Category: Uncategorized

2/17 2021 Backblast: Ash Wednesday Workout AO Tarpit:

by Gummibear, posted in Uncategorized

10 Pax posted: Katniss, TBTF, Shiplap, Banks, Bigmac, Whittler, Rainbow Bright, Noodles, Tortuga, and Gummibear. 

Warm Up: 

15 bend & reaches I/C

10 alternating push-ups 

 5 reverse push-ups

10 monkey humpers I/C

Short warm up jog 

Thang: 

Jogged around the lake doing a form of “Indian Runs” with paxs in groups of twos running ahead and performing 20 alternating push ups as a pair. We then did Indian Runs up the Hawthorne hill and jogged a neighborhood loop. Should we happen upon a church we were to do the following, increasing sets with each church: 

10 reverse push ups

25 monkey humpers

50 overhead hand claps 

We did as follows: 

1 set of above- First Science Church

2 sets of above- First Presbeterian Church

3 sets of above- First Congregational Church

We jogged back to lake ellyn where we then began crabwalking. Anytime someone needed a “rest: from crab walking,  10 burpees were performed. We accomplished 40 burpees total and then lunged back towards the start point, as our time was up. 

COT/NOR: Prayers for Bloomer and his family, for motivation, and thanksgiving for Noodles wedding anniversary.

Prayer Ruck for Wheaton 02/15/2021 @ AO Mastodon

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

Ruck day does not always have to be hard, but it will always be work!

Another Shackleton, eight PAX accepted the challenge to lift up our community in prayer: @Archive, @Banks, @Crack, @Cookies, @Da Vinci, @Katniss, @Shiplap, @Sparrow.

Warmorama inspired by @Jolly’s VR boxing video, we worked the (imaginary) small bag, took down our virtual opponents on both sides.

The Q hoped in vain for clear sidewalks, instead we made our way the best we could in and out around the perimeter of the AO, praying for the community as we traveled. We prayed for:
– Our neighbors, and the PAX
– Our local churches
– Our local government
– Disadvantaged, refugees, and the poor among our community
– First responders
– Healthcare workers
– Veterans and active military
– Schools and educators
– Our families

Arriving back at the #AO-Mastodon-flag and #OG-Wheaton-flag, we had some extra time so we knocked out some quick warm-down of Mary and Merkins.

Moleskin: It can be easy to get distracted when we pray, wanting to reach out to someone that comes to mind or check up on something. There is nothing wrong with that, but we can’t let that keep us from returning to prayer, for that is where the difference is made.

COT: We have many folks among the PAX that need prayer, keep lifting them up.

Snow Fun! – 2.16.21 AO-Mastodon

by F3Banks, posted in Uncategorized

The weather was a balmy 9 degrees at beatdown time which was a vast improvement over the 0 degrees we have been experiencing recently. We were graced with 6 inches of fresh fallen snow, so YHC knew we had to make the most of it. The pre-blast encouraged all PAX to BYOS(Bring Your Own Sled) and promised we would have some fun at Hoffa this morning. 12 Faithful PAX (Captain Crunch, Gummibear, Beaker, Da Vinci, Katniss, Cookies, Sparrow, Saga, Tortuga, Shiplap, Jolly, Banks) braved the elements to come and indulge YHC in some winter fun!

Warm-O-Rama: The Usual

  • 7x Motivators
  • 15x Tin Soldiers IC

The Thang: Snowy Dora

We all congregated at the bottom of Hoffa and paired up for a little Dora style beatdown. One partner would complete the reps, while the other ran to the top of Hoffa, completed 5 Leg Raises and 5 Jollies, and then sledded back down. YHC added a wrinkle with a sandbag that each PAX carried up and rode down with 1 time. Since it was such a warm morning, YHC thought it would be helpful to remind all the PAX of the beach and warm weather by playing the Beach Boys throughout the beatdown! The Reps:

  • 100 BBS (Big Boi Situps)
  • 200 Burpees
  • 300 Merkins
  • 400 Squats

Overall, it was a tough workout, and it seemed like a lot of fun was had as well. I believe only one group finished all the reps (Shiplap & Gummibear), but everyone else got in some good work along the way.

COR/NOR/COT:

Thankful for all of these men showing up on a beautiful morning like this. Prayers for those who could not join us today, Davinci’s church, Saga’s M, and Captain Crunch’s work.

MOLESKIN:

The reps were intentionally high today to show us all that once we put our mind to something, stay focused, and slowly chip away at it, we can accomplish anything. Always keep moving forward and getting better and you will surprise yourself with what you are able to accomplish.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Treasure Hunt Remix

by Sparrow, posted in Uncategorized

Story: Through a strange twist of fate, you find yourself stuck inside a library of surprisingly morbid 1980’s “Choose your own adventure” books. Jumping from book to book, you are threatened on all sides. Zombies, cowboys, rival workout gangs, everyone is out to get you. There is only one way to survive: keep moving.

An oddly appropriate theme for a beatdown during life-threatening environmental conditions. 3° temperature, -14° wind chill, unplowed roads, cars stuck in snowbanks, duct tape giving up due to cold,  frozen coupons, back-to-back workouts in the same morning. Why did 12 PAX brave these obstacles? Were they driven by a simple treasure lust? Learn the truth at the end of this post.

The following story segments were stationed around the AO. Each workout accomplished earned PAX one of 6 puzzle pieces, which assembled would reveal the location of real, actual, buried treasure.

Choose your own adventure F3 Q treasure hunt
Your school is on a field trip to the zoo, and you’re trying to catch the attention of your new crush. With your friend holding on to you shirt, you lean way over the gorilla pit and smack the largest gorilla on the back of the head. Your friend loses his grip, and now you’re eye to eye with an angry gorilla, who is trying to decide if you are another gorilla, a snack, or his long lost girlfriend.
You’ll have to do your best gorilla impression if you want to survive until the zoo keepers arrive.
Do 75 total reps in any combination of these:
Overhand Pull ups Underhand Chin ups. Toe to bar.
You’ve aroused the anger of time traveling cowboys. They decide to teach you a lesson by “making you dance”. With pistol shots at your head and feet. You’ll be ducking and jumping to survive.
To dodge the bullets perform 150 reps total of any combination of:
Bench dips
Box Jumps
Step ups


You’ve fallen into the hands of several elderly zombies. They will eat your brains, unless you can blend in with them.
To blend in, you must perform 400 reps on 4 of the permanent workout machines in this area. Choose 4 machines. Bodyweight chest press, inclined sit-up, elliptical movement, etc.
Any machine, any rep count, until your team gets to 400 reps total.

A rival workout gang claims Northside Park as their exclusive territory, unless you can beat them at their own game.
To prove you’re the strongest, you need to do 150 reps in any combination of:
Merkins,
Burpees,
Star Jumps,
Squat jumps

Out of innocent curiosity, you wandered behind the bathhouse. You walked right into a secret meeting of bully’s club called Rodney and the Rathbones.
They’ll let you go free, but only after you do 150 of these (total reps in any combination):
Bent over rows,
Kettle bell swings,
Coupon lunges
You drank something, and it wasn’t Kool-aid™. You can’t tell if someone laced your drink with PCP, Speed, or just the heady power rush that accompanies becoming commander in chief.

Work off your power rush and prove you’re the best by performing 150 Total Reps in any combination of:
Coupon Bicep Curls,
Overhead Press,
Scull Crushers.

Download the Full PDF of this Workout with Pictures, Story, and Exercises Download
Pre Workout: Treasure is buried under snow in the middle of a frozen lake.
Story segments and workout options were positioned around the AO.

Pretty good snow camouflage for the treasure
Thermal imaging makes the treasure spot more visible
This was enough to lead Tortuga and Jazz hands to the treasure.
The Real Treasure map
Approaching the winners
The Victor’s circle
The Treasure

Archive and Captain crunch showed off by getting to the treasure 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Getting tired of counting and re-counting their treasure, they then returned to the workout to “wave their beef sticks in our faces.”

This workout was nobody’s first rodeo, but it was still a wild ride. Why did we do it? Because we know these things to be truth:

  1. Adversity brings us together.
  2. Working hard makes us stronger.
  3. Friendship is the real treasure. Friendship, and toe-warmers.

    Thanks for the memories.
    -Sparrow

Wheaton College Campus Run

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

As I prepared for my first Q at AO Ground Zero, I spent some time looking for potential routes this morning. I thought what better way to appreciate a good run than to visit the Wheaton College campus. We ran and saw the campus as well as crept past @Big Mac’s home. 8 PAX took on this morning’s run. Today also served as a reminder that even a seasoned Q gets the jitters when taking on something new. No PAX were hurt on this run as I was reminded that there was no disclaimer! Thankfully, I have this group to keep me in check. Great job @Panhandle for keeping pace and a strong finish! You kept me on my toes!

The Thang (Route):

https://onthegomap.com/?m=r&u=mi&d=6851&f=032b6abadb&n=1&dm=1&context=share&r2=iom~7pcwvGfBGEaPv1YAY1Yx1mVR0qC_2aA_27c1q1I2ENm6Dc8DCw1W1MqF09rMvHAr4z2ZH2Abh1m404dL3hAg1DBjAhJIo5hGBj2X1j1w5zCb5h7f1Eh9A0mV

NoR: @Panhandle, @Shamu, @Banks, @Shiplap, @Whittler, @Tortuga, @Jolly, @Noodles (QIC)

CoT: Prayers for safe travels as Banks’ M travels to St. Louis and Tortugas’ M and daughters fly back home. Continued motivation and drove as many PAX push through the monthly challenges (pull ups & weight loss).

Nolan Richardson “AKA 40 Minutes of Hell”

by Shiplap, posted in Uncategorized

It was quite cold as YHC stepped out of his warm car. Filling in for TBTF I decided to do a premade workout from the exicon. Due to the weather I wanted to make sure the PAX stayed warm and the Nolan Richardson did the trick.

WOR: SSH x 20, Baby Arm Circle OYO, Picking Daisys, Michael Phelps.

The Thang: Partner workout with accumulated red. PAX #1 back pedals 50 yards, completes a Bobby Hurley, then jobs back to starting point. PAX #2 completes the exersize

150 Burpees
300 Squats
150 BBSU
300 LBAC
150 Merkins
300 Imperial Walkers

Still 10 minutes left

Thangs 2: Some bigtime mumble chatter but the PAX jogged past the Gerbil wheel and completed 15 slow cadence merkins then jogged back to the parking lot

6MOM: Slow Bicycles x 20, hands over knee LBC x 20

NOR: Shiplap (Q), Cookies, Whittler, Rainbow Bright (went to AO mastodon – sorry Rainbow Bright), Tortuga, Katniss, Noodles, Panhandle, Jolly

COT: Healthy bodies, Cookies and his new job, Whittler’s little brother turning 21

Moleskin – Find someone to trust and FIND YOUR WHY!

Did Someone Say Dora?

by F3 Crack, posted in Uncategorized

Yet another Shackleton morning in the gloom at A.O. Mastodon today. The thermometer was hovering around 3oF at post time, but thankfully there wasn’t much wind. After Tuesday’s discussion about hand and toe warmers, the PAX seemed to be slightly more prepared for the cold, but YHC knew that it was important to get a good warm-up in.

Warm-o-Rama:
Side-Straddle Hops – IC 25
Imperial Walkers – IC 20
Abe Vigodas – IC 10
Tappy Taps – IC 15
Arm Circles – IC 10 forward, 10 reverse
Seal Claps – IC 15
Merkins – IC 10

Thang 1:
Partner up and mosey to the pool parking lot. Get to know your partner a little on the mosey.
DORA 1,2,3: Each team of 2 PAX completed the following reps, alternating between reps and running a lap of the parking lot (around the snow piles).
100 Merkins
200 Little Baby Crunches
300 Air Squats
Groups held plank for the six, and then helped the last group finish their squats

Thang 2:
Find a different partner, mosey the “short mile” back to the base of Hoffa. Again, get to know your partner a little on the mosey.
HEARTBREAK 1,2,3 (modified due to time): Each team of 2 PAX completed the following reps, in similar fashion to Dora, but running up the hill instead of the circle.
50 Derkins
100 Big Boi Sit-ups
150 Standing Lunges
When Q called time, it appeared that most, if not all of the groups had completed the full rep count.

Name-o-Rama: Whittler, Cookies, Rainbow Bright, Banks, Jolly, Panhandle, Tortuga, Archive, Da Vinci, Beaker, Sparrow, SAGA, Big Mac, Crack

COT: A quote was brought to my attention this week on F3Nation’s COT podcast, talking about speaking hard truths. The link to both the newsletter (courtesy of F3 Knoxville) and the COT podcast are below, but YHC used the idea of speaking hard truths to encourage the PAX to be open and honest with each other. The COT is a place of TRUST, and we need our brothers’ support in our daily struggles. How better to receive this support than to share our struggles with each other?
Prayer requests for health and medical issues several of the PAX are facing, for wisdom, strength and patience, and that God would use the PAX to further His kingdom.

COT Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/f3nation/cot-speak-hard-truths-growruck-updates-and-notn-week-of-282021

“Speak Hard Truths” from F3Knox Weekly Download: https://mailchi.mp/671d6c1dc251/f3-knox-weekly-download-2-6-21-hardtruth-6497068?e=0bcdc4f3c5

Dueling Doomsday Clocks

by backblasts, posted in Uncategorized

Backblast, Tuesday, 2/9/21, 5:30 AM, AO Mastodon

It was definitely a Shackleton today. As I arrived at 5:21, the parking lots had not yet been plowed, but a plow was hard at work. By 5:26, I was able to pull into a plowed spot by the tennis courts. The plow was still clearing the rest of the lot as other PAX pulled in. The driver commented, “I thought you were a gang or something.”

WOR: motivators, tappy taps, goof balls, jog to cooties.

Thang one:

Two stations, teams of three. Station One: pull ups and jump squats. Station Two: Bulgarian Split Squats and SSH. The team member at each station stayed in motion doing the first exercise switching exercises as needed. Third team member ran around the obelisk circle to station one. Members rotated through the stations. (Continued this until QIC finished his 50 strict pull ups.)

PAX were encouraged to recite James while at stations. I think we got through verse eight a few times.

Thang two: Dueling Doomsday Clocks, part one

Moseyed back to the tennis court lot. Two groups for Dueling Doomsday Clocks. Each group formed a circle. At the start signal, each PAX got into the plank position. One PAX did one merkin and returned to the plank, then the PAX on his right did one merkin and returned to the plank, after all PAX in the clock did one merkin, the starting PAX did two merkins, etc. Once a PAX was unable to hold the plank or complete the merkins, he was out of the clock and began doing squats. As soon as one group was down to two remaining PAX, the round ended. One group got up to 10 merkins.

Thang three: Dueling Doomsday Clocks, part two

Moseyed to the pool lot. Repeated clocks with new groups and flipped the script. Clocks started in the squat position. First PAX did one squat, then returned to the squat hold with arms above the head. Eliminated PAX planked. (I was the first out on my team.) We had to call it a tie as time ran out.

NOR: Saga, Banks, Davinci, Whittler, Shiplap, Sparrow, Katniss, Beaker, Big Mac, Jolly, Cookies, Crack, and Tortuga (Q)

COT: Lifted up Hot Box’s M, TBTF with a rough work schedule this week, and Bloomer and Captain Crunch’s 2.0s.

Sparrow sang the praises of hand warmers and made an altar call (forgiveness and salvation being even better news than hand warmers).

2.8.21 — Return of the Death-Sled

by f3captcrunch, posted in Uncategorized
Mush! Mush! Mush!

On a lovely morning at AO Mastodon where it couldn’t decide if it was 1º or -1º, but 13 PAX posted for the first combined Ruck/Run day (Cookies, Shiplap, Da Vinci, Sparrow, Panhandle, Beaker, Big Mac, Jolly, Archive, Hand Warmer(FNG!), Crack, Banks, Capt Crunch). The Q had deliberated on whether some Dan Taylor variations or a PT Medley would best serve the PAX on a cold day.

Ultimately the snow and a desire to keep some good effort going the whole time got the better of him and he chose to enjoy the potentially fleeting opportunity to Q in sled-weather. And Feb seemed like a good month to work pulling muscles anyway. With the potential for a decent number of pullers on the team, a makeshift dog-sled harness was constructed to keep some distance while still affording a good 7-man team. An APB for weight of various kinds and the plan was set.

Warm-O-Rama:

  • Motivators (the usual 7)
  • Mountain Man Poopers, IC x 14
  • Side Lunges, 14
  • Arm Circles, OYO for time
  • Michael Phelps

The Thang:

After our arm-heavy warm-up, the 5 Run Clubbers decided to peace out leaving 8 men to man the sled with 4 sand-bags and a spare ruck inside (estimated 280+ pounds). Rucks on, and sled behind we dragged to the near-bridge by Hoffa and dropped Banks into the sled. We proceeded to drag him across the island and then swapped him for “Old Nan’Tan” Archive and proceeded to the field of dreams.

Here the game changed slightly, to pay full homage to the “Bataan Death Sled” days of 2018 when we dragged tube-sand around the AO. We broke into teams of 4 and one team did 10 Merkins in the elbow deep snow and caught the other team to exchange the sled. After a few rounds Banks wisely recommended a non-hand exercise, and we opted for squats but transitioned quickly back to team-drag with one rotating rider.

Completing the circuit back to Hoffa gave us enough time to enjoy two very different hikes up the hill. The first time YHC enjoyed a well-timed turn in the sled. The second and final time, he made the ill-advised change of putting all of the rucks in the sled and having the now much lighter PAX drag a much heavier sled up at about half the speed of the previous attempt. Cresting the hill the final time, we saw run-club back from their 3.2 miles so we shoved the sled (and the Q) down the hill to rendezvous back at the parking lot.

It’s all fun and games from the comfy seat.

COR/NOR/COT: Prayers for health, especially Big Mac’s friends’ M finishing up chemo and Hot Box’s M as she weathers Covid — prayers that the PAX would keep the momentum of the day at work and home, that the week would be productive and we would support those who need added strength in their week.

BACKBLAST: 2/6/2021, A.O. Mastodon, 7am

by F3 Crack, posted in Uncategorized

It was a chilly morning, with the car thermometer reading -1oF as the PAX gathered. Crash was on Q, so YHC was excited to see what kind of beatdown he had in store for us. After the usual disclaimers, we got started.

Warm-o-Rama:
Side Straddle Hops – IC, 20
Tappy Taps – IC, 15
Bat Wings – IC (forward arm circles (10), backward arm circles (10), seal claps (10), overhead claps (10)
Michael Phelps – OYO

Thang 1: The PAX moseyed around the A.O. in a counter-clockwise direction, stopping at each light pole for 10 merkins. Upon reaching Dan Taylor Alley, the Q announced that we would be performing 10 Dan Taylors (1 squat, 4 lunges, increasing reps each time to a final of 10/40), and then we would turn around and repeat them back to our start point. This meant a total of 110 squats and 440 lunges.

Thang 2: The PAX moseyed back to the base of Hoffa, for a modified Heartbreak 1,2,3.
PAX split into groups of 2 (or 3). Each group was to perform 50 pull-ups, 100 picnic table presses, and 150 air squats. One partner would perform the exercises while the other sprinted (as best they could) up Hoffa and back down. Once the required reps were completed, the teams started to repeat the sequence until time was called.

Name-o-Rama: Sparrow, Double Beef ‘n Cheddar (hate), Cookies, Bloomer, Crack, Jailbreak (FNG, welcome!), Crash (hate) (Q)

COT: Lifted up the PAX, specifically Cookies and his family as they start partnership development with Wycliffe next month.