Dunkin’, no Bushwood

Dunkin’, no Bushwood

This morning, there was no Bushwood at the Donut Run. Was he hurt? Did he have to work? Was he watching the kiddos? I suspect it was none of these! Because yesterday news broke that Dunkin’ Donuts will be dropping the Donuts and known as “Dunkin’”.

https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/25/news/dunkin-donuts-new-name/index.html

The reason Bushwood was not present was because he was MAD! And I quote (from Slack), “Stupid. Almost as bad as when IHOP went to IHOB”. And that doesn’t even include the obscenities he was mumbling under his breathe.

While he was washing his mouth out with soap, the rest of us ran…

Tolkien and Flipper continued their bromance and ran the Long John route. Don’t kid yourself – I’m just jealous.

Wild Turkey and Insomniac got in 6. Turkey Leg, Uncle Phil, Enron, Polly and Baracus ran all the way to Providence (no turn on Candlewyck) and got in about 6.5. Fleetwood got in 7.

I resurrected the 4.5 mile Jello route and was joined by Adobe (whom I hope we see out more). I wanted to get in a decent run, without overdoing before my first 10k at Isabella Santos. I remember a year ago, when I ran this route and was happy to hit 50 minutes. Today, I did it in 42:10!

As for the donut run, it will remain the same. Heck, I’m actually kind of glad that Dunkin dropped the Donuts – this is what you get for not letting paying customers park in front of your store! #kharma

 

Announcements:

Isabella Santos 5k/10k – This Saturday

Let Them Soar 5k – Nov 10th. https://letthemsoar5k.racesonline.com/

Crane Relay – It’s coming

https://f3southcharlotte.com/2018/07/14/the-crane-relay/

Apologies to the missed names, let me know and I’ll edit the BackBlast.

Touring the Ridge

21 PAX joined YHC and decided to brave the perfect morning weather for a little tour of the school grounds.

Warmup: 

Disclaimer provided. Run around parking lot and down to other end.    All IC: Mountain Climbers x15, Peter Parkers x15, Plank Jacks x15, Merkins x15

Then run to other end of parking lot and back, 5 squats every third tree on way out (30), 5 jump squats every third tree back in (30)

Thang:

To side of HS: All IC- 5 merkins, 5 wide arm, 5 diamonds, 5 stagger right, 5 stagger left

Then pair up- P1 run to end and across street and back, P2 shoulder taps with feet on wall-100-200 per team depending on whether expert instructions were actually followed.

Back side of school -military count-5 each of merkins, wide arm, diamond, stagger right and left

Then P1 run around circle globe, P2 Jump squats -150 as a team

Continue to maintenance building-P1 run around building, P2 donkey kicks-150 as a team

Run around path to cafeteria-Squats x20 IC

Then P1 run down and around very small section of track, P2 burpees-50 as a team

Run back to start, stopping at end of parking lot, 5 merkins every third tree-Total 30

Various mary/planks were completed during the fun-All 1000 IC (Abs of Steel)

Moleskin:

It has to have been close to a couple of years since YHC last Q’d Dromedary so it was great to get back out and run around.   Been skipping Wednesdays recently because ?

Good to see many faces I hadn’t seen in a while.   We even had a Flipper and Ice 9 sighting.

As usual, plan was to keep the heart rate up while doing some good ol’ fashioned partner work.  Still got in about 2.5, which I know all appreciated.

Announcements:

Christ Closet Ministry-Service Opportunity, 10/4, please see Ice 9’s Backblast for full details

F3 Dads Camping-10/19-10/20, see slack channel for details

Kotters Q

It has been quite some time since I’ve Q’d.  I’ll spare everyone the explanation/excuses and get to the workout.  Great to be back at the helm.

The Thang:

Warm-up with light mosey including butt kickers, high knees and backwards run.  Much to the delight of Haze who remarked “wow, an actual warm-up”.  You’re welcome.

COP: Merkins x 10 IC / LS squat x 15 IC / Imperial walker x 10 IC / Burp n merk up to 5 merkins

Grassy knoll circuit: bear crawl up and over the knoll, plank walk back to staring position, lunge walk perimeter of bricks x 2

Merkin ladder: 1 up to 10 from curb to curb across parking lot

Groups of 3 and do the following:

  • Station 1 (timer station) – grassy knoll area has 10 columns: alternate 5 donkey kicks then 5 diamond merkins at columns (25 total of each); complete and then relieve station 2
  • Station 2 (roundabout) – 5 squats every other set of trees on the way down; return with 5 wide arm merkins at every set (repeat until relieved by station 1, then relieve station 3)
  • Station 3 (tables by Church) – 10 step ups / 10 derkins / 10 dips (repeat until relieved by station 2, head to station 1)

Ring of Fire: always a real crowd pleaser. All pax were extremely excited about this call.

Head to end of parking lot by launch: Plank up; AYG to launch when I say go, but first let’s hold it and go 6 inches. Another well received call subsequent to the ring of fire.

Mary: Flutter x 15 IC / Freddy Mercury x 15 IC / 10 diamonds OYO

Done

 

Wonderful morning and great temps out there today.  No one fell behind and everyone pushed to their personal limit. Apologies to Haze as Q errantly accused him of heckling. Of course I was simply taking a 50/50 shot at it either being Haze or Spackler; confirmed it was Spackler asking when warmup would be done.  Q was also highly praised for his ability to rotate with compass-like precision during LS squat. I credit my 3 years (with no degree) of engineering in college for that skill.  Haze serenaded the pax to the obligatory Johnny Cash ring of fire and we are all blessed for that experience.

COT:

Mermaid made a great mention that September is national suicide prevention awareness month.  It is very easy to fall into the trap of hiding our difficulties and not confiding in our community when we are facing depression, anxiety, etc.  Please be aware that many of our brothers and families are facing great struggles and may not be reaching out for help.  We are instructed to love thy neighbor, so remember that everyone is valued and loved in God’s eyes and we can be the light for someone in need.  Mermaid and I have both lost family members to suicide, and are more than willing to talk to anyone that is facing these issues personally or knows someone who is.  Mermaid took us out.

A pleasure and an honor.

Brushback

Salsa, baby!

YHC was substiQ for BooYah, who was scheduled to make his triumphant return to Gumby this morning, but got cold feet and pushed it back a few weeks.
Music today was sponsored by Salsa Warriors – a NYC-based station that plays the best Salsa on the planet (or at least that’s what they’ve been telling me).

Devo: Schedule a “worry hour” at 5:00pm every day, and you may soon realize that’s not worth it.  Based on Matthew 6:27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (NIV)

Vinyasa – 1X slow to take time to de-kink, then 3X OYO to warm up

The Main Thang:
LEFT: Lizard 45s
Hammy stretch 45s
Lizard Quad 45s
REPEATO RIGHT
Vinyasa 1X OYO

Move to Table Top

LEFT: Bird dog/Cheetah 5X
Side Split 45s
Twist Side Hip 45s
REPEATO RIGHT
Vinyasa 1X OYO

Squat down for:
Malasana 60s
Vinyasa 1X OYO

Move to Down Dog then:
LEFT: Pigeon 60s
REPEATO RIGHT
Vinyasa 1X OYO

Seated twist 30s (L+R)
Prone shoulder flip 45s (L+R)
Vinyasa 1X OYO
Back down to six:
Lie back:
Single knee hug 45s (L/R)
Supine twist 45s (L/R)
Dead pigeon 45s (L/R)
Happy baby 45s
Neck stretch 45s (L+R)
Half Cow Face 45s (L/R)

TIME!
Announcements
Isabella Santos Run, 9/29/18: https://isabellasantosfoundation.org/annual-5k-for-ids-cancer/
F3 Dads at Kinetic Heights – see #F3Dads channel on Slack
Crane Relay, 10/26
Let Them Soar, 5K 11/10/18:  https://letthemsoar5k.racesonline.com/

Moleskin
Why is the dipping sauce also called Salsa, and which came first, the food or the music or dance?  Comment below if you know, if you don’t know but have a guess or if you don’t care because guacamole is better anyway and all those songs sounded the same.

Give to the poor in the name of Jesus

Christ’s Closet is a ministry started by the men of F3Sanctuary. We give away clothes, books, furniture, and household gifts in the name of Jesus. Because He told us to. I hope He is telling you to join us.

Our next giveaway is Thursday, October 3rd, at the Petersberg Primary School in Pageland, South Carolina. 98.8% of the students are on free or reduced lunch. The poverty in their families is palpable. In past years, kids leave the giveaway with the first book they have ever owned, and the only “new” clothes they can remember receiving. God brings these families to us so we can serve and love on them in the name of Jesus.

You can help at any one or more of the below insertion points on Thursday, October 3. If you show, God has provided a free and awesome Christ’s Closet mudgear shirt for you.

  • Noon.  Load the truck at Christ’s Closet house at 6025 New Town Road, Waxhaw, NC 28173.
  • 3pm.   Set up at Petersberg Primary School at 326 N. Arnold Street, Pageland, SC 29728
  • 6-8pm.  Giveaway. Serve and pray with our guests.
  • 8pm. Load whatever is left back on the truck at the school.
  • 8:45-9:15(ish). Unload whatever is left at Christ’s Closet house at 6025 New Town Road, Waxhaw, NC 28173.

Heavy WAMRAP

With the promise of McGee out of town I was able to rope in two site FNG’s to WAMRAP Wednesday at Waverly – Woohoo.  They were excited to be there.

A little warm up jog out beyond the Camp Gladiator crew and back to the cars.

The Thang

Every man grab a 50# sand bag from the trunk.  Much excitement now.  Haul it up to the top of the parking deck.  Start the cycle.

Run down staircase 1 and back up.  10 old school sit ups.

Carry sandbag down staircase 2 and back up.  10 bent over rows with bag.

Run down staircase 3 and back up.  Line up on parking line.  2 Merkins, plank walk left one space, 2 Merkins.  At the 5th space turn and plank walk right and repeat.  10 total stops and 20 total merkins.

Run down the ramp, 10 8-Count Body Builders, backwards run up the ramp.

Repeat.

With 3 minutes left we carried the sandbags back to the car.

The Thang.

Strong work out there, everyone kept it pretty much in the red line zone.  No Orange Theory at WAMRAP.  4-5 rounds performed by each of us.  Thanks for the effort Purell and Lex Luthor!

50# sandbags up and down stairs are a smoker.

8-Count Body Builders are Purell’s kryptonite (and bear crawls, but we didn’t do those).  I utilized the short arm advantage here to keep up with him through the circuit.

Lex encouraged us all to grab a ruck and go do a GoRuck Heavy and how easy Selection is if you keep your mind right and just focus on the task at hand.

Thanks to Lex for the takeout.

 

-Alf

A Successful Chiseled Launch

15 Pax came out to see what this gear workout was all about.  Thanks for the support today guys.  I was worried what the numbers would look like since there was an already successful site open on Wednesday’s and Briarcrest’s finest (Hollywood) was on Q there.  From what I hear, they had 19 so combined both sites had 34…Impressive for a hump day!

I arrived to the site at 10 til 5:00 not knowing how long set up would take and full of launch day jitters.  I arrived to find Shake N Bake in the middle of the parking lot stretching for his pre run…alone, oh so alone.  I had things set up within 10 minutes and had to decide, do I continue to look busy and wait on pax to arrive or do I suck it up and try and find Shake to join him in on the prerun.  About the time I was about to decide to look busy, up comes Rubbermaid and Tupperware.  Rubbermaid to join in the prerun and Tupperware to help set up equipment.  I couldn’t tell if Tupperware was happy there was not equipment to set up or upset that he now had to prerun…either way, thanks for coming out early to help.  Enough of the preworkout details….lets get to the good stuff.

WARM UP

Lengthy disclaimer given about not dropping equipment on the pavement and not suing the church.  I then explained to the pax that we would be running the last kilometer for Samantha Davis who passed away at a local cross country meet this past Saturday.  A very sad story.  Many schools in the state will be running a last kilometer today in her honor.  Thank you to Hooch for keeping us up to date with that story.  I’m not sure who’s idea it was to run for Samantha Davis today, but thank you for the suggestion.  Hopefully the link below to the map of our run in her honor will show up: https://www.dropbox.com/s/cf8m7d0fwft2te9/IMG_5390.PNG?dl=0

Off we go on a .62 mile (or 1 Kilometer) run.  Headed towards the 5 stones entrance which I thought there and back would get us to the .62 miles….it didn’t.  Leaders circled us out around the side of the church, back to the cars, and then I saw Deadwood (distance keeper) come to a stop and fidget with his watch.  He called out done.

Circle up for ACDC Thunderstruck.  Mountain climbers during the song, merkins on the word thunder.  I read somewhere online that if you were using this as a drinking game, it would be 34 shots.  I mentioned that we would be doing 34 Merkins and halfway through the song was met with several jeers that we had done way more than 34 merkins.   During a long interlude that I knew didn’t include the word Thunder, I called out a modify and we did air presses until Thunder came back into play.  It was just long enough of an interlude to where the air presses were burning.  Good work from the pax as this was my first time trying this and it was much harder than I had bargained for.

THE THANG

The rest of our time would be spent doing station work with equipment.  Being that I made 90% of this up on the fly, it makes it that much tougher to remember what we did for the back blast.  As I’ve already said, gear workouts are so much harder to plan for.  Will we have 6 pax or 26.  The difference in numbers can change things dramatically.  Anyways, I digress.  First round went like this:

  • Military Press with either 20’s, 35’s, or 40’s.  Modify to one 40 pound dumbbell once you were wore out – which for me was after 10 reps.
  • Up right row with a stone paver or 25 pound keddle bell (bring hands up to your chin working your lats).  I think the stone paver weight around 20-25 pounds.
  • Bent over fly with bricks.  Bricks were roughly 10 pounds.
  • Front Raise with Landscaping block.  Block was around 15 pounds.
  • Side Raise with dumbbelle or keddle bells.  15 pounds each.
  • Good Mornings with the large block.  In this exercise you keep your knees relatively straight and bend at the hip.  It works your hamstrings.  The block was around 30 pounds.
  • Supines on the railing.  This proved a little trickier than Weddington’s rails as they went down steps with flat steps on one side and a sloped hill on the other.  We made it work.
  • Partner Pole Squats.  This is a new exercise I introduced to the group that we use to do when I played baseball.  Using a 2″ PVC pipe about 2 feet in length, one partner squats all they way to the ground (seated on the ground) while his partner helps to safely lower him down and help him back up with the pvc pipe then flap jack with the other partner squating.  In theory if done correctly, one partner gets a deep squat workout while the other gets a little bit of a squat and some row action.  Both should have tired forearms from holding the pipe.  In reality…we had a lot of guys lay out on the ground laughing after falling.  In high school we used a smaller broom stick which I’m not sure worked the fore arms more or less, but I know it had a heck of a lot more grip than the slick pvc pipe.  Thanks for being good sports and letting me try something new.  My guess is Money Ball is currently laughing a body part off now thinking what other insanely dumb exercises did my baseball coach have us do – the answer is plenty, but not as much as my football coach.
  • On to the pit of misery as it will now be named.  One legged step ups.  Switch legs however you prefer (ever time or 10 each leg).
  • Foot release squats.
  • Dips
  • Back out of the pit of misery to our timer exercise.  Chariot Runs.  One partner is inside the weighted rope while the other one holds the ends to add resistance.  Run to last island, flap jack and run back.  If done right, it was a killer.  Some pax turned it into a rope carry.  Either because the Q didn’t properly explain, or because they were lazy…my money is on Q fail.  I originally called them partner pulls, so thanks to the pax that renamed them Chariot Runs.

Once everyone completed every station, I gave them a short break to explain our next series of work.  At some point in the station work above we lost Shake N Bake, Bread Bowl, and Hooch.  Was it really that tough???   Nah, just a bathroom emergency and getting kids to school.

  • Curls (20, 35, or 40 pound dumbbells)
  • Tricep Kick Back (Bricks)
  • Good Mornings
  • Supines
  • Diddle Merkins (Wide, Regular, Diamond, Regular, Wide).  Sorry Shake N Bake….you left too soon for your favorite exercise
  • Step ups.
  • Foot release squats
  • Dips
  • Rope work.  1 partner alternating rope waves while the other does 25 LBC’s.  Switch when partner finishes LBC’s.  Timmer when both partners finished LBC’s.

We didn’t quite get through all our final stations before time ran out, but did get more than halfway.

MOLESKIN

  • Thanks again to everyone that came today.  Hopefully you enjoyed a little change of pace (actually a lot less pace and a lot more lifting).  The quick change out of stations added with the Chariot Run had my heart rate rocking the first round.
  • Thanks to Rubbermaid who made a solid donation towards the site.  Deflated – if you were able to get the weights you posted about I will get you Rubbermaid’s donation.
  • As you can see from the first stations – we have plenty of equipment and space to grow.  I had stations ready to go for 12 groups or 24 total people.  Based on equipment we currently have, this site has no problem supporting 25-30 pax.
  • Thanks to Southern Belle for bringing some “big boy” dumbbells.   He had 20, 30, 25, 40, 45, and 50 pound dumbbells in his truck and made the Q smile when he saw the extra big boy equipment there he hadn’t planned for.
  • Thanks to all those that donated equipment.  Dasher’s weighted rope has been a fixture at the soft launches and official launch and is much appreciated.  Other equipment in the works are pull up bars to hang trx bands, a tractor tire to flip, and some additional weights (keddle bell, dumbbell, and plates).  Hopefully soon we will be able to store equipment on site which will make set up and break down easier for Q’s.
  • And Speaking of Q’s.  If your interested in Q’ing a gear workout, please let Banjo or I know.  I’ve reached out to some directly already and have a few more on the list I’d like to get Tee’ed up.  Don’t wait on me though, if you have interest….let us know.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Keep Samantha Davis’ family and friends in your prayers.  They are going through a difficult time in the sudden and unexpected death.
  • Keep the 6 year old boy from Gastonia who has been missing since this weekend in your prayers.

Walking in a spider web…

Beautiful morning – seems we are finally getting into the best stretch of the year.  Gotta love the Fall mornings…Chunder mumbled “let me guess-SS Hop” just as we circled up. Nope.

Thang:

disclaimer given – mosey to lot for Burpees, Imperial Squat Walkers, Peter Parkers, merkins, Bulgarian Ball Busters YA!! (I know y’all think it’s a joke but I seriously love them)

Headed to woods for pull-ups and squats. Then Brixem Hill. Then over to hidden pond/Hill (partners Derkins, ab throws).  Lots of called pit stops all throughout – wide/Diamond/regular merkins, jump squats, etc.

Toward the end I ran through a spider web that covered my full face, arms, and torso.  Ah, the price of leadership!

finished up with ceremonial wheel barrow (more on that shortly)

Moleskin:

Sorry Delta went out early with a turned ankle but he followed up later that it’s likely a sprain in need of rest.

What and exciting, impressive, and inspiring post by Cooter (prayers his way for pending treatments)- thanks for the takeout too!

Fun to chase Gramaticka up the hill!!  Never seen him move so fast!

Thanks Paper Jam for the “Hope Challenge” concept- here was my share…

Six months ago yesterday our oldest daughter Jocelyn became acutely ill.  Multiple hospital stays, dozens of blood tests and even multiple trips outside of NC finally have us feeling like we have A)a diagnosis we believe and B)medical care who is capable and actually believes it too.  Lyme disease and other tic born illnesses are misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and terrifying.  It has been an believably challenging process which continues to this day. We feel it is a general uptrend but of course has its ups and downs. We keep the faith, hope and take it one day at a time.


www.lymedisease.org

Last night as I was getting all of our kids ready for bed and all, I asked Jocelyn what is one exercise I should have the guys do – and she said “wheel barrow”.  I let her know that most guys really are not fond of it, so I would definitely call the exercise and blame it on her! (Which i did, and which she appreciated)

All have or are faced with enormous challenges obstacles and struggles in their lives and in those other families.  I continue to be lifted and inspired by the F3 brotherhood.

Thanks TagAlong for asking me to lead.  Always and honor.

Announcements:

Church On The Street (see Strawberry) slots need filling for Oct.

f3 Dads – camping in Oct (see Frasier)

this Saturday is SOB convergence at Stonehenge (Paper Jam bday Q)

Crawl Bear… What is that??

19 PAX were on time at Watchtower for my vQ.  I have to admit I was a little nervous and even did a mock run the morning before.  Pulling up to Watchtower I realized I forgot my Weinke so I called an audible and created an entirely new playlist.  The first audible would cause me to call the second audible……

 

Lets Mosey:

  • Fast Mosey from Brooklyn Pizza behind Pet Smart to Target parking lot.
    • Plank and wait for Six
    • 20 SLOW Civilian count Merkins
    • 15 SSH
    • 15 Mountain Climbers
    • 15ish Imperial Walkers (I jacked up the count)

The Thang-

  • Fast Mosey to Pet Smart parking lot – Its about to get real!
    • Bear Crawl from one side of the lot to the other.
    • Jog back
    • Crawl Bear back to the other side
    • Jog back
  • Mosey back to Target parking lot – BURPEE TIME!
    • Burpee ladder to 25. (What!! $@&*@%@)
    • Run approx 120′ start ladder
    • AUDIBLE!!! Stop at 10 (Praise from all – nope.)
    • POSSE! Can I get a 10 count!
  • Mosey to the other side of Target parking lot – CIRCLE UP
  • Most of the PAX “Duck Duck Goose is banned, we don’t do that” What is that??
    • The first Pax calls out exercise and runs around outside of the circle, all Pax continue to exercise until running Pax is back.  Next Pax runs and so on.
    • I started to run and yelled BURPEES!! –  One Star later said, “You almost had mutiny!!
  • Four Corners 4 x’s – Target Parking lot (Half)
    • 1st  – 2 Burpees
    • 2nd – 2 Burpees
    • 3rd – 10 squats
    • 4th – 10 Merkins
  • Jail Break back for quick Mary

The Moleskine

The gripes and grumbles this morning were at an all-time high! I had a feeling some of the Pax would not like the change of pace but getting out of your comfort zone makes you grow and makes you stronger! I knew the bear crawl – crawl bear would be tough.  At one point I was compared to Hollywood (I think by Doughboy) and I took that as a compliment!! I was so exhausted post workout I skipped right over the FNG (Lazy Boy) and was promptly reminded.  Thanks for letting me Q.

 

Announcements:

  • The official launch of new Gear workout Chiseld this Wednesday @ 5:30 @ 5 Stones Church
  • Bonefrog Navy Seal Race – Nov 10th – Team – Old Fat Slow (OFS)
  • October 6th @ 5:30 pm Men’s barbecue – @ 5 Stones Church

 

 

 

 

 

Harley says you know you were there at Hawk’s Nest

Strong showing from South Charlotte’s finest at the luxurious campus otherwise known as Hawk’s Nest. There were 25+ guys there, got a bit foggy once all of the fast twitchers showed up (I thought that was just a pre-BRR thing?). Here’s what we did.

Warm Up – run to turf fields, various warm ups to random counts

Starfish – merkins, squat jumps, Peter Parker, something else (maybe LBC), 5x burpees in middle each time

High school workout – run around turf field with backwards run, karaoke, sprint, karaoke

Track Circuit – head to track, complete one lap of track and head up hill, repeat x4 with the following exercises at top of hill: dips, derkins, step ups, all three

Rock Pile – split in two groups, one group run, one group lift rocks

Finish up – various Mary

Strong work today, the hill after the track lap was a killer. Always an honor to lead.

 

*** Posting this on behalf of Harley, so I’ll add some commentary…of course.

Got as many of the pax as I could remember.  Harley exclaimed as he started name-o-rama sans a recording device, “If you’re here, you know you were here”…or something like that.  I got 19 listed…no idea what the number was.

A Hawk’s Nest Kotters to Swiper, who went to the original lot we used 4+ months ago.  Glad you found us.

Loved the random counts Harley.  Need more of that.

Hopper’s Peter Parkers look a lot like MC’s.

Alf looks a lot like Sprockets, at least from behind in the gloom.

Good takeout by Harley with great reminder that our physical health and the fellowship afforded in the gloom are gifts from God.  Much for which to be thankful.

Champagne and a co-Q are up next at Hawk’s Nest.