Category: Uncategorized

Date: 2025-06-04
AO: ao_tar_pit
Q: Da Vinci
PAX: Banks, Tortuga, Stock boy, DQ, Panhandle, SAGA, Jolly, Da Vinci, Katniss FNGs: None
COUNT: 9
We met in the parking garage to save lives from deadly lightning strikes.

Warmorama to Dan Fogelburg Illinois (burpee on Illinois) including Prisoner squats to confirm Jolly’s heartless cynicism

The Thang:

“As to scenery (giving my own thought and feeling), while I know the standard claim is that Yosemite, Niagara Falls, the Upper Yellowstone and the like afford the greatest natural shows, I am not so sure but the prairies and plains, while less stunning at first sight, last longer, fill the esthetic sense fuller, precede all the rest, and make North America’s characteristic landscape.” –Walt Whitman, Specimen Days (1879)

Who said it? 10 penalty thrusters for wrong answers

· A study published by the University of Illinois Chicago in 2022 ranked Illinois as the second most corrupt state in the nation, with 4 out of the last 11 governors serving time in prison. But New York and California, respectively, ranked first and second for federal public corruption convictions during this period.

– What is the second most populous city according to 2020 census? Aurora.
How many of the top five are decreasing in population since 2010 census (2 out of 5)

Exercise pairing:
Curls and flutters to Sweet Home Chicago, The Blues Brothers · Statehood: 1818; 21st state (territory established: 1809) Skull crushers and box cutters to Illinois Blues by Skip James · State bird: northern cardinal
· State flower: violet
Merkens and BBSU to Chicago by Sufjan Stevens
· The state’s official snack food is popcorn
Derkens and Freddy Mercuries to Chicago by Frank Sinatra
– Slogan: Land of Lincoln
Motto: State Sovereignty, National Union
Rows and Bicycles to Illinois by Rick Pickren or Hard to Say I’m Sorry by Chicago · Official dance: Square dance
Shoulder Press and LBCs to Calling Out Your Name by Rich Mullins or · State bird: cardinal
Hand release merkins and to Green Grass Grows by Tim McGraw

Moleskin:
1865 Grant returned to Galena to a grand reception of thousands, his onetime home, that onetime great northern port city. Then it was back to Washington for two terms, but after that he couldn’t stay home. It wasn’t exciting enough.

Joan Waugh argues the Ulysses S. Grant was a “natural leader on the battlefield but was not an especially effective leader of his country… inability to clean up his own administration was a blight on his presidential record. Grant’s disdain for politics might be responsible for some of the corruption in his administration… loyalty to those who served him prevented him from ruthlessly purging his administration of ineffective or corrupt politicians.” On the other hand, Ron Chernow argues he successfully presided over the difficult task of Reconstruction, but shows how after his presidency he was defrauded, financially ruined in expensive New York, and faced great difficulties owing to his restlessness.

Beware of being promoted beyond your competence or the restlessness that takes you from home. Maybe Grant should have stayed home right here in Illinois.

COT: Prayers for Stock boy family and Tortuga mom, and silence.

Tags: ao_tar_pit, Banks, Tortuga, Stock boy, DQ, Panhandle, SAGA, Jolly, Da Vinci, Katniss

Date: 2025-06-03
AO: ao_dark_room
Q: Beaker
PAX: Framed, Manhole, Noodles, Toto, Crack, Da Vinci, Lakers, Beaker, Flower Boy FNGs: 1 Flower Boy
COUNT: 9
WOR: SSHs, Windmills, Picking Daisies, Goofballs, Bat Wings, Moroccan night clubs

The Thang:
Five alive around the mile loop with:
Squats
Merkins
Bonnie Blairs (2 is 1)
Burpees
Star jumps

Mosey to LOOTIES

Divide into 3 groups
Complete a circuit of:
Pull ups (with assist bands if desired)
Dips
MN Manhole meatballs

Rotate when one person in the pull up group gets 10 pull ups.

Moleskine:
I was at a 40th B-day. The man with a birthday pre-wrote thank you notes to each attendee, thanking them for being a part of his life and singling out specific traits of that attendee that are praiseworthy. What a great way to live, to turn our celebrations in to moments of encouragement and gratitude. COT: yup.

Tags: ao_dark_room, Framed, Manhole, Noodles, Toto, Crack, Da Vinci, Lakers, Beaker, Flower Boy

Date: 2025-06-03
AO: ao_flat_earth
Q: Shiplap
PAX: Tortuga, Spielberg, TBTF, Banks, Shiplap, Gummi Bear, T.B., White Noise, Lib, Candyland, Cheese, Jolly, Chippy, Panda Express, Velveeta FNGs: None
COUNT: 15
WOR: SSH – Down and Back

The Thang: Ultimate

Moleskine: Turn the screens off and spend some time with the people you love. It’s ok to be bored!

COT: T.B. and his M on their hike – Praise for Tortuga mom for coming home.

Tags: ao_flat_earth, Tortuga, Spielberg, TBTF, Banks, Shiplap, Gummi Bear, T.B., White Noise, Lib, Candyland, Cheese, Jolly, Chippy, Panda Express, Velveeta

Date: 2025-06-02
AO: ao_tar_pit
Q: Banks
PAX: Jolly, Tortuga, Banks, Panhandle, Oompa, nemo
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
WOR:The Usual
– 7x Motivators
– 10x Windmills
– 10x Mountain Man Poopers
– 10x Merkins IC
– Stretch OYO

The Thang:Tabata
We circled up in the field and did 1 minute work and 10 secs rest increasing reps each round until the last person failed. Exercises were burpees, Overhead Press, One Arm Rows. We jogged a lap in between each round. Tortuga was last man standing twice and Panhandle once.

Moleskine:
Practice – Don’t expect to be good at something right away, it takes work and practice to be good. Put in the work.

COT:
Tortuga’s Mom.

Tags: ao_tar_pit, Jolly, Tortuga, Banks, Panhandle, Oompa, nemo

Date: 2025-06-02
AO: ao_ground_zero
Q: Mr Roboto
PAX: Dr. Phil, Stock boy, Cheese, Pool Boy, Katniss, Sparrow, Fumigator, T.B., Powerwash FNGs: 1 Powerwash
COUNT: 10
WOR:
Abe Vigodas x10
Goofballs x10
Imperial Walkers x10
Runner’s Stretch

The Thang:
6 ruckers, 4 runners headed north

Moleskine:
We all go through ups and downs. Know that you’re always welcome. Stay connected through any of the Fs. Reach out to someone today.

COT:
Dr. Phil’s 2.0’s graduation, T.B.’s hiking trip, Sparrow’s trip

Tags: ao_ground_zero, Dr. Phil, Stock boy, Cheese, Pool Boy, Katniss, Sparrow, Fumigator, T.B., Powerwash

Date: 2025-05-31
AO: ao_mastodon
Q: Stock boy
PAX: Cheap Shot, Falsetto, TBTF, Fumigator, Mr Roboto, Bloomer, The wet burrito FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
WOR:
Tin soldiers, Abe Vigodas, Michael Phelps, bat wings, Sally

The Thang:
Perform an exercise in time to each song. When you cannot continue, run a lap around the playground. Gun – Soundgarden – Coupon curls
No One Knows – Queens of the Stone Age – Big boy sit-ups
Toxicity – System of a Down – Overhead presses
Working Man – Rush – Calf raises
House of the Rising Sun – The Animals – Merkins
Drain You – Nirvana – Coupon swings
Sunshine of Your Love – Cream – Skull crushers
Slow Ride – Foghat – Goblet squats
We Will Rock You – Queen – Pull-ups
Them Bones – Alice in Chains – Burpees
Hail, Hail – Pearl Jam – Flutter kicks

Moleskine:
Be at peace with your situation in like, knowing God is in control.

COT:
Thanks for Mr Roboto’s mom’s car sale.

Tags: ao_mastodon, Cheap Shot, Falsetto, TBTF, Fumigator, Mr Roboto, Bloomer, The wet burrito

Date: 2025-05-20
AO: ao_flat_earth
Q: Shiplap
PAX: Spielberg, Banks, Tortuga, Bloomer, Cheese, Jolly, Velveeta, Shiplap FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
WOR: SSH, down and back

The Thang: Ultimate

Moleskine:

COT:

Tags: ao_flat_earth, Spielberg, Banks, Tortuga, Bloomer, Cheese, Jolly, Velveeta, Shiplap

Date: 2025-05-31
AO: ao_tar_pit
Q: Big Mac
PAX: Portage, Toto, Da Vinci, Archive, T-bone, Panhandle, Lakers, Sweet P, Ankles, Homie, Katniss, Beaker, SAGA, Tarzan FNGs: 1 Tarzan
COUNT: 15
WOR: Motivators (7) T-bone Burpees (5) Pick Daisies

The Thang:
We will graduate from kindergarten through 12th grade. Each grade includes the exercises from all grades before it Tabata style. 20 seconds on 10 second rest. Then run to the next quarter of the track, answer a grade appropriate question, and add the next exercise.

K – Squats: What comes after 6
1 – Merkins: What is the name of the shape with 3 sides.
2 – Foot Plant Mountain Climbers: What is 12 minus 3 (9)
3 – Burpees: What is the name of the nearest planet to the one we live on closer to the sun? (Venus)
4 – Bonnie Blairs: What is the area of a rectangle that’s 3 inches long and 4 inches wide.
5 – Flutter Kicks: Suppose you have ¾ of a pizza and you eat half of what you have. How much pizza is left? (3/8) 6 – Supermans: What is the greatest common factor of 12 and 18. 7 – Shoulder Taps: How many teeth do most adult humans have? (32) 8 – High Knees: – What’s the atomic number of carbon? (6)
9 – Plank Hops: – What must be true about two opposite angles in a parallelogram? (Congruent, same angle)
10 – Freddie Mercuries: – What is the name of the world’s longest river? (Nile), Some argue it’s the Amazon. 11 – Mike Tysons: What is the primary source of food for most cells? (Glucose) 12 – Heismans: What is the acceleration due to gravity? 9.8 M/s^2

Moleskine: We like to set long term goals, but the path from where we are to where we want to be is continuous. Progress is the accumulation of many many small steps. Which direction are you moving?

COT: Prayer for Terhune’s son, for Portage appt.

Tags: ao_tar_pit, Portage, Toto, Da Vinci, Archive, T-bone, Panhandle, Lakers, Sweet P, Ankles, Homie, Katniss, Beaker, SAGA, Tarzan

Date: 2025-05-30
AO: ao_ground_zero
Q: T-bone
PAX: Pool Boy, Dr. Phil, Stock boy, Ankles, Short Circuit, Mr Roboto, T-bone, Samsonite, Panhandle, TBTF, Fumigator FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
WOR: motivators, AVs, Runners Stretch

The Thang: running and rucking

Moleskine: make your slow runs slower and your fast runs faster. Don’t be afraid to get passed. It’s not about ego.
COT: Samsonite MIL, Mr Roboto mom, fumigator parents loss of beloved pet, 2.0 travel

Tags: ao_ground_zero, Pool Boy, Dr. Phil, Stock boy, Ankles, Short Circuit, Mr Roboto, T-bone, Samsonite, Panhandle, TBTF, Fumigator

Date: 2025-04-14
AO: downrange
Q: LeMond
PAX: LeMond, Brawny, Trigger, Waddle, Sumo, falafel onion, The Real Homer, Fountainhead, Giuliani, Chick(Mark Sheeran) FNGs: None
COUNT: 1
WOR:
Goofballs
Abe Vigodas
Copperhead merkins
Copperhead squats
Side leg raises
Arm circles

Pre-thang:
Bunny vs Bear across field by ramp
One Pax does 5 long jumps, then holds.
Other Pax bear crawls to the first Pax
Switch roles
Jacked Up
SSH x 20 4-ct IC
Seal Jacks x 20 4-ct IC
Plank Jacks x 20 4-ct IC
Crossover Squat Jacks (aka Deny Terio) x 20 IC
Smurf Jacks x 20 IC

First Thang:
Scout run on 606 trail:
Run east down Bloomingdale, doing scout run.
Stop for wall sit and high fives.
Extra Thang: Pax line up and hold plank, rotating to right.
Last Pax on the left runs to the start of the line and yells “switch” Pax switch to rotating on left side.
Repeat until every Pax has gone.

Main Thang: The Hightower
This is a part of the workout based on a very apropos Bible Verse: Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. So – 5 Exercises – 9 reps each. 1) Burpees 2)Bodybuilders – burpee with Plank jack 3)Triple Merkin Burpees – burpee with 3 hand release merkins 4)Triple Jump Squat Burpees – burpee with 3 jump squats 5)Putting them all together – Triple Merkin Triple Jump Squat Bodybuilders – burpee with 3 hand release merkins, plank jack, and 3 jump squats After each set of burpees, sprint to the end of field, alternate: 10 big boy situps.
10 leg lifts
Mary:
Flutter kicks
Freddie Mercuries
Supermans
American Hammers

Moleskin:
Robinson Crusoe
He’s shipwrecked and stuck on a desert island by himself for years. One of the things he recovers from the wreck is a Bible.
“I learned to look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed, rather than what I wanted : and this gave me sometimes such secret comforts, that I cannot express them ; and which I take notice of here, to put those discontented people in mind of it, who cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them, because they see and covet something that he has not given them. All our discontents about what we want appeared to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.” ― Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

Tags: downrange, LeMond, Brawny, Trigger, Waddle, Sumo, falafel onion, The Real Homer, Fountainhead, Giuliani, Chick(Mark Sheeran)