HEADLINE: 6 PAX skipped out of work cleared their schedules on a Friday
WHERE: Dogwood Park in Wesley Chapel (side note: A great AO for those who haven’t visited)
WHEN: 12:30-1:00PM (yes . . . PM stands for Post Morning)
WHY: Waxhaw’s first afternoon workout in order to not let lazy PAX have an excuse to fartsack all day get more FNGs and Kotters into the mix
HOW: Since it’s only 30 minutes, we got right into it with a quick trail mosey to other side of pond
COT: May is Mental Health Awareness month
Let’s PLANT, GROW, and SERVE . . . there are LOTS of men in our path that need Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith. Be bold and courageous to tap guys on the shoulder who need it.
17 PAX including a FNG gathered in a well-lit parking lot of Five Stones Church for the latest edition of Diesel. Chastain, Mayhem, and Spitz helped me drag a bunch of gear up to the launch site (most of which we never used) and after staring at the pile of gear for a few minutes, I finally figured out what to do. After a proper disclaimer we were off for:
COT: SSHx10 , 5 merkins OYO, LSS x 10, 5 merkins OYO
THE THANG:
Round 1: 11s. Grab a cinder block and line up at the curb facing the parking lot for curls and shoulder press. Perform 1 curl with the cinder block by the curb, then walk to the white line about 25 yards into the parting lot with the cinder block and perform 10 shoulder presses. Return and do 2 curls and walk across parking lot and do 9 shoulder presses and so on. Plank waiting on the 6 and a few random Mary to end the round.
Round 2: 21s (curls): Grab coupons (bricks or dumbbells) for arm work. 7 reps half way up, 7 reps the other half up, and 7 full curls. This did not work. Bricks/dumbbells were to light for the Diesel faithful. Walk over the the rock pile near the gravel lot, find a lifting rock, and circle up. Tricep extension 15x at cadence count. Shoulder press 15x at cadence count. Curls 15x at cadence count. Then finish off with a 15x Triple Lindy (curl, press, tricep extension is 1 rep).
Round 3: Time to work on the legs. Return to launch site and using the cinder block for split leg squats 15x in cadence count each leg. Then 15 x squats (with or without cinder block or weights), and 15x Bobby Hurleys (without weights). Rinse and repeat 3 times.
Finish up with random PAX calling Mary. Chastain (American Hammer), Chicken Little (flutter), Jingles (protractor), Penalty Box (Rosalita). Mayhem (Os), and Bratwurst (J-Lo)
MOLESKIN:
Happy Birthday Mayhem, welcome to the 50 club!
This morning culminated a weeks worth of Qs. After WTF (or any race) I take a recovery week, i.e. no running. I feared the fartsack. The only way to prevent sleeping in was to step up and Q. On Monday-MASH, Tuesday-Morning Woods, Wednesday-site Q duties at Prickle and Goo, Thursday-The Floater, and today Diesel.
This was the first time in my 6 year F3 journey that I Q’d a gear workout. It was only my 2nd time attending one. The 11s with the cinder block is something I stole from Lobsta Roll/Alf who made me do something similar at The Matrix. But they made me run across a soccer field and do different exercises with the cinder block. I commandeered the split-leg squat idea from Champagne. One Friday morning at Centurion we devoted almost the entire workout to legs using a set of benches at Charlotte Catholic. Using a rock to do arm exercises is a common as it gets in F3.
I provide this information to encourage those who are nervous about leading a workout to step up and serve. None of what I did today or this week as a Q was new or unique. I have no idea if it was effective. Some of it was probably an epic fail. But all that is asked of me is to step up and serve.
So here is the challenge: If you have not Q’d or have not Q’d in a while, step up and serve. Reach out to a site Q and offer to take a day. Don’t wait for them to ask you.
If you are not sure how to Q, ping me on Slack or GroupMe and I will talk/walk you through your weinke. That is not a new idea either, ask Outback, who took pity on a guy who was new to F3 and taught him the finer points of a parking deck Q.
Waxhaw is a great region (I have now been a part of 3 F3 Regions) and it is growing fast. That means new sites will have to be created from crowded ones or started in new places. As a result, we will need more Qs and more leaders. We cannot rely on the same guys. But that is what F3 is about. We don’t sit on the sideline and consume, we step up and serve.
When will you?
Six Pax joined me for Swarm this morning and a few would have been happy just running around for an hour but we needed a little more. Sidebar, don’t get complacent posting at sites that you know you can handle… Step out of your comfort zone and work harder, grow, get healthier, etc… I’m talking to guys that have been posting for over a year and have not tried any “hard” sites. New guys look away! lol
DiCCS given, let’s mosey!
From COT we ran around the front of the middle and high school back around to the shed (.90 in case you’re wondering), no idea who has the poop title at this point.
Warmup:
10 SSH IC
Calf Stretch
Runners lunge
10 Plank Jacks IC
10 Merkins Civial Count
The Thang:
Doc Web: 1 Carolina Dry Dock/4 Bear Crawls 2/8, 3/12…10/40
I honestly forgot how brutal this is, I didn’t think I would make it until I looked over and Schnitzel was crushing it… Lets Mosey! We ran back past COT as a Pax was getting out of his car (5:31) and I yelled at him to come on. Unbeknownst to the Pax he just joined Swarm and not Impromptu…HAHA BUT…Foundation being the kind-hearted Pax that he is directed the latecomer to the appropriate group. I almost had him!! We moseyed all the way back to the front of the high school.
No clue what to call this… Merkin/Hammer Web. 1 Merkin/4 American Hammers.
I didn’t look around too much during this but I’m sure the form police alarms may have sounded. I was however staring Smithers in the eye on each round of the merkins, he (we) killed it. Nice work! Let’s mosey! It was during this exercise that the Impromptu boys ran up on us and Transporter thought it would be cool to run right through our group as we lay defenseless on the ground. Transporter..What in the H**% are you doing at Impromptu? Are you getting soft? SMH…
We moseyed back around to the shed for one more web…
Lt. Dan 1 squat/4 back lunges
Again, I forgot how awful this was as well. We did a few of the later rounds with Monkey Humpers which seemed to help ease the burn, but the last set with them was absolutely miserable! Let’s mosey, well we walked to the first light pole to gain the feeling back in our legs…
Back around through COT, hold at the stop sign.
200/400 repeats. I really like these. I stressed to the pax that the goal is to hold the same pace on each run, they crushed it! I think we ran about 4-200’s and 4-400’s. Blue Screen aired it all out on the final 200, the RR is pretty quick! Deflated with his bionic knee is back like never before…the dude is fast!!!
We held up in the curve near the senior lot and then moseyed back around towards the stadium and passed by the Impromptu pax once again as they were dropping off rocks. We continued down the sidewalk towards the shed and I see Transporter gaining on us. I told Suger Daddy that we couldn’t let him pass us so we picked up the pace. Schnitzel (this guy is a machine) was already pushing the pace and ahead of us as we run up the Yellow Brick Rd. We caught Schinzel and then Transporter passed us in almost a dead sprint, meanwhile, I’m dry heaving… Re-read the second sentence of this BB. We arrived at COT ahead of Impromptu with about 30 secs to spare. 4.5 miles recorded!
The Moleskine:
While I give Transporter a hard time in this BB I know he can hang with the best of us and best most of us. The second sentence was for the guys that don’t leave it all in the gloom. Yes, pax come to F3 for different reasons, its free, you can choose to participate in 2nd and 3rd F but this is the FIRST F..not the 2nd or 3rd. Work hard, make gains, and encourage. I promise you other Pax will respect you more if you try harder. If you don’t care about getting in better shape then why do you wake up at 4:30-4:45 to post with a bunch of sweaty dudes? You can talk and share recipes at the 2nd F.
When Turnbuckle started with F3 a few years ago the man could barely walk and now he’s down..what 80-90LBS? Similar stories with Zinfandel, Transporter, myself, Smithers, Foundation, and many others. They work hard, they wanted to change physically. If you change physically, you will change mentally hopefully for the better and the M will definitely like it! I’m not saying push so hard you dry heave like myself or Ice 9 but try hard(er).
I can honestly say that the Swarm crew left it all in the gloom today, they pushed hard and definitely got better because of it. Thanks for following me today, well done!
See Impromptu BB for announcements
We started out the morning with 5 PAX ready for the 5:32 time. Posse used every bit of the extra 2 minutes to roll in. I took a little abuse
for using my phone for the wienke after being strong armed by one star a few days earlier to Q on Friday, only to have him not show up. I can’t imagine One Star not being at a Last Call :).
Warm-up
The Thang
The Moleskin
Great job today gentlemen. Posse made sure to “try” to give me a hard time here and there, but being Italian and from NJ you tend to have a teflon “John” affect, so you are not bothered. Hot Yoga has some back issues, as the rock he grabbed may have been from a bit smaller than his usual size. Das Boot stayed steady as usual doing well. Noonan should be awarded for the number of solo Last Call.
Have a great day
Announcements
Blood drive 6/19
With 30 seconds to the start of dinner. We started preparing dinner. With the Pax and the 2.0 saying feed me. We feed them a 5 course meal of 10,560 feet of running, and 415 of reps.
Warm Up
The Thang
A Mosey to the basketball quarts for some relay fun. Partner up in sets of three. We worked on our foot work. Up and down the quart in sets of threes. Forward running, backward running, and skipping
Now a quick mosey to the shed for a ladder combination of Squats, Air Lifts, and Pushups, to climb the ladder. Each exercise had to be done in 5-10-15-20. It sure made the PAX learn how to count… “On my Down, On my Up”
Now a mosey to the rock pile to work on our arms.
Mosey to the high school bench for some dips
Now that our arms, legs are feeling it, it was time to mosey to some shade, for some of Scuba’s yoga stretching. On the ground for some superman workouts, pushups, and arms motion stretches. It brought a new meaning to counting.
Then a quick mosey to the front of the high school to run 3 laps around the circle while your partner was doing.
We ran back to the middle school for some stretching, and step ups, then a quick mosey back to the start.
The Moleskine
Dinner was served.
Announcements
Military appreciation, Blood Drive, Friday afternoon workout at Dog Wood
10 HIM showed up outside the Regal Cinema, ready to put in their work for the morning. With all the construction going on around Stonecrest these days, I thought I’d keep it simple and lead a workout that highlighted the areas of Stonecrest that still need work, the parking lot. Lights went out at 5:30 sharp. Perfect disclaimer provided (FNG was in the numbers) and off we went.
The Thang
Quick lap around the Regal Cinema (Out to Elm Ln. and around the theater) to get the legs loosened up.
Warm-Up back in front of Regal.
Fully loosened up and stretched we headed over to the entrance to the long main straight that runs in front of the shopping center.
Parking Lot Tour
Mosey to the back of Target
AYG down the straight in front of Regal to push out the last drop of effort.
Mary until time is called
Called time and COT.
Moleskin
Announcements
12 came out to Pursuit to see if a Clydesdale would spill Merlot at his own Q. Sorry to disappoint. The goal today was to do the exact opposite of the handful of Pursuit Q’s I’ve been to (sorry for those that Q’ed those workouts). In the past there is a route, and they go running that route until its time to come back to COT. The gazelles take off and the six is often left behind to fend for themselves unless a random gazelle or site Q is gracious enough to turn back for them. Today I wanted to keep the pax tight and together. More sprints and less long distance. Ok, enough talk, lets go.
WARM UP
YoYo mosey past the bridge to the first street on the right. When you get there turn back around to the six and go back to the road. Repeat until the 6 arrives. Quick Jimmy Dugan and then yoyo mosey to the end of the road towards the school. Another quick mosey and we are all at the front of the Elementary school.
THE THANG
4 corner runs. 50% for one straight away, 80% for another, all you got on the third, and a recover walk or jog for the last one. We did 4 rounds (quarters). I asked the pax if they needed overtime. Apparently Smithers did so we did a 5th. Double OT? The pax apparently are catching on as no one asked for more.
Mosey back to the school entrance road and regroup there. There is a fairly steep hill leading from there up to the main road. OYO 3 Hill sprints. All you got to the top with a recover mosey (or walk) back to the bottom.
The long distance runners were getting antsy. I could fill a mutiny in the air. I better let these skinny F$(&$’s stretch their legs out. Long (for me) Mosey back to Millbridge pool. There was some confusion about finding Brat who slipped/stumbled into a port a poty but I reassured the group that he knew where we were going. Found Brat before we arrived to the pool and continued our mosey to the large boulders flanking the nesbit trail.
80% mosey up the hill to the round a bout. Go back for the 6 (catching a theme?).
Quick calf stretch. Somewhat of a race to the next round about and back to the current round about. I say somewhat of a race as once the leader reached the end, turned around, and met back up with pax, those pax would turn back. So in theory only 1 guy make sit to the round about. Confusing? Yeah, but the pax made it work.
Regroup at the first round about and decided to repeat that with one exception, sprint up three trees and recovery walk/jog one tree. Collected everyone at the second round about and then had another race back to the first…all you got without having to stop to walk.
Regrouped again before a final yoyo run down to the boulders and back for the 6.
Short mosey towards the pool stopping at the circular road across the street. Sprint the straight away on the main road and recovery jog the circle. 4 minutes left, see if you can get in three sprints. I think a handful of pax were able to get the third in although a couple that I thought could make 3 peeled off early.
Back at COT right at 6:15.
MOLESKIN
15 PAX gathered in the gloom for a post Cinco De Mayo celebration in downtown Waxhaw. After a proper disclaimer we moseyed to the original launch point of the Floater for:
COP: SSH x 10, 5 merkins OYO, LSS x 10, 5 merkins OYO, 15 LBCs
THE THANG: Mosey to the Waxhaw bridge for a round of 7s. Start on one side of the bridge do 1 rep of the called exercise, run over the bridge and perform 6 reps of the called exercise, then 2x and 5x, etc. Called exercise: squats.
The original plan called for another round of 7s but an attempted Q jack by Chastain and Zinfandel required an audible. Partner up, with one partner running over the bridge, one running in the opposite direction, around the train tracks, when the partners met up, 10 burpees. Continue running in the same direction, meet up again and to do 10 burpees. We did this for 3 rounds.
Then mosey to the front of Blue Door Deli for a Merkin Train. Lining up the PAX facing the elevated sidewalk, do a merkin then shift your hands to the left and do another merkin and continue in that pattern until we reached the end of the sidewalk.
Then mosey back to the water tower for 3 rounds of The Beast. Pick 3 spots in the gravel parking lot and at each spot perform 6 reps of the called exercise going and returning (6-6-6). This Beast was abs only: toe tap crunch, flutter, and heels to heaven.
Remain in the gravel parking lot for field of plank. Take a few steps and perform the called plank until we make it to the end of the lot. Regular, right arm high, left arm high, elbow, 6-inches, and Makhtar N’Diaye.
Mosey back to launch for circle of Mary.
MOLESKIN
This was my recovery week after running WTF, I couldn’t think of a better way to recover than to Q a boot camp. I was fortunate that Easy Button could provide an opportunity to lead and help me avoid a fartsack. The weather was perfect and there are alot of gravel parking lots in downtown Waxhaw to enjoy. Good to see Beetle and Loafer stepping up to Q in the future and thank you Baio for taking us out.
As always, I am always grateful and shocked to be allowed to lead a great group of men. SYITG
10 pax circled up at Calvary at 0700 this morning for some kettlebells and some tunes. After a brief disclaimer, we got down to business.
Warm-up:
Main Thang:
Mary:
Announcements:
Moleskine:
Super bad storms were blowing up the area all day so no-one really knew if this workout was gonna run today. YHC showed up and stopped the rain. Don’t worry, we found all the puddles and mud. I wasn’t going to let the rain go to waste.
#DICCS
#Warm Up
#The Thang
Mosey to the top of the hill for:
Mosey to the parking for:
#Mary
Audible to stretching for the last minute or so.
#Moleskin
Always an honor to lead the men and 2.0s of Waxhaw. Great effort out there today by everyone.