The deliberate causing of physical or emotional suffering to others.
• Origins: Often stems from a lack of empathy or a “warped response” where a perpetrator feels the victim’s pain but derives pleasure from it.
• Types: Ranges from overt violence to covert acts like mockery, “macho minimizing,” or “tough love”.

While low empathy is linked to cruelty, some research suggests cruelty can require high, albeit misused, empathy to know exactly how to cause maximum distress.

Key insights on empathy:
• A Strength, Not a Weakness: Empathy is often confused with being “nice” or “soft,” but it is actually a skill that requires profound mental strength to understand perspectives different from one’s own.
• Enhances Leadership: In leadership, empathy is a “superpower” that helps in understanding others’ emotions to create better work environments, rather than just absorbing their pain
.
• Distinction from Sympathy: Empathy is about understanding another’s perspective, whereas sympathy is feeling pity from your own perspective.
• The Risk of “Too Much” Empathy: Unmanaged empathy, or emotional entanglement, can lead to burnout or “unhealthy helping”.
• A Sign of Health: The absence of empathy is associated with serious mental health conditions, such as narcissistic or antisocial personality disorders.
• A Social Lubricant: Empathy is crucial for building and maintaining relationships, acting as a foundation for trust within communities.