F3 Knoxville

Tag: Thunderstruck

Optimism and Faith

THE SCENE: Just about perfect.  60s and mostly sunny, light breeze
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

Welcome to F3, Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. F3 is a free workout program designed to improve fitness, share some camaraderie, and foster male leadership in the community.  I’m Pele and I will be your Q today.  I am not a professional, and I do not know your fitness level or injury history.  Some additional COVID-19 considerations: keep your distance between you and other members of the PAX and any other folks that we pass during moseys, etc. to 6-10 feet.  We will be splitting up into groups smaller than 10 if necessary.  We need to set good examples and be good neighbors out here at this public park, especially with so many folks out and about.  Please push yourself, but modify the workout as necessary to avoid making any existing injuries worse.  The goal is to get better together!


WARM-O-RAMA:

MOTIVATORS, 7-ct, decreasing / 10 CHERRY PICKERS (4-CT, IC) / 10 WINDMILLS (4-CT, IC) / 10 BACs forward and backward (4-CT, IC)

THA-THANG:
We split up into 2 groups, as we had more than 9 folks.  Mr. Jinxy was Q2 and took my workout and did something similar with his group.

A) MOSEY to Stop Sign at northeast corner of circle drive.

TOTEM POLE: We will do a Totem Pole, starting with all 10 exercises and eliminating one exercise each round, starting at the top.  So for the first round, do all ten, then run up to the big tree on the left.  Then the second round, start at 9 and do the rest, etc.  The exercise numbers (the numbers are also the reps) are:

10        Burpees

9          Mountain climbers (4-ct)

8          BBS

7          Hello Dollies (4-ct)

6          Carolina Dry Docks

5          Merkins

4          Bobby Hurleys

3          Iron Mikes (4-ct)

2          Pinto Twists (4-ct)

1          Imperial Squat Walkers (4-ct)

B) MOSEY to the hill off the path on the Tail of the Dragon.

PYRAMID: We will do the first set of exercises, then run up and down the hill. Then do the second set of exercises, run the hill, etc.:

  • 20 Tempo Squats
  • 20 Tempo Squats, 20 Star Jumps
  • 20 Tempo Squats, 20 Star Jumps, 20 Diamond Merkins
  • 20 Star Jumps, 20 Diamond Merkins
  • 20 Diamond Merkins

(This was modified in my group due to time and public presence at the park to doing 5x BBS, CDDs, and Tempo squats, running up a hill, then rinse and repeat with 10x reps, rinse and repeat with 15x reps)

C) MOSEY to the CMU Pile. 3 sets of 20 reps (3×20) of each exercise, one at a time, 10 second rest in between: 1. Overhead Press, 2. Triceps, 3. Curls, 4. Rows, 5, Chest Press, 6. BBS w/CMU

(This was modified in my group due to time and public presence at the park to moseying to the rock pile by the new Coliseum area and doing overhead press, curls, and rows with two rocks, and American Hammers with one rock)

MARY:
20 flutter kicks 4-ct, and plank stretches and holds until Jinxy’s group returned.
COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
11 Strong!
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Optimism and Faith and the Corona pandemic

One definition of FAITH is the assurance of the things you hope for, and the conviction of things that are not apparent.  Over the past few weeks, months (??) we have been asked to make sacrifices.  Sacrifices in our movements, how we interact, even how we worship as we deal with this pandemic.  But there is comfort in the knowledge of shared sacrifice and that you are not alone… we are in this all together, both collectively as a community, and individually with our Faith in our God.

In a letter to some protestors during the Civil Rights Era, Dr. Martin Luther King said (and I’m paraphrasing a bit): “You have again proven that there is nothing more majestic and sublime than the determined courage of individuals willing to suffer and sacrifice for improving the situation of others.  You have discovered the meaning of the Cross.” …Referring to going through pain and sacrifice for the benefit of others.

Through the sacrifices we have been asked to make, I think that we to some extent have discovered the meaning of the Cross during these challenging times as well.  We have FAITH that the reality of our current challenges are temporary, and that God is with is during our path to better days ahead. I know many people are frustrated and angry that some of their freedoms are being limited, but we have to have faith in our medical community, science advisors, our elected leaders (who are hopefully wise enough to listen to the scientists and make decisions that are best for our communities), and of course, our God.

OPTIMISM is born of the human spirit, and its strength is the strength of the spirits of individuals. Over time, Optimism can be broken down and chipped away.  Faith is the conviction that God is working in this imperfect world to bring about something marvelous.  Faith does not leave us, and provides a buttress against fear when optimism starts to fade.  We don’t need to be discouraged because God is with us, out of sight sometimes, often mysterious. But God will never leave us, and Faith is the conviction that He is there with us, and will bring us a brighter tomorrow.  I bid you all to be optimistic during these challenging times.  And when that optimism begins to crumble—and it will for all of us, if it hasn’t already—take comfort in your Faith.  We WILL get through this.  And after the storm, comes the rainbow.

MOLESKIN:
Great to have Manilow and Hands join us! Praise for Manilow’s new job and raise! Prayers for Lillydipper and his wife, and for those affected by the pandemic.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We need more Qs to step up at the Asylum PM! Please let one of the senior members of the PAX know if you would like some help or to do a Co-Q.

Just 5 More

THE SCENE:

Chilly and a slight bit windy (30s)

Title9 and Steam get back from the pre-ruck as guys are pulling in and getting ready.

F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

  • Welcome to F3: Fitness/Fellowship/Faith
  • My name is Steam and I’m your Q in charge this morning
  • Let’s get a couple things out of the way before we begin:
    • I’m not a professional
    • You’re here on your own volition
    • You know your body and any injuries you may have – I don’t. If you need to modify anything we do this morning feel free to do it. But push yourself and the men around you!
  • FNGs?
  • The name of the game for the next 58 minutes or so is “5 more.” Look at one of your hands – how many fingers? Hopefully 5. When you’re beat down, tired, cold, asking yourself why am I out here in the freezing cold, tell your mind and your body “5 more.” Whether it’s 5 more breaths, 5 more steps, or 5 more seconds of suffering, it will pass and you will push through. AYE?


WARM-O-RAMA:

 

  • SSH: 10 x 4 IC
  • Rockette: 10 x 4 IC
  • Baby-Arm Circle: 5 x 4 (F) & 5 x 4 (B)
  • Mountain-Climbers: 10 x 4 IC
  • Cherry-Picker: 10 x 4 IC
  • Windmill: 10 x 4 IC

THA-THANG:

[ 10s ]

  • Battle buddy teams will run to the next light post
  • 1 BB will hold the feet of the other, as they execute 10 BB sit-ups
  • Run to the next light – same thing
  • The BB that is executing sit-ups will roster every light
  • Go to the street
  • Once at the street – execute flute kicks

(10 count)

[ 5s ]

  • Same type of deal – we’re going to go back down this path
  • Every light = 5 battle buddy merkins together

[ Flying EH from Hooker – Mahamoud (FNG) ]

    • Hooker picks up a runner named Mahamoud
    • Mahamoud knows who we are – he sees us every Saturday running around the park.
    • Joins PAX in finishing up “5s” exercise – PAX gives a warm welcome and Lillydipper sticks with our new FNG
  • Finish in that parking lot where we started – squats until 6 recovers

[ Parking Lot Obstacle Course ]

  • 3 points of contact: middle + 2 perimeter sides
    • PAX bear crawls to one side – executes 15 x 4 SSHs
    • PAX bear crawls back to middle – executes 10 x 4 SSHs
    • PAX bear crawls to opposite side – executes 15 x 4 SSHs
    • PAX bear crawls back to middle side – executes 10 x 4 SSHs

(15 count)

(Mosey to Cardiac)

[ Blackjack/21 ]

  • New Battle-Buddy
  • Push each other through this evolution
  • 3 points of contact on Cardiac
    • Top
    • Curve (middle)
    • Bottom lamp post
  • Top: 10 x 4 Mountain Climbers
  • Curve (Middle): 10 x 4 Merkins (Army)
  • Bottom: 10 x 4 SSHs
  • Run back Up to Top and hold the plank until 6 is up

[ All PAX does Blackjack/21 together – finishing at the bottom ]

[ Mahamoud is still with us! ]

(15 count from PAX)

(PAX moseys to covered pavilion facing lake below baseball fields)

[ 5 More ]

  • All-Together
    • 5 incline merkins on bench
    • 5 dips
    • 5 decline merkins on bench
  • Rinse & Repeat 3x
    • EXCEPT – 1 evolution = 10 reps each – Mahamoud answered the questions “How many fingers are on your hand” with 10 – so 10 it was.
  • PAX push through 1 more set of 5 together

(Mosey to big pavilion next to morning AO)

[5s]

  • All Together
  • 5 pullups under table
  • rotate to the right
  • 5 incline merkins
  • rotate to the right
  • 5 pullups under table
  • rotate to the right
  • 5 decline merkins

( Rinse & Repeat – Q asks PAX for just 5 more )

(PAX mosey to morning AO parking lot)

  • Q leads PAX in cool-down drills
    • karaoke, frankenstein stretches, side-shuffles, jog/merkins across the lot and back

(New Battle Buddy Teams)

  • Q releases each battle buddy team to sprint it out and finish up the hill to the Saturday AO parking lot

(30 seconds left)

  • 5 final SSHs

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

12 PAX – 1 FNG

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

[ What Are You Fighting For ]   [ 5 More ]

MOLESKIN:

[ What Are You Fighting For ]

(LOTR – The Two Towers)

Frodo : I can’t do this, Sam.

Sam : I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo : What are we holding on to, Sam?

Sam : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for

This pivotal question halfway through the story-line of Lord of the Rings must be asked and called out. What are we holding on to as High Impact Men? What are you holding on to?

When you’re in the suck (whatever that is for you), remind yourself of this crucial question. That YES, THERE IS evil in the world and it’s not always a good and fair place BUT YES, THERE IS some good left in this world and it absolutely is worth fighting for. It’s worth going toe to to with men at 0530, it’s worth being the leader of your family day in day out, it’s worth that conversation, it’s worth pushing your battle buddy and reminding them of this truth as well.

Biblically – I think this ties in extremely well with Sam’s truth that he speaks in the midst of a hellish and seemingly impossible mission.

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3:17-19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Note the similarities in this rhetoric. Not ideal situations BUT/YET – the reminder of hope appears.

[ 5 More ]

  • Take a look at your hand at some point in time this week and look at how many fingers you have. 5 (hopefully….)
  • I encourage all of us to push ourselves and the people around us this week with this simple challenge: Can I give 5 more?
    • 5 more breaths
    • 5 more steps
    • 5 more reps
    • 5 more minutes
    • 5 more_____________
  • Tell your mind that you’re going to push harder, go further, and give 5 more this week.

Steadfast

THE SCENE: Sunny skies, temp in 60’s
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-Straddle Hops; 10 Mountain Climbers; 10 Windmills; 10 Tempo Merkins; 63 Grady Corns
THA-THANG:

Mosey to large parking lot with islands and that is south of northern ball fields.  We will be going counter-clockwise around the parking lot.  There will be four cones around the parking lot.  Exercises will be displayed at each cone.  At each cone will also be instructions of how maneuver to the next cone:

  • Cone 1:  Do 20 Hello Dollies (four count).  Run to Cone 2.
  • Cone 2:  Do 20 Big Boy Sit-ups.  Bernie Sanders to Cone 3.
  • Cone 3:  Do 20 Flutter Kicks (four count).  Run to Cone 4.
  • Cone 4:  Do 20 Bicycle Kicks (four count).  Bernie Sanders to Cone 1.
  • Rinse and Repeat.

Mosey on sidewalk that goes from parking lot to Pavilion at northern ball fields.  We will do 20 Picnic Table Pull-Ups, then 20 Bench Dips, then 15 of each, then ten of each, then 5 of each.  After that we will do the same pattern as above but with Bench Jumps and Decline Merkins.

Mosey to CMU Pile.  Men divide into teams of two.  Each team grabs one CMU and heads to the entrance of the parking lot.  We will be doing Doras.  One partner does exercises with CMU while the other partner Bernie’s up Cardiac Hill to the Green Park Sign.  The partner then runs back down hill.  Partners switch places.  These will be the exercises that each team does with the CMUs:

  • 100 Overhead Presses
  • 100 Curls
  • 100 Rows
  • 100 Squat Thrusts
  • 100 Decline Merkins (feet on CMU)

Return CMUs to pile.

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Sixteen men, no FNGs.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Psalm 117:1-2 ESV 

Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

God’s Love is constant.  It is steadfast.  God does not just love us now and then.  It may feel like that sometimes.  Sometimes God may seem very distant to us.  He is beyond those clouds somewhere and we may not feel his presence.  But don’t allow the way you feel at the moment obscure the truth.  His love for us is steadfast.  We may also feel God loves us less when we do wrong.  We may do something that we regret, that hurts us, hurts someone else, or which God would not like.  Certainly God does not like sin.  And, God loves it when we do good.  But God does not love us more because we do good or less because we sin.  His love is powerful and continuous.  The word “steadfast” is used 219 times in the Bible and in over 200 of those times the word is followed by “love.”  If we believe in the words of the Bible then we must believe that God’s love is steadfast.  This should give us comfort.  Because God offers His great love to us freely, even though we are unworthy.  He loves us even when it doesn’t make sense for Him to do so.  So, take that love in.  Breathe it.  That loves is always there and it ain’t going to go away from you.
MOLESKIN:
Prayers for coworker of Crispr whose father is paralyzed after scuba diving in Hawaii; for Woodshack and family after death of his father-in-law; for coworker of Squirtle; for help for Steam at a difficult time; for fathers of Hooker (e.g., Pinto) and Iceman and mother of Thunderstruck; for friend of Jenner.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Board meeting!

F3 Q101 and GROW SCHOOL: MAKING AN IMPACT

THE SCENE:  A balmy and crisp 37.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER(Explained Importance of Qing, common anxieties and tips on how to overcome them, discussed mistakes Q has made and the importance of making adjustments ) Free, Voluntary, Q not a professional, here at own risk, know limitations – modify if needed.

WARM-O-RAMA: (Explained Calling Exercises and Cadence) SSH (IC)x20, Imperial Walkers (IC)x15, Tempo Squats (IC)x15, Tempo Merkins (IC)x10, Mountain Climbers (IC)x15, Flutter Kicks (IC)x25, 8ct Body Builders (IC)x7.

THA-THANG: Mosey to lower parking lot…..

4 Corners: (40,30,20,10) of Merkins, then Squats.  Mosey to Playground parking lot:

Quarter Pounder (4 cones separated by comfortable distance, Cone 1-25 Merkins, Cone 2-50 Squats, Cone 3-75 Mountain Climbers, Cone 4-100 SSH). Run back to start after each completed cone.  Mosey to bathroom parking lot….

Totem Pole: 10 Burpees, 9 OHC, 8 Merkins, 7 Mountain Climbers, 6 Squat Jumps, 5 8ct Body Builders, 4 Diamond Merkins, 3 Calve Raises, 2 SSH, 1 Good Morning – Perform all exercises then run to other side of lot and back, knocking off the top exercise each round. Mosey to Dragon’s Tail……

1 Burpee at each light pole as we mosey up the hill back to shovel flag.

MARY:
Dealer’s Choice: Had a few of the PAX who have not Q’d yet call the exercises and cadence. They did awesome!

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
37 Strong to include FNG “Twilight.”


CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Talked about two actions/traits that helped early Christians overtake the Roman Empire against insurmountable odds:
1) Love – they demonstrated a type of love that had never been seen before in Roman society. They loved sacrificially. They loved the unloveable. It was strange and did not make sense to the largely unbelieving Roman populous. Unbelievers took notice and were attracted to it, adding to the numbers of believers.
2) Generosity – They gave sacrificially to the poor and outcast with joy in their hearts, people who were marginalized by Roman society. Again, unbelievers noticed, were amazed, and added to the Christian population.

How can you cultivate this type of Love and Generosity in your own life?

When we all go home today, you will be surrounded by a different “PAX”: your wife, your kids, your friends, coworkers, etc. Step up and be their “Q”, leading virtuously. Let what we learned out here today transition and have an impact in our daily lives outside of F3. That’s what F3 is about!
MOLESKIN:
There was a lot of discussion and “teaching” by the Q.  I hope the men that showed benefited from my efforts.  It was a blessing to lead today.  Grow School afterwards was awesome: Abscess talked leadership and more Q101 while Steam showed his tech skills and showed everyone how to post a BB, add FNGs, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Dog Pound Pull-Up Bar Install immediately after.

The Sea Refuses No River

THE SCENE: Windy, temps in 40s.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Plank Jack, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Rockettes, Plank Reaches, 7 Wide Arm Circles Forward and Backward.
THA-THANG:
Mosey to parking lot by southern ball fields.  We will suicides, running from curb on south end of parking lot to successive lights in the parking lot.  Each time we return to curb we will do 20 Baby Crunches before running to next light.

Mosey to Pavilion by Outdoor Chapel.  We will do Elevens starting with 1 Bench Dip off and 10 Squat Jumps.  After Squat Jumps, each man runs around the Pavilion and back to the bench he started with to do 2 Bench Dips and 9 Squat Jumps.  This pattern continues until each man has done 10 Bench Dips and 1 Squat Jump.

Mosey to Serpentine Sidewalk.  We will run length of sidewalk until it reaches the perimeter trail but will stop to do ten Big Boy Sit-ups every other light.  Those finishing first we sweep all men back.

Mosey to CMU pile.  Divide into teams of three.  Each team grabs three CMUs.  One man carries two CMUs across parking lot to next partner who carries them back to next partner.  On one side of the parking lot men do side-straddle hops while waiting for a partner to return.  On the other side of the parking lot men do curls while waiting for partner to return. Once all partners have carried the CMU to another side, partners will rinse and repeat but do overhead presses as the exercise with the stationary CMU.  When all partners have finished again, we will rinse and repeat one more time but do Rows with the stationary CMU.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Fifteen men and one FNG, Chip Omer, whom we dubbed “Salsa.”

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Where do rivers flow?  To the sea.  My good friend, High-Heels, taught me that our own Tennessee River flows toward Chattanooga, dips into Alabama, heads northwest to the border of Alabama and Mississippi, then, of all things, heads north through Tennessee again to reach the Ohio River at Paducah, Kentucky.  From there, the waters head west to the Mississippi River and south before emptying into the Gulf.  A crazy route but the waters flow to the sea.

As humans, where do our lives naturally flow?  To God.  And, no matter what crazy routes we take, our direction, if we live for what we were created for, should be toward God.  What a beautiful metaphor it is to think of our lives being the rivers that flow to God, who is the Sea.  God created us for this and expects us to journey toward Him, our creator, our Home.

There is a song written by Pete Townsend (yes, the guitar crashing band member and primary song writer for the rock group, the Who) that beautifully depicts this idea of our lives flowing toward God. It was a song written on one of his solo albums.  The song is entitled “The Sea Refuses No River.”

Just as Jesus accepted all humans, whether tax collectors, outlaws, or prostitutes, the Sea, Townsend proclaims, refuses no river.

The sea refuses no river
Whether stinking and rank
Or red from the tank
Whether pure as a spring
There's no damned thing stops this poem.
The sea refuses no river
And this river is homeward flowing.

And it is that idea of God accepting him that helps him, helps the individual human, to live:

There was a fool in a dressing robe
Riding out the twilight hour
Lonely and cold in an empty home
Trying to access his power
But now he's like a stream in flood
Swollen by the storm
He doesn't care if he sheds his blood
Let him be reborn.

The wonderful thing to know is that there is no privilege to the religiously elite here.  The front row of seats is not sealed off to those who live by some code that Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or any type of religious snob claims we must live by,  Jesus informed us of this when he said, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.:  (Matthew 20:16)

Townsend, recognizing this in his song, is able to celebrate the reborn course of his life toward God:

The sea refuses no river
No pecking code respected for the damned
The sea refuses no river
Whether starving and ill
Or strung on some pill
Just 'cause you own the land
There's no unique hand plugs the dam
The sea refuses no river
And the river is where I am
The river is where I am.

You are on the river.  Take comfort in the direction it flows.  The sea is the end to your journey.  And, the sea will not refuse you.

MOLESKIN:
Prayers for Iceman’s father, for Pinto, and for Thunderstruck’s mother.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Troubadour Q training at Asylum this Saturday morning, 7 am.