17 men ventured out into the gloom to try their hands (and shoulders and legs) on the Week 0 IronPax workout. Shout-outs especially to [tag Hotbox] and [tag Katniss] for breaking the 30-minute mark.
Workout:
100 Merkins
800 meter run
75 Merkins
1,200 meter run
50 Merkins
1,600 meter run
25 Merkins
2,000 meter run
Who showed up:
Ode to a decade when cars were fast, rock was king, and a slide ruler was a calculator.
Musical Bears made its debut.
Shredtember Day 2
WOR:
50 Side Straddle Hops
Butterfly stretches. Arms Circles. Toe touches.
Rock Around the clock.
Clock merkins, 1 per hour, forward and back. (24 merkins)
Clock Burpees, 1 per hour, forward, and if you can make it, back.
Jailhouse rock
Any combination of Grave diggers, Kettle bell swings, and bent over rows
The Twist
Any combination of American hammers, Block weighted American hammers, and the twist dance move.
(Workout, Crawl, Find a spot)
Setup: Arrange coupons in a tight circle, 1 per pax. Remove 1 coupon and pax from the circle and move them to the center of the circle.
Action: Call out an exercise (i.e. big boy situps to 50) everyone in the circle begins the exercise. Whenever the first Pax gets to 50, he begins to bear crawl around the outside of the circle clockwise. The pax who was in the middle of the circle immediately jumps out to fill in the open spot vacated by the first PAX. This means that now there is one spot too few, like musical chairs. After the first PAX completes a full trip around the circle, he looks for an open spot to land (signified by an unoccupied coupon).
Finish: As each PAX finishes the rep count, he begins to bear crawl clockwise around the circle. Everyone must go their original spot, or if it is occupied, past it until they find a new spot. The last PAX will not be able to find a spot. He ends up in the middle of the circle. It’s his job to call out the next exercise, with either 25 or 50 reps.
We did a lot of rounds of Musical Bears. Most Pax agreed that this workout was harder than expected.
Sparrow, Panhandle, Davinci, Aloha, Wet burrito, Bad Debt, Bloomer, 8-Track, BOGO, Panda Express, Big Mac, Beaker, Saga, Jolly, Crack, Banks, Cookies, Cheese, Tortuga, Y2K, Katniss, Gummi Bear
Having missed out on the previous three weeks of nonsense, YHC was eager to dive back in, and SAGA had provided the perfect opportunity, a chance to Q a musical-themed beatdown. 14 unsuspecting PAX (Beaker, Katniss, Hot Box, Sparrow, SAGA, Crack, Jolly, Tortuga, Big Mac, Cookies, Panhandle, Shiplap, DaVinci, Noodles, Captain Crunch (QIC)) posted with me to start the week in style.
Warm-o-Rama
No One Mourns the Wicked (6:40) / The Wizard and I (5:09)
Intro to Rivalry: green team vs white team. Best team in each category earns one point
What is this feeling? (3:33)
Popular (3:45)
Defying Gravity (5:54)
Penalty Time: No Good Deed goes unpunished!
No Good Deed (3:32)
For Good (5:07)
Despite having planned to be done with time to spare, too much time adding up scores to determine which team won made transitions larger than budgeted. Even dropping a song, we ran overtime.
COR/NOR/COT: Prayers in celebration of Cookies’ housing situation being sorted for the near future — prayers for the PAX traveling
MOLESKIN:
Planning this Q, it was really fun remembering how much I loved this musical when it came out.
The bulk of the play is messing with the ideas of who is good and who is wicked, and who gets labelled or judged as good or wicked.
As a literature major, let me be the first to say that there is plenty of hogwash in Postmodernism, but one of the goods it provides is a wealth of opportunities for gaining a new perspective. It’s an opportunity to maybe judge people a little less, to see them (hopefully) a little closer to how God sees them.
Listening through it again for this Q, I was reminded by the harsh, foolish and ill-informed words of the crowds that we should be slow to judge others. Jesus tells us twice in the Gospel of Matthew that what we bind on earth is bound in heaven and what we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. In a very real sense, what judgements we render upon our neighbor are damnation or salvation to them. May we be slow to judge others, and abounding in mercy, even as God has shown us mercy.
After a surprisingly eventful night of severe weather, the midsummer dawn arrived serenely as 14 PAX (Banks, Big Mac, Shiplap, Da Vinci, Jolly, Panhandle, Dr. Phil, SAGA, Noodles, Cookies, Getaway/Babysitter(disambiguation?), Reels, Babe, Captain Crunch(QIC)) arrived groggy but ready for their weekly dose of monday. 2 Runners, 5 Ruckers, and 7 Murphers.
After a warm-up:
– 10 Mountain Man Poopers
– 10 Goofballs
– 10 Abe Vigodas
– Arm Circles OYO
Ruck Crew got a treated to a classic Crunch prayer-walk:
– Merkin Mile (Mile Loop, 25 Ruck Merkins on the quarters)
– A brief stop at Rucker Point to lift up those who will find there way to F3 Wheaton in the future.
– Thruster Mile (Mile Loop, 10 Thrusters on the quarters)
COR/NOR/COT: prayers for Banks’ son, heading to camp for the first time — for Panhandle’s son off to the Dominican Republic on a missions trip — for Tortuga, DBC and other PAX travelling or soon to be travelling — for Cookies’ M’s friend and her many struggles — for those who walk alone and need F3 in their life
MOLESKIN: It was easy to see and feel the difference of time from 2018 to now. I am grateful for the impulse to pray for unknown PAX during those months, and overjoyed at the current form of Mondays.
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
AO Mastodon, 5/18/21, 5:30AM
Twenty-eight PAX posted for a friendly beatdown this beautiful morning. After a quick WOR of 5 count motivators, OYO arm circles and Michael Phelps, and 10 copperhead merkins IC, we moseyed over to Dan Taylor alley for Thang One.
Thang One: KUBB 1
With way more men than I anticipated, I made some modifications to my plan as we moseyed to Dan Taylor. KUBB was set up between two soccer goals. Men partnered up. I sent seven pairs to one side of the pitch and seven to the other side. In each partnership, one HIM ran around a marked route while the other earned tosses and tossing. A toss was earned with 30 merkins, 30 lunges, or 30 squats. When a team knocked a block down, the PAX present on that team ran a short lap around their soccer goal before continuing. When the runner of the pair returned, partners switched roles.
Instead of tossing a baton at the blocks, PAX could choose to take a frisbee and attempt to hit a set target. A successful hit resulted in a free block knock down.
Once a team knocked down all the blocks they did ten burpees before attempting the king.
Team 1 was victorious in round one.
Thang Two: KUBB 2
Same as round one with shorter running route, 15 reps each: hand release merkins, Bonnie Blairs, jump squats.
Team 2 won this round.
Mary/ tie breaker
Back at the flags teams circled up for a plank-off to determine the winner. After a few minutes of planking, merkins were mixed in. With six or seven PAX left we went to plank with arms bent to 90 degrees. It came down to Waterboy and BigMac with Waterboy pulling off the win. Go team 2!
NOR: Gummi Bear, Wet Burrito, Doublemint, Panda Express, Ralphie, Achtung, BOGO, Captain Crunch, Shiplap, Saga, Binford, T-Bone (respect), Hot Box, Cookies, Cheese (respect), Bloomer, Panhandle, Jolly, Crack, Sparrow, Getaway, BigMac, DaVinci, Waterboy, Watson (respect, respect, FNG), Beaker, Heist (FNG), Tortuga Q
COT: Prayers for Crack’s M with a doctor’s appointment for a long term problem on Friday, Crack’s family as K-Pop graduates, his oldest comes back home from her internship, and all the changes coming their way, Tortuga and his M go to a new psychologist this Friday for some intensive therapy for her anxiety.
Praise for bodies that work and men to push us on.
As we continue our FNG/Kotter drive, today proved to be another successful drive and PAX brought in 3 more FNGs. Per usual Ruckers remained and Runners ran like the wind.
WoR: Motivators x7, Abe Vigodas, x16, Tappy Taps x15
The Thang: Ruck/Shuffle/PT
PAX went on a ruck around the AO and stopped for the following PT stations:
Station #1 – Bolt 45s (15 squats down to halfway position and return. 15 squats from halfway down position to full squat position and return up to halfway position. 15 full squats or jump squats.
Station #2 – Dan Taylors x7 (1 squat, 4 lunges, 2 squats, 8 lunges, etc.)
Station #3 – 1 Round of ATMs (15 shoulder taps, 15 slow tempo merkins, 15 fast tempo merkins)
Station #4 – Bear Crawl Snake up Hoffa (Snake up Hoffa, PAX at the end weaves in and out to the top of the line, next PAX at end of the line begins crawl).
Plank for the 6.
Got a nice lather in for the day and encouraged some of the running PAX along the way.
NoR – .
CoT – Praise for Whittler’s recent engagement. May God continue to bless his relationship and plans for marriage. Praising God for F3 and the recent growth. Allow old and new PAX to recognize the benefits of this group. Allow us to continue planting seeds with other man that need F3 but don’t know it yet.
As we continue our FNG/Kotter drive, today proved to be another successful drive and PAX brought in 3 more FNGs. Per usual Ruckers remained and Runners ran like the wind.
WoR: Motivators x7, Abe Vigodas, x16, Tappy Taps x15
The Thang: Ruck/Shuffle/PT
PAX went on a ruck around the AO and stopped for the following PT stations:
Station #1 – Bolt 45s (15 squats down to halfway position and return. 15 squats from halfway down position to full squat position and return up to halfway position. 15 full squats or jump squats.
Station #2 – Dan Taylors x7 (1 squat, 4 lunges, 2 squats, 8 lunges, etc.)
Station #3 – 1 Round of ATMs (15 shoulder taps,
Station #4 – Bear Crawl Snake up Hoffa
Plank for the 6.
Got a nice lather in for the day and encouraged some of the running PAX along the way.
NoR – .
CoT – Praise for Whittler’s recent engagement. May God continue to bless his relationship and plans for marriage. Praising God for F3 and the recent growth. Allow old and new PAX to recognize the benefits of this group. Allow us to continue planting seeds with other man that need F3 but don’t know it yet.
A fast paced, high-heart-rate role playing game with dedicated roles for runners and ruckers.
If future pax are reading through backblasts looking for ideas, I recommend skipping this one. It was a lot of fun to plan, but would have worked better with a smaller field of play or about 20 more PAX. Regular capture the flag might be fun to try. If you need a visual cue to recognize who is one what team, I thought “hats vs heads” worked well.
For natural and healthy reasons, our Mondays are divided between ruckers and runners. But there is much that unites us, not the least of which is sweating with friends before the sun comes up.
A game was designed with the following goals
Before the game starts, each pax will choose a running or rucking role, and maintain that role for the entire game.
Runners will be running throughout the game, unimpeded by weight or pain stations.
Ruckers will be carrying their rucks and occasionally a sandbag. Runners cannot carry.
The entire pax will be divided evenly into two teams, with the runners and ruckers split evenly between the teams.
The AO is divided into two even halves, four bridges divide the territory. Islands belong to the Northern team.
All of our available sandbags will be divided evenly between the two teams, let’s say team had 2×60 pound sandbags.
At the start of the game, the ruckers on each team will carry their sandbags away from the starting bridge all the way to the other end of the park. If all pax reach the other end, they earn one point (In hindsight, this was probably unneccessary. It did create a more traditional ruck feel, but used up most of the time that could have been spent playing the strategy game).
The ruckers are trying to defend their sandbags by moving them around constantly or by stashing with partial visibility them within 12 feet of the outer track. Each sandbag was given a “certificate of visibility,” which had to be visible. (in hindsight, we had more daylight than expected and slightly less visible sandbags would have been fine.)
When ruckers are on their home turf, they will be referred to as “defensive ruckers”.
When a Rucker leaves his home turf and crosses a bridge in search of the other team’s sand bags, he is acting as an offensive Rucker.
The runners primary job is to gather intelligence for their team. Runners should be able to spot the location of stashed or moving sandbags and report it to their Rucker teammates. Stashed sandbags must always be visible from the outer track. Runners also have the ability to send an offensive pax to jail when he is discovered out of his home territory. Finally, runners can empty their own jail by running past and tagging it. (in hindsight, the runners mostly just ran.)
In order to steal a bag, the offensive team has to challenge the defensive team to an exercise. If there are more than 2 pax involved, the challenges take place man-to-man. If one team is outnumbered, their pax have to compete more than once. For this reason, numbers are an advantage.
In the end, Archive’s team was a strong contender, both in strategy and exercises. Sparrows team (hats), proved a competent defender. Each team stole one bag, defended one bag, and made it across the park, for a tie score of 3:3.
Welcome FNG “Babysitter”
Welcome back Kotter, “Picasso”
10 Pax for a Town & Country run (Archive QIC, Banks, Shiplap, Tortuga, Whittler, Shamu, Dr. Phil, Hotbox, Panhandle, TBone). Route was as follows: Town: east on Prairie Path to Parking Garage. To the top of the garage. North past library. West on Lincoln to Prairie Path. North on Prairie Path. West through the Marsh to overpass. East on Childs to startex.
COR NOR BOM: Prayers for Boomer and Cooper, giving thanks for wonderful surroundings to run in.
Moleskine: “Be kind for every man is fighting a hard battle”
F3 Wheaton 