Surfing Instructor: Aloha, man. My name’s Koonu.
Peter Bretter: I know, we met duing the [The Wiggler]!
Surfing Instructor: Oh right, you’re that guy who works for Kaiser Permanente!
Peter Bretter: No, I’m Peter! We had a really nice talk [while running The Wiggler]!
Surfing Instructor: Oh.
[pause]
Surfing Instructor: Coooool.
Meet new people! Run the Wiggler! 5:30 am Tuesday – corner of Foxcroft and Rothwood – Hawaiian pace…
** Forgetting Sarah Marshall
#F3Swift will launch at 0515 at the Vine Restaurant from the Ballantyne AO on Tuesday morning. This week, we’ll be adding some Threshold intervals back into the mix.
Here’s the Plan:
16 men … gloom .. red pill…you get the picture. Face it. Either you’re reading this and you already know what went down because you were there or you posted somewhere else (hope you at least broke a sweat). The rest of you, well, you should’ve posted this morning. Good luck doing this one OYO while dragging your #sadclown self through the muck (unless you’re “working out” next to a #fern, in which case you’re probably reading this while you’re “working out” which definitely means you aren’t really “working out” now, are you?). Enough of that. 16 men with attitude pushed off into the gloom:
Moleskine:
Announcements:
365 days ago (yesterday) I finally posted at F3. Byron, Big League Chew and Schedule C had finally talked me into posting at Ascent.
As I sit here now, sure I’ve lost a lot of weight, but I’ve gained so much more! No, not weight. I haven’t gained it all back. Duh!
But what I’ve gained is thousands of brothers! Course I haven’t met you all (yet), but when I do run into a F3 brother, there’s an automatic bond that can’t be explained. We talk about silly exercise names, and silly F3 names, but we also share our heart and how F3 has changed our lives.
When Dredd and OBT founded F3 in 2011, I’m sure they had no idea how this little idea would explode in growth. A free workout group? For MEN?! Inconceivable! But yet, it did grow and grow and it is still growing!
Somewhere along the way the past few months I realized that the time had come to shift my own personal focus, to take #IAmThird to the heart. To stop focusing on my own pain and perceived weakness, and focus on helping my brothers: if they are new, or just slow like me. I am now proudly a sweeper for the #six, whether I’m asked to or not. Even if I get fast one day, I’m always gonna stay in the back. All you speed demons are missing out on the fellowship back in the back of the Pax. I love it!
Saturday I lead a one hour beatdown I’m rather proud of bringing together, and I sit amazed (and sore) at what has happened in just one year. ONE YEAR, 365 days, 52 weeks of getting up early, 52 weeks of pushing through pain, 52 weeks of overcoming fears, 52 weeks of pushing my brothers and helping them carry the burden of life and watching them do the same for me when I lost mom, when the diet got tough, when life in general happened.
I know it’s not really about thanking each man, every brother in F3 is just as important as the next. Even if I get aggravated with you speed demons. But I’m chasing you now, and you better watch your six.
I will forget many brothers, so I’m not going to attempt to remember you all, but I’ll mention the one I’ve had a few interactions with on Facebook and respect a whole bunch and that’s Dredd. Looking forward to meeting you in person brother, maybe at the mud run. Locking shields, mean mean stride, all that stuff, it’s real, and you and OBT have changed my life by changing your own and letting the change grow out from your own lives. Thanks. Aye!
Counting to ten is hard. Remembering what we are counting is harder.
14 men
resisted the fartsack to experience YHC virgin Q. Here’s what went down:
The
thang
Disclaimer
Off to lower parking lot for some COP in cadence:
25
ssh
20 IW
20 Merkins
20 low slow squats
Mosey to the hill. Each exercise
builds on one another:
1. 10 SSH, then run to to of hill and back
2. 10 ssh,
10 Merkins, then take the hill
.
.
7. 10 ssh, 10 Merkins, 10 squat, 10 LBC,
10 CDD, 10 lunge walks, 10 superman or greatest American hero, take the
hill
Mosey toward soccer field stopping at wall
1 min Peoples chair, with
right leg up and 10 arm pressed in cadence, then left leg and 10
presses
Balls to wall and 10 single Merkins
Mosey to soccer field and
partner up.
Partner Wheelbarrow across field then flapjack back
Bear crawl
across field, stopping every 10 for 5 Merkins
Crab walk back
Mosey to
parking lot and circle up for Mary
Flutter, mason twist, heels to heaven,
LBC, boat/canoe
Namerama, cot
Moleskin
I guess I was a little nervous
since I got to the AO at 4:30. At 5 Cotton Tail showed up for some KB, And was
all alone for a few until BLC showed up to keep him company. Eventually
everyone rolled in and after a brief disclaimer we we off. I had the core of the
workout in my mind but not sure how much we could get in in the time we had. The
hill work was a lot of counting and apparently with the lack of oxygen, I can
only keep track of about 3 exercises. Thanks to Alf for being the Q Whisperer
and keeping me on track. Thanks also to Bull Dog for the add of the Merkins
during the Bear Crawl. I think he said something about reverse Merkins during
the crab walk, but I heard nothing!
A real honor to lead and thanks to all
for the support.
Flutie Flakes
Despite the unseasonably cold temperature this morning, 12 men decided to show up and test their mettle (or is it “metal”) at another installment of Olympus.
The Thang:
Take the KBs to the big parking lot. Drop them and run to the school sidewalk and back.
Disclaimer: I’m not a professional, interrupt if you have questions, modify as needed.
Warm up over. Partner up by KB size for CMIYC. P1 takes both bells and runs for the light at 51. P2 does 10 merkins and chases. Flapjack until you make the light. Brief plank for the six.
Drop the KBs at the light and run to Carmel Baptist. Run down to the field and grab some wall for Peoples’ Chair while waiting for the six. Once we’re all there, do 10 climb ups on the wall. A few weeks ago we came down here with Alf and did some tire work. It seemed like fun, so we did it again. Partners take turns flipping tires and carrying tires until everyone’s had a chance for both. 10 more climb ups and then mosey back to the bells.
CMIYC to the second school entrance and back into the bus lot. P1 farmer carries two bells while P2 does 10 merkins and chases.
Circle up at the lot for a quick set of individual KB exercises:
Take KBs to the track near the playground for more partner work. P1 does 10 (or max) pullups while P2 does called KB exercise. P1 is the timer. Once complete, flapjack.
Haul KBs back over to the cars for Mary:
COT – thanks, Chanel, for the strong closing prayer, especially when he called us “sisters”
Moleskine:
YHC hadn’t been to Olympus in a few weeks and it was great to see some new faces (at least new to YHC). Gullah and Ickey Shuffle are doing a great job promoting the site. 12 PAX on a cold morning is impressive. YHC isn’t the most creative Q, so I borrowed heavily from some beatdowns YHC had attended recently. Everyone was pushing hard out there and YHC was honored to lead the PAX on a beautiful, chilly morning. I’m sure I missed some mumblechatter, so feel free to chime in below.
– If possible, please consider making a donation to Zip-a-Dee. See A51 weekly email for details.
– Mud run – 3/31 is the last day for signups and a few teams are still looking for free agents. Also, be sure to pay your bus and sundries ASAP to reserve a spot.
18 strong men posted at Stonehenge on this fine cold spring morning. The varsity Qs – Madame Tussaud and Outback were called up late the night before to share the honor of leading the PAX.
Madame Tussaud started the proceedings with a mosey on over to the Premier parking deck where the disclaimer was given, which was followed by:
Hand over Q to Outback with a mosey down to the ground level of the parking deck, which was followed by:
A lot of hard work was put in on the deck today with minimal resting periods, which may have accounted for the mumble chatter being light. After being out for three weeks I noticed big gains in the PAX in terms of both level of fitness and weight loss. Not sure what you all were doing while I was out but it certainly worked.
8 PAX made the correct choice this fine Saturday morning to and posted to Day Zero for their #DownPAINment.
The Thang:
Geraldo Q
Take a lap around the AO track.
COP
Side Straddle Hop x 25
IW x 25
Merkins x 10
Squats x 25
10 Spartan Burpees OYO
Partner Suicides
Partner up Partner 1 runs to the goal and back while Partner 2 does called exercise, then flapjack
Track Work
Sprint sound the track in opposite directions of your partner and perform called exercise.
Peoples Chair (AKA “The Semi Gloss”)
Move over to the school wall for 2 rounds of the People’s Chair with air presses x 50.
Purple Haze Q
Partner Work
Mosey to the Yellow Rose parking lot and stay with your partner. Partner A runs up the steps and around while Partner B runs up to the entrance and back then perform the called exercises.
Triple Nickel
Mosey to Bevington for the Triple Nickel. Merkins at the top, Jump Squats at the bottom.
Head back to the school, then lunge walk up to the school entrance.
Mary
Moleskin:
Announcements:
The Glass Joe one year anniversary Q. Well, I hadn’t planned on it coming in but my voice was a little, well, squeaky today which made me sound like Mike Tyson whose Punch Out video game I was named for due to the closeness of my hospital name to his. So, that gave the PAX something to harass me with during COP but I got them back later. Let’s go.
Pre-Work:
Great job by Shepherd and Turnpike for joining EE and I for the full 5 mile pre-run. Getting stronger guys!
The Thang:
Mosey to the flag
COP:
SSH x 20
IW x 15
3 second hold merkins x 12 (had planned on more but started laughing)
Mosey to Tri-Level ramp.
Low, Slow Squats x 10 while we wait for the crowd to gather.
Something new I’m calling Rail Hold Tunnel of Bear Crawls. Sort of like a modified Native American run except the crowd is doing rail holds forming a tunnel for the one on the end to bear crawl under and then do a rail hold himself and we kept the line moving until we had gone up all three levels. Well, since we bear crawled up and your shoulders already hurt, let’s Rail Hold Tunnel of Crab Walk back down. The chatter indicated it was a #crowdpleaser
Mosey to the back road finishing with a sprint to the stop sign.
You knew it was coming, backwards run up to the road that leads to the fields.
Stop to do Army situps x 15
Mosey to the fields.
Devin Hesters x 4
Going long-ways across the field (guessing 150 yards), buttkickers and then karaoke left and right.
Partner wheelbarrow with flapjack as needed back across the field long ways. #revenge
Mosey to the stadium
Stairway to Heaven with P1 stair running x 2 while P2 does the called exercise. Flapjack.
Exercises were:
Burpees
Dips
LBCs
Mosey to the track for the Road to Nowhere
1/2 track run and then a cadenced exercise. Here were the exercises:
SSH x 20
Dolly x 34 (random number of no significance)
LBCs x 10
10 burpees OYO.
This meant 2 laps around or 1/2 mile run.
Mosey to obstacle course and the PAX went through the entire course once
Mosey to the bottom of the hill for a jail break back to the flag.
DONE!
COT
Moleskine:
I hope I met all your expectations for my one-year anniversary Q. It had the amount of running that you would expect from a Glass Joe Q but I hope the Rail Hold Tunnel of Bear Crawls/Crab Walks and Flapjack Partner Wheelbarrows across a field that was way too long threw some surprises in for you. Great to have such a large crowd today at Outland. Welcome to FNG Fish Head (Billy C.) and site FNG Sweat Shop. Hope to see you guys back out. And it was good to see Espresso return. Wise choice on switching the coffee for water this week.
Personal Note:
This Q did mean a lot to me. I started F3 in March 2014 after being EH’d by The Late Show. But, there is something bigger at play. Some of you know this but all of you need to know why this matters. My Mom passed away in November 2012 from a 9 month battle with cancer. In October 2012, she had to go into the hospital for a few days due to complications and in her hospital room, we had about 5 minutes together where we were alone. As you can imagine, we shared stuff with each other that I hold with me to this day and haven’t even shared with my M. But, there is one part I want to share with you guys. She made me literally promise to take care of my wife and my girls. Made me say it out loud. A few weeks after she passed away, I went for my first annual physical since literally middle school and because of my weight (nearly 240 pounds), my Dr. listened to my heart. I was 34. 34! Let that sink in. And I had just made a promise a month before to my Mom who had passed away. Things had to change. Even with that, I was stubborn for a while and thought I could just play basketball once a week and be okay. Then the group I was playing with stopped meeting so I took up running in May 2013 for the first time in my life with the Couch to 5K program. And I lost weight and thought I was meeting the promise. Then I started to slack up in early 2014 as #solo has no accountability. My demon of laziness had not been killed, just suppressed. So, all that to say, F3’s not just a workout to me. It’s something deeper. It’s a promise kept and you guys are my accountability to keep the promise I made. I am thankful for each of you always pushing me for more. You honor not just me but my Mom as well. I can never repay you for this impact each of you has made in my life.