Backblast: Ultimate

Date: 03/08/2024
AO: #ao_flat_earth
PAX: @Mr Roboto @LeMond @DQ @Jolly @Velveeta @Cheese @Shiplap @Hershey @Tortuga @8-Track @Panda Express @TBTF (QIC)
FNG: 0
Q: @TBTF
Total: 11
WOR: SSHs, Runners StretchThang – Play Ultimate. We had surprisingly well matched teams for simply breaking the WoR circle in half to make teams. Your Q had a particularly bad day at all things catching and throwing.Moleskin: Life is made of all the small things. Appreciate everything in front of you today.COT: Prayers for new life and next steps in life, prayers for my family as we deal with loss.

Backblast: A-L-A-R-Ms + Bad Time Management

Date: 3/9/2024
AO: #ao_tar_pit
PAX: @Panhandle @Da Vinci @Beaker @Frank @LouGee @White Noise (FNG) @Dolph (down range) @McDreamy (FNG) @Katniss @LeMond @TBTF
FNGs: 0
Q: @TBTF
Total:
WOR:
SSH x25, Toy Soldiers x10, Good Mornings x10, Abe Vegodas x10, Picking Daisies x10, Tappy Taps x10, arm circles
Thang:
Did a routine based on the
The plan was to do A-L-A-R-M-s around the lake stopping at each bench and performing the routine. Routine consists of an Arm + Leg + Ab +‘R’ Exercise + ‘M’ Exercise to form the acronym. I waited too long and don’t recall the exact routine we settled on (believe it was curls, goblet squats, BBSUs, Rocket Jumps, and Merkins). We got about a third of the way around the lake and realized we would not make the full loop so we turned back and modified along the way. It was hard and that was the point. Good job men!No time for Mary at the endMoleskin – the power of the pivot. In today’s workout much like life things don’t always play out the way you had planned. What matters is you can make the adjustment and get to a result.CoT – I waited too long and do not recall but know your needs are known

Backblast: Ultimate Frisbee

Date: 03/11/2024

AO: #ao_flat_earth

PAX: @Jolly @Cheese @8-Track @Panda Express @Shiplap @Oompa@Tortuga@Hershey @Manhole @Velveeta @Beaker

FNGs: 0

Q: @Beaker

Total: 11

WoR:

Goofballs, x20

Thang:

5v6 match on a crisp morning

Moleskin:

Part 1 of a 5 part series on Fr. Richard Rohr’s book Adam’s Return. in This book, Richard Rohr argues that men need to be taught a set of principles, through experience and in a community, in order to be whole and effective men. He sets out 5 principles in this book, which we will cover over 5 days.

Life is Hard

Life has pain. It is a feature of this life we live. Men need to learn to not run from this pain, or rid ourselves of it, until it teaches its lesson. If we don’t transform our pain, we will transmit it in some form. Ways we transmit the pain include:

-run from it by seeking status

-play the victim

-pass it on via hatred of a scapegoat

-become inflexible and petty

-pass on our deadness to our family

Quote: "By trying to handle our suffering through willpower, denial, medication, or even therapy, we have forgotten something that should be obvious. We do not handle suffering; suffering handles us… Only suffering and certain kinds of awe lead us into genuinely new experiences."

or

"Embrace the suck."

Find an experiential way to teach yourself this lesson anew. There are many opportunities. On May 18th 30 mile ruck from Chicago is one. GTE (formerly GrowRuck) in Geneva in mid-July is another.

Black Diamond Tuesday

Date: 03/05/24
AO: #ao_tar_pit
PAX: @LeMond @Jolly @Panhandle @Dynamite (Downrange) @Tortuga @Katniss @T-bone @Spit Valve @DQ
FNGs: 0
Q: @DQ
Total: 9

WoR

  • SSH
  • Goofballs
  • Arm circles
  • Copperhead squats

Thang 1
Pax went to the spa and partnered up for a Greta-ish workout:

  • 100 thrusters
  • 200 burpees
  • 300 squat jumps

For movement up and down the hill, 5 coupons were made available for transport at the top of the hill. Pax would either farmer carry two coupons or rifle carry one coupon in one direction up or down the hill, and then put the coupon(s) down and run the other direction up or down the hill.

To push the 12 and pick up the 6, partnerships who finished all their exercises continued with an additional round of 400 merkins (an absurd number to make sure they had something to do) and the thang completed once the last partnership completed their 300 squat jumps.

Thang 2
Pax cycled thru 3 exercises for multiple rounds, starting with 15 reps each exercise and decreasing a rep each round. YHC got thru 4 rounds, many pax finished at least 5-6 rounds. Exercises:

  • Deep swimmers press
  • 4 count flutter kicks
  • 2 count american hammers w/ coupon

Moleskine
"14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." – Ephesians 3:14-19

From my Lent devotional: "May we be grounded in our recognition of Christ’s love for us, growing in our understanding of that love, and longing for the time when we shall be united with our Lord and Savior for all eternity."

Frenemies and More

Backblast: Frenemies and More
Date: 3/7/24
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX: @Stock boy @TBTF, @Jailbreak, @Panhandle, @Jolly, @Spit Valve @SAGA, @Mad Cow @Banks @T-bone @Shiplap @Frank @Archive @Katniss
FNGs: 0
Q: @Banks
Total: 14

WoR:

  • 7x Motivators
  • 10x Tin Soldiers IC
  • 20x Squats IC
  • 10x Merkins IC
  • Stretch OYO

Thang 1 – Route 66
Run around the short loop stopping at 11 light posts adding a burpee each time for a total of 66 burpees. We then moseyed to Hoffa and crossed a bridge on our hands along the way.

Thang 2 – Frenemies
We partnered up with a relatively even partner and alternated running the hill and completing reps. After each round, we would compare reps to see who won. The rounds consisted of the following:

  • Thrusters
  • Curls
  • Jump Squats
  • Big Boy Situps
  • Chest Press
  • Overhead Tricep Extension
  • Squats with the Coupon
  • Merkins

We then finished with a Manrise and headed back to the flag.

Moleskin:
Day 4 of the Cyqle:
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." – Mahatma Gandhi

Prayers:
Prayers for@Stock boy’s neighbor, @Archive’s work

Frisbee Chase

Backblast: Frisbee chase

Date: 3/7/24

AO: #ao_dark_room

PAX: @Framed @Manhole  @beaker, @catfish, @lemond, @tortuga

FNGs: 0

Q: @Tortuga

Count: 6

WOR:

7x Motivators IC, 10x copperhead squats IC, Various arm circles and claps IC, Michael Phelps OYO

Thang 1: Dead arm hang to failure.  Squats until all fail.

Thang 2: We moseyed around the inner loop to locate the baskets and tees for the disc golf course, starting at nine, cutting across to the basket at 4 and following the course through hole 8.

Thang 3: Speed golf.  Throw and run.  PAX in the lead must Bernie until he’s passed.  Disc must get into the cage or onto the next tee pad.  Early finishers start burpee spittoon to 100.

Thang 4: Reverse course.  Number of throws to complete the hole gets multiplied by five or ten. That’s your rep count after the hole.  First hole, burpees, second, shoulder taps, third, plank jacks.

Thang 5: Scramble with a partner back to Hole eight.

Thang 6: Dead arm hang to failure.  Air thruster spittoon to 100 upon failure.

3 MOM: We finished up with 50 flutters IC with varying cadence from normal to slowing way down then back to normal.

Moleskin: The 2 minute rule to trick your brain into doing hard things.  The greatest amount of motivation is needed for the first two minutes of any habit you are trying to form.  Commit to those first two minutes.  You have a high probability of continuing as the amount of motivation needed decreases dramatically once you get past those first two minutes.

COT: Prayers for those involved in a big accident right in front of @beaker’s house at 4:10 AM this morning.  It looked like someone may have gone through their windshield on impact with the telephone pole.

Arm Burner Around the Lake

Date: 02/28/24
AO: #ao_tar_pit
PAX: @Tortuga @Captain Caveman @Panhandle @T-bone @TBTF @Jolly @Shiplap @The wet burrito @DQ
FNGs: 0
Q: @DQ
Total: 9

WoR

  • SSH
  • Goofballs
  • Runners stretch
  • World’s greatest stretch

Thang 1
Pax partnered up for a trip around the lake, rotating over 4 exercises, performing one exercise at each bench along the way. After completing the exercise for that bench, one partner farmer carried the coupons to the next bench while the other partner ran to the next bench and did 5 burpees. The 4 exercises were:

  • One arm rows – 15x each arm
  • Bicep curls – 15x
  • Coupon swings – 15x
  • BBSU w/ coupon press – 15x

Thang 2
After finishing the lap around the lake, the Pax met up with their partners at the base of the spa. One partner ran up to the spa and back down while the other partner did merkins at the base. Each partnership completed ~200 merkins total.

Moleskine
2 Kings 4: Elisha and the widows oil

This story displays four truths:
We all will face times of need
God needs only what we have
God does only what we can’t
God fills only what we offer

God blesses obedience. Our challenge here is to reflect on areas in your life where God’s calling you to submit so that he may bless you.

COT

  • Lifting up @Tortuga’s daughter Squirt after not getting accepted to a college she was excited about.

Backblast: Things Mad Cow Sucks at (Mad Cow VQ)

Date: 2/27
AO: #ao_mastodon
PAX:
@Stock boy, @Samsonite, @Linc, @TBTF, FNG, @LeMond, @Jailbreak, @Manhole, @Framed, @Panhandle, @Beaker, @Jolly, @Oompa, @Mr Roboto, @Katniss, @Spit Valve, @Frank, @Toto, @Da Vinci, @SAGA, @Bones, @Bloomer, @Ankles, @Tortuga, @Sparrow, @Mad Cow

FNGs: 1, GoldWatch
Q: @Mad Cow

Total: 26
WoR: Motivators
Flutter Kicks x15,
Abe Vigodas, OYO
1.5 Laps around Parking Lot

Thang 1 – Merkin Loop
Run around small loop, stopping at lightposts to alternate the following exercices
Merkins x 15 (Changing hand positions each time)
Squats x15
Burpies x10

Thang 2 – Shop Class
Moesy to Shop and PAX partnered up. Between the 2 completed the following:
Table Lifts x 150
Dips x 150

Thang 3: What Arms?
Mosey to Cooties
Alternate between Pull-ups and DL Merkins

Thang 4: Mary
COF with pax calling out exercises. Can’t remember all of them.
Crunchy Frogs
Flutter Kicks
American Hammers
Merkins
??

Moleskine
Babies learning to walk are awkward, kids learning to ride a bike are awkward, 45yo men trying to exercise after a long time not doing so are awkward. Point is, keep at it and you get better. In fact, if you’re not awkward somewhere in your life you aren’t growing. Be awkward and get better.

Backblast: We ran.

Date: 2/23/2024

AO: #ao_ground_zero

PAX: @Toto @Topham @TBTF@Panhandle @Dr. Phil @Stock boy @Frank @Crack @Da Vinci @Beaker @Pacecar

FNGs: 0

Total: 10

Q: @Beaker

WOR: Goofballs, windmills, tappy taps

The Thang: We ran South. We stopped. Then we ran North. The fastest group covered 4 2/3 miles.

Moleskin – If you are cranky, upset, sad or angry, take a moment and evaluate if you aren’t simply hungry or tired. Don’t believe those emotions immediately, wait a bit before acting on them.

COT: Prayers for @Crack’s 2.0s, @Stock boy’s friends.