F3 Knoxville

Tag: Steam

Walking with God

THE SCENE: Insert info about the weather, etc.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jacks, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Windmills, 40 Above Head Hand Clappers (4 count), High Knees to end of parking lot, Butt Kickers back to start of parking lot.
THA-THANG:
Mosey on roadway toward gate entrance at Lyons Bend.  Stop on right side of road where walking trail hits road. 20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Cone that will be about 30 yards east on trail. We will do Route 66’s to cone that will be on trail east and then south on trail.  We will come back to starting cone after each Route 66.  We do four Route 66’s with the following exercises:

  • Mountain Climbers (4 count)
  • Merkins
  • Big Boys
  • Dive Bombers

Mosey west and cross roadway.  We will stop to do 20 more American Hammers.

Mosey on trail to bottom of Mt. Everest.  We will do the following exercises then run to summit of Mt. Everest and repeat the exercises.

  • 10 Burpees
  • 20 Merkins
  • 30 Squats
  • 40 Baby Crunches

Mosey to stop sign at northeastern corner of Admin bldg.  We will stop to do 20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey to Monument and then down the Dragon Fly to the shaded parking lot across the street from parking lot at entryway to Northern Ball Park.  We will have the following races across the parking lot with the man winning the most races getting a free breakfast from Lily:

  • Bear Crawl Race (small length of parking lot)
  • Hop Race (small length of parking lot)
  • Bernie Sanders Race (long length of parking lot)
  • Frisbee Accuracy Throw
  • Sprint Race (long length of parking lot)
  • If there is a tie between the winners (for example, five different men win the above events) then we will have a playoff with a Paddle Ball Accuracy Contest

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Use the TAGS on right-side to record PAX (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOURSELF) in attendance. Be sure to select the AO in CATEGORY above TAGS and then delete these notes!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

What Does A Walk With God Look Like?

Have you ever wondered what taking a walk with God would be like?  What would he want to talk about?  How often would he glance at you as you walked along a path?  What would it be like to have Him in your presence?  Would it be comforting?  Scary?  Terrifying?  Wonderful?  Would God be gazing at nature as He walked along with you?  What would you want to say to Him?  What would you want to ask Him?  What if he touched you?  What would that be like?

In the Bible, we read of those who are awestruck in the presence of God.  They fall to their knees before Him.  Yet we also read of God being the great Comforter, the great Physician, the rock upon which we can lean and rest.

The Bible teaches us that God is always with us.  He is omnipresent.  As we walk along in our journey of life, He is there.  So if He is truly there, why not talk to him?  Why not ask Him what He is thinking?  Why not talk to Him about both the beauty and ugliness you see in this world.  Why not ask Him for his strong and steady hand?  Why not lead on him like he is your father, your Heavenly father?

I got the idea for this message when I was listening to Careless (Shawn Slate) deliver a sermon at Redeemer Church of Knoxville.  He talked about taking walks with his wife.  He commented that he tends to walk with a fast pace, rushing ahead, wanting to hurry up and get to whatever the destination is.  His wife, meanwhile, walks much more slowly, not so rushed, wanting to gaze at the scenery, the world around her.  Careless said he has learned more about walking with God by walking with his wife.  He has learned to slow the pace, take time to see the beauty of God’s world, and also take time to talk to the woman he loves and married.

I want to spend more time walking with God.  I need to take the time to do that with a slower pace in mind.  I need to truly focus on Him better when doing so, actually think of Him being in my presence, truly there with me.  When I pray, I need to think of Him reaching out to touch me.  It may raise some hairs on my head but it will also bring me closer to Him.  That’s what He wants.  And, when I think about it, that’s what I want to.  Furthermore, isn’t that what YOU WANT?  Use your imagination if you have to at first.  Expand your thoughts, think of Him with you, walking beside you.  Slow your pace for a while and converse with God.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Junk’s wife, for Thurnderstruck’s mother, for Crawdad’s wife, for Farva’s friend who died, and for Baby Smalls who was recently born.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Next 3rd F is August 10 at 8:30, Redeemer Church of Knoxville.

Uva Uvam Viviendo Varia Fit

THE SCENE: Warm but not the complete toaster oven of recent workouts.  Mid 80s, partly sunny, slight breeze.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Check

WARM-O-RAMA:
Motivators, 7 count decreasing, cherry pickers x10 4-Ct, Mosey to curb at intersection NE of admin building, 25 calf raises, 25 step ups

THA-THANG:

Mosey to trail at the top of the Tail of the Dragon

  • ROUTE 66 Burpees (note to self… never do this exercise again with Burpees!)

Mosey to big oval parking lot south of the Ball fields

  • NO MERCY MILE (ended up being a little under 1/2 of a mile)
    • Near end: Bear Crawl around turn
    • Run to ½ way point. 25 Merkins. Run to curve
    • Far End: Lunges around turn
    • Sprint to ½ way point. 25 Squats. Run to Curve.
    • Rinse and Repeat. (only got 1/2 way around before we had to get a move on)

Mosey to bottom of Baby Cardiac.

  • Hill Suicides
    • Run up to ½ way point (where the shade stopped) and back 3 times.
    • 25 flutter kicks (2-ct)
    • Run up to ½ way point and two times, then get to the top and do 25 LBCs

Mosey to stop sign at intersection of circle drive where we did the calf raises, 20 American Hammers, 4-ct IC

MARY:
20 heel touches on 6.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 strong (Gobbler not tagged)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

UVA UVAM VIVIENDO VARIA FIT (inscription on the Sign of the Hat Creek Cattle Company in the book Lonesome Dove; part 2 of the LD Word Post)

The inscription at the bottom of the sign of the Hat Creek Cattle Company, a fictional business run by ex-Texas Rangers Gus and Call in the book Lonesome Dove, is mangled Latin that Gus (a decorated ex-Ranger and all around fun dude, but who isn’t quite as smart as he would like to believe, or like others to believe) tacked on there on a whim (and probably to make others think he was a scholarly fella) that loosely translates to A Grape changes color (ripens) when it sees another grape. We are changed by the lives of those around us. Toxic people can cause us to wither and rot.  Gus and Call, in the book, are complete opposites in personality, but deep down they love and respect each other, and complement each other to the point that together they overcome many life-threatening challenges during the great cattle drive described in the book.  Look to surround yourself with people who will help you ripen!  There’s a theory that your personality is shaped by the 5 people you spend the most time with, so pick them wisely!

  • Proverbs 12:26 The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
  • Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (Who knew that one of F3’s slogans was immortalized at the bottom of a sign in one of the Great American Novels??)

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Hooker’s friend, who passed away recently, leaving a grieving family behind.  Thankful that Jinxy was able to show up again with us in the Fake Gloom and crush the workout in spite of a recent health scare.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
None

Give In To God

THE SCENE:  Sunny and humid, temps in 80’s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-straddle hops, 10 Iron Mikes (four count), 10 Windmills, 10 Twists, 10 Cherry Pickers
THA-THANG:
Mosey to stop sign at southeast corner of the Admin Bldg.  20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey to parking lot near Area 54.  20 American Hammers.

Mosey to Cones that will be in grass on others side of the street from parking lot near Area 54.  The cones will be set up in four corners.  We will be going to each cone by the following methods and doing the following exercises:

  • Cone 1:  20 Merkins.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  20 Big Boy Sit Ups.  Grapevine, right foot in lead, to Cone 3
  • Cone 3:  20 Carolina Dry Docks.  Sprint to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4.  40 Baby Crunches.  Grapevine, left foot in lead, to Cone 1.+
  • Rinse and repeat two more times.

Mosey to shaded area on perimeter trail that is near the North Shore Gate Entrance to park.  20 Buzz Saws.

Mosey down perimeter trail to bottom of Mt. Everest.  20 Hello Dollies. 20 Merkins.  20 Big Boy Sit Ups.

Run up Mt. Everest to street in front of Admin Bldg.

We will run in a counter-clockwise square doing the following exercises at the following locations:

At Bat House:  Do 20 Star Jumps then run down steps.

At grassy area at bottom of steps:  20 Carolina Dry Docks then run to tree grove below summit of Mt. Everest.

At tree grove:  10 Burpees then run to top of Mt. Everest.

At top of Mt. Everest:  20 Big Boy Situps

Mosey to wall on other side of street from Admin Bldg parking lot.  We will pair up into two man teams.  While one partner does 20 dips at wall the other partner does merkins.  Then partners trade places.  Rinse and repeat.

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
20 Buzz Saws, 20 Pickle Pounders, 15 Shoulder Taps, 20 Merkins
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Eleven men, one FNG, Robert Land whom we dubbed “Hot Lips.”
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Give In To God

“Never give up.”  “When the going get’s tough, the tough get going.”  ” Go the extra mile.”  “Give 110%.” “When you think you have had enough, find that extra in reserve.”

These are phrases we can relate to in F3.  We are a group of men who encourage each other to push ourselves to our limits so that we can better ourselves in health and as members of society.  These are good phrases and they ring with truth.  To succeed in life we must push ourselves, even when the chips are down. To be true HIM’s we must also sometimes carry others with us along the way.

But as HIM’s who live in a world that has tainted views of what true success is, we must also think on these phrases with discernment.  We must realize that their are exceptions to every rule.  We must learn that it is important to have balance in our lives.  We must see that even Jesus took time to rest and pray.  And, in F3, we must remember that one of our often used phrases is, “Modify!”

As a psychologist, I see people who definitely need to listen to the “don’t give up” types of statements.  I see people quitting jobs just because they had a bad day at work, because a co-worker or boss said something negative to them, because they don’t like getting up on dark and cold mornings.”  This type of attitude leads to defeat, to failure, to depression.

But I have also seen people who are anxious, depressed and miserable because they think they have to hold everything together or else they are failures.  These people are not the “I give up types.”  But they are burning the candle at both ends, failing to “sharpen the saw”, and failing to turn to God and trust in Him at their greatest time of need.  I was watching a television show on Netflix with my wife on Saturday night.  Part of the show focused on an attorney who had been very successful at her job.  She also wanted to be a good mother.  She and her stay-at-home husband were doing the best they could to raise their young daughter and they had also recently adopted a nine-year-old boy who came from a very difficult background and had some behavioral issues because of it.  The attorney was trying to meet the needs of her family and the needs of the job.  She was getting further and further behind because of the many demands facing her.  She had her daughter getting angry at her for missing one of her school musicals (due to job necessities) and she had her employer and clients getting upset at her for making mistakes on the job that she had not made in the past.  She was reaching the breaking point.  In one scene, she has a panic attack in front of her husband, almost fainting, something that had never happened to her before.  Finally, in a critical scene of the show, leaders of the law firm let her know that she has been on track to become a partner in this highly successful firm.  Noting her recent mistakes, they ask her if she is willing to give 100% to the law firm.  She makes an important decision, one that the society she runs with would see as a mistake, as a sign of failure.  She decides to quit the firm.

I bring this up because there will be times in each of our lives when we must choose to give things up.  A great way to recognize this is when we see that we are taking on too much, when our life feels out of balance.  We are not failing when we make the decision to give up in such a case.  We are, rather, choosing something greater.  In the case of the female attorney in the show I mentioned, she chose to spend more time with family.  She could take on a job with less pay so that she could have a better relationship with her daughter and adopted son.

What can we do when we experience ourselves off kilter?  We can pray to God.  Too many times we try to handle things on our own without asking God for direction.  We can also talk to our friends.  God often speaks to us through friends.  In our prayers we may hear that we need to hang in their for a while, that things will slow down, that life will get back to balance.  But we may also hear that it is time to give something up.  We may also see that we have been trying to manage things without God without giving in to Him, allowing him to guide us, freeing ourselves up to give Him control.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert information about upcoming events, 2nd or 3rd F opportunities, and any other announcements.

Whiskey, Soft Beds, and Buttermilk

THE SCENE: Perfect. Low 70s, nice breeze, sunny

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Check


WARM-O-RAMA:

  • SSH, 20 IC
  • Bolt 45s (15 top ½ squats, 15 bottom ½ squats, 15 full squats)
  • 5 PCMBs OYO
  • 10 Plank Jacks (4-ct, IC)
  • 10 Windmills (4-ct, IC)
  • Baby Arm Circles Forward (x10, 4 Ct, IC) and backward (x10, 4 Ct, IC)

THA-THANG:

  • Mosey to grassy field below Admin building.
  • RECTANGLE OF DEATH!!!! (Q was not too original with the name…) Cones set up in rectangle.
    • Run suicides on long sides, but Bernie Sanders back to baseline instead of turning around. Run to ¼, ½, ¾, and full length.
    • Short sides, Burpee Broad Jumps (3 jumps then a Burpee)
    • Do exercise listed at the corner. Do 5 reps of each exercise the first lap, then 10, then 15
      • Corner 1: Mountain Climbers (2-ct), Tempo Squats, Iron Mikes (both legs =1) (5x/10x/15x)
      • Corner 2: Hand Release Merkins, Carolina Dry Docks, and Shoulder Taps (both shoulders = 1) (5x/10x/15x)
      • Corner 3: Star Jumps, Smurf Jacks, Bobby Hurleys (5x/10x/15x)
      • Corner 4: Big Boy Situps, American Hammers (2-ct), and box cutters (4-ct) (5x/10x/15x)

Only did two laps… too many other fun things to do.  Plus these were hard as heck and Q was out of breath.

  • Mosey to CMU pile.
    • CMU Farmer Carries!
      • Line up on Curb. Take turns lugging two CMUs around perimeter of parking lot.  Rest of PAX will be running back and forth across parking lot doing merkins at one end and squats at the other.  5x/10x/15x, rinse and repeat.  Keep repeating until everyone has carried the CMUs.  Tank, Lillydipper, and maybe one other PAX I’m forgetting volunteered to team up and do an extra lap to keep company with the last person to carry the CMUs, exmplifying the sacrifice and No Man Left Behind philosophy of F3.  Tank did it while battling calf cramps.  Beast.
      • Hat tip to Judge Judy!
  • Get a partner. One partner runs straight normal, the other Bernie Sanders up Baby Cardiac.  Switch half way up.  At top do 10 patty-cake merkins.
  • Mosey to AO.

MARY:
No time.  Barely made it back to the AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
13 strong! (J-Lo and Thunderstruck not tagged)

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I recently revisited the book Lonesome Dove, which truly is a Great American Novel, and has countless memorable quotes and words of wisdom in it. It’s a tale of an ambitious (but tragic) cattle drive undertaken by two ex-Rangers-turned-cattle-ranchers, Gus and Call, from Texas to Montana.  During the drive, a woman companion on the trip, Lorie, a gentle soul who has led a difficult life surrounded by men who take advantage of her, is abducted by Comanches and is treated brutally while she is prisoner.  She survives and is rescued, but has many scars, both physically and psychologically.  She decides she needs to strike out on her own and finally realize a dream of hers to travel to California and start a new life.  In a letter that Gus writes to Lorie when she sets off, he says: “You see, life in San Francisco is still just life. If you want any one thing too badly, it’s likely to turn out to be a disappointment. The only healthy way to live life is to learn to like all the little everyday things – like a sip of good whiskey in the evening, a soft bed, a glass of buttermilk, or a feisty gentleman like myself.”

The message is pretty clear… The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence. If you’re always looking ahead, you will miss the enjoyment of the present.  If you are always chasing a dream, you will not realize the simple pleasures of the present that are Gifts from God.

    • Take pleasure in the simple things.  Life is what you make of it.
    • The trap we often fall into is looking at someone else’s situation and thinking that I wish I had what they have.  The reality is what they have may not be as good as it appears as we stand in our field looking across at theirs.
    • Phillipians 4:11-12 And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little.

MOLESKIN:
Several members of the PAX have friends and family members battling serious illnesses.  We are thinking of them and keeping them in our prayers.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Nope.

13 Is A Lucky Number

THE SCENE: 60s, cool. Ice cool.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness – Fellowship – Faith!
  • My name is Steam and I am delighted to be your Q this morning!
  • I am not a professional and you are here on your own volition – which means no one is going to force you to do anything this morning – you have to make the choice to push yourself and those around you!
  • If you need to modify any of the exercises we do this morning feel free to do so.
  • Today is the 13th day of June and day what you will about the number 13 but I’m feeling pretty lucky, I hope you are too! Let’s keep the mumblechatter and morale high this Morningside !!!!


WARM-O-RAMA:

  • Cherry-Picker: 13×4 IC
  • SSH: 13×4 IC
  • Rockette: 13×4 IC
  • Imperial Walker: 13×4 IC
  • Torso Twist: 13×4 IC

.
THA-THANG:

Mosey to Market Square Pavilion

Swanson leads PAX in 10 1-count merkins by Eddie’s Health Shoppe on Union

Abort leads PAX in 10 1-count merkins by market square bell

    • Get in battle buddy teams
    • BB1: sprints down to splash pad
      • Executes 13 squats (1-count)
      • Sprints back to recover BB2
    • BB2: executes 13 4-count flutter kicks
    • Once both you AND your BB complete two evolutions of squats, recover right here in the squat position.
  • Mosey to Market Square parking garage
  • Tower of Power
    • 6 floors (all 1 count)
    • F1 = 13 merkins
    • F2 = 13 big boy sit-ups
    • F3 = 13 squats
    • F4 = 13 flutter kicks
    • F5 = 13 Apollo onos (at top)
    • F6 = 13 smurf jacks (at top)
  • Mosey back to AO

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
10 PAX
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

    • Goliath Must Fall
    • Fear Must Fall
    • “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
    • ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬
    • https://www.bible.com/59/isa.43.1.esv
    • Who or what is your Goliath today and this week?

KEEP THE FAITH & FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT!