WARNING: Long backblast but hopefully worth the read and colorful commentary will ensue.
Mermaid, our current Area 51 Nantan, hatched this idea for a 5-year celebration of F3 in Area 51. After date and AO selected (of course Anvil/The Rock AO was the obvious choice), Mermaid tapped 5 old farts of Area 51 to Q this convergence, including the 2 former regional Nantans – Joker & Tiger Rag.
After the pax rolled into 3 or 4 different lots at the AO and delivered KB’s to Stone Cold, food to Mermaid for Calvary pantry, etc., we all converged in the middle lot for a Runstopper Q’d COP.
Hopefully, the 106 men who posted got their morning’s worth of pain from Runstopper’s COP and the 4 stations. YHC heard mumblechatter in COP about too many burpees and who calls 20 merkins in COP? The usual suspects did not disappoint – Gummy, Semi-Gloss, Swiper, Spackler, Udder, and others for sure.
The Thang & Ye Olde Moleskine:
COP:
Merkins, MCs, Burpees, LBCs
Quickly split the pax into 4 groups and give instructions as to stations and rotations. Most of the pax were listening, with the exception of the aforementioned knuckleheads – Semi-Gloss, Spackler & Swiper. More than one Q remarked that those 3 seemingly arrived about 5 minutes late to the 10-11 minute rotations, if at all; but were generally roaming around at their leisure. Don’t remember seeing Spackler or Semi-Gloss at my station? Heard Swiper for sure.
Saw a lot of familiar faces in the gloom, and a lot of unfamiliar faces, too — both great things!
** Joker’s station:
The workout consisted of the following
· 200 meter warm up lap
· Find a partner
· Partner 1 – full speed 200 meter lap, while Partner 2 does merkins
· Partner 2 – full speed 200 meter lap, while Partner 1 does merkins [total merkins varied by group… 100 – 200]
· Partner 1 – full speed 200 meter lap, while Partner 2 does squats
· Partner 2 – full speed 200 meter lap, while Partner 1 does squats [total squats varied by group…. 150 – 200]
· Each group did a medley of planks and/or LBCs
Joker: “By the time guys got to my station [after having done kettlebells and/or hairburners] they were wiped out pretty good”
“There were three guys at the workout today that were also at the first Area51 workout on September 10, 2011…. Joker, Slapshot and Ocho Cinco” T-claps for the 3 original Area 51 pax!!!
YHC’s 10 cents: Grateful to Joker for the courage to start this thing in Area 51. I feel confident YHC can speak for hundreds & hundreds of men in saying “Thank You” for your willingness to lead and start something which has positively impacted us in many ways, some of which many don’t even realize fully.
Hops’ station:
Pax did a bunch of different plank and mary exercises, including (I think) but not limited to the following:
CCVs….of course! Funniest comment of the morning was when Rev asked Grapevine if he did CCV’s at Curves
Makthar N’diaye’s, Very Slow Flutters, Knee-Ups, American Hammers, Elbow Plank w/Leg Lefts, Dolly, LBCs, etc, etc
Prairie Fire Mary – in the 3rd group, Fire Hazard helped YHC demonstrate and by then the abs, hip flexors, etc. were shredded. Fire Hazard pert near severed some stuff in YHC’s gronoidal region #withauthority
Old school sit-ups with partner 2 in plank on partner 1’s feet. Flapjack
When YHC noticed Nibbler among the pax, I remarked I hadn’t heard any audible “encouragement” from him; the other Q’s did hear Nibb’s customary commentary I’m sure!
Tiger Rag’s station:
· 3 man – 1/4 mile hairburner loop. Partner 1 push, Partner 2 and 3 5 burpees each and CMIYC. Rotate until complete.
· ¼ mile mosey
· 3 man inchworms. Partner 1, Inchworms x 5, P2 & 3 5 squats. Rotate until each Pax does 5 rounds (or until time).
TR’s Observations: “None. No one had fun. No one talked. Everyone left abruptly.”
YHC’s observation: Very thankful for all of the time, energy and thought TR has put into making F3 Area 51 what it is today — which is a much healthier, stronger & well-organized entity than it was 5 years ago and well-positioned for the next 5. Aye!
Stone Cold’s Station:
Great backblast Hops. That workout hurt. No surprise for A51, especially with our founding fathers on Q. 3 years and 5 months ago I posted my first F3 workout in A51. Centurion. Byron’s 40th. Dora on Q. It was very difficult and I didn’t know for sure if I would come back out. I kept hearing things like: Keep posting. It won’t get any easier, but you’ll get better. #truthnugget T-claps to our Q’s today, who were instrumental in building A51 from one workout on 09/10/2011 to what we have now. T-claps to the Functional Q’s, Site-Q’s, PAX and Board members. This thing does not work if we do not lead. All of us. Thankful to be surrounded by men who are willing. Let’s continue to give it away. Throw some headlocks on and keep finding those men who need F3. We all did.
“Men are not good at forming what I call community. But I firmly believe we are all hard-wired for it.” Well said, Hops. More importantly, well done.
Excellent AO, Excellent Qs, and a solid group of guys all-around. Across a continuum of fitness conditions, I saw guys pushing hard to change their personal status quo, with the PAX encouraging them to do so without regard for anything other than the KB, plate, reps, or distance in front of them. Aye.
Happy 5th, Area51.
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