Author: backblasts

Date: 2026-07-07
AO: Dark Room
Q: Ankles ,
PAX: LouGee, Ankles, Portage, Crack, Flower Boy, Body Double, Lakers, perculator FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
Conditions: Muggy w/ a Chance of Corn Dog. (Camera Park access was limited due to setting up for Glendale Heights Fest, but the PAX was undaunted.)

WOR: SSH; Abe Vigodas, Arm Circles; Picking Daisies; various runner stretches.

The Thang: HooverBall x Boot Camp = Sweaty Leather Balls

ao_dark_room was introduced to the F3Wheaton version of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooverball. The F3Wheaton version eschews scoring & amends most of the other rules to maximize player participation & encourage constant movement. The PAX formed 3 different teams (A, B, and C) of 2-3 PAX each, and rotated through three activity stations:

Station A: BC Exercises, done “spittoon style”. (See Below)
Station B: HooverBall Court Side 1.
Station C: HooeverBall Court Side 2.

The team doing Station A set the pace of rotation & displaced the team at Station B once finished with their exercises.

The exercises at Station A were done “spittoon style”, but each individual exercise had to be performed by the PAX as a whole. (i.e., Individual PAX could not “specialize” in one specific exercise on behalf of the entire team; everyone had to do some of everything.) Overall rep counts were assigned on a per capita basis & exercises changed after every full rotation:

Round 1:
20 Burpees per PAX
50 Merkins per PAX
50 BBSUs per PAX

Round 2:
25 Coupon Shoulder Presses per PAX
50 Coupon Goblet Squats per PAX
50 Flutter Kicks (4 is 1) per PAX

Round 3:
50 Coupon Curls per PAX
50 Lunges (2 is 1) per PAX
25 Plank Jacks per PAX

Round 4:
100 One-Arm Rows per PAX
50 Dips per PAX
25 Coupon Swings per PAX

Results & Iterations:

– Pacing. Initially, Station A was a grind & the rotations moved more slowly than desired. Fortunately, the Q had previously created the music playlist w/ an easy-to-guess theme, (“summer/sun/hot”) for this contingency. The Q told each team that if they correctly guessed the playlist theme after their first Station A rotation, they could eliminate one of the 3 listed exercise types for all subsequent Station A rotations.
– Intensity: Some of the 3 person HooverBall teams were too stationary when not handling the ball, so a new rule was added to require every PAX to do one burpee immediately after they handled the ball before they were eligible to handle it again.

Overall feedback was very positive, with a suggestion that the rotations be even faster & also have the PAX to do a fast mosey/sprint back to the HooverBall court to create a stronger sense of urgency/pacing.

COT:

Moleskine:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism_of_small_differences & the negative effects it can have in our lives & community. Try to notice when it’s happening & make a proactive steps to avoid/de-escalate it when you see it. (i.e. “Pick your battles.”)

Prayer Requests:

– Job searches.
– Marriage/relationship/divorce transitions & conflicts.
– Safety while traveling.

Ended with a version of The Serenity Prayer often used in 12-Step Programs:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can,
and Wisdom to know the difference. Amen.”

Tags: Dark Room, LouGee, Ankles, Portage, Crack, Flower Boy, Body Double, Lakers, perculator

Date: 2026-07-20
AO: Tar Pit
Q: Jolly ,
PAX: Oompa, Tortuga, Big Mac, Jolly, Da Vinci, Panhandle
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
Conditions:
Clear sky, 61°F, Feels like 62°F, Humidity 83%, Wind 2mph from SSW

WOR:
SSH, arm circles, picking daisies

The Thang:
Started with a warm up lap around the track

5-min EMOM, 35 SSH & 5 Blockees (Tortuga and Big Mac added a blockee each round and I believe got up to 9)

Partnered up. One partner runs a lap around the track while the other partner does the following:

10 reps (did 15 the first round but that was too many) of:
Overhead press
Curls
Squats
Thrusters

After completing the reps you lunge with your coupon until your running partner catches you and you switch. Because lunging is really slow we switched to rifle carry.

When the coupons made it all the way around the track we did an American hammer spittoon to 300 with coupon.

We repeated the partner exercises and changed to:

10 reps each of:
Rows
We’re not worthies
Skull Crushers
WWWIII sit-ups

Framer carried the coupons this round.

Finished with a BBSU spittoon to 300

Moleskine:
Do hard things and get out of your comfort zone.

Tags: Tar Pit, Oompa, Tortuga, Big Mac, Jolly, Da Vinci, Panhandle

Date: 2026-07-18
AO: Tar Pit
Q: LeMond ,
PAX: Beaker, LeMond, Tortuga, Da Vinci, T-bone, Panhandle
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
– Background
– Homer’s “The Odyssey,” which is a classic epic poem about the adventures and trials of Odysseus as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War: – Warmorama: 5 mins
– 25 SSHs
– Tappy Taps
– 20 4-ct mountain climbers
– Bat wings
– Lotus Eaters
– Pax circle up and hold low squat
– Each Pax takes a turn counting down from ten and calling a burpee. – Cyclops’ Cave Escape
– In slow cadence
– 10 one-legged merkins, left leg
– 10 one-armed burpees, left leg
– 10 one-legged toe touches.
– 10 one-legged squats, assisted
– Repeat with all exercise with right leg
– Odysseus next receives help from Aeolus, ruler of the winds. – Scout Run up Hawthorne St to Main Street, and back
– Circe turns Pax into swine
– At the track
– 50-yard swine crawl, 20 burpees
– Swine crawl back, 20 leg lifts
– Clashing Rocks
– 5 uneven merkin drag coupon, 5 BBSs with coupon
– 10 uneven merkin drag coupons, 10 BBSs with coupon
– 15 uneven merkin drag coupons, 15 BBSs with coupon
– The underworld:
– 10 absolutions, an 8-count exercise
– Sirens’ Call
– Pax hold balls-to-the-walls against construction fence for 1 minute – Scylla and Charybdis
– Scylla: sprint to the top, 10 stair merkins going down
– Charybdis: rifle carry to the top, 10 thrusters, rifle carry down – Pax choose one path.
– On the second round, they take the other path
– Battle of the Suitors
– 108 coupon swings, 108 one-armed rows, 108 coupon presses, split among the group – Mary
– Flutter kicks
– LBCs
– Moleskin
– “By hook or by crook, this peril too shall be something that we remember.”
– This line, spoken by Odysseus, reflects his resilient spirit and determination in the face of adversity. It’s a powerful reminder that the challenges we face today will one day be memories, shaping our stories and teaching us invaluable lessons.

Tags: Tar Pit, Beaker, LeMond, Tortuga, Da Vinci, T-bone, Panhandle

Date: 2026-07-18
AO: Flat Earth
Q: White Noise ,
PAX: Hypotenuse, Snatch (F3 NW HWY), Gummi Bear, T.B., Archive, Has Been, White Noise, Cheese, Jolly, Shiplap, Banks, LouGee, Rnauld FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
Conditions: small gusts of wind; hot; sweaty; breathable

WOR: SSH, stretching, D+B

The Thang: 7v7 then 7v6 ultimate frisbee

Moleskine: luck and anger

Tags: Flat Earth, Hypotenuse, Snatch (F3 NW HWY), Gummi Bear, T.B., Archive, Has Been, White Noise, Cheese, Jolly, Shiplap, Banks, LouGee, Rnauld

Date: 2026-07-17
AO: Ground Zero
Q: Cottontail ,
PAX: Beaker, LeMond, Tortuga, Mr Roboto, Endo, Cheap Shot, Crack, Stock boy, Noodles, T-bone, Cottontail, Panhandle FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
Conditions: warm, smoky, AQI of 500

WOR: SSH, SOYO

The Thang: we ran east, 3 went to Joe Bean, did stadiums, 3 rucked, the rest ran east

Moleskine: Proverbs 16:9, 19:21, when interruptions come, maybe stop and go Roth the flow, there might be a greater purpose.

Tags: Ground Zero, Beaker, LeMond, Tortuga, Mr Roboto, Endo, Cheap Shot, Crack, Stock boy, Noodles, T-bone, Cottontail, Panhandle

Date: 2026-07-18
AO: Mastodon
Q: Stock boy ,
PAX: Falsetto, Jailbreak, Too Big To Fail (TBTF), Cheap Shot, The wet burrito, Stock boy, Profesor, Sparrow FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
Conditions:
Warm, humid, and GNATS!!!!!

WOR:
Abe Vigodas, world’s greatest stretches, SSH, toy soldiers

The Thang:
HIIT to songs where we switched to high intensity movements triggered by parts of the song;
1. ‘I’m Gonna Be’ by The Proclaimers – rifle carry switching to coupon lunge walk triggered by the chorus
2. ‘I Ran’ by Flock of Seagulls – plank Jacks switching to run up Half-a triggered by “I Ran”
3. ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ by The Tokens – rows switching to overhead press triggered by “O-wimoweh”
4. ‘Tubthumping ‘ by Chumbawamba – SSH switching to burpees triggered by “Knocked down”
5. ‘Hooked On a Feeling’ by Blue Suede – Popeyes switching to curls triggered by “Ooga Chaka”
6. ‘Cult of Personality’ by Living Colour – calf raises switching to thrusters triggered by “Cult”
7. ‘Signs’ by The Five Man Electrical Band – plank switching to merkins triggered by “Signs”
8. ‘Turning Japanese’ by The Vapors – shrugs switching to clean to front rack triggered by “Japanese”
9. ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’ by Bobby McFerrin – imperial walkers switching to blockees triggered by “Be Happy”
10. ‘Jenny / 8675309’ by Tommy Tutone – bicycles switching to nutcrackers triggered by “Jenny”
11. ‘Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye’ by Steam – squats switching to goblet squats triggered by “Na na na na”

Moleskine:
When things aren’t going as well as you like, think about when times were harder, keep it in perspective, and remember God is in control.

Tags: Mastodon, Falsetto, Jailbreak, Too Big To Fail (TBTF), Cheap Shot, The wet burrito, Stock boy, Profesor, Sparrow

Date: 2026-07-16
AO: Dark Room
Q: Sparrow ,
PAX: Body Double, Tortuga, Toto, Mr Roboto, LeMond, Sparrow, Dumpster, Lakers, Manhole, Crack FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
The Thang:
• Cheerios — 70 and 85; your pick of curls and squats • Introduction to Poetry — Run a half mile
• The Lanyard — Indian Merkin push-up routine
• Tennessee Fainting Goats — Burpees while someone reads the poem
• I Chop Some Parsley While Listening to Art Blakey’s Version of “Three Blind Mice” — Spread out in a field, close your eyes, and do lunges. When you contact another “blind” participant, link arms and continue in the same direction. • Sonnet — 105 LBCs: 14 LBCs, followed by 13, and so on
• To My Favorite 17-Year-Old High School Girl — Thrusters in sets of 17; rinse and repeat until the poem ends • Child Development — Circle of trust

Moleskine:
Moleskin:
If there’s a voice inside your head that’s saying, “Don’t tell anyone about that horrible thing that you did, they won’t forgive you.” That voice is coming from your enemy. Your enemy doesn’t give you good advice. I’ve tested it dozens of times, and confession is worth it. Forgiveness is real.
Last night I woke up with that voice running through my head, so I scheduled a call with my boss and a client so I could confess and bring my behavior into the light.
Example two: I was planning to publish the full text of all the poems, even though I am not the owner. The guilty feeling in my conscience, and the 12,000 word limit of slackblast helped me think better of it. I have a clean conscience now. PTL

Tags: Dark Room, Body Double, Tortuga, Toto, Mr Roboto, LeMond, Sparrow, Dumpster, Lakers, Manhole, Crack

Date: 2026-07-17
AO: Flat Earth
Q: Jolly ,
PAX: LouGee, Banks, Swish, Jolly, Shiplap
FNGs: None
COUNT: 5
Conditions:
Less than ideal.

WOR:
SSH, OYO stretching

The Thang:
3v2 hotbox

Moleskine:
Suck it up, have fun.

Tags: Flat Earth, LouGee, Banks, Swish, Jolly, Shiplap

Date: 2026-07-16
AO: Mastodon
Q: Stock boy ,
PAX: Noodles, Stock boy, Too Big To Fail (TBTF), Archive, Falsetto, Audible FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
Conditions:
Hot and humid

WOR:
Abe Vigodas, stretches, 10 4 ct Flutters, 10 Bear squats, 10 Orangutans, 10 Merkins, 10 Box cutters, 10 Squats

The Thang:
5 alive FBOMBS
Flutters
Bear squats
Orangutans
Merkins
Box cutters
Squats

Then 10 pullups/bar-hangs

Ended with Mary

Moleskine:
If you believe in God and that everything happens according to his plan, then use that to sustain you during hard times.

Tags: Mastodon, Noodles, Stock boy, Too Big To Fail (TBTF), Archive, Falsetto, Audible

Date: 2026-07-15
AO: Tar Pit
Q: Jolly ,
PAX: The wet burrito, LouGee, Tortuga, Da Vinci, Too Big To Fail (TBTF), White Noise, Sparrow, Panhandle, Beaker, Jolly FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
Conditions:
Sweaty

WOR:
Abe Vigodas
SSH
Arm Circles
Stretch OYO

The Thang:

We headed to the track and did a one lap warm up mosey.

Round 1
We did 10 reps of the following exercises slow, in cadence, with good form and full range of motion.

Skull crushers
Overhead press
Curls
Goblet squats
Block merkins
Big boy sit-ups

Pax then repeated all of the exercises on their own and then ran a lap. 200 thrusters spittoon style.

Round 2
Beaker called the exercises for this round and was given the option to keep them the same, swap one out for a new one or just add one on. Beaker subtracted the big boy sit-ups and added Freddy Mercury’s (or some variant thereof).

Repeat on own, run lap, 200 burpees spittoon style.

Round 3
TBTF called this round. He decided to subtract squats and added squat/jump over coupon.

Repeat on own, run lap, 250 one leg merkins spittoon style.

Moleskine:
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” James 1:19 NIV

COT:
Tortuga’s upcoming MRI. Jolly’s friend’s mother.

Tags: Tar Pit, The wet burrito, LouGee, Tortuga, Da Vinci, Too Big To Fail (TBTF), White Noise, Sparrow, Panhandle, Beaker, Jolly