F3 Knoxville

Tag: Sparkler

More than cards and candy…

THE SCENE: cloudy and pleasant, upper 50s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER 

Nailed it.  Did I say I wasn’t a professional?… I think so.  Not sure.


WARM-O-RAMA:
20 SSH IC, 13 Steve Earls (lost count), 10 Cherry Pickers, Little of this/that, 10 Tempo Merkins IC, 10 Windmills IC

THA-THANG:
Valentine’s Day warm up! Mosey to the fields by the new bathroom.  Four cones will be set up for BUCK 25s! Bernie Sanders from center cone to cone to right. 10 pickle pounders/ 10 pickle pointers

Run back to center cone and Bernie to cone to left. 10 pickle pounders/ 10 pickle pointers

Bernie Sanders to cone behind 5 pickle pounders/ 5 pickle pointers

Charge up two terraces of hills, 100 Side Straddle Hops for the Buck 25!

Mosey to Parking Lot across the street.  Q had hidden bag with Valentines for the PAX, but almost couldn’t find where he hid them. (Thanks Ice Man for finding them!)  Each PAX gets a Valentine.  There is a poem with a related exercise.  We will do the exercise at the cones separating the bays, and then run the length of the parking lot and return to the next bay up, or lunge to the next station once we turn the corner.  Another PAX will read their Valentine, and we will continue until all Valentines have been read.  The poems and exercises are (random order):

  1. Roses are Red, violets are blue, I’d climb any mountain, to finally reach you.
  • Do 20 mountain climbers 4-ct

2. I said to you, “Oh, please be mine; Be mine forever, Valentine. I must have seemed like quite a bore, So join me in some Captain Thors!

  • Do Captain Thors (1:4 ratio of BBS:American Hammers up to 5:20). 1x each side = 1 American Hammer
  1. I swore that we would never part,
    As I put my hand upon my heart.
    Had I been thinking with my head,
    I probably would have fled instead
  • Sprint to end of parking lot and back (then do it again to get to next station!)

4.  You’re sharp as a tack and quick as a fox! I got you a gift, just open the box!

  • 20 Box Cutters (4-ct)
  1. After six shots of vodka at the bar,I find you as pretty as a shining star
  • 20 Star Jumps
  1. Valentine, O, Valentine, I’ll be your love and you’ll be mine.
    We’ll always be happy, and that is a fact You’ll be my Jill, and I’ll be your Jack!
  • 20 Plank Jacks (4-ct)
  1. She sent her love a Valentine;
    But he did not reply.
    He packed his bags and waived Adios! And from her he did fly!
  • Do Superman pose, hold for 60 seconds
  1. Oh will you be my wallaby?”
    Asked Mr. Kangaroo.
    “For we could find so very many
    Jumping things to do.”
  • 20 Jump Squats

Mosey to baby cardiac.  We will do two runs up.

  • Run #1, 20 Monkey humpers, Bernie Sanders up, 20 dive bombers at top
  • Run #2, sprint to top, 3 burpees, return to AO

MARY:
Heart Shaped leg lifts, flutter kicks, box cutters, Peter Parkers

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Six men strong, plus one FNG who we named J-Lo.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

It’s Valentines Day, after all, but who was St. Valentine?  Glad you asked.  He was a 3rd Century Roman Saint, martyred and buried on February 14, 269 AD, and is the saint of couples, beekeepers, marriage, love, and plague and epilepsy, of all things.

Valentinus (Latin version of his name) defied the emperor Claudius’s orders and secretly perform Christian weddings for couples.  This was prohibited, because Claudius felt single men made better soldiers, as they had less to lose.  To remind the men of their vows and God’s love, Valentinus cut hearts out of parchment and gave them to them, perhaps the origin of heart-shaped Valentines.  For his crimes, he was tortured and ordered under house arrest in Rome.  He pleaded his case to the Judge, and discussed the validity of Jesus’ teachings with him at length.  The Judge tested Valentinus by bringing in his blind daughter.  If Valentinus could restore her sight, the Judge would convert to Christianity.  He touched her eyes and restored her sight.  The Judge was humbled and immediately converted.

So, he was released, but he continued to preach where he wasn’t supposed to, and kept performing Christian marriages, was eventually caught and was sent to the emperor, Claudius II for punishment.  Claudius took a liking to this fellow (I get the impression Valentinus was quite the charmer), but then Valentinus went too far, and tried to convert the emperor to Christianity.  Claudius demanded that Valentinus renounce his faith, and when he didn’t he was beaten with clubs. That didn’t kill him, so they stoned him.  This guy was apparently like the Terminator, and just kept going, so they chopped off his head.  Yep, that did it.  Before he was sentenced, it is rumored that St. Valentine wrote a note to the daughter before he died, signed, “From your Valentine.” Thus inspiring the tradition of love letters.

SO, Valentine’s Day isn’t just about chocolates and flowers and Hallmark cards.  Human love and sexuality is wonderful, and blessed by God, and all that is celebrated by the holiday.  But the saint who it is named for was willing to put his life on the line for what he believed.   And with the power of the Holy Spirit he was able to do that —even to the point of death.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers went out to Swimmie’s uncle, who is suffering for some health issues, and continued prayers for Abscess and his family.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Bear Necessities

THE SCENE: warm Thursday. Cloudy
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:
25 four count side straddle hops

30 total arm circles

10 pushups on your own

15 Windmills

15 cherry pickers

THA-THANG:

Indian run to bottom parking lot for Bear (crawl) necessities: 2 cones each side of circle 10-15 yards apart for bear crawls. Workouts at each of 4 cones listed below.  Run 1/2 circle after each set of two cone workout.

set 1:

10 burpies

20 pushups

20 flutter kicks

20 big boys

set 2:

20 bicycle crunches

20 squat jumps

20 hello dollies

20 diamond pushups

set 3:

20 LBC

10 tempo push ups

20 box cutters

20 mtn climbers

Mosey to pavilion for 11’s of bench rows and dips

Mosey to cardiac hill, 2 sets of corner workouts: 10 big boys, 10 no hands push ups, 10 squats, front runners circle back to gather others for round 2.

Mosey to brick pile in parking lot for team 100’s: 100 curls and 100 over head press, partner runs to light pole with 20 side saddle and Bernie sanders back.

Finish with bug swats? and ATM’s

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
3 FNG’s
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Staying humble and taking care of one another.  referenced a video from the super bowl.
MOLESKIN:
I hope everyone enjoyed this workout and I very much appreciate each and every one of you!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Death Shall Die

THE SCENE: Sunny and pleasant, temps in upper 60’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Rockettes, 10 Temp Squats, 10 Windmills, 10 Little Baby Arm Circles Forward and Backward
THA-THANG:
Mosey to new restroom area by new parking lot.  We will do Pickett’s Charge to Admin Bldg.  Those finishing first circle back to retrieve their brothers.  We will next do 20 heel lifts regular, 20 with toes in, and 20 with toes out on the steps of the Admin Bldg.  We will next Bernie Sanders to roadway.

Mosey to dragon tail sidewalk and down to where cone is set up for Route 66.  We will do Route 66 up the dragon tail with the following exercises:

  • Squat Jumps
  • Dive Bombers
  • Imperial Walkers (four count)

Mosey to parking lot that is by entry way to Northern Ball Parks.  We will be running around corners, doing the following exercises:.  The corners show three sets of exercises because we will circle the parking lot three times.

  • Corner 1:  25 Merkins, 25 Diamond Merkins, 25 Carolina Drydocks
  • Corner 2:  (all of the following are 4 count) 20 Flutter Kicks, 20 American Hammers, 20 Hello Dollies
  • Corner 3:  (all are with CMU’s) 25 Overhead Presses, 25 Curls, 25 Rows
  • Corner 4:  25 Smurf Jacks, 25 Star Jumps, 25 Plank Jacks

Mosey back to AO.

MARY:
Planks with reaches.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Twelve men, no FNG’s.

BOM:

John Donne is an English Poet who lived in the 1500 and 1600’s.  He wrote a number of sonnets called his holy sonnets and his 10th holy sonnet is one of his famous ones that is now entitled “Death Be Not Proud.”  Donne, as a Christian, knows that, in God, he need not fear death.  In the first four lines (quatrain) he mocks death, saying that though some have called it mighty and dreadful, it cannot kill those it thinks it can overthrow, such as Donne.  In the second quatrain, Donne ironically praises death, noting that through it good men can finally rest from the suffering they face here on Earth.  In the third quatrain, Donne chastises death again, claiming it is a slave to “fate, chance, kings and desperate men.  How can death be proud when it only dwells within “poison, sickness and war?” In the final couplet of the sonnet, Donne delivers the final blow to death, turning death upside down.  Knowing that, through God, we who believe in Him shall live on into eternity, Donne points out the truthful irony:  once we die here on Earth, death no longer exists.  Once we die, death is no more – death dies!

Here is the beautiful sonnet.  Read it knowing that, through our faith in God, we need not fear death.  If we believe that God is eternal and that, through him, we live eternally, we have nothing to fear.

Holy Sonnets: Death, be not proud

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

 

Overcoming Hard Times

THE SCENE: Cloudy, temps in 40’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side Straddle Hops, 10 Burpees, 10 Rockettes, Plank Stretches, 10 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Mosey to trail that extends from upper parking lot that goes near entryway at Lyons Bend.  We will do 14’s by bear crawling for one light, running for four, and repeating that pattern until we get to entry roadway.  At roadway we will do 20 Hello Dollies.

We will cross street and continue on trail, doing nickel, dime, quarters (run one light then do 5 of exercise, run two lights then do 10 of exercise, run five lights and do 25 of exercise) all the way to roadway that enters from Northshore gate.  These will be the exercises

  • Squat jumps
  • Merkins
  • Big-boy sit-ups
  • Run remaining distance to roadway.

At corner of trail and roadway we will do 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Outdoor Chapel.  We will do elevens, starting with 1 Decline Merkin at stage and 10 Mountain Climbers (four count) at other end of chapel.

Mosey to Playground.  We will do elevens at benches, starting with one bench dip and 10 bench jumps.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:

Leg lifts (various heights)

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Fourteen men and one mighty dog named “Tank” who belongs to Abscess.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

A number of us have been going through some difficult times right now.  We need to know that God is there for us during hard times.  We can turn to him for rest and strength.  It may not end our suffering immediately but it is good to know that God cares for us and God, through Jesus Christ, has suffered too, even dying on the cross for us.  I have listed a few bible verses that might be good to think of during difficult times.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Psalm 9:9-10 ESV

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Romans 5:3-5 ESV

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Philippians 4:13 ESV

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Brother, if you are going through trials at this time, may the Lord strengthen you.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bring snacks for Wesley House this Thursday at Asylum PM.  Abscess will collect.  If anyone is interested in going on a ski trip to Snowshoe on March 10 through 12, contact Lillydipper.  We will ski on March 11 and 12.

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.