PREBLAST: Olympus to Converge at The Rock for The Murph
We announced this the last 3 Saturdays in a row but in case you didn’t her or see the Tweet…The meatheads of Olympus are set to converge with The Rock on Saturday Jan. 11th @07:00.
Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike – What day is it?
Q: Who’s happier than a camel on Wednesday?
A: 17 PAX doing Monkey Humpers on the nicest morning of the week. Pickle was especially happy. He forgot his gloves and chose other alternatives to keep his, umm… hands warm.
COP:
Run around school Fire Lane, pull a wet rock out of the drainage ditch and head to the parking lot.
Seal Jacks x 21
IW x 21
Squats x 20
Merkins x 15 hold ’em for:
Mountain Climbers x 15 hold ’em for:
(YHC note: this was about the time when TR and Bulldog finally stopped the mumble chatter. They’re like a couple of old ladies playing bridge)
Plank Jacks x 15
The Thang:
Run the perimeter loop of Covenant. Stopping at each left hand turn for the following:
Jump Squats x20, Monkey Humpers x30, Calf Raises x40 — 6 total stops
Return to your rock and plank-o-rama until the PAX returns
Overhead presses with rock x 50 OYO – run to bus and back
Front raises with rock x 50 OYO – run to bus and back
Grab a partner and wheelbarrow to top of hill, 10 decline merkins for the wheelbarrow, run back down and flapjack.
CDD x 50 OYO – run to bus and back
Flutter with rock press x 15
Dolly with rock press x 15
LBC x 25
Return rocks and head to cars.
Circle up and grunt out some Jack Webb until the time was up. I think we hit 7 Merkins.
Moleskin:
As a courteous gesture to the Kevlar PAX I tried to save the chest and back for tomorrow’s Murph. So legs and shoulders were on the docket today. After the first super set I considered audibling out of the plan for 180 total Monkey Humpers. It sucked. But the PAX can Hump. We powered through it and TR showed a few cars on Covenant Church Ln his best side.
Sometimes when I am working on EHing a guy, I hear myself talk; and my description of what we do sounds absolutely insane. I realized this morning that this might be true when I headed out at 5am with the thermometer @ 39 degrees and steady rain coming down AND I was giddy about how much better the weather had gotten.
I enjoyed the privilege of Q’ing this group. My first time at Kevlar. Bulldog said to draw up something hard and then add more. I hope it delivered.
Thanks to Salt Lick for the send off.
Announcements:
- Some rumors about a movie tonight? I don’t know if anyone has heard about it. Sounds like its full. Bring cash, show up early. If you haven’t responded positively, you probably won’t get into see Lone Survivor but, I hear they a running Steel Magnolia’s in the next theater. A good tear jerker for those PAX too slow to HC.
-Alf
Wield the Plow, Bear the Sword
8 men gathered in the Panera at Carmel/51 for #F3TheStand to discuss Chapter 2 of The Masculine Mandate. Simply, men are called to be men. So…what does that mean? What is the Bible’s mandate for masculine behavior?
The Thang
Man’s Assignment
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to keep it.” – Genesis 2:15
At its core, this verse represents our calling as men…to devote ourselves to working/building and keeping/protecting everything placed into our charge…to enhance, through cultivation and protection, what we’ve been given in order to further glorify the Creator.
Work – Wield the Plow
Adam was called to till and cultivate the garden so that it would grow and bear an abundance of fruit. Our discussion here centered on the fact we are called to work whatever field God have given us…to wield the plow by investing our time, our energies, our ideas and our passions in brining good things into being. As men we should be devoting ourselves to cultivating something worthwhile for the glory of God and the well-being of our fellow men. Here we focused on who are we working for…”Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24
Do what we do sincerely and heartily to please and glorify the Lord. This moved our discussion into the parable of three servants: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A14-30&version=NLT
We focused on and discussed 4 main points as they related to our mandate.
- Verse 15 – “in proportion to their abilities”…if God has called us, we can accomplish it.
- Verse 21 – the reward for responsible stewardship is greater responsibilities.
- Verses 21 & 23 – the commendation for the servant with 2 talents was the same as for the one with 5 talents…the basis for reward is not how much we have but how faithfully we serve…what we do with who/what has been placed in our charge.
- Verse 26 – “wicked and lazy”…what was given was not enhanced through work and cultivation.
Keep – Bear the Sword
Adam was also placed in the garden to keep it…to guard and protect it. We are to watch over and keep safe all that the Lord has put under our care. We discussed here that men should stand up and be counted when there is danger:
- In our families to make sure they feel secure and at ease
- In our churches to stand for truth and godliness
- In our society to guard against evil and defend our nation
We must bear the sword to preserve the fruits of wielding the plow.
Moleskin
Some quotes from the book that resonated with us this morning:
- “A man’s fingers should be accustomed to working the soil of the human heart – the hearts of those he serves and loves – that he might accomplish some of the most valuable and important work of this life.”
- “God does not desire for men to stand by idly and allow harm, or permit wickedness to exert itself.”
- “Truly great men are servants who give themselves to a worthy cause and leaders who stand for what is right.”
Wonderful discussion this morning men. Champagne and YHC are honored to facilitate as He leads.
Who Thought Up This Workout??
In the balmy, yet wet gloom, 9 of our finest posted.
The Thang
Mosey to track
400 warmup
COP with SSH, IW, Low Slow Squats, & Hand Release Merkins
Mosey to base of Grandma Mtn and partner up
Ladder with pullups at top & burpees at the bottom w/partner-assisted pull-ups PRN
Commencement with 10 pullups at top, 1 burpee at bottom and going up/down ladder until we finished with 10 burps. (Whose idea WAS this anyway?!)
Back to field for 5MOM to goal line for some field work
Karaoke Right & Left 100 yds.
High Knees 50 yds, backward run 50
Lungewalk 50 and something else. YHC can’t remember.
Mosey back to Grandma Mtn
Bearcrawl up her and run down
Back to field for a protracted session of The Protractor led by Stage Coach.
Up/Down the bleacher stairs then run back to parking lot for COT.
Moleskin:
When YHC awoke this morning, he was pleasantly surprised to note that it was 41 degrees outside – almost spring-like weather. And then YHC heard the rain…..rats. Had YHC not HC’d to Q this morning, he might have returned to the fartsack. Knowing that he had to head straight to a breakfast meeting after the beatdown, the thought of sitting for an hour in cold, wet gear was not too appealing. Oh well. The things we do for F3.
So, as we partnered up for the Ladder set during the workout, YHC thought we had an even number of pax there. Knowing that, YHC and Joker partnered up. #OldTimers. Then we hear that there’s an odd man out. WHERE DID HE COME FROM?? So, in the spirit of #IAmThird, YHC offered to be odd man out – letting Joker and our “mystery man” partner up – (I couldn’t tell who he was in the gloom). Then during the explanation of the exercise and as we were getting ready to begin, Joker kept asking, “So, Skywalker, are we still partners?” “No Joker, for the fifth time, you’re partnering up with “mystery man.”
After getting Joker squared away, we began the Ladder. About halfway through the set, several of the pax were cursing YHC about its difficulty. In full disclosure to the pax, YHC was cursing himself. “What was I thinking?! You were on the IR for a month, and you come up with this exercise?!” But also in full disclosure, YHC did steal the exercise from the esteemed Stone Cold. Sam Walton, the founder of WalMart, wrote in his autobiography that none of the ideas that he successfully implemented in his stores were original, he simply stole them from his competitors. #SmartMan.
Thanks for the opportunity to lead this morning.
Announcements
F3/Lone Survivor tonight. Should be some great 2nd F
Watch out for card sharks
The virtual flag was planted and 14 men, glad for the heat wave, showed up for some end of week fun.
The Thang
COP right in the parking area
- SSH X25
- Merkins X20
- Diamonds X10
- IW X15
Circuit work – Three rounds with brick work at one end of football field and jump rope at other end – groups of three trading places with runs between stations and handing off the “baton” that looked like either a jump rope or a brick.
- Round 1 – Alternate curls and shoulder presses
- Round 2 – Man maker merkins
- Round 3 – Squats with bricks out front
Jog to top of aquatic center for some draw poker (the PAX can thank Gunny). Draw a card – Yellow = Bear crawl times number on card with one wild card, Blue = Turkish get-ups times number on the card, Red = burpees X 5, and Green = Partner merkin ladder X number on the card.
- Hops draw – Jackpot right off the get go – Yellow reverse – 10 down hill bear crawls
- Purple haze – Red 4 – 8 turkish get-ups (4 each arm)
- Hops draw – You guessed it – Yellow 4 – 4 up hill bear crawls
- Runstopper draw – Red 4 – Partner merkin ladder to 4
- Q draw – Blue 4 – 4 burpees
- Q draw – Yellow 3 – 3 up hill bear crawls (third one backward thanks to PH audible)
- Q draw – Red 8 – Partner merkin ladder to 8
Job back to parking lot for COT
Naked Moleskin
The pax can thank Gunny for the card game. It was much worse on Monday at DMZ when we did it for about 40 of the 45 minutes. Not sure whose idea it was to use bricks and jump ropes.
Great to have Runstopper back after long hiatus. When is your next Q at Centurion? Also, can’t wait to see you and 2.0 at AG.
Purple haze can’t help himself. Always has to call an audible to make the pax work harder. Last week at fast twitch and now this week at Centurion.
Hops showed how lucky he can be by pulling the very worst card from the deck on the first pull (#onpurposemaybe?). 10 downhill bear crawls to start was aweful and only thing worse would have been to do them last. However, PAX should watch the dealer next time and make sure there is no slight of hand going on.
Announcements:
Corn Hole tournament at Udder’s church to raise funds for a mission trip. Check out the web site for details but I think he said January 18 from noon to 5.
Hops mentiond several Third F opportunities. Check the web site and weekly email for locations and times.
COTS going strong one weekend per month to help those less fortunate. Check out web site if interested in getting involved. F3 Nation is about generating ideas at the site level and using the power of F3 to make an impact by pulling together men of common purpose.
Lone Survivor showing tonight. Check out web site for time and location. You may be able to get a ticket if not signed up but not guarantees.
As always, it was an honor to lead this group of strong men this morning. I am truly blessed.
Wait, these things have straps?
Warmup:
SSH x 20
IW x 20
Windmill x 20
Merkins x 33 (SHCOTM Merkins)
The Thang:
Ruck press x 10
Ruck rows (rutrows) x 12
Ruck squats x 15
REPEATO?
No straps on your rucks, single file line and lets move out around the track. Alternate 100m rucks up and 100m rucks down.
REPEATO. THE WHOLE THING? YES, THE WHOLE THING. Until time is up.
Moleskine:
Not the craziest workout, nor the most demanding physically, however the monotony of the same thing over and over combined with all the overhead ruck work is enough to drag you down. You had to dig deep mentally today.
Lots of 2nd F this morning as well and as always it is an honor to lead the faithful of SPEARHEAD, albeit a little intimidating. Some of these guys are beasts—you know who you are.
There’s nothing like a chilly early morning rain to make your workout make you feel alive. Hope you men enjoyed it.
Leatherwood Mountain Ultra Run
Trying this again folks….
A perfect event for F3. Enjoy the beauty of the mountains while you push yourself to the limit! The title “Ultra Run” may put you off but take it from me if you can run a half-marathon then you can definitely do this. There are 10 mile, 50k, and 50 mile options. All are on trails, all will be testing. This event most likely involves an overnight trip to the location (not far from Blowing Rock) so it will be a great opportunity for some 2nd F.
No way I can run 31 miles…!
Try it. You’ll be shocked. A trail run is very different from a road race because the course is unique and you are not racing against the clock in the same way that you do in a marathon or half. Typical finish times for the 50k last year were 7-9 hours. No way to cheat on this one. Just do it!
Event Details The Leatherwood Mountains Ultra Run will be held on the grounds of Leatherwood Mountains Resort and Stables. Unlike most events that are held on public lands, this event will be primarily on private land. Don’t miss it….You WON’T be disappointed!!! What makes this event so unique is the availability of luxury mountain cabins to rent at Leatherwood. Get a group of runners, friends, or family together and make a memorable weekend vacation. Who wouldn’t want great mountain views and a hot tub at your convenience?!?!
It is recommended to stay at Leatherwood the night before and possibly the night after the event. There are numerous cabins for rent. Make it a family event and bring your M and 2.0s. They will have a great time in the expansive grounds while you are killing yourself out on the trail.
Course Race course will take place over varied terrain in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Much of the race will be on single track trail, but will have a mix of asphalt, gravel, and jeep trail roads. If you have experience running in the Blue Ridge Mountains you’ll know that the trail could change from one day to the next. One day could be dry, the next could be muddy.
50 Mile – Course will consist of 4 loops. There will be 3 unique loops, with one loop of 10 miles being repeated. Gain and loss will be about 11,000ft. Start time: 7am
50 Kilometer : Course will consist of 2 unique loops, which will also be run by the 50 milers. With around 7,000 to 8,000ft gain.
10 Mile – Runners will pass through Rawhide Aid Station twice. Race Start: 9am
Hard Commit
Register and pay here: http://lwmtnultrarun.com/ then post your hard commit in the comments below. Cabins for rent are here: http://www.leatherwoodmountains.com/cabins.htm. Please note if you are interested in sharing a cabin with others.
Training
Once we have a few sign ups Haggis will coordinate trail running practice sessions. Any questions please either post below or email Haggis at George@stonemanrocks.com.
Does the clay tell the potter what to do?
5 pax posted for another Thursday gathering of The Yardstick. Agony had posted at Bastion prior, but the rest had not hit a 1st F workout prior to the 3rd F workout.
The Thang:
Great discussion and insight from all the pax — focused principally on how we so often try to limit God’s intentions and his ways to what we can conceive or imagine. We try to shrink him down to our size. Pretty prideful to assume our finite, limited minds can fully discern His plan for this world. (Isaiah 55: 8-9)
If we can allow ourselves to be humbled (which He will do to us whether we want to be humbled or not), then maybe, just maybe, we’ll be willing to admit that His plan is actually better than ours.
Other questions to ponder included:
* Is there really one way to God? John 14:6
* Is there really one name by which we must be saved? Acts 4:12
* Is there really a Book of Life? If so, how do we get our names in its pages?
As always, it’s a highlight of YHC’s week to be a part of this 3rd F group. Special welcome to Tank who joined The YardStick pax for the first time. Come back brother. All are welcome. The invitation is for all.
Announcements:
Next week: How would you want your obituary to read? What do you want people to say of you when you die?
“…putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now….”
8 of the pax gathered in a corner near the WF Atrium; and the brown baggers of the Lions Den, after a pre-game Namearama, dug into Matthew 3:13-17.
The Thang:
FNG to Lions Den –> Rev. Flo-rida prayed the pax in
Great discussion and questions such as:
*How humbled must John have been to baptize Jesus? He wasn’t just baptizing a cousin; he was baptizing the one about whom he had been testifying…the Messiah.
*Was it necessary for Jesus to be baptized? If so, why?
*How important is it for us to have the approval of our father? And what about our 2.0’s – how often do we let them know how pleased we are with them?
A privilege for YHC to spend a lunch hour with like-minded men searching for the truth to matters of infinite consequence. Not a bad way to spend an hour. Great to have Rev. Flo-rida and Boba Fett join the Lions Den pax for the first time. Hope to see you guys again soon. Aye!
Announcements:
Ribeye on Q at The Lions Den next week. Text:John 1:29-42
Picking Up The Pace at SPEARHEAD
10 SPEARHEADs came out in the cold this morning to continue work on rucking speed and pace.
The Thang:
- 0345 – Extra credit ruck launch – 3 Miles
- 0445 – Launch from back parking lot
- 10 Men, 40lb Sandbag, Full Water Can
- We followed the same route from last week.
- Our goal this week was to end with 6 miles, but the addition of a new coupon (water jug) seemed to put a slight damper on the pace.
- 5.9 miles was our final distance with an average pace of 15:20/mi
Moleskin:
- Strong work out there today. At times we were moving very quick, and it was tough to keep it up with the coupons in tow.
- We have started to see some new faces around SPEARHEAD over the last couple weeks as training ramps up for the Custom Challenge, Custom Heavy, and other non-F3 challenges that the PAX are participating in. It’s been great to get to know some new PAX and welcome them in to the fun and fellowship that comes along with distance rucking.
- Dallas sent Gulfstream down from the North to get some intel on the confederate squad. We enjoyed having him, but we had to keep our civil war secrets to ourselves for the duration of the ruck.
- I know some of you would rather be carrying 150 pounds each of trees and whatnot instead of focusing on speed. Hoff will be sure to quench that thirst for you very soon….
- At one point today, Hoff picked up a dead Christmas tree from the side of the road and carried it a few blocks. Mighty Mite carried a log he found in someone’s trash for about two miles. These guys were just looking for ways to make their morning more painful. Strong work, guys!
- Thanks for letting me lead two weeks in a row, I enjoyed it and I hope that you got something good out of it.
Announcements:
SPEARHEAD Civil War workout is coming up in February. The North SPEARHEAD will face off against the South SPEARHEAD. Contact your team’s general if you want to participate. The Hoff is leading the South, Dallas is leading the North.
DREDD is coming down to Q SPEARHEAD South on 1/17, I hope we will see everyone out for this special guest Q!