Well I felt I had no choice but to sign up for the Q Tuesday 9-11-18 since I’m a firefighter and want to always remember the sacrifices by brothers in New York gave for people they didn’t even know. It’s a shame that sometimes we are willing to give more to strangers than our own families. I’m learning the hard way. But hopefully I’m learning!!! Anyways enough for reflecting on values we should all think about!!!
Of course there was not much to this Beatdown or was there? The twin towers had around 1071 steps in them so to my calculations that means we had to do 86 times up the Trailhead steps. Only there is no elevator to take us down so that means 86 times down as well adding to the difficulty of this task.
Since I am participating in the New Orleans memorial stair climb I decided it was time to Bunker up for this one and to no surprise I couldn’t keep up with my F3 brothers. Only finishing 50 with full gear. In the allotted time. We then circled up for our normal count off and prayer. Since I waited so long for blast I can’t remember who prayed us out but there was prayer. Congratulations to all the guys who were there it means a lot to me. And also great job finishing the 86 Climbs.
Category: Northshore
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Remembering 9/11
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Chewy Blewy
Waterpik reminded us that Chewy had Q today at gloom-o-clock, but he was yet to be seen. Knowing of his penchant to come rolling up as the scramblers begin to scramble, we gave him an extra couple of minutes before beginning a round robin warm up.
Bushwacker – SSH
Garfield – Windmills
Coconuts – Good Mornings
Waterpik – Hi Knees
Captain Sparkles – Mercilessly robbed of his opportunity by an overzealous-to-get-running Waterpik!
YHC had offered yesterday to run with Captain Sparkles in an effort to coerce his post. A triumphant mental note was made of his presence upon arrival, and when the PAX began to roll, we adopted a comfortable 10:00m/m pace while the rest of the wild stallions were loosed from the corral. Shortly before reaching Monroe, Captain Sparkles informed YHC of his intent to skip the loop and head straight for sunset point, where there were a couple of conveniently located port-o-lets. With the remaining PAX a good 50 yards ahead, I dug deep, pushed myself, and gave it all I had (and any number of other motivational effort-based cliches one can summon). Starting to sputter at 10 yards back around the half-way mark of the loop, my presence was made known through various huffs, puffs, grunts, and other noises that substituted for my ability to form words at that moment. We passed Captain Sparkles headed in the opposite direction on sunset point, having, I later learned, skipped doing his duty. We also learned that Garfield’s long-running passion for…er, running has faded as of late. Some may say it was his age, being in his 7th decade, but I know better. He has spread his fitness wings here in F3, and added so much to his repetoire that running is not so much a priority among his exercise outlets. Being fairly regular on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, he’s a beast! A mighty effort was indeed put forth by each and every member of the PAX this A.M. , and that continued through the decadent Mary that proceeded the run.
25 Merkins
15 Rosalitas
15 Hello Dollys
15 Flutter Kicks
15 Freddy Mercurys
15 J Los
30 second plank
15s left plant
15s right plank
15s mission impossible planks
15s forearm plank
100 oyoLBCs
15 Putins
Prayed out by the fresh-from-Wednesday-night-worship Captain Sparkles
Have an incredible day guys!
…you too Chewy, where ever you are…
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VQ – Jump and Run
This morning , your humble correspondent was feeling like Sir Richard Branson because I had the privilege of leading my VQ. Thanks to the PAX in attendance for covering up for all of my oversights and garbled instructions. Y’all were clever enough to do all the right things that I meant to say rather than whatever nonsense came out.
CONDITIONS
72°; > 90% humidity; 6:43 AM sunrise
DISCLAIMER
YHC started the session by informing the PAX that he was definitely not a professional.
THE WARM UP
The assembled PAX warmed up with the following sequence, all exercises done IC.
-SSH
-Good Mornings
-Abe Vigodas
-Imperial Walkers
-High KneesMosey to the Palace of Justice to use their benches. (Thanks St. Tammany tax payers.)
THE THANG Part 1: Jumping around
Magnificent 7 Jump-o-rama
YHC believes that F3 Bros don’t let F3 Bros skip leg day so we worked through a sequence of 7 jumping leg exercises.
1. Mario’s (Single leg knee hop) 10 each leg IC. Chewy introduced me to this exercise. I didn’t remember the official name so to us they were Mario’s.
2. Single leg burpees 10 each leg OYO. Thanks Bushwhacker for introducing me to this one.
3. Ohno’s (Skater jumps) 15 OYO
4. Split squats 10 each leg IC (assembled PAX were kind enough not to point out that technically this wasn’t a jumping exercise)
5. Wojciechowski’s (F3Nation.com calls these modified jump squats Bobby Hurley’s, but I’m from a slightly different era and will refer to these as Wojo’s whenever possible)
6. Shaun Whites (snowboard hops) 15 each side OYO
YHC had never done this exercise before and regretted calling out 15 reps by the time my burning legs reached the end of the set.
7. Box jumps 10 OYOMosey to Turbo Alley aka the intersection of E. Gibson and N. Vermont streets
THE THANG Part 2: Running Strong
F3.com has a sprint routine called “the Spartan,”, but YHC lives a long way from the Peloponnese and decided to make some major modifications. We went with the semi-Spartan instead.
PAX lined up and sprinted 100 yrds, doing 10 merkins at the finish line. PAX in the lead were rewarded with 10 bonus air squats. PAX walked back to the start all together for the next round. Rinse and repeat.
I can report that the last set seemed faster than the first and the assembled PAX did their best Usain Bolt impressions. YHC cried uncle after 8 sets and we mosied back to the Trailhead.
MARY Due to the Q’s time management issues we were limited to “2 minutes of Mary”
Some combo of Freddy Mercury’s, Putins, Flutter kicks, and LBC’s.
CountORama, NameORama, and COT
YHC prayed for the assembled PAX
Thanks gents, for the fellowship, the beatdowns and for being willing to follow my lead.
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9/11 Preview
Do you remember right after September 11th, 2001 when we all came together to support each other? We still do here in F3 with faith, fellowship, and fitness. It’s pride in all three and strength in shared values that brings us together at each and every AO. It’s not the evils of this world that makes the goodness bright, but the hearts of our fellow man, truly filled with love and compassion that lights our way through the darkness. Never forget to love and show appreciation for those around you and the gifts we all share.
WARM’N IT UP
Toe Touches
Imperial Walkers
Abe vigodas
DOIN’ IT
Fire Drill – PAX in a circle doing hi knees. Each takes a turn to call out “fire,” at which point we all drop, roll right, merkin, roll left, merkin, and back up
Global Warming – All in Al Gore shuffle to the left until Q calls Mountain Climbers x10, reverse Al Gore shuffle until Plank Jacks x10, reverse shuffle again, then groiners, reverse, monkey humpers
One-Leg Burpees – x10 right, x10 left
Fireman Carry (or piggy back) – Come here big boy, let’s get reacquainted! P1 carry P2 across the basketball court, switch and back then x10 SSH (maybe), back n forth, Merkins, etc, seal jacks
4 Corners Escalator (plus a bonus back where we started) – goof balls/merkins, x10,x20,x30, x40,x50
MARY MARY
Crunchy Frogs
Roslita
Hello Dolly
Flutter Kicks
Freddy Mercuries
J Los
30 second Plank
Coconuts prayed, the choir sang, and we all lived happily ever after!
Thanks gents
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Some F3 Gratitude
Simply put: there is a 0.00% chance I would exercise so often and so vigorously without F3. For that, I am very grateful! For all of you, I am very grateful!
We had a nice turnout in the gloom for today’s Scramble.
Our warm up consisted of:
SSH x 10
High Knees x 10
Butt Kicks x 10
Wind Mills x 10 (all IC)
With such a large group, we were able to spread out along our normal 5k route with groups of 2 or 3 running together.
We finished up with enough time to spare to get some work in, so here’s what we did:
merkins x 20
rower situps x 20
squats x 20
putins x 20
rower situps x 20 (again)
leg raises x 20
Count off, and thanks to Chewy for praying us out.
Thanks for letting me lead, guys, and thanks for pushing me to greater heights.
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Monday Blues
Monday morning, Labor Day, in the rain thats beast mode if you ask me!!
4 pax square up at center court for a butt splice beat down.
Warm up.
10 SSH ic
10 Toe touches ic
10 toe touches legs apart ic
enough of that…
50 merks oyo
50 squats oyo
30 merks oyo
30 squats oyo
10 merks oyo
10 squats oyo
run backwards from base line to half the turn and sprint 6x
bear crawl to half bear crawl backwards back to base line 6x
mosey to lakefront aprox. 1/2 mile
50 box jumps oyo
30 box jumps oyo
10 box jumps oyo
walk jog run sequence back to the AO
20 russian twist ic
10 frog crunchy ic 10
heal touches ic
countarama
nameorama
cot wacker prays us out!
thank you warriors for posting!!
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Remembering Senator John McCain and Tech. Sgt. John Chapman
“I was in solitary confinement when my captors offered to release me. I knew why. If I went home, they would use it as propaganda to demoralize my fellow prisoners…I wasn’t in great shape, and I missed everything about America. But I turned it down.
A lot of prisoners had it worse than I did…I always like to strut a little after I’d been roughed up to show the other guys I was tough enough to take it. But after I turned down their offer, they worked me over harder than they ever had before. For a long time. And they broke me.
When they brought me back to my cell, I was hurt and ashamed, and I didn’t know how I could face my fellow prisoners. The good man in the cell next door, my friend, Bob Craner, saved me. Through taps on a wall he told me I had fought as hard as I could…And then he told me to get back up and fight again for our country…
I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it not just for the many comforts of lie here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s.”
– Senator John McCain
15 PAX began and ended this morning’s beat down on the Mandeville Lakefront by honoring two American heroes.
YHC shared Senator McCain’s recollection of his captivity in Vietnam in his own words, gave a brief disclaimer, and the PAX got to work with a warmup of 10 Burpees OYO, 10 Seal Jacks IC, 10 Don Quixotes IC, and 10 Toe Touches IC.
Short mosey down the Lakefront for more warmup with Shoulder Circles, 10 OH Hand Claps IC, 20 OH Presses IC, and 10 Moroccan Night Clubs IC.
Then an Indian Run to the Milestone Marsh AO basketball court for a three team possession game. Shirts, skins and muscle shirts competed in a completely stupid and utterly pointless game of possession with a nerf football. There were random rule changes, completely unpredictable stoppages in play, impressive displays of athleticism, and no shortage of smack talk. In the end, the PAX got a good workout without realizing it and it was time to head back to the shovel flag.
On our way, we honored Tech. Sgt. John Chapman whose widow received his Medal of Honor from President Trump this week during a ceremony at the White House:
“Fighting in the early morning hours through brisk air and deep snow, Chapman sacrificed his own life to preserve the lives of his teammates during the Battle of Taku Ghar, Afghanistan, on March 4, 2002. Chapman, upon exiting the helicopter, immediately charged uphill through the snow toward enemy positions while under heavy fire from three directions. Once on the ground, the team assessed the situation and moved quickly to the high ground. The most prominent cover and concealment on the hilltop were a large rock and tree. As they approached the tree, Chapman received fire from two enemy personnel in a fortified position. He returned fire, charged the enemy position and took out the enemy combatants within.
Almost immediately, the team encountered machine gun fire from another fortified enemy position only 12 meters away. Chapman deliberately moved into the open to engage the new enemy position. As he engaged the enemy, he was struck by a burst of gunfire and became critically injured. Chapman regained his faculties and continued to fight despite his severe wounds. He sustained a violent engagement with multiple enemy fighters for over an hour before paying the ultimate sacrifice. Due to his remarkably heroic actions, Chapman is credited with saving the lives of his teammates.”
God Bless Senator John McCain and Tech. Sgt. John Chapman. God Bless America.
Countorama, nameorama, and The Hammer prayed us out on our way to the coffeeteria.
Thanks for letting me lead guys.
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Veni Vidi Vici
Six PAX gathered in the Gloom at The Gipper this morning to tackle the fourth and final week of the IronPAXChallenge. Anticipating that this installment of the Challenge would be tough to complete in our scheduled 45 minutes, YHC called for an early COT. Countorama, nameorama and a short prayer and then we were off on a short mosey to a local gym with pull up bars to get down to business.
Mogadishu Mile for time:
1 mile run
50 pull-ups
4 rounds of: 25 alternating leg traveling lunge steps and 25 air squats
4 rounds of: 25 merkins and 25 yard sprint
100 cinderblock squat thrusters
50 pull-ups
1 mile run.
After weeks one and two, YHC thought that F3 Greenwood was out to kill us. After week three, YHC was pretty sure he was right. This morning’s beat down eliminated any lingering doubt.
Julius Caesar may have said “veni vidi vici” when he made short work of Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela but if he had participated in the IronPAXChallenge he may have been singing a different tune. Something along the lines of “we came, we saw, we kicked our own butts so badly that it has been tough to straighten our arms or bend down to pick something up for the last four weeks.” Nevertheless, we did survive and hopefully made ourselves better in the process.
T claps to the PAX F3 Greenwood for challenging us. It has been a great reminder that we here at F3 Northshore are part of something much bigger.
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That’s All It Took Was Just One Look
One look at Greenville’s Iron Pax Challenge posting for this week, and YHC felt weak in the knees. 50 pullups?? Then do a bunch of stuff and do 50 more pullups??? I really love F3 and how much stronger and more fit it has gotten me, but I had no illusions of completing that challenge. So, hat’s off to the men who will participate in the last week of the Iron Pax Challenge.
So, here’s what we did instead:
Warmarama
SSH, High Knees, Butt Kicks, Arm Circles all IC x about 10. Bushwacker says, “boy, good luck with the backblast, youre not gonna remember how many we did.” and, bushwacker, youre right. I cant remember.
Thang.
Mosey to workout equipment. Tabata set 1 minute of alternating exercises. Merkins/ pullups, squats/freak nasties, wifepleasers/bigboy situps.
Mosey back to basketball court for some line drills–10 total. After each line drill, we did an exercise x 10 reps. more merkins, squats, leg raises, calf raises, vertical jumps.
Sprinkle some more merkins, rower situps, freak nasties, and box jumps in there the workout is nearly complete.
Then, it was, Yoga. Making Chewy proud!
10 minutes of Yoga, stretching, Down Dog. And of course, our newest fun–Making fun of the Lady on the Down Dog App.
Countarama, Namorama, and YHC prayed us out.
Thanks for following my lead, men.
See you in the Gloom
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1 Year Into My F3 Addiction
Do not count the days. Make the days count
-Muhammad Ali
That being said, it has been around 365 days since Ben Todd showed up to the Mandeville lakefront to see what this F3 thing he had been told about was exactly. Uncomfortably out of place and uninitiated, he stood there , hands in his pockets just waiting for, he knew not what. When an older gentleman offered his hand and introduced himself as Captain Sparkles (RESPECT), he wondered what he had gotten himself into. That day he was pushed and, in turn, pushed himself. He heard all the nicknames and still had no clue. A burly bruiser of a man called Shooter chatted him up here and there throughout the “beat down” extending just enough extra welcome that a return the following week seemed like a slightly less uncomfortable idea. At the conclusion of the sweaty soreness-inducing session, he was given his own nickname, Bushwacker, and the social and physical discomfort slowly began to dissipate. YHC has been hooked on F3 ever since, and has love, gratitude, respect and appreciation for each one of his brothers.
If you’re still with me, this is how it went down today…
WARM UP
Toe Touches x20 IC
Scorpion Kicks x20 IC
Air Presses x20 IC
ACTION
Mosied to Marigny for: Dora 1, 2, 3 – partner up, cumulative 100 merkins, 200 LBCs, 300 squats, p1 exercises while p2 runs up the block and back, switch
Next, on to Lamarque for a roll of Dice of Doom – 20 putins IC
On to Foy for another roll – 5 freak nasties
Beachbound for Ring of Fire : 4 stations/4 groups – 3 exercises per station – rotate stations until all exercises have been performed by all groups for 1 minute (FNG Duck Sauce sealed his nickname with banter of foul fornication as it related to some of our sandy spastic movements and exercising efforts)
Indian Run back to the Flag (T Claps to Tiny Tim, who didn’t have the juice to enjoy the full beatdown, but was awaiting our return, having never stopped moving in active recovery)
MARY
Crunchy Frogs x10 IC
Freddy Mercuries x10 IC
Superman/Banana
Naming of FNG: Duck Sauce
Tiny Tim prayed us out with heartfelt thanks.
One year down, the rest of my life to to go! Many thanks for following my lead today and for y’alls friendship
