My M and I spoke about George Floyd last night, she couldn’t finish watching the clip, I teared up. Its wrong, we need to say it out loud and call it what it is. We need to be real about the white privilege we have, not that we can stop it but we can use it to help others given the opportunity. That is all it should be used for. We are strong men, we claim to be leaders, good leaders stand against evil. Do what ever you can to stand against it. I am not exactly sure what that means but when the time comes and you have an opportunity to stand for what is right or voice you opinion against what is wrong, DO IT!
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke (in a letter addressed to Thomas Mercer).
4 PAX showed at the re-opening of The Arsenal. It’s been a pretty wet and rainy week, so YHC planned a Wienke that would avoid the grass and mud and what I’m sure was a swamp of a practice field. The disclaimer was delivered, this time I remembered the new bits too and we were off at 0530 on the dot.
WARMUP
From launch, take a lap around ILES stopping in the bus parking lot for a warmup.
THE THING
COT / ANNOUNCEMENTS
MOLESKIN
So I looked at my calendar this week just in time to see I was the pilot for Chiseled. Awesome! Went to work on the ‘ol weinke and nothing… You’ve been there right? Weinke block? I guess there are many blocks but stay with me here… I was struggling to come up with some great material to please the masses for a Wednesday morning beat down and it just wasn’t coming together. Maybe it was still trying to work around what’s left of our quarantine guidelines because I do genuinely enjoy a smaller group. Anyway, I reached out to my fellow Chiseled board members late night and received nothing but humorous .gifs in return making fun of my lack of preparation. So here’s where we ended up —> Grab the old cardboard signs from your VQ and use those with coupons and / or rocks at different locations on site. Rinse and repeat with a run in between and voila!
THE THANG
Cardboard placed at each spot on site and waiting for launch. In my head I’m leading 10 – 15 and here we are at 20 bodies. Not going to work with my weinke so made the executive decision with Fuse box to take half the group. I’m not even sure what he did but his group clocked in more mileage than mine so we’ll assume it was good. Mosey started with our coupons heading towards the Five Stones entrance but dropped them off half way to do some Toy Soldiers ( thanks Tool Time for the reminder and you already know the names of the exercises better than most ). Moseyed to pick back up coupons and on to far back parking lot to pick a spot and complete warm up: SSH x 10 IC Imp Wlk x 10 IC Merkins x 15 Super long awkward calf stretch x ea leg – include Damascus one liners and signature groaning noises First cardboard round of pain: All with coupon Coupon swing x 20 Man makers x 10 LBCs x 20 Thrusters x 10 In between each exercise hold coupon over head and execute a walking lunge to other side of lot Hot lap around Mt. Chiseled after completing last exercise Rinse and repeat for 3 rounds – We changed the lunge in between each exercise to bear crawls and maybe something else but I can’t remember Moseyed with coupon to location 2 – Mt. Chiseled parking lot Squats w coupon x 20 Traveling merkin on coupon x 20 Jumping lunge no coupon x 20 M. Tysons no coupon x 20 Maybe this is where we did the bear crawls but we also ran backward across the lot and crab walked back in between each exercise. It was all very sucky… Bear crawl up steep side of Mt. Chiseled and mosey down the other side then bear crawl back up and mosey down after last exercise. Rinse and repeat for 3 rounds. Had about 90 seconds to mosey back to COT with coupons in hand.
MOLESKIN
I hate not being prepared but we got ‘er done and it seemed like most everyone was sucking wind so I’m going with a WIN on this one. Sometimes thinking on the fly and just going with it is better than being over prepared. We were able to make quick decisions based on the size of the group with this AO and it worked. Glad to see so many familiar faces and pax I haven’t been able to interact with in real life for so long. Catfish was so excited I was on Q this morning he called me at 5:25 wondering where everyone was at so I reminder him of our current “summer” schedule. Tool Time is still a “new guy” but I see him post everywhere, keeps up with Wolverine and Gerber during Waxhaw Express runs and leads the pack carrying a coupon while reminding me of the next exercise during my own Q… Oh, and he’s already on the Chiseled calendar for his VQ. Glad to have you on board and excited to see what you’ll do next! Shout out to all the other “newer” pax that are becoming regulars. I haven’t had a chance to speak with several yet but look forward to it now that we’re up and running again. As usual the morning was mostly a blur but I remember there wasn’t a whole lot of chatter going on and a lot of hard work. Our groups mileage was overall pretty low (under 2mi) but we made up for it wrestling those coupons the entire time. I had the privilege to take us out and Gerber screwed up the family photo but it’s the thought that counts.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy F3 1yr anniversary to Speed bump! Being Gerber’s 2.0 has it’s advantages. I wish he would have put an odometer on him to see how far the kid has run / biked the past year. I guess we can check Gerber’s Strava account because I’m sure it’s pretty close… We’re about half way on our 100 pax challenge to get to $10k and support our local organizations. Looking forward to see how this continues to develope and grow. Don’t forget to reach out to employers to see if they’ll match a donation etc. Q source this Friday 7am at Cuthbertson Middle – bring a chair and coffee cup Remember, there’s a reason when you think about someone suddenly or that one thing is on your heart. Act on it, reach out, do something.
27 Pax paid their respects on Memorial Day.
Warmup mosey to the standard Popeye warmup. 10x Merkins, mountain climbers, imperial swawkers, etc, broken up by 10x SSH each time (God bless the SSH).
Start the workout, incoming rules apply (yell incoming, everyone does a burpee)
Move to the hill. Bear crawl up the entire hill. Medal of Honor reading, RIP Mike Murphy.
Mosey to the bollards. LAC (legs, abs, chest) on stoplights, 10 reps each, to the soccer fields.
Low crawl (low, not bear, face dwn, everyone is wet) for 50 yds. Medal of Honor reading, RIP Desmond Doss.
Mosey with intermittent Mary to the high school football field.
Mogadishu Mile run back to the parking lot. Medal of Honor reading, RIP Gary Gordon and Randy Shurgart.
Gold star reading, RIP Ronnie Winchester, USNA football #73, class of 2001, Marine Lieutenant.
73 burpees, 10x each time broken up by variable Mary each time, in honor of my classmate Ronnie.
Bottom line, four veterans laid to rest, four primary exercises to honor them with random pain in between. Thanks for letting me honor four heroes, one of them a friend.
Chainsaw, Frack (fellow OG), Rockwell, Buckshot, Boytano, Rudy, Blades of Glory, Fuze Box, Flash, Goodfella, Pickett Fence, Bo Knows (FNG, 2.0), Back of da (sp?,) Swimmers, Ice 9 (fellow OG), Posse (a.k.a Sargeant Hulka, The Big Toe), Premature, Bottlecap, Heisman (Beat Army, dude!), Wack, Shop Dog (fellow OG), Oh-69, Ricky Bobby, J-wow, Chicken Little, Popeye
YHC pulled into the parking lot with a few minutes to spare At 0530 the 12 Pax was properly disclaimed, and we were off.
The Thang:
We took a nicely paced jog over to the parking lot with all the islands and construction equipment.
COP:
Hot Box Set
We jogged over to the hot box and partnered upPartner up, Partner 1 performs called exercise while Partner 2 runs and touches the church and back, then flapjack.
Rock Work
We then moseyed over to the rock pile, making sure we don’t leave our rocks on the ground in the way of passing cars, of which there were a couple at that hour. Choosing a lifting rock for the follwoing.
Repeato, except I called an #Omaha and we didn’t run to the rock but to the light post instead.
We headed back to the launch point stopping for an AYG run before working on our abs/”stomache”
Mary:
Done.
Moleskin:
Announcements:
After a very successful Memorial Day convergence yesterday, Easy Button put the S.O.S. out to the Pax for a last-minute Substi-Q for Watchtower. Quickly realizing Easy Button just stepped into the co-Site Q role of Watchtower, it was an easy decision to step up to help a brother out.
A wise F3 OG once told me “you owe it to your brothers to take the time to prepare a solid workout” and don’t just wing it, unless you have to. Today would be no different, as the plan happened quickly yesterday while going about the day. Speed + Strength + Core is always the foundation for a solid Q. Mix in some coupons, Merkins, Burpees, a Starfish and magic happens!
We had a total of 11 men show up today, with 7 posting for the full bootcamp + 4 in the M.A.S.H. Unit. A little planning between YHC and Centerfold would have the M.A.S.H.’ers join the 7 of us for two specific rounds of work.
The Thang:
Today’s running warmup took about 15 minutes as we ran around the school, stopping at (6) locations, adding an additional exercise to the previous. It looked like this:
Done! Time to mosey to the Flag Pole circle at the front of the school where our 4 M.A.S.H. Unit brothers joined us for a nice Merkin Ladder (starting at 10, decreasing until 1…55 Merkins in all). Done!
Leave the Mashers, mosey to the back field/track making a pit stop at the wall for (40) Air Press in a Squat + (20) Donkey Kicks OYO.
Continue to the Track/Field for the Starfish/4 Corners segment consisting of:
Mosey to the parking lot to retrieve our own individual, Corona-Free Cinder Blocks for the next segment, along with our M.A.S.H. brothers.
*Note…when we arrived at the lot, YHC noticed a certain Pax seemingly/disturbingly “going to town” on the side of Brutus’s car. After a second glance, it appeared this Pax was doing some sort of wheelbarrow action with a rubber band…
Now back to the workout…Grab your Coupon for:
Moleskin:
A nice, quick, 3-laps around the school pre-run with Dasher on a humid day really got the blood pumping today. That man is Fast! Great work today by Mad Dog on his 49th Bday (but he didn’t tell anyone to avoid having to do 49 Burpees!). Fuse Box is noticeably faster than he once was. Easy Button killed it as usual. Popeye pushed himself hard after a solid and memorable Q on Memorial Day. I was also happy to see our (and YHC’s) 1st F FNG, Picket Fence, post again today after a good beating at the Memorial Day convergence. Keep showing up, brother. It never gets easier…you just get stronger!
Our M.A.S.H. brothers weren’t just going through the motions (except for the “motions” we saw beside the car!), but were working hard despite their injuries. It is so encouraging to see guys adapting to the situation, not making excuses, and getting in a good workout. Well done, Centerfold, Brutus, Chastain, and Mayhem!
As we all know, the design of F3 is “small workout groups for men”, with 10-15 Pax being the optimal group size. Today, we had 11 total, and it was perfect. One thing we have seen through the SIPO is the value and blessing of a small workout group. Guys have challenged each other more, commiserated more, educated more, shared more, supported more, planned more, achieved more, respected more, enjoyed more…and Led More! ALL BY DESIGN!
We are planning more AO expansions in Waxhaw soon to thin the crowds at our workouts, and have identified several locations that may work well. This will ensure we don’t creep back up to the 30-40 Pax per workout we saw prior to the last expansion/splits. If we see the numbers increase again, we will add more AO’s and workouts and give more Pax a chance to lead as Site Q’s. Our goal is to see the next group of leaders step into the role God designed them for, and we will be right there by their side when their time comes. ALL BY DESIGN!
Announcements:
YHC took us out in prayer. #CradleToGrave. As always, it’s a blessing to be able to lead my brothers today, and the strong friendships and bonds we have formed can not be taken for granted. I find great strength and courage every day in this group and it means so much to me and my family. I know you have my back, and I have yours. Looking forward to seeing you boys in the Gloom again this week!
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Goodfella
4 men and 3 2.0’s split the Q at the latest installment of Garage Band.
Pyramid
Here are the exercises that each PAX chose as we built the pyramid:
Moleskine
Appreciated the group participation. Is a Tuck Pyramid an easy button for the QIC? Yes. Is it a fun and solid workout? Also yes. It also tends to be a well balanced one because of the variety of exercises selected by the PAX. The best thing about this format is that whenever you use it you are guaranteed a unique workout, never to be repeated again. We got in ~2.5 miles which is pretty good for a 45 minute bootcamp. T-claps to the 2.0’s (Odd Boy Out, Johnny 5 and T1000) for doing a great job picking their exercises. Especially T1000 w/ the burpees. Pretty ballsy!
We will continue Garage Band as long as there is demand for it. Who knows- maybe it’ll become a permanent addition to the schedule. YHC loves the 0630 start time which allows for a pre-run w/out waking up super early. And being virtual, you save driving time on both ends. For you runners it’s a great opportunity to get some running and cross training in on the same day, while still getting a decent amount of sleep. For the non-runners you get even more sleep. Everyone wins.
Announcements
Keep checking Slack and the SCLT F3 site to keep track of all the virtual and in-person workout options in SOB Land. Some start times are being modified as we transition back to the gloom. The Maul is in-person tomorrow @ 0600.
Waxhaw Express is your weekly dose of a speed workout. It’s an hour and it’s also a great way to teach your body to run faster and get uncomfortable and progress.
DiCCS (Disclaimer, Cell phone, CPR, Safety) and 10-10
Warm Up:
The Thang:
Mosey back to AO
Done! Another 6+ miles in the books.
Thanks for taking us out Nails.
MOLESKIN:
A little light on the train today. Apparently Deadwood has a new puppy that keeps him up at night, Dasher and Bottlecap took another form or transportation, and Hollywood was MIA. However, we did have one pax hear the call and didn’t want to lift anything after yesterday wanted to work on getting faster. Welcome Recalc, first time caller.
Those that came saw Tool Time crush it, Glidah break through some mental barriers, Nails continue to get faster, and Recalc getting uncomfortable and faster. Well done everyone.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
HawksNest at Dunkin
COP
Side straddle hop x20
Arm circle
Low Slow Squat
Merkin
IW
The Thang
Mosey to Wesley Church
Get a lifting rock
Count off 1s & 2s
Group 1 curl and press in sets x10
Group 2 run to back of lot and return
Flapjack until total of 160
Mosey to front lawn
Jack Webb w / rocks to 5&20
Mosey to OP
Line up
Squat/curtsy lunge sets x10
Hollow Holds
Bear Crawl/Jogs
Animal crawl 4 forwards/backwards 30sec
CDD
Mosey to Dunkin
Mary
Rosalita
Plank
Freddie Mercury
Back Scratchers/OYO Burpees (1,2,3,5… yes, skipped #4 to end at 6:15)
COT
Counted off 17
Namorama: Hopper, Sir Topham, Circuit City, Deep Dish, Marge, O’Tannenbaum, Orange Whip, Bounce, Puddin’ Pop, Snuka, Hops, Jet Fuel, Limey, Snowflake, Flojo, Thunder Road, Cottonmouth
Moleskine
Nice showing of 17 on a humid but dry morning. Welcome, Sir Topham, for joining us this morning. Great to see new faces in the gloom. After a brief warm-up we got down to business with a quick mosey to Wesley Church. YHC was easily persuaded to drop the rock count of 200 down to 160. The Jack Webb on the front lawn was ‘fun’ only to be followed moments later with a mosey to OP to smoke the legs with a squat/curtsy lunge set followed by bear crawls, a few other things, then a mosey back to Dunkin finishing off with Mary. Total 3 miles.
Thank you Hops and Hopper for the opportunity to lead! Looking forward to soon returning to Latin campus.
Hydra opens at Olde Providence MS this Thursday at 6 AM!
A Ten-some took to the back nine at the Bushwood long course and crushed it!
Warmorama
SSH X 18 IC
IW X 18 IC
Plank for 30 count
Merkin X 9 IC
Calf Stretch
Runners STRETCH
Up/Down Dog
THANG
Start each hole with 1 burpee X hole No.
Long Mosey back to clubhouse.
Not much to say here other than to apologize for getting us back to COT a few minutes late due to some unforeseen flooding of the Marvin Creek walking trails. Everyone worked hard, got a full body bashing and some cardio in today at the finest CC this side of 12 Mile Creek.
Announcements
100 PAX challenge is still going. Donate if you can.
Dromedary, CTT and Chiseled are on the menu for tomorrow. Pick your pleasure.
Shop Dog leading Q-Source immediately after Swarm/Impromptu on Friday from 7:00 – 7:30.
YHC took us out