Author: dthaase

Sgt. Zachary D. Tellier, 31, of Charlotte was a combat infantryman with the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, at Fort Bragg. He died Sept. 29, 2007 of wounds sustained while on a ground patrol in Afghanistan. In April, Tellier’s unit was on a mounted patrol when one of its vehicles drove over and detonated a bomb, which set the vehicle on fire, officials said. Tellier pulled two paratroopers to safety, suffering severe burns to his hands. He was awarded the Bronze Star with valor for his actions. Tellier also had received two Purple Hearts. After he was burned, Tellier jumped up in the turret to return fire, said Sgt. Michael Layton, a member of his unit. A lieutenant made Tellier get out of the vehicle because of his injuries

WOR: Motivators / Goofballs / Tappy Taps / Mt Climbers

THANG 1: 5 rounds for time… w/a @Jolly here or there

ROUND 1: 10 Burpees

ROUND 2: 10 Burpees + 25 Push-Ups

ROUND 3: 10 Burpees + 25 Push-Ups + 50 Lunges

ROUND 4: 10 Burpees + 25 Push-Ups + 50 Lunges + 100 Sit-Ups

ROUND 5: 10 Burpees + 25 Push-Ups + 50 Lunges + 100 Sit-Ups + 150 Air Squats

THANG 2: round the track we go for a SAGA mile:

10 burpees + lap / 10 merkins + lap / 10 sit-ups + lap / 10 lunges + lap / end w/10 squats

CoR/NoR/Cot: 8 PAX in attendance: @Banks @Big Mac @Milk Duds(respect) @Noodles @Panhandle @SAGA (Q) @T-bone (respect) @Tortuga (respect)

Prayers for @T-bone’s M’s friend, Caroline, whose father died in Africa and she is unable to be present / @Noodles and his job search / @Bloomer’s son Cooper and his healing and recovery after surgery / Ms & 2.0s

MOLESKIN: The gift of a PAX and those who have gone before us and gave their lives to secure our freedom. We too are called to daily give our lives for others.

remember #sword-swallowers:  

“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

#3rd-f opportunities: Exodus World Services + $ to get a gift for @Bloomer’s son Cooper

WOR: Motivators / Goofballs / Tappy Taps / Mt Climbers

ONLY THANG: Partner WOD on track with a bit of 80s music for support—each PAX did both exercises in the list below before moving on.One PAX at end zone doing exercise while the partner PAX went 50 yards and back as follows:

1. squats + farmer’s carry both coupons to 50 yard & back: switch
2. merkins + rifle carry to 50 yard & back: switch
3. blockees + sprints to 100 yard & back: switch
4. curls & rows + lunges to 25 yard & back: switch
5. overhead press (50) + LBCs (both at end zone): switch
6. mosey 2 laps (1st lap w/1 coupon to pass back-and-forth // 2nd lap run/race)

REPEATED all above until time ran out (a few PAX completed a full two rounds of all reps).

Ended with a victory lap 400 sprint!

CoR/NoR/Cot: 14 PAX in attendance: @Banks @Da Vinci @Dr Phil @Hotbox @Jolly @Katniss @Noodles @Panhandle @SAGA (Q) @Shiplap @T-Bone (respect) @Tortuga (respect) @Whittler + we welcomed an FNG: @Milkdud (respect)

MOLESKIN: remember #sword-swallowers

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” – Eph 2:8

The story you tell yourself is the story you live in.

Guard from the life too simply summarized, live the epic as it unfolds.

After some pre-blast un-HCing among the PAX and thinking some tom foollery was going on behind his back (which indeed it was), SAGA waited in the shadows to make sure he would win as the ultimate fool. Seeing the PAX all gathered, he appeared as a light in the gloom and entered the AO as the Mastodon Jester dressed for April 1^st. He cued up the beatdown soundtrack of Jesus Christ Superstar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3m2kQ-tOEk) and with a nod to it also being Maundy Thursday in Holy Week he invited the PAX to lay down their lives for their brothers (Maundy comes from the Latin word “command” & refers to Jesus’ commandment to the disciples to “Love one another as I have loved you”).

WOR: Motivators / Goofballs / Tappy Taps / Mt Climbers

THANG ONE: Cooties Cooties, I got my COVID shot

Two team relay: 1 PAX does 2 pull-ups while rest of PAX does squats and cycled through the team for 3 rounds to see which team won

50 shoulder taps to make sure the PAX are vaccinated (1-is-1)

50 merkins to make sure the vaccine worked

Mosey to…

THANG TWO: Carousel of Foolishness

Timed Challenge @ ball diamond—1^st round: tried to beat other team / 2^nd round: tried to beat their own team record + other team. Winning team time through the following was 3min 26sec…

1^st = 25 merkins / 2^nd = 25 burpees / 3^rd = 25 squats / Home = 25 star jumps

Team in dugout switched between dips & planks (or whatever miscommunication SAGA had determined was appropriate in the moment).

When you want to get off but the carousel won’t stop: 25 merkins to remind you of your foolishness. Then, mosey to…

THANG THREE: “Remember, Philip, you’re going to die!” (legend has it that this is what King Philip’s jester told him every day he entered the court)

Teams started at lamppost at the base of Hoffa and ran over the bridge stopping at each lamppost until they reached the 8^th lamppost: 5 burpees at first lamppost & then 10 squats at next lamppost – repeated same reps at following lampposts in same order. PAX were instructed to pick up the six on their team if they had completed everything (helped with reps to get them to the finish line)—first team to 8^th lamppost won, except that we all die and so 25 more merkins + 50 LBCs + 25 burpees + race Tortuga back to the flags.

CoR/NoR/Cot:

13 PAX in attendance: Archive, Beaker, Captain Crunch, Cookies, Crack, Da Vinci, Hotbox, Jolly, SAGA (Q), Shiplap, Sparrow, T-Bone (respect), Tortuga (respect)

Moleskin: remember #sword-swallowers

“For by grace you have been saved through faith” – Eph 2:8

This famous quote from Jim Elliot’s October 28, 1949 journal entry, written the autumn after he graduated from Wheaton: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

See his journal housed at Wheaton College @ https://www.facebook.com/WheatonCollegeGraduateAdmissions/posts/he-is-no-fool-who-gives-what-he-cannot-keep-to-gain-that-which-he-cannot-losethi/1901188219934907/

Whimsy will save the world—make sure in the seriousness you are also quick to play. The world needs laughter alongside the sorrow. Be good air for others to breathe...

Pre-Blast reprise for context: On February 2, 2021 a very unfortunate thing happened to SAGA in the quotes channel of Slack – he thought this was a safe place, he thought acceptance and tolerance were before him, he thought “modify as necessary” should also extend to his disability in spelling – It was there announced that Tortuga, Jolly, and Cookies must pay for there insensitivity and this should extend to all the PAX who stood by and let him be afflicted with such correction. Having thus lived with being upset for over a month and the FACT that he did not feel cared for and knew it would be a few more years before he would gain actual respect, he has decided he would do what our current culture has taught him to do: he would become angry and let everyone know of his oppression! He should not have to put up with this kind of abuse (he sees the way you all look at him with that disapproving glare in your eyes—you should be ashamed of yourselves). The PAX have begun to murder him with there words so he has decided to murder them with his beatdown. He tried to understand why their so mean to him. What had he done to deserve such blatant rejection? He has tried to love them equally and find ways to support they’re causes. He must now speak his truth—you all have hurt me and must pay the price of you’re offense. You’ve experienced Shiplap’s HOUSE of PAIN—now it’s time for SAGA’s HILL of HURT. What kind of fire comes out of the furnace when coupons are thrown in?

WOR: Glory Week playlist began with Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”

Motivators / Mountain Man Poopers / Mountain Climbers / Rochamburpees: Choose a partner. Both in chillcut plank position (elbows & toes). Play Rochambeau (rock, paper, scissors) while in chillcut. Round 1: loser does 1 Burpee, winner does 1 Merkin. Stay in chillcut and play several rounds, adding an additional Burpee/Merkin every round. EC: every tie, both do round # of Merkins.

Brought coupons to bottom of Hoffa w/flags…as Springsteen’s “Born to Run” began we completed a Glory Day mosey around the field w/flags & accomplished 20 burpees when two flags went down. Planted flags at the top of Hoffa & explained the workout with Glory Week inspired music at the top and bottom of the hill.

ONLY THANG: SAGA’s Hill of H.U.R.T.

H = Hoffa Hill Manrise Sprint + 10 burpees at the top to celebrate your manliness

U = Upper Body (R1 = 50 overhead press / R2 = 50 curls / R3 = 50 rows) – REPEAT

R = Redrum (murder bunny up Hoffa, 10 blockees, rifle carry down)

T = Thighs (R1 = 50 squats / R2 = 50 lunges / R3 = 50 jackhammers) – REPEAT

6 minutes of Mary led by Springsteen’s “Oh Mary Don’t you Weep” as the PAX called out exercises: crunchy frogs, LBCs, flutter kicks, canoe, reverse planks, hip raises.

Back to the parking lot to the tune of Springsteen’s “Glory Days”

CoR/NoR/Cot:

19 PAX in attendance: Banks, Beaker, Cookies, Babe, TBTF, Jailbreak, Katniss, Captain Crunch, Wet Burrito, Double Beef n’ Cheddar, Bloomer, Archive, Tortuga (respect)), Sparrow, Da Vinci, Jolly, Hotbox, SAGA (Q) + my 2.0 FNG was named: Stupe

Prayers for Archive and M as they navigate sleepless nights with the wee one, also lifted up Tortuga’s M and my M as they face mental and physical challenges, gratitude given for the lives we have to steward.

Hotbox & Tortuga led the way in reciting James 1 for the PAX.

Beaker drove to Aurora and brought us some delicious German doughnuts to enjoy during our coffeteria & stenciling festivities of 777 Glory, 8-ball, PAXademy, pull-up 500, FNG Drive, etc.

“Redrum” submitted to the F3 Exicon.

Announcement: 2^nd-F gathering on Wed 3/17 @ 7:30pm @ Bank’s house

• 

The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” ~ Psalm 19:1

WoR:We entered the gloom with a rousing call to a beatdown via this PLAYLIST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isic2Z2e2xs which carried the following constellation of 14 PAX into orbit: Sparrow, Archive, Da Vinci, Bloomer, Tortuga (RESPECT), Beaker, Hotbox, Banks, Cookies, Babe, Panhandle, Jolly, Katniss, SAGA (Q)

1. 7 Motivators
2. 10 Squats – 3 count
3. Tappy-Taps
4. Sun Gods – 3 count
5. 5 Half-Moon Push-Up – OYO

Thang 1: Mosey – orbit to the “asteroid belt” – halfway we paused for 5 half-moon pushups on an asteroid.

“I don’t want a minute of easy happiness until this earth knows that God is alive! We must bow down before the living God and weep aloud for having killed him up to now. We are born for trouble, born for battle. Shame on us Christians who are always wanting to have it nice and soft, with a bit of God in our lives!…God calls out to us, “Share in my business!” and we are fooling ourselves unless we do this.” – Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt

Thang 2: Shooting Comet – 100 yard dash on road in triads — there and back

Thang 3: Asteroid Belt

1. 10 Half-Moon Pushups
2. 10 Dips
3. 10 Derkins

Thang 4: Death Star (modified) – 5 stations out in shape of star. Run to each point of the star and perform 30 merkins at each, for a total of 150. – ended with star jumps. At this point we had made it to Jupiter and gave thanks for Hotbox and his M (who walked down the aisle to this song in the suite).

Thang 5: Ursa Minor aka Little Bear, aka Little Dipper (Bear Crawl 360) – i.e. bear crawl while spinning.

Thang 6: Ursa Major aka Big Bear, aka Big Dipper – Bear crawl for 14 and then burpee into a star jump (in honor of Polaris in the ursa minor constellation).

Thang 7: Moon Gods – Start in side plank on elbow and edge of lower foot. Bring top foot into the air as high as comfortable and move in circular pattern. Switch sides and repeat!

Thang 8: Mosey to Manrise (x3) – threw in some burpees cause they are fun.

Mary: Heels to Heaven – heels up at 90 degrees. Count cadence lowering the heels down to 6 inches, then thrust them back up to 90 degrees bringing your 6 off the pavement, thus shooting your heels to heaven.

ENDED ON URANUS – which is funny!

CoT w/prayers for our M’s & a closing Moleskin:

O extravagant God,
in this ripening, red-tinged [spring] autumn,
waken in me a sense of joy
in just being alive,
joy for nothing in general
except everything in particular;
joy in sun and rain
mating with earth to birth a harvest;
joy in soft light
through shyly disrobing trees;
joy in acolyte moon
setting halos around processing clouds;
joy in the beating of a thousand wings
mysteriously knowing which way is warm;
joy in wagging tails and kids’ smiles
and in this spunky old city;
joy in the taste of bread and wine,
the smell of dawn,
a touch,
a song,
a presence;
joy in having what I cannot live without —
other people to hold and cry and laugh with
joy in love,
in you;
and that all at first and last
is grace.

—Ted Loder, Guerrillas of Grace

@ A.O. Mastodon | 5:30am

It is a dark time for the Rebellion, having to gather in the gloom of a 5:30am blizzard. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy (currently the trials of both Fat Camp and MABA have left them hangry and fatigued). Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by SAGA has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth. The evil lord Loneliness, obsessed with finding young SAGA, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space….

To make matters worse, Sparrow has been trapped like a Han solo in a motionless state. Other PAX where voiceless as the pre-blast went forth through slack. There was fear that our beloved Nantan would be used like a dead tauntaun—oh how we longed for such warmth. But any of the fear was mere foolishness as the Q arrived, wearing the ancient shawl of a humble Jedi warrior who is not a professional, he knew the danger ahead but decided to play (cue star wars theme music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8&list=PLdKFtHTuSEuN3va3L9yj8bkJYTQfrMSIx)…

WOR: 15 imperial walkers | 15 imperial squat walker | 10 burpees for a downed flag | 10 Jedi arm circles

THANG 1: “Mos Eisley” to base of Hoffa to get the blood pumping—ran up Hoffa and yelled like a dying tauntaun at the top and then did 10 burpees, back down the hill…

THANG 2: Echo Base on Hoth: circled up—Q started while all the PAX held a blizzard gazing Jolly the Hutt (aka a Jabba) until the first exercise got to them—for the first round, Q did a select # before the next PAX begins after Q yelled “F3 name of neighbor”…when it got back to the Q a new exercise was initiated while the PAX kept doing the exercise they were on until the newly called exercise arrived at them…

1. Star Wars Jumps
2. Lifting the Emperor (aka Overhead Press)
3. Skipping Yoda (aka Bonnie Blairs)
4. Kissing Your Sister (aka DERkins)
5. Make like an Ewok (aka Squats)
6. Make like an Ewok getting ready to throw stones (aka Goblet Squats)
7. Han & Leia (aka Birthbees)
8. C3PO Flutter Kicks
9. Obi-wan Rows (aka Bent Over Rows)
10. In the Death Star garbage compactor (aka Skull Crushers)
11. Lando baby Calrissian (aka LBCs)
12. Use the Force (aka Blockbees)
13. Burpees for the rebel alliance
14. Jabba (aka Jolly the Hutt)

THANG 3: 10min reconnaissance mosey around Hoth from Echo Base over to the road toward the pool and then back around Hoffa—final rebel alliance victory run up Hoffa to cry one more time like a tauntaun with a 10 burpees OYO and back down the hill: recover, recover.

CoR/NoR/Cot: The force was strong in the 15 PAX who joined the Jedi Council: Da Vinci, Tortuga (respect), Captain Crunch, TBTF, Cookies, Double Beef n’Cheddar (hate), Hotbox, Beaker, Archive, Panhandle, Jolly, Banks, Shiplap, Katniss, SAGA (Q)

Prayers lifted up for purity, Da Vinci’s book project, Bloomer’s 2.0, + gratitude for the fellowship.

Moleskin: A reminder that we are in this journey together. Listen for the echo of your name among the PAX. Show up, be a man, and share your struggle.

We closed drinking coffee to our hard won day, ready to go out into another…

SECRET SANTA Q  
6 PAX came out to spread some Christmas cheer through the AO: Jolly, Archive, Tortuga, Da Vinci, TBTF, SAGA (Q)

We loaded up the “sleigh” with our gifts and a beautiful wingless coupon with a 12-day-beatdown stenciled on it. A few crooners in the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, & Elvis opened our ears to the sounds of Christmas and caused our hearts to warm as we engaged a bit of WoR: in rounds of 12 we completed some Tappy Taps + Side Straddle Hops + Mtn. Climbers + Arm Circles + Mtn. Man. Poopers.

THE THANG: pulling our musical Christmas sleigh, we stopped at every lamppost and rotated through each PAX gifting us with a workout of his choosing in a rep count of 20. A whole variety of gifts were given: lunges, flutter kicks, merkins, burpees, squats, Bonny Blair’s, diamond merkins, derkins, nerkins, kick throughs, LBCs, big boy situps, jump squat burpees, jollies, star jumps, shoulder taps + a few more lost to memory…

Every 7th lamppost we paused for Christmas and exchanged a secret Santa gift (except that time Da Vinci got excited and we celebrated Christmas early). Once the gift exchanged took place, the lucky PAX who just received a gift earned himself 10 blockbees while the rest of the PAX celebrated the incarnation of Christ (the reason for the season) by completing birthbees until the blockbees were finished.

After 50+ minutes of circling the AO and helping others believe F3 is really something to wonder about, we ended at Hoffa to complete 20 final birthbees. However, catching the spirit of Father Christmas, SAGA gave one final gift of ending on time as we concluded wherever we were in our birthbee count and sprinted the hill in a manrise reminder that the incarnation leads to the resurrection!

Opportunities to steal presents were engaged and every PAX present not only grew stronger but left the AO with a gift from a loving brother-at-arms. For those not present, ask about the nuts!

Prayers for Archive’s M heading back to work, Tortuga’s 2.0 successful wisdom teeth removal, gratitude for no injuries in the recent explosion in Nashville, and thanksgiving for the gift of one another.

Entering the gloom on a windless day, Ol’ Glory still and limp (a sign of what was too come). Following COVID protocols, the 17 PAX divided into two separate groups of 9 & 8 for the beatdown. Guided by the prophetic words of an ancient proverb whose number and verse rang out like something from a Da Vinci code – 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” It was meant to be, on this day greatness would shine forth before the dawn in the form of 12/17/20!

WoR: 15 Mtn. Man Poopers / 2 nipple scrappers / 15 Tappy Taps / 2 nipple scrappers / 15 Mtn. Climbers / 2 nipple scrappers / OYO Arm Circles w/a few Michael Phelps (Why did I not do 17? Everybody, do two more of each right now!)

THANG 1: 12/17/20 in the form of 12 merkins + 17 bicycle crunches + 20 air squats + increasing burpees, starting at 1 and adding one more at each lamp post (to keep track of how many rounds were completed). Sprinted to each lamp post and started next round. A few PAX hit the MAX REP COUNT of 15 lamp posts = 180 merkins / 255 bicycle crunches / 300 air squats + 120 burpees

THANG 2: We went back in time to recall where we had come from as we moseyed the loop that was previously completed. Moving from lamp post to lamp post mindful of all the good that we had brought into the world.

THANG 3: 5 more rounds of 12/17/20 w/increasing burpees. Started at the base of Hoffa and completed 1 round, then sprinted the hill. Completed round 2 at the top and moseyed back to the base to repeat; mindful of the hill in our day and the reps of life before us. REP COUNT for these 5 rounds = 60 merkins / 85 bicycle crunches / 100 air squats + 15 burpees

TOTAL MAX WORKOUT = 240 merkins / 340 bicycle crunches / 400 air squats + 135 burpees

NoR / CoT: Banks, Da Vinci, Sparrow, Captain Crunch, Panhandle, Wet Burrito, Beaker, Tortuga, Crack, Crash, Beef Stick, Sweet Treats, Big Mac, TBTF, Jolly, Katnis, SAGA (Q)

Prayers for upcoming travel, celebration of Big Mac’s promotion to tenure, and thanksgiving for our bodies to use to serve others…

Moleskin: Proverbs 17:17 – “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

A new lexicon suggestion from Banks – “The Jolly”: those moments when you are switching from one exercise to another and in place of seamless movement you give yourself a bit of an extra pause, while on your back with your arms spread out in the form of a prostrate prayer position that is saying, “Please stop!”

WARM-UP: Starting off with Advent cheer, we knocked out the 3rd-beatdown-of-Christmas routine with 30 squats + 20 flutter kicks (4-count) + 10 burpees.

We circled the crib to hear the tale of the newborn among us: The Birthbee. A demonstration of its beautiful cry was beheld by all in the shape of 2 Dollys + 2 Big Boy Sit-ups (here’s to cramping) + 2 “nursing” nipple scrappers (cause you need to give attention to both sides) + 1 burpee jump + 1 squat = 1. Thus a salute to our mothers who went into double-time pain that we might have breath.

THE THANG – What’s in a name?

Everyone shared their full birth name: First + Middle + Last. PAX were to decipher their personalized workout by correlating the letters in their full name through the chart above. There was slight confusion around what a “jumping jack” and “push up” was, but it was determined that this made the workout FNG friendly and can serve as part of the ongoing evangelism efforts of F3. For The Birthbees, we started with 10 at the bottom of Hoffa (one round being all 8 exercises) then ran to top of Hoffa for the next 10 until one’s age was reached in reps. Finished off the workout with F3 name.

CoR/NoR/Cot

15 PAX gathered in two groups for social distancing purposes: Beaker, T-Bone, Panhandle, Jolly, Crack, TBTF, Big Mac, Tortuga (respect), Cookies, Noodles, Hotbox, Crash (hate), Sparrow, Captain Crunch, SAGA (Q)

Prayers for rest and health and thanksgiving for those who have given us life (with a shout-out to moms).

Moleskin:

• Not all men are created equal and thus the need for others. We are better together. Use what is unique to you to serve the needs of others.

On a 66º November morning (how could we not go into beast mode and feel the burn), an attempt was made to make our Nantan proud as he showed us the glory of a vow and commitment to his M. 15 PAXs in attendance: Captain Crunch, Da Vinci, Tortuga (respect), Panhandle, T-Bone, TBTF, Noodles, Double Beef n’ Cheddar, Bloomer, Katniss, Gummi Bear, Jolly, Shiplap, Sparrow, SAGA (Q)

WOR: 6 Motivators – a sign of what was to come… | mtn. climbers | bat wings | goof balls

THANG 1: 5 groups of 3 PAX – pull-ups / push-ups / squats in rotating fashion through the following rounds of reps: 1) 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, 30 squats; 2) 15 pull-ups, 30 push-ups, 45 squats; 3) 20 pull-ups, 40 push-ups, 60 squats; 4) 25 pull-ups, 50 push-ups, 75 squats; 5) 30 pull-ups, 60 push-ups, 90 squats

TOTAL = 100 push-ups + 200 push-ups + 300 squats = 600 reps

THANG 2: burpee run – +1 burpee at each lamp post (1, then 2, then 3, until 9 posts are hit) then 10 burpees at bottom of Hoffa, run the hill, finish with 11 burpees at the top

TOTAL = 66 burpees

MARK OF THE BANKS: 666 reps

2 minutes of MARY on the top of Hoffa = 50 flutter kicks + 2 nipple scrappers to end

CoR/NoR/Cot: Continued prayers for our country, the orphans in Zimbabwe, COVID wisdom, our schools, Ms & 2.0s

Moleskin: the gift our our freedom and gratitude for those who have died for our country – call to be proud but not prideful and a reminder that you can do hard things.