F3 New Orleans

Tag: Kuch

  • Playing the hits

    After some back and forth as to who would Q The Foundry today, I was summoned by the unwritten F3 by-law that if a Q is unable to attend then I will Q. I think I may need a lawyer for this but Kuch is the one who wrote said by-law so it’s probably pretty air tight. Anyway 8 PAX joined me in the damp cold morning. Since this was a last minute Q I opted to do some research and select some routines from previous beatdowns that I had Q’ed.

    Warm up:

    Mosey around the traffic circle at the end of Roosevelt Mall and stop in the middle of the intersection outside the entrance to the practice track. Circle up.

    • SSH x 20 IC
    • Windmills x 10 IC
    • Grassgrabbers x 15 IC
    • Self love x 15 IC
    • Arm circles fwd/rev x 10 IC each
    • Hillbillies x 15 IC

    Tha Thang #1:

    I opted for a socially distanced Route 66. While in our circle from warm up 1 PAX would run to a bench on either side of the mall. After performing 1 derkin they would yell go to the next PAX and move on to the next bench for 2 derkins, and so on increasing reps with each bench until they have reached the end of the mall. While waiting their turn PAX would hold Al Gore. Once completed derkins at all benches PAX would hold Al Gore until the 6 had completed all rounds.

    Tha Thang #2:

    Mosey to the back of NOMA where we would split into 3 groups of 3 PAX for Triple Check. In each group PAX #1 held the People’s Chair and PAX #2 held a plank while PAX #3 ran around NOMA. Once PAX #3 completed the loop rotate positions until each PAX had performed all 3 stations. 3 rounds of this was performed by all 3 groups.

    Tha Thang #3:

    PAX was lined up and spaced out along the curb in the back of NOMA for Dominoes. Hold L side plank and PAX on the far end would perform 10 merkins. Once he has completed 5 merkins he would call it out and the next PAX would start his merkins. Once 10 merkins were completed by each PAX they would rotate to holding a R side plank until all PAX have completed merkins. After a 20 sec rest break a second round was performed in reverse order beginning with R side plank.

    Tha Thang #4:

    Mosey back to the end of Roosevelt Mall where we would perform another socially distanced Route 66 back to the flag. This time step ups (2 is 1) were the exercise of choice and each PAX would hold a plank until it was their turn to begin. Reps were performed in a descending count. Unfortunately I overshot it and was unable to complete all rounds in time. Thankfully PAX was able to begin some Mary while waiting on me to return to the flag at 6:17.

    Count off, Name-o-rama, announcements, intentions, and COT. Thanks again for the chance to lead.

  • Steamin’ Catfish Platter (Mothership 2020-11-28)

    Wet and wild at the Mothership with 12 PAX: fracsac, long haul, kuch, bogey, bangs, belloq, snooze, t-square, hokie, sogo, thumb war, catfish(Q).

    Moseyed over to the Peristyle. Warmed up with Abe Vigodas, Grass Grabbers, and SSH. Moved to faces for Peter Parkers, Catlina Wine Mixers, and Parker Peters. Back to feet for self-love, then 8-counts to finish the warmup.

    5 minutes of EMOM burpees, starting at eleven, then incrementing by one up to 15 (five minutes total). SSH to shake it off and keep the heart rate up.

    Moved to sixes for core work with a round of Bruce Lees (Hammer, Leg Lifts, Crunches, Penguins, Crunchy Frogs, and 100s).

    On to the columns for a timed leg massacre. Wall sit one min, then low slow squats. Wall sit one min, then donkey kicks. Wall sit one min, then monkey humpers, wall sit one min, then bonnie blairs. Fun! Occasionally shook it off with SSH between sets.

    Circled back up on faces for Jack Webbs. Ran a lap around the Great Lawn, then Bat Wings (Arm Circles Forward, Arm Circles Backward, Overhead Claps, Seal Claps, and Moroccan Night Clubs).

    Back to flag. 5 burpees OYO for the finish. CoT, then park cleanup.

    What a tasty Catfish Platter that was! Second helpings will be available Monday at the View.

  • 5 Years, and the ABC’s of F3

    5 years ago today was my first F3 post at the Birdcage. It was a cold dark morning and the rain was coming down hard. I texted @Captain Morgan (who EH’ed me) at 5:00am to ask, “Are we really working out in the rain?” You know the reply. @shorty was the Q and it was an Aquaman-themed beat-down running around Audobon Park and doing Merkins, Lunges, and Squats in puddles. At one point halfway through, some guy (@reluctant-yankee) said, “There’s an FNG out here today?!?” @amnesty named me Walleye after a Minnesota freshwater fish working out in the rain.

    Today, 12 other F3 Brothers joined me at City Park for my 5-year anniversary Q. Like all of you, F3 has fostered core values in me that makes me a better man and keeps me coming back. It is a true brotherhood and extended family with like-minded men with similar ideals and goals. So today I tried to express my gratitude for F3 with a workout focused on my ABC’s of F3. 5 sets of 5 exercises for 5 great years. The usual disclaimer and off we go.

    Warm-Up COP:

    • SSH x 20 IC, Hill-billies x 20 IC, Grass-grabbers x 10 IC, Windmills x 10 IC, Self Love x 10 IC, Mountain Climbers x 20 IC

    Indian Run to the end of Roosevelt Mall for COP #1:

    “A” is for Accountability. F3 makes us accountable to ourselves and to each other. Signing to Q, jumping in the Lakeview Clown Car, or promising a friend to post keeps us accountable to each other. Setting that alarm clock to get out of bed and show up keeps us accountable to ourselves. We start the day off strong with accountability to ourselves and others, and we take that accountability into our day to be better men and help those around us.

    • Abe Lincoln’s (aka hand release merkins) x 20
    • Aiken Legs (squats x 20 IC, lunges x 20 IC, Bonnie Blairs x 20 IC)
    • Albatross Wings (arm circles x 20 IC, reverse circles x 20 IC, seal claps x 20 IC, overhead claps x 20 IC, Moroccan nightclub x 20 IC)
    • Alabama Ass-Kickers x 20 IC
    • American Hammer x 20 IC

    Indian Run to the front of NOMA for COP #2. (At this point, YHC realized 20 of each exercise was going to run time out fast. Down to 10 reps each.)

    “B” is for Brotherhood. F3 truly is a Brotherhood. We treat each other with dignity and respect. We push each other, support each other, and raise each other up. And we support our communities with efforts like Food for the Front Lines, City Park Clean-Up, Hurricane relief efforts, and many more that the men of F3 organize and lead.

    • Body-Builders (8-count body builders) x 10 IC
    • Bay City Scissor Kicks (8-count with 4 vertical kicks and 4 horizontal kicks) x 10 IC
    • Bearcrawl Merkins x 10 IC
    • Big Boy Sit-Ups x 10 IC
    • Burpees x 10 OYO

    Indian Run to the Foundry for COP #3:

    “C” is for Camaraderie. Mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. The friendships created through F3 Fellowship is what keeps me coming back. We will always have each other’s backs. Whether I see @shorty trick-or-treating on Halloween, @amnesty at Christmas Eve mass, @reluctant-yankee at a Mardi Gras party, @kuch at the ballpark, or @douille at the Saenger, it’s an instant smile and quick catch-up. We support each other’s businesses and pitch in to lend a hand when needed. That’s friendship.

    • Catalina Wine Mixers x 10 IC
    • Country Crabs x 10 IC
    • Carolina Dry Docks x 10 IC
    • Crunchy Frogs x 10 IC
    • Copperhead Squats x 10 IC

    Mosey to the Children’s Museum for COP #4:

    “D” is for Dedication. Dedication to make ourselves better, each other better, and our communities better. Participation in events like Run Ranger Run, the BlueRidge Relay, or the IPC makes us all stronger. Community outreach and disaster relief makes our communities stronger. And fundraising efforts makes our country stronger. Dedication to a good cause.

    • Derkins x 10 IC
    • Dogs (Bird Dogs) x 10 IC
    • Dr. W x 10 IC
    • Dips x 10 IC
    • Donkey Kicks x 10 IC

    Indian Run back to the flag for COT:

    “E” is for Encourage and Enable. We encourage each other. @saban texted me last week to make sure I was OK after I fart-sacked a couple workouts. @kuch and @high-rise texted me to check in after I had surgery to remove kidney stones 2 months ago. We lift up intentions and prayer requests for injuries and illness for Pax and their friends and family. And we enable each other to grow. Through example we enable the men of F3 to be leaders amongst ourselves and in our community.

    • “E” was supposed to be Elevens, but we ran out of time. So we took eleven seconds to reflect on how the ABC’s of F3 (Accountability, Brotherhood, Camaraderie, Dedication, Encourage and Enable) can make us better men each and every day. Count-off, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions, and a prayer of gratitude.

    Thanks to all my F3 brothers for the friendships that have grown over the years. #SYITG

    Walleye

  • Murder Monday (Swolefest 2020-11-16)

    Nice cool morning at the Swolefest with 16 PAX: Thumb War, Belloq, Triple Shift, Walleye, West Nile, YaMamaNem, Breadsticks, Jesus Juice, Kuch, Pop Tart, High Rise, Saban, Heartaquack, Tool, Sheetrock, Catfish (Q).

    Warmed up with SSH, Peter Parker Peters, Mountain Climbers, and 8-counts.

    Rifle carried over to the field for 11s. On the one end, blockpees, then rifle carry to the other side. On the other, crossover merkins (2 is one). Murder bunny back to the other side. Breadsticks destroyed his block in the process, so he and Saban are both officially “block crushers.” This was a real time killer, so stopped about halfway through, then circled up to grab some curls.

    Moseyed to the foundry for stations – pullups, goblet squats, flutter kicks, Chest Presses, and lunges(with block). Stopped at one round due to time constraints, then rifle carry back to the starting position.

    At starting position, did some block-assisted American Hammers and LBBCs. Right on time for COT.

    Appreciate everyone’s efforts today, definitely did some experimentation with the 11s, and I know everyone was positively THRILLED to do Murder Bunnies again. Breadsticks was so thrilled that he murdered his block. Stud!

  • Armistice 2020

    I looked for a good Veteran’s Day themed WOD and found 2 that I liked. I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take to complete (particularly Catfish) so the plan was to have everyone complete WOD #1 and then transition to WOD #2 with the left over time for AMRAP. Turns out WOD #1 was all that was needed.

    Warm up:

    Mosey around the traffic circle and end at the second intersection. Circle up.

    • SSH x 20 IC
    • Windmills x 10 IC
    • Arm circles fwd/rev x 10 each IC
    • Hillbillies x 15 IC
    • Peter Parkers x 15 IC

    Tha Thang:

    Everyone would need to grab a bench throughout Roosevelt Mall. The plan was to complete the WOD and record your time.

    11 rounds for time

    11 Mountain Climbers

    11 Squats

    11 Hand release Merkins

    11 Box jump burpees

    200 meter run (this consisted of running around the neutral ground to the bench opposite where you started)

    Kudos to Catfish as he was the only PAX to complete all 11 rounds. As the time approached 6:15 PAX were instructed to head back to the flag once they had finished their respective round for some Mary.

    Count-off, Name-o-rama, Announcements, Intentions, COT.

  • Mothership Party at the Pumpkin Patch

    For the Q I sported a fancy, shiny gold uniform with a big nasty black wig, red headband / wristbands, plus converse tennie’s, and frankenstein tube socks.  I apologized to the pax for having to look at my sweaty ridiculousness for an hour.  Also wanna give credit to Medulla Oblongata for ideas in his Halloween backblast from 2018. I would note that many of us did not have power because Category 2 Zeta had just rolled through.

    After the disclaimer and rallying by the flags, the pax warmed up by the peristyle to 13 reps of SSH, peter parker, grass grabbers, windmill, arm circles, and some ol’ fashioned self-love.

    Moseyed to field aside NOMA to circle up for 8 PUMPKIN exercises, 31 reps apiece:

    P – plank jacks (1 is 1 in cadence)

    U – up/downs on your own (burpee without push-up)

    M – mountain climbers (in cadence, 2 count)

    P – power jacks (in cadence, 1 is 1, legs straight spread with both hands touching ground between legs, than jump up bringing legs together and spreading arms straight out to each side)

    K – kick squats (in cadence, squat then kick right, and vice versa, 2 is 1)

    I – imperial walkers (in cadence)

    N – Nolan Ryans (in cadence, 1 is 1)

    S – sit ups (on your own)

    Moseyed to pumpkin patch where pax picked their real pumpkin or cinder block coupon. Most of these pumpkins were big enough for a legit workout.

    Paired up for modified Dora:

    100x – pumpkin puller (flat on back, knees in air, place pumpkin overhead with arms outstretched on ground, and rotate outstretched arms to touch coupon to knees, then lower again to flat position); partner rifle carry coupon 35 yards to flag and broad jump over coupon 4x

    150x – pumpkin thruster; partner carry pumpkin to flag and then bear crawl around it 1x

    200x – pumpkin flutters (flat on back with pumpkin held straight out in bench press position, with flutter kick 2 is 1); partner carry pumpkin to flag and then do 4 kettle bell swings

    Moseyed back to great lawn for 2 rounds of sprint suicides with four cones, including 5 bobby hurley’s at each cone on 1st round, backpedaling on the return in all reps.

    Circled up at peristyle for Mary

    COT, share and prayer and naming of our lil’ FNG “Super Duper” Cooper Brunet. Triple Shift joined us after biking workout.

  • Who is the Q? Kuch says I am. Ok I’m the Q.

    As PAX arrived at Okwata it was revealed by Kuch that there had not been a Q on the sign up sheet for today. As he is prone to do, Kuch offered up me as the fill in Q. I have done this numerous times in the past and as I am prone to do I accepted. I have not Q’ed much at Okwata as I do find it challenging as the Q but I figured what the hell. Let’s do it.

    Warm-up

    Disclaimer was given and we took off towards the Mardi Gras fountain. While making the circle we did high knees, butt kicks, karaoke facing the levee, and karaoke facing the fountain. Circle up in the grass.

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

    Tha Thang #1:

    Mosey over to the House of Pain. Split into 4 groups for 4 stations of exercises (I went solo).

    Station 1: Bernie Sanders up the hill, 5 burpees at the top, and run down (timer)

    Station 2: squats

    Station 3: dips

    Station 4: pull ups

    Rinse and repeat for 2 total rounds.

    Tha Thang #2:

    Stay in our groups for a change in the exercises but the set up is the same.

    Station 1: bear crawl up the hill, 5 burpees at the top, and run down to the bottom (timer)

    Station 2: Reverse lunges

    Station 3: derkins

    Station 4: leg raises while hanging on the pull up bar (thanks to Mahatma for the assist on this exercise as I drew a blank on what to do)

    Tha Thang #3:

    After a 20 sec rest break everyone grabbed some space on the posts for some People’s Chair. 3 rounds for 30 sec with 15 sec rest break in between. The silence during this portion of the beatdown was defeaning.

    Tha Thang #4:

    Time for some 11s. Burpees on one side on the levee, run up and over, and LBCs on the other. 10/1, 9/2, and so on.

    Mosey back to the mythical flag where Mahatma led us in a round of 100s to cap off the day.

    Count off, name-o-rama, announcement, intentions, and COT. Once again it was a pleasure to lead a beatdown even when pushed to do it on the fly at what can be a very challenging AO.

  • Us Against H8!

    Conditions: Humid, 74 degrees, Humidity 95%, Wind 8mph from ENE

    Warm-up:  Mosey from the flag to the start.  Warm-up on your own.  No time for SSH or Grass Grabbers or J-Los, we’ve got work to do.

    The Thang:  The H8!  F3 NOLA’s overly complicated, semi-annual, feat of strength.  The stick by which our fitness is measured.    

    Each lap consists of running south to the top of the levee, crossing canal (bear crawling the neutral ground), running south to the bottom of the levee, cross canal and run north to the top of the levee, cross canal (bear crawling the neutral ground), running north down the levee and back across canal to the starting point.  At the starting point you do a descending burp and merk pyramid starting at 8 (burpee with 8 hand release merkins, burpee with 7 hand release merkins, …, burpee with 1 hand release merkin)

    At the end of the 2nd lap the burp and merk pyramid starts at 7, etc.

    The goal is to complete 8 laps in 40 minutes.  According to MapMyRun, each loop is approximately 0.4 miles.  Therefore, to conquer the H8! you will have to do the following in 40 minutes:

    • Run over 3 Miles of Hills
    • 550 Yards of Bear Crawls
    • 36 Burpees
    • 120 Merkins

    NMM

    • The construction at the south base of the levee caused for a slight re-route.  The H8! Committee did a good job of ensuring that the change was slight and the overall distance was not affected so that this fall’s running of the H8! Is considered official. 
    • T-claps to all of the guys coming out for the first time.  I think Heart-A-Quake, Mama’s Pride, Undertaker, Disclaimer, Bieber, Bartman, Catfish, Big Easy, Snooze were all first timers. 
    • I didn’t keep a record of who made it and who didn’t.  I am pretty sure the success rate was just north of 50%.  That’s really good, especially for having so many new guys.  Our fitness continues to accelerate.

    One of the core principles of F3 is that it is open to all men.  But just proclaiming that you are open to all men doesn’t cut it.  We have to be intentional about making sure that we are welcoming to all men and that we are not unintentionally excluding anyone.  There are lots of things that can make men different from one another, but most of them have nothing to do with what F3 is about.  I just mean to say that participating in an F3 workout has nothing to do with what race you are, or what your financial situation is, or what religion you are, etc.  (Side note:  I do think it’s important to think about those things and make sure that we are not being unintentionally exclusive because of the make-up of our Pax.  My point is just that the core principles of F3 workouts could apply to anyone, anywhere).  One thing that does have a lot to do with F3 is fitness level.  That’s why diverse fitness levels have to be considered when planning every workout.  It is important that the guys that have a high level of fitness are getting smoked and it is important the that guys on the lower end of the fitness spectrum are staying with the group and are not being left behind on their own.  I would like to think that we are pretty good across F3 NOLA at making sure that each work out feels like a team event, that we all have a goal of getting better and that we are supporting each other to reach that goal, no matter what our current fitness level is. 

    One of the complaints that I have heard about the Iron Pax Challenge is that it is not consistent with F3 in that way; that it puts the focus on the individual and even worse, ranks the individuals.  Some men  that aren’t at the top feel a sense of embarrassment or shame that they aren’t comparable to the guys at the top. You could make the same argument about the H8!  There’s certainly a sense of completing it and not completing it. 

    Personally I think competition like this is really important.  If you want to run faster, you have to run with faster guys.  In order to accelerate our fitness, we need to be in the back of the pack striving to get to the front.  I enjoy competition and I think it plays an important role in growth.  But I also think that it is important that we work hard to keep the sense of comradery and teamwork that all F3 workouts have.  The H8! Is something we all want to conquer and that we want to help each man conquer. 

    There are a couple of quotes that have stuck with me from the book “Run the Mile You are In:  Finding God in Every Step” by Ryan Hall, the American Record Holder in the half-marathon and the fastest American to ever run the Boston Marathon (2:04).  He said “Competition can be a beautiful thing if we are focused on making ourselves and others better and are not concerned about how we stack up with everyone else…..this is why comparisons in athletics and in life are so fruitless.  When we compare, we miss the joy of the journey as well as the joy of the achievement.”     

    Let’s make sure we keep pushing ourselves and each other, without compromising the joy of the journey.  A common motto at an F3 work out is that it’s “You against You”, and that is very true.  But it is also true that it is “Us against H8!”

  • The Track S.T.O.M.P.

    Gentlemen,

    We did things a little differently at the STOMP this week, but we still got in plenty of running. After issuing the disclaimer, we mosey’d to the track. Once at the track, we circled up and did a brief warmup:

    • Side straddle hops – 15 in cadence
    • Mountain climbers – 20 in cadence
    • Windmills – 10 in cadence

    After the warmup, we partnered up for the Track S.T.O.M.P.

    1 lap Track S.T.O.M.P.

    • Partner up
    • Each group can choose what pace they want to run at
    • The partners need to stay together the whole time  
    • Once a group is done, that group joins one of the groups who hasn’t finished yet

    Then:

    • Each group does 1 lap around the track, then does 25 Low Slow Squats
    • Each group does another lap around the track, then does 25 T-merkins
    • Each group does another lap around the track, then does 25 ab O’s
    • Each group does another lap around the track, then does 25 Mountain Climbers
    • Each group does another lap around the track, then does 25 Plank Jacks

    Once all the groups were finished, High Rise gave us a 15 count to recover. After that, we did the 2 lap Track S.T.O.M.P. This is similar to the 1 lap Track S.T.O.M.P. with the only differences being that each group runs 2 laps before doing each of the exercises, and each of the exercises are 12 reps instead of 25 reps. We ran out of time before being able to fully complete the 2 lap track S.T.O.M.P., so with about 5 minutes left, we came together and did 1 final lap around the track as a group with all of the PAX. Overall I think each group logged somewhere between 2.5 – 4 miles for the morning, which is solid.

    After the final lap, we mosey’d back to the flag. We did the count-off, name-o-rama, announcements, intentions & prayer. Thanks for the opportunity to lead, fellas. I am thankful to be a part of F3.

  • 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.