Author: Drew Hart

PAX: Boone’s Farm, Princess Aurora, Pumpkin Spice, Crablegs, DFrost, Lumbergh, Tampa Libra, Napster, En Fuego

QIC: En Fuego

Conditions: A perfect 61 degrees

On August 14, 2018, the PAX of III Pillars underwent a physical assessment to kick off the school year, with YHC informing the PAX that we would reconvene to perform that same assessment at the end of the school year in order to measure our progress over the 9-month period.  With YHC informing the PAX via slack what was waiting their arrival this week, the PAX showed up with their minds and bodies prepped and ready – Pumpkin Spice having visualized for hours a sub 22:00 performance and Princess Aurora knocking out a late-night Taco Bell run, stating his desire in seeking some flatulence-driven extra propulsion for the main event.  With that…

0530 arrives, Pumpkin Spice lets PA know he’s coming after his 22:43 post that took top podium in August, we disclaim and then mosey up to the soccer field.  WOR that included some WMH, LBAC, Moroccan night clubbing and Scorpion stretch.  We wrap up WOR and head to the far end endzone – where YHC instructs one final time what’s about to go down in physical assessment round 2.  It’s you against you out there, focus on proper form and let’s get after it.

The Thang:

Complete the following in order, for time.

• 40 Merkins, run 2 laps (.25 miles)
• 40 Merkins, 30 Jump Squats, run 2 laps
• 40 Merkins, 30 Jump Squats, 20 Burpees, run 2 laps
• 40 Merkins, 30 Jump Squats, 20 Burpees, 10 Big Boy Situps, run 2 laps
• 40 Merkins, 30 Jump Squats, 20 Burpees, 10 Big Boy Situps, run 4 laps

All in the PAX completed 200 merkins, 120 jump squats, 60 burpees, 20 big boy sit ups (400 collective reps) and ran 1.5 miles. 

The unofficial official Results:

• Pumpkin Spice – 21:41 (beyond impressive)
• Boone’s Farm – 22:30 (90 second improvement from August – TClaps)
• Princess Aurora – 25:24
• En Fuego – 26:50
• Crablegs – 27:29
• Napster – 27:39
• Lumbergh – 28:30
• Tampa – 29:08 (modified due to injury, we saw some Chuck Norris going on throughout)
• DFrost – 29:45

No time for Mary – mosey back for COT.

Moleskin:

• The PAX definitely put in the work this morning – no merlots splashed but several held back as each PAX competed against oneself in pursuit of their own respective goals.  All PAX came in sub 30 minutes – fantastic effort
• Props to Pumpkin – he boldly proclaimed at the onset he was going after sub 22:00 and taking home the gold medal in doing so.  At 21:41, he delivered
• Props again to Boone’s at knocking 90 seconds off his time from August.  I’m pretty sure YHC almost saw him breathe heavily toward the end.
• Tremendous F3 spirit shown throughout – lots of verbal encouragement tossed as PAX cheered and supported their brethren.  Always great to see in the workouts

Job well done men – Honor to have led and appreciative to live out the gloom with each of you

En Fuego

 

PAX: Silver Medal, Boone’s Farm, Pop-A-Lock, Trapper Keeper, Lumbergh, Left Turn (Willy Loman from F3 Houston) and En Fuego 

QIC: En Fuego

This time last year, YHC and several PAX gathered at Westeros to celebrate YHC’s 11-year wedding anniversary.  8,760 hours later, it was time to do it again, celebrating 12 years, or for those keeping count, 105,120 total hours of pure marital bliss.

0530 arrives, we disclaim and then mosey throughout the parking lot up to the field, stopping at four different points to perform a set of 10, 5, 1 and 20 diamond merkins – celebrating the 105,120 hours with some diamonds.

Huddle up for some WOR – where we knock out 12 each of the following:

B – BBSU

L – LBAC F/B

I – Imperial Walkers

S – SSH

S – the blissful Scorpion Stretch

YHC then informs the PAX of the 12 years, 144 months celebration and off we go for the…

THANG:

Any successful marriage begins with finding the right partner, so that’s what we do.  Then, 3 rounds of exercises focusing on the numbers 12 (years) and 144 (months).

Round 1:  Start at bottom of Bernie Hill; Partner 1 begins to knock out 144 burpees while Partner 2 Bernie Sanders to top of Bernie Hill; perform 12 hand-release merkins at top and then back to bottom.  Flap-jack until Partner 1 and 2 have collectively knocked out 144 burpees, and pause along the way during the hand-release to take in a beautiful IIIP sunrise.

Round 2: Mosey to playground.  Partner 1 begins to knock out 144 Steve Irwins, Partner 2 runs down the stairs to the roundabout and performs 12 dips.  Flap-jack until collective 144 Steve Irwins reached.

Round 3: Mosey to far end zone on the field.  Partner 1 bear crawls to the 20 yard line, performs 12 iron mikes.  Crawl bear back the 20 yards.  Partner 2 is knocking out jump squats.  Flap-jack until collective 144 jump squats performed.

Five minutes on the clock.  We line up for rounds of 60 yard sprints with a set of Mary in-between sprints.

Time called and anniversary party officially over.  PAX put in the work, knocking out the above exercises while traversing 1.65 miles worth of AO.

During COT, YHC issued an AO challenge that each of the fine PAX boldly accepted.  We discussed Ephesians 5:25 -> “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and give himself up for her.”  There is no more selfless, no more sacrificial love than Christ’s love for the Church.  Further, this verse in and of itself is not an ask that we love our wives in a similar, selfless manner, but rather a mandate.  So, our challenge, and certainly for YHC during anniversary week, is we must a) perform one completely random, selfless act of service / kindness to our wives this week and b) report about it on Slack – to keep us encouraged and accountable.  And of course for each PAX that doesn’t complete the above, there may or may not be an AO penalty to kick the gloom off next Tuesday.

Honor to have led and appreciative to live out the gloom with each of you

En Fuego

 

 

 

Being called out to lead a VQ 18 hours prior to workout time, YHC responded.  PAX learned a little more about the hallowed grounds of Augusta National.

QIC: Silver Medal (VQ)

PAX: En Fuego (group Caddie), Bicentennial Man, Right Said, Pumpkin Spice, The Nanny (FNG- Welcome!), Defrost, Razorback, Tampa Libra, Crablegs, Goose (WL from Chattanooga), Boone’s Farm

CONDITIONS:  Wonderfully Gloomy. 60 and F O G G Y (though no pirate sighting).

WOR w/ MOSEY

Following a choppy disclaimer (and surprise disclosure to the PAX that contrary to what they probably expected based on the Slack forecast the night before, YHC has actually never attended The Masters tournament), we started with some Good Mornings OYO to loosen up those backs.  Then mosey down around the church parking lot and back up to main parking lot with some exercises woven in (SSH x 18, WMH x 18 along the way).

THANG

Headed up to the field with our trusted caddie and timekeeper En Fuego.  I proceeded to inform the PAX that while I had not actually attended The Masters, 11 years ago after my father passed away, a close friend of his asked my brother and me if we would like to play Augusta.  This was the point at which I imparted a great life lesson to the PAX.  Just as there is always only one answer to the question your waitress asks you at dinner: “Would you prefer the 12oz or 16oz beer” (16), there is no looking at a calendar or asking your M if you are free when asked to play Augusta.  The answer is immediate.  So, today we took a journey through YHC’s unforgettable round at Augusta.  We got to see a bit of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Grounds Crew:

Our faithful caddie reminded YHC last night that given the weather conditions, the dew sweepers needed some extra help.  So we partnered up in pairs and lined up on the goal line for some 10 yard wheelbarrows, with 10 Derkins (other PAX still holding legs) then turn back to the goal line.  Flapjack.

Hole #1:

YHC was so proud about the opening par score that we forgot to do our tee-shot exercise.  So we took a stroll around the track to the 280 yard mark, then mosey another 105 yards, then another 40 yards with the following exercises at each interval:  Lt Dans x 18, Lt Dans x 18, Merkins x 18.

From there we mosey down past the playground around the upper school drop off lane and to the side hill next to the retirement center complex while YHC proceeded to boast that he was even par through 8 holes.  Then comes #9…

Hole #9 aka Carolina Cherry:

Still feeling good from a fabulous front 9 (and tee shot off 9 tee), we did 18 Carolina Dry Docks.  If anyone has ever been to The Masters to see the approach at #9, you will know that approaches often roll back off the green.  So, to memorialize my three attempts to get it on the green, we ran the side entrance hill three times with 5 burpees at the top and bottom of each.  And to get those quads in shape the third one was a Bernie Sanders up the hill.

Amen Corner:

As one can imagine, this is where it got a bit ugly.  Partnered up again for holes 11 and 12.  1s on the sideline for a bearcrawl across width of the field and walking lunges back while 2s performing AMRAP flutterkicks.  Flapjack.  Hole 12 got worse.  1s crawlbear across, with duck walk back [across Raes Creek], while 2s were doing LBCs AMRAP.  Flapjack.  #13 wasn’t much prettier.  Shot a double bogey 7 there.  So, 7s it was.  Box jumps and dips.

Hole #18:

Made it through the worst.  Pretty beaten up but sucked it up and gave it everything I had and actually made par on #18.  So, in the same format as #1 we ran 465 yards and stopping at the second, third and fourth shot intervals, we performed Lt Dans x 18, Lt Dans x 18 (w/ twist that included holding arms overhead as if we were marshals holding the Quiet signs), and lastly, Burpees x 18.

Mosey back to main parking lot with 15 seconds to go.  Time.

MOLESKIN:

I know it has been a long time coming, but thank you En Fuego for pushing me in to this with a few hours to prepare for a VQ!  WELCOME The Nanny (FNG)!  And thanks for joining us Goose (Willy Lowman from Chattanooga).  Really do appreciate the support from Atlantis crew, Razorback and Tampa Libra today.

BULLHORN:

• April 13 – Warpath
• May 4 – The Gauntlet
• August 23-24 – GrowRuck Atlanta
• En Fuego’s your 12th Man of the month, so be on the lookout for some communication from him around leadership.

Again, it was an honor to lead this morning.  Humbled by the turnout this morning.  Thank you for being a part of it.

Silver Medal

PAX: Silver Medal, Umbrella, Black Widow, Trapper Keeper, Boone’s Farm, Bad Boy and En Fuego

QIC: En Fuego

Conditions: An ideal winter gloom, and 5 degrees sub the 32 degree ceiling we were after

7 HIM got up and got after it this Tuesday morning, taking on (and in YHC’s case being defeated by) the Bert – or at best a modified version of the Bert and at less than best perhaps more aptly coined a workout inspired by the Bert, due to said modification.   The Bert is a Hero WOD in honor of U.S. Marine Cpl. Albert Gettings, who died 10 years ago this month while conducting counter-sniper operations in Iraq.  27 years old and survived by his wife, sister and parents – every quarter his fellow Marines honor him in completing the Bert.

The THANG:

0530 – Disclaimer given, and in some instances repeated again for Black Widow due to some headgear layer interference.  MC ensues from our Purple Cow brethren and we’re off.   Mosey around lot and up to the football field for COP – SSH, WMH, GMs and Scorpion Stretch.  Partner up and instructions given for how the next 30-35 minutes are going to go down, with YHC giving the background of Cpl. Gettings and our intent to honor him today.

We kick things off with a 25 burpee and 400mm buy-in (15 burpees and one lap around track; 10 burpees and another lap) – then head to the end zone and find your partner.  Begin the following:

• 150 merkins (total combined count between the two partners, approx. 75 merkins per PAX)
• Run 400mm
• 200 walking lunges across the football field (combined count)
• Run 400mm
• 300 squats (combined count)
• Run 400mm

R&R AMRAP for 30 minutes.  All PAX got thru the walking lunges of Round 2 and subsequent 400mm run; TClaps to Umbrella and his cheat code partner Boone’s for getting some Round 2 squats in as well before time was called.  Mosey back and huddle up for COT / BOM and some tailgate coffee.

Moleskin:

• Great to have some III Pillars newbies in attendance this morning, with her charm clearly getting straight to the heart of TK, who HC’d for some future partakes in its Tuesday morning gloom.  A win for Ironclad and its Away AO efforts there…
• The Bert proved itself to be no joke – even this partnered-up, watered down version of it.  Great effort by the PAX – all in each HIM knocking out 2.5+ miles and approximately 150 merkins, 200 walking lunges and minimally 150 squats along with the burpee buy-in.
• Always good to be able to incorporate a Hero WOD into the workout mix and honor the life of a fallen soldier.  YHC also wanted this to serve as a reminder to us all however that it doesn’t take a uniform and a deployment to Iraq to be a Hero or First Responder.  We each have a calling in our lives to be the same – be it within our family, our neighborhoods, our 9-5 lives, etc.  There are battles taking place all around us within a world that daily doesn’t want us to be all that we are capable of being, and with that we all have our Ms, 2.0s, shieldlocks, blades – you name it, that need someone, namely us, to be that First Reponder in their lives.  First Responders that walk in courage, walk in conviction, aren’t waiting for someone else to fight their battles.  First Responders that don’t chuck the responsibility or training and raising their 2.0s to the school system, that aren’t waiting on their Ms to be the first to apologize – men that are simply holding themselves to a higher standard of action and accountability than what the world around us might otherwise suggest.    YHC is thankful for the service and sacrifice of Cpl. Gettings, and beyond appreciative of having the HIM of F3 around me – ensuring YHC continues to grow in a desire not to accept anything less than First Responder status from the man in the mirror.

En Fuego

 

PAX: Princess Aurora, Silver Medal, Bicentennial Man, Boone’s Farm, Harbaugh, Lumbergh, En Fuego

QIC: En Fuego

Conditions: A perfect Thanksgiving week gloom

7 PAX got in the Holiday spirit today, as we embarked on a F3 family road trip to take in some Christmas lights while dusting off an old family board game of Chutes and, err, Glutes and Ladders.

THE THANG:

0530 Disclaimer given and we begin our mosey from the friendly confines of III Pillars to the Green Hills Hill Center.  YHC had previously issued a challenge to the PAX to get the Q-calendar full for the balance of 2018.  Despite the valiant effort of a few, select HIM, we had one open Q spot remaining and with that a penalty is issued – during our mosey for every car that passes us going southbound we stop for four merkins.  Approximately 40ish merkins performed in route – all PAX thankful those cars traveling northbound were not included in the penalty count.

Arrive at the Hill Center and set up COP under the holiday lights across from Zoe’s / Pei Wei.  The PAX knock out some WMH, GMs and Scorpion stretches; PA spends his time perusing Kendra Scott’s latest collections through the window, potential stocking stuffers for the M no doubt on his mind. We then head down the stairs to the bottom floor of the Whole Foods garage, where we count off in 1s and 2s and instructions for Glutes and Ladders are given.

There are six flights of stairs.  Team 1 goes first, up the first flights of stairs, perform 5 Imperial Squat Walkers, back down the stairs.  While Team 1 goes, Team 2 is performing Lieutenant Dans.  Flapjack.  Once Team 2 returns, Team 1 takes off again, this time going up two flights of stairs, where they stop and perform 10 Imperial Squat Walkers.  R&R until both teams knock out six flights of stairs, with Imperial Squat Walkers increasing to 15 reps (3rd flight), 20 reps (4th flight), 25 reps (5th flight) and 30 reps (6th flight).

PAX all in, mosey back under the lights to the street that divides the Hill Center.  Team 1 runs approximately 50 yards (always facing Hillsboro Blvd, so backwards mosey during half the run) and performs 10 Bulgarian Split Squats each leg.  While Team 1 goes, Team 2 is performing flutter kicks.  Flapjack.  After one round, we are short on time and we head back to the friendly confines, with one stop along the way to knock out 20 more merkins.  Arrive back at 6:15 and 59 seconds on the dot, with the run home slightly more painful than the initial run out.  Huddle up for COT/BOM.

BULLHORN:

• Bicentennial will be leading the next round of F3 Libeery – December 11th at Fat Bottom Brewery.  Freed to Lead is the book of choice.
• Umbrella, our 12th Man for December, is hosting a leadership luncheon December 7th at Richland Country Club.  Get your RSVP in to Umbrella on slack.
• 6th man was Harbaugh – glad to have him back in the fold!

MOLESKIN:

In this season of Thanksgiving, extremely thankful and feel blessed to have all of you HIM in my life.  Appreciate y’alls leadership, your accountability and allowing me the opportunity to lead.  There are certainly many days where I can take home the trophy as biggest facade or poser as a leader in my professional life, or a leader within my home.  But there is never a facade with F3 – and that has nothing to do with my Q talents, or primarily lack thereof, but everything to do with the men who populate the COT and the environment that you create.  F3 counts – and I am appreciative.

Lastly, for those keeping score, I’ve got all in 2.24 total miles traversed, 21 flights of steps climbed, 105 Imperial Squat Walkers performed and 10+ minutes of Lieutenant Dans.  Sprinkle in some Bulgarian Split Squats – impressive work by all!

PAX: Bad Boy, Bicentennial Man, Silver Medal, Boone’s Farm, En Fuego

QIC: En Fuego

Conditions: A gloomy 47 degrees

Let’s First Go Inside the Numbers:

• 11 straight SEC losses
• 23 months since the last SEC win, spanning 694 days
• 15 straight losses to the SEC West, with 7 straight seasons of posting an 0-2 record against the West
• An impressive run of losing its last game against every SEC opponent

All is no mas and never to be quoted again, thanks to some friendly action down on The Plains this past Saturday.  While YHC didn’t get to see a second of it, today YHC and 4 other PAX donned their orange pride and Smokey Grey unis and celebrated such an occasion – Tennessee Tailgate Style.

5:30: A rusty Disclaimer given, reflective of YHC’s recent time on the IR, followed by an invite to get this TN tailgate started in true fashion.  With that, we go straight into Rocky Top (Ozbourne Brothers rendition for all you eager to add to your Spotify mix).  SSH during the song with a burpee at each “Rocky Top”.  YHC left amazingly unimpressed with the fellow PAX lyrical knowledge of this great tune.

We then mosey off campus to neighboring Burton Hills, setting up COP at the top of the parking garage at 30 Burton Hills.  YHC mentions that we want to make sure the Auburn faithful among us (Silver Medal, #where’sfoggy?) are still fully aboard the GusBus, following the recent 7-year, $49 million extension and awarding the Vols their first SEC win in 694 days.  With that, we perform the following IC:

G – Good Mornings x 7

U – Up Straddle Hop x 4

S – Scorpion Stretch x 9 (we’ve now got the 7 years, $49mm)

B – Baby Arm Circles x 6 (F & R with 23 count in-between, for the 23 months since last win)

U – Up Straddle Hop x 9

S – Slow & Low Squats x 4 (we’ve got our 694 days covered – and all are still fully aboard the GusBus)

We then mosey out of the parking garage to the base of the hill leading from Burton Hills Blvd to Covenant Presbyterian Church.  YHC informs the PAX what a long, uphill battle it has been since that last W – so let us commemorate with some hill work.  We break into two teams – Team Vols with YHC, Boone’s and Bicentennial and Team War Eagle with Silver Medal, Bad Boy & #where’sfoggy?.  Final score was 30-24, so team Team Vols will do 30 reps of each prescribed exercise (90 cumulative); Team War Eagle will do 24 reps (48 cumulative).  Once Team War Eagle completes their 48 reps, they plank and hold from the sideline, watching Team Vols get better.  Once all PAX are in, the two teams run together up the hill, where we R&R in varying fashion:

V – V-ups, then run to the top of the hill (hill #1).  After a 10 count, we mosey down the opposite hill, exiting out to Harding Place (hill #2).   All in, we perform:

O – One-legged deadlift, then Bernie Sanders back up the hill to the Church.  After a 10 count, mosey back down hill #1.  All in, we perform:

L – Lieutenant Dan’s, then run back up to top of hill #1; after a 10 count we mosey back to base of hill #2 for some:

S – Single Hand-Release Merkins (modified to 20 count for time); then Bernie Sanders back up hill #2.

5 minutes left on the clock, we mosey back to the friendly confines of #IIIPillars.  Time called and we end with COT.  Continued prayers for Bad Boy and his M throughout pregnancy; prayers for all the people affected by Hurricane Michael.

Strong tailgate effort to each of the PAX – total of 2.5 miles covered, way too much of that being at a steep incline.  Appreciative of the opportunity to lead.

Until next time, hoping it’s not another 23 months…

En Fuego