F3 Knoxville

Tag: Pusher

Rainbow Connection

THE SCENE: 50 with a steady drizzle.  Perfect weather (to head to the Pav-a-Lon!)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER You know the drill.
WARM-O-RAMA:
We get the music started early.  It’s time to celebrate Rainbow taking the shovel flag, so celebrate we shall.  Did you know Rainbow was named after his favorite My Little Pony? I did!  First song:  “Rainbow” by Sia from the My Little Pony, the Movie Soundtrack.  Did you know there was an actual My Little Pony Movie? I didn’t!

Let’s get the burpees out of the way, shall we?  Burpee ladder: SSHx 10; 2 burpees; BAC-forward x 10; 4 burpees; BAC-backerds x10; 6 burpees; ISW x 10; 8 burpees; Rockets x 10; 10 burpees.
THA-THANG:
As Robert Plant belts out “Rainbow” from his Digging Deep: Subterranea album (not exactly Now and Zen), we head climb another ladder: Run a lap around the pav-a-Lon building, perform a table row and dip.  Run another lap, completing 10 laps total.  After each successive lap, add a table row and dip up to 10 reps each.  Enjoy Kacey Musgrave singing her song . . .you guessed it, “Rainbow.”

As we finish the ladder, “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” by Rainbow starts blaring.  Freshly energized as only heavy metal can do, we mosey at a fast clip to the Narthex.

At the Narthex, we mellow things out.  We’re descending a ladder of Froggy Squats then regular squats, starting at 10 each, down to 1.  It’s Froggy Squats + Rainbow celebration, so that means one song only:  “Rainbow Connection” by Kermit The Frog.

The Pax wets its feet from the Narthex to the Chapel, finding a dry spot on the floor, for a Hurricane Hoedown.  That’s flutter kicks x7 in seated position with hands over head, flutters x7 in reclining “power T” position, and then regular flutters x 7.  We work our way down from the set of 7 to 6, then 5 . . . .to 1, while we enjoy the pop stylings of Rainbow Kitten Surprise performing “American Shoes” followed by “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by the big Hawaiian Ukulele dude Israel Kamakawio’ole.

Seeing that the far pavilion by the baseball fields was ocupado, we stayed put for some 25s of Merkins and BBS overwhelmed by even more Rainbow “Since You Been Gone.”  We mosey back in the rain to the vocal stylings of even more Ronnie James Dio and “Rainbow in the Dark” to the Pav-a-Lon, where we close out 3 minutes of high knee step ups and then 2 minutes of plank with Elvis crooning “Pocketful of Rainbows” (From the G.I. Blues movie, btw).

MARY:
I guess the planks should be here.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
A conspiracy is an agreement between 2 or more people to act in harmony toward a common end.  While we think of that word in a negative context, being the AO Q has shown me it can be positive.  Many HIMs at the Asylum have conspired to act together to make us all better.  I’ve not been a leader so much as just a part of a conspiracy to lead.  Being part of that has humbled me beyond belief.  Rainbow has been part of the conspiracy for many years.  Now, he’ll be the one directing us.  I couldn’t be more excited for our AO than I am right now.  Thanks to all for pushing me to be better every day.
MOLESKIN:
More from the Q Source:  What is required for men to conspire with each other to move themselves and others toward Advantage?  Trust.  How do we gain trust?

1) Candor (i.e. honesty with ourselves and others);

2) Commitment (toward the common goal);

3) Consistency (showing up regularly so that others know they can count on you);

4) Contentment (demonstration of stability of emotion regardless of the situation);

5) Courage (to do what is uncomfortable – to challenge yourself and your brothers).

We have that in spades at the Asylum, men!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Please bring napkins, 55 gallon trash bags and copy paper for Hope House.  Also, Saturday at Sandy Springs Park, we have a new Maryville AO kicking off!).

Back On Top

[ The Scene ]

HOT – 60s and feeling good, PAX met up top (top of Asylum) because apparently people like to frequent public parks when the weather is nice outside.

[ Welcome/Disclaimer ]

  • Welcome to F3! Fitness-Fellowship-Faith
  • Name is Steam and I’ll be your Q tonight
  • Few things before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • If you need to modify anything feel free to do so but push yourself and the men around you – they deserve it and so do you!
  • FNGs? — 1 (with Snag – well done!)

[ Warm o Rama ]

  • SSH: 25×4 IC
  • Rockette: 10×4 IC
  • Cherry Picker: 10×4 IC
  • Baby Arm Circles: 20×4 (10 F and 10 B)
  • Apollo Onos: 10×4 IC

[ The Thang ]

(Mosey over to the right of the asylum building)

(1) The Hill and Back — 10s

  • The Tree on top of the hill (Imperial Walkers)
  • Curb on the other side of the street (Rocky Balboas)
  • Everything on a 4 count
  • 9 and 1
  • 8 and 2

Recover with flutter kicks in the grass

(Mosey to log pile – lower parking lot)

(2) Core 4 + Push

  • 4 corners of the lower parking lot (10 – 1 ct)
    • C1: LBCs
    • C2: BBS
    • C3: Cockroaches
    • C4: Boat/Canoes
  • Run to the top of the drive (Street)
  • 10 merkins
  • Rinse & Repeat — once

__________________________

*Q Teaching Moment*

Pick up the 6 and Wagon Wheel mean Pick up the 6 and wagon wheel. Gridiron, who’s 12, led the charge on this. So I called all PAX back up to the street where the merkins were being done and specifically called out Gridiron for doing this — leading from the front. i put Gridiron in a place of leadership – instructing him to lead all PAX in 30 down/up merkins, which he did exceptionally.

QTip: You’re never too young/old/seasoned to never leave a man behind, and never leave a man the same.

We could all learn a lot from Gridiron and the way he consistently picks up the 6, wagon wheels, and lives out “No Man Left Behind, No Man Left The Same.”

This goes into my BOM a little bit too – but on the mosey to Everest pre-Mary, I had told Gridiron I was proud of him for leading from the front and setting the example and standard. His response was the following:

”Well I have 2 of the best role models that teach me that, my dad and mom. Basically Mr F3 and Mrs FIA”

Doubtfire (and your M) — well done. That’s HIM stuff right there.

___________________________________________

(PAX mosey to the base of Everest and form battle buddy teams)

PAX take Everest by force, going all the way to the top and over the highest point back to the AO

[ Mary ]

Core 4

  • Flutter Kicks: 25×4
  • American Hammers: 25×4
  • Little LBCs: 25×4
  • Penguins: 25×4

[ COT ]

  • # off — 23
  • Name o Rama
  • FNGs — 1
  • BOM

From the movie “Courageous”

“As a law enforcement officer, I’ve seen firsthand the deep hurt and devastation that fatherless brings in a child’s life. Our prisons are full of men and women who have lived recklessly after being abandoned by their fathers, wounded by the men who should have loved them the most. Many of these children now follow the same pattern of irresponsibility that their fathers did. While so many mothers have sacrificed much so that their children could survive, they were never intended to carry the weight alone. We thank God for them.

But research is proving that a child also desperately needs a daddy. There’s no way around this fact. I now believe that God desires for every father to courageously step up and do whatever it takes to be involved in the lives of his children. But more than just being there and providing for them, he’s to walk with them through their lives and be a visual representation of the character of God, their father in Heaven. A father should love his children and seek to win their hearts. He should protect them, discipline them, and teach the, about God. He should model how to walk with integrity and how to treat others with respect. He should call out his children to become responsible men and women, who live their lives for what matters in eternity.

Some men will hear this and mock it, or ignore it. But I tell you that as a father you are accountable to God for the position of influence He has given you. You can’t fall asleep at the wheel only to wake up one day and realize that your job or your hobbies have no eternal value. But the should of your children do.

Some men will hear this and agree with it, but have no resolve to live it out. Instead they will live for themselves and waste an opportunity to lease a Godly legacy for the next generation.

But there are some men, who, regardless of the mistakes we’ve made in the past, regardless of what our fathers did not do for us, will give the strength of our arms and the rest of our days to loving God with all that we are, and to teach our children to do the same, and whenever possible, to love and mentor others who have no fathers in their lives, but who desperately need help and direction.

We are inviting any man who’s heart is willing and courageous to join us in this revolution. In my home the decision has already been made: you don’t have to ask who will guide my family, because by God’s grace, I will. You don’t have to ask who will teach my son to follow Christ, because I will. Who will accept the responsibility for providing and protecting my family? I will. Who will ask God to break the chain of dysfunctional patterns in my family’s history? I will. Who will pray for, and bless my children to boldly pursue whatever God calls them to do? I am their farther. I will. I accept this responsibility and it is my privilege to embrace it. I want the favor of God and His blessing on my home. Any good man does.

So where are you men’s of courage? Where are you fathers who fear the Lord? It’s time to rise up and answer the call that God has given you. And to say I will, I will, I will.”

The Lord is My Strength and Song

THE SCENE: Cloudy and cool, low 40s, but thankfully no rain!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Check


WARM-O-RAMA:

– Motivators (5-ct, descending) (was going to do 7-ct, but Steam guessed the exercise, so doing only 5 was the reward)

– 10 Windmills (4-ct, IC)

– 15 Steve Earls (4-ct, IC)

– 20 Moroccan Nightclub (4-ct, IC)

– Little of this and that

THA-THANG:

MOSEY to Pavilion

-20 Bench Dips, 20 Bench Pull-ups, 20 Bench Step Ups, RINSE AND REPEAT.

MOSEY to Circus Maximus

CANDY CANE:

  • Run to four cones laid out in a “Candy Cane” pattern. Do 10 Reps of the exercise at the cone, then return to start, and run to next cone, etc.  Rabbits sweep the six.  Exercises:
    • Hand-release Merkins
    • Box Cutters
    • Iron Mikes (2-ct) (Q called an audible and we only did every other cone for this one. Stopped at far cone, did 10 reps of Iron Mikes at every cone on the way back)

Mosey to Base of Cardiac

CARDIAC SUICIDES (Modified):

Run to first curve, do 20x Plank Jacks/Peter Parkers/Mountain Climbers, run to second curve, again do 20 of each exercise, run back to first curve, and then all the way to the top and do our last set of 20 of each exercise.

MOSEY to AO

MARY:
High Heels led some LBCs, then Q had the PAX do 30 second static leg raises, 20x Hello Dollies (4-ct, IC), and Homer/Marge to finish it off.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 strong, including one FNG, whom we named TMI

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

FAITH AND JAZZ: My church has recently brought in a small band to showcase in their streaming services, and last Sunday they played a variety of jazzy tunes, perhaps in part to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  Over the years, I’ve never been a big fan of jazz music.  Jazz can be kind of frustrating to those of us who like our music to be a little more structured.  A typical jazz tune tends to lack that structure, and it can go off into unexpected directions, some of which you might appreciate, some of which you might not, like when there’s a jarring interruption by a trumpet, or the crash of a symbol that shakes you up.  At times when I listen to jazz I feel a bit bewildered, like when the musicians all go off on a 10 minute segue on some random riff.  Why are they doing that?  Can’t they just stick to a melody and go from there?  It seems chaotic and unplanned.

Another thing that frustrates me with jazz is that it tends not to have a definite end.  Most songs seem to just ramble on for a while and then suddenly wrap up at a random part of the tune.  This can be somewhat unsatisfying for those of us who just want to read the “cliff notes” version of music and be told the answer to what it’s all about.  All the meanderings and lack of a satisfying conclusion can be irritating if you’re not really tuned into it.

But I’ve come to appreciate jazz more over the years if you listen carefully, with patience, and let yourself become immersed in it, something magical happens.  All the pieces and disparate parts that seemed confusing at the time ultimately pay off as the players create a beautiful whole from the various individual pieces, almost like a quilt.  And the more you invest in it, the more you give yourself in to it, the more rewarding it can be.  There IS a structure to it, there IS a pattern.  You just have to have the awareness and patience to tap into it and recognize it.

To me, that’s kind of like spirituality.  We have to have faith that the song God is weaving in our lives will ultimately take us to a place of peace and beauty, even if at times it seems meandering and strange, even dark and frightening.  Jazz players will tell you that one of the most important aspects of being a jazz musician is listening to what is going on around you, and tapping into that energy so that you’re in harmony with it, not fighting against it.  So it is with being a spiritual person.  The more carefully we listen to the song of faith that courses through us and the more we let ourselves be pulled into its melody, the more we are able to recognize the beautiful tapestry that the Lord is creating for each one of us.

As it is written in Exodus:

“The Lord is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;

This is my God, and I will praise Him;

My father’s God, and I will extol Him.”

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Boogaloo and his family as they cope with the loss of a family member to COVID.  Prayers for the folks without power and water in Texas.  Prayers for TMI that his dentist appointment won’t be difficult or painful.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
New Maryville AO opening on March 6, 7:00 am.  Details to be announced.

I did not die

THE SCENE: Clear and cold, high twenties.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

20 Side Straddle-Hops, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Windmills, 10 Tempo Squats, Michael Phelps, Little of This and That

THA-THANG:

Mosey to flat field area where we have Brolympics.  We will do a Pyramid with the following exercises.  We will do each exercise for 30 seconds:

  • Burpees
  • Jump Squats
  • Imperial Walkers

We then run to the Caribbean.  We will run past four islands and lunge to one island, then repeat that sequence until we have circled the Caribbean.  We will rinse and repeat but Bernie instead of run and backward lunge instead of lunge.

Mosey to parking lot with CMUs.  Each man grabs a CMU.  We will do a Pyramid with 25 each of the following exercises:

  • Overhead Presses
  • Curls
  • Plank Jacks with hands on CMU

Mosey to Caribbean again.  We will rinse and repeat what we previously did but with running, bear crawls, Bernies, and backwards lunges.

Return to parking lot and grab same CMU.  We will do 25 each of the following exercises

  • Rows
  • Chest Pushes

Put up CMUs.  Mosey back to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
18 men with one of them a Flying EH FNG whom we named Black Box.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

The following poem was written by Mary Elizabeth Frye, a housewife who lived in Baltimore, Maryland.  In a moment of inspiration, she wrote it on the back of a brown paper bag.  She wrote it for a friend who had lost her mother.  The religious significance of the poem will be obvious.  Word spread about the poem and it was later published in newspapers.  It became a famous poem but for many years, people didn’t even know who the author was.  Mary Elizabeth Frye was not a poet in the vocational sense of the word.  She never published any poetry.  Yet, her poem has been read at countless funerals and public ceremonies throughout the years.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
by Mary Elizabeth Frye in 1932

Do not stand at my grave and weep:
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starshine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry:
I am not there; I did not die.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for:  two of Rooney’s students who lost a father to Covid; for those who have no homes/residences that are in the path of the cold wave that has run through the United States; for a friend of Swimmies who has Stage IV cancer and a tumor near his spine that has led to paralysis from the waist down; for a person in California that Drum Major has worked with who lost his life – for that man’s family; and, a prayer of praise for Ice Man who has found out he will have a baby boy.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Launch of AO in Maryville on Saturday, March 6 at 7 am.  See Slack for details.

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!