F3 New Orleans

Tag: Cowbell

  • Out of the Shadows

    Imagine Cowbell’s face when he arrived (on time, give the man credit) to the AO to find Waterpik and YHC, fresh out of Covid quarantine, as the only two pax present. Had Hog’s Breath posted (he broke his quarantine spell the day before at the Marsh), Cowbell might’ve just gotten right back in the truck and bounced. But he made it this far, and it was too cold to turn back around, so we got down to business.

    Warmorama: Good mornings, toe touches, SSH, IW’s, torso twists, seal jacks, x10-20 IC.

    YHC is gonna miss the Christmas lights at the trailhead, they’re downright cheerful. And heart warming! And the place is so well-lit! Anyway, the last few times YHC has Q’d, I’ve elected to stay close and enjoy the twinkling lights, and today was no different. Quick mosey around the block to warm up before launching into a long lunge walk down the length of the corridor and around the bend until we reached the stage. At every other column, we would perform 5 burpees, thereby helping Cowbell (the sole Northshore ISI participant) get some in before daybreak. By the time we hit the stage we had 55.

    Once at the stage, we circled up for:

    1. Squats x20 IC
    2. Burpees x5
    3. Jump Squats x20
    4. Burpees x5
    5. Sister Mary’s x20 IC
    6. Burpees x5
    7. Monkey Humpers x20 IC
    8. Burpees x5
    9. Calf Raises x20 IC

    Back to the corridor, where we bunny hopped our way back, stopping at every other column to do x10 merkins. With 110 merkins completed, we knocked out another 5 burpees.

    Our favorite stair-climbing couple has been MIA lately, probably because it’s so darn cold, so we took over their stairs for alternating single-leg calf raises, x5 each step up.

    YHC was ready to head over to the bus stop, my preferred location for bench work, but after spotting the knife-wielding Mr. Perkins sleeping there at the start of the beatdown, we decided to give him a wide berth and chose the benches around the splash pad instead. Time for … more legs!

    1. L leg step up, x20 IC
    2. Freak Nasties, x10 IC
    3. R leg step up, x20 IC
    4. Freak Nasties, x10 IC
    5. L leg Bulgarians, x20 IC
    6. Freak Nasties, x10 IC
    7. R leg Bulgarians, x20 IC
    8. Freak Nasties, x10 IC

    And finally, some standard Mary with Jane Fonda’s mixed in to complete the legorama. Thanks to the guys for posting, when it’s as cold as it’s been lately, it is tough getting out of bed and to the AO. The whole accountability thing works, so I can’t thank you guys enough.

  • The 12 Days of Christmas, 2020

    Ah, there was holiday spirit in the chilly, night air: the smell of firewood burning, the twinkling of white Christmas lights, and, of course, the angry mutterings of one Jose 10k exiting his car.  Apparently, Cowbell had pulled up behind him and, with the height difference between the two cars, Cowbell’s headlights were blinding Mr. 10k.  “I felt like I should be doing surgery in there!”  And thus the tone was set for a magical beatdown – short but sweet – with a Christmas theme to spread a little holiday misery on this cold, Thursday night.

    Along with a disclaimer issued for the FNG, YHC warned the crew that this beatdown was hastily thrown together after stumbling upon the idea, The 12 Days of Christmas, which may or may not be something that Yankee did (or does every year?).  I apparently don’t even know how the song goes – I tried to do the ladder the wrong way, starting at 1 each time.  Wouldn’t you know, Jose quickly corrected me, and we got down to business.

    • THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
    • Day 1: 1x Burpee
    • Day 2: 2x Merkins
    • Day 3: 3x Triple Jump Squat Burpees
    • Day 4: 4x Monkey Humpers (IC)
    • Day 5: 5x Sister Mary Katherine’s (2 is 1)
    • Day 6: 6x Triple Merkin Burpees
    • Day 7: 7x Sit-Ups
    • Day 8: 8x T-Merkins
    • Day 9: 9x Groiners
    • Day 10: 10x Crunchy Frogs (IC)
    • Day 11: 11x Freak Nasties (IC)
    • Day 12: 12x Derkins

    We sped through the first couple days and then things really slowed once we hit a few triple jump squat / triple merkin burpees.  Somewhere around Day 3 we learned that Jose can sing, and that an aspiring sleuth might actually be able to track down video of him belting out “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.”  Around Day 9, Jose’s partner Amnesia turned up, fresh out of quarantine with his incredibly well-lit cargo bike (think the infamous neon “rave” vest).  And by Day 12, it was indeed a Christmas miracle that we had only gone over on time by 30 seconds (which is within the acceptable margin as set forth by the F3 Nation charter).

    COT and nameorama, where we welcomed FNG Red Baron.  Yes, he is named after the frozen pizza.  Seems dumb, I know, to name a guy because he likes pizza.  But no, really, this is a thing with this guy – his groom’s cake was decorated as a pizza, that’s how much pizza means to him.  (Which probably means that he will need F3 even more in his future.). So welcome Red Baron, hope to see you again soon, and t-claps to Cowbell from bringing out an FNG.  

    Onward to the Barley Oak, where Zoo was patiently waiting, sipping a beer in the corner, ready to dispense his wisdom on how to make duck edible (tacos) for those duck hunters who actually hate duck (Cowbell).  Thanks for the lead gentlemen, and for the F2 – it’s always a good time, even when it’s a bad time.

    And hey, don’t forget Akbar’s 50th birthday Q this Saturday!

  • Army PT Test at Grandmas House

    As a late notice fill in to Q, I went with something I know well, the old Army Physical Fitness Test.

    Warmup
    Max Pushups in 2 Minutes
    Max Big Boy Situps in 2 Minutes
    2 Mile Run

    180 is the minimum score for the Arm. 300 is max. Here’s how our group did:

    Russo: PU: 82 Points, SU: 86 Points, Run: 65 Points – 233 Points total
    Cowbell: PU: 100 Points, SU: 96 Points, Run: 90 Points – 286 Points total
    Pelican: PU: 100 Points, SU: 88 Points, Run: 75 Points – 263 Points total

    Here’s a link to the scoring chart if you want to test yourself
    https://armyrotc.sdsu.edu/images/uploads/DA__form_705_APFT_scorecard.pdf

    We will try it again in a few months.

  • Audible at the Scramble

    YHC decided to change up the routine slightly at the Scramble in the Gloom. Each Pax had to complete 50 merkins, burpees, and squats during the course of the 5K. It was good to see Mathlete make a surprise appearance, even though he said he wont be coming back when he learned the Scramble was our running AO.

    It was good to share the streets of Old Mandeville with you, men! As always, it was my privilege to lead you guys this morning. Y’all push me to become a better man every time I am with you.

    Thanks to Steve for praying us out.

  • 1 Mile Time Trial #2

    12 strong showed up for the 2nd running of the 1 mile time trial.

    We started off with some light active stretching:

    15 X SSH

    15 X Mountain Climbers

    15 Leg Swings, L&R and Forward/ Back

    15 X 4 corner hops

    Skips down the parking lot

    1 mile warm up

    The mile course I plotted started at Causeway Approach heading south with ONE left turn (heading east) on Villere St. and finishing just before Coffee St.

    Ringo was on bike with a flash light and stopwatch to guide us.

    Finish times were:

    Cowbell 6:03

    Steve 6:13

    Turbo 6:13

    Waterpik 6:13

    The Hammer 6:33

    Bird 6:40

    Pixie Stix 7:13

    Shooter 7:37

    Pelican 7:43

    Russo 9:14

    Bushwacker DNF

    The Pax did a 1 mile recovery mosey as a pack back to the flag.

    We had a few minutes to spare so YHC led some light static stretching and 15 X Crunchy Frogs.

    Sealed the deal with 5 Burpees OYO.

    Thanks for coming out and testing yourself this gloom.

    Targeting March 2021 for the 3rd running!

    Thanks for letting me lead.

    Cowbell

  • 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.      

  • The Milestone Marsh

    Cool temperatures greeted the PAX in the gloom at the Milestone Marsh. After a long, hot summer, the drop in temperature offers a nice respite for the hard-charging men of F3 Northshore. Even Shooter would have sweat less if he was out there today.

    YHC led the PAX straight into the fray by Warming up with Sets of Tabata w/ increasing levels of difficulty

    Tabata Sets: (30 secs w/ 30 secs rest)

    SSHs, Arm Circles, Squats, Imperial Walkers. Then some ball buster sets: merkins, burpees, bobby hurley’s, crunchy frogs, plank jacks, mountain climbers.

    Mosey to Lakefront, stopping at each intersection:

    more exercises…jump squats, flutter kicks, hello dollies, J- Lo’s, Leg raises, more of Cowbell’s Crunchy Frogs, more merkins, more burpees.

    At the Lakefront, the PAX hit the seawall for some boxjumps and freak nasties.

    Mosey back to Marsh.

    Thanks to Grover for praying us out!

  • Farewell Q

    It is with great sadness and much gratitude that I write my last backblast as a regular member of the Northshore F3 family. (I trust you’ll forgive the length!) As I shared with the men this morning, F3 has been an overwhelming answer to prayer, and as Bushwacker reminded me, it’s the individuals involved who truly make it what it is, so huge thanks for all of you guys allowing me to participate. More on this toward the end.

    This morning’s beatdown was meant to be a quick rundown of a few of the life lessons that F3 has confirmed for me in very concrete ways. The first, of course, being the necessity of a good warm up when you know you’re about to get your rear end kicked:

    Warmup: IC Windmills, IW’s, Cherry Pickers, High Knees, Butt Kicks followed by the first exercise listed on the Exicon (Shooter aced the pop-quiz, like I knew he would!):

    21’s–21 side straddle hops in cadence, but only the first 5 are counted out loud with an expectation that all PAX count the rest silently and end in perfect sync after the 21st. 10 burpees and start over if anyone is anything but perfect.

    Life Lesson #1: Togetherness is more about what’s in your head than it is about the people you’re with. (I may or may not have just made that up, but I think it’s got some staying power.)

    After one penalty set of burpees and a second round of SSH, YHC decided to modify for the sake of time and get moseying to the rock garden for Colt 45’s and Bolt 45’s.

    Colt 45’s = 15 curls from halfway down to all the way up, 15 curls all the way down to halfway up, and 15 curls from all the way down to all the way up.

    Bolt 45’s = same as above, but with squats (and rocks)

    Life Lesson #2: Don’t let your ego determine the size of your rock, especially if you don’t know what’s coming. But no matter how heavy or what the task ends up being, carry the weight you’ve got with courage. Own it!

    After “gently” replacing our rocks, we moseyed to the courthouse steps for some partner work:

    Partner 1 ran up (and down) the stairs using the following pattern: 2 up, 1 down, 3 up, 2 down, 4 up, 3 down, etc. until the top was tediously reached, then ran back down to Partner 2 who did continuous flutter kicks (round 1), Freddy Merc’s (round 2) and LBC’s (round 3) while waiting. In lieu of Jose’s math teaching prowess, Whacker provided tutoring for those who struggled.

    Life Lesson #3: Real progress is usually gradual and hard earned, so be patient, stay focused, and fight discouragement.

    This, followed by a mosey to the top ramp of the parking garage for more partner work:

    Partner 1 holds plank while Partner 2 sprints up the ramp, around to the opposite stairs, down, and back to Partner 1. His job is to get there in enough time for his partner to have held his plank without modifying; if his partner modifies, the sprinter has to do 5 burpees, so the planker’s job is to hold his position for the sake of his partner.

    Life Lesson #4: We are naturally more willing to endure pain and push harder for other people than we are for ourselves, we just need to tap into that power. F3 seems to exists for this reason!

    After two rounds of losing our breath (and eventually losing Bushwhacker to the irresistible call of nature), we moseyed back to the courthouse stairs for an exercise YHC forgot: three rounds of crab walking both up and down the courthouse stairs

    Life Lesson #5: Some things are easier for tall people. (Truth be told, pretty much every other F3 exercise seems to favor the smaller guys. It was nice to finally have an advantage over Cowbell.)

    After this we moseyed back to the flag for the last exercise/lesson:

    Followed the directions given in the song Flower by Moby (“Bring Sally up, bring Sally down…”) with squats, up and down with the words “up” and “down”. Thank you’s to Cowbell, Steve, and Amnesia for modifying with merkins and mission impossible planks to save their legs for the big race tomorrow–you guys made our leg pain seem relatively minimal in comparison.

    Life Lesson #6: Pain is temporary, though the worse it is, the more we tend to fear that it will last forever.

    COT and YHC prayed us out.

    Thanks, gentlemen, for following my lead today, and for an awesome year of comradery, creativity, and the best reason to get up early and sweat that I’ve had since college. Special thanks to Maverick who got me out there, the men who reached out to me during those first few beatdowns to make sure I felt like I was part of the team, the guys who hung back so often with me and kept up conversation to get my mind off my lack of oxygen, the men who were willing to share their lives with me during the longer runs, for the guys who continually witness to the truth that the men we’re exercising with are more important than the exercises we’re doing, and to the men who continue to push beyond their comfort zone so the rest of us can follow.

    It breaks my heart to leave what has become such a central part of my (and Pope’s) life, and though I’ll be working to get F3 started in the Thibodaux/Houma region, it won’t be with you guys, so know that you’re deeply appreciated, and you’ll be greatly missed. I know that God has great things in store for my family and I down there, and I’m sure there are a lot of guys who will greatly benefit from F3, so please keep us in prayer for the transition, and that we’ll remain open to all that God has in store for us, both the blessings and the trials. You’ll certainly be in mine.

    SYITG,

    Goose

  • Audibles at Granny’s (I’m not a Professional)

    As YHC pulled up to Granny’s, there was an unusually large group of F3 men ready to start the day off right. With the incessant soreness from Cowbell’s ISI pull-up challenge and Bushwacker’s consistent weekly prodding for some yoga infused workouts, we got started with some power flow, sun salutation, warrior 1, 2, 3, 4, half moon, whatever, whatever…I’m not a professional!

    Mosey to the bus stop. Not a lot of mumble chatter here, and Cowbell even kept his shirt on.

    – Bulgarian split squats (IC),

    – Box Jumps (OYO)

    – Burpee Box Jumps (OYO)

    – Irkins (IC)

    – Dirkins (IC)

    – Freak Nasties (IC)

    – Balls to the Wall Burpees aka Decline Burpees (Durpees?) OYO.

    Mosey to the tunnel, where, according to Jose, nothing good ever happens (including QIC’s cadence counting).

    – Top of the tunnel – 10 Jump Squats IC

    – ½ way down the incline – Merkins, I think

    – ½ way through the tunnel – 12 count body building, mounting climbing, shoulder tapping, squat jumping, burpees (IC). QIC was just calling audibles at this point. I’m not a professional!

    – Sprint to the top of the tunnel for some cool down Imperial Walkers

    – ½ way down the incline – hand rail dirkins, I think

    – ½ way through the tunnel – We did something. It’s a blur after the earlier 12 counts.

    – ½ way up the incline – slow Peter Parker/Parker Peter (there’s a yoga term for this, I’m sure…Bird said we were “flying”…I guess that’s what birds do.)

    – Top of the tunnel – 20 Sister Mary Katherines

    Mosey back to the trailhead, bunny hop up the stairs and reconvene at the shovel flags. Jose, did you notice we had two this morning?

    Closed out with Cowbell Crunchy Frogs and Goose-led Nolan Ryan’s.

    QIC prayed us out into the day. Thanks for posting in numbers today and following my lead, men. SYITG.

  • ROOTS

    Over the past 6 months since since the quarantine, there have been many different routes / variations / themes (speedy’s sprints come to mind) taken for the weekly F3 5K. Today, YHC decided to take the 5k Scramble back to it’s roots, which is around the loop, then all the way to the end of the pier at Sunset Point. Back at the flag, we hit the workout equipment for 10 minutes of circuit training (bear crawls, freak nasties, hanging leg tucks).

    COT and thanks to Akbar for praying us out!

    SYITG

    Pik