Tag: Mothership

  • The FNG – from Hawgcycle

    Fracsac noticed the FNG as he walked up to the flag this morning. Something wasn’t quite right. He looked to be in his 30s, muscular build, slicked back hair, calm demeanor. Frac gave a knowing glance to Mahatma. Mahatma nodded back. They both looked to Rudy, putting him into action. When I walked up Rudy was standing by the FNG, making small talk, gathering intel. He made sure I knew what was happening:

    “We have an FNG today Hawg.”

    I walked over to greet him: “Nice to meet you, I’m Craig.”

    “I’m Justin,” he replied.

    I turned to the group: “Alright, let’s get started,” I said. “A few more people than I was expecting.”

    The group understood what I was telling them – we have an FNG today and the F may not stand for Friendly. Everyone that is, except for Bogey. I could tell it was totally lost on him. That’s okay, the guys had recently had a training exercise called the Old Metairie Mosey where they learned how to take care of Bogey and keep him out of trouble. In the past I might have considered having Snooze put him in a sleeper hold and throw him in the trunk of Rudy’s Mini Cooper while the rest of us mosey to the warm-up. Not necessary today. We were prepared to handle the FNG and Bogey.

    We moseyed to the warm-up spot: SSH x 25, IW x 25, LSS x 20, Tempo Merks x 15, LBC x 20, Superman x 10, Superman to Boat x 3. At this point some of the guys were getting a little nervous. Thumb War asked if I was making that exercise up. This was his way of asking if I had a plan for what might go down today. I assured him that we were all well-prepared.
    “No Thumb War, we’ve been doing that exercise for a long time. It’s an oldie, but a goodie.”
    Thumb War started to settle down a little. We then finished the warm-up with a 10! Progression of Merkins, Squats, and Big Boi Sit-Ups. After finishing the FNG broke his silence.

    He smiled and said “that was a good one.”

    He was calm, breathing normally. This might be tougher than we thought.

    We moseyed to the Tool Wall where we did Calf Raises x 25, Squats x 20 Left Leg Calf Raises x 16 and Right Leg Calf Raises x 16. Then to the Little Foundry.
    On the mosey to the Little Foundry, Catfish pulled up beside me.

    “I’ve worn out my flip flops, but I don’t plan on losing one today. You know what I am saying.”

    The brand of flip flops Catfish and I wear are Locals. I knew what he was saying.

    “I hear you.” I replied.

    “I plan on protecting my flip flops at any cost. You get my drift?”

    “Yes. I understand.” I replied.

    “I’m not going to let any foreign objects destroy them. Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth?”

    “Yes, Catfish. I get it.”

    “The flip flops we wear are Locals. You understand what I really mean when I say flip-flops, right?”

    “Yes….”

    “So if I have trouble with my flip-flops, you can help me protect them, right?”

    “Don’t worry. I got you.”

    “Sorry, I have to ask, you understand I’m not really worried about my flip-flops, right?”

    At this point, I decided to set his mind at ease. “When we get to the Little Foundry, we will pair up. You take the FNG.”

    “Pair up? Are we still talking about my flip-flops?”

    “…”

    At the Little Foundry we paired up. Catfish was with the FNG. Still slightly confused he kept taking off his flip-flops, matching them together and then putting them back on his feet. We did two rounds of six stations EMOM: Burpees x 15, Dips x 25, Pull-ups x 15, Box Jumps x 20, Dips x 20, Pull-ups x 15.

    The FNG was unfazed.

    As we moseyed to the track he started in with the questions. He wasn’t very subtle.

    “So you all have been doing F3 for about 10 years?”…”Are you all originals?”…etc.

    Our suspicions were being confirmed. Frac called for Cheesesteak to meet us at the track.
    At the track I let everyone know they needed to keep their pairs. “I’ve got them on my feet!” yelled out Catfish.

    “Not what I’m….Okeedookie.” I said.

    One Pax sprinted a 200 while the other jogged across the infield to meet him. I paired up with Cheesesteak and told him to go first with Catfish. That allowed me to keep an eye on the FNG. Cheeseteak and Catfish were the first to finish the 200. Catfish tagged the FNG about 15 feet ahead of Cheeseteak tagging me. I was hoping Catfish would have taken a notch off so that I could have started with the FNG, but I think he was still thinking about his flip-flops. Nevertheless, I was prepared to run as hard as I needed to keep up with the FNG. I caught him before the first curve. What was he doing? He knows I am trying to keep an eye on him? My momentum carried me past him. He’s smarter than I thought. He knows how fit I am. I can’t run that slow. I finished my 200 about 20 meters ahead of him. Luckily Catfish made up the distance and the FNG and I always started at nearly the same time. However, I couldn’t help but smoke him each time. It’s a weakness. I’m too fast.

    We completed a mile and circled up on the infield for some Mary: Crunchy Frog x 15, Wife Pleasers x 10, Nolan Ryans x 10 on each side (message sent loud and clear), Dying Cockroaches x 15

    We moseyed back to the flag for the COT. Here we go…..

    El Guapo kicked us of with Count-o-rama, followed by Name-o-rama. It was time to signal to the group my assessment. I asked the FNG to step to the middle. Right on cue Frac pointed out that I had not announced my self in Name-o-rama. We had everyone’s attention.

    “Craig Parten, Hawgcycle, 47.”

    Mahatma called out. “Liar, you aren’t 47!”

    Our message to the pax was that no one can be trusted. We have a liar in our midst and he is about to be outed.

    “You’re right,” I replied with a smile. “I’m a liar. Justin, step to the middle. Tells us about yourself.”

    At this point the FNG steps to the center and starts to talk about how he is from Virgina, how he is in town on a vacation, how his Uncle told him about F3.

    “What is your uncle’s name?” asked Squints.

    “Sam,” came the reply. He clearly thinks we are idiots.

    The FNG continued to rattle on about his family, his dogs, how he loves to workout, etc.

    Frac had heard enough. He took a step forward. We all did the same. “Why don’t you tell us who you really are.” We all took one more step forward, closing in on the FNG.

    What happened next is classified by the U.S. Government.

  • Spontaneous Q’ing – from Kenna Brah

    Arrived to find the PAX lacking a Q ( AKA Q’less), having missed my last TWO Q appointments, I decided to jump into the vacuum.

    Mosey to the Colonnade for warm-ups
    SSH
    IW
    LSQ
    REALLY SLOW VAGODAS/GRASS GABBERS
    Pivoted to some YOGA

    Without a prepared BD, I pulled out my trusty go to plan:
    10 things 10 times, for 10 rounds
    Each pax took a exercice
    Smooth – SSH
    Heisenberg – Burpees ( Big surprise)
    Vagabond – Air Squats
    Fracsac – LBC
    Catfish – 8 Ct Body Builders
    Cheesesteak – Lunges
    Maytag – Merkins
    Mr Rogers – Should Taps
    Christopher Robin – Alternate Leg Wife Pleasers
    YHC – BB Situps
    After 5 Rounds and a stunned look on the faces of the PAX we pivoted to each HIM chooses what to do next, then it all went crazy – Trust me. It was a more than adequate way to grow in leadership, creativity and all around fitness.

    COT

  • The Art of the Poor Plan – from Fracsac

    9 Pax gathered around the shovel flag in hopes of a quality beat down from a Q that put significant effort into the planning of said beat down. YHC intended to do his best to let the pax down easy.

    The Great Lawn was like an anthill with busy workers assembling their vendor stations for the morning market, which was odd to see at 0630. So much for the plan thought out on the drive in.

    Brief disclaimer and mosey to the peristyle for the warmup. The speaker was playing classic 80s music and it was good.

    Head back towards the flag to stop at the truck for a few toys. Grab the 1.5 inch rope x 25 feet (or thereabouts), an exercise die (two would be dice), a frisbee, and a jump rope.

    Mosey to the tree line by NOMA. Separate into 3 groups of 3.
    Group 1 – Keeping the rope off the ground, run 5 trees, do 10 squats and return (timer). If the rope touches the ground it’s a 5 burpee penalty.
    Group 2 – Roll the die and do what it says.
    Group 3- toss frisbee, lunge walk to it, then 3 burpees.
    Rinse and repeat.

    Mosey to the Tulips and learn some useless tulip facts. Do some burpees. Do 3 minutes of Embrace the Suck.

    Mosey to the singing oak and do failure to launch, Embrace the Suck x 3 minutes, ring of fire.

    Mosey back to the flag.

    CoT

    NMM

    Apparently we had an FNG this morning. I learned this at the CoT, which is a problem if you’re the Q. Thankfully everything worked out, except the beat down was a total mess filled with useless facts and even wrong information. Regardless, calories were burned, sweat was drawn, and no man was left behind.

    Welcome Rebirth!!

    SYITG

  • No Q No Problem… – from Bogey

    Rainy 61degrees(and quickly dropping)
    Peristyle – Warmup
    Peristyle – Down the Ladder – People’s Chair/10 air press to 10 Merkins & back to People’s Chair 9 air press to 9 merkins…rinse and repeat down to 1
    Peristyle – 20 calf raises/20 Monkey Humpers to 20 calf raises(toes in)/20 Monkey Humpers to 20 calf raises(toes out)/20 Monkey Humpers
    Peristyle/nearby benches for Dips.
    Peristyle Dora – 100 BB sit-ups/200 squats/300 flutter kicks
    -1 lap around the Big Lawn
    – 20 Rt leg step-ups/15 incline merkins/20 Lft leg step-ups
    – Mary with Burpees(compliments of Mr. Rogers)
    – stretch
    – COT
    Thanks to the PAX for motivation and accountability!

  • 8 years and more to come – from Bongo

    Don’t know where to start from this morning, but overall a fun beatdown. Too much mumble chatter, mostly instigated through Bogey and Frac almost to point of harassment. But the Q moves on and stays focused on the job at hand as a leader. My exact (8) year anniversary is 1/30/2016, but was volunteered last week by Catfish for this week’s mothership so we’ll celebrate a week (or two early).

    The main theme, unknown until final COT was to go back to my first beatdown as an FNG and recreate that, or as close as I could get. Here is the former Workout, https://www.f3nola.com/2016/01/30/no-hawg-no-flag-but-time-for-tyson/. Another point, temperature was < 32 F which I think is one of the coldest mornings in the gloom I can recall. Despite this, (12) pax showed up ready and willing which any Q, as I am, would be thankful for today. Here we go: Boys got together – and we took off for the Peristyle. Circled up for our WARMUP COP. SSH x 25, Slow Squats x 10, Mountain Climbers x 25, and Imperial Walkers x 25 Arm circles X 10 each way. Circle Back up to visit our boy – Jack Webb. Push Ups/Air Press starting at 1, then 2, then 3, then 4 to 10 over at the great. Still way too cold and time to start moseying to NOMA pond. IC Dips x 20, Left leg step up x 2, Incline Mercans X 15, Right leg step up x 20, Dips x 20, Decline Mercans X 15 Box Jumps x 1… OYO with former story from my past I ain’t telling again…., no one is getting hurt under my watch! Long Mosey over the Football Field of Practice Track Eleven across the football field with running in middle, Burpees on one end, big boy sit ups on other. You know the math as I don’t need to explain. 5 rounds with Tyson. Sprint to the 50 yrd line do an exercise, then the goal line do an exercise, then back to the 50 and finish at the Goal line with a 4 set of the exercise. Rd 1 Burpees x 5, Rd 2 Jump Squats x 10, Rd 3 Peter Parkers x 15 each leg, Rd 4 Dying Roaches -x 20 total to keep it easy and finished Rd 5 Burpees X 5. Long mosey back to great lawn with quick stop at calf raise stand of stadium, Heisenburg counted us in. Great Lawn minimal Mary: Flutter Kicks X 20 and Hello Dolly X 20, arriving back to flag at 07:29:58. What a way for Q to keep us on time. COT went back through a reflection of my appreciation of what F3 has done form me in the last (8) years and how the (3) Fs (in whatever order) continue to bring me back. Many thanks for the opportunity to lead as always as I need to do it more. Here is to many years to come! See you on the radio.

  • Folsom Prison Blues – from Rudy

    21 PAX gathered in the gloom – 1 DR visitor from Katy TX (Happy Meals) and 2 more of the Chips brood – welcome Chip and Dale, his 9 year old identical twins! (also joining were the other 2 Chips boys – Frito Lay and Knucklehead. What a name — “Knucklehead”!!!)

    6:30 strikes and after a disclaimer we were off to the rocks. Limber up with some stretches and low impact activities (Imperial Walkers, Hillbillies), then some SSH. We had to restart that after explaining to Maytag how a “cadence” works. Oh, thanks for joining late Mahatma and DAX.

    Non-stop chatter from Heisenberg and Vagabond earned a quick 5 burpee penalty. Then go grab a rock.

    YHC grabbed a rock that proved to be way too big. But we’ll get to that.

    Deck-o-Death: start plowing through the deck with Overhead Press, Curl, Row and Squat. One variant – doing 2, 3 or 4 of any suit barely seems worth the trouble. So when those cards were flipped, we’d do 10 burpees, 20 Peter Parkers or 30 LBS instead. FracSac accused YHC of planting the deck with multiple King of Spades. WRONG. Half way through, Hawgcycle noticed that YHC was struggling – so he snuck in to replace my rock with a mere pebble that he’d been using. Shamed, but thankful…

    7:00am – time to call the deck off (half way through give or take) and mosey to the Mini to gather up some bricks. Didn’t quite have enough for everyone – figure it out.

    Partner up on the Great Lawn for a Dora-Ish thing. 3 rounds. PAX 1 (timer) runs back and forth with the rock while PAX 2 exercises. Flip. Rinse and Repeat. First round: PAX 2 does Brick-pees. Second round: PAX 2 does FLoyd Mayweathers (with brick). Third round: PAX 2 does Sit Ups. Rounds change on a timer, not on a count – so everyone just keeps going.

    7:20 – time for the last item. 56 Years ago today, Johnny Cash recorded Folsom Prison Blues live at the Folsom Prison. So to honor the man in black, we’ll do Ring of Fire while listening to Cocaine Blues, Dirty Old Egg-Suckin’ Dog and other hits. First round with Merkins, Second round with Squats, Third round with Leg lifts.

    And that got us to 7:30. Back to the flag for a COT. Naming of Chip and Dale might have been the FASTEST FNG naming I’ve ever been associated with. “I like Disney Land” said one of ’em. And that was that.

    Intentions for sick and suffering F3 PAX and friends – Bongo’s wife, Mayhem’s friends the Schaff family in particular (but not alone).

    YHC took us home with a reflection about Romans 7. Then off to coffee!

  • Frisbee and Burpees – from Fracsac

    The Mothership happened today with a visit by Goose from Thibodaux. Ballast, Heisenberg, Revit, Catfish, Bongo, Dax, Tool, Kennah Brah, Squints, and YHC brought us to 11.

    Disclaimer made, then mosey.

    Warmup at the peristyle with some regular stuff and included TIE Fighters. #IYKYK
    Ended warmup with a mental challenge. Count to 16 SSH in cadence than to 22 in silence. Penalty for non compliance was 10 burpees. Spoiler alert: we did 10 burpees.

    Move to great lawn for variation of BLIMPS to recognize NDSU in FCS playoffs. 5 more burpees ‘cause the pax called their mascot a buffalo.
    1 cone in the middle with 5 cones on the outside. Start with 5 burpees in the middle and then bear crawl to an outside cone to do next exercise. Always return to middle cone for 5 burpees.
    10 Lunges, 15 IW, 20 ‘mericans, 25 PJ, 30 squats.

    Mosey for a while with a Bison run. Last man sprints to front of column and tosses frisbee to last man, continue until all get a shot.

    Ring of fire in front of sculpture garden entrance. ‘Mericans, squats and then monkey humpers (just as a nun was walking by – not my best day).

    Mosey and pass the frisbee across at least 4 pax. 5 burpees for the one drop.

    11s at the bridge behind Cafe du Monde. Jump squats on one side and V-ups on the other side.

    Some frisbee practice at Pops band stand with SSH.

    Finish with some Mary then back to the flag.

    55 burpees total. #ironsharpensiron

    CoT

    SYITG

  • Casino Royale and The Gettysburg Address – from Triple Shift

    If you don’t write a backblast quickly, you will forget the details. I’m doing this for the Pax Miner so everyone gets credit.

    I brought all my toys (dumbbells, kettlebells, and sandbags) and borrowed a couple from Frac and Heisenberg’s 80lb sand ball. I provided a disclaimer and the pax picked up all the coupons and headed to the front steps of NOMA to play a few rounds of blackjack.
    Diamonds – Thrusters/Squats
    Hearts – No Cheat Merkins/Bench
    Clubs – Patti Cake Big Boi Sit-ups
    Spades – Body Row/Upright Row
    Joker – Farmer Carry/Run around NOMA
    A’s – 10 of suit and then Bear Crawl to one side where the slate ends.
    K’s – 10 of suit and then Lunge Walk to one side where the slate ends.
    Q-s – 10 of suit and then Monkey Walk to one side where the slate ends.
    J’s – 10 of suit and then Duck Walk to one side where the slate ends.

    For the game of Blackjack, the loser or if a draw happens, performs 10 burpees. The winner does one (1) burpee, and a bust (going over 21) must do the number of burpees of the bust. My kids came up with that diabolical choice as in the Prisoner’s dilemma scenario.

    We finish up by carrying all the weight back to the virtual flag. For the COT, I shared with Pax that the next day (November 19, 1863), Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address where some 51,000 men were either killed, wounded or went missing / captured in the three day battle. With that, I closed out with reading President Lincoln’s speech.

    Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
    Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

    But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
    Abraham Lincoln
    November 19, 1863

  • 10 things 10 times, for 10 rounds – from Kenna Brah

    Since the activity involves warmups, we headed for the fountain for some appropriate rocks.

    Circled up and distributed the mission to each Pax.

    Me – set 1-2 10 4ct SSH + 10 Curls, and for set 9-10 10 Slow Squat ( no rock ) + 10 front raise
    Smooth Set 3-4 LBC + 10 Chest Press
    Bogey Set 5-6 Mountai Climbers + 10 Over Head Press
    Frac Set 7-8 – 10 Freddy Mercs + 10 Pullovers

    I discovered that I, indeed, have NOT overcome some latent ADD symptoms and that I peaked too soon in life.
    After 7 rds Sua Sponte manifested itself and Frac led with some Burpee/Man maker alternatives, the fever spread and pretty soon Sua was Spontenating all over the place, for a great laugh and an effective beatdown. Leadership was shared, 2ndF accelerated.
    Head back to the flag for Harry Rockets as a finish ( See video on Slack. )
    COT

  • 10 things 10 times, for 10 rounds – from Kenna Brah

    Since the activity involves warmups, we headed for the fountain for some appropriate rocks.

    Circled up and distributed the mission to each Pax.

    Me – set 1-2 10 4ct SSH + 10 Curls, and for set 9-10 10 Slow Squat ( no rock ) + 10 front raise
    Smooth Set 3-4 LBC + 10 Chest Press
    Bogey Set 5-6 Mountai Climbers + 10 Over Head Press
    Frac Set 7-8 – 10 Freddy Mercs + 10 Pullovers

    I discovered that I, indeed, have NOT overcome some latent ADD symptoms and that I peaked too soon in life.
    After 7 rds Sua Sponte manifested itself and Frac led with some Burpee/Man maker alternatives, the fever spread and pretty soon Sua was Spontenating all over the place, for a great laugh and an effective beatdown. Leadership was shared, 2ndF accelerated.
    Head back to the flag for Harry Rockets as a finish ( See video on Slack. )
    COT