F3 New Orleans

Category: Backblasts

  • Triple Checking the Time

    Dark, Warm, and Humid at 5:30am.

    Mosey to field by zoo parking lot for Warm-up:

    • Side straddle hop
    • Pagodas
    • Hillbillies
    • Grass grabbers

    Main Event (causing Angie to check his watch three times hoping it was over): We lined up along the street side of the field for a “Jacob’s Ladder” type workout consisting of 5 reps on the start line, mosey to mid-field for 10 reps, back to start for five more reps, mosey to far side of field for 15 more reps, back to start for 5 more reps of the following exercises (one full set of each):

    • Burpees
    • Bonnie Blairs
    • Low Slow Squats
    • Shoulder Taps
    • LBCs on the lines, Bear Crawls on each leg up the field (total of 1.5 field lengths)
    • V-Ups
    • Merkins
    • Lunge walk from start to midfield, crab walk back to start, then Lunge walk from start to other side of field, crab walk back to start
    • Mosey to midfield, sprint back to start, mosey to far side of field, sprint back.

    (I may be forgetting a set or two)

    Back to flag, for COT: count-off, Name-O-Rama, welcoming of FNG Miller Gunn “Grinder” and prayers and thoughts, including intention and solid words of empathy from Sandbar for the parents of the 545 separated children split up at the border. Politics aside, each of us can easily imagine the horror of losing track of a child for only a few minutes at a department store, playground, etc. See the report from this morning’s news: https://www.npr.org/2020/10/21/926031426/parents-of-545-children-separated-at-u-s-mexico-border-still-cant-be-found or https://fox5sandiego.com/news/national-news/parents-of-545-children-separated-at-border-cant-be-found/

  • Nothing Good Ever Happens at the Tunnel

    At least that’s what Zoolander says. Or, perhaps it was first said by Jose 10k. Who knows? But, after a brief warmup consisting of SSHs, GMs, HKs, BKs, ACs, and Self Love, YHC led the Pax on a Mosey to the tunnel for:

    THE THANG

    Partner up. P1 jogs through the tunnel and back, sprinting up the inclines on the both sides. P2 does 10 merkins, 10 smurf jacks, and 10 rower situps. Switch. Set the timer for 10 minutes and off we go.

    SLOW Mosey back to bus stop for 2 sets of 10: Derkins, box jumps.

    Mosey back to flag for bunny hops (2 columns), bear crawls (2 more columns), and back pedals (the rest of the covered area), then jog back, R and R (5 minutes).

    Mary: Cowbell’s crunchy frogs, flutter kicks, hello dollies, Freddy merc’s.

    COT and YHC prayed us out.

    It’s always an honor, men, to be a part of such an inspirational group. And, I am definitely a better man because of your positive vibes over the past 3 years. The positive habits that F3 engenders are definitely life changing.

  • Fireworks before First Light

    Great idea for the next title in the Magic Treehouse book series, although the content may be a little different. The fireworks began in an instant. A finely tuned, unstoppable andante tempo flatulence in cadence on the 2 and 4 counts of the SSH.  A few giggles and at-a-boys, the gas attack would continue with others throughout the workout.  No names mentioned, but YHC may or may not have been involved.

    7 men showed up  in the misty gloom this morning at the Milestone Marsh, great to see Hogsbreath again. Coming off an exciting weekend and the 6 year anniversary celebration, we were ready to get to work and start our week off right. 

    Warm up

    X10-12 IC   SSH, Arm Circles f/b, Self-Love, High Knees

    Thang: 4 Corners

    On the court x40 at each corner: Merkin, Squat, Shoulder Taps, Freak Nasties

    Bear Crawl the sidelines, Lunge Walk Baseline/Endline

    Mosey to playground for 10 pull ups and 10 supine pull ups

    Rinse and Repeat

    I always enjoy the mumblechatter on Mondays, and today was no exception. Who says you can’t Bear Crawl and talk at the same time? 

    T-Claps to Hammer who posted after completing the pop up Murph yesterday morning. Duly noting this beatdown was close to a modified Murph without a run. He moved out in front like a long legged hare and never looked back.

    Mary 

    Tabata, 30s with 10s rest x5. Plank Jacks (because we haven’t worked shoulders enough already), Leg Raises, Heels to Heaven, Hand to Heals, Hello Dolly, Flutter kicks (Sound familiar @shooter?)

    Count/Manorama

    Announcements

    F2 Thursday at the Gipper/Tap Room; Russo’s 2y anny Q Saturday; F2 Shovel Flag making party is in the works (Cowbell/Grover); Hammers 1000 Burpees moved to Nov 21st 

    COT: YHC prayed us out 

    Thanks for letting me lead, always a great way to start out the week!

    till next Gloom, 

    Akbar

  • The Leftovers

    Those of us unable to celebrate the Nola anniversary on the south shore (the Leftovers) met up on a brisk morning to celebrate in our own way.

    Warmup

    Side straddle hops, air presses, toe touches, imperial walkers, high knees, windmills, cherry pickers

    Main Event

    Russo Q’s have to include either a deck or cards or Rip’s steps, and this one was no different. 8 minutes of alternating calf raises, Rocky Balboas, and trips up Rip’s.

    Pax then moseyed west to complete 50 step ups and then a factor 11 of freak nastys and gas pumps, with back peddling in between.

    After 10 Dr. Ws, Pax rocked around the Nick with a mosey interspersed with a “viewer’s choice” including jump squats, burpees, spider mans, and monkey humpers (facing the street of course) among others.

    Arriving back at the flag in our head, we circled up for name-o-Rama and YHC prayed us out.

  • One Scramble Every Six Years

    We all love F3, and here on the north shore we have respect for those who have gone before paving the way for us to do what we love to do here in Mandeville and Covington. That is why we were more than happy to host one of two available beatdowns for day 5 of the week-long celebration of F3 NOLA’s 6 year convergnce.

    25 men showed up to scramble (or at least make an appearance) on this 67 degree Fall morning. After a warm-up consisting of Cherry Pickers, Imperial Walkers, T Stretches, Torso Twists, High Knees, Fire Hydrants, and Scorpion Kicks, the PAX hit the streets of Mandville running the traditional route with a few hiccups thrown in to keep the heart rates elevated and things so much more interesting. There were 4 sets of cones along the route and, on the way out, runners sprinted from the 1st cone 150 feet to the 2nd cone of each set. On the way in 10 burpees a piece were on tap at each cone.

    Back at the flags, QIC lead the gazelles as well as the clydesdales in some amateur-hour yoga, before the more experienced (vicariously?) Zoolander took the reigns to close us out.

    There was lots of great mumble-chatter as the endorphins flowed and we, once again, owned the gloom!

    COT

    Some guys had to split and some were just showing up as we circled up to count off and roll call. Hokie Pokie prayed us out as we ventured out to start another day.

    Thank you guys for allowing me to lead today, and thank you Fracsac for not showing up with the Freedom Hammer.

  • Agility at The Gipper

    14 strong at The Gipper this morning for some agility and Tabata work after a quick warmup of SSHs, Merkins, IWs, Mountain Climbers and Seal Jacks, 20x IC. A quick mosey brought us to the Justice Center where YHC set down four cones, and the PAX got down to business with various variations of shuffles, back pedals, carioca, skips, and sprints. The PAX also mixed in a few Tabata sets of pistol squats and lateral single leg step ups on the Justice Center benches.

    It was great to have Big Cat return to The Gipper and also to have an FNG, BBQ’s son, visit us from St. Louis. A 6’9″ former college basketball player who now works for FedEx, the freshly dubbed Mailman put in a solid performance, raising the average athleticism of our Wednesday morning group considerably.

    Thanks for letting me lead this morning guys. See you in the Gloom.

  • 6 Year Anniversary (10-14-2020) – The Birdcage

    Woke up early to this beautiful, cool, dry morning to setup the field in front of Audubon Zoo with our F3 flags. Then I moseyed to our usual Birdcage COT spot to meet up with 45 other PAX to celebrate F3Nola’s 6 year anniversary. Before the disclaimer, I told the PAX that this is our actual anniversary date, and The Birdcage was our very first weekday AO. We then headed over to the field in front of Audubon Zoo with our warmup exercises in cadence. To honor our 6 year anniversary, we started the day with 6 burpees OYO.

    1.) SSHs x 20

    2.) Windmills x 10

    3.) Self Love x 10

    4.) Imperial Walkers x 20

    5.) Peter Parker, Parker Peter, MCs x 15

    We divided the PAX in 2 groups in the middle of the field. One group was facing the Zoo while the other was facing Magazine Street. Each group had their own marker to reach to (which was about 50 feet away).

    Round 1 – moseyed to the marker and did 10 hand release merkins. Then moseyed back to the middle of the field and went back out to marker to do 15 hand release merkins. Then moseyed back to the middle of the field and went back to the marker to finish off with 20 hand release merkins. Then converged back to the middle of the field to wait for the Six (SSHs until the Six was done).

    Round 2 – similar routine as round 1 except we did 10, 15, and 20 big boy situps.

    Round 3 – similar to round 1 except we did 10, 15, and 20 jump lunges. Also, instead of running, we were side hopping.

    Round 4 – similar to round 1 except we did 10, 15, and 20 leg raises.

    Round 5 – similar to round 3 except we did 10, 15, and 20 squats.

    Round 6 – similar to round 1 except we bear crawled to the marker and moseyed back to the middle of the field with 20, 40, and 60 overhead air presses in between.

    Round 7 – similar to round 6 except we bunny hopped to the marker and moseyed back to the middle of the field with 5, 10, and 15 burpees in between.

    At some point during the workout, we saw a shooting star with a crescent moon in the backgound.

    Round of Mary

    We did the following in cadence:

    1.) American Hammers x 20

    2.) LBCs x 20

    3.) Hello Dolly x 20

    4.) Low Country Crabs x 10 (Yankee’s lead)

    5.) Dying Cockroach x 20 (Hawgcycle’s lead)

    COT

    We finished the beatdown with COT. Announcements and prayers. Someone mentioned Bogey is buying for everyone who shows up at the Deutsches Haus tonight. We thank Sky Q for giving us the strength everyday so that we can do this on a regular basis. Always grateful to be out in the AM with the PAX and hopeful for many years of this.

    Few of us had some F2 coffee at PJ’s on Magazine. Always entertaining conversations with the PAX. SYITG

  • Return to Granny’s playhouse!

    It has been awhile since YHC has posted at Granny’s so missing things like the memorable “Bus Stop” and the “Tunnel of pain” motivated the Q to taste both. Arrived as Russo came out of the darkness soon followed by Steve. Started on time with chatter of the possibility of Cowbell’s always right on time or slightly late entry, but this gloom would provide the PAX with a new late arrival in Big Cat..

    Warmup

    IC varying from 10-15 SSH, Imperial walkers, Hillbillies, Windmills, Toe touches, and arm circles..

    thang

    First stop the “Bus Stop” brief IC10 Irkins, left step ups OYO to 10, Freak Nasties IC10 and finished with right step ups OYO to 10. Hit the trailhead for a Mosey over to the “Tunnel of Pain.”Along the way proved difficult in the week of a New moon 🌙 casting illumination with little through the trees, but thankfully as we approached the halfway point a recumbent bike lit the path to get is to our destination.

    Partnered up for 50 burpees, 100 Merkins and 150 squats. P1 moseyed down, Carioca across the flat and back then backpedaled up picking up the count of P2. Upon completion took to the street with some lighting for our return stopping along the way for some Parker Peters and Peter Parker’s IC10. Arrived back at the flag for wrap up Mary consisting of Little Manny Crunches IC20, Hello Dolly IC20, Jane Fonda’s each leg 10IC including pulses and knee taps (EiEi) special. We miss you at Granny’s EiEi oh? Closed with Freddy Mercuries 20IC.

    Appreciate your 2nd post Big Cat and look for to your return!!

    cot and YHC closed the PAX in prayer!!

    Always enjoy the post gentlemen see you in the next Gloom 👍🏼👊🏼✌🏼!!

  • Celebrating the Six

    Conditions:  Humid and Partly Cloudy.  73 degrees, 100% humidity.  Wind 4 mph from the NW

    The Thang

    We divided up into nine teams to play some Rarájipari.  Teams of 4 or 5 kick a baseball as they run.  No real rules other than you have to kick it everywhere you go.  Today each team had to visit four landmarks to collect a playing card.  They could collect the cards in any order. First team to make it back with all four cards and the ball was the winner.  The landmarks were the Peristyle, The Dueling Oak, The Singing Oak, and the Rugby Pitch.  Overall mileage was roughly 3 miles for the efficient teams, over 3.5 for some of the more directionally challenged teams. 

    Cool Down

    As teams arrived back to the start High-Rise led as he took stretch requests and YHC closed us out with a little Mary before we sealed the deal.

    NMM

    • Chaos ensued at the start.  A couple of Pax went down with turned ankles and balls were lost.
    • We started with nine balls.  We ended with five.  Not sure of the specifics, but one team was rumored to have lost two balls somehow.
    • One team lost a ball off the Wisner Bridge.  That leads to a number of questions.
    • The teams that went to the Peristyle first had to weave their way through a Zumba class to get to the flag. 
    • This workout was much more compliant with Corona restrictions than what Papa Smurf did on Monday.  Although our pods were sharing the same ball, YHC was the only one without shoes.  CDC guidelines limit shoeless Rarájipari players to one per team.  In an abundance of caution, other teams shod all of their players.    
    • Some teams were looking for Dueling Oaks.  Just to clarify, the Oaks themselves have no beef with one another.  The Dueling Oak, singular, was the location of many a human duel back in the day. 
    • T-claps to Rudy, Boo-Boo, and Kuch for helping YHC put the flags out this morning. 
    • T-claps to Bushwhacker and Cowbell for making the trek from the frigid North.  Cowbell was showing off a strong sock game today.
    • Every Rarájipari team has a 6.  And depending on what group we are in, that could, for the most part, be any one of us.  The fast guys are usually controlling the ball up front and the 6 is keeping a consistent pace trying to keep up.  You may be falling farther and farther behind, but you keep running.  You keep plugging away.  Inevitably someone kicks the ball into the shrubs, or into a giant mud hole, or off the Wisner Bridge and you catch up.  It’s hard to overstate the importance of consistency in every aspect of our lives.  Keep plugging away – you’ll get there.      

  • Eddie Van Halen Tribute

    I had previously signed up to Q Swolefest not realizing that this would the convergence week. I assumed the PAX number would be low but the energy and effort would not. In order to help with the energy I opted to pay tribute to one of the great guitarists of our time and we rocked out to a Van Halen playlist this morning. Once 5:30 rolled around and I saw 6 PAX but only 2 cinder blocks and a BOSU provided by yours truly modifications would have to be made.

    Warm up:

    • SSH x 20 IC
    • Windmills x 10 IC
    • Grass grabbers x 15 IC
    • Arm circles fwd/rev x 10 each IC
    • Self love x 15 IC
    • Mountain climbers x 20 IC

    Tha Thang #1:

    My plan was to have everyone partner up for some Flora 1-2-3 with our cinder blocks. Well with only 2 cinder blocks present modifications were made. PAX was split into 2 groups of 3 and the block would be rotated. Also instead of combined 100-200-300 reps we did a combined 100-240-325 to ensure everyone got equal number of reps.

    • 100 combined reps merkins on block. While PAX #1 performs 10 merkins on the block Pax #2 and #3 plank until it is their turn. Rotate through until 100 reps performed
    • 240 LBCs with block on chest. While Pax #1 performs 20 LBCs with block on chest Pax #2 and #3 perform static leg hold until it is their turn. Rotate through until 240 reps performed.
    • 325 Goblet squats. While PAX #1 performs 25 goblet squats Pax #2 and #3 hold Al Gore position until it is their turn. Rotate through until 325 reps performed.

    Tha Thang #2:

    Splint into 3 groups of 2.

    Round 1 upper body, group on BOSU is the timer. Rotate through each station:

    • Group 1: PAX #1 performs 20 merkins on BOSU while PAX #2 planks. Swap.
    • Group 2: PAX #1 performs curls with block AMRAP while PAX #2 planks. Swap.
    • Group 3: PAX #1 performs overhead triceps extension AMRAP with block while PAX #2 planks. Swap.

    Round 2 lower body, group on BOSU is timer. Rotate through each station:

    • Group 1: PAX #1 performs 20 squats while standing on BOSU and PAX #2 holds Al Gore.
    • Group 2: PAX #1 performs forward lunge with twist while holding block AMRAP. PAX #2 holds Al Gore.
    • Group 3: PAX #1 performs reverse lunge with twist while holding block AMRAP. PAX #2 holds Al Gore.

    Mosey over to the Foundry for a pull up ring of fire. PAX performs 10 pull ups while everyone else holds plank. Rotate through until all PAX have performed 10 pull ups. Mosey back to the flag.

    Countoff, Name-o-rama, Annoucements, Intentions, and socially distances COT. It was great to lead again and for all PAX interested in Swolefest please invest in a block or 2.