F3 Knoxville

Tag: Sparkler

Leap of Faith

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Crash Dummy
PAX: Lilydipper, Drum Major, Pele (Jon Lindberg), Doubtfire (Nick Bond), Steam, Sparkler, Switchhitter (Tony), Abacus, Rooney (Carl Whipple), MD Hammer, Brick, Mr Jinxy, Curveball, Serpentine (Jason Pierce), Petunia (aka Daniel Ellis), Gridiron, Franzia
FNGs: 1 Franzia
COUNT: 18
WARMUP: Side Straddle Hops – 20, Cherry Pickers – 5, Good Mornings – 10. Runner’s Stretch, Fire Hydrants, Donkey Kicks, $ Stretch.

THE THANG: 1st POC – Mini Cardiac (Pele suggested moving to the grass hill to avoid traffic): Battle Buddy up, Partner 1, Bernie up the hill & back. Partner 2, reverse lunge. x4

2nd POC – Cardiac: Suicides – Start w/10 Squat Jumps at bottom. Run to the 1st bend. 10 Merkins. Run back Down. 10 Squat Jumps. Run up to the 2nd Bend. 10 Merkins. Run back down to the bottom. 10 Squat Jumps. Run to the bench at the top. 10 Merkins. Run back down to the bottom. 10 Squat Jumps.

3rd POC – Bros Bowl – Either run back to AO or sprint up & around the Bros Bowl and back to AO.

MARY: None

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Pass the Flag 6/26 to Crash Dummy

COT: Growing up, my friends & I loved to drive up to Townsend, to the Wye, & jump off the cliffs into the water. The toughest part was not the jump itself but thinking about the jump. For the guys who are out here, that want to Q but might be overthinking it, I say, take that leap. It gets a little easier each time.

PE Exam

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Pele (Jon Lindberg)
PAX: Sparkler, Serpentine (Jason Pierce), MD Hammer, Abacus, Mr Jinxy, Tenderfoot, Lilydipper, High Heels (Henry Ritchie), Lizzy, Brick, Drum Major, Stitch, Curveball, Rooney(Carl Whipple), Steam, Pele (Jon Lindberg)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 16
WARMUP:
-20 Split Jacks (4-ct), 10 each leg, in cadence
– 10 Cherry Pickers (4-ct), in cadence
– 10 Rockettes (4-ct), in cadence
– 5 PCMBs, OYO
– 20 Grady Corns (4-ct), in cadence
THE THANG:
Moved to Pavillion due to storms.
PE EXAM (Hat tip, Erector)
Run around Pav 2x, doing …
P – 10 Prisoner Cell Merkin Burpees aka PCMBs.
Mosey down the long side of the Pav and back doing…
E – Elevens – CDDs at one end and squats at the other
MOSEY to Road leading to Lyons View entrance.
E – Escalator – I actually totally forgot to do this one. Q Fail.
**WE INTERRUPT THE PE EXAM DUE TO THE INVASION OF A KRAKEN!**
KRAKEN: 6 cones in a circle, with Ab exercises in blue, and upper body exercises in red. Do the blue exercise, then run around clockwise plus one cone and do the next exercise. Rinse and repeat until back and starting point. Then do the same thing, in the opposite direction, doing the red exercises.
Blue exercises:
1. 20 BBS
2. 20 Gas Pumps
3. 20 Box Cutters
4. 20 LBCs
5. 20 Bicycle kicks (4-ct)
6. 20 American Hammers (4-ct)

Red exercises:
7. 20 Merkins
8. 20 Carolina Dry Docks
9. 20 Shoulder Taps (both shoulders =1)
10. 20 Diamond Merkins
11. 20 Bottle Openers
12. 20 Wide Merkins

X –Xs and Os , on Q’s call

A – Aiken legs – Done in succession with no rest — 20 Squats, 20 Bobby Hurleys, 20 Lunges (10 each leg), 20 Split Jacks (10 each leg forward). Rinse and repeat
M – Mary – PAX called out Burpees, and reverse lunges

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

COT:
This past Sunday was Pentecost.
Some traditions associate with it include Wearing Red (symbolizes the fire of the Holy Spirit). Praying for Guidance: and Engaging in Fellowship: Participate in activities that promote unity and fellowship.
So I don’t know about wearing red, but the other two traditions I have absolutely immersed myself in this week. It’s been a challenging week, and as leaders, I think praying for guidance does a couple of things.
It indicates a willingness to be open to inspiration, comfort, and guidance, specifically from your Sky Q, but
–
this willingness can also trickle over into seeking guidance from others that you respect, tapping into others for inspiration and direction. The burden of leadership does not have to be borne alone.
–
And I think Engaging in Fellowship is also important for leaders. Sometimes being a leader feels very lonely. Sometimes it feels like, in spite of your best efforts, everything you’ve worked hard for to accomplish in your position has been in vain. It’s very important not to isolate yourself. Engaging with others is healthy and often very helpful. Connecting, sharing ideas, sharing concerns, even just having someone to have a beer with or tell a funny joke is important. You are not as alone as you might think. And when things are rough, those HIMs that you surround yourself with will give you that inspiration to keep fighting the good fight. AYE.

Like Cheese and Fine Wine

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Curveball
PAX: Lilydipper, Brick, Lizzy, Drum Major, Mr Jinxy, Crash Dummy, Serpentine (Jason Pierce), Pele (Jon Lindberg), Sparkler, Doubtfire (Nick Bond), Rooney(Carl Whipple), F3 Pluto ( Hugh Nystrom), Curveball, Crankbait
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
WARMUP:
1. Side Straddle Hops (Jumping Jacks)
2. Forward Fold
3. Imperial Walkers.
4. Windmills
5. Arm Circles

THE THANG:
Find Rock Pile. Everyone get one.
Do first listed exercise to rep count. Then run to cone (25 yds) and back. Same exercise same count again. Then to cone and back. Same exercise same count again. Then to cone and back. Same exercise same count again. While waiting for the six, do AMRAP of second listed exercise. After six finishes all 4 sets of exercises, all PAX do third exercise in cadence to rep count.
So, first exercise 4 times with Rocks, second exercise while waiting, and third exercise as group.
1, 15 CMU Merkin walk-overs, Squats, Jump Squats
2, 15 Overhead CMU Press, Big boys, Flutters
3, 20 CMU Curls, Calf Raises, Twinkle Toes
4, 30 CMU Bench Press, Hello Dollys, LBCs
5, 15 CMU Triceps, Lunge, Jump Squats – Dips
6, 15 CMU Rows OR CMU Kettle Bells, LBCs, Box Cutters.

Back to flag. Exercise then run short loop (20-30 second mosey)
1. Squats – 25 reps
2. Merkins – 20 reps
3. Lunges (10 each leg) – 20 reps
4. Plank Jacks – 30 reps
5. Big Boy Sit-Ups – 20 reps
6. Burpees – 10 reps

MARY:
30 second stretch.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
T-Claps for Sparkler and his work done for Hardship Hill.

PRAYERS:
For Drum Major’s wife and all of the family after the passing of her brother.
For Convoy’s brother who is in need.
For all the F3 Brothers battling stressful situations.
And for those prayers held in our hearts.

COT:
One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night

Ladies and gentleman skinny and scout
I’ll tell you a tale I know nothing about
The admission is free so pay at the door
Now pull out a chair and sit on the floor

On one bright day in the middle of the night
Two dead boys got up to fight
Back to back they faced each other
Drew their swords and shot each other

The blind man came to see fair play
The mute man came to shout hooray
The deaf policeman heard the noise
And came to stop those two dead boys

He lived on the corner in the middle of the block
In a two story house on a vacant lot
A man with no legs came walking by
And kicked the lawman in his thigh

He crashed through a wall without making a sound
Into a dry creek bed and suddenly drowned
A long black hearse came to cart him away
But he ran for his life and is still gone today

I watched from the corner of the table
The only eyewitness to facts of my fable
If you doubt my lies are true
Just ask the blind man, he saw it too

Embrace the Nonsense. It makes life a lot of fun.

Keep Striving

AO: asylum-pm
Q: Lilydipper
PAX: Pele (Jon Lindberg), Curveball, Windex, Crash Dummy, Tenderfoot, Mr Jinxy, Pusher, Sparkler, Brick
FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
WARMUP: 20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Squat Jumps, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Windmills, 10 Twistees, 10 Rockettes, 7 Pterodactyls Forward and 7 Backward

THE THANG: Mosey to the stop sign at the Northeastern Corner of the Admin Bldg. We will go up the road that semi-circles the Admin Bldg and stop at nine different cones to do the exercises listed and then go to the next cone as listed. Here are the exercises at the nine cones:
Cone 1: 10 Shoulder Taps, both shoulders = 1. Sprint to next cone.
–
Cone 2: 20 Hello Dollies. Bear Crawl to next cone.
–
Cone 3: 20 Imperial Walkers where both legs = 1. Bernie to next cone.
–
Cone 4: Go down stairs by bat cave. Run to summit on left and go up summit. Then go to roadway where you will see next cone.
–
Cone 5: 40 Baby Crunches. Slow Mosey to Cone 6
–
Cone 6: 20 Bobby Hurleys. Bernie to Cone 7.
–
Cone 7: 20 Flutter Kicks, both legs = 1. Hop to Cone 8.
–
Cone 8: 20 Merkins. Sprint to Cone 9.
–
Cone 9: 20 Mountain Climbers both legs =1, 20 Freddie Mercuries both legs = 1, 20 Big Boy Sit-ups, 20 Box Cutters, 20 Diamond Merkins, 20 Backwards Lunges, 20 Plank Jacks, 20 Iron Mikes both legs = 1.
–
Mosey to Coliseum. We will stop to do 20 Squats. The Coliseum is 6 oclock. We will run counterclockwise around circle. At 3 o’clock we will do 10 Carolina Dry Docks. At 12 o’ clock we will do 10 box jumps on stairs of the Admin Bldg. At 9 o’clock we will do 10 Wide Merkins. At 6 o’clock do 20 Bench Dips at steps. Rinse and repeat.
Next, guys will number off into two teams. Team one will mosey to Stop Sign on the Northeast Corner of the Admin Bldg, then go up semi-circle road to AO, picking up cones on the way. Team two will mosey to Stop Sign on Southeast Corner of the Admin Bldg, then go up semi-circle road to AO, picking up cones on the way.

MARY: Stretches.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hardship Hill will be May 17. Volunteers are needed. Also, guys who participate can arrive early to help set up or stay late to help break down and clean up. Tomorrow morning at Shamrock, at the 5:30 am workout, Slappy will be passing the baton to Stitch as AO captain. Be there if you can.

COT:

Message

Keep Striving

As a psychologist and as a human being, I have experienced, had family members experience, and had patients experience deep depression. When depressed the idea of going through another day can seem absolutely overwhelming. When depressed, just getting out of bed to shower can be difficult. And, when we do get more active, when we do put in the effort, it may feel like we will never get rewarded. For us who are believers in God, we may wonder where He is and why He doesn’t respond. We may feel like giving up. Yet, we can’t give up. We must keep striving.

I love the song Your Labor is Not in Vain by Isaac Wardell, Paul Zach and Wendell Kimbrough. The song is about having faith and knowing God is with us although all our work and efforts may not currently seem to be paying off. Imagine God saying the following to you:

Your labor is not in vain
Though the ground underneath you
Is cursed and stained
Your planting and reaping are never the same
Your labor is not in vain

Your labor is not unknown
Though the rocks they cry out
And the sea it may groan
The place of your toil may not seem like a home
But your labor is not unknown

Chorus
For I am with you I am with you
I am with you I am with you
For I have called you
Called you by name
Your labor is not in vain

The vineyards you plant will bear fruit
The fields will sing out and rejoice with the truth
For all that is old will at last be made new
The vineyards you plant will bear fruit

The houses you labored to build
Will finally with laughter and joy be filled
The serpent that hurts and destroys will be killed
And all that is broken be healed

Remember, God is with you. He has called you by name. He is there when all seems broken. Keep striving. Your labor is not in vain.

Prayers: Prayers for Slappy and Stitch as Slappy passes leadership as the AO Captain of Shamrock to Stitch. Prayers for our brothers at Shamrock as well. Prayers of thanks for Sparkler’s continuing recovery from surgery related to prostate cancer. Prayers for Crash Dummy’s friend as her recovers from the removal of a tumor near his pituitary gland. Prayers of thanks that Windex’s daughter, Mattie, has recovered so well from her terrible car accident.

Sparkler

AO: asylum-am
Q: Waffle House (Brady Greene)
PAX: Matlock (Bill Maddox), F3 Pluto ( Hugh Nystrom), Tropicana, bluebird, Rainbow, Charmin (John Willis), Backflow (Wesley Hunt), Double Wide, Cinco (Scott McGuire), Gibbler, P3, Sparkler
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
WARMUP: The usual: 30 Sparklers, the Junk Sparkler, 10 Sparklers IC, the Sparkler.

Weather was a tossup so we did Sparkler Burpees (deceivingly difficult after two or three rounds) and some rock work until 6, when we left the Pavalon’s friendly confines for a prayer mosey – sounds weird but it was a highlight for me – and just one little backwards trip up Cardiac.

10 Sparklers when we got back to the Pavalon, then a sprint up Eaby everest to finish things off.

Prayed for various friends and situations, including a certain surgery happening today.

Links to interview:
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-jonathan-haidt.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1hKDKmcByIL0fRsOK91aOh?si=wCKo2rM0TVuOeTsp96u0xA