At 0530 local time… 75 years ago yesterday that Allied forces began hitting the beaches of Normandy to regain a foothold and open a second front against the Nazis.
It was pretty surreal … as we moseyed to our places to think about the kind of day we were going to have versus the morning those Allied soldiers were facing so many years ago.
YHC informed the PAX that today would be a time of remembrance… in no way shape or form would we aspire to endure pain like they did. No cheap testament. We just wanted to spend some time trying to grasp the magnitude of what was sacrificed and accomplished on those foreign shores so many years ago.
After a standard warmup… SSH, Merkins OYO, LSS OYO we got to business.
Partner up.
First statistic to consider was the number 13,000. The rough estimate of the number of paratroopers employed.
In teams of 2, we would do toes to bar, with each rep counting for 10 men. The teams would give the PAX a breather off the bar allowing for continuous progress.
All told – the workout of 9 men completed 1,300 T2B.
Each time a team of 2 reached 100 reps total they would add it to the group total by shouting out “100”… then “200” for the next crew and so on reaching 1300.
Statistic #2: 11,590
The number of planes employed in action and support of the landing that day and the subsequent month.
In teams of 2 calling out each time they reached 100… the 9 PAX completed 1,159 Jump squats… progressively contributing their total to the whole. Each single JS represented 10 planes departing their base.
Statistic #3: 5,333
The number of ships deployed in direct action and in support of the Allied assault. Flutters to complete 533 (with every two legs counting as one rep). Teams of 2 adding their score together and contributing to the group total each time they accumulated 100.
Statistic #4: 13×24
13 countries engaged for 24 days to complete the beach landing and secure a foothold.
In teams of 2, the PAX performed Merkins… each partner halving the total… resulting in 6 sets of 12 apiece.
After a short mosey back to basecamp… we undertook the final and most grim statistic.
10,000.
The estimated number of Allied men lost on D-DAY.
With only 6 minutes to go we were able to complete 500 burpees as a group. each one representing 20 men who sacrificed their lives.
6.
Before prayer we read the names of the men awarded a Medal of Honor for their actions that day.
Walter Ehlers
Carlton Barrett
John Pinder
Jimmy Montieth
Teddy Roosevelt Jr.
Howard woodford
Closing thought:
“It has been said that the most important thing that every man should know…. is what he is willing to die for”
Today is as good a day as any to stop and consider whether or not the life we are leading is worth the sacrifice those men made 75 years ago.
Is there anything more exciting than a VQ?
As the clock ticks closer to 0530 all PAX wonder — can he count cadence? Will he run out of exercises? Will this be the first in an illustrious list of worksout led or will they “strike out” (if you know you know).
For Schmedium at DV on Wednesday the answers are as follows:
The thing:
Little warm w/some suspect cadence… all the usual suspects – Merkins, IW, SSH, LSSquat
mosey to the track – break into 2 groups for some indian runs
400 meters – Merkins
400 meters (increasing speed) – squats
400 meters (increasing speed) – lbc’s
400 meters (increasing speed)
Mosey back up to the bathroom …
2 groups:
1 with a lifting rock doing curls… 1 runs 400 meters does 20 step ups, 20 merkins, 20 dips 400 back
repeat x4
Finish.
Author’s notes:
From my vantage point I would give the workout a 7 on intensity, 8 on creativity, 9 on community, and 10 on efficiency.
Spackler, Stone Cold, Busch, and Header all in attendance meant we were only a Semi-gloss away from a royal flush — you really can’t beat that group.
The Eagles were in full force again – 8 strong. Carmel Corn posted well -no one is quite sure of his age but he runs with the young guns… Snookie was chipper as ever and Sparty balanced him well with a healthy degree of “I hate this” emanating from his person at all times.
Only 3 weeks left to see the Eags before they inevitably fly South for Winter. Don’t miss your chance!
DW
The Eagles invasion continued at DV for week 2 of a 6 part series.
After the normal SSH and IW the men go to the business…
Track Work:
50’s x 6 (merkins while you wait)
100’s x 6 (squats while you wait)
200’s x 6 (merkins while you wait)
Finished with some people’s chair and balls to the wall to smoke the legs!
Moleskine:
The Eagles are in part 2 of a 6 week staff challenge was has included bringing all the guys on staff out to a workout!
Anyone wanting to welcome these guys in the next 6 weeks are welcome. Jockstrap on Q next week!
Dollywood (on behalf of SwT)
After my usual complaining we started off with the usual warm up, laps around the light pole with some SSH and IW mixed in.
With that we were off to Davie park… one caveat:
Each minute a burpee is done.
1 min: 1 burpee
2 min: 2 burpee
3 min: 3 burpee
So the running was constantly interrupted by an increasing number of burpees leaving less and less time before the next whole minute rolled around!
Then to the playground for a little pull-up/burpee action. 5 sets… on each minute do 5 burpees/5 pullups -> up to 5 minutes
After that, we grabbed a lifting rock did 5 thrusters and ran one lap around the short track (about 100m) and rested. EMOM and repeat for 5.
Run back to the AO same thing… burpees on the minute.
Little bit of Mary, and time!
Notes:
17 degrees is about my limit. maybe I am soft but holy smokes my face was frozen!
Big thanks to Skywalker for the May convergence and talk. He shared about suffering in silence and I know that it touched many that attended.
This month we are converging on Sept. 20.
Location: Anvil AO – @Calvary Church
Date: Sept. 20
Time: 530 workout – 630-7am talk (Starbucks Coffee provided)
Q: Header
Speaker: Bliss Steele
If you have never heard Bliss speak, it is an incredible experience. Do not miss it! We have been averaging 30-40 guys a month – be on the lookout for guys to EH, this is a great event for FNGs.
Looking forward to seeing you guys there!
YHC is a young F3’er (just celebrated my 2nd anniversary with the Nation). I have heard once or twice the words Meat & Potatoes… frankly, it was usually accompanied by more PAX showing up… in a little preblast tweet I threw it out there. Full disclosure – no idea what it actually means.
Anyway here is what we did:
4 sets of 5 steps lay in the middle of the AO. This winding staircase was at the center of all things DV today.
Little warmup – blah blah.
Find a partner.
Partner 1: goes up the stairs runs 30 yards returns down the handicap path. Repeats.
Partner 2: Other partner runs to the baseball field does called exercise returns.
Partners switch.
4 rounds: 2 sets of 25 each of Supine pullups. Dips. Burpees.
Next, 5 rounds up the stairs:
Last,
Everyone- up the stairs around the track back down the handicap path x2.
All in all, a little over 3 miles. Does that count as Meat and Potatoes . . . I dont know. But what I do know:
The next speaker in our convergence series is (SkyWalker) Jim Fagan!
August 23:
Workout kicks off – 5:30 am
Workout ends – 6:15 am
Coffee/Talk – 6:30-6:50am
Coffee will be served under the pavilion at Calvary by the soccer fields. Meet for the workout by the glass entrance doors.
Dollywood will be on Q!