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Due to some Q shuffling, YHC was excited to have a full hour to deliver a beatdown to remember. I wanted to make something challenging and encourage each PAX to push a little harder. Although the Q wasn’t flawless (we could have made the teams a little more even) I feel it got the job done!

WOR: SSH IC x 50, Picking Daisey’s Middle/Right/Left, Arm Circle OYO forward and Back, Merkins x 15 with a down/up cadence to ensure full range of motion

The Thang: – Groups of 3: Groups need to complete the rep counts using an accumulated total
1 Mile – Timed – The times were quite impressive! Happy to get this on the books

1/4 Mile Timed – Take the fastest time in your group and divide by 2
Sandees – Using the number above
BBSU – 100
Curls – 200

1/4 Mile Timed – Take the middle time in your group
Blockees – using the number above
Crunchy Frogs – 100
Rows – 200

1/4 Mile Timed – Take the fastest time (for times sake)
Burpees – using the number above
Leg Lifts – 100
Sand Bag Press – 200

COT/NOR: Katniss, Archive, Sage, Jolly, Tortuga, Milk Dud, Noodles, Beaker, Da Vinci, Hotbox, Panhandle

The PAX emerged at AO Ground Zero for a ruck club, with a few who could not handle the intensity of rucking opting for a run. Present were @noodles, @shamu, @panhandle, @T-bone, @tortuga, @SAGA, @cookies, @banks, @shiplap, @drphil, @tortuga, @jolly, @davinci (q)

Warmorama: Tappy Taps in cadence (done correctly).

COT: Prayers for @noodles interviews and for @banks travel.

Moleskin: One of the F3 books is subtitled “the unshackling of the modern day warrior.”

This language terrifies some who think it will endorse patriarchy, the unjust rule of men over women. It certainly can. But a better word for that is actually puer-archy, the rule of boys, for real men seek the flourishing of women. The answer to the wrong kind of warrior (“toxic masculinity”) is not the SNAG (“soft New Age guy”) but the mature warrior. One book puts it this way:

“If we are accessing the Warrior appropriately, we will be energetic, decisive, courageous, enduring, persevering, and loyal to some greater god beyond our own personal gain…. If we are accessing the Warrior in the right way, we will, at the same time that we are ‘detached,’ be warm, compassionate, appreciative, and generative. We will care for ourselves and others. We will fight good fights in order to make the world a better and more fulfilling place for everyone and everything. Our war-making will be for the creation of the new, the just, and the free” (95).

One of the authors of that book’s life ended tragically, which remains an important warning. Rohr has a good Christian version of the same material that I really enjoyed, but I personally think Robert Johnson’s He (including the follow up volumes She and We) are the real classics of the genre. In any case, stay tuned for upcoming service opportunities for “the creation of the new, the just, and the free.”

It was a chilly, but beautiful morning at AO Mastodon, and it looks like the timer to the lights was fixed as well, so we began our beatdown with light and the sun already coming up! 14 Faithful PAX (Banks, Big Mac, Cookies, DaVinci, Hotbox, Jolly, Katniss, Panhandle, SAGA, Shiplap, T-Bone, TBTF, Tortuga, Whittler) came out for what was billed to be a tough beatdown, but in a weird twist for YHC, there would be no burpees!

Warm-O-Rama:

• 7X Motivators
• 12x Abe Vigodas
• 16x Mountain Man Poopers
• 15x Merkins IC
• 25x Hip Hinges

The Thang:

At this point we started on a mosey around the outer loop of the AO with several stops along the way.

• Stop 1 – Flat Tire – The PAX partnered up to hold each other’s feet as 1 one PAX would take 4 steps in a wheelbarrow and then complete 1 Derkin. This progressed up in a 4:1 fashion, so 8 steps, 2 Derkins with the PAX trading with their partners as necessary until both completed 40 steps and 10 Derkins. Once all PAX were done, we moved on around the loop.
• Stop 2 – Monkey Bars – The PAX completed Captain Thor’s (1 BBS followed by 4 American Hammer’s progressing upwards in a 4:1 fashion) while they waited for their turn to cross the monkey bars and then complete 5 pullups, and then they would resume Captain Thor’s on the other side. Once all PAX were done, we moved on around the loop.
• Stop 3 – Dan Taylor Alley – The PAX completed Dan Taylor’s (1 Squat, 4 Lunges) progressing upwards until 8 squats and 32 lunges were completed. It should be noted that the mumble chatter was at a minimum at the point as I think the PAX were enjoying the sunrise and the pain that Dan Taylor Alley was delivering. Once all PAX were done, we moved on around the loop.
• Stop 4 – Base of Hoffa – We circled up and completed Jack Webbs (1 Merkin followed by 4 seal claps) we progressed upward until 10 Merkins and 40 Seal Claps were completed. YHC enjoyed looking around at all of the PAX and the smiles on their faces as the pain from the Seal Claps settled in. This one definitely was a great burn!
• The Finale – We sprinted to the top of Hoffa letting out a yell as each PAX saw fit. Unfortunately we only had time for 1, so we all moseyed back to the flags

COR/NOR/COT:

Thankful for the beautiful day and for all of the PAX being out there with me today. Prayers for Panhandle’s son and all of the students taking the SAT test today to have the right level of focus and do well.

Moleskin:

It is easy to do hard things with a group that you enjoy being around. The progressive nature of the 1:4 increasing ladder exercises is challenging, but through perseverance and focus, you go through it slowly and eventually you are done. Don’t ever stop moving forward, but keep doing the hard things!

With YHC being a 2nd time poster, 1st time Q to the mysterious Ground Zero Run-club, he figured he should have some semblance of a plan, but otherwise not bring too many expectations to burden the PAX with. At the same time, he had a reputation to maintain for bringing too much of a good thing and today would be no exception. With the rain looming, and an otherwise breezy cool morning, 14 PAX posted in the Gloom for leg-day #2, hot on the heels of Shamu’s Thursday lunges.

The mission was basic, go somewhere, run stairs, go somewhere else, run more stairs. With two good parking garages in downtown Wheaton, the PAX only had so many options, but they set in with their usual enthusiasm.

After an unorthodox run-club warm-up, with something that almost counted as stretching(!?), they were free to accomplish the mission as they saw fit.

NOR: (Cookies, Shiplap, Panhandle, Jolly, Banks, Beaker, Dr. Phil, Noodles, SAGA, Gummi Bear, Shamu, Whittler, Katniss, Capn Crunch(QIC))

COT: Prayers for the group to lean in to life as we lean in to workouts, choosing action, even imperfect action, done with good motivation.

MOLESKIN: Confession on YHCs part to having thought ill of a brother even during that workout, and exhortation to the PAX to consider someone they think ill of and choose today to think well of them, reject cynicism, and embrace goodwill and a generous heart.

Thanks for turning up for this friendly little competition around Mastodon!  It was a bit lunge-heavy, but I enjoyed doing it as much as planning it.  Shout outs to @Archive @Bloomer @T-bone and @Panhandle for their prayer requests.   Enjoy the day!

WOR: Motivators / Goofballs / Tappy Taps / Mt Climbers

ONLY THANG: Partner WOD on track with a bit of 80s music for support—each PAX did both exercises in the list below before moving on.One PAX at end zone doing exercise while the partner PAX went 50 yards and back as follows:

1. squats + farmer’s carry both coupons to 50 yard & back: switch
2. merkins + rifle carry to 50 yard & back: switch
3. blockees + sprints to 100 yard & back: switch
4. curls & rows + lunges to 25 yard & back: switch
5. overhead press (50) + LBCs (both at end zone): switch
6. mosey 2 laps (1st lap w/1 coupon to pass back-and-forth // 2nd lap run/race)

REPEATED all above until time ran out (a few PAX completed a full two rounds of all reps).

Ended with a victory lap 400 sprint!

CoR/NoR/Cot: 14 PAX in attendance: @Banks @Da Vinci @Dr Phil @Hotbox @Jolly @Katniss @Noodles @Panhandle @SAGA (Q) @Shiplap @T-Bone (respect) @Tortuga (respect) @Whittler + we welcomed an FNG: @Milkdud (respect)

MOLESKIN: remember #sword-swallowers

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” – Eph 2:8

The story you tell yourself is the story you live in.

Guard from the life too simply summarized, live the epic as it unfolds.

17 Pax showed up on a glorious Tuesday morning.

WOR:

Goofballs, Slow Merkins, Michael Phelps, Slow Squats, Abe Vigodas, Mosey to Cooties – to the never gets old “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell

The Thang:

Partner up to perform a double Murph (4 loops running – short (.75mile) or long (.95mile)), 200 Pull-Ups, 400 Merkins, 600 Air squats – one runs while the other knocks out calisthenics.

Many groups finished in ~35 minutes – way to go!

NOR: Babe, Banks, Beaker, Big Mac, Cap’n Crunch, Cheese, DaVinci, Gummi Bear, Jolly, Katniss, Panhandle, Saga, Shiplap, Sparrow, Tortuga, T-bone (Q), Whittler

Moleskin: Respect is earned – be worthy of respect in your home – treat your M like a queen, model healthy relationships, spend time with your kids. Don’t assume you will lose your teens – stay engaged – don’t create a self-fulfilling prophecy

COT: Prayers for Babe and family in the loss of his Grandfather – particularly his Grandmother who is alone after 67 years of marriage.

11 PAX (TBTF QIC, Cookies, Sparrow, SAGA, DaVinci, Tortuga, Jolly, Beaker, Dr. Phil, Big Mac, Archive)

The runners started early, circled back to the flag at 530AM to exchange Sparrow for Dr. Phil and were off again for a nice 6+ mile run (estimated)

The Ruckers did a quick WoR and made our way to Hoffa for some bear crawling, squats at the top, and lunging back down. We then proceeded to make 2 laps around the AO (the Archive mile followed by the Captain Crunch mile). Due to some poor time management by yours truly the last half of the Captain Crunch mile was largely a shuffle.

CoT – Prayers for SAGAs M for better sleep and general good health as well as Bloomers son