F3 New Orleans

Category: Backblasts

  • It never rains in the Ukraine

    With a spot on rain forecast by Chiquita, YHC opted to forgo a trip to levee. Instead we had a heavy dose of shoulder & core work. JV grumbled a bit but nevertheless 14 PAX stayed close to shelter as the skies opened up.

    First we mosyed to bandstand for a warm-up COP and a healthy amount of duck fecal matter:

    SSHx20, PPx20, HBx20, PPx20 & SJx20

    Moseyed to the track for some fun with the running man:

    1 burpee at the 1st man, 2 at the second and so forth not knowing the end result until we reached the monkey bar. Finished with nine burpees then hit the bar:

    4 four groups rotated with 7 pull-ups, squats, LBCs & Dips

    Lined up back on the track for another run round of running man:

    2 shoulder-tap merkins at the 1st increasing by 2 until we finish with 18. YHC pulled an audible after 10 to finish with squat jumps from 12-18.

    Moseyed to the shelter as the rain starts coming down.

    COP of mary:

    Flutter Kicks x20, Cockroach x20, Dolly x20, Russian Twist x20, Real Freddie x20

    On the benches:

    RLSU x30, Dips x20, RLPU x20, Incline Mekins x20, Right Leg Bulgarian Split Lunges x20

    Back to a COP:

    Plank-o-rama with 10 Nolan Ryans on each side

    Back to bench:

    LLSU x30, Dips x15, LLPU x20, Left Leg Bulgarian Split Lunges x20

    Last COP:

    Rosalita x20, Elbow MCs X20 & mission impossible for 20 sec

    Moseyed back to flag for count off, name-o-rama & prayer.

    Thanks for good start to the week…

  • Ass-Kickers at The Roadhouse

    A warmer 62 degrees and a light rain, as we met up at The Marsh. Shooter had the PAX impressed that he ran over 2 miles from home to our AO.

    Greetings and banter before warm ups. As WaterPik and Coconuts called me out as having “Starbucks Hands” I immediately regretting wearing gloves on this warmer morning.

    WarmORama: Good Mornings, Wind Mills, Toe Touches, Hill Billies, Imperial Walkers, Side Straddle Hops.

    Guided by the blue light of Pelican Pointe Car Wash, the PAX moseyed to Ruby’s Roadhouse for a change of scenery, and did the Escalator routine: 10 ASS-KICKERS, 20 Burpees, 30 Merkins, 40 Squats, 50 Lunges. As if Burpees aren’t hard enough, WaterPik showed up the group by starting his on a fire ant pile.

    Next PAX moseyed all the way down to the lakefront sea wall and did 20 each: Box Jumps, Merkins, Step-Ups, Derkins, Lunges, and Freak Nasties.

    Next PAX moseyed over to Rip’s on the Lake where we did “Stair Barrows.” PAX partnered up. Partner 1 held Partner 2’s legs while he did a wheel-barrow up the stairs and 10 derkins, then both PAX ran down the stairs, then flap-jacked. PAX who were waiting did Partner 1’s choice of exercise for each round consisting of: Squats, Freddy Mercury’s, Flutter Kicks, etc.

    PAX moseyed back to the basketball court. As we arrived, YHC was ready to dish out some MARY, but was quickly interrupted and told that time had expired. (Apparently YHC’s watch somehow fell back 5 minutes during the beatdown). Since many PAX are already doing xtra credit with RRR, we went right into Circle of Trust.

    Thanks Shooter for leading us in prayer, and for the tip about Boudin by Jamison.

    Thank you guys for the opportunity to lead.

  • Muscle-Ship or is it Block City?

    With my knee giving me some issues this week and on the schedule to Q the mother ship I had to make an audible and Hawg was happy to swap AO’s for the opportunity to throw down a run heavy beatdown on the Mothership to rival Rudy’s beatdown the prior week. I planted Tools creation in the ground that is the Muscleship Shovel Flag and gave my usual disclaimer. Let’s Mosey. One lap around the museum.

    Warm Up – At Muscle-ship we get JACK-ed

    SSH x 20

    Imperial Walker x2 0

    Grass Grabbers x 20

    Seal Jacks x 20

    Red Bulls Smurf Jacks x 15

    Plank Jacks x 20

    Arm Circle Fwd & Rev x 15 each way

    Thang 1 BLIMP Mosey to the blocks.

    Mosey when Q yells HALT we did the usual BLIMPS progression all the way to the blocks. 5 burpees, 10 Lunges, 15, Imp. Walkers, 20 Merk’s, 25 Plank Jacks, 30 Squats.

    Grab a block and partner up!

    Thang 2 – DORA 1 – 2 – 3 – 2 – 1

    PAX 1 carries block above head while PAX 2 does exercise to get combined count of each exercise:

    100 Thrusters

    200 Curls for the Girls

    300 Chest Press

    200 Goblet Squats

    100 Tricep Extensions

    Mosey back the Fountain

    Thang 3 – Fountain work

    Right Leg Step up x 15

    Incline Mercks x 10

    Left leg step up x 15

    Decline Mercks x 10

    Bulgarian Split Squats r leg up x 15

    Bulgarian Split Squats l leg up x 15

    Mosey to the flag and circle up for some Mary

    LBC’s x 20

    Dying Cockroach x 20

    Flutter Kicks x 20 (RUDY ran by us, by him self and just kept on going)

    Penguins x 20

    American Hammer x 15

    Freddie Mercury x 20

    COT

    Count-O-Rama 11 PAX, Name-O-Rama 1 FNG – Welcome Brown Eye! He’s a GI Doc! Announcements and Prayer

    Another good beatdown! Thanks as always for the opportunity to lead.

    SYITG.

  • WPM or Angry Wave – Your Choice

    So, YHC correspondent has been pretty busy having started and new gig and trying to ramp up as quickly as possible so I apologize in advance for the lateness in this backblast.

    This morning would not only mark my one year anniversary of F3, but also the start of a new AO “The Angry Wave” . This AO name is in reference to the school mascot of the other school on St Charles Ave, Although there was much mumblechatter that it sounded like a STD, Which seemed appropriate with our F3 Urologist – Tinkles taking the first Q. I gave the usual disclaimer, Tinkles gave his announcement for Angry Wave that it would be an all running beatdown and the PAX split up and we were on our way. Interesting coincidence – Tinkles was the Q of my first F3 workout.

    I had a plan in my head of what I wanted to do but that went out the window when I arrived to see the Park and Street car line were ponds from the overnight rain. So we moseyed toward Walnut and then back down the Avenue to our favorite spot of grass next to Holy Name Church.

    Warm up

    SSH x 20

    Hillbillies x 20

    Grass Grabbers x20

    Mountain Climbers x20

    Fwd/Rev Arm Circles x10 each way

    Thang 1 BLIMPS around the Horseshoe – This was supposed to be down the Ave – which was what we did my first workout…

    Burpees X5, Lunges x 10 Imperial Walkers x15, Merkins x20, Plank Jacks x25, Squats x30 While running around the horseshoe.

    Thang 2 Mosey to the Circle on Loyola’s Campus

    Right Leg Step Ups x15

    Dips x10

    Left Leg Step Ups x 15

    Dips x10

    Bulgarian Split Leg Squats x15 R Leg up

    Dips x10

    Bulgarian Split Squats x15 L Leg up

    Mosey to the base of the Mountain

    Thang 3 – Dirty Mac-Dulla Mountain

    Trying to come up with something original I had scoured the Exi-con found this version of an Indian Run that sounded good but on paper but was kind of a cluster F. First guy in line drops and does 5 mekins and planks till the last guys passes him, then yells “6” to let the first person know to drop and start merkins.(Problem – 2 lines – so too many “6” being yelled out.

    At second floor landing Merkins x10, Low slow Squats x10, Dying Cock roach x10, Run up to 3rd level landing

    3rd level – King Kongs x10, Bobby Hurleys x 10, LBC’s x10, Run up to 4th level

    4th level – Diamond Merks x10, Monkey Humpers x10, American Hammer x 10, Run up to 5th level

    5th level – Burpees x10, Lunges x10, Freddie Merc’s x10

    6th level – Merkin x10, Squats x 10, Penguins x10 With it raining and running out of time we did not proceed to the the top.

    Flutter kicks x 15, Some other Mary I cant remember at this time. Then Mosey back to the Flag to meet back up with the Angry Wave guys. They put in about 5 miles, running around the park, to the levee, down the levee to Oak St. back up to Carrolton, and back down the Aveto the Flag

    Count-o-Rama, Name-O-Rama. 2 FNG’s – Welcome Grimace and Da Cuzan (He’s Da Parishes cousin) Prayed it out.

    I am so very thankful for starting F3 a year ago and am so much better for it. F3 has changed my life in so many ways. I am healthier, and more fit than I have ever been in my adult life. I have been presented opportunities professionally that would have never happened with out the fellowship of F3. I never thought on that first cold Feb morning that I would ever lead one of these workouts and now I do on a fairly regular basis. Thank you all for pushing me, motivating me, and always pulling me up even when I was the “SIX” for those first few months. I am forever indebted to you my F3 brothers! Always a privilege to lead this group of High Impact Men in the gloom. Thank you for the opportunity to lead! SYITG!

  • The Back Nine

    After some last minute scouting, YHC pulled up without a minute to spare. The disclaimer was given, including a word of caution about possible broken ankles, and we moseyed to the Great Lawn for the warm-up

    Warm-Up

    This month is Run Ranger Run and every yard counts, so YHC forwent the customary circle warm-up and chose to go old school Jr. High football style:

    High Knees, Butt Kicks, Karaoke left, Karaoke right

    The Thang

    We divided up into 5 teams of 4. Each team received a baseball and were provided the simple rules of Rarájipari – You must kick the baseball to the Foundry. One team member can kick it the whole way or you can pass between team members. First team to the Foundry wins.

    At the Foundry we all found some pull-up space for the Bern ‘n Burp – keep your chin above the bar as long as you can. When you drop out, do 10 burpees and take a 10 second rest. Repeato until time is called. Most of us got in 3 or 4 rounds.

    Rarájipari under the 610 overpass to Zachary Taylor Drive.

    From there we moseyed to the football field between Grow Dat and the Dog Park. 100 yard Bear Crawl

    Next we moseyed to the 9th hole of the frisbee golf course for The Jack Nicklaus. Starting at the 9th hole tee box, sprint to the 9th hole (or whatever you call the contraption that you throw the frisbee into). At the 9th hole, do 9 merkins followed by 9 air presses. Then walk to the 10th hole tee box and sprint to the 10th hole where you do 10 merkins and 10 air presses. Continue this through the 16th hole. We repeated the 15th and 16th holes.

    Rarájipari to the port-a-potties on the backside of the track.

    On the track – 600m run as hard as you can.

    Mosey back to the flag

    NMM
    • Mistake #1 – We arrived at the flag late. How late? More than 3 minutes, less than 35. I don’t really know. I wasn’t using a watch. I was wearing one, but I wasn’t using it.
    • Mistake #2 – Quiche wasn’t with us.
    • Mistake #3 – It took me a minute to realize Quiche wasn’t with us anymore. Fracsac went out to find him. Somehow in the 30 seconds we had been standing at the flag, Frac forgot where we had come from and ran off in the wrong direction. Meanwhile, rumor has it that Quiche had accidentally locked himself in one of the Rock ‘n Roll Port-a-lets. Fortunately all City Park Roads lead to the Port-a-lets on the backside of the track. Frac finally made it there and through brute strength was able to free Quiche. Both returned to the circle, smelling of excrement and unwilling to speak about what had happened.
    • Mistake #4 – While playing Rarájipari on the way to the track, I mentioned to my teammates that we shouldn’t tell the groups ahead of us that they should take the street to the right up ahead. As the Q, I am apparently supposed to be taking care of the pax and so I received some instant F3 karma when the sidewalk rose up and tripped me. It felt like a pretty spectacular fall.
    • We had one FNG – Scrub. He came out on his own. I wasn’t paying close attention, but I believe a medical resident at Tulane mentioned F3 to Scrub while he was there being treated for a virus he contracted in South Central Jersey.
    • We ran a lot. It was at least 4 and half miles, no more than eight.
    • Rudy met us for the circle of trust. He’s just in it for the fellowship.

  • Keep It Simple Stupid

    The Uptowner was greeted with 14 fiends this week itching to get their Friday fix. Although YHC had been voluntold to Q weeks ago, he slacked on working up a fancy workout with a cool theme, laminated weinkie, or pre-arranged cones. Therefore, back to basics for the PAX with 45 action packed minutes of good old-fashioned exercises and circuits, with hopes of leaving stronger than when we came. As the PAX rolled in, YHC gave the usual discalimer along with second disclaimer and warning that his sharpness as a playcaller may be hindered by the aftereffects of the evening beatdown and IPA fuelled F2 hours earlier. Here’s what went down:

    Warmup: IPW, AC, WM, LS Squats, PP, Plank Roll, LC Crab, all various reps IC, followed by a Bear Crawl approx 40 yds to the rock pile.

    The Thang: Countdown circuit with 4 exercises, all IC and same rep count, to be varied up along the way. These tend to be tough but the descending count provides some light at the end of the tunnel.

    • First round consisted of: Curls x15IC, Low Slow Squat w/rock x15IC, Shoulder Press x15IC, Mary/Rosalitas x15IC. Rinse and repeat x14, x13, x12, x11 all with varying Mary exercises at the end. YHC enlisted the help of the PAX to share the cadence duties.
    • Break for a bear crawl around our circle of rocks followed by a Alabama-cousin-marriage joke complemets of War Eagle.
    • Next round: Curls x10, Lateral Lunge x10, Shoulder Press x10, Dealer’s Choice Mary x10, rinse and repeat x9, x8, x7, x6.
    • Final round: Curls x5, Front Lunge w/rock overhead x5, Shoulder Press x5, Mary x5. Not much time left to keep working our way down so we had to cut it short and deposit the rocks.

    Last 90 seconds included Hip Flexors and Plankorama.

    COT to seal the deal. Welcome to our FNG who gace us lots of info on himeself but not much nickname material…hence the name Vanilla.

    T-claps to the PAX for pitching in on the never ending cadence.

    Tool

  • I Don’t Mind Running, But Don’t Lie to Me

    The title is a quote from Left Eye, and you can understand where he is coming from. Uptowners stay in one place. That’s what you expect. So what’s happened the last three weeks at The Uptowner?

    • Three weeks ago – A Murph, by definition it includes 2 miles of running
    • Last week – Mambi was Q and he led us all over God’s green earth. Who knew Pontiff was so big?
    • This week – Run Ranger Run started so we did a The Laredo, which ended up being about 3 miles of running
    Warm-Up

    Boo- Boo volunteered to lead the warm-up. It seemed like he had no idea what he was doing when he started with Imperial Walkers, but it turns out he was in full control. Best Warm-up all year: IW x 20; Arm Circles x 10 Forward, x 10 backards; SSH x 30 (Finally); Grass Grabbers x 20

    The Thang

    The Loredo

    • 24 Air Squats
    • 24 Merkins
    • 24 Walking Lunges
    • 400 meter Run

    AMRAP – 11 was the most anyone completed.

    Naked Man Moleskin
    • Two Yutes crushed it. I was pacing him, hoping to humiliate him in the last 40 yards, but I’m old and he’s in good shape, so things didn’t go my way. It’s been impressive to see the gains he has made since joining F3.
    • T-Claps to Boo-Boo for stepping up to lead the Warm-up. He handled it like a pro.
    • Our Workout today was done in memory of Edwardo Loredo.
  • 70-0. First Round Draft Pick!

    70-0. First Round Draft Pick!

    The Scene:The Knoll

    Conditions:41*, Overcast, and slightly wind. Park was rather abandoned…

    8 Pax made it out of bed and posted! Where did the warm weather go from this week? 

    0700 – YHC was the only one not wearing a jacket…but of course he was the Q, so he knew how warm we’d be getting in our beatdown! He brought out a speaker…what would that be for?? The Pax would see.

    The flag was flying better than ever with a nice steady wind. It was cold and rather depressing looking outside like the scene from an abandoned town. A few brave souls were jogging, but no cross-country meet was taking over the park.

    No Disclaimer since there were no FNG’s…hopefully we’ll get some out next week.

    Warm-a-Rama:

    1 lap (opposite way as usual) around the “track.”

    Finkle Swings x11

    Goofball x16

    Plank jacks x12

    Smurf Straddle Hops x14

    Seal jacks x20

    Peter Parker x10

    The Thang:

    YHC pulled out his phone, connected it to the speaker, and played Thunderstruck. Pax were instructed to get in plank position and do a merkin every time they heard the word “Thunderstruck.” Backflip wanted to get even more buff, so he added merkins to the word thunder too. Some Pax joined in. A few minutes later, our arms were shaking, and we resented the ACDC artist for singing “Thunderstruck” so frequently at the end of the song.

    YHC had mercy on the PAX and decided to let the next the next ACDC song play while we stretched. As “You shook me all night long” played, we stretched hamstrings, glutes, groin, hip flexors, calves, etc.  

    Backflip gave a recovery countdown while YHC put the stereo away… Pax played Frogger and moseyed across Highland road to the baseball field.

    The scene was set…it was a baseball game that had 4 innings…

    In inning one, YHC announced that PAX had allowed 7 runs, so we did 7 burpees at each base, moseying in between. 

    In inning two, YHC announced that PAX had allowed 14 runs, so we did 14 merkins at each base, moseying in between. 

    In inning three, YHC announced that PAX had allowed 21 runs, so we did 21 flutter kicks at each base, moseying in between. 

    In inning four, YHC announced that PAX had allowed 28 runs, so we did 28 Al Gores at each base, moseying in between. 

    70 runs allowed!

    Yes, it was a fake game, but the workout was as real as it gets…Any team that bad would be deserving of the first-round draft pick!

    Then Pax moseyed back across highland to the pav.

    Partner exercise – one partner did a wall sit while the other ran to the pullup bars for 10 pullups, then ran to the sundial for 10 freak nasty’s and finally rounded the corner with 10 merkins at the last “base.” When your partner got to the sundial, the wall sitters added air presses as well. Dagwood showed his real speed, earning himself the gold medal…we all coveted Shangeaux who was paired with Dagwood and therefore had the shortest wall sit…good father/son combo.

    Finally, we finished off by visiting the zoo with a duckwalk and bear crawl back across the path followed by a crab walk and frog hop back. Snack pack enjoyed the bear crawl the most since he was rocking his Baylor Bears gear.

    Mary:

    YHC grabbed a coupon from the car…

    American Hammer – 5 each with the coupon, passing it around while the rest of the Pax did non-coupon hammers when it wasn’t their turn. 40 total. The overachiever once again was backflip who cadenced his 5 hammers making them 10.

    LBC’s – same as hammers but with coupon held over the head.

    Count-o-Rama

    Name-o-Rama

    COT/BOM:

    Prayer requests:

    Worms announced his daughter passed a retest at OT school that she had failed the first time…answer to prayer. 

    Backflip’s baby is due in April…now we see why he was overachieving (trying to avoid the dad-bod!)

    YHC prayed… thanked God and lifted up baby backflip.

    Most Pax left, a few went to lighthouse coffee house for fellowship afterward.

    Ready for warmer weather…see you Wednesday at the Coliseum!  

  • The Extra Mile Is Never Crowded

    Unless, of course, you’re running in Old Mandeville, where there are always other running crews hitting the pavement before 0500.

    First off, t-claps to Coconuts for showing up with some reflective running schwag, instantly making the pax both safer and giving us that “seasoned runner” look (so that when the group of women doing a 6-minute pace passed us, they knew they were passing some serious men).

    Secondly, t-claps to Waterpik, who has posted to more than a few beatdowns while he rehabs his ankle.  He got YHC thinking this morning: would I show up if I couldn’t run?  Probably not.  Maybe the first week, but then the temptation of an extra hour of sleep (maybe 2 for an outta work hairdresser?) would be too much.  Pik leads by example and character like his is one of the biggest reasons why I’ve made F3 such an integral part of my life.

    The Thang: Once our new reflective bands had been properly secured, YHC warned the pax that we’d be skipping our usual warm-up in lieu of a little more distance: 4 miles rather than our usual 3.2.

    Today’s route:

    Back in time for a few flutters (30x IC) and a few merkins (20), before COT with Chewy praying us out.  Thanks for going the extra distance today guys, appreciate it!

  • Mile-O-Merkins and Mile-O-Mary at Okwata

    We had a great morning at Okwata to get some miles for the AO in RRR VII, but we couldn’t forget our tradition of full-body workouts. So, disclaimer and then mosey to the Center of the Universe (COTU) for the warm up: 25 x SSH and Imperial Walkers, 15 x Abe Vigoda, 10 F/R Sun Gods, 15 x Peter Parker, 15 x Parker Peter, 15 x Concrete Grabbers and then off to Da Thang.

    From a secret starting point on the levee, YHC explained the Mile-O-Merkins. The course was a half-mile out and half-mile back with 12 stations. At each station, the PAX did a set of merkins with descending reps starting at 12. This went so well that the PAX then did a Mile-O-Mary with LBCs at each station. By the end of the workout, with moseying plus the
    Mile-O-Merkins and Mile-O-Mary, the PAX covered 3 miles.

    Lord, teach me to be generous!

    Surge