An Ode to My F3 Brothers

An Ode to My F3 Brothers

For those of you that know me know that I am not one who is apt to put pen to paper with a whole lot of introspection, but as 2020 becomes 2021 I felt the need to tell you all how thankful I am for you.  Apologies in advance for the length of this but I have a lot to say.  Much has obviously been made about the challenges of 2020 but I am grateful for the men of F3 who helped me to stay centered during all the challenges.  Whether it was a fist bump pushing me along while getting my butt kicked at a workout or laughing out loud at a post on Slack, it all helped to maintain some sanity.  Truth be told, for the majority of us 2020 was not as bad as it has been made out to be.  As my pastor noted, many of us were inconvenienced but did not suffer.  I am grateful to have had F3 through the year to help navigate the “inconveniences”.  That is not to say that some of our F3 brothers were not directly impacted during 2020.  And if you suffered a job loss, loss of a loved one or other hardship I truly hope that we were there to support you and be a sounding board or a source of normalcy for you.  And that is what I think the underlying strength of F3 is.  The fact that there is a large group of men that are there to support each other in whatever form is needed.  There are guys that we get to know well and develop close friendships with and there are others that we may have only worked out with one time or only know on Slack.  Regardless they all form a shield lock and have our backs no matter what and are willing to help.  As 2020 becomes 2021 things are obviously not going to swing a 180 and completely change overnight.  So, if the challenges are weighing you down please do not hesitate to reach out to your brothers.  WE HAVE YOUR BACK.

Now, there were bright spots in 2020.  We were able to get an awesome Beer Run in pre-Covid.  We pivoted during the stay at home and while it was not anyone’s preference, we were able to keep guys connected with each other and motivated with virtual workouts and happy hours.  The Hi Impact Local Race and Makeshift Marathons were fantastic events that provided brotherhood and impacts to local charities.  Since we were limited with social gatherings a fun trend has started with holiday workouts/post workout holiday parties with the Turkey Jam and Christmas Eve workouts.  The Passport Challenge has been excellent for encouraging Pax to venture to AO’s that they normally would not hit.  A wise man once said that F3 does not run itself so I would like to thank anyone who helped put on an event or participated in an event.  My sincerest thanks to the site Q’s who keep each site running smoothly and ensure that we all have a place to workout every day…well except Sunday.  I am extremely indebted to the SOB Board (Cooter, Kirby, Madame Tussauds, Mighty Mite, Soft Pretzel, Taco Stand, Thin Mint, Tuck and Wingman) who have provided guidance and thoughtfulness throughout this year and steered SOB through 2020.  And thanks to Voodoo and Bottlecap, the other region Nantans, as I appreciate the fact that we can bounce things off each other and look forward to more of the same in 2021.

Finally, I would like to leave each of you with a call to action.  If you have merely been “inconvenienced” during 2020 I challenge you to lean into F3.  Bring your positivity and optimism to others.  Be that strength and that source of centering to others who have been struggling.  If you have been struggling in 2020 I also challenge you to lean into F3.  Allow the 1^st F to improve you physically, the 2^nd F to uplift you emotionally and the 3^rd F to brighten your soul.  Each and every one of you in the Pax brings something different to F3 and that is what makes it fun yet meaningful.  It is also the reason that I went from saying the only reason that I would run is if a big animal is chasing me to for the last 3 years running around in the early morning dark with a bunch of guys, and loving it!

Happy New Year’s guys…oh and Roll Tide!!