BACKBLAST: 6/8/2021 @ AO Mastodon

23 PAX came out on a warm, humid Tuesday morning. @Shiplap took 8 of our newer PAX (Aloha, Babe, Binford, BOGO, Cheese, Getaway, Heist, Panda Express) along with @ Sparrow for some VQ training. I took the remaining 13 PAX (Banks, Beaker, Big Mac, Bloomer, Crack, Hotbox, Jolly, Katniss, Panandle, Tbone, TBTF, Tortuga, Whittler) for a regular Tuesday beat down.

WOR:

Motivators (first time I’ve made it through without screwing them up!)

Arm Circles – in cadence

Michael Phelps – OYO

Tappy Taps – in cadence

THANG 1:

Indian Run to far baseball field

THANG 2:

11s – Burpees/Merkins. Started along the right field foul line with 1 Burpee and ran about 100 feet for 10 Merkins. Repeat increasing Burpees and decreasing Merkins until 10 burpees/1 Merkin.

THANG 3:

Catch Me if You Can – PAX partnered up. One PAX started running backwards while the other did 5 Bobby Hurley’s. After completing the Bobby Hurleys you sprint to catch your partner and switch. We did this back to the base of Hoffa

THANG 4:

More 11s – American Hammers/BBSU. American Hammers at the base of Hoffa – BBSU at the top. Finished off a humid sweaty morning with a man rise up Hoffa.

COT:

Praise for Tortuga and his M and the progress that has been made along with prayers for continued progress. Prayers for Babe and his M and the 2.0 on the way tomorrow! Prayers for Noodles and his job search.

Convergence w/ Geneva Part 1: 6.5.21

Due to smoking a brisket overnight YHC didn’t sleep much. I am not sure if that was because of the brisket or the excitement I had to Q the fist convergence of F3 Wheaton/Geneva. It was a muggy morning and a perfect temperature to get a good sweat in! While thinking of what to call, I could help but think of my college football days and the fun and memories I have in a hot, muggy weight room during summer workouts! Selfishly, this was crated to help me riminess some of my favorite memories.

WOR: We all introduced ourselves before any warmup.
SSH x 30
Goof Balls x 15
Picking Daiseys – middle, right, left
Standing quad stretch OYO
Arm Circles – forward, backward

Thang 1: We split up into 5 groups and mosey’ed to the COOTIES.

Each Station was a 4 minute AMRAP with a minute between stations. During the “recovery” minute the Q yelled out an exercise to complete. It was mostly BURPEES!

Station1: Bis and Tri’s
10 Pull ups
20 1 Arm Rows
30 High Pulls
40 Curls

Station 2: Sandbags
10 Sandbag Thrusters
20 Bent Over Rows
30 OH Press
40 Front Squats

Station 3: Legs
10 Mucho Lego
20 Bonnie Blairs – Hard Way
30 1 legged RDLs
40 Calf Raises

Station 4: Chest and Tri’s
10 Blockees
20 Derkin – knee to chest
30 Coupon Press
40 Skull Crushers

Station 5: Abs
10 Boat/Canoe – 10 second hold each
20 BBSU
30 Leg Lifts
40 IC Flutter Kicks

Thang 2: 10 Minute AMRAP of REDRUM

Moleskin: F3 in a wonderful thing. Anywhere there is an F3 event the group will welcome anyone with open arms. This was evident when @Banks and I crashed Geneva’s 2nd F Happy Hour

Backblast 6/4F Run Club

Twelve PAX arrived at AO-Ground Zero at 5:30. After some OYO light stretching, we departed.

The Thang: We ran North on the Prairie Path. Then, we turned around and ran South. Most did ~5miles.

COT: Prayers for Cooper’s healing and progress, SAGA’s knee, Noodles’ job search and Cookies’ as he and family prepare to transition to full time ministry.

NOR: Toto, Cheese (respect), SAGA, Da Vinci, T-bone (respect), Tortuga (respect), Binford, Banks, Shiplap, Jolly, Katniss (Q) and we even got to name a new F-N-G: “Gateway”

Backblast 6/3/21 5:30 @ AO Mastodon “Dirty MacDuece and Resurrection Bunnies

QIC: Beaker
21 faithful PAX gathered on this beautiful morning for a beatdown.

WAR: We started with a 1/2 mile jog around the short loop to warm up our legs. We followed up with tappy taps (x5), hamstring stretching on each leg, Morrocan night clubs (x17 ic) , a shirtless Sparrow, Michael Phelps, and arm across chest stretches.

Thang 1: Dirty MacDeuce
4 sets of 3 exercises, each done in cadence to a four count. In between each set the PAX went up Hoffa AYG, back down as recovery and then held low plank for the 6.
Set 1: Merkins, American hammers, goblet squats
Set 2: Derkins, mountain climbers, Bonnie Blairs
Set 3: Overhead presses, shoulder taps, monkey humpers
Set 4: Standing skull crushers, flutter kicks, Blarts

Thang 2: Animal walks
YHC defined a quadrangle in the field at the base of Hoffa. The PAX travelled from corner to corner on the perimeter of the quadrangle in four animal walks. At each corner, 10 mucho leg-os were performed. The animal walks were: 1) resurrection bunnies, 2) duck walk, 3) crab walk, 4) bear crawl.

NOR: Aloha, Katniss, Sparrow, Bloomer, Whittler, Heist, Archive, Panda Express, Babe, Ralphy, Yankee, Jolly, BOGO, Hotbox, T-bone (respect), Banks, SAGA, Da Vinci, Gummi Bear, Beaker, Tortuga (respect)

COT: We prayed for injuries and illnesses and praise for a beautiful morning.

Gummi Bear was awarded a trophy and beverages for winning the FNG/Kotter drive.

Beer Suckers (Black Ops #1)

Six PAX (@Binford @Beaker @TBTF @Banks @Davinci @Jolly) showed up for the first Black Ops event of the summer, which involved a lollipop/sucker shaped ten mile run from Two Brothers brewery around McKee Marsh and back. The slow group’s lollipop was somewhat consumed as we only made it a third of the way around the marsh. Still, we all went basically ten miles.

Two of us may have suffered hotflashes after the workout. This may not have been wise, but it was clearly CSAUP (completely stupid and utterly pointless). Perhaps the next Black Ops should not be as grueling. Still, six of these (including any Black Diamond workouts) qualifies for a coveted end of summer prize. @Shiplap appeared at the brewery to show support, and somehow @Beaker managed to lead a Q the next morning at 5:30AM.

BACKBLAST: Wednesday, June 2, 2021 “Futfall” 5:30AM @ AO Tarpit

13 PAX in attendance: @Panhandle @Banks @Rainman @Noodles @Shiplap @Big Mac @Da Vinci @Whiddler @Jolly @Katniss @Milk Duds @T-bone @Tortuga

WOR: 20 count side-straddle-hop in cadence/ Abe Vigodas (OYO) / butt kickers and high knees / Stretch quads and calves

Mosey to field, burpee broad-jump across and lunge back

Thang: Futfall – Split into two teams, play soccer but every time you kick the ball you need to do 1 burpee, 2 pushups or 3 sit-ups. Every time your team scores increment number of burpees by 1, pushups by 2 or sit-ups by 3. If the ball touches the track the responsible team all does 5 burpees.

Valient effort all around but the bad-guys win 4 to 3.

Moleskin: Joy is a manifestation of the fruit of the spirit. This group cultivates that for me.

Prayer: A year ago @Milk Duds came out of surgery for cancer. Couldn’t walk, now is in better shape than prior to the surgery. Praise God! @Noodles, thankful for interview opportunities.

BACKBLAST: Saturday, May 29, 2021 “Know Knee Sense” 7:00AM @ AO Mastodon

This workout was designed to be easy on the knees, basically anti-leg day

Several of the PAX planned to do an awesome obstacle course this day, so they joined us for WOR then headed downstate to get their medals. We kept it light for them and started the real work once they left.

WOR

Abe Vagodas

Good Mornings

Arm Circles

5 PAX remained so rather than pairing off each PAX was responsible for their own reps at ½ the traditional count. PAX pushed through the reps to whatever point they felt they were slowing down then “rested” with a holding exercise for 10-30 seconds before getting back to work. Here is how it went.

THANG 1: Flora 1-2-3

50 Merkins: Superman

100 LBCs: Hold Plank

150 Bent over Rows: Hold Boat

We did a quick coupon carry walk around the playground before Thang 2

THANG 2: Flora 3-2-1

150 Chest Press: Reverse Plank

100 Overhead Press: Monkey Hang (PAX agreed, this was probably the hardest part of the workout to keep going)

50 BBSU: Hold Half Curl

To loosen ourselves up we did a few times up and down Hoffa with our coupons, some frontwards Rifle carry, some Bernie.

THANG 3: Blitz, how many can you do in remaining time

10 Pull ups/inverted rows

10 Leg Lifts

10 High Pulls

10 Hand Release Merkins

10 Calf Raises

10 Curls

All PAX were on the 4th cycle, some finished all 4

NOR Babe, Crash, Cookies(Q), Jailbreak, TBTF

BACKBLAST: 6.1.21 “RAMBO” @ AO Mastodon

WOR: 20 Mtn Man Poopers / 5 nipple scrappers / bat wings

Moleskin: You can do more than you realize. After hearing two recent stories from my 2.0s about nearing failure but pushing through, I was reminded how much more we can go even if we think we are at our end. So, what is a trial you are currently facing—when you get to that point when you want to give up, think to yourself that you are only at 60% and there is a lot more in the tank…

ONLY THANG: R.A.M.B.O. @ Hoffa with coupon & Rambo soundtrack (it was the thing that emotions are made of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PySp8KI3NbU)

Redrum (murder bunny up Hoffa / 10 blockees at top / rifle carry down)

Abs (oyo choice) x 50 reps

Merkins x25 reps

Burpees x10 reps

Oyo choice w/coupon x50 reps

Run across the “enemy bridge” and back (aka, run from Hoffa across the two near bridges and come back to repeat above)

CoR/NoR/Cot:

19 PAX in attendance: @Babe @Banks @Beaker @Big Mac @BOGO @Captain Crunch @Cheese @Da Vinci @Getaway @Jolly @Katniss @Ralphy @Panda Express @SAGA (Q) @Shiplap @Sparrow @T-Bone @Tortuga @Yankee (welcome FNG!)

Moleskin reprise:

When you hit that wall and think you have given 100%, remember you are only at 60% and keep going…

5.29.21 — Just a bit of silliness, really

In the immortal words of Dolly Parton: “Hit ’em where the sun don’t shine.”

In contrast to Wednesday, the sunrise was crowning the trees in glory at AO-TAR PIT, as 10 intrepid PAX (Big Mac, Beaker, Draper, SAGA, Panhandle, Noodles, Hot Box, Da Vinci, Katniss, Capn Crunch(QIC)) gathered for what promised to be an atypical day. The Q did have a plan, but the details were yet to be filled in in their entirety. Without much explanation and some odd warnings, they began their adventure. The objective was to work out some muscles we haven’t used since grade school.

Warm-O-Rama:
– Goofballs IC x20
– Abe Vigoda IC x10
– Batwings IC x10
– Mountain Man Poopers IC x20

Recon Jog

Thang 1: DIY OCR

We all pray in different ways, and in our own way we lended our thoughts and support to those brave souls entering into the Frontline OCR. We divided into two teams of 10 and took turns making stuff up, establishing routes for us to race across or around the playground, performing different exercises or feats of athleticism against members of the other team.

Highlights include Bear Crawls, more Bear Crawls, Bear Snake, Bear Indian Run, pull ups at extreme heights, Dolly Partons(reprise), Derkin sprints, gimpy one-legged-race + burpees (gimpees?), and a kiddy slide that almost defeated the entire gathering of the PAX, and Hot Box and Beaker closing out the day showing everyone how it’s done on the 5 meter beam cross.

Thang 2: Adult Duck Duck Goose

Inspired by one of (not yet)FiA’s workouts, the PAX circled up for a bit of Duck Duck Goose before continuing their OCR. Like normal duck duck goose (or grey duck???), except that all the PAX perform a standing exercise, and when you get called “duck” you perform 10 merkins. Afterwards, we continued the choose your own OCR.

COR/NOR/COT: prayers of thanks for Noodles’ opportunities and the many blessings of life — thanks and intercession in the midst of SAGA’s trials/blessings — for Panhandle’s daughter in Mexico — for the Frontline OCR crew and their endeavors and camaraderie

Backblast: Friday May 28, 5:30am AO Ground Zero

WOR: OYO warmup and jogging start

8 Pax gathered in the 40 degree rain to run. Rain stopped midway through. Near perfect running weather.

Stayed on the pavement – 3 laps in the parking garage and then out Childs street to the culdesac and home.

NOR: @panhandle, @tortuga, , @hotbox, @aloha, @shamu, @katniss, @banks, @t-bone (Q)

Last minute weather un-HC (rhymes with fartsac): @jolly and @davinci

Moleskin : 1) I’m super thankful for the OCR crew welcoming my 2.0 to take my place tomorrow – those acts of kindness mean a lot – both to me and my family – that is I think a huge part of what being the F3 nation is all about. You all rock!

2) Francis of Assisi did not say “Preach the Gospel always, use words as necessary”. It’s a great quote but he didn’t say it.

Be wise. Be slow to share things via FB, Instagram, retweets or out of your own mouth that you don’t know to be true or reliable. There are plenty of factually great things to share. Don’t dilute your message and be “that guy” that needs everything to be fact checked.

Be the guy that everyone knows has “checked their sources” – then when you have something to say – people will listen.

COT: Prayers for @aloha and @noodles job searches, @saga and @jazz hands physical injuries and recoveries and for safe travel this holiday weekend – including the Frontline OCR crew.