Helping our Brother, Bout Time

Helping our Brother, Bout Time

So many men have asked how they can help Bout Time and his family.  2-year-old Jennings was diagnosed with Leukemia and is undergoing treatment at Hemby Children’s Novant.  He has been there since December 5 and has finished Chemo Round 1.  The twins were born healthy 12/20.  M Lauren is healthy too.  The family is separated during the hospital stay.  Bout Time stays at the hospital with Jennings and M Lauren with the twins and big sister at home.  This is a very important week for Jennings as the doctors monitor his levels to determine his prognosis and course of treatment.  The family is asking for continued prayers.  Friends have set up a Sign Up Genius to pray for Jennings 24/7.  You can sign up HERE

So, first, please continue to pray.

Second, Area 51 is collecting donations to be used to buy the family some gift cards to Harris Teeter, Target, and Postmates.  We are doing this to help the Palmer family during this difficult time.  Any amount is helpful and appreciated.

DONATE HERE

This will show up as Keith Hendrix, Area 51 Biz Q

OR, you can login to PayPal and send to Area51BizQ@gmail.com

Taking donations through Friday, 01/12/2018.  Please note “Jennings” when you send a donation.  Lastly, send money to Friends and Family to keep fees low.

Thanks men

 

New Year, New You

Nine pax made a conscious decision to start their 2018 in the best way possible: a freezing cold hour of work at Base Camp. YHC is pretty sure he wasn’t the only one to hear something like this from his M:

M: You’re working out on Monday?  But it’s going to be, like, 20 deg….. You’re an idiot.
Me: Uh…… yeah

Goonie Thang:
Quick lap around the parking lot to pick up any stragglers, and then head down to the track for a moving warm-up.  First time around the track (mosey speed), do 5 squats at each corner.  10 merkins at each corner on lap 2.  Huddle up and partner up for the main event:

Round 1: P1 starts running around the track.  P2 starts bear crawling.  When P1 catches P2, flapjack.  Continue until partners have completed the loop.  This was hard.  Several comments along the lines of “what jack@$$ thought of this?”

Round 2: Substitute broad-jump burpees for bear crawls.  Only made it about 1/3rd of the way around the track before time was called so Wild Turkey could take over the second half of the workout.  No one was upset about this, YHC included.

Wild Turkey Thang:
We left the track and little baby jogged to the school parking lot for rounds of Tabata. By now you know Tabata is eight rounds of a called exercise 20 sec on, and 10 sec off. It’s high impact interval training and science says it’s one of the best ways to get fit.

Tabata
Round 1 – Man-maker ‘Mericans
Little baby lap
Round 2 – Squat thrusters
Little baby lap
Round 3 – Heels to Heaven
Little baby lap
Round 4 – Burpees
Little baby lap

Grinders
3 man relays with LBC, Carolina Dry Docks, Dolly American hammer and bomb squats varying at the end points.

Moleskine
It was cold. It’s going to be cold all week. It’s tough, but remember, there are people in this city who are living and sleeping in this weather. Be grateful for your warm homes and families and work to bring that comfort to those in need.

It was a pleasure to Q a convergence. Thank you Goonie for the honor to lead. Keep posting men! SYITG!

Not that cold

11 men posted to Anvil in below 20 degree weather (19 per my car) but several wore shorts so not that cold.   I guess it was the high humidity (or is it low humidity).   Or is it due to the fact that Mermaid and one other (Purell?) are too cheap to buy long workout pants?

The Thang:

Mosey to middle of parking lot for warm up – 5 burpees, 16 lunges, 10 burpees, 16 IW’s, 15 burpees

Mosey to area next to the church for the Starfish.    Run to three corners of the campus (including up North Face) and do called excercise at each corner – merkins, burpees, dips.  5 civilian count first round and 10 second round with 5 merkins every time back to the center of the Star Fish (not really a Star Fish since we only had 3 legs).   Rabbits Rachel, Purell, and one other (Lorax or Brilleuax I think) did some core work waiting on the six.

Mosey over to the play ground for 25 pulls ups, 50 merkins, and 100 squats

Mosey over to parking lot for a little partner work and sprints.   Wheel barrow, Firemen carries, backward run, broad jumps, karaoke, and bear crawl.

Mosey back to start and do burpees till we hit 6:15.

Naked Moleskin:

A bit nipply out but not too bad (5 layers of clothing helps).  Not sure what the two wearing shorts thought although they were probably thinking about adding long pants to their Christmas wish list (9 days late).   The one benefit was no pavers as I didn’t feel like carrying a frozen brick around for 45 minutes even if it would have built character.

Magee came down with something nasty (happens a lot with young’ns in the house) and I was the only one man enough (or is that dumb enough) to volunteer to take his place on a chilly morning.   Glad I did as it forced me to get out of bed and do what needed to be done.  Along with Replica, I committed to no alcohol in January, mainly to see if I can get in better shape – the old body doesn’t metabolize alcohol like it once did.  Also going to watch what I eat so watch out Rachel (I mean Hops) – I’m gunning for you.

Great crew this morning although not as boisterous as normal – trying to keep the cold air out of the lungs I guess.  I also encourage all of us to think about how to help Area 51 continue to grow.   It’s easy to get complacent and in a routine so we should remember to encourage other men to join us and to grow the 2nd and 3rd F in addition to the first.

Announcements:

Please continue to pray for Jennings Palmer and the entire Palmer family.   They will learn long term prognosis soon so they are very pensive right now.  Pray that they can take him home Friday or Monday.    Also, you can sign up to pray for them via http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4ca4a72cabfa7-pray or just pray when you can.   Also, we encourage men to get them a gift card (Harris Teeter, Target, Wal Mart) if able to help them with expenses.   Mermaid will be coordinating the efforts.

Joe Davis run this Saturday so join us if you can.  Always a great turn out and lots of fun.

 

Fartlek a lot to get WARM

The Thang:

  • 0500 – Bunker, Depth Charge, and a late arriving Gumbo tried to get some extra warmth by powering through the pre-run.
  • 0515 – Pretty much followed the Preblast:

PreBlast – Farlek to get Warm

  • with a few exceptions or further explanations:
    • pre-run down and around the Bull Ring to the putting green
    • 5 minutes of warm-up exercises from the latest Runner’s World magazine:
      • Walking Quad Stretch (30 seconds)
      • Walking Piriformis Stretch (30 seconds) – but the Q provided some incorrect form advice, will have to attempt correction next time
      • Frankenstein Walk (30 seconds)
      • Hip Opener (30 seconds) – as Das Boot and Bunker noted, [no good way to comment here]
      • Leg Crossover (30 seconds) – on the frozen asphalt
      • Scorpion (30 seconds) – on the frozen asphalt face down
      • Arm Circles (60 seconds) – why???
      • Inchworm (60 seconds) – no merkins required, this is Swift, we have tradition
    • Route for the Fartlek was from the Putting Green was out to Ballantyne Corporate, up Bagpipe Hill, past SPX, into and around the Premier complex, to the far parking deck (up and down), back down Ballantyne Corporate over the 521 bridge, into and around the Snyder’s Lance lot, across to the Liberty Mutual building, around the outer Bull Ring lots, and then mosey back to COT.
  • Back to COT at 6:14:30 to stare at the Bagpipers finishing off some burpees.

Moleskin:

  • a lively lot of 12, except for Erector – didn’t even know he was there until we were back at the Vine.  Had his best hooded Unabomber look going that covered 99.9% of his skin I guess.
  • Haggis was trying to MAF today?  After a 2nd place finish at the Baxter trail run, he earned it to rumble on at a consistent pace.
  • Citgo and Depth Charge pushing the 10 second sprints today.  Not usual that you get to open up the stride, get forward on the feet and up on the toes, and only have to push it for 10 seconds.  Should have felt effortless for most of the PAX.
  • Wild Turkey pushing the warm-up – what used to be a slightly labored breathing to stay at the front now seems more effortless for him.
  • Voodoo getting back to Swift after a while away – must be the Joe Davis Run where his 2.0 is closer to passing him every year.  One of these days, but not this year!
  • Das Boot had a chance to make it three days in a row working out with Bratwurst since there was a rare Das Boot sighting at Blakovery yesterday (likely one of the closest PAX to that AO), but Bratwurst stayed in the Fartsack yesterday.  We’ll have to try for a new streak.
  • Gumbo is tricking his 2.0s into running the JDR this weekend.  We’ll have to get tips on bribes to get them out of the car into the freezing gloom.
  • Bunker led all F3 SOB PAX with 1,803.1 mi in 2017, and so far he has a 100% attendance record for F3 running workouts on every day of 2018.  How long will he be able to keep the streak alive?
  • Enron was less than 30 miles from catching Bratwurst in 2017, but if he keeps accelerating his training, there will be no mileage contest in 2018.  Enron will run away with it.
  • Long Haul looks to be back at it for the long haul.  Primed for a ramp-up year in 2018 after some injury setbacks last year, he’ll quickly find his stride will get effortless with distance.  Hasn’t lost the speed though!

Announcements:

The Bagpipe Herald: 11 Degree = Perfect Conditions for FNG

I was expecting a cold morning. I looked at the temps the night before to see just what we would be up against in the morning…much to my dismay (womp womp woooomp) it looked to be close to a record setter for the coldest workout that I had attended…Making my goals for this workout pretty simple:

  1. Keep moving
  2. Get in the daily Pull-ups & Merkins for the January Challenge…and maybe a few extra

The Thang – YHC pre-determined route with pain stations along the way focusing on different muscle groups

  • Warm-up
    • Mosey to parking lot by Loch Ness for
    • SSH x20
    • Merkins x10
    • Mountain Climbers x20
    • Wind Mills x10
  • Station 1 (Pull-up Bars on Fitness Trail – Focus on Form)
    • Partner up, P1 on pull-ups, P2 providing support and flapjack
    • 2 pull-ups x2 sets
    • 3 pull-ups x2 sets
    • 4 pull-ups x2 sets
    • 20 civilian ct Merkins
  • Station 2 (Leg Work – Bagpipe Hill)
    • 10 slow squats (3sec down, 3sec up)
    • Jump Lunges x20 each leg
    • Sprint up Bagpipe Hill
    • 20 civilian ct Merkins
  • Station 3 (Heating up the Chesto)
    • 5 Diamond Merkins
    • 5 Wide-Arm Merkins
    • 5 Stagger Right Merkins
    • 5 Stagger Left Merkins
  • Station 4 (Explicit Shoulder Work – Parking Deck)
    • Balls to the Wall for Shoulder Press x5 (2sets)
    • DiveBomber/Magic Mike/Friday Night Merkins x10 (2sets)
  • Station 5 (Tricep Time – Ballantyne Resort PL)
    • Curb Dips x20
    • Plank into Tricep extension x10
    • Repeato
    • 10 civilian ct Merkins
  • Stations 6 (Down to the Core – Launch Point)
    • Pistol Crunch x10 each leg
    • Flutter x20
    • Hello Dolly x10
    • 6inch LBC x10
    • 10 civilian ct Merkins
    • 10 Burpees OYO
  • COT

Moleskinny

First of all T-claps to Paper Jam for being able to produce an FNG on an 11 degree day. I’m not sure what kind of blackmail you have on Olaf to get him out of bed on a morning like this. Which leads to me to the next piece of business in welcoming Olaf who was already cleverly named on Slack yesterday evening by non-attendee Tuck. Epsilon proved to be the manliest of men amongst us, shedding his gloves during the pull-ups.

Paraphrasing a tweet from Dredd which was then translated by Dark Helmet “If you make it about you, the weather is a deterrent. If you make it about your brother, the weather is an invitation.” T-Claps to the Bagpipers and Swifters that made it out this morning!

Appreciate the invite from One-Niner and Tagalong and hopefully I abided by your instructions “Don’t screw this up!”

Announcements:

Joe Davis Run is this weekend. If you have not signed up and are in town, make an effort to sign-up and run it as it is a great event for an even better cause. Hey, and guess what? Even if you are not in town (General & Bratwurst), you can donate and register as a ghost runner/fartsacker/ you name it.

Sneak Peek at a NEW AO this Friday 1/5/18. 500 pre-run, 530-615 main event at The Waverly Shopping Center. Meet next to Viva Chicken. FYI, we are still working on a name for this AO. Leader in the clubhouse right now is Argo’s Wave Palace

Over & Out

-General

The Frozen Tundra

In advance of the New Year, 3 PAX made it out to Area 51 in what now seems like warm weather.

Mosey to Lower parking lot
SSH, IW, LSS, Merkin, MC

Mosey to rock pile and grab an ice cube aka a rock and bring it to the center pole of the Frozen Tundra.

Starfish
Round 1 – curls x 10 in center
Pole 1 merkins x 20
Pole 2 Wide arm merkins x 20
Pole 3 Diamond merkins x 20
Pole 4 hand release merkins x 20
Pole 5 CDD x 20
Plank
Overhead Press and Tricep extension

Round 2 – Goblet squats x 10 in center
Pole 1 Jump Squats x 20
Pole 2 Sister Mary Katherine x 20
Pole 3 Calf Raises x 20
Pole 4 Monkey humpers x 20
Pole 5 Heels to heaven x 20
Chest press with rock and flutter kick

Jack Web with rock and without the rock
Mosey back to the rock pile and return rock

1 mile run – rock pile to fire station to neighborhood to back of school

Peoples chair and arm presses
Lunge walk out

Circuit work
upper playground
Pulls ups, derkins, dips

Back of school
jump ups on table
one legged squats
donkey kicks

5 minutes of Mary

Announcements – Joe Davis Run next Saturday. A51/McKee is planning on being open.

Thanks for taking us out OT. Wishing everyone and their families a blessed 2018!

PreBlast – Farlek to get Warm

The Swift crew will begin 2018 with a simple but effective workout to get warm and prep for the Joe Davis Run.

  • 0500 – Early crew for extra credit
  • 0515 – Leave the Vine for 2nd F Warm-up jog
  • 0525 – Warm-up exercises.
  • 0530 – Not to be confused with the 30-30-1 or the 2-1-30, the 30-20-10 is a Fartlek workout described in this article: http://running.competitor.com/2015/04/training/the-30-20-10-fartlek-workout_127435
    • Here is One Set:
      • 30 seconds jog
      • 20 seconds “normal” running pace
      • 10 second SPRINT
      • Continue for 5 rounds total (5 minutes total)
      • Regroup and Recovery jog for 2 minutes
    • Complete more Sets until time is called to head back to COT
  • 0615 – COT
  • 0630 – Cheddar leads with a question at F3-Timekeeper

hoping for redemption

So this Q was a couple weeks/months in the making.  It originally started when Bullwinkle was written in as a Q for Commitment and was given short notice that he was Qing the Saturday that he was Voluntold to lead. Bullwinkle with much more grace than I asked if I would Q Conviction in December.  Sure I said,  then the day came and I was no where to be found.  I ended up having to travel that week and was in Savannah when I was supposed to be at Conviction.  I was hoping that he would forgive me and give me the opportunity to Q again and by happen stance he made the following week open.

Warm up:  20 SSH, 20 MC, 20 Cherry pickers

Mosey to the side of the school,  20 step up’s and 20 dips OYO

The Thang:  Parnter up whilst worm burners  break up KB, Smash Balls and for work.  Variations of 100 Swings, 50 Smash balls and something else made up the work.  Mixed in some mary between round to keep the hear rate up.  Mosey back for some supermans to finish up the work out

 

Moleskin:  First and for most, Choppa is one, tough, young man.  He has a ton of heart and a no quit attitude.  I was incredibly impressed, I don’t get into the “IF I only” too often but if I only worked half has hard as this kid did when I was his age I’d be a millionaire today.  Gypsy and Bullwinkle also didn’t shy away from the work,  seems they were actually giddy about the gear I brought.  Most pax groan at the plates but not Bullwinkle, he was like WORM BURNERS!!! While Gypsy was clearly all about swinging some weight around. I enjoyed working with this crew and am looking forward to working out with them again some time in the near future.  Thanks Bullwinkle for giving me a second chance.

 

 

Welcome 2018 – 16 Pax started today at Flash

16 Pax ventured out in the gloom this morning, and all were quickly disappointed when Recalculating’s attire included long sleeves.  Either way it was 6:30 and time to get moving.

Warmup:

Mosey to front of Middle School and circle up:

  • SSH
  • Imperial Walkers
  • Cotton Pickers
  • Merkins
  • Mt Climbers

Q Note: Not sure if the lingering buzz from previous night festivities helped with cadence rhythm or not.  Either way we completed the standard warmup with minimal mumblechatter except from the lone Metro attendee (Ice 9) barking about no need for a proper warmup.

Thang:

Begin by partnering up and P1 runs in one direction and P2 runs in opposite direction around loop in front of school.  Every time you meet complete set of exercises.  Progress from 5, 10, 15, 20.  When complete with 4 rounds meet in front of school for Mary.

  • First Set: Merkins
  • Second Set: Squats
  • Third Set: Crab Cakes

Q Note: Cannot remember if we did 4th set or finished at 3.  Either way you get the drift.

Once 6 is in. Mosey to hill by the buses.

Complete set of 7’s  on the hill with merkins and burpees.

When 6 complete with 7’s mosey over to walkway by softball fields.

Next was Bear, Crab, Duck back to parking lot

Bear Crawl to 1st light post on right, Crab walk to2nd light post, Duck walk to 3rd.  Once at the 3rd light post then begin with Crawl Bear (backwards bear crawl) to 4th light, Frontwards Crab walk to 5th light, and Backwards duck walk to entrance.

Complete lap around parking lot waiting for the 6.

Finish with final suicide for two lights.

 

Moleskin:

  • Good to see 16 men out in the gloom.  Especially some that we have not seen out lately Kotters to: Legal Zoom, Stryker, Ackbar, Jingles
  • We have found Ice 9’s kryptonite – Counting.  Or is that just standard lawyer math to fluff up the billable hours.  Additionally – Bear Crawls make him somewhat human again
  •  Thankful that Frack timely came in post warmup.  Also happy to see that Anger Mgmt classes worked as he was calm during the post announcements.
  • YHC  – Looks forward to resuming normal schedule and ensuring that Meme, daily post count returns to normal levels next week.

 

Announcements:

  • Be sure to signup for Joe Davis Run 1/6/18
  • If interested check out the Merkin/Pull Up Challenge on Slack that begins today – 100 pushups/10 Pullups per day – Week 1
  • Sanctuary beginning next Monday Night- Professor on Q.  Sure to be a good one, worth joining the 3rd F opportunity @ Brooklyn Pizza 7:30

 

 

A Small Word Can Promote a Big Change

4 PAX came to Blakovery to begin the New Year. I could easily recall the route we ran, but I thought it was better to tell about the lesson I learned.

Sometimes a big change in our lives starts out small.  An EH. (want to start Blakovery a little later Monday?)  A direct message on Slack. (Anyone up for Blakeovery with a later start? Say 0700?)   An encouraging word. (you can make it the entire way).   Then a conversation:

Tuck: PJ, its a New Year, a new you.

PJ: I was comfortable with the old me.

Bunker: You are not suppose to be comfortable.

For me F3 has never been comfortable. Bootcamps, carrying sandbags, burpees, lifting rocks, working out in the rain, snow, bitter cold, developing close friendships with other men, talking about my faith, praying in front of 30 other guys, admitting I need help, showing my scars with the hope it would help another, the list goes on.  (I almost forgot running)

But maybe I came to the point where I was getting comfortable. Maybe I need to be more uncomfortable.

It is interesting how these epiphanies come out frequently at Blakovery.  It made me wonder. Maybe the reason why these guys run has nothing to do with the mileage or the PRs. Maybe it has to do with what they learn about themselves and others when they run.  I am not too sure because #iamnotarunner.

See you at Joe Davis next Saturday, time to get uncomfortable.