F3 Knoxville

Tag: Thunderstruck

Beyond Hot with J-Lo VQ

THE SCENE: Heat Index above 100, miserable Humidity and Partly Cloudy (Until we got onto the grass for set 1)
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:

15 x each:

⁃ Side straddle hop

⁃ Cherry pickers

⁃ Knee Hug

⁃ Arm circles

THA-THANG:
Mosey to Open Grass area:

EXERCISE “DIRTY 30”

⁃ 30 – Squads

⁃ 30 – Sit-ups

⁃ 30 – Flutter kicks

⁃ 30 – Mountain Climbers

⁃ 30 – Push-ups

Mosey to Edge of Baseball fields

  • 1.25 minutes American Hammer

Mosey to jogging path at bottom of Cardiac Hill

  • 1.5 Minutes of Lunges

Mosey to Base of Cardiac Hill

  • 1.5 Minutes of Bobby Hurleys

Mosey to near top of Hill

  • 1.5 Minutes of Merkins

Mosey to Path by Mini-Cardiac

  • Regular Plank – 1 minute
  • Right Arm Up Plank – 1 minute
  • Left Arm up Plank – 1 minute
  • Right Arm + Right Leg Up – 30 Seconds

Mosey To bottom of hill – Bernie to AO spot

MARY:

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

Our purpose in life is the very meaning of our way of existence and without knowing this we often suffer, ignorant of our own significance. We fall prey to the illusion that our lives don’t matter and we have no connection or impact in the world around us.

ISAIAH 46: 10-11:

10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is to come. I say, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land , a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.

MOLESKIN:
Pray for @Hooker’s Grandmother and for @Flashback’s Grandmother
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

A Lesson in Humility

THE SCENE: High 80s, more humid than the past few days, light breeze and some clouds made it almost bearable
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER Check.
WARM-O-RAMA:
The initial plan of 40 burpees was scratched by the PAX’s generosity in donating to a certain cause.

20 Side Straddle Hops (4-ct), in cadence, 10 Copperhead lunges/ 10 Copperhead squats/ 10 Steve Earles/ 10 Copperhead Merkins (all 4-ct, IC), 10 Windmills

THA-THANG:

Mosey to Stop sign at northeast corner of circle drive, 20 Rocky Balboas on the curb (4-ct).  Mosey to CMU pile

  • Battle buddy up.  Grab CMU, 1 per pair
    • Partner does modified suicide (HOP to first cone, run back, BEAR CRAWL to second cone, run back, BERNIE SANDERS to third cone, run back), while partner does the following (additive between partners) with CMU:
      • 100 of each: SQUATS, ROWS, CURLS, OVERHEAD PRESS, TRICEPS PRESS

Mosey to base of Cardiac

  • Cardiac PYRAMID :
    • Run to first turn of Cardiac and back
      • 10 Copperhead Squats
      • 10 Copperhead Squats, 10 Mountain Climbers (2-ct)
      • 10 Copperhead Squats, 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Shoulder Taps (2-ct)
      • 10 Mountain Climbers, 10 Shoulder Taps
      • 10 Shoulder Taps
    • Lunges until 6 catches up.
    • Run up Cardiac, at each turn do 5 Burpees. At Top, do 5 Burpees and 20 bench dips.

Mosey to where path intersects parking lot:

  • 20 BBS/20 LBCs/20 American Hammers (2-ct) (OYO)

Mosey to tree/shaded area at stop sign where we did the Rocky Balboas

  • 20 BBS/20 LBCs/20 American Hammers (2-ct) (OYO)

Mosey to AO.

MARY:
No time for good ol’ Mary.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
15 strong, including Gobbler (untagged) and FNG Deuce.
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist, but particularly when it comes to sports.  Everyone says “I like to win” or the reverse, “I hate losing”, but I tend to take that to another level.  It’s gotten a bit better as I’ve gotten older, but I still have an incredibly hard time moving on when I lose or fail at something competitive.  I was playing in Steam’s kickball charity tournament last week, and we lost a tight game that I felt we could have won if I had just sold out and dove for a ball in the outfield and made the catch, or gotten a “hit” when I was up with two outs and the bases loaded.  It bothered me the rest of the day and all night.  Had a hard time sleeping.  Now, this was not the Super Bowl, the World Series, or an important match in any way, shape or form… This was a CHARITY. KICKBALL. TOURNAMENT., but I still thought I let the team down.  When I was in college, I seriously considered going to a sports psychologist, because if my team lost at anything, whether it was soccer, basketball, or even if it was just playing darts at the bar, I felt it was my fault, and would go into a deep, intense funk.  And when this happens, I try to tell myself, “It’s just a game”, but that never works for me.  Almost nothing does.

The only thing that helps is if I take a deep breath, I consider how lucky and fortunate I am to have the gifts that God has given to me in my life, and to consider how %^&*$!! ARROGANT it is to get mad when things don’t go my way.  We’re human.  We’re flawed.  We fail. Grow up and deal with it.

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.  I’ve failed over and over again in my life.  And that is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan

Philippians 2:3-10 – (Writings from the apostle Paul, who is asking his readers to turn the focus from themselves to others.  Humbling, self-sacrificing lives leads to exaltation from God).

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death– even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

Paul frequently addressed Jesus as divine.  Paul is pointing out that Jesus could have pulled out the “God Card” and demanded that every person grovel at his feet, but instead of treating others as his servants, he himself becomes a servant to the people.  He lived among us, suffered our mortal pains, came to this world in a humble way, and left it suffering a horrible, humiliating death on the cross. We have no right to wallow in self pity when we fail, or when we fall short in how we perform.  We try our best, we give every effort to succeed, but when we fail, we must accept it with grace, learn from it, and move on.  I will continue to try to take this lesson to heart.

MOLESKIN:
Insert any personal comments, notes, devotion content, etc.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Third F this Saturday, with the convergence at Big Ball at 7:00 AM and 3rd F afterwards at 8:30 AM.

Comfort of Judgement

THE SCENE: Sunny, hot but a breeze helped.
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
WARM-O-RAMA:
20 Side-straddle hops, 10 Plank Jacks, 10 Side Bend Stretches Left and 10 Right, 10 Cherry Pickers, 10 Tempo Merkins
THA-THANG:
Mosey to Stop Sign at southeast corner of Admin Bldg.  20 Hello Dollies.

Mosey to Outdoor Chapel.  Team up into pairs of two.  We will do Doras.  While one partner runs around building on the sidewalk the other partner does exercise.  These are the exercises:

  • 100 Decline Merkins off stage.
  • 100 Four Count Mountain Climbers
  • 100 Big Boys Sit Ups
  • 100 Bench Dips
  • 100 Four Count Hello Dollies

Mosey to Playground.  We will do elevens at benches starting with ten bench jumps and one decline merkin.

Mosey to Pavilion.  We will do sevens starting with six picnic table pull-ups and one bench dip.

Mosey to stop sign at northeastern corner of admin bldg.  20 American Hammers

Mosey to AO.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
Nine men including one FNG:  Joe Salamanca whom we dubbed “Nature Boy.”
CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
Finding comfort in God’s Judgement

From Proverbs Chapter 1 (24-28) in ESV Bible:

Because I have called and you refused to listen,

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

25  because you have ignored all my counsel

and would have none of my reproof,

26  I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

27  when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

Those of us who read the Bible sometimes read about God’s wrath and judgment. It can be quite discomforting when we do so.  God seems quite upset, quite irate, when it comes to sin.  Sometimes I ask myself, “Do I want that kind of God?” when I read about his anger and vengeance toward sin.  God’s wrath is difficult to think about.  We tend to like the idea of a loving God but not of a judging God.

I particularly don’t like to think of his anger and judgment when thinking of my own sins.  I don’t want that burning fire coming after me!

While God’s wrath may seem “Ungodly” in our modern world of “tolerance for others”, do we really want a God who does not judge sin?  When we see the hatred and injustice that occur in this “tolerant” world, do we want a God who sits idly by, just watching it all happen while munching on brownies?  When we see children being abused, victims slaughtered by evil dictators, people losing their fortunes due to swindlers, do we want our Creator to do nothing in regard to it?

I want God’s judgment (just not against me!).

Think of yourself as a father or father to be.  You love you children.  You want great things for them.  But are you not going to be angry and passionate when you see someone hurt them?  No way!  Are you going to sit by and just let them get hurt?  I don’t think so.  You will tear doors down to get to the one who hurts them.  Also, are you indifferent when your children themselves do wrong?  Are you going to sit by idly if they purposefully pick a fight with a younger child?  Or, are you not going to feel embarrassment, anger, and shame if they steal from a store or friend?  You are going to take action!  You won’t like doing it but you will discipline them.  You will do that because you love them.  You want them to be morally straight, to be loving to others, to be of good character.

If we look at the issue more closely, we do want a God who gets angry about sin, who judges bad deeds.  We desire a just world where evil is punished.  And we do have a God who is just.

But what does our just God see when it comes to us humans?  We all sin, after all.  Well, our sin probably stirs his wrath.  Fortunately, we have a God who loves us.  He may hate our sins but He is slow to anger.  He is also willing to die on a cross in atonement for our sins.  He loves us so much that He sent His only son to die for us.  As the great song by Stuart Townend proclaims, “Tis the power of the cross, Christ became sin for us.”

God, thank you for judging my sins.  Also, thank you for sending your only son to die for my sins so that I might live for you.

MOLESKIN:

Prayers for Steam on his new adventure of traveling with his job.  Prayers for Thunderstruck’s mother.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence and 3rd F this Saturday!

Two Deion Sanders Equals a Ronnie Lott

THE SCENE: Beautiful East TN morning, not too hot, not too much humidity (we could breathe and weren’t swimming).
F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER

WARM-O-RAMA:
42 SSH IC, 21 baby arm circles forward IC, 21 baby arm circles backward IC, 42 merkins OYO, 42-second squat

THA-THANG:
Mosey to the weekday A.M. parking lot via the dragon’s tail – pass a light post, do a burpee.

Workout stations in all four corners of the parking lot – CMU curls, CDDs, burpees, and squats.  Do 40 reps of the exercise and run to the center and do 2 round-the-clock merkins.  Run up mini-cardiac/mini-Everest and back down to the next station.  Do 40 reps of the exercise, run to the middle and do 2 RTC merkins, Bernie up the hill, and run back down.  Repeat until all stations are done, alternating between running up the hill and Bernie-ing up the hill.

Bear crawl to the flag pole next to the Pavillon.  Circuit with 4 stations of exercises, 10 reps each, and 2 burpees at the flag pole.  The exercises were: box jumps in the play area (aka the Cloud), pull-me-ups (table rows) in the Pavillon, pull ups in the dugouts (or where ever a pull up could be found, e.g., a tree branch), calf raises on the stairs (10 each leg), plus the aforementioned burpees x 2 at the flagpole.  Ran the circuit until the Q called time.

Bear crawl back to the parking lot to do four more stations of exercises, this time CMU triceps extensions, merkins, lunges, and a PAX choice (hello Dollys).  Due to time, do 20 reps of the exercise, run to the center and do 1 8-count Bodybuilder (basically a burpee with a plank jack added in for good measure), and then run to the next station and repeat.  We left out the runs up the hill in between stations to make sure we had time for Mary.

Cash-out sprint up the hill to get to Mary.

MARY:

The Q was out of breath trying to chase Edit up the hill, so Crawdad led the PAX through 21 box cutters on a 4 count.  Then, the PAX did 42 LBCs OYO.  Ended with a 42-second plank right on time.

COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
16 total PAX.  High Heels left early to meet the cable guy, but he conveniently reappeared at Panera for Coffeteria.  Veggie was there, but his tag was not in the system.  One FNG who was visiting Goober from Indiana (Goober has brought a lot of his friends to F3, either Goober likes us or hates his friends).  He was named Brown Bag.  Unfortunately, the Q forgot to get his contact info, so hopefully Goober can provide it.

CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:
My birthday was the day before.  Try to guess how old I am.  Talked about Ecclesiastes – my favorite book in the Bible.  Read it for yourself.  Here’s my summary: bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, but do what is right regardless because that is what God wants.  Talked about time because the most famous part of Ecclesiastes is the passage on time, just ask the Byrds.  Time is my enemy.  There is never enough of it, it goes by too fast, and you can’t get it back once it is gone.  It goes by faster and faster as the milestones of life pile up.  Talked about my dad and him being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when I was in high school and how that affected him physically and me mentally as I watched the disease progress over the years.  He died in 2017 at the age of 79.  I was 40.  No one knows how much they have left or what they have left.  But we all know what we can do today.  When I am tired or want to be lazy, I think of my dad and other people who cannot do what we do in F3.  One day, I won’t be able to do it either, for whatever reason (injury, age, disease, death).  So, I do it now.  I get up and do it for my dad and those who can’t and for the me one day who won’t be able to do it either.  That way, when I can’t, I can at least say and know that I did.  When I could, I did, and I did until I couldn’t.  No waste.  No regrets.  Carpe diem.
MOLESKIN:
Prayed specifically for Junk’s wife, Crawdad’s wife, and Thunderstruck’s mom.  General prayers of thanks for the precious time that we have, for the ability to make the most of it and to build a foundation of better living for our family and friends and to make great memories that last a lifetime even as the time passes, and for the peace to let time go and to accept the next season (as Ecclesiastes calls it) of life when it comes.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Convergence at Big Ball coming up in a couple of weeks followed by the third F at Redeemer.

P.S. Thanks to Sleepover for suggesting all the burpees.

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