Backblasts

Backblast: Not a Black Diamond Beatdown
Date: 2/28/2023
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Banks, @wet burrito @Hancock @Da Vinci @Dogear @Captain Crunch @Gummi Bear @Bloomer @Aloha @Beaker @Crack
FNGs: 0
Q: @Banks
Total: 11
Conditions: WetWarm-O-Rama:

• 25x Goofballs IC
• 15x Windmills IC
• 15x Mountain Man Poopers IC
• Stretch OYO
• 10x Merkins IC

Thang #1 : 11’s
We proceeded to make our way around Mastodon stopping at each light post to complete Merkins and Squats to add up to 11. We started with 1 Merkin and 10 Squats and finished with 10 Merkins and 1 Squat. Unfortunately the lake was mildly flooded so we had to get creative and a little wet to continue on our journey!Thang #2 : EMOM
We moseyed to the C.O.O.T.I.E.S and completed squats to the song "Flower" by Moby. We then proceeded to complete a 2 minute ladder drill composed of the following exercises:

• Pullups
• Burpees
• Merkins
• Dips

We started with 5 and increased reps by 1 each 2 minute cycle until we got to 10 and then worked our way back down to 5 for a grand total of 80 of each exercise.Moleskin
Intention gets Attention. Take small pauses to focus and plan what you want to accomplish. By being intentional up front it leads to the proper attention later onPrayer:
Prayers for Bloomer’s brother and family as he continues to battle depression. Praise for Cracks daughter coming home and prayer for guiding her for what is next in her life. Prayer for Captain Crunch’s 2.0 as she battle sickness on her school trip.

Date: 2/18/2023

AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Crack, @TBTF, @Bloomer, @Stock boy, @Short Circuit, @Captain Crunch, @Cheetah (2.0), @Chopped Cheese (FNG), @wet burrito, @Noodles
FNGs: 1
Q: @Noodles
Total: 10

WoR: Motivators x15, Tappy Taps x15, Batwings x15, Moroccan Night Clubs x15, Michael Phelps OYO

The Thang: We began with an Indian Run around the Archive mile of AO Mastodon. Upon return to the parking lot, we began our TABATA style introduction to the Mike Tyson merkin. The 5 cycles and rest (3 minute of Work/1:30 minute of Rest) included some variations on planks, merkins and squats that when put together make up the motion of the Mike Tyson merkin. The TABATA round was broken down as follows:

Cycle 1: Plank to Down Dog (3 min)
Rest: Squats (1:30)
Cycle 2: Shoulder Taps (3 min)
Rest: Squats (1:30)
Cycle 3: Plank to Pike and Alternate Toe Touches
Rest: Squats (1:30)
Cycle 4: Pike Merkins
Rest: Squats (1:30)
Cycle 5: Mike Tyson Merkin – Feet against the curve in a plank position. In one swaying motion, push your 6 back towards the wall and thrusting forward and down to a merkin. Knees never touch the ground.

We wrapped up with another Indian Run around the parking lot.

MoM: Balasana Yoga Pose – Sit straight with your legs folded. Now, slowly bend your torso forward on the floor. Arms should be extending forward as well, as far as possible. Your face should also be facing the floor as well as your palms. Your calves, forehead, and palms should all be touching the ground in this position. Hold this position for 30-1 minute. Performed variation taking Right arm and reaching underneath Left arm. Switch, taking Left arm and reaching underneath Right arm.

CoT: Prayers for @Crack’s daughter as she prepares to come home and take time about her next step in life and career move. Prayers for Ukraine and the ongoing conflict. Prayers for overall health, COVID is still a thing and so is other things such as RSV.

Date: 02/16/23
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Mancon @Stock boy @Jolly @SAGA @Gummi Bear @Shiplap @TBTF @Sparrow @Dogear @Tortuga @8-Track @Pool Boy @Hancock @Dilbert
FNGs: 0
Q: @Dilbert
Total: 14

WoR

• SSH
• Goofballs
• Tappy taps
• Leg stretches OYO

Thang 1
Tabata at Cooties. 30s work / 15s rest. Rotated through the following 3 exercises 6 times for a total of 18 rounds:

• Pull ups
• Bicep curls
• Skull crushers

Thang 2
Tabata at The Shop. Same format as the tabata at Cooties with the following 3 exercises:

• Single arm rows in an incline plank position
• Table shrugs
• Tricep dips

Thang 3
Went to Hoffa to ascend up and down the hill four times. Methods of ascent per run:

1. Base pace (light jog)
2. Push (run it, but not full speed)
3. All out (get up there as fast as you can)
4. Murder bunnies (with a rifle carry coupon back down)

Moleskine
Don’t bring your phone into the bathroom. I’ve been making this change for a couple weeks now and humbly suggest making this change for the following reasons:

1. We likely all have more screen time in a day than we’d like. Making it a point to leave your phone outside the bathroom gives you some extra guaranteed time away from the screen.
2. Taking your phone into the bathroom is a sneaky way of wasting time and indulging. You might reason that you can’t do anything else in the bathroom, why not scroll through your phone while you’re there? You might even have productive intentions, but how easy it is to close your email and open up social media or news and waste time in indulgence.
3. Leaving your phone gives your brain some free play. Take the opportunity to disconnect. Decompress. Process emotions. Think about nothing at all. Ponder how to solve problems at work. This is a great opportunity to allow your brain to just process, and giving it a break from the constant hammering of input it otherwise receives throughout the day.

CoT

• Prayers for @Dogear’s friends who unexpectedly lost their young son
• Praise for @Pool Boy’s daughter Naomi having positive results with her MRI! All done with antibiotics 🎉

Date: Tuesday, 02/14/23
AO: #ao_tar_pit
PAX: @Jolly @Panhandle @Tortuga @Pool Boy @Dilbert @Crack @Da Vinci @Bo-Peep @Bloomer @SAGA
FNGs: 0
Q: @SAGA
Total: 10

Conditions: a mighty fine gloom with an odd glow of love rising from the West and a @Sparrow Q in the distance…

Warm-Up: motivators, goof balls, mtn. man poopers, tappy taps, EMOM: 35 side straddle hops + 5 burpees / 10 count navy seal burpees

THANG 1: 1 lap around track riffle carry (show stations)

THANG 2: 5 blockees…sprint to corner, 5 mtn climbers (2=1)…to next corner, 5 merkins…sprint to next corner, 5 squats – rinse and repeat adding 5 to each lap for one mile—pick up the six doing 1 round of 20 coupon curls + 20 kettle bell swings + 20 overhead press + 10 count navy seal burpees until all are back & then start the sprinting all over with reps at the corners: 25, then 20, then 15…final victory lap to pick up the six and all came in together and closed with one more 10 count navy seal burpee

Announcements: #2nd-f for the bday bash of @Sparrow + @Dilbert + @Stock Boy

Moleskin:
“And by [the Bible] I found that there was an eternal God, who loved me infinitely, that I was His son, that I was to overcome death and to live for ever, that He created the world for me, that I was to reign in His throne and to inherit all things. Who would have believed this had not that Book told me? It told me also that I was to live in communion with Him, in the image of His life and glory, that I was to enjoy all His treasures and pleasures, in a more perfect manner than I could devise.” ~ Thomas Traherne

Backblast: Coupon Inchworm
Date: Saturday, 2/11/23
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Bloomer @Big Mac @Stock boy @Short Circuit @Maniac @Captain Crunch @TBTF @Jailbreak @T.B. FNGs: 0
Q: @Bloomer
Total: 9

Warm-up: track stretch, arm circles, merkins, Squats, Side Straddle Hops, stretch on own

THANG 1: we dropped out coupons at the first light pole by the west bridge. We broke into pairs of two. The rest of the group ran up to the next light pole to perform an exercise until the first pair off PAX moved all the coupons up to the group. Once we were back together, the group ran on, and the next pair of PAX would carry the coupons to the next light pole. We inches our way all the way around the big lake, past the pool house, around the baseball field past the cooties and back to the flag. We had 2 minutes left for some Mary. We performed a different exercise at each light pole with a few repeating. Some of exercises were: squats, side straddle hops, burpees, merkins, sit ups, flutter kicks, high knees, butt kickers, plank, shoulder taps, one leg hop, lunges, Bobby Hurley, Al gore.

Moleskin: Do everything without complaining or arguing and you will shine like lights in the world. Prayer requests: Naomi, Ukraine earthquake victims

Backblast: Carrying Heavy Weight
Date: Saturday, 2/11/23
AO: #ao_tar_pit
PAX: @Jolly@Panhandle@Da Vinci@Dilbert@SAGA@Tortuga@Katniss@Gummi Bear@Pool Boy@Bo-Peep@Beaker@Banks@Sparrow@Hershey@LeMond@Double Dip
FNGs: 0
Q: @Banks
Total: 16WOR:

• 20x Goofballs IC
• 10x Mountain Man Poopers IC
• 10x Windmills IC
• Squats to "Flower" by Moby

Thang 1: Carrying Heavy Things
We had the PAX bring all of the rucks coupons and sandbags they had and we carried it around the lake to the spa. We all had to move as a group and anytime a weight touched the ground 5 burpees needed to be completed. Here is an approximate tally of the weight we carried:

• 200 lb Sandbag
• 120 lb Sandbag
• 4x 60 lb Sandbags
• 2x 50 lb dumbell
• 2x 45 lb dumbell
• ~6x 30 lb rucks
• ~10x 35 lb Coupons

Total of around 1300 lbs that we lugged around the lake!Thang 2: Group work at the spa
We circled up at the spa and completed the following:

• Chumbaburpee – Burpees to the song Tubthumping by Chumbawamba
• 10x Merkins IC
• 51x Flutter Kicks IC (Courtesy of @Panhandle)
• 53x BBS (Courtesy of @Jolly)
• 20x each side Oblique crunches IC
• 30x Shoulder taps IC (@Katniss)
• ~ 2 min of Boat/Canoe (@Beaker)
• 30x Monkey Humpers IC (@Bo-Peep)
• 50x Leg Raises IC (@Double Dip)

We then picked up the weight and carried it back to the flagMoleskin: – We are all carrying burdens, it is ok to ask for help and have someone help carry your burden for you. It is amazing how much easier things seem when you ask for help and get it, even when you continue to carry burdensNOR/COR/COT: Prayers for Shiplaps family in the loss of his brother in law, Prayers for Lemond and his M as they get ready to welcome their child into the world, and praise/prayers for Naomi as she continues to heal.

Date: 02/09/23
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Pool Boy @Sparrow @Stock boy @Jolly @Tortuga @Gummi Bear @Dogear @Dilbert
FNGs: 0
Q: @Dilbert
Total: 8
WoR

• SSH
• Goofballs
• Arm circles
• @T-bone burpees

The Thang
Pax trekked to The Shop for shelter and to do some EMOM work. Each minute consisted of two exercises: the first being a strength exercise, the second being an explosive exercise of a similar movement. We completed 4 rounds of the following exercises pairings:

1. 4 blockees, 8 burpees
2. 6 one arm merkins (with coupon assist), 12 clap merkins
3. 7 thrusters, 15 squat jumps
4. 8 alternating lunges with coupon, 16 Bonnie Blaires
5. 10 single arm rows, 25 bent over rows
6. 15 calf raises with coupon, 30 straight leg jumps

After the 2nd round of the above exercises, the PAX took a break and did some work on the glory muscles:

• 20 shoulder presses
• 30 bicep curls
• 40 skull crushers

Moleskine
Baby steps are good. I wanted to get my 3 year old daughter up on some skis during our trip this past weekend. Fortunately, I sought out wisdom from a YouTube ski dad who gave me a reality check on my expectations for this first time out. So rather than getting on a bunny hill, my only goal was to get her on skis and guide her up and down a gentle decline at the base. We lasted 20 minutes, but it was a great experience that left her wanting more (pic below capturing some baby step happiness). So if you’re building a new skill or habit, and are having trouble getting started: check your expectations, think baby steps and get excited about the progress… however small it might be.
CoT
@Pool Boy’s daughter. Looking to finish up antibiotics. Praise God for helping them get to this point, and pray that her healing completes.

Date: 2/8/2022

AO: #ao_tar_pit

PAX: @Dilbert @Pool Boy @Big Mac @Panhandle @SAGA @Jolly @Tortuga @Da Vinci @LeMond

FNGs: 0

Q: @LeMond

Total: 9

9 Pax showed up to relive the Epic of Gilgamesh, to accompany Gilgamesh and Enkidu to the Cedar Forest to kill the monster Humbaba, who is described below.

At the Cedar Forest, Humbaba:

“he had the paws of a lion and

a body covered in thorny scales;

his feet had the claws of a vulture, and

on his head were the horns of a wild bull;

his tail and phallus each ended in a snake’s head.”

1. Warmorama: 5 mins

o Daisy pickers.

o Happy Jacks: 5 SSH IC, 5 tempo squat jumps

o Side leg raises

o Bat wings

2. Preconditioning at start of stairs

o Rocky Balboas: 100

o P1 applies pressure, P2 does 20 merkins; switch

o 20 single leg bends using railing

o 10 4-ct single-leg dips

o Bropee 20

1. Find partner of similar height

2. Performing a burpee with a partner simultaneously so that on your squat jump up you execute a most excellent high ten.

3. At sauna

o Prepare for journey: 20 tempo plan rotations

o Ishtar causes the ground to collapse

o Platform collapses: 50 squat jumps OYO.

4. Movement around GlenBard: ATMs and Aiken Legs

o 15 Alternating Shoulder Touches In Cadence (4-count), 10 Tempo Merkins (down on the 1-2-3, up on 4), 10 fast Merkins. That’s 1 complete round.

o Done in succession with no rest — 20 Squats, 20 Box Jumps, 20 Lunges (10 each leg), 20 Split Jacks (10 each leg forward). Rinse and Repeat.

5. At base of ramp: we climb a mountain.

o Bear crawl up ramp

o Each man takes a turn to call out climb

o 10 4-ct mountain climbers

o We need 200 mountain climbers to get to top.

6. At top of landing

o Line up to do 10 alligator push ups

7. Attack in circle:

o Fire Drill

o PAX in a circle, chopping feet or high knees. Each PAX calls out “Fire” all PAX hits the ground rolls right, merkin, roll back left, another merkin, then back up chopping. Go around the circle with the “stop, drop and roll” until all PAX have called “Fire”.

8. Mary: 5 mins

o Freddie Murcuries

o Supermans

Moleskin: Life is a journey. When we stop, things don’t go right. —Pope Francis

Date: Tuesday, 2/7/23
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Mancon @Banks @Gummi Bear @Captain Crunch @Hancock @Stock boy @Panda Express @Crack @LeMond @Sparrow @Beaker
FNGs: 0
Q: @Beaker
Total: 12

WoR: Side straddle hops, x20, ic; Goof balls, x20, ic; mountain man poopers, x15, ic; tin soldiers, x14, ic

Divide into two teams of 6

Thang 1: Team 1 performed BLIMPS. After a PAX completed a round of BLIMPS, they grabbed a marble, ran to the end of the parking lot, and placed it in a tupperware container. They continued completing BLIMPS until team 2 returned. Team 2 carried sand bags around the eastern loop of the trail (~0.5 miles). Then Team 2 completed BLIMPS, removing one marble per round of BLIMPS per PAX, while team 1 carried the sand.

BLIMPS
5 burpees
10 lunges (2 is 1)
15 imperial walkers (2 is 1)
20 merkins
25 plank jacks
30 squats

Sandbags present
5×60 (nominal) pound bags
1×120 pound bag
1×200 pound bag
Roughly 620 lbs of sand

Team 1 won.

Thang 2: On tennis courts, form two lines (one for each team), shoulder to shoulder, beginning to cross the court. Starting in plank position, drag a sandbag across your body to the next PAX in line, complete 5 merkins, and move to the front of the line. First team to get the sandbags down and back wins.

Team 1 won.

Thang 3:Go back to the flag, sand bags move by clean, press, throw. PAX move in a bear crawl.

2 MOM
crunchy frogs, flutter kicks, lbcs

Moleskin:
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If you eye is healthy, your body will be full of light. If your eye is unhealthy, you body will be full of darkness." Find holy things to see, touch, and receive today.

Prayers:
@LeMond‘s 2.0 and M, Syria, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Backblast: Camera Park: merkins in the moonlight
Date: 2/2/2022
AO: #downrange
PAX: @Crack @Beaker @bumble @LeMond
FNGs: 0
Q: @LeMond
Total: 4
1. Warmorama: 5 mins
a. SSHs
b. Imperial Walkers
c. Windmills
d. Arm circles, overhead claps
e. Back-stepping lunges
2. Merkin Mile
1. Regular
2. Peter Parker
3. Alligator
4. Clock Merkins
5. Dive bomber merkins.
6. Merkin with one-armed row
7. Uneven merkins on steps.
8. One-legged merkin
9. Diamond merkins.
10. Wide merkins.
3. Hero’s Journey Challenge: 3 sets under roof, 10 mins
a. 10 4-ct high knees
b. 10 4-ct squats
c. 10 4-ct alternate shoulder taps
d. 10 4-ct mountain climbers
e. 10 4-ct fire hydrants
4. Swerkins
a. P1 hangs
b. P2 does 10 swerkins, switch
c. Two rounds
5. 7s up the hill with burpees and leg lifts
6. At top of hill, Pax circle up and do cumulative 100 groiners.
7. Mary:
a. Reachups
b. American Hammers
8. Moleskin:
Discussed a regular withdrawal from regular life, even if it is for only 5 to 10 minutes, just as Jesus did when he went out early in the morning to pray.