F3 New Orleans

Category: New Orleans

  • Taking the Plunge at Okwata – Rain or Shine!

    As YHC headed out the door, the distinct sound of droplets of water hitting the ground could be heard. YHC thought this was surely the sprinklers, but nay, it was not. Who would enter the gloom on a day like this? One Pax sent a message via GroupMe that the Plunge would be where he was heading, after encountering the wet substance falling from the sky. At least he didn’t fartsack, so AO options on days like this are good. YHC had that terrifying thought of being a Pax of one. Who would inspire YHC to work harder, to push the limits? As YHC crossed the levee, parked cars at the AO were in sight, and more followed after parking. A total of six Pax chose to take the plunge at Okwata, proving that F3 men post in the gloom rain or shine!
    It was 0530, the Shovel Flag was marking the AO, and Old Glory was waving victoriously in the breeze. Time for the disclaimer…..and then….

    The Thang:

    Mosey to the mardi gras fountain, and complete the circle around, as is tradition at Okwata. With the normal spot for warm up being saturated from the rain, YHC sought to move to the other side of Lake Shore Drive, but was distracted by the deep puddles of water between the two spots. With that, the Pax lined up in front of the fountain for the warm up:

    SSH IC x 31 – That’s just what we do
    Hillbilly’s IC x 15
    Abe Vigodas IC x 10 (Hamstring getting better, thanks to the foam roller and lacrosse ball)

    Enough warmup, time to hit the levee. The shortest route from point A to point B is a straight line, so YHC took that route to the levee.
    11’s on the levee
    Instructions were to do 10 monkey humpers lake side, and one Burpee on the back side of the levee. There was mumble chatter about wanting to start with one monkey humper and work up, while starting at 10 burpees and working down the ladder. YHC refused to give in to such nonsense! With that said….
    One Monkey Humper lake side (not sure what happened here)…10 burpees back side. Keep going until 10 monkey humpers lake side and 1 burpee back side. Run back to lake side and plank and wait for the six. That was 330 Burpees banked for Cadre Danny!

    Move to the IHOP (Innovative House of Pain).

    Three stations:
    Run to top of levee, 5 plank jacks, and return (timer)
    Dips AMRAP
    Step ups AMRAP
    YHC was disappointed with the large puddles of H2O directly under the pull up bars, so a repeat wasn’t warranted. Time to move on to the next thang….

    Mosey to the corner of Canal and Lake Shore Drive for Four Corners, which all were done together and IC:
    Corner one: Catalina Wine Mixers x 10
    Over the levee to Corner two: Monkey Humpers x 20
    Across Canal to corner three: Merkins x 30
    Over the levee to corner four: Squats x 40
    That was so much fun, a rinse and repeat was in order!
    Upon finishing the repeat, YHC saw three minutes remained. Mosey to the flag for a couple minutes of Mary!
    Flutter kicks IC x 20
    Hello Dolly IC x 20
    Tin Snips IC x 10

    Count off, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions and closed with a prayer.

    Moleskin:
    YHC was thrilled to see the rain did not inhibit the regulars from posting to Okwata. The rain did not last long, and the cool weather that followed it was welcomed. Thanks for posting with me today!

  • 610 Stomp #96 – Full of Respect

    YHC arrived at the AO to find four eager Pax with only a minute to spare, but with a shovel flag in hand.  With the AO properly marked, it was time to give the disclaimer…..and then instructions…

    Run the regular route and be back at the track for 0600.  Seeing this was a running AO, the passing of Cheech came up.  YHC saw the Pax be more cautious of traffic, alerting each other of vehicles approaching.  We made it to Orleans Avenue, crossed the bayou, and started the return trip. While preparing to cross Wisner Blvd, where Beauregard previously guarded the entry to City Park, a car ran a red light where the Pax had the right away to cross.  Would the car have stopped if we crossed?  Distracted drivers can be a real threat to a runner, and we must stay aware and look out for one another.
    Upon arrival at the track, we executed some LBC’s while waiting for the six, then went right into the Rudy special….Sprints! Three laps, sprint the straightaways and mosey the corners. Hey look, we have time to bank some burpees for Cadre Danny! 10 Burpees OYO! Times up, let’s mosey to the flag.

    Count off, name-o-rama – where Tool and I discovered the other three Pax were Respect. So, with the Pax posting today being more than 50 percent Respect, YHC calls that Full of Respect!
    Announcements and a prayer to the Sky Q, thankful for the day, and asking for guidance to make the most of it.

    Thanks for posting!

    Moleskin
    YHC intends to invest in some high visibility gear to mitigate the risk of incident caused by distracted drivers while running in the gloom. Hawg also posted some good information on the GroupMe app for identification purposes in the event that worse case scenario becomes a reality.

  • Bucktown Coastie – Laying Bricks

    The key to a good structure (IMHO) is a sturdy brick foundation.   This morning, we laid bricks at the Coastie

    The Thang

    • Pax 1 runs up lakefront trail and back around. ~.5 mile (timer)
    • Pax 2 rides Bike Trainer
    • Pax 3 & 4 perform Mary OYO
    • If running or trainer is not an option, ride Lakefront trail to Causeway & back

    Everyone got in around 3 sets prior to the clock running out.  Announcements, Intentions, Ball of Man.  TClaps to Moped & Triple Shift for riding more after.

    Moleskin – Triple Shift and I are looking for a Triathlon CSAUP.  More than likely, something w/ a sprint option (shortest distance).  Please let us know if you’re interested.

    Thank you for the opportunity to lead,

    Da Parish

  • Bucket Strong!

    Another morning to be the QIC!  After multiple Q’s at the Uptowner, I’m getting over the nervousness and getting down to business.  I wanted to incorporate my sand and water buckets but noticed that the last time I came to the Uptowner, I had four (4) sand buckets (50 lbs) and three (3) water buckets (30 lbs).  Needless to say, “That ain’t right!” because someone took one of my water buckets.  Oh well, I secured five more buckets and made two (2) sand buckets and three (3) water buckets to give me a total of six (6) each just in case the Uptowner starts getting Bizzy!

    On a side note, I invited a friend (father of one of the players on Yo Yo’s baseball team) but wasn’t sure he would show up but kept an eye out for him.  Uh Oh, it was 5:31 am and I had to go…. we did a short mosey of 10 yards from the rock pile to a patch of grass to warm up.  Hearing about Cadre Danny’s One Million Burpee Challenge, I naturally incorporated that into my workout.

     

    WARM UP

    10 Burpees – 30 x Side Straddle Hops IC

    10 Burpees – 15 x Hacky Sacks IC

    10 Burpees – 15 x Curtsy Lunges IC

     

    MAIN SET

    Enough of the Burpees, I came to build some muscles.  We gathered all the buckets and rocks and circled up for the DownPainment!

    Whoa!!!  Two men mosey up and one is an FNG (StubHub) and Cut me Mick from N. Carolina.  They went the long way around the park back to the train tracks.  Glad to have them!

    15 reps IC – Squat/Curl/Press, Push Ups feet elevated, Lateral Lunge w/Curl, Bent Over Row, Deadlift, Chopper Raise, Close Grip Triceps Push-Up, Reverse Lunge Torso Rotation, Back Extension, Upright Row, and Single Leg Deadlift.

    NOTE: The Main Set doesn’t look very hard but my Adductors, Glutes, and Hamstrings were sore for 2 days.

     

    CORE

    20 IC x LBC, Supermans and Pretzel Crunches – Each Side

    After reading Rudy’s BB a few days ago, I purposely chose to the Plank-o-rama at the end because he enjoyed it so much- 20 x Plank jacks, Peter Parkers, Floyd

    20 IC x Plank jacks, Peter Parkers, Floyd Mayweathers, and Mountain Climbers

     

    CIRCLE OF TRUST

    Countoff, Namerama and prayers for Fracsac’s dad, Tool and Brady and the sudden loss of John ‘Cheech’ Flanagan who was killed by a teenager while running.  Gave thanks to God for the gift of life and the preciousness of it all even in our fallen world and asked for an outpouring of His spirit for everyone involved in this tragedy.

    Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

     

     

     

     

  • Four Corners

    Front blew through last night, bringing with it a bit of a break from the summer humidity. Perhaps even a hint of briskness in the air. At the stop light on the drive to Rock City this am, I checked the Q sheet. “Oh great, I better think of something.” Shorty’s name was on the list, and we all know what that means….

    5:30am comes, 9 PAX gathered around the flag. Tool decides to give us a moment to gather our thoughts on what to do next – so he bellows “10 Burpees On Your Own. Exercise.” Great, YHC thinks. Because I can always think better while burpee-ing. But with 10 Burpees under our belt, YHC leads the PAX on a mosey to the rockpile.

    COP 1: Get the blood flowing:

    • Windmills x15
    • Arm Circles x15 each way
    • Imperial Squat Walkers x20
    • Plank-o-rama with Plank Walks, Plank Jacks, Peter Parkers and Mountain Climbers

    Over to the rock pile to find your friend.  Then Mosey to the playground.

    COP 2: Audible!  On the way to the playground, YHC sees the gate to the tennis courts.  I’d often wondered where the gate was, but never actually looked for it.  But lo’ and behold, there it was – calling us.  So – head to the tennis courts!  Everyone plank-up while YHC tries to figure out what we’ll actually do here…

    Aha – Four Corners!  Pax split into 4 groups and take their rocks to a corner.  The rocks will stay put, while the pax mosey.  20x of exercise at each corner.

    • Corner 1: Bench Press.  Then Bear Crawl to….
    • Corner 2: Shoulder Press.  Then Crab Walk to…..
    • Corner 3: Curls.  Then Lunge Walk to….
    • Corner 4: Rows.  Then Duck Walk back to corner 1.

    Fortunately for PAX, KimChi and TripleShift decided to bring their mammoth boulders to Corner 1.  I don’t think they would have worked nearly as well at, say, Corner 2.

    We got through 2 cycles.  Then PAX were calling out for more, so 1 more time round the circle!

    Gather up rocks and leave the tennis courts.

    COP 3: Time enough for some pull up work.  Pax split into 3 groups:

    • Group 1: Pull-ups AMRAP
    • Group 2: Dips AMRAP
    • Group 3: The timer: a lap around the track.

    Side note: its pretty impressive to watch Babyface knock those pull-ups out.  Wow.  Nice work!

    One cycle through.  Just enough time to get rocks back to their beds, and mosey back to the flag.

    Count-off, Name-o-rama.  Circle up for our prayers: thankfulness for our blessings, remembering those facing sickness – especially FracSac.  Prayers for the Cheech’s family, and all of those impacted by that tragedy.  Close with St. Ignatius Loyola’s Prayer for Generosity.

    Thanks for letting me lead, and thanks for patience while I tried to figure out something new for us to try.  Now that I know where the gate to the tennis court is, I think that may start taking a larger role in the RockCity workout.

  • Lafitte’s Plunge #21 – The Giant’s Ladder

    #Nodoubt, No doubt he loved his kids, no doubt he loved his wife, no doubt he loved the Lord, Cheech left no doubt.

    #Husband #Father #Son #Leader #Sleevless

    #RIPCheech #CheechStrong

    http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article157537034.html

    Today’s Plunge was dedicated to F3 Lexington member John Flanagan, 38, Cheech.  Cheech was running in the gloom and was struck by a vehicle.  He was taken to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital.  Cheech was wearing a reflective vest and headlamp.  The vehicle was traveling through a green light when it struck Cheech.   Sometimes we can do everything right and the unfortunate still happens.   His will, will be done; trust in the Lord.

    The Thang – Giant’s Ladder

    • 100 swim; :30 rest
    • 200 swim; :45 rest
    • 300 swim; 1 min rest
    • 400 swim; 1 min rest
    • 500 swim

    Thank you for the opportunity to lead,

    Da Parish

  • Leg Day at Okwata

    YHC was hoping for a particularly gloomy morning at Okwata this morning: more rain, more wind, more muck.  But alas, just a usual amount of Humidity, Winds and Mud.  5 PAX braved the hyperbole of the regional and national weather forecasters to start the day right.

    COP 1: Through the mud puddles to the top of the levee.  Line up looking out over the lake.

    • SSH x25
    • IW x25
    • Low Slow Squats x25
    • Monkey Humpers x25
    • Smurf Jacks x25

    Yes, it’s gonna be leg day.

    COP 2: Ladder Blimps.

    • 5 Burpees, run up the levee and back down
    • 5B, 10 Lunges, up the levee and down
    • 5B, 10L, 15 Imperial Walkers, up and down
    • 5B, 10L, 15I, 20 Mericans, up and down
    • 5B, 10L, 15I, 20M, 25 Plank Jacks, up and down
    • 5B, 10L, 15I, 20M, 25P, 30 Low Slow Squats
    • up and down and up and down waiting for the 6

    COP 3: Top of the levee for a Hawg Favorite: Quadrophillia.  4 Minutes of down and up the levee – always facing the lake.  Down forwards, Up backwards.  Quads feeling it…

    COP 4: House of Pain.  5 of us, so 5 stations:

    • Backwards up the levee, 5 burpees, back down the levee to the house (Timer)
    • Alternating Step Ups AMRAP
    • Dips AMRAP
    • Monkey Humpers AMRAP
    • Pull Ups AMRAP

    Got through 2 cycles before time called us back to the VSF.

    COP 5: Wouldn’t be a Rudy workout without Plank-o-rama.  Note to self: its a lot harder doing this at the end of the workout than at the beginning.

    • Peter Parker x25
    • Plank Jacks x25
    • Parker Peter x25
    • Mountain Climber x10 (Q was gassed)

    Close with 10 Burpees OYO to bring our PAX total to 250 for the day.

    Finish with prayers, in particular remembering Cheech from Lexington – RIP.  Reminder to all of us to both be careful and alert during our exercises – especially when crossing streets; and also to always live our lives in preparation for our return to the Sky Q, as we do not know the day he will call upon us.

    Thank you for the opportunity to lead.

  • Hey Cindy

    A hardy 5 men assembled for the Birdcage this morning.  I had planned that as long as uptown wasn’t flooded I’d post this morning as was pleasantly surprised to see that I wasn’t alone.  I figured a Q may not show and had a workout plan in mind so I volunteered to lead us this morning in the pinch.  Upon the writing of this post I learned that YSR who was in attendance was the scheduled Q.  He owes me a beer.

    A conscious effort was made to stay out of the mud so we kept to the track today.

    Warm-up:

    • SSH X 30
    • IW X 30
    • Mountain Climber X 30

    Mosey to pull up bars for a circuit:

    • Burprees X 10 for the count
    • Squats
    • Al Gore
    • Box Jump
    • and Pull-ups

    Mosey to the cart path by the putting green for some mary:

    • WW2 situps X 15
    • Dying Cockroach X 20
    • Supermans X 20
    • Putins X 20

    Alternate jog and sprint to the benches:

    • Dips X 20
    • R Leg Step Up X 20
    • Derkins X 20
    • L Leg Step Up X 20

    Back to the track for intervals on the running men icons:

    • Interval Burpee run (1,2,3,4,5)
    • Bear crawl
    • Lung Walk
    • R Karaoke
    • L Karaoke

    Circle up on the track for a merkin wave up to ten

    Jog/Sprint to the row bars for:

    • Burpees X 10 for the count
    • Rows

    Jog/Sprint back to the flag.

    Quick count off and nameorama.  Announcement to the effect that the World is aiming to dethrown Uptown in the Gnarly Nutria.  As Hawg’s 90’s Arkansas truck’s back windshield likely procalaimed, #aintskeered!  COT that the rest of hurricane season is quiet.  Thanks for the fellowship guys!

     

     

  • Post Ruck Blues

    Sitting at the railroad tracks in the light drizzle, waiting for the train to pass, YHC pondered whether any of the ruckers would make an appearance, or whether they were all still in recovery mode.  Staring at his watch as the train ground to a halt, YHC began to wonder whether he would make an appearance.  Time for an audible – head to back gate and park, for a fast jog across the park arriving at 5:27.  And what was waiting YHC?  An empty field….  Just the raindrops to keep me company.

    But lo and behold, cresting the levee – Duct Tape making his triumphant return!  Welcome back, Kotter!  Word had it that others were still stuck at the railroad tracks, so the 3 on-time PAX (including one FNG EH’d by those still at the tracks) planked up to wait.  And wait, while Amnesty made his appearance, and oh-so-gingerly pulled his glow-yellow gloves on to protect his delicate fingers.

    Then the disclaimer, a bit of background on F3 for our FNG, and off to the quarry.

    COP #1:

    • SSH x25
    • DQ x15
    • IW x25
    • PP x25
    • MC x25

    Go find a friend

    COP #2: Find something resembling dry ground.  YHC waited while some PAX floundered and appeared to struggle with basic instructions.  Once situated, lets get to work

    • Shoulder Press
    • Curl
    • Row
    • Squat

    First round x12.  Then x10.  Then x8.  Then x6.  Tool ventured a guess as to what was coming next.  x4 and x2.

    COP #3: Mosey to the bandstand.  The rain had now stopped, so we were no longer in need of that protection.  But YHC was trying to be thoughtful for the PAX.

    • Tatum Channing
    • Dip
    • Channing Tatum
    • Incline Merican

    First round x15.  Then x10.  Then x5.

    Bring our friends home, and mosey back the VSF.

    COP #5: Finish up with some Mary

    • LBC x31
    • Penguin x20
    • Hip dip thingies – I’m sure they have a name – x10 each side
    • American Hammer x20
    • Plan for a minute

    Finish with countoff and naming of the FNG (Milkman, in honor of The Dead Milkmen song celebrating the car of FNG’s youth).  Announcements (struggled to find something to talk about, as the Ruck and Summer Series are both in rear view mirror now – but up next Spillway Classic).

    Finished with prayer of thanksgiving and asking for blessing of God’s grace to use the gift of today wisely.

    YHC is very thankful for the men this am.  In the few minutes while I pondered the workout alone, I honestly thought about turning and heading for home.  Would I have the perseverance to do this on my own?  I doubt it.  I remain thankful for the gift of all of you, helping to inspire me to do more than I think I can.

     

  • Okwata Sunrise

    It’s the time of year that the dawn sun shines on the PAX as it breaks over Okwata. The PAX had to stop and admire Sky Q’s handiwork.

    Disclaimer. Then . . .

    Warm-Up: mosey to the fountain to find a dry spot, then circle up for SSH x25, Abe Vigoda x15, Arm Circles x20 (10 each direction), Imperial Walkers x25, and Mountain Climbers x20.

    The PAX moseyed around the fountain paths and went to the barricade.

    COP1: 3 exercises, 3 Sets with a mosey after each set, 10 reps each leg

    Single-leg lunge, Pistol squat, and Side leg raise

    COP2: Moseyed to the seawall for a great view of the Okwata sunrise while doing a Hurricane Hoedown. Thanks, Cowbell!

    Then, mosey up the levee and down the levee to the Cabana of Pain.

    COP3:

    One group did pull-ups or chin-ups AMRAP. Second group did merkins AMRAP. Third group did dips x20 for the timer. Two rounds.

    The PAX moseyed to the flag for MARY: Hello Dolly, Real Freddie Mercury, and Tin Snips x20.

    Count off, Nameorama, close out with intentions, and prayer. Thank you for the sunrise, Sky Q. Teach us to be generous!