F3 New Orleans

Tag: Rev Sox

  • Field of Dreams, and Rocks

    Well, summer is clearly here. Humidity, damp air, and sweaty shirts will be the norm for the next 3-4 months. And that means we are left with baseball and golf for the remainder of the summer. So to celebrate the nation’s (past) past-time, we worked in a beat down on the baseball diamond.  13 men showed up ready to sweat. A disclaimer and off we go.

    A short mosey to the warm-up COP:
    SSH x 20 IC
    Imperial walkers x 20 IC
    Windmills x 10 IC
    Arm circles x 10 forward, 10 backward, IC
    Mountain climbers x 20 IC

    Grab a rock! Mosey to the baseball diamond for some Rock Circuits.
    Round 1: exercise, then run to the next base with rock overhead.
    Shoulder press x 20 IC, Curls x 20 IC, Rock Rows x 20 IC, Chest Press x 20 IC
    Round 2: exercise, then run to the next base with rock at chest level.
    Shoulder press x 10 IC, Curls x 10 IC, Rock Rows x 10 IC, Chest Press x 10 IC
    Round 3: exercise, leave your rock, bear crawl to next base, and pick up somebody else’s rock.
    Shoulder press x 10 IC, Curls x 10 IC, Rock Rows x 10 IC, Chest Press x 10 IC

    Mosey to the baseball outfield for Dora 1,2,3:
    Partner 1 exercises, Partner 2 runs across the baseball outfield and back.
    100 merkins, 200 squats, 300 LBC’s

    Stay in the outfield for Mary:
    Flutter kicks x 20 IC
    Penguins x 20 IC
    Hello Dolly x 20 IC
    Dying cockroaches x 20 IC
    American Hammer x 20 IC

    1 sprint across the baseball outfield and back. Then return your beloved rock to the rock pile. Run back to the flag for a finish right on time. Count off, Name-o-rama, Announcements, Intentions, and a prayer. Thanks for letting me lead!

    Walleye

  • Pushing through

    YHC hadn’t been to the Uptowner for almost three months–not since he banged up his right arm at the end of the Tough Mudder on St. Patty’s Day.  Walleye said it’d take two months or so to start to feel right again–he was right about the “or so” part.  But YHC decided he’d ease back in in the gloom this morning.  So au revoir to Wolfpack Mountain, and into Metry.  As PAX began to gather, YHC learned that HVAC was the Q: perfect: a tough-ass yoga session, but hopefully light on the triceps.  With great (but wholly incorrect) insight, YHC commented that HVAC always runs a lap or two before posting, so he should be here any second.  Tick, tick, tick, tick: no HVAC.  [Summertime can be busy for A/C guys: customers maybe will tolerate a broken heater for a few hours in January, but more than about 10 minutes without A/C in the summer garners no such similar tolerance. T-claps to HVAC and Duct Tape for keeping summers tolerable.]  So when Mahatma recommended a split Q, YHC figured his arm had had enough rest: time to step up for the first part.

    Warm Up:

    • SSHs 25xIC
    • Low, Very Slow Squats (4-count down, 4-count hold, 4-count to up) 24xIC
    • Abe Vagodas 25xIC
    • Merkins 25xIC

    The PAX then grabbed rocks for a favorite Friday routine for YHC:

    • 20 overhead presses
    • 20 squats
    • 20 curls
    • 20 bench presses

    Then rinse and repeat with a 15-count, then again with a 10-count and finally with a f-count.  But before turning the Q over to Mahatma, time for some sitting around.  On the fence:

    • Sit for 30 seconds
    • Curls 20xIC
    • sit for 30 seconds
    • Overhead Presses 20xIC

    Mahatma then took over for some cardio delight.  The PAX divided their rocks into two rows about 10 yards or so apart and then paired up.  Each pair faced each other then side shuffled across to the other row, did a jump squat, side-shuffled back and then concluded with another jump squat–repeat 6 times for a total of 12 jump squats.  After a 30-count countdown, the PAX rinsed and repeated.

    Lining up along one of the rows again, each PAX carried his rock overhead to the other row to do 5 burpees and then returned the first row carrying his rock straight out front a la Frankenstein’s monster for 5 more burpees, and rinsed and repeated–for a total of 20 burpees.

    Then after returning their rocks, the PAX circled up for a final COP:

    • Plank for a minute
    • Crunches from legs extended overhead to legs extended straight (but off the ground) x12 IC
    • alligator pushups (lift hands on the up-extension) x20 IC
    • Dying cockroach (x10IC), straight into flutter kicks (x10IC); rinse and repeat with x10IC, and then a second time with x5IC for a total of 25xIC cockroaches and 25xIC flutter kicks

    Thanks for letting YHC share the Q.  Jingle Vader

  • Rocks, History and 11

    Lovely Monday morning at Rock City: cool crisp 80 degree air, with 90% humidity.  Great way to start the week.  Pulling up to the park, I see the train on the tracks – is this going to be a repeat of last week?  Momentary panic sets in – but moments later, the gates are going up, and the line of traffic (4 F3 cars, and 2 who wish they could do F3, but instead peeled off towards Airline Hwy) crossed the tracks.

    Circling up, we welcomed back Rev Sox from his mission trip.  I want to hear more about the Rabbi with the gun….  Then the disclaimer, and we were off.

    The Warmup

    • SSH x25
    • Windmill x10
    • IW x25

    Plank-o-rama:

    • PP x25
    • PJ x25
    • PP x25
    • MC x25

    Grab a rock.  Times have changed at Rock City.  Used to be “Grab a rock” was the sole command.  Now the PAX respond with all sorts of questions – “How big of a rock?  Where are we going?  WHAT SHOULD I DO?” YHC responded to the plaintive wailings with the answer “Grab a rock”.

    Mosey to the tree line.

    The Thang

    YHC wanted to mix in a history lesson.  And June 4th had lots to choose from.  But, no good themed exercises jumped to mind.  So YHC was left with merely calling out a few historical tidbits as we went.  June 4th, 1940: The British and French complete the Dunkirk withdrawal.

    11s.  With Rocks.  And Pit Stops.

    Burpees on the starting side.  Low Slow Squats on the other side of the field.  There were some bases in the middle of the field – convenient markers.  Each time we pass the base, rock exercise!  11 Press each time in one direction, 11 Curls each time in the other direction.  Hawg kicked off his flip-flop sandals, and the PAX were off.

    55 Burpees, 55 LSS (con rocca), 110 Presses, 110 Curls. #Tclaps to Mahatma who finished far enough ahead that he went out for one more back-and-forth.  Then plank and hold.  Mambi gives us a 10 count (no, just *count* to 10.  You don’t have to do Merkins)

    As Bogey said afterwards “Well, that was a time killer”.

    The Thang, Part 2

    Partner Up.  Its Merkin Challenge in the ISI, so YHC thought he’d help the PAX along.

    • PAX #1: Merkins
    • PAX #2: Grab a rock, run across the field and back.
    • Flapjack.  And again.  Until time is called.

    June 4th 1989: Solidarity is declared the winner of the first “free” elections in Poland post-Cold War.

    Mosey back to deposit your rock (carry it overhead!)  Then mosey back to the flag

    Mary

    June 4th, 1919: Congress passes the 19th Amendment – sending Women’s Suffrage to the states for voting.

    • Flutter Kick x25

    Then YHC decided to try something new: the Dolly Ladder (I dunno, but I guess this name works).  DONT PUT YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND.

    • Hello Dolly – feet just off the ground, x10
    • 45 degree Dolly – feet at 45 degrees, x10
    • Rosality x10
    • 45 degree Dolly x10
    • Hello Dolly x10

    Circle up for Countoff, Name-o-Rama, Announcements, and close with our prayers.  Today’s Gospel – from Mark: the story of the tenants who tend the land for the vineyard owner, who kill his son when he is sent to collect fees.  While it is easy to see them as evil and cruel when reading, can we see ourselves in them?  Each of us sins against our neighbors.  Help us to see ourselves in those evil tenants, see ourselves when we are less than we can be.  Help us to see where we fail, so we can continue to strive to be better people, better followers of Your Word.

  • Happy Birthday to the City of New Orleans

    The City of New Orleans has been celebrating its 300th birthday throughout the 2018 year. You may not have known that May 7, 1718 is the date most commonly recognized as when the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne De Bienville, founded Nouvelle – Orleans. So in honor of NOLA’s 300th birthday the following beat down occurred.

    Warm Up

    B   Big Boy Sit-ups – 30x – plus a few more as Q off to rough start with cadence.
    D   Dying Cockroach – 30x
    A   Abe Vigoda – 30x
    Y   Why Side Straddle Hops 30x – because we always do side straddle hops during warm-ups.

    N   Nolan Ryan – 15x Left and 15x Right
    O   Outlaw – 15x Left and 15x Right
    L   LBC’s – 30x
    A   Arm Circles – 15 forward and 15 backward

    The Thang

    Grab a rock and mosey to the track/field. Partner up with each team doing the following:

    Stand on sideline of the field with each pair of PAX completing cumulative 300 rock curls, 300 shoulder-taps, and 300 rock shoulder presses. While one PAX was doing curls, or shoulder-taps, or shoulder presses, the other PAX was running to the opposite sideline and doing bear crawl, then run back to opposite sideline.

    Bring rocks pack to pile and finish with a few minutes of Mary.

    Back to Flag for Count off, Namorama (named FNG Pai Gow), and Announcements (CSAUP this week and UNO Crawfish Mambo this Saturday). Welcome to Pai Gow – thanks for joining the group.

    I am enjoying the F3 experience. Thank you all for the opportunity to lead.

  • R.E.D. Friday – Iron Ranger Tribute

    Welcome to another edition of R.E.D. Friday.  There were 6 partakers this day and half of us were sporting red.  #overachievers.  Speaking of overachieving, Triple Shift hauled in kettlebells of various poods for the workout.  No need to do our kettlebell swings with drainage rocks this morning.  #Thanks4ThePoods

    Warm-up

    SSH x 31; IW x 31; Abe Vigodas x 15; Low slow squats x 20; Good Mornings x 15; Tempo Merkins x 10

    The Thang – The Iron Ranger Hero WOD

    • 22 seconds of silence
    • 94 Kettlebell swings
    • 94 Merkins
    • 94 Big Boi Sit-ups
    • 22 Burpees
    • 400 meter run

    One round took most of the time.  A few guys finished early enough to start the KB swings.

    NMM

    This WOD was created to honor, Army Ranger SGT. Joshua Rodgers.  Born August 22, 1994, he died on April 27, 2017.

    The name “Iron Ranger” is from Josh’s high school football mascot, the Ironmen and his position as a Ranger in the US Army. The 94 reps represent his year of birth (1994). The 22 represent his high school football jersey number, his date of birth, and how old he was when he died.

    Josh was serving his third deployment in Afghanistan at age 22 when he was hit by small arms fire during a high stakes raid on the headquarters of Abdul Hasib, the leader of ISIS in Afghanistan.

    Pray for his family and our other brothers and sisters deployed around the world.

     

  • I Hate Trains

    I left 15 minutes early for F3 at the Birdcage this morning, so I could check out the route for the workout. I was only a few minutes from my destination when suddenly – There was a big train in the road Jock! I hate trains Jock! I hate em! Instead of arriving early to check out our route and get my head ready to Q, I rushed in one minute late to see Yankee running the Pax to the WWI memorial and Jingle Vader getting out of his car. I sprinted down the path to the memorial, flying past Vader, who used the dark side to run in the wrong direction, and I arrived just in time to start the warmup.

    SSH – 25

    Hillbillies – 20

    Peter Parkers – 25

    Windmills – 20

    Shoulder taps – 25

    We moseyed back down the path and across Magazine St to East Dr (ensuring that Vader would never find us) and down to the Labyrinth for some park bench work.

    Right leg lifts – 20

    Dips – 20

    Left leg lifts – 20

    We moseyed from the Labyrinth to the Tree of Life where I informed everyone that our workout today was planned at a wedding I officiated under the tree on April 6th.

    Dora needed to make her way to the Tree of Life, and the map told her that she needed to do 100 merkins, 200 jump lunges, and 300 Russian twits to make it to the Tree of Life. We partnered up to complete our journey. One partner ran down the field to the oak at the opposite end while the other knocked out the exercises.

    Arriving at the Tree of Life, I discovered that the tree looked lonely, so we gave it a big hug.  We circled up for a little Global Warming. Everyone started in Al Gore and we did 5 burpees each in a wave. Once that was finished we started over and did 10 burpees this time in honor of absent Q, Hawgcycle.

    We moseyed back toward the flag but stopped just before we got to magazine for a little Mary.

    Flutterkicks – 15

    Penguins – 15

    Big Boy Situps – 15

    Dying Cockroach – 15

    LBCs – 15

    We moseyed back to the flag for the names and the count. I hate that I was a minute late, but the Yankee and the Rev Sox worked together to get us all in the full 45 minute beat down. Thanks for the opportunity to Q. – Rev Sox

  • Monday, Monday, but where’s Marlin?

    YHC checked the schedule late Sunday night, worried that he might have forgotten about a Q.  Instead, YHC saw that Marlin was listed for the Q.  Lets Get It, Baby!  YHC cuddled up under the covers, looking forward to a Rock City morning of inspiration and encouragement from our resident coffee-drinking-bike-riding PAX.

    But alas, it was not meant to be.

    The morning 55 degree chill must’ve been enough to keep Marlin home in bed.  Brrrr….  He might not have had enough clothes to keep warm in this bone-chilling weather.  So at 5:30, YHC tried to do his best impression, and with a “Lets Get It, Baby” the PAX took off into the morning gloom.

    Warm Up

    • Peter Parker x25
    • Shoulder Taps x25
    • Plank Jacks x25
    • Parker Peter x25
    • LSS x25
    • IW x25
    • 10 Burpees OYO

    Grab a rock, and lets head to the track, for….

    Dirty MacDeuce

    • All IC: 12 Shoulder Press, 12 Squats, 12 Box Cutter
    • Run a lap
    • 12 Curl, 12 Lunge, 12 Cockroaches
    • Run a lap
    • 12 Shoulder Press, 12 Squats, 12 Box Cutter
    • Run a lap
    • 12 Curl, 12 Lunge, 12 Cockroaches
    • Run a lap

    Mosey over to the playground, and partner up for a circuit

    • 15 Burpees (the timer)
    • Pull Ups
    • Merkins
    • Big Boy situps (in the mud)
    • Under-dogs (Rev-Sox claims this is a real thing – “Its in the lexicon!”)
    • Throw-the-rocks-over-the-fence

    Mosey back to the rock pile to deposit our friends, and then back to the flag – 6:15 on the dot.

    Count-off, Name-o-rama (welcome back, Mambi!!!  Glad to see Frac didn’t permanently scar you with that name choice!), and finish with our morning prayers.  Remember those who are sick, those who are travelling, those in the middle of war zones.

    NMM: YHC really wanted to hit the snooze button this morning.  At 5:00 am, I just didn’t think I had it in me to get out and do this.  But words from Dredd – If you hit snooze, you’ve lost your first battle of the day – made me drag my lazy butt out of bed; I did not want to start the week with a defeat.  The surprise opportunity to Q was a welcome start to the week: it allowed me to begin with a full U-Turn from where it could have been – instead of fartsacking alone, I was blessed with a chance to step up and lead.  Thank you all for letting me run with the Q.  And may you all have an inspired and successful week.

  • The Passover

    On a Friday morning with perfect temps and dry conditions, we started on what I hoped would be the greatest, most spiritual F3 workout of all time. It was time for Rev Sox to emphasize the Rev in his name and throw imprecatory curses on the Sox.

    To give this exercise greater spiritual significance we warmed up with:

    SSH x24

    IW x 24

    PlankJacks x 12

    Hillbillies x 24

    I am preaching on the First Communion this Sunday at Grace Community Bible Church in River Ridge (gcbcrr.org) at 10am. Since I was meditating on Communion and the Passover, I themed our workout around the Passover story in Exodus. The story begins with 400 years of slavery in Egypt as the children of Israel made bricks for generations, so we grabbed our rocks and made bricks.

    Making Bricks

    While carrying our precious rocks, we slowly made our way across one of the Pontiff fields by dropping down to our knees and rising back up followed by one lunge on each leg and repeated until we crossed the field.

    The Ten Plagues

    We did a series of 10 exercises. 10 reps each time and we never put down our rocks between sets to picture the 10 plagues that God sent on Egypt to rescue the Israelites.

    10 Shoulder presses

    10 Curls

    10 rows

    10 low slow squats

    Repeat all 4

    10 bench presses

    For the 10th and final plague, we painted the doorposts of our homes to protect our families from the angel of the death. The rock was the paintbrush. Starting position was holding the rock by your right foot, the rock was lifted straight up above the right shoulder, moved over the head to above the left shoulder, and slowly brought down to the left foot. The rock was brought back to the right foot for one rep. We painted 10 doorposts (we are friendly Israelites).

    Wandering to the Red Sea

    Following the plagues, Pharaoh sent us out of Egypt. Like the Israelites, we wandered around the desert on our way to the Red Sea. We walked around the bases of two baseball fields while holding our rocks. A few times everyone was instructed to lift their rocks above their heads as Abacus and Hawg serenaded us with In Your Eyes.

    Waiting for the Water to Part

    We went to the fence and took a seat on the fence to remember how God parted the Red Sea as the Israelites watched in awe. We did two sets of 10 curls while seated against the fence as we gathered our belongings to go across the Red Sea.

    Mary to Freedom

    This is where I ran into trouble. I thought the 10 plagues was going to take longer than it did, so we had a little extra time. My story got kind of forgotten as I struggled to think of Marys to finish the workout.

    Penguins x 20

    Big Boy Situps x 20

    10 Burpees

    10 Burpees

    LBCs x 20

    Here I was planning on sharing that the Egyptians ran in after the Red Sea but the water came in top of them. They tried to flutter kick their way to the other side, but their armor weighed them down and they became dying cockroaches. (I forgot this part of the story in my panic to think of things to get everyone to 6:15)

    FlutterKicks x 16

    Dying Cockroaches x 20

    Russian Twists x 20

    Oh Dolly x 20

    We counted off, shared our names, and named an FNG (Max) Mani-Pedi. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to fly my Bible nerd flag. It was awesome.

  • Why six was afraid of seven

    So several years ago, YHC’s 2.0 asked him why six was afraid of seven? Because seven eight (ate) nine.  I still laugh at the thought of this seven-year old’s joke, which I suspect to be Sacred Heart lore that perhaps originated from Hawg’s days there many moons ago.  Anyway, with nine PAX and YHC turning 56 (7×8) today, the joke seems apropos.  [Hint, Amnesty: QHC needs some more F2 events!]

    After a terse disclaimer, the PAX was off to the rock pile for the first COP:

    • SSHs 56xIC (with much mumblechatter, and Rudy’s poor attempt to imitate YHC at counting)
    • Low Slow Squats 20xIC
    • Squat Pulses 20xIC (where are ya, Shorty?  They were for you!)
    • Peter Parkers 20xIC
    • Mount Climbers 20xIC
    • Parker Peters 20xIC
    • Merkins 20xIC

    Time to get some rocks to mosey to the open field for COT2, namely, some Elevens.  At the row of trees on the far side of the field, bench presses from 1 to 10 and at the row of trees on the near side of the field, squats with rock from 10 to 1; moseying with rocks in between.  That’s 55 bench presses, and 55 squats.  In honor of YHC and Marlin, he commanded one additional of each for the magical 7×8=56.

    After a mosey to the benches under the pavilion, time for COT3 (a modified, as in very modified, Sparticus: where were you this morning, Amnesty?  This one was for you!):

    • Right Leg Step Ups with rocks 20xIC
    • Dips 20xIC
    • Left Leg Step Ups with rocks 20xIC
    • Irkins 20xIC

    Mosey to the wall for a one-minute sit with your rocks.  Then mosey back to the rock pill for a closing Circle of Mary after ten burpees:

    • Russian Twists with rocks 20xIC
    • Dying Cockroach 20xIC
    • Flutter kicks with rocks 20xIC
    • Penguins 20xIC
    • Hello Dolly with rocks 20xIC

    Another ten burpees, then return rocks, mosey to the flag (TClaps to Rudy for bringing one) to close out with ten more burpees.

    Name-O-Rama, Announcement and a closing COT with thanks for a great Birthday Q.  Jingle Vader

  • R.E.D Friday – The Collin Hero WOD

    Conditions:  Overcast and 61.

    Perfect morning to get some work in.  I showed up about 12 minutes early to find Hand Grenada had beaten me to the AO.  He helped me set up the “equipment” for today’s Hero WOD.  (Thanks to Triple Shift for the buckets of water he stashed by the pumps and thanks to Jefferson Parish for not removing said buckets).

    In all, 8 men posted this morning to pay tribute to our service men and women deployed around the world.  We were honored to have two Veterans with us – Mahatama and Kimchi.  Thank you for your service.

    Warm-up

    SSH x 31; Peter Parker x 31; Windmills x 15; Forward Arm Circles x 15; Morocan Night Club (sans squat) x 15; Backward Arm Circles x 15

    The Thang – Collin Hero WOD

    The goal is 6 rounds in 35 minutes.  Push yourself to do more than that.

    • 400 meter Rock Carry – Use a rock between 20 and 30 pounds
    • 12 Push Press – Use a rock between 40 and 60 pounds
    • 12 Box Jumps – Can be modified to step ups
    • 12 Sumo Deadlift Hi-Pulls – Use Bucket full of water

    Impressive performances all around.  Mahatma, the unofficial king of R.E.D Friday workouts, got in 8 rounds.  Kimchi and YHC got in 7, All others got in 6 more or less.

    • T-claps to Abacus for wearing Red to R.E.D. Friday.  The man gets it.
    • T-claps to HVAC for not only getting in some running before the workout, but timing his pre-thang run so that it ended exactly at 0530
    • T-claps to Hand Grenada for posting consistently since Walley EH’d him (and for not parking illegally).
    • T-claps to Kimchi for coming out on his day off – he’s worked 14 straight 12 hour days or 12 straight 14 hour days…I’m not sure, but either way it’s hard.
    • T-claps to Abacus, Two Yutes, and Rev Sox.  Their consistency and growth is impressive.
    • And T-claps to Mahatma for being a beast and pushing us all.  When I grow up I want to be like him.

    NMM

    Collin Thomas – Age 33 – Morehead, KY

    Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief Collin Trent Thomas, 33, of Morehead, Kentucky, assigned to a Navy SEAL team based out of Little Creek, Virginia, was fatally shot on August 18, 2010, during combat operations in Eastern Afghanistan.  He is survived by his fiance Sarah Saunders, his parents, Clay and Jean Thomas, and his sister Meghan Edwards.

    “Collin Thomas was a brave American patriot and an incredibly gifted Navy SEAL.  His tireless professionalism, inspiring passion for life, and humble demeanor made him a role model for all who knew him.”