F3 Waxhaw Board Meeting 1/23/21
8 men gathered at Five Stones to get a workout in and then meet around a raging smoky fire. The goal was to drink coffee, eat donuts, and not freeze discuss F3 Waxhaw’s successes and how we can add more fuel to the fire to ensure we are reaching more Sad Clowns and to encourage the PAX to accelerate our Male Community Leadership. 2 main reasons for the backblast:
- Get Zin and Gerber to stop harassing me so they can get credit for their workout today
- Share with the PAX what the Board discussed and the actions/takeaways from the meeting
WORKOUT:
- Kettlebell exercises, Some burpees, and a little bit of running
MEETING:
- WHO:
- 1st F Qs (Fitness): Dasher and Chastain
- 2nd F Qs (Fellowship): Gerber and Zinfandel
- 3rd F Qs (Faith): Shop Dawg and Centerfold
- Weasel Shaker: Mad Dog
- Nant’an: Bottlecap
- TOPICS:
- 2020 RECAP: What stood out for F3 Waxhaw?
- Resiliency: While COVID initially impacted our routines and threatened to splinter our group, it actually proved to do the exact opposite in the long run. We are bigger and better because we had to adjust on the fly (ex. Neighborhood workouts, Parking Lot Happy Hours, MASH)
- Growth: F3 Waxhaw experienced tremendous growth in a number of different ways: # of PAX, # of Leaders, # of Site Qs, increased 3rd F participation, Partnerships with local ministries.
- 100 PAX Challenge: During a period of economic impact to many, our PAX showed their generosity by donating over $10,000 for 3 partner charities to make an impact in our community.
- 2021 GOALS: What should F3 Waxhaw focus on?
- 2nd F and 3rd F structure:
- Set up these events similar to 1st F with separate Site Qs
- Encouraging Backblasts to bring awareness to PAX about what happened and who participated.
- Diversity: Of PAX and of our Workouts.
- Encourage more participation and leadership from PAX of all different backgrounds/experiences (race, nationalities, accents, ages, sizes, hairstyles, etc.)
- Continue to support PAX who want to try a new workout idea (ie Rucking, Different Start time, Gear, New location, etc.). #FreedToLead
- Evaluate option to expand 6th Man stories by adding video to be able to share via Social Media
- Outreach to former PAX:
- Identify the PAX who have fallen away
- Be intentional about reaching out to PAX
- Encourage a leader of this endeavor to keep us focused and generate new ideas to reach these men (events, lunches, etc.)
- 2nd F and 3rd F structure:
- 1st F UPDATE:
- Site Qs:
- Review current Site Qs who could/should roll off; let’s keep it fresh and rotate off or onto a different site
- Identify potential Site Qs who should be asked to step into new role
- AO analysis (Area of Operation):
- Map created that lays out all workouts
- Where are we missing an AO?
- Diversity of workout types (ie Bootcamp, Running, Gear, Rucking, Trail Running, MASH)
- What type should be added?
- What day and times are we missing?
- Map created that lays out all workouts
- Laying out the 2021 calendar
- CSAUPs and Convergences
- Q and Site Q Schools
- Site Qs:
- 2nd F UPDATE:
- COVID has impacted a lot of these events
- Happy Hours will come back to parking lots when weather warms up
- Lunches will come back TBD
- F3 Dads
- Hoping to resurrect Summer Saturday workouts
- Current participation of 2.0s is fantastic with Clyent Dinner and The Appetizer
- Other opportunities: F3 Dad’s camp, Family picnic, Family baseball game
- COVID has impacted a lot of these events
- 3RD F UPDATE:
- Seek out leaders to lead current 3rd F events/partnerships/meetings
- Set up calendars similar to 1st F so awareness grows for what and when things are happening
- 2020 RECAP: What stood out for F3 Waxhaw?
I’ll end this backblast the way I started today’s meeting . . . A SINCERE AND BIG THANKS to all the leaders of F3 (and especially these Board members).
- This Region is special; we are growing FAST!
- We have 100+ active PAX and the majority are leading in some way
- We are incredibly active in all 3 F’s
- There is not much drama
- We are constantly looking to improve and reach more Sad Clowns
- We are making a lasting impact in this community
- Let’s stay focused on our mission: Plant, Grow, and Serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership!
That was… difficult
YHC returned from a 3 mile pre-run with Area 51’s friendliest sasquatch (Hoover), Borat’s favorite swimwear (Slingshot), and the Simpsons’ matriarch (Marge) to find Mighty Mite pulling into the lot reserved for Olympus (no RockZero pax allowed).
After a quick disclaimer (“you good with get-ups?”), we got started.
Warm-up:
- SSH x 15 IC
- Windmill x 10 IC
- 1H swings x 10+10 (left at the top of the minute, right at the bottom)
- 1 TGU per side
- 1H swings x 10+10 (left at the top of the minute, right at the bottom)
- 2 TGU per side
- 1H swings x 10+10 (left at the top of the minute, right at the bottom)
- 2 TGU per side
Main Event (this is when Frehley’s showed up after already posting at Stonehenge):
Neupert: 5 sets of 2 double clean and press
Complex:
- 2-handed swing
- 1-handed swing (L+R)
- Racked thruster (L+R)
Rep Pyramid: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 (do the # of reps on each side for 1-handed swings and thrusters)
Easy strength:
- Single-leg deadlift: 2 sets of 5 per side
- Merkins on the handles of your bells: 2 sets of 10
- Lawnmower rows: 2 sets of 5 per side
- Snatches: 5 sets of 5 per side
Mary: 1:00 of elbow plank
COT with the RockZero pax
Announcements:
- Blood drive on 2/19 at the Brace Y. Spots are still available. Check Slack or hit up Mighty Mite for details.
Moleskine:
- Strong work by the pax this morning. The complex was new to us and it was awful. In hindsight, I’m thinking you are supposed to split the reps per side (i.e., 10 thrusters = 5 per side). Unfortunately, that didn’t occur to me this morning, so we did all of the reps for each side. That’s a lot of thrusters.
- YHC loaned Mighty Mite a 24 kg bell for the complex and he kept it for the snatches. He threw it around like a baby rattle, which just isn’t fair.
- Frehley’s stuck with his 45# bell on the way up the pyramid, but had to step down to the 44# bell on the way down. #quitter
- Despite the chill in the air, we had a good time this morning. Saturday mornings tend to be sparsely attended, but it makes for good 2nd F. A few topics of conversation: Farmhouse is apparently a really good restaurant and Frehley’s knows the owner if you need a table, Frehley’s recommends Banshee, Dexter, and Penny Dreadful if you’re looking for TV recommendations, Lasso is also a crowd favorite if you’re looking for a great comedy with some language, the jury is still out on Tehran on Apple TV, Mighty Mite’s girlfriend had never seen Pulp Fiction before last night, and NC State’s basketball team contracted COVID because they were scared to play UVA.
First and firsts at Bizarro Diesel
YHC Qing a gear workout, Brutus doing a pre-run, and then Gerber and Speed Bump arrive for the gear workout — January 22 was Bizarro Day at Diesel. And 12 PAX were there to witness.
WARM-UP
Mose–wait, can’t do that at Diesel.
Hillbillies x 15 IC
Arm Circles
Windmill x 10 IC
Michael Phelps arm swings x 10 IC
THE THANG
Rifle Carry the cinderblock to the other end of the parking lot, stopping at each island for 1 set of 3 traveling merkins (right hand on block, both hands on block, left hand on block)
Return hugging the block close to chest, stopping for 5x squats at each island
Circle up for the rest of the fun
- Arm circles in front of body while holding bricks
- Superman x 40 seconds
- Hillbillies
- Angry Al Gore with bricks
- Hanging Tough Challenge — Hold the Cinderblock overhead throughout the song “Hanging Tough” by NKOTB
- If you drop out, do burpees until the next guy drops out, then call an exercise until he is relieved
- Cinderblock — sets of 20 swings + 20 of another exercise
- Swings + chest press
- Swings + Overhead press
- Swings + Little Baby Dips
- Swings + Carolina Dry Docks
- Swings + Curls
- Swings + Squats with blocks
- Swings + Bent Over Rows
- Swings + Diamond Docks
- Squeeze the block to hold it, with squats
- Killers’ “All These Things that I have Done” — Plank and 2 merkins whenever song says “Soldier”
- Hollow body hold
- Glute Bridge
MOLESKINE
Reaching out for last-minute Qs on the GroupMe Site Q channel is a dangerous move and YHC should know that by now. Yet he did it again in December for The Body Shop and was quite excited that Chastain eagerly jumped at the opportunity — then came the reciprocal invitation to Q Diesel. A gear workout? After trying to pass it off to a Site Q who has basically ghosted The Body Shop for 7 months (not calling out Boitano’s name at all), YHC remembered that uncomfortable is a good thing.
As this was YHC’s first gear Q, the music was chosen from a list of personal musical firsts, with the goal of generating some entertainment and some mumblechatter. In another first, YHC decided to push the workout in spite of growing discontent around the swings. The weinke called for just 5 sets of 20 + 20 and the grumbling began at just set #3, but the Q was not deterred and was, in fact, inspired. We grow when we’re uncomfortable, right? Instead of 5 sets, we went for 8 sets before the revolt began. But the PAX got in 160 swings and it probably only felt like 100 for the body — and 400 for the mind? From some of the discord, it sounded like the Q called 100 burpees.
HUGE props to Turnbuckle in the Hanging Tough Challenge — he outlasted the group and looked like he had another 5 minutes in him. Not sure if the bigger accomplishment is holding the block that long and with such ease or making it through the song. Popeye also gets the Beast Mode award for his swings and enjoyment? of them. Centerfold was rocking the Presidential trivia. Chastain showed no signs of fatigue from the 2-mile pre-run, though Brutus switched from block to bricks kind of early on some exercises. Great to see Rockwell and also the MASH crew with Penalty Box and Bunyan, who YHC hasn’t crossed paths with as much recently. And kudos to Speed Bump for dragging out Gerber and Easy Button, not letting them lose to the fartsack with the excuse of tight calves, hammies, unwashed glitter headbands or whatever the challenges may be.
Go ahead and get uncomfortable and Q a site or workout type you’re not used to — heck, even post at a workout you’re not used too because you might surprise yourself and like it. I hear Dasher is looking to Q Diesel soon?
Awesome music included Mana, Michael Jackson, Alabama, Soul Asylum, New Kids on the Block, Spin Doctors, Beach Boys, Skid Row, Poison, Def Leppard, The Killers and Les Mis.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Blood Drive — Saturday, January 30th at Five Stones Church. Sign up, save some lives.
COVID continues to creep in on us and brothers around us. Keep them in thoughts and prayers.
More opportunities to serve with Rice N Beans — if you haven’t done it yet, try it out and your week will be better for it. Check out the Service channel on GroupMe.
Costanza Bonanza
Greeted with some new faces (to Commitment that is). When asked names, a striking young lad said “FNG” but Nails soon called him out as a newer PAX, Costanza. Costanza explained his displeasure with that name….wrong answer!!!
Warmup
Mosey to the bridge and back to Nesbit circle. SSH, IW, Night Clubs, Mountain Climbers and repeato SSH x 25. Stretching – up/down dogs, calves and runners pose.
The Thang
From circle to top of hill (road), alternate between 5 merkins and speed skaters at every other tree.
To the rock pile. Grab a rock and rifle carry to lower parking lot. Pick a lane and line up at back line. Sets/reps consisted of:
Curls x 15, run to each island for squats x 5, monkey humpers x 5 and Bobby Hurley’s x 5 and return to back line. Repeat twice for 45 total rock reps, 45 total leg reps.
Shoulder press x 15, run to each island for squats x 5, monkey humpers x 5 and Bobby Hurley’s x 5 and return to back line. Repeat twice for 45 total rock reps, 45 total leg reps.
Triceps x 15, run to each island for squats x 5, monkey humpers x 5 and Bobby Hurley’s x 5 and return to back line. Repeat twice for 45 total rock reps, 45 total leg reps.
Rows x 15, run to each island for squats x 5, monkey humpers x 5 and Bobby Hurley’s x 5 and return to back line. Repeat twice for 45 total rock reps, 45 total leg reps.
Mosey to upper parking lot for “11’s” – Run width of parking lot. Alternate between dry docks and plank jacks at each end.
Return rock at lower lot for superset of 100 reps (25 each of above for exercises). Rifle carry rock back to rock pile.
From rock pile to PAX parking area, alternate between 5 merkins and speed skaters at every other tree.
PAX in a circle, on your six. Clock-wise around the circle with PAX calling out ab exercise of choice, 10 reps each. Somehow merkins became an ab exercise and Ghosted finished us off just in time with 5 burpees.
Our fellow Ruckers – Jingles, TB and Transporter witnessed our circle finale.
Moleskin
Costanza, welcome to Commitment and your forever now etched in stone F3 name!! The more you dislike the name, the more it sticks. Despite the name game, Costanza was out in front throughout most of the post only to be pushed and beaten by Ghosted. Ghosted – hell of a showing today!!! You’ve come a long way since joining this circus during the IPC. Wolverine attributed Ghosted’s improvement to posting at Pursuit. Hmmmm, something for all of us to consider??
Announcements / Closing
Waxhaw F3 2nd blood drive on 1/30/21 at Five Stones. Sign-up posted on Group Me and Slack. F2 opportunity at Waxhaw Tap House that afternoon. All Dryuary members make sure to have your Uber app charged up as alcohol, lesser blood and 30 days of abstinence may (should) play games with your tolerance.
Rice and beans sign-ups throughout the year.
Waxhaw World Tour CSAUP February 6, 2021 at 7:00 am to 11:00 am, starting and ending at Watchtower. Details on all social media platforms. Waxhaw Tap House will accommodate all PAX with an early opening following the event.
Dad jokes 2/43
When it is 32 degrees you have to bring the heat.
The thang:
Mosey to a parking lot near the Y.
COP
SSH X 20
HAND RELEASE MERKINS X 10 HOLD IN PLANK FOR 10 MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS.
LOW VERY SLOW SQUATS X 20
Mosey to lochness.
Realize that cul-de-sac has sold all the tables.
2 laps station 1 10 step ups each leg. Station 2 20 dips 10 LBCs. Station 3 10 derkins 10 hand release merkins 20 dying cockroachs.
Break into 2 teams. Team 1 60 thrusters at rock pile. Team 2 10 jump squats run to second station 20 hand release merkins repeto going up by 2 squats and down by 2 merkins switch when team 1 is back.
Second round 50 curls and other team does plank jacks and squats.
Mosey to the Y for a flag carrier or scout run. Front of line runner sprints out 10 second returns to end of line.
5 minutes of 10 count merry except for Jazz Hands improvised 15 count box cutters.
Moleskin:
I told my 2.0 Sabertooth that I was proud of him this morning on the way home. He told me he was proud of me because I did a great job leading. After I let mey ego and pride inflate I told him it was easy to do because of the great men in the group. You truly make F3 fun and special. Thank you.
Jazz Hands getting back out in the gloom recently has been great to see. Brexit has been increasing his speed and his dad jokes. Cul-de-sac wanted to run further in the Flag carrier run cause he is a beast. Lex has like 68 more days of his 75 day fitness challenge i will be the first one to buy him a beer. Spare parts really put in the work today great job. Cheese curd was just knocking out the reps. Frehleys gave me some mumble chatter a little early and got quite until we were almost back to launch and damn near killed several pax with his shit talk. Tagalong’s beard made him sprint faster up the hills due some aerodynamic I couldn’t understand. I didn’t realize Airwolf had a sprained wrist from a failed attempt to teach his kid to rollerblade. His wife dared him to go down the steep driveway. Spoiler alert he didn’t succeed. He still knocked out the reps. Atlas did a 2 mile pre run before workout. He finished with over 5 miles and still killed the reps . Wild turkey killed it today. Thanks for reminding us it is better together. And war eagle gets the best dad joke award for What do you call a teacher who doesn’t fart in public? A private tooter.
Announcement:
Blood drive sign up.
Be on the look out for info on roof above packets.
Prayers for Rafi Cheese curds neice.
Thank you all. Remember good loves you and so do I. YHC kirby
Last Call: Nobody touch Smuggler’s headband
9 bar flies PAX made their way to Marvin Tavern High to get a glimpse of the menu at the newest AO in F3 Waxhaw. Maybe it was the booze but this AO looks eerily similar to Dromedary’s AO.
YHB (Your Humble Bartender) issued the DCCS which included some safety precautions about Kettle One Vodka Bells, then put a few dollars into the juke box machine and away we stumbled.
FIRST SIP (gotta be 21 in this establishment):
- SSH x 21
- Merkins x 21
- Squats x 21
SECOND DRINK:
- Mosey with KBs up to hill near bus driveway
- Teams of 3
- P1 at bottom of hill doing KB Swings
- P2 at top of hill doing Chest Press/Big Boy/Shoulder Press
- P3 runs up and down hill x 5 and switches out
ROUND OF SHOTS:
- Various KB exercises
- Figure 8
- Shoulder press
- Upright row
- Rifle Carry to bottom of lot
- Overhead curb chest pull
- Chest press
- Deep squat thrusters
- One arm press
- Romanian Deadlifts
ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOTS:
- Rifle Carry back up the lot
- Repeat various KB exercises
LAST CALL:
- Drop off KB and line up going towards schools
- 7 burpees in midpoint
- 7 burpees at bottom
- 7 burpees at midpoint
- 7 burpees at COT
LAST SIP:
- 1 minute of Have a Nice Day!
DOORS LOCKED:
- YHB opened up the iced down cooler with beverages for all . . . It’s Dryuary so they were just BodyArmors
THE BILL:
- Smuggler might be faster than ANY PAX in Waxhaw at doing his bizness. The dude hit the woods during the first round of partner work and didn’t miss a turn . . . #DontPickUpThatHeadband
- Big Ben got REALLY excited when YHB mentioned “little running” in DCCS although he must have been drinking again because he thought he heard “No running” . . . #YouBeenSippingGrandpasCoughMedicine
- Noonan was apparently looking for a way to make the Last Call a bit more difficult and suggested knee up burpees . . . #BlameItOnTheAlcohol
- Deep Dish is a respect but had no respect for the 2 girl-ish sweat figures that Noonan and One Star left . . . #WhosJessicaSimpson
- One Star has owned this bar for a few weeks but today was the first time he actually set foot in the place . . . #AbsenteeOwner #DrinksOnTheHouse
- Honeycomb and Premature were apparently a little tipsy and decided to take off together before COT . . . #ThatsHowRumorsStart
- Fiji just came back from a week of vacation and apparently they didn’t have heavy stuff to lift down there . . . #BackToReality
- Great morning and appreciate Noonan and One Star inviting me to Q . . . Always appreciate the unique flavor of new workout sites . . . Get the jokes flying early and the pain doesn’t seem so bad!
- Come out and join Last Call . . . 0600 start on Fridays at Marvin High
- Wax-Travaganza: CSAUP event on Feb 6th in Downtown Waxhaw
- It will start and end at The Floater
- We will mosey to different AOs around western Waxhaw for 10-15 minute bootcamps
- It will be great 2nd F (Fellowship)
- Waxhaw Taphouse will open early for us (10:30ish) to enjoy some well deserved beers
PRAYERS FOR FIJI’S FRIEND PRASHANT WHO RECENTLY LOST HIS WIFE . . . LOVE ON YOUR WIFE AND FAMILY EVERYDAY!
Jackpot – 7-7-7 at Impromptu
16 Pax had faith that YHC would return from hiatus and make the return as Q today at Impromptu. A bit rusty as can be seen by unable to correctly identify exercise names early on, but in end was able to pull together a serviceable Q. So with that lets see how we pulled the 1 arm bandit and hit Jackpot with 7-7-7 on the wheel.
Warmup:
Mosey past the palace and add in few warmup exercises along way (high knees, butt kickers, side shuffle). Circle up around rotary and complete:
- SSH
cotton pickersJimmy Dugans- Imperial Walkers
- Merkins
Thang:
First 7
- Partner up. P1 go to bottom circle by baseball field. P2 start at top.
- Merkins at each end and squats when you meet partner (socially distanced). Work from 6-1, 5-2,4-3,3-4,2-5,1-6
- Once complete mosey around circle at top
- Work in few bear crawls, duck walks and exit towards the HS parking lot
Second 7
- With partner P1 go to the spirit rock that is far, far, far distance away. P2 start at light at bottom. Good work by Zin to move the end point up good 100 yards
- Carolina Dry Docks at each end and Bobby Hurley’s in middle when you meet partner (socially distanced). Work from 6-1, 5-2,4-3,3-4,2-5,1-6
- Once complete circle around the island waiting for 6
- Sprinkle in few bear crawls and
Chocolate Starfish peek a boocrawl bear
- Sprinkle in few bear crawls and
- Mosey over towards the covered stairs
- On way mix in LRC special of overhead claps, seal claps, and some cherry pick ’ems….drop in the bucket
Third 7 – Jackpot
- With partner P1 go to the street light P2 start at light at bottom.
- Speed Skaters (2 is 1) at each end and Burpees (note to LRC: burpees are not same here) in middle when you meet partner (socially distanced). Work from 6-1, 5-2,4-3,3-4,2-5,1-6
- Once complete go to the stairs and do calf raises (10x toes straight, 10x toes in, 10x toes out)
Once complete mosey back towards COT. Quick pit stop for dips at benches then finish at COT with 1 min of mary.
Moleskin:
- No better way then to come back after hiatus and jump right in with Q. Group was working hard and good to see some ugly mugs this morning
- Saw good push between Ex-Lax and Recalc this morning
- Ricky Bobby got all twisted up as we had him making right hand turns around circle
- Zin was leading the starfish parade and not sure who was closing to be considered a brown noser
- Deadwood still working back to form as he appeared mellow this morning.
- Fuse was looking to break out the varsity jacket and relive high school days while picking cherrys
- Shop Dawg channeled his inner Ice 9 and also provided some great words of wisdom as 6th man today
Announcements:
- Sign up for blood drive and get reprieve on Dryuary by 1 day
- Continue to support the newer AO’s with both attendance and stepping up to Q
Everyone scared
Tool Time, Ice 9 and Sugar Daddy plus a very brief cameo appearance by Dasher
I was wondering how many might show this morning for my Swarm VQ and to my relief, only 3 other PAX decided get up early and endure. They were ready and willing to do whatever the workout entailed.
Warmup: Mosey around the front to the middle school circle and then to the big parking lot. Normal stretching and we were off.
Workout – find a line and Plank walk from one line to another and back with merkins (10,8,6,4,2) in between.
Then we went to the 4 corners of the parking lot and did 20 plank jacks, 20 Dry docks, 20 LBC and 20 Bonnie Blairs (1=1). We did this 5 times
As you all know, I love to run so I had to work some sprints into the routine so we went to the far end of the parking lot and sprinted up the hill to the island 3 times and recovered each time with a slow jog down the hill.
Mosey to the circle and started a 15 min AMRAP. 5 burpees and 20 squats at the middle circle, 20 dips at the benches, 20 step ups by the cafeteria and then back down the hill to the bottom circle for 10 merkins and 10 big boys.
Mosey around to Rudy’s shed for some more sprint work work up the hill to the parking lot. The plan was to sprint a 1/4 way up, half way, 3/4 and then all the way to that parking and jog back each time but thankfully we ran out of time and only got the 1/4, half and full in.
1 minute hallow hold at the top to fulfill the hour long obligation.
Sugar daddy – I’m not sure how this guy does it. He’s giving up between driving and voting age to most of us and still manages to be right in the mix every time. I still want to call him Mr Clean every time I see home though as he pulled that look off perfectly
Ice – TT mentioned it this morning but I think Ice is pound for pound (age for age) the best of the bunch. He’s got these workouts licked even though he sounds like a he needs to be on a respirator most mornings. Both he and sugar are inspiring to us all.
Tool Time brings it every morning and pushes me and the rest of the PAX to keep up. I get him most days when there is long running involved but its all I can do to keep up when ground work is required.
It was an enjoyable VQ for me which was made possible by the PAX. Thanks guys.
Thanks to all of F3 Waxhaw for being so welcoming to me these last couple months I was searching for something different for my workouts and this has been exactly what I needed
– Hurry
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
As the great philosopher Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta once said:
“I wanna hold ’em like they do in Texas, please
Fold ’em, let ’em hit me, raise it, baby, stay with me”
So the journey began. A good ole round of cards at the Brave.
The Thang
Mosey to parking lot next to AAA: butt kicks, high knees and karaoke on the way. Circle up for 20 SSH’s, 20 Mtn. Climbers, 20 LBC’s and 20 Squats
Ready to deal! Utilize F3 Deck of playing cards. Each ramp in a parking deck, pull a card, perform the exercise and reps on the card. Ace = 100 reps, Royal = 25 reps, Cards = # + 10 reps, Joker = 50 reps of PAX’s choice
Mosey to parking deck #1 for Spades (Legs): 12 bulgarian squats, 15 standing lunges, 25 squats and 50 rosalitas (Wild Turkey’s choice)
Mosey to parking deck #2 for Diamonds (Upper body): 100 arm circles, 19 ranger merkins, 13 church norris merkins, 14 carolina dry docks, 18 merkins, 17 derkins. This parking deck (by Cabo Fish Taco) is a beast
Mosey to parking deck #3 for Hearts (Cardio): 18 squat thrusts, backwards run up each ramp (Kirby’s favorite), 25 plank jacks, 25 mtn. climbers
Mosey to parking deck #4 for Clubs (Core): 18 luges, 25 freddie mercury’s, 17 LBC’s, 50 Rosalita’s (Frehley’s choice). Mix in additional cardio on way back down: 100 meter karaoke, 100 meter bear crawl
Mosey to launch: finish with 2 100-meter AYG sprints, 6-inches on your six for 30 seconds until time.
Moleskin
- This was a fun one. Lots of chatter, wheeling and dealing in between exercises. Easy for YHC to execute, apart from trying to not mix up all the cards and drop them in between decks
- There were four exercises that we were not familiar with, enjoyed learning new exercises and variations
- Taco Stand has really stepped up his tights game, the whole group was raving about Taco’s high fashion for the first 10 minutes. He led the pack for much of the workout and has been putting in solid miles recently. Agree with you entirely about MJ being the greatest. LBJ isn’t even close
- Frehley’s dropped some bombs in the parking deck, without proper notification for safe distancing. Fortunately YHC was not caught in his wake, but others suffered. T claps to this long-time Braver for posting 6 times this week! I hope to be in such good shape when I’m your age
- Jazz Hands continues to quietly crush these Brave workouts. Good to see you again in the gloom
- Wild Turkey didn’t even work up a sweat with this one. Consistently leading the pack and the first one down and the first one up. YHC has never seen this man out of breath. The Turkey is swift, sly and always ready to strike.
- Sweet Water will soon be releasing his patented away-from-home hotel workout regiment. Despite being on the road for work travel, he logs over 12,000 steps a day basically doing burpees and sprinting every minute that he’s not in a meeting. PAX didn’t stand a chance when we ran sprints at the end.
- Kirby, you brought the chatter and humor this morning. Much appreciated as it kept us engaged through the repetition. Grateful for your leadership in the area of 3rd F.
- A conversation Wild Turkey and I had a few weeks ago has really stuck with me. We were processing recent political events and trying to make sense of our varied emotions.Why is our country so divided? Why is this moment so painful? A friend shared an article with me that really resonated with me. At COT I shared a few truth nuggets with the group:
- “The lockdowns are merely the apex of a mountain of isolation that too many Americans are perched upon. Too many have no church, no lodge, no bowling league, no ice cream social. Their eyes do not even land upon their neighborhood or neighbors.
- Instead, atomized Americans long forced home and tuned in on screens can only watch the fury spilling on the streets of their nation. They lack the social and community means to soothe their country and calm its extreme elements.
- They stare at their own hand as the entire world pours into their consciousness. They choose sides. Once chosen, a tribe is inscribed upon them. There is no greater shame in our modern world than changing one’s mind.
- It doesn’t matter which side is right, because both are suffering. What Americans lack has nothing to do with politics. We lack meaning. The conservative may love liberty, but in and of itself liberty does not give meaning to our lives. The same is true for progressives and their search for perfect equity.
- The irony of the digital age is that never has everyone known as many people and never have they felt so alone. Perhaps the problem isn’t racism, crime, climate change, or religious liberty. Perhaps the problem is civic life itself.
- What if the problem is not that we are so divided? When have we not been? What if the problem is that we have never been so isolated?
- Look up. Look up to see your neighbors. Look up to see the miracle of breezes fanned by swaying branches, to the shifting snow falling faintly. Look up to God. Know that you have meaning.”
*end of soapbox*
Thanks brothers for the deep conversation after the workout this am. I needed it. And I needed to hear the struggles and joys from Frehleys and Kirby who are pressing into hard conversations. Always grateful to lead. It’s a gift.
Announcements
- Escobar clothes collection: Kirby and War Eagle can take goods
- Roof Above Home Warming Boxes: chat with Kirby for information
- Blood Drive!
- Reminder to reach out to a friend for help. We each need someone to lock shields with. Kirby and Paper Jam are ready and willing to chat
midriff out
Valley Crew at Centurion
Written by Mermaid, based loosely on YHC’s recollection of events:
Sable brought the Valley crew out for his Centurion Q this morning. Joined by a few Centurion regulars, the group was offered the quickest disclaimer and charged out of the launch lot.
Thang
No time for easing in this morning. Follow Sable across 51 onto CCHS campus. Circle up next to Stairwell 1 of Tartarus
COP
Low Slow Squat x 15
SSH x 15
MC x 15
Merkin x 15
Probably forgetting a few exercises here.
Enter Tartarus, level 1.
Long Ramp 11’s. AYG up full ramp. 10 Thruster type things (Plank-bring knees to stomach and back down). Run down ramp. 1 Plank Jack. 9-2, 8-3…you see the pattern.
Run up to level 4. Mary up at the top.
Back down ramps to thoroughfare on Tartarus side of football field, around the 50-yard line.
10 Merkin/10 offset right Merkin/10 offset left Merkin. Run around field to the other side. Stop at the 50. Repeat Merkins. Run to launch.
Mosey over to the Charlotte Aquatics lot. 3 times up and down the hill with some bear crawls and burpee broad jumps.
Mosey back to launch lot.
COT
Moleskin
Sable is site Q at The Valley. This workout has been meeting at Huntingtowne Farms Elementary on Thursdays for several years. It has been a bit of an isolated workout from A51 and Metro and includes some guys who straddle the line. Glad to see all the guys who regularly post over there join us at Centurion. Good on Sable for rallying the troops and then providing the beatdown. Over 3.5 miles of run. This guy will try damn hard to get a nap later.
Boones Farm informed Clover and YHC that his friend founded Biscuitville. Apparently, this place needs to be on your list.
Lorax had a fresh cut. Professional and all. He looked suave. Apparently it made him run fast too, he was out front all morning and lapped several on the 11’s. T-claps for the takeout prayer this morning.
Snuka was heading over to the gym on his way home. Gotta say, him telling me that made me feel like a bit of a slacker.
Margo got up and then dosed off before waking up again and texting YHC at 5:33 that he would not make it. Missed you out there. Shovel Flag, too.
All around, a great morning. Tough workout and solid crew of men.