Backblasts

BACKBLAST: Black Diamond rerun (modified for 45 minutes)
Date: 3/9/22
AO: #ao_tar_pit
PAX: @Shiplap @T-bone @Banks @Bo-Peep @Crack @Jolly @Tortuga @Panhandle @Da Vinci @Katniss
FNGS: 0
Q: @Shiplap
Total: 10
Conditions: a pleasant 30+ degrees, no wind
WOR: SSH IC, Abe Vigoda x 10, Arm Circles, Michael PhelpsThe Thang: PAX partnered up. Cones were place about 20 yards away. PAX one complete the exercise while PAX 2 went to the cones. Every 8 minutes a timer went off and all PAX had to complete 1/4 mile in under 2 minutes. 5 penalty burpees for any group that had a PAX miss the markExercises
150 Burpees – Murder Bunny with Sandbag or coupon
200 Hand Release Merkins – Sand bag throws or broach jump
250 Thrusters – Burpees broad jump or sandee throwsCOR/NOR/COT:
Moleskin – Whenever you think you are doing great at something you will always be given a shock of reality.

Date: 3/15/22
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Shiplap @Panhandle @Crack @Jolly @SAGA @Tortuga @Sparrow @8-Track @TBTF @Beaker
FNGs: 0
Q: @Beaker
Total: 10WoR:

· Mosey to baseball diamond

· 5 T-bone burpees

· Arm circles (x10 ic)

· Bear crawl to SHOP

· Michael Phelps (OYO)

· Mosey to island

The ThangPAX divided in to partners.
In partners, each pair completed the assigned reps of one exercise. They then ran opposite directions around the short loop (~0.75 mi for the round trip). When they met, they completed the assigned reps of the exercise again, and returned the way that they came.Assigned reps/exercises:
50 Lunges (2 is 1)
100 Merkins
150 bbsu
200 Overhead claps
150 flutter kicks
100 squats
50 burpees

Moleskin:
A quote from a podcast I was listening to the other day, "The formula for satisfaction is not getting what you want, it is wanting what you have. We don’t need a ‘haves’ management strategy, we need a ‘wants’ management strategy."

One ‘wants’ management strategy is to practice gratitude for the good gifts we do have. It is easy to become unhappy with the details of life. to combat this, I encourage the PAX to start of every day with a prayer of gratitude for the many big things we have in life to be thankful for, including our Ms, 2.0s, jobs, homes, and most importantly, the gracious gift of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

COT:

Prayers for @Cookies and family as they deal with a positive COVID test, prayers for traveling mercies as @Crack, his M, and his daughter travel to England on Friday, and prayers for the situation in Ukraine.

Backblast: Super Dora Date: Thursday, 3/10/22
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Tortuga @T-bone @Da Vinci @Hancock @Katniss @Jolly @Banks @Beaker @Sparrow @Crack @bumble @Bo-Peep @Jailbreak @wet burrito @Captain Crunch (AJ)
FNGs: 0
Q: @Banks
Total: 15

WOR:
7x Motivators
15x Tin Soldiers IC
5x @T-bone Burpees

The Thang Part 1:
12x Burpees
10x Pullups

The Thang Part 2: Super Dora
We partnered up in teams of 3 for a Super Dora. 1 PAX at the C.O.O.T.I.E.S., one at the S.H.O.P., and one would run to the top of Hoffa and then relieve their fellow PAX. The Super Dora Reps were as follows:
100 Pullups
200 Table Presses
300 Merkins
400 Dips
500 Flutter Kicks
600 Squats

After all teams were done, we moseyed to the bottom of Hoffa and completed 2 Manrise’s sans squat holds despite @Tortuga’s desperate pleas.

COR/NOR/COT:
Praise for a beautiful morning, and prayers for the Ukrainian people, @Cookies and family as they prepare to leave on their journey, @Bo-Peep as he gets ready for upcoming nuptials, @Hancock as he starts a new job next week and for @bumble’s father as he prepares to launch a new church in the coming weeks.

Moleskin:

"If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you." – When you are doing difficult things, remember that you are learning and getting better as a person. Do the hard things.

Date: Thursday, 3/3/22
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Hancock @Tortuga @Archive @Sparrow @8-Track @Da Vinci @Panda Express @SAGA @Jolly @Cookies @Beaker @Bo-Peep @Captain Crunch (AJ)FNGs: 0
Q: @Hancock
Total: 13

Conditions: 30 ºF, minimal ice left in pond under bridges.

Lent is the observance of the 40 days of fasting in the wilderness that Jesus went through before beginning his ministry.Note: anytime we do merkins where 2-is-1, they count towards the challenge as 1-is-1. I will announce the expected merkins count in the CoT, (if you didn’t modify.)WoR

• 40 SSH
• 20 merkins (2 is 1)
• 40 LBC’s
• Picking daisies OYO

Let’s start with the end first. Because… well, it fits my agenda better. Jesus will rise from the grave on the 3rd dayThang 1 @ base of Hoffa

• Run up the hill x 2, 10 merkins each at top
• Run up once, 10 merkins, come down
• Be sad for the first two, but happy for the last one.

Thang 2

• Mosey around AO to represent 40 days of Jesus moseying around in the wilderness
• 20 merkins (2 is 1)

What do we do during lent? Prayer and fasting and alms giving? Let’s go!Thang 3 @ base of Hoffa

• Prayer: hold an Al Gore, but instead of hugging a tree, we’re praying
• Fasting: sprints. Run around Hoffa.
• Group 1 does prayer while other does fasting. Swap once fasting partner returns.
• Alms giving: group 1 does “alms giving squats,” 40x. Group 2 does merkins, 40x. Switch.

Oh, we’re human! We have sinned! Angry invisible sky god must be appeased! We must show penance for our sins! Feel the shame! The guilt! The horror of your evil! Offer your human sacrifice at the top of Mount… Hoffa.

• Penance: run up hill, 10 merkins, come down (while pondering your shame in what you have done)

Oh, wait, this just in…“You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD?” (Isaiah 58:5, NLT)“Penance” like this isn’t really what God asks of us! Whoops! We’re supposed to repent! Turn from our sins, and turn towards Jesus.

• Repentance: back to back. Take the coupon from your partner on your left, curl in the middle, give to your partner on your right. 40x. Take your sin, give it to Jesus.

Thang 4

• Back extensions with hands at your side. Flopping like the fish that we’re allowed to eat on Fridays. 40x. Definitely NOT a cult.
• More merkins. 40x.

Thang 5

• more wilderness moseying.

CoT

• prayer for Ukraine
• Prayer for DaVinci’s friend’s nephew who was arrested in a protest across over there

Total merkin count: 200, if you only got 40 in during alternating alms giving. I am counting 20 “2-is-1’s“ as 40.Moleskin
We often think the opposite of peace is conflict. It’s not. The opposite of peace is chaos. You don’t have to have chaos with conflict, but I’ve always thought the two come hand in hand. Expand below on your experiences that highlight this.

BACKBLAST: First track work of the year
Date: 3/2/22
AO: #ao_tar_pit
PAX: @Cookies@SAGA@Bo-Peep@wet burrito@Gummi Bear@Tortuga@Panhandle@T-bone
FNGS: 0
Q: @Tortuga
Total: 8
Conditions: a pleasant 30+ degrees, no wind
WOR: SSH IC, copperhead merkins IC 10, copperhead squats IC 10, arm circles stretch your legs OYO.

Thang 1:
We started with 4 coupons at the start line and 4 halfway around the track.  All HIM started at the start line.  The reward for being the first four to arrive at the coupon station was to do 10 reps with the coupon.  If you arrived and all the blocks were occupied, you did 10 reps without a coupon.  The first time through the stations was squats, followed by merkins, thrusters, lunges, and burpees.  We spread out pretty quickly, so most reps were done with blocks.  I think the front runners got through the second round of lunges.

COR/NOR/COT:
Moleskin – You can’t follow from the front.  Instead of asking God to bless the plans you come up with, pray before making plans.  Ask God to give you wisdom and direct your thoughts and plans.  Follow Him.  Easy to say.  Hard to do.  I get out in front all the time.  It goes much better when I listen first.Prayers for @SAGA and a difficult interpersonal relationship, @Bo-Peep’s dad going through an investigation – hard on younger sibling, @Cookies has visas!  Prayers for flights especially in light of global conflict.

Backblast: March (merkin) Madness
Date: 3/1/22
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Beaker @Jolly @8-Track @Bloomer @Cookies @Panhandle @Panda Express @Bo-Peep @TBTF @T-bone @Hancock @Tortuga @Sparrow @SAGA @Ralphy
FNGs: 0
Q: @Ralphy
Total: 15
Conditions: High 30s and clear skies. Perfect conditions.WOR:
Side straddle hops x20, Michael Phelps OYO, Arm circles x10, Picking Daisies OYOThang 1:
Mosey to basketball court. Collectively complete 80 suicides and 500 merkins. Inspired by this movie clip from the movie "Coach Carter" … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p3GaCwvUoEThang 2:
Basketball Trivia. Split PAX into 2 teams. Trivia questions asked to both teams. 5 merkins and 1 mucho-leggo for a correct answer, 10 merkins and 2 mucho leggos for incorrect answer. 10 questions total.Thang 3:
Suicide up and down HoffaThang 4:
Spelling bee. Each PAX must contribute one letter at a time respectively to spell K-R-Z-Y-Z-E-W-S-K-I. For each incorrect letter given, all PAX ran halfway up and back Hoffa.COT:
Continued prayers for logistics and planning for@Cookies‘ trip.
Ongoing war with Ukraine/Russia.Moleskin:
Where are we placing our identity? Are we placing it in temporal things/people/jobs? The only place to find that true fulfillment is in the eternal savior.

Date: 2/19/22
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Noodles @Sparrow @Tortuga @Bloomer @TBTF
FNGs: 0
Q: @TBTF
Total: 5
Conditions: Cold, so cold
Warm-O-Rama:
SSH (IC) x50, Copperhead Squats (IC) x15, Copperhead Merkins (IC) x15, MoseyThe Thang:
Mosey to the pool house steps
Sheldon Cooper routine using Burpees/Squats/Merkins, we did a set of 10/10/10, ran to the opposite side of the parking lot and back, then did a set of 9/9/9 followed by another run to the opposite side of the parking lot and back. We did down to sets of 1
And then because it is a TBTF Mastodon workout you know we are going around the AO. We moseyed to the southeast corner of the Archive Mile and lunged the entire path to the beginning of Dan Taylor Alley.
Ultimately we moseyed back to the flag making a few more stops along the way to get some merkins in as well as other equally as fun exercise type activitiesCOR/NOR/COT:
I waited too long (again) and can’t remember but rest assure God heard us.Moleskin:
Life is busy but it is okay to slow down. Try being intentional about your time and invest it wisely.

Backblast: Run Club
Date: Friday, 2/25/2022

AO: #ao_ground_zero

PAX:  @Tortuga @Toto  @pillow mint  @T-bone @Gummi Bear @Bo-Peep @TBTF
FNGs: 0
Q: @Tortuga
Total: 7

WOR: Stretch on your own

Conditions: cold, calm, peaceful. Perfect blanket of cold dry snow.

Thang: Ran carefully on the snow covered PP north. Laid down some fresh tracks in an otherwise untouched Prairie Path.

Moleskin: My M was about to miss her flight at the Rockford Airport. As she sped up the steps, the security guard at the top yelled down to the gate, “What does she look like?” Jackie, knowing that he meant her, shouted, “She’s BEAUTIFUL!” as she hustled past him to the gate.
Two takeaways:
Tell your wife she’s beautiful. Often.
Own your identity. My wife is beautiful. You are a child of God. You are loved by the God of the universe unconditionally. Own it. Live into that reality. Tell people.

COT: Ukraine. Be a good role model to your kids: TBTF traffic stop with his 2.0.

BACKBLAST: Run/Ruck from the 80s into the 90s, to the Year 2000 and into the TWILIGHT ZONE
Date: 2/21/22
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Archive@Crack @TBTF @Jailbreak (Welcome Back!) @Noodles  @Tortuga @Sparrow @Panhandle @Jolly @Panda Express @Da Vinci @Shiplap
FNGs: 0
Q: @Archive
Total: 12
Conditions: Balmy.:palm_tree:

WOR- “What is Love” various aerobic exercises.

Thang- Run/Ruck to Boat House. 3 Minute timer. 5 merkins, 1 lap for rucker, 2 for runners. If you make the timer add 5 merkins. If you miss the timer subtract 5. Repeat for time.

NOR COT
Moleskine- St. Augustine believed that human misery was a function of loving lesser goods more than greater goods, giving our hearts to the finite over the infinite. (@Da Vinci I think it’s in Confessions IV). What you truly love is revealed in how you spend your time, allocate your attention, and make decisions.

It’s easy to pay lip service to having our loves prioritized in the right order. But it isn’t our words which reveal where our hearts lie, but our actions.

If you say you love your child more than your phone, but look at your screen instead of her face when she talks to you, you really love your phone more than your child.