One sadclown showed up this morning to Q the Friday workout known as Centurion. The rest of you were either DR enjoying time with your families, posting elsewhere, fartsacking entirely, or in line at Walmart trying to score a TV. Hopefully, it’s one of the first two but with Michigan set to take down Ohio State tomorrow afternoon, I can certainly understand the need for a shiny new big screen.
Thang
After checking my phone to make sure I hadn’t missed a memo, we YHC set off into the gloom. The weinke was followed (with some modifications to the partner/team work), but the details will stay in the bag to be brought out another day. YHC on the silent take-out.
NMM
In addition to being reminded of just how challenging working out can be without anyone there to be accountable to, I was smacked in the face by a realization this morning. The man I was 8 months ago would have been relieved when no one showed. Nervous about taking the lead, I would have welcomed the chance to get off the hook. Today, the nerves were still there — as I am sure they always will be. But, instead of relief, I felt disappointment that I wouldn’t get a chance to put those nerves to the test. That’s a huge change for me and a change I carry around everywhere in my life. I am now a man who shows up to the neighborhood Turkey Bowl instead of making excuses, who never cancels a work or family commitment unless it’s absolutely necessary, who shows up early most of the time instead of always a few minutes late, and a man who embraces his responsibility as the spiritual leader of his family. I am a different man than I was 8 months ago and I have F3 to thank in large part for that.
Truly thankful for all the men of F3 Nation and everything I have learned and been given in these short 8 months. I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the weekend with family, friends, and football (Go Blue!).
Thang
Moleskin
Glad our LIFOs were able to find us in the expansive Stonehenge AO. Cheddar came in hot a couple minutes late and didn’t miss much of the good stuff. Frehley’s literally appeared out of nowhere. I’m still not sure when he arrived or where he came from, but I would just as soon not know.
YHC was prepared for some mumblechatter today (it is Stonehenge, after all), but when Tolkien is only the 4th loudest guy there, you know you are in trouble. Burpee broad jumps shut it down for a little while but only until we hit the starfish. So much dismay and confusion among grown men over a starfish with only 4 legs. Yes, they usually have 5 legs, or more, but we are F3 and we can adapt to the unexpected, right? After calls for changing the name and further confusion over whether the dips should be every time or EVERY time, the PAX finally realized the rest of us were exercising and got back on the ball. In spite of posting at Tuck’s Burpee/Merkin/Pull-up fest at The Brave yesterday, Frehley’s, Cheddar and Nard Dog summoned up the chest and shoulder power to make it through Round 1. T-claps.
To sum it up, everyone got work in, some more than others. The real losers today were all the poor people trying to sleep in the townhomes surrounding Costigan Park. On to the deck to let them get back to their dreams.
Had planned for less running. But, one can only take so much chatter so we got to spend a full 30-ish minutes in the deck. (Cobains to Fire Hazard’s hamstring). Burpees and deck sprints did the trick and finally quieted the PAX. Should have started there. First time meeting Billygoat today and although we gassed him towards the end of the ramps, he refused to quit and brought it home strong. Great meeting you, brother, and look forward to seeing you out more often.
TR was especially yappy today. YHC thinks he is still unsure of what to do with all the oxygen his lungs can process now that he has become a runner guy. Poor guy can’t help the constant release of hot air. Lungs came in handy on the deck work though — TR was out front pushing the PAX and making it look easy all the way until the end. Thanks for showing up and keeping YHC on his toes. Appreciate the solid takeout.
Loogie is coming back slowly but surely. YHC did inadvertently crack a smile in COP when I saw the broken-wing SSH, but the arm is getting up higher than the last time YHC saw you -#movinonup. Loogie was even spotted doing a few push-ups today – hope things continue to recover quickly, brother. Tagalong’s consistency is starting to pay off and he is moving closer to the front each time. He did admit to blatantly skipping accidentally missing reps in the starfish, but progress is progress. Nice work! Cheese Curd was kind enough to mention that this workout was way easier than he expected. Next time YHC Qs, if Cheese Curd is there, I would advise you to run the other way because I plan to make it up to him.
Between TR’s Q-jack attempts and forming the majority of the weinke on the fly, YHC was unable to catch much else today. Comment below and let me know what I missed. Best part of the day — almost everyone stayed for coffeeteria. Cheese Curd had to roll out but we picked up Mario for a solid 14 taking over Einstein. Great 2nd F and YHC had a great time Qing today. Thanks to everyone for coming out.
Announcements
Also
4-legged starfish do exist. Just because they are different doesn’t mean we should reject them. Just saying.
http://img12.deviantart.net/dc22/i/2006/152/4/9/teenage_mutant_ninja_starfish__by_aquafox.jpg
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Thang
Moleskin
No, The Thang is not lacking description because this is a day late and I forgot what we did. (I may be old, but I am not Commish old yet.) Instead, while every man worked hard and started Saturday with a good sweat, the workout was far from the highlight this morning and didn’t deserve much space. The real highlights (for YHC at least) were meeting our relatively new brother Escobar for the first time, welcoming Heisenberg back out into the gloom and seeing/hearing the progress he has made (see below), and spending time with all 4 of these men at coffeeteria — getting to know them each a little better before heading back into our days with our families. In case you didn’t know, Saturday morning workouts and coffee in SOB Land at either Stonehenge or da Vinci are pretty effing awesome. Hands down always one of the best parts of my week with F3.
A few notes on the workout:
Curb crawl was brutal around 8 or so. YHC made a comment that next time he would consider calling it to 7 instead of 10 but, in hindsight, it’s probably better to just get stronger so 10 sucks less. If you look it up in the Exicon, it actually says to go to 13 so maybe YHC’s arms are just more soccer-like than YHC thought. Had MT (or Pebbles before he became the running man) been there, they could have handed me a tissue while continuing with one-arm merkins. Would have been good to have One-Niner there as well. He could have kept count for us while wistfully stroking the argyle tape on his shoulder. But, YHC digresses.
Still getting used to this DST thing. Sun coming up before we were even out of COP was definitely odd. We learned today that running up behind men in CDD formation is definitely better left to the concealing darkness of the gloom. #CantUnseeThat. Also, Bucky’s head glows as much in the sunlight as it does in the moonlight.
Escobar and Heisenberg (I think) are the reason YHC opted for the hairburners. Who doesn’t want to be the guy to introduce someone to that lung-destroying grind of pain for the first time? YHC then proceeded to make it the most confusing configuration of hairburners ever, so there is plenty of room for improvement here. Keep those plates handy for next time one of these two show up at your Q and please show them how it’s actually supposed to work.
Notes on the PAX:
My man Soft Pretzel is as solid as they get. YHC has never heard him complain about anything. Always brings a great attitude, encouraging words and a work ethic that doesn’t quit. Chased him on every section of the beast and he never missed a cadence count even when we were all gassed. Great having you out, as always, brother.
Bucky came to work and that is exactly what he did. Crushed us all in the curb crawl and the man is a beast on step-ups (that is meant as a compliment, but Jane Fonda would also be proud). Bucky was the first to spot the plates just hanging out in the parking lot and asked if they were mine. It felt kind of like someone asking Frehley’s what happened to his towel when he hops out of the bushes. One of those questions you know the answer to, but REALLY wish you didn’t. Or maybe like asking Tolkien and Mario what actually happens at F3 Hot Tubs. A question you never want to know the answer to.
First time meeting Escobar. Somewhat new to F3, but dude has obviously been putting in work somewhere because he was right on our heels through everything. Great to meet you, pleasure working out with you, and look forward to seeing you out there again. Now just bite the bullet and get up on a weekday! Before you know it, sleeping until 5:30 or 6:00 on a Saturday will feel like you are being lazy.
Kotters to Heisenberg who hasn’t been out for 2-3 weeks due to work obligations. He was kind enough to mention that he dragged himself out of the fartsack when he heard YHC had the Q. I truly appreciate that, brother. More importantly, even with 3 weeks off, Heisenberg showed up looking trim and let us know that he has lost over 20 pounds since starting his F3 journey. Huge T-claps, brother — strong, strong work — keep it up. He also mentioned that the words of encouragement he has received via Twitter, etc (especially from our boy Triple-7) have been a huge source of motivation. Always a good reminder when you hear something like that. Reach out to your brothers when you think of it — you never know if you might be the little push they need to keep going or the ear they need at just the right time.
Thanks to Tuck and 777 for the invite to lead and for keeping this great workout rolling week in and week out.
Announcements
26 men of Centurion, The Brave and Fight Club converged at 5:15 this morning on Stonecrest to sharpen each other and to celebrate and honor our veterans.
While many of us have gone through our day today thanking those Veterans we know or see, YHC would ask that you take a moment to think about what we are thanking them for. While many have given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation, and for that there is never enough thanks, many more men and women make sacrifices each and every day in service to us and to our country. They sacrifice their time, deal with the stresses of moves and time away from family, live with the knowledge that they may one day be called upon to put their life on the line, and so much more. While we all certainly deal with sacrifice in our everyday lives, very few of us do it in service to others and that is why we say thank you today to all those who have served or are currently serving in any capacity in our armed services. Thank you for your service.
We spent a lot of time with the number 11 this morning. This number is inherent in the history of Veterans Day which was born out of Armistice Day, the day on which World War I was ended in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. However, YHC also recently learned that approximately 11% of the homeless in this country (~11,000 people) are veterans and in need of help. Beyond that, twice today we did 22 pushups. For those who do not know, in 2013 the VA released a study that showed, on average, 22 veterans are killed by suicide each and every day in our country. Organizations like 22Kill and Mission22 have since formed to raise awareness of this ongoing tragedy as well as to educate the public on mental health issues that are affecting so many of our veterans.
So, while today we humbly thank all of our veterans for their service, when tomorrow comes please continue to remember those who are in need. Recognize opportunities to help when you can — whether it is to reach out with a kind word to someone in need, to continue to bring awareness to the struggles our veterans face, to donate your time or your money to worthy causes, or even to simply hold a thought in your prayers for those who need help.
Thank you all for posting. I am sure I speak for Margo as well when I say it was an honor and a pleasure to lead you men this morning.
God Bless America
10 men gathered outside The Vine this morning to follow Soft Pretzel YHC into the gloom at Bagpipe and accomplished the following:
Thang
Moleskin
Have an M and 2 girls breathing down my neck to pack the car for our trip to Disney so this will have to be short and sweet (or short and sour if you ask Brat or Haze). Some were surprised to discover that YHC had the Q today as the schedule still showed Soft Pretzel on deck. He was kind enough to swap Qs with me a couple weeks back when YHC’s hip was acting up so hopefully no one was too disappointed.
Wanted to work the upper body today in the hopes of staving off soccer arms during my week away. We accomplished just that and the shoulders were near jello by the time we returned to COT (Curb crawls may be a new YHC favorite. Tolkien Beware). Heard some mumblechatter from those of you who were at Foxhole yesterday and were already treated to some shoulder/back work by Hairball. Cobains (not really).
Everyone came to work this morning and we managed to put in just under 2.5 miles along with all the upper body work. Frehley’s only threatened gave me angry looks two times in this workout which I think is a decrease from my last Bagpipe Q. #weinkefail. Yogi was out front crushing the 4-corners and made the burpees and merkins look easy. Bucky wasn’t far behind on any of the sets throughout the morning, pushing the pace. Strong work. Unfortunately, YHC was in a bit of a bubble this morning and didn’t hear much else other than my own heavy breathing. If I missed anything worth noting, please shout it out below.
Heard some groans when burpees were repeated on the second round. If anyone was surprised, you have not been to enough of YHC’s Qs (love for the burpee). Speaking of which, it was nice to see a number of faces that I don’t get to see regularly (Dumpster Fire, Morning After, Slum Lord, Pulp Fiction). YHC used to be more regular at Bagpipe before I got sucked into the Swift cult group. Will have to make more of an effort to make it back to Bagpipe as it is a great group and a great workout. Soft Pretzel and Outback have done an awesome job as Site Qs and they handed off the reigns this morning to new Site Qs Bucky and Morning After who I expect will continue to help Bagpipe thrive. Thanks for all the good work SP and Outback and thanks to the new Site Qs for stepping up!
It was an honor to lead this morning as always. Thanks for coming out.
Announcements (see newsletter or other BBs for links)
8 men rolled into Fat Camp today ready to work on their speed and strength. Each and every one of them left faster and stronger and this is how they did it.
Thang
Moleskin
Man, the weather is perfect. If you have been fartsacking lately, don’t miss the next few weeks as it is the best time of year to get up early and come workout with your brothers. The turf was a little wet and cold this morning so PAX were given a choice of soft but wet field or hard, dry pavement. All but one (Mario) voted pavement so suicides were in the lot.
Winged this one a bit but an hour is a nice, long time so we managed to hit just about every area of the body. Only true plan was to avoid any ballistic exercises, do some pull ups, and use the other stuff (sandbags, plates) that made it into the truck last night. Success. Mario mentioned early on that his quads were sore and YHC is sure this didn’t help one bit. Also success.
The 7s may sound easy, but they definitely were not. YHC was introduced to the merkin/mtn climber set at a Metro workout and it has quickly become a favorite. Luckily, no one noticed the plates sitting in the grass which made for a nice surprise and definite crowd pleaser when hairburners were announced.
FMB had to roll out a little early but was working hard enough that he put in an hour’s worth of effort in 50 minutes. YHC had the misfortune pleasure of facing him as he smoked the pull-ups while YHC slowly quivered through the last 1 or 2 of each set. Flint put in a strong effort after some time off for vacation. Although, he did skip modify most some of the bear crawl claiming a need for gloves. Have you seen Mario’s leprosy dry hands? If he can bear crawl, no one has any excuse.
General was a workhorse as always. Crushed us in all the running (including the sandbag run and burners) except for the backwards run. It’s been said before, but Fire Hazard’s reverse run is a work of art. Forward running is a complete and utter mess work in progress, but backwards the man is uncatchable (YHC tried, YHC failed).
Great meeting our relatively new brother Kirby today. Was worried he might cough up a lung at one point, but dude pushed through to the end. Even took the sandbag out on one last trip around the playground while everyone else was calling it a day. Strong! He also did not trip over any curbs today. #F3Works
Bounty Hunter is stepping right up and into his recently acquired Site Q duties. Tweeting out the night before, announcing upcoming VQs in COT, and even tweeting out the count after. YHC accidentally tweeted the count as well as this is the first time a Site Q has beat me to it. Solid work, Bounty. Fat Camp is lucky to have you.
Announcements
Ten men woke up in spite of the rain last night and came out in the mist to get stronger at the Foxhole. After a few KBs were handed out to those who were lacking, we walked to the next parking lot and formed a circle where we would spend the majority of our morning together. Here is what followed:
Thang
Moleskin
Announcements
The Thang
Moleskin
6 men showed up ready to work hard this morning in the gloom. It was almost 4, but the squeal of tires stopped us in our tracks as a final car flew into the lot. My guess is that General either stayed up late again last night watching the Olympics to get pumped for his upcoming triathlon or he got distracted admiring himself in the mirror this morning. Either way, Fallout was kind enough to sit in his driveway, hand placed firmly on the horn, until General stumbled out. They both hit the ground running and we were off.
Simple, but hopefully effective workout today that hit the legs for the most part (if you were flipping the tire right). It may have felt a little like bad deja vu (all the way down to the squishy field) to Fire Hazard and General who were both at YHC’s Black Diamond Q a few weeks ago, but who can resist the urge to flip those tires. Fire Hazard actually commented that at least we didn’t have sandbags to drag around this time unaware that YHC had arrived early and already placed said implements of torture in the field.
When explaining that we would be doing 180-degree jump squats during the 4 corners, there was a slight moment of panic among the PAX when they thought YHC was announcing actually doing 180 reps of jump squats. As fun as that sounds, YHC’s hamstrings are still smoked from Ringer’s BD Q earlier this week so that will have to wait. At one point when sprinting to the hill, Fire Hazard warned YHC to watch out for the dummy while looking up the hill at Ringer coming down. He later claimed he was referring to a tackling dummy in the general vicinity of where we were running, but I’ll leave that to FH and Ringer to figure out. Perhaps at Fight Club?
Great meeting Big Papi this morning. Relatively new to F3, he pushed hard this morning and was ready for more. Keep coming out and hope to bump into you again soon. Thanks to Ringer for the great takeout.
Announcements
The Thang
Moleskin
Big crowd out in the humid gloom this morning. Some (Mr. Bean) came hoping for miles and were left wanting more after we only covered 2.5. We kept the heart rate up with plenty of burpees instead. Goonie was quick to grab a little extra mileage as he sprinted to his car immediately following his turn in name-o-rama. Putting aside your terrible questionable choice of college to attend, I hope you made your tee time and definitely appreciate your coming out in spite of the tight schedule.
After finishing COP (and listening to Hops complain at length about #oldmanknees), the burpees were a fun way to start the morning. It’s worth noting here that the restaurant Smoke is no joke. YHC has not eaten there, but the delicious smells of smoking meat already emanating from the place before 5:30 made me think about coming back. Word has it that Loogie and Nard Dog were spotted after the workout tugging on the locked door and mumbling about brisket hash and pork belly bacon.
YHC received a number of thank yous from the PAX when the jump squat ladder was called. Nemo was out front pushing the pace and we had to rein him back a few times when he tried to keep going – nice work, young man!
The noise of the fountains (and the guy with the leaf blower) was rather deafening. It made the circuit work a bit more lonely/miserable but also drowned out the cries of the PAX for mercy. So, good and bad. Argonaut led the way with Outback, Squid, Hops and a few others close behind. Great work by all to push through (and not end up in the fountain), especially the FNGs. Bean is apparently over his recently acquired fear of wet grassy hills and killed the sprints. No injuries (that YHC is aware of) were reported. Others were killing it as well, but YHC had tunnel vision at that point so I’m not sure who they were.
A big welcome to our 4 FNGs. Great having you guys out. Come back.
T-claps to Argonuat for bringing out 2 more FNGs – dude is on a roll recently EHing left and right. If you haven’t EHed someone lately (or ever), give it a shot. Lots of guys out there who could use some F3 in their life. T-claps as well to Cheddar for the stellar marketing effort on Twitter yesterday. With a turnout of 23, I would say you succeeded. Thanks to you and Commish for a great site and for asking me to lead.
Announcements
At over 2 miles, you probably got a little more sprinting/moseying/stumbling than expected (#FalseAdvertising) but you did it and are better for it so you’re welcome. Would love to do more dedicated work with the ladders but tough without one per PAX. If you have one, pull it out and use it at home some time. Great for mobility and agility which we can always use more of.
Fire Marshall Bill did what most Fat Camp Site FNGs do and showed up at 530 instead of 515. Luckily, FMB saw our bells and hung around until we came back for them and then joined in on the fun. (Side note: this is yet another reason to come to Fat Camp – a whopping 60 minutes of strength work and speed work – no other workout like it).
Originally, the stations were going to be a starfish with burpees at the middle every time. PAX (Frehley’s) were confused concerned since it was not shaped like a starfish (#ToughCrowd) so I audibled to stations. Announced counter-clockwise rotation and then YHC proceeded to go clockwise with most of the PAX except for Pebbles, the only one who actually listened. (T-claps to Pebbles as well for showing up early to do a little EC running)
YHC received multiple stink-eyes and at least one outright grimace when hairburners were called. Everyone changed their mind by the end, however, and was overjoyed those plates made it to the parking lot this morning. The same goes for the pull-ups on the wall. For the record, we did not use the playground because the bars were nice and slick from the rain last night. Plus, the wall is good for your hands if man-hands is what you are going for.
The last round of the KB work was absolutely brutal. YHC had to move to a smaller bell for the last few cleans. Mighty Mite is ridiculously efficient with the bell and watching him clean is a work of art. The same cannot be said of his burpees. Mighty Mite also threatened mutiny, or worse, when he thought my call to head back (to the launch lot) might have been to head back down the ladder (8, 6, 4, 2). Pretty sure he spoke for everyone at that point.
Quiet this morning as we spent the majority of our time catching our breath or in the cave. In hindsight, YHC probably should have brought some tunes #YouLiveYouLearn. Cobains for some of the confusing instructions today. YHC tends to get less authoritative the smaller the group and the clarity suffers. Will work on that. As always, it was an honor to lead.
