F3 Knoxville

Tag: Pusher

The Power of Friends

THE SCENE: Temps in high 50’s, clear, breezy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
10 Pinto About-Face Twists each way, 20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Plank Jacks, 5 Baby Arm Circles forward and backward, 5 Wide Arm Circles forward and backward, 10 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Mosey to northern parking lot of park.  We will do Route 66 along the sidewalk that heads to park entrance at Lyon’s Bend.  We will run back to the start after each exercise.  These will be the exercises:

  • Plank Jacks
  • Dive Bombers
  • Jump Squats

After these exercises we will alternate between Bernies, Lunges and Sprints along each light until we get to street that extends from entrance gate.

Mosey up street towards AO but stop at stop sign at intersection of road coming from Admin Bldg.  On grassy area near stop sign we will do 20 Hello Dollies and 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Northern Ball Field Entrance Parking Lot.  We will do the following from one end of parking lot to other and then do ten merkins after each run there and back:

  • Sideways runs with feet crossing.
  • Hops for four parking spaces then sprint to curb and back.
  • Bernies to curb and back.
  • Bear crawl for four parking space then sprint to curb and back.
  • Lunge for four parking spaces then sprint to curb and back.
  • Sprint to curb and back.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
Box cutters and planks.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 men, no FNG’s.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Proverbs 18: 24.  A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Sometimes our self-doubts, our shame, our anxiety, or even our pride can keep us from turning to friends when we are hurt or in trouble.  As a psychologist, I often see individuals coping with hurtful issues that they are too embarrassed to speak to their friends about.  A young man in his twenties recently lost a job that he had out of state.  He has friends who are smart, energetic, and growth-pursuing and who appear to be going places with their lives.  He has come back to his home town and has a few of those “successful” friends who still live here in Knoxville.  He hasn’t even contacted them, too embarrassed to tell them about his loss of job.

If these guys are true friends, they are the very ones he should turn to at this difficult time.  If they are true friends, they will care for him and hold him up.  His true friends won’t begrudge him for losing a job. They like him for who he is, not the type of job he has.  Yes, back when he got the job they may have praised, pat him on the back, wished him well, told him he was going to “kick ass” at it.  They were saying that because they care for him and want the best for him.  They won’t turn their backs on him because he has stumbled.  They are going to want to pick him up, carry him.  If they don’t do that, what kind of friends are they?

I remember a troubled time I had in my early 20’s.  I was lost in terms of what I wanted to do with my life.  I had fumbled around in a few jobs and was working as a forklift driver at a warehouse just to earn enough money to buy groceries while I lived with my uncle who put me up.  I was depressed and certainly not my usual self.  I remember my friends hanging in there with me at that difficult time.  They would take me to rec centers to play basketball, take me out for meals, call me to shoot the breeze, – not necessarily ask about my job search or career struggles but just be there for me and certainly lend an ear if I needed to talk.  They didn’t have the “sage” advice that I needed from older men, sometimes even offered stupid advice to me.  But they cared and I knew it.  They were going to be my friend through thick and thin.  They were there for me at a most important time and I made it through that time because of them.

We need our friends.  Don’t shy away from telling them about your troubles when you hit a low spot.  Turn to them for strength.  It may not be their words of wisdom that push you through – leave that to the shrinks, philosophers, and preachers.  But your friends will give you that powerful something that is hard to put into words – unless you call it love and that love will raise you up.

 

Persistence

THE SCENE: 42 degrees and cool.  Perfect weather

WARM-O-RAMA:

  • imperial squat walkers
  • baby arm circles forward and backwards
  • cherry pickers
  • SSH

THA-THANG:

  • 20 merkins and 20 squats w/2 burpees in the middle between each exercise.  Decrease by 2 exercises after each round.
  • 20 table rows and 20 flutter kicks – decreasing by 2 at each round
  • merkin/bear crawl across parking lot
  • Dry Docks and then hill run

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”  Calvin Coolidge

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Cheat Sheet Granny and daughter. Ben who lost his wife. G-6 son

Bad Customer Service

THE SCENE: Somewhere in the 50s… Rain sort of tapering off… Maybe?
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH x25 IC
Hindurkins x10 IC
Cossack Squats x20 IC
TN Rocking Chair x15 IC
Travoltas x10 each arm IC

THA-THANG:
Insert information about the workout.
Everyone retrieves one 2-hand pee rock and two 1-hand pee rocks. Leave 2-hand pee rocks at the “service desk”
Time to try to return those crappy Christmas gifts, but of course you have no receipt!
Split into three lines, about 15yd from the “service desk”.
First man in line grovels to the desk (bear crawl w/ 2 1-hand rocks or snowplow w/ 2-hand)
Leave “gift” at the desk, but you get the runaround since you have no receipt (run around the outhouse)
Return to the desk to pick up your exchange (swap 2-hand for 1-hand or vice-versa)
Go to the back of your line and start doing the next exercise in the list.

2-Hand Exercises:
Curls
Blockees
Pullovers
Tri Extension

1-Hand Exercises
Flys
Woodcutters
Lateral Raises
Rocky Marciano

MARY:
Stood in line for too long!
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 strong… Well, 10 strong and 1 weak. Trying to fight off a cold…
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
So we probably all got at least one crappy gift this Christmas. But remember to thank God for his unspeakable gift – Never the wrong size, needed by all.
2 Cor. 9:15 – Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

MOLESKIN:
Left an alternate Q in chalk up at the Pavalon in case it was more rainy… We’ll give that one a go next time!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Prayers for Mayberry’s Grandfathers – both in the hospital.

48 is the new 12

THE SCENE: Crisp (29) and clear.  Perfect!
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH (4 ct) x 48; couple of laps around the parking lot; Squats (4 ct) x 32 (4×8=32)

THA-THANG:
#1:  12s – Like 11s, but more awesomer.  Burpees and Hello Dollies (4ct) with a run from one side of parking lot to the other in between.

#2:  Mosey to the cloud:  48 LBCs

#3:  Mosey to the back parking lot. 32 Speed Skaters.

#4:  More 12s with Merkins and Squat Jumps, but this time, run a quarter lap between exercises.  Check the time and abort early so we have time for . . .

#5:    Mosey to Cardiac.  4 stops up the hill with 8 reps of each: Manmakers, Flutters (4ct), Sumo Squats (4 ct); Dips (4 ct).

MARY:
Captain Thors till we reach 8 BBS and 32 AHs.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
In my 49th trip around the Sun, I’m going to try to get out of my comfort zone.  This is difficult for me.  I love being comfortable.  I think about Paul’s exhortation from Philippians 4:13 and the level of discomfort Paul took on.  If God saw Paul through his discomfort, then he’ll surely see through any that I have.  Push on!
MOLESKIN:
I’m proud to share a birthday with High-Heels!  Continued prayers for Cheatsheet’s grandmother and daughter.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Polar bear plunge on New Year’s and sign-ups open for Hardship Hill.

Presents for Everyone

THE SCENE: Cold and clear
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
THA-THANG:
Handed out some presents early – 25 envelopes, each containing an exercise. We went through our gifts in sequential order:

  1. 25 SSH
  2. 10 Tempo Squats
  3. 10 Tempo Merkins
  4. 12 Baby Arm Circles (forward and reverse)
  5. Bear Crawl across the parking lot
  6. Crawl Bear across the parking lot
  7. 20 Derkins
  8. 20 Bench Rows
  9. 10 Burpee Box Jumps
  10. 15 LBC’s (4 ct)
  11. 20 Tuck Jumps
  12. 15 Hand Release Merkins
  13. 10 Lunges (10 each leg)
  14. 20 American Hammers (4 ct)
  15. 10 Dive Bombers
  16. 10 Iron Mikes (4 ct)
  17. 15 Sweat Angels (4 ct)
  18. 15 Diamond Merkins
  19. 20 Squats (4 ct)
  20. 20 Flutter Kicks (4 ct)
  21. 20 Dry Docks
  22. 20 Jump Squats
  23. 15 Box Cutters (4 ct)
  24. 10 Burpees
  25. 1 Time All You’ve Got up Little Baby Hill

MARY:

Just enough time for some plank work and Cap’n helped us cash out with some ATM’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
33 HIM’s – no FNG’s

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Especially this time of year, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness – getting things wrapped up before the new year, planning for next year, finishing up the Christmas shopping, figuring out logistics for the holidays, etc, etc. Sometimes the most difficult task is to just slow down and enjoy the moments, the memories.

I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to getting caught up in the “hamster wheel of life” – creating my list of things I need to get done, worrying about what’s to come tomorrow, and simply not slowing down to appreciate the moments right in front of me. I was reminded of this last night when I was getting ready for the Q this morning. I was preparing the envelopes for the workout (just another task that I needed to get checked off my long list of things to get done over the next couple days), but my 4 year old son was so excited when I asked him to put some stickers on the envelopes. He swelled with pride knowing that Daddy needed his help, and he quickly plopped down next to me and began meticulously placing his Christmas stickers on each envelope. It was just a little moment – inconsequential in the grand scheme of things – but I cherished that time with him. He won’t always be 4 years old, and he won’t always want to help his Dad with those silly projects.

Cherish the moments.