Jeepers Creepers, Ethel Waters would be proud

Jeepers Creepers, Ethel Waters would be proud

I’ve never been one to check the weather ahead of time for anything really. From a young age growing up in England, you learn not to trust the weather-man anyway, so you might as well just wait and see. With that being said, I wish I had checked the forecast today, as I would have conveniently forgotten to set my alarm and I would have told Alf he may need a new Q. It was wretched.

Either way, my 4 alarms went off (usually only one, but when you’re Q’ing and bringing an FNG, AKA people rely on you, it’s better to be safe I suppose), and I strolled to my car in my short-sleeve shirt at 5:10am (too tired/lazy to head back into the house to grab a water-proof after I realized the weather was not on our side – https://youtu.be/1hZySbS2_Dw).

Matrix is about as Gloomy as the Gloom can get….something about the tight, dimly-lit parking lot with nothing but open blackness behind it as you peer into the presumably water-sodden fields. I was first to arrive and feared I may be doing the workout by myself, AKA going back home to bed. But I should have known not to question the PAX – of course those guys would show. That’s what F3ers do. Cars steadily made the turn onto the school property, and there was no heading back. It was particularly pleasing to see the FNG I had EH’d roll in, and give me that “what the hell have I signed up for” look from his driving seat.

THE THANG

Warm-up (or try to at least) with a gentle Mosey on down around the parking lot and then back to the entrance so we at least had some light shining on our wet miserable faces.

Partner up, 8 rounds of exercises:

Round 1: 15x Partner Dips, 50yd Partner Carry, 20x Partner Clap Merkins, 10x Partner Squat, 15x Partner Derkins, 10x Partner Leg Push-down, 20x Knees-to-chest, Scrum Down (it was at this point, I heard Alf whisper to the FNG, “it’s not normally like this” – I took it as a compliment). 100yd shuttle run at 90%

Round 2 thru 8: repeat removing one exercise randomly each time. Always finishing each round with 100yd shuttle run at 90%.

Circle up, tummy-tucking Mary workout to finish – 15 counts: Flutter, LBC, Freddie Mercury, Rosalita. Plank it out.

MOLESKINE

It takes a different level of PAX member to come out on a morning like this morning – especially with it being a Monday. I was pleasantly surprised with the turnout. The very first round of exercises led to OT taking a painful-looking tumble on the tarmac, but he made up for it by throwing me around like an ADHD-ridden Orca playing with a baby Seal during our Scrum-down.

Ultimately, there were 8 real men out there, getting their week off to the best possible start. Smiles n’all. Apologies for my lack of cadence etiquette, but between laying in a small pond while having Squid pretty much throw my legs against the gravel, and then having to squat Prohibition’s muscle mass, I knew counting out loud would become hard for me to do.

Huge T-Claps for the FNG Chris = ‘Bozo the Brown’. This morning was as ugly as it gets, and he pushed through it and lasted to the very end. Onwards and upwards, easy-pickings from here, mate.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

I’m not gonna lie, I can’t remember if we had any (don’t think we did) – my mind just wanted to get to the hot shower that awaited me in the hope of getting some feeling back into certain extremities. Thank you Alf for the mandatory Q appointment – looking forward to Madison’s next week.

Great send-off from Paper Jam. Always a pleasure working out with this crazy gang.