Backblast! 16’s + Potluck

DATE: 2025-02-04
AO: #ao_mastodon
Q: @Stock boy
PAX: @Samsonite @Linc @Jailbreak @TBTF @Glowstick @Ankles
FNGs: None
COUNT: 7

WOR:
Motivators, Abe Vigodas, copperhead squats, tin soldiersThe Thang:

  1. 16’s at the lampposts – merkins and BBSUs, alternating mode of transport between lunge walks and imperial walkers
  2. Back the way we came with a different PAX calling 5 – 10 reps of any exercise

Moleskine:
Be thankful for blessings, and when hard times come, trust in GodCOT:
Prayers for @Sparrow and his M, Claire.

Monday Ultimate

DATE: 2025-02-03
AO: #ao_flat_earth
Q: @DQ
PAX: @Fiona @Candyland @Manhole @Samsonite @Shiplap @Jolly @TBTF @Banks @Panhandle @Krampus @Velveeta @Gummi Bear @Tortuga @Archive @Cheese @Crack @Spielberg @T.B. @Panda Express @Jack
FNGs: None
COUNT: 21
WOR:

  • SSH
  • Down and back

The Thang:
Two simultaneous games of 5 v 5-ish ultimate

Moleskine:
Being logical isn’t always best:

  • At Emilia’s birthday party, I was in the kitchen washing dishes. My grandma offered to help dry. I initially was going to say go relax and enjoy the party due to the fact she’s my grandma, but accepted her offer and we had a great conversation as a result.
  • Emilia got new flossers and is very excited about them. She offered me one the other night during bedtime, and I wanted to say no since I have my own and those flossers are more expensive than my floss. But I accepted because even though it didn’t make sense for me to take one of hers, she really just wanted to share something she was excited about with me.

In both instances, I think relationships were enriched doing something that "didn’t make sense".

COT:

  • @Krampus and M with their ultrasound today. Prayers that baby and mom have a clean bill of health.

UB (Frozen) U Monday

AO Mastodon, January 20, 2025
Q: Crack
PAX: Ankles, Audible, Crack, DaVinci, Falsetto, Glowstick, Mr. Roboto, Panhandle, Samsonite, T-Bone, plus a brief showing by Portage

Conditions: -2F at Startex, Windchill values hovering around -15F

Warm-o-Rama: Side-Straddle Hops In Cadence, Abe Vigodas In Cadence, Mountain Man Poopers In Cadence, brief stretching on your own.

The Thang(s?): 5 PAX headed for Lawson Field to run some intervals, 4 PAX rucked up and wandered the area, and who knows what Da Vinci actually did. Portage decided he’d rather go lift weights. Lots of frosty whiskers, eye lashes and eyebrows were found at the end of 45 minutes!

Moleskin: Parenting doesn’t become easier or harder, it just becomes “different.” Focus on being the best parent you can.

Freezebee

DATE: 2025-01-20
AO: #ao_flat_earth
Q: @DQ
PAX: @Shiplap @Tortuga @Gummi Bear @Jolly @White Noise @Jack @TBTF @T.B. @Banks
FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
WOR:

  • SSH
  • Down and back

The Thang:
Ultimate, but a little colder

Moleskine:
When I’m going through tough times, I sometimes lose focus on God’s goodness, love, and presence in my life. Something that helps me do better is marking moments in my life where I’ve recognized God has made himself known. Being a good remember-er of these past times God has delivered you through will help you face current and future trials, giving you more focus and faith he’ll show up.

COT:

  • Health among the PAX and families
  • @Jack hosting a pastor friend and for a meeting with his church leadership to discuss an opportunity

Musical Dora

1/16/25

#ao Mastodon, 0530

WOR: Motivators (x7), Abe Vigoda, batwings, copperhead squats

The Thang: musical Dora. One partner did reps while the other did one sledding run. The exercise changed when the song changed. The first PAX to name the song and/or artist called the next exercise.
Squats, merkins, air thrusters, star jumps, flutter kicks, lunges, bbsu
The (frozen) sandball and the big sandbag were available for those who wanted to modify up. Few did.

Finished with a whole group sledding run.

Moleskine: “You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do.” David Foster Wallace.

COT: Prayers for @LeMond’s brother in law who is having triple bypass surgery Friday, @Mr Roboto’s brother, and @Jailbreak who bashed into the frozen sandball on his first run down Hoffa.

Sand and Snow and Spa

DATE: 2025-01-14
AO: #ao_tar_pit
Q: @DQ
PAX:@Jolly @Tortuga @Big Mac @LeMond @Panhandle
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
WOR:

  • SSH
  • Goof balls
  • Arm circles
  • Abe Vigodas
  • Good mornings

Pre Thang
Bring all coupons and sandbags to the spa. Baton death march with 3 burpees around the school.

Main Thang
At the spa, PAX split into two groups. The first group did the following EMOM circuit, a minute per each exercise:

  • 10 burpees
  • 15 thrusters
  • 20 uneven merkins
  • 25 skull crushers
  • Lap around the small wheel

While the first group did that circuit, each PAX of the second group grabbed a 60# sandbag. Each performed the following 3 times:

  • Top of spa: 10 shoulder to shoulder presses
  • Carry bag to base of spa
  • Base of spa: 10 squat cleans
  • Carry bag to top of spa

When a sandbagger finished, they joined the EMOM circuit. Once all sandbaggers finished, that round was done. The groups then switched and repeated.

Extra Thang
Simultaneous spittoons:

  • 60 sandees
  • 300 goblet squats

There’s-still-time-left Thang
Run down and back up the hill. 15 thrusters at the spa. Repeat. PAX all completed about 3 rounds of this.

Moleskine:
My family had a week of annoying inconveniences. Work was busy. A stomach bug hit everyone in our house. We had to postpone Emilia’s birthday party. A classic @Bloomer moleskine comes to mind, "When you can’t get out of it, get into it". My M and I sucked it up and just got through it.

COT:

  • @LeMond’s BIL and @Big Mac’s uncle’s upcoming major surgeries

Pearls on a String

WOR: ssh, batwings

The Thang: moseying with reps along the way
Bolt 45s (squats), Molt 45s (merkins), 100 burpees for time, plank off, 30 deep jump squats, squat off, Bulgarian split squats, one legged merkins, flutter kicks IC (100), @Jolly at the spa, stretching

Moleskine: We celebrated Jesus’ coming on Christmas. He’s coming back. Tell your friends.

COT: Lemond’s b-i-l- bypass surgery coming up Friday, recent suicide – prayers for the family

Backblast! Last black diamond of 2024!

DATE: 2024-12-31
AO#ao_tar_pit
Q@Tortuga
PAX@T-bone @Panhandle @Banks @DQ @T.B. @Tortuga
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6

WOR: 3+ min SSH to the beat of “March of the Swivelheads”.

The Thang:
The sandball(115 lbs) and med ball(20 lbs) got carried to the top of the spa.  Teams bid a number of burpees to be completed at the top of the spa.  Losing bid carried the sandball with no burpees.  Winning bid carried med ball and did burpees.  The Respect team won the bid with 11 burpees.  Disrespect got the sandball to the top before all burpees were completed.

EMOM timer starts.
Run to the bottom of the ramp and back up.  Do three reps.  Add a rep each minute.  If PAX fails to complete reps on a round, the run shortens to the level section of the ramp (less than ⅓ of the way down).  Reps continue to increase so everyone is always on the same number of reps.  The second failure results in eliminating the run.  The first PAX to fail a third time (with no run) carries the sandball down and back up.  Second to fail carries the med ball.  Once the sandball reaches the top, the round ends for everyone.

Round one: burpees.
Round two: Mike Tysons.  Feet against the wall, knees bent so butt is close to the wall, straighten legs to a merkin then return to starting position.
Round three: star jumps.  Once we got to 16, we skipped to 18, then 20, 25, 30, 35.

Back to the flag with roles switched from earlier move: team respect took the sandball, while team disrespect took the med ball and did 11 burpees.  Again the sandball won.

Moleskine:
George Bernard Shaw, “You don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing.”  A Yale study showed that those with a positive view on aging lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those with a negative view.  Keep playing, Boys!

COT: Prayers for a safe New Year’s celebration, DQ’s friend’s mom passed away, TB and M have a busy January, so does DQ.

Backblast! X-Mas Beatdown that is NOT 12 Days of X-Mas

DATE: 2024-12-24
AO: #ao_mastodon
Q: @TBTF
PAX: @Stock boy @Linc @Falsetto @TBTF
FNGs: None
COUNT: 4

WOR:
Warm-Up (5 Minutes): “Rudolph’s Warm-Up Run”
· 2-minute jog (Imagine leading Santa’s sleigh! Stay light on your feet.)
· Reindeer High Knees– 30 seconds
· Toy Soldier Kicks– 30 seconds
· Arm Circles– 30 seconds (forward and back)
· Mountain Climbers– 30 seconds
· Reindeer Hops– 30 seconds (light squat jumps)
The Thang:
The Thang:
Christmas Movie-Themed Boot Camp
Circuit 1: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (8 Minutes)
Rudolph powered through adversity—this will make you push through too!
· Cinder Block Sleigh Pulls(2 minutes):
· We did more of a push around COOTES
· “Antler Lifts”(Overhead Coupon Press) – 1 minute

  • Reindeer Lunges– 1 minute

· “Reindeer Sprints”– 1 minute (Run 30-40 yards back and forth)
· Low Plank to Merkin– 1 minute
· Rest 1 minuteCircuit 2: “Home Alone: Escape the Bandits” (8 Minutes)
Work on your speed, strength, and agility to “escape” Harry and Marv!
· “Paint Can Swings”(Coupon Swings) – 1 minute
· “Booby Trap Sprints”– 2 minutes
· “Coupon Step-Ups”– 1 minute
· “Spider Crawl” (Bear Crawl 30 yards and back)– 1 minute
· Cinder Block Squat and Press– 1 minute
· Rest 1 minuteCircuit 3: “Die Hard Tower Challenge” (8 Minutes)
You’re John McClane climbing Nakatomi Plaza—time to get gritty!
· “Yippee-Ki-Yay Merkins”– 1 minute
· Perform explosive Merkins (clap if possible) or standard Merkins.
· Deadlifts– 1 minute
· “Vent Crawls” (Army Crawl 20 yards and back)– 1 minute
· “Explosive Escape” (Coupon Thrusters)– 1 minute
· Run To the Exit (up Hoffa and back)Circuit 4: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Grinch’s Strength” (8 Minutes)
Grow your strength three sizes this round!
· “Sled Pushes”– 1 minute
· Push the coupon across the ground as fast as possible.
· Grinchy Goblet Squats(with Coupon) – 1 minute
· “Mount Crumpit Climbers”– 1 minute
· Perform mountain climbers (fast pace).
· Coupon “Max Hold”– 1 minute
· Hold the block at shoulder height or above your head (static hold).
· Mount Crumpit Trail Run – 2 minutesCircuit 5: “Scrooged: Spirit of Fitness Past, Present, and Future” (8 Minutes) – We didn’t make it to this circuit due to time
Channel energy through all the ages of fitness!
· “Past” Dead Stop Merkins– 1 minute
· Drop to the ground, pause for a second, push back up.
· “Present” Block Clean & Press– 1 minute
· Lift the block to your chest and press overhead.
· “Future” Run to Finish– 2 minutes
· To front entrance and back
· Coupon Russian Twists– 1 minute
· Plank Hold (Spirit of Endurance) – 1 minute
Moleskine:
Maintain perspective during the holiday season. For me this means to reflect on how God has blessed me in my life with health, an able body, a loving family, everyday safety, etcCOT:
@Linc for work relationships,
@Stock boy’s friend who is dealing with a health challenge
@Manhole’s dads heallth*routine sourced from downrange backblasts

Stocking Snatching

DATE: 2024-12-26
AO: #ao_mastodon
Q: @DQ
PAX: @Stock boy @Jailbreak @LouGee
FNGs: None
COUNT: 4
WOR:

  • SSH
  • Abe Vigodas
  • Arm Circles
  • Runners stretch

Thang 1
Mosey to, up, and down Hoffa to make sure it’s in suitable condition for a workout

Thang 2
PAX gathered at the top of Hoffa. There, many stockings filled with pieces of paper describing an exercise and rep count. Each PAX would go to a stocking, pick out a paper, and perform that exercise and rep count. After completing an exercise, run down to the bottom of Hoffa, do 10 SSH, and run back up. You then go to a stocking (either the same one you were working on, or a different one) and choose another sheet of paper and perform the exercise and reps. Repeat-o down and back up Hoffa.
If you get to a stocking and you draw the last exercise, you’ve claimed that stocking! And you got to hang it up proudly on your mantle (somewhere along the fence at the top of Hoffa).
The goal of this game was to collect as many stockings as possible. Strategies included working on one stocking, working across many stockings, keeping a close eye on other Pax and picking a sheet from their stocking in an attempt to swipe one away.
The Q put too many exercises in each stocking for a stocking count to really climb. @Stock boy and @DQ ended up on top, tied with 1 stocking a piece.

Moleskine:
When you’re going through a trial, some might have a tendency to isolate, but this is when you most need to lean into your community to get you through.

COT:

  • @Jailbreak’s mom not being able to spend Christmas with the family because of ailments
  • @Jailbreak’s friend who lives in Singapore, who is the only Christian in his family, and whose Christian community is all abroad