9/27 BACKBLAST: AO MASTODON

F3 Wheaton Birthday Ruck – The pre-blast is worth revisiting @ https://f3-wheaton.slack.com/archives/CHAB0AB1C/p1632574191139700

WOR: OYO stretch while @Archive took us down memory lane with the lore of F3 Wheaton’s beginnings and supplied us with these haiku:

rucks alone
a month of mondays
Crunch

Pizza beer ballerina toe squats
the Q flees

Banks finishes alone

second beatdown
four hour ruck
Noodles

monday Crunch Q
thursday Banks Q
saturday Archive Q
repeat

four years of beatdowns
faith fitness fellowship for free
a round of birthbees for nantan three

THE THANG: We were a group of HIM carrying heavy things in packs around the AO and offering some mumble chatter along the way. We did a manrise at Hoffa where @Sparrow drew our attention to resurrection and the assent of F3!

COT: 19 PAX: @Archive @Banks @BigMac @CaptianCrunch @Cheese (RESPECT) @8-Track @Hotbox @Jail Break @Jolly @Katniss @Panhandle (RESPECT) @SAGA (Q) @Shiplap @Sparrow @T-bone (RESPECT) @TBTF @Tortuga (RESPECT) @Zoro + an FNG (@Tackle Box – welcome)

Moleskin: Our Nantan @Banks led us in a reminder of where we have come from and where we are going. He shared the F3 charge of “free to lead” and encouraged the PAX to not travel alone but together…

8/26 BACKBLAST: AO MASTODON


Sweating To The Oldies: The 80s Beatdown

Here was the playlist: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhzkvNUIsfkQGd0NkhiFvT6iITK4JBKcW&feature=share (bonus tracks included)

“Back in Black” played as the PAX gathered in the gloom…


WOR: A variety of warm-ups happened to the tune of  “Adventure on Earth” – from E.T.

We gathered our coupons and guided by the moon we made our way over to the cooties while the music carried us along.

THANG 1: E.T. carried us into “We’re Not Gonna Take It” – 3 pull-ups while PAX behind did squats…rotated for a good while and then took our coupons to the base of Hoffa.

THANG 2: “Billie Jean” – did a bit of dancing with our coupons

THANG 3: “Another One Bites The Dust” – partnered up and while one did a farmer’s carry with two coupons and sprinted back, the other PAX did merkins – rotated through the song.

THANG 4: “Fight For Your Right” – blockees and some runs up Hoffa

THANG 5: “Never Gonna Give You Up” – a Rick roll inspiration of burpees!

THANG 6: “Battery” & “Give It To Me Baby” – dips turned a bit scarry as we entered into a redrum

THANG 7: “Take Me Home Tonight” – Mary-Go-Round with some blockees thrown in

Walked back to the flags as “Every Rose Has A Thorn” played and the credits rolled…

COT: 15 PAX: @Beaker @Bloomer @Bogo @Cheese (RESPECT) @Da Vinci @8-Track @Gummi Bear @Hotbox @Jolly @Panda Express @Ranger Rick @SAGA (Q) @Sparrow @Wet Burrito @Y2K (welcome)

Moleskin: Push yourself and press into love: who will you love well today? At some point the music stops and all you have is love!

7/31 BACKBLAST: The Greatest Showman double-header Q @ Tar Pit & Mastodon

We finished out Glee Week with three Tony Awards to @Da Vinci @Jolly @SAGA

AO TAR PIT – 5:30AM

Beatdown set to the following playlist: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhzkvNUIsfkTV7guqBQWxzpfcEWcqaYsj&feature=share

WOR: “The Greatest Show” (5m3s)

A fast paced warm-up where we played show not tell. The coat-wearing and cane-toting Q silently led all the warm-up exercises as we entered into the greatest show. This summer block-buster variety show included: squats, tappy taps, the one where your hands are on your head and you touch your elbows to your knees, arm circles, arm circles while squatting, running in a circle while pumping fists into the air, merkins, mtn. man poopers, mtn. climbers, under-leg clapping and other such showmanship…

THANG 1: “A Million Dreams” (4m30s)

Followed the Q through plank / merkins / LBCs as we thought about how “every night we lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head, a million dreams are keeping me awake, I think of what the world could be…”

THANG 2: “The Other Side” (3m35s)

Gathered up our coupons and headed over the field on the outside of the track.

THANG 3: “Never Enough” (3m28s)

In an attempt to model the lyrics of this song we did a bunch of curls and then burpeed until the end of the song.

THANG 4: “From Now On” (5m50s)

Q led through a repeat beatdown of rows, overhead press, curls, & big boy sit-ups.

THANG 5: “Who Am I” (2m38s)

Hugh Jackman was still singing at us and intimidating us with his last name as we moved into a Les Mis song which was the inspiration for Glee Week. Trying to figure out who we were, we did coupon work OYO in the reps of your age.

THANG 6: “Honey, Honey” + “Money, Money, Money” + “Mamma Mia” (9m+)

Crying ABBA we moseyed to the track were the PAX did an OYO run through the songs.

THANG 7: “Dancing Queen” (4m4s)

After the previous leg warm-up, we dove into a repeat of Bonny Blairs + blockees + mucho legos per the Q’s request.

THANG 8: “Take A Chance” (4m1s)

Murder Bunny 20 yards out to the fence, bear crawl back, sprint to the coupon and repeat taking a chance.

THANG 9: “Bat Out Of Hell” (9m50s)

Headed back to the flags where we finished out the song and felt the burn with skull crushers, burpees over blocks, curls, and squats on repeat.

THANG 10: “Proud Mary” (5m28s)

Tina Turner took us home as we closed out in a circle of Mary as the PAX called out American Hammers, LBCs, side-straddle hops, big boy sit-ups, & a plank to finish.

COT: 7 PAX @Cheese (respect) @Cookies (no wait, he was sleeping) @Da Vinci @Jolly @Katniss @SAGA (Q) @T-Bone (respect) @Tortuga (respect)

Praise for @Da Vinci’s completed book

Moleskin: A reminder again that F3 is for all men and a charge for us to welcome all.

AO MASTODON – 7AM

Beatdown set to the following play list: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhzkvNUIsfkRI8Zohs3c3V2DTCaCJUxc5&feature=share

WOR: repeated The Greatest Show from Tar Pit, although at Mastodon we had intrigued onlookers wondering at the wonder that is us!

THANG 1: “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” (5m16s) + “Today” (3m22s)

Wondering together what the “that” was, we felt compelled to mini-murph as we repeated 5 pull-ups / 10 merkins / 15 squats as it bled into Smashing Pumpkins reminding us “today is the greatest day” and closed out the song with a mosey to Hoffa.

THANG 2: “Sixteen Going On Seventeen” (3m9s)

Letting the music lead us: 16 curls into 17 skull crushers on repeat.

THANG 3: “My Favorite Things” + “The Lonely Goatherd” + “A Spoonful of SAGA” + “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (11m+)

Taking the lead from the first song and adding some of the SAGA that makes the medicine go down, we completed a couple redrums! Enjoyed the whimsy of the last song as we moseyed over to the ball diamond.

THANG 4: “Step In Time” (8m43s)

Running the bases we took some time to make our mark on repeat: 1st = 10 merkins / 2nd = 20 squats / 3rd = 30 flutters (the hard way) / Home = 40 LBCs.

THANG 5: “Let’s Go Fly A Kite” (1m54s)

A joyful run back to and up Hoffa where we let our kites fly in the form of some burpees.

THANG 6: “What’s The Buzz” (2m36s)

What’s the buzz? COUPONS! Back down Hoffa to great our coupons and murder bunny out 20 yards, bear crawl back, sprint to the coupons – repeat.

THANG 7: “Look Down” (3m17s)

Returning to the Les Mis inspiration that drew us into Glee Week we played the part of prisoners under SAGA’s guard: 6 grave diggers + 5 blockees + plank for an OYO recovery & repeat through the song.

THANG 8: “One Day More” (3m42s)

If you only had one day more what would you do? Easy, 1 more redrum!

THANG 9: “Glory Days” (4m20s)

Recalling a previous week of song we took this as a call back to the flags where SAGA we paused for a late-beatdown moleskin at the flag to talk about how the symbol has become more complicated in recent years. As I posted it this week in front of my house during the 2nd-F event I thought about how it might be viewed by some. I am more of a pacifist myself but have a son preparing to sacrifice his life for our country. Let us be mindful of the symbol of freedom that the flag represents (even the kind of freedom that allows someone to dismiss it as a good symbol) and let us be mindful of those who have sacrificed that we might live in this country as we do.

Ran with the flag one lap around the parking lot of the AO to conclude the song,

THANG 10: “Born To Hand JIVE” (4m40s)

Brought back by popular demand because it makes the PAX feel good—closed out with some hand jive Mary: American hammers, crunchy frog, flutters, planks low and high.

COT: 12 PAX @Archive @Bloomer @Crack @Crash (hate) @Da Vinci @8-Track @Jäzz Händz @Jolly @K-Pop (hate) @Minnie (FNG) @SAGA @TBTF

Prayers for @Crack’s friend Chuck in the hospital, @Jäzz Händz friends Brian in the hospital and wife Lauren, @TBTF’s uncle and the loss of an aunt

7/30 BACKBLAST: AO GROUND ZERO

Glee Week: Footloose Friday Run Club
“He’s a big-city kid in a small town. They said he’d never win. He knew he had to.”

The Footloose Soundtrack carried us through the gloom…

WOR: Mtn. Man Poopers + Mtn. Man Climbers :grin: + Tappy Taps + Quad Stretch

THANG 1: Partner relay sprint up over the bridge and back. 1st PAX sprinted 25 yards while partner counted for 3sec and took off to catch the other and then switched…

THANG 2: Run to the near parking garage and did another partner sprint to the top of the deck and moseyed back down…

THANG 3: Solo sprint up to each of the parking deck landings with a ten-second pause before sprinting to the next level. Moseyed back down…

THANG 4: Ran to the 1st Trust parking garage and did another solo sprint to the top.

THANG 5: Ran back to Ground Zero for a final sprint up to the bridge to conclude.

COT: 11 PAX cut loose through the gloom @Beaker @Cheese (respect) @Crack @Da Vinci @8-Track @Jolly @Panhandle @SAGA (Q) @Shiplap @T-bone (respect) @Toto

Prayers for @Crack‘s friend Chuck in intensive care after surgery, @T-bone‘s M has hit the respect club, @pockets

Moleskin: A reminder that F3 is for all men regardless their background or religion. A call to welcome all.

BACKBLAST: Wednesday 7.28.21 Greased Lightnin’ Glee Week Beatdown @ AO Mastodon

The PAX all gathered in the gloom at a stormy Tar Pit and the Q made the call right after a close lightnin’ strike to drag race over to Mastodon and fight for love in the safety of the SHOP. We completed 45 minutes of a beatdown in 30 minutes while following this musical play list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF0QWJkDmjU&list=PLHC0tUF-urwa1OjF774nJnV17GSPx1zZS&index=1

WOR: “Grease” slide (3m26s)

Consisted of moving some picnic tables and then circling up in the SHOP and completing Arm Circles, Squats, Merkins, & Mtn. Climbers while doing a slide over to the left every time the word “grease” was sung.

THANG 1: “Summer Nights” (3m37s)

Pressing into the duet: squats when the men sang & merkins when the women sang & burpees when they sang together.

THANG 2: “You’re The One That I Want” (2m58s)

Followed the Q in chest presses, overhead presses and rows. During the chorus we enacted the title of the song by pressing into blockbees.

THANG 3: “Sandy” aka SAGA’s newly named coupon (2m36s) into “Beauty School Dropout” (4m)

With a partner: PAX at bottom of Hoffa did curls while partner ran the hill and did 20 LBCs at the top and ran back to switch – repeated until music was done.

THANG 4: Greased Lightnin’ (3m14s)

Got those engines up on the blocks and ready for the drag race. Partner farmer carried the coupons away from Hoffa to the path and back while the other PAX did burpees. Drag raced on repeat until the song finished.

THANG 5: “Rock N’ Roll Is Here To Stay” (2m3s)

Some say rock n’ roll is of the devil. Some say redrum is of the devil. Some say SAGA is the devil. 1 redrum was completed up Hoffa and back.

THANG 6: “Hound Dog” (1m25s)

Hungry for the coupon, we pressed into this song and a tribute to the things we love: MABA & the Arms Race. PAX were encourage to give it all they had for this burst of a beatdown: 2 Blockbees + 5 Curls on repeat until the song was done.

THANG 7: “Born To Hand Jive” (4m+) aka Mary

Adding some flair with jiving hands we followed the Q through American Hammers, Crunchy Frogs, Flutter Kicks with hands raised and jiving, Plank, Merkins, Shoulder Taps with a hand jive, Plank in a down merkin position

CoR/NoR/Cot: 12 PAX in attendance: @Big Mac @Bloomer @Cookies @Crack @Da Vinci @8-track @Jolly @Katniss @Panhandle @Milkduds (respect) @SAGA (Q) @T-Bone (no wait he didn’t make it – losing some respect) @Tortuga (respect)

Prayers for @Jolly’s M and her mentoring opportunity beginning tomorrow, @Da Vinci’s book, @Milkduds’ 2.0

MOLESKIN: Don’t forget to have fun in the storms of life. There is always the possibility of heading to another space and still engaging in a beatdown!

BACKBLAST: Thursday 7.15.21 “SAGA’s Birthday Beatdown @ AO Mastodon

Thanks to all the HIMs who came out to celebrate my first year of F3 life. The day was full of baptisms in the gloom due to the plentiful rain, fun will balloons, and a beatdown on Hoffa.

WOR: to the tune of “Don’t Worry Be Happy”

Birthbees / Mt. Climbers / Abe Vigodas / Arm Circles

The rest of the beatdown was completed to the childhood songs of Harry Connick Jr.

THANG 1: SAGA’s Balloon Extravaganza

What is a birthday party without balloons? Thus the requirement for the PAX to entertain SAGA while he watched with glee. Four groups of four lined up behind the pull-up bar. First PAX does three pull-ups with a balloon between his knees (other PAX are in a row doing squats, merkins and side straddle hops). The balloon was to be passed without using hands and if it fell to the ground penalties in the shape of burpees were completed.

As a final party trick, SAGA had two contestants from each row positioned with a balloon between their F3 chests and the race was on to see which pair could pop their balloons first. Let me just say, there are many things that are more fun without alcohol and this is one of them. Brother’s got to hug!

THANG 2: 45 to 1

Honoring both SAGA’s hospital age and his F3 age the following were completed:

  1. 45 squats / 45 sit-ups / 45 merkins : 1 redrum
  2. 45 coupon curls / 45 coupon kettle swings / 45 skull crushers : 1 redrum
  3. 45 coupon rows / 45 overhead press / 45 goblet squats : 1 redrum
  4. 45 burpees : 1 redrum

CoR/NoR/Cot: 17 PAX in attendance: @Aloha @Banks @Beaker @Cookies @Da Vinci @Hotbox @Jolly @Panda Express @Panhandle @SAGA (Q) @Shiplap @Sparrow @Squatty @TBTF @T-Bone (respect) @Tortuga (respect) @Whittler

Prayers for Cuba & Haiti, @Whittler’s coming move, @Banks’ house selling, @Archive’s job interview, @Hotbox future opportunities

Bananas were awarded and the ways of the force that I first learned from @Sparrow’s “Choose Your Own Adventure” continue for another year to come…

MOLESKIN: Be content: what if you already have what to want?

BACKBLAST: 6.26.21 “SAGA’s Summation of Les Misérables” 5:30AM @ AO Tar Pit

WOR: Mt Man Poopers / Arm Circles / Abe Vigodas / Merkins / Mt Climbers

THANG 1: Dropped off coupons under the trees in the park and moseyed down the sidewalk and around the circle in front of the Lake Ellyn dock area…

THANG 2: misery

While listening to Disc 1 of Les Misérables we entered into the grand narrative of pain and redemption. We moved through the following exercises in reps of 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 while running our THANG 1 loop before starting the next round. Once done with 20 reps we started over at 5 to continue the story of our lives!

LBCs + Blockbees + Overhead Press + Coupon Curls + Coupon Rows + Block Merkins + Skull Crushers + Flutter Kicks + Mosey…

CoR/NoR/Cot: 8 PAX in attendance: @Big Mac @Hotbox @Jolly @Katniss @Noodles @Panhandle @SAGA (Q) @Sparrow

Prayers for @Sparrow and his week-long trip to Armenia today.

BACKBLAST: Tues 6.15.21 “SAGA Is A Four Letter Word” @ AO Mastodon

WOR: Birthbees / Tappy Taps / Mt Climbers

THANG 1: Manrise for beauty and bros

10 burpees at top of Hoffa to take in the view of the AO (call out to 3rd-F)

Mosey to lamppost by parking lot

THANG 2: 11s – SAGA rhymes with MABA (a bit of January in June!)

At the lamppost we divided into three teams – goal was to stay together as a whole PAX: call out to 2nd-F)

10 squats + 1 burpee

9 squats + 2 burpees

8 squats + 3 burpees…until 1 & 10)

10 merkins in cadence

THANG 3: Sometimes you are on your own

Race to the bottom of Hoffa while trying to catch SAGA on his scooter (shoutout to @Sparrow @Gummi Bear @Hotbox)

LBCs in cadence

THANG 4: more 11s up and down Hoffa—SAGA is a synonym for PAIN

10 squats at base + 1 burpee at top

9 squats at base + 2 burpees at top

8 squats at base + 3 burpees at top…until 1 & 10

Flutter Kicks on top of Hoffa in cadence

Mosey to base of Hoffa…

THANG 5: Ring of fire—descent into HELL

In a circle, all PAX doing burpees while the Q begins with 20 squats and goes into burpees and passes squats to the next PAX who does 20 squats and so on around the circle…push ‘til the end, hit that wall and go over it…

10 merkins to show you still got some in you

THANG 6: Manrise to top of Hoffa—we’re all in this together #F3

10 burpees

American Hammers in cadence

Mosey to flags

CoR/NoR/Cot: 18 PAX in attendance: @Aloha @Beaker @Bloomer @BOGO @Captian Crunch @Cheese (respect) @Crack @Da Vinci @Gummi Bear @Hotbox @Jolly @Panda Express @SAGA (Q) @Sherpa @Shiplap @Sparrow @T-Bone (respect) @Whittler

Prayers for @Tortuga’s travel and his M, @Whittler and decisions about work, @Gummi Bear’s sister Lindy and her recent move

MOLESKIN: You can do hard things and you can do even more hard things when you’re with a PAX. The gift of F3 in fitness, fellowship, & faith—we never travel alone when we travel with the PAX—so much for which to give thanks…

BACKBLAST: 6.1.21 “RAMBO” @ AO Mastodon

WOR: 20 Mtn Man Poopers / 5 nipple scrappers / bat wings

Moleskin: You can do more than you realize. After hearing two recent stories from my 2.0s about nearing failure but pushing through, I was reminded how much more we can go even if we think we are at our end. So, what is a trial you are currently facing—when you get to that point when you want to give up, think to yourself that you are only at 60% and there is a lot more in the tank…

ONLY THANG: R.A.M.B.O. @ Hoffa with coupon & Rambo soundtrack (it was the thing that emotions are made of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PySp8KI3NbU)

Redrum (murder bunny up Hoffa / 10 blockees at top / rifle carry down)

Abs (oyo choice) x 50 reps

Merkins x25 reps

Burpees x10 reps

Oyo choice w/coupon x50 reps

Run across the “enemy bridge” and back (aka, run from Hoffa across the two near bridges and come back to repeat above)

CoR/NoR/Cot:

19 PAX in attendance: @Babe @Banks @Beaker @Big Mac @BOGO @Captain Crunch @Cheese @Da Vinci @Getaway @Jolly @Katniss @Ralphy @Panda Express @SAGA (Q) @Shiplap @Sparrow @T-Bone @Tortuga @Yankee (welcome FNG!)

Moleskin reprise:

When you hit that wall and think you have given 100%, remember you are only at 60% and keep going…

BACKBLAST: Wed 5.5.21 “SAGA’s Feast: The 100 Yard Dash of Salt & Pain w/Elevenses” @ AO Tar Pit

WOR: Side Straddle Hops / Arm Circles / Tappy Taps / Merkins / Mt Climbers

THANG 1: SAGA’s 100 Yard Dash of Salt and Pain

Feast begins at the endzone.

ROUND 1: 10 blockees + sprint to 10 yard line and back

ROUND 2: 20 skull crushers + sprint to the 20 yard line and back

ROUND 3: 30 goblet squats + sprint to the 30 yard line and back

ROUND 4: 40 derkins + sprint to the 40 and back

ROUND 5: 50 coupon curls + sprint to the 50 and back

ROUND 6: 60 overhead press + sprint to the 60 and back

ROUND 7: 70 lunges (one-is-one) + sprint to the 70 and back

ROUND 8: 80 bent over rows + sprint to the 80 and back

ROUND 9: 90 LBCs + sprint to the 90 and back

ROUND 10: 100 air squats + sprint to the other end zone THEN 10 burpees and back…

pick-up the 6

THANG 2: Elevenses

Rifle carry to 10 yard line & do 10 squats + 1 blockee

Continue rifle carry to the 20 yard line and do 9 squats + 2 blockees…

…all the way to the end zone where you do 1 squat + 10 blockees

Rifle carry back 100 yards

MARY: 3min of flutter kicks & low plank

CoR/NoR/Cot: 9 PAX in attendance: @Babe @Da Vinci @Hotbox @Jolly @Milk Duds (respect) @Panhandle @SAGA (Q) @Shiplap @Tortuga (respect)

Prayers for @Dr Phil’s brother who had a severe stroke, @Babe & @SAGA churches dealing with disciplinary issues, @Hotbox’s M and 2-year-old, Cooper’s recovery from brain surgery (@Bloomer’s son)

MOLESKIN: #sword-swallowers—if you can’t remember the verse, at least remember the 3Gs… 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of work, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good work which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Eph 2:8-10