Backblasts

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Titan 2-1-2023: Gods, Heroes, and Myths . . . and a Little Ice

In my 5+ years of F3, I’ve enjoyed making the journey across Sylvan Park (which today was treacherous, my friends, with ice and a cold chill . . . ) to visit Titan, the world’s only AO with a Parthenon (looking at you, F3 Athens).  But I have never Q’d at this impressive locale . . . until today!  8 HIM braved the slick roads to make themselves better, complete with a theme and (of course) a playlist befitting the AO.

PAX:  Black Lung, Chunks, Crawlspace, Kervorkian (Double Respect WL from New Bern NC), Natural Ice, Right Said, Tim the Toolman, Vector (QIC) 

Conditions:   31 degrees with ice all around (but not in our hearts . . . aww)

Theme:  Ancient Mythology (Greek, Norse, whatevs — you try making a playlist that fits 40 mins on the topic . . . )

Patented Cheesy Yet Secretly Good Playlist:  

Venus – Bananarama
God of Thunder – KISS
Icarus – Bastille
Zeus – Eminem (f. White Gold)
Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
Way Down Hadestown – Hadestown Original Broadway Cast
Dirty Diana – Michael Jackson (I know it’s about Diana Ross, but c’mon, there’s a Roman Goddess named Diana too)
Venus – Frankie Avalon
Zero to Hero – From Disney’s Hercules
Cupid – Sam Cooke
Carve Away the Stone – Rush
Venus – Shocking Blue

Disclaimer given and then mosey to the side of the Parthenon:

  • Warm-o-rama:   WMH x 10, Good Mornings x 10, SSH x 20, LBC a 20, RLBC x 20, Squats x 20
  • Thang 1:  The Story of Sisyphus:

Famous for cheating death x 2, Sisyphus was committed by Hades to an afterlife doomed to push a large rock up a hill for eternity (as the rock would roll to the bottom just as he neared the top).

11s planned for the Parthenon steps (but rapidly changed as we noted the ice slick): Bear Crawl to top of grass/icy hill – Squats – Crawl Bear (trying to not break one’s arm/ankle/ass/etc.) to bottom – Merkins.  Somewhat amusing watching the PAX navigate the downhill — but zero broken asses!

  • Thang 2: The 12 Labors of Hercules

Mirroring the trials of early HIM Herc, we did 20 reps of 12 exercises:  Merkins, Irkins, Derkins, Squats, Jump Squats, Mountain Climbers, Star Jumps, Dips, American Hammers, Happy Crunchy Frogs, Squats again, Burpees.

  • Thang 3: Pheidippides and the Marathon.

In 490 BC, during the wars between Persia and Athens, Athenians were certain they’d lose and had sadly planned to burn their city and kill their women and children if they lost the Battle of Marathon, a burg about 40km away. Well, Athens won (“Do You Believe in Miracles!), so ole Pheidippides bolted to Athens to stop the destruction.  So, in honor of his run, we ran 3 laps on the circle (4 if you’re Black Lung) and successfully saved Nashville.

  • Thang 4: Working for that GOD BOD

20 of each:

Gorilla Humpers
Overhead Press
Dips

Burpees
Overhead Press
Derkins

  • Mary with Alabama Prom Dates, Boxcutters, Some Crazy Plank Thing that Chunks Made Up, Freddy Mercuries to name just a few.

COT:

  • Prayers for Chunks as he nears some big transitions at home with his mediation
  • Prayers for travelling PAX
  • Keep pushing all you LeanPaxers!
  • A lot of beer drinking planned after LP is over (but don’t lose all of your gains,  PAX!)

Thanks, HIM.  As always, I appreciate your tolerance for my crazed themes and ’twas an honor to lead you this morning.

SYITG,

Vector

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Resilience

F3 413 Q

Temp : 40
Gloom Factor : Mod
PAX : Bus, T Retch, Chef Yo, Contractor, Plumb Line, Master Chief, Pinky, Squidward, Red Shark, Potluck, Bolt, Zorro, Jazz Hands, Thing 1, Comeback, Mindset, Pearl, Hacker, Grey Album, BNB, Y&R, Black Widow, Toga, Crawlspace, Knuckles, Chunks, Skeet, Red Skull, Michelin Man, Shocker, Decaf, Bagger Vance (QIC)

Mosey Big Loop w some alternating modes of transit …

WOR –
SSH x 13
Walkouts w Stretch x 4 (1,2,3,4 merkins)
Squat Repatterns x 10 IC
IW X 10 IC

EVO I –
Block Pile
Rows x 5 (6,6,6) RnR
Hip Thrusters x 10 each leg
Dead Bugs x 10 each leg RnR
Block Pull Throughs x 10 each arm RnR

EVO II –
Rails
Rows x 5 (6,6,6) RnR
Merkins x 5 (6,6,6) RnR

EVO III –
Black Top
Bear Crawl Kick outs to mid court Bernie Skips back x 5
Burpees x 5

Time

NMM : Today’s theme was Resilience and no Resilience comes without Struggle and taking Personal Responsibility. I’m reading Eric Greiten’s Resilience right now and highly recommend it to all.
We also spent a lot of time under tension with wall sits and planks interspersed in the workout. Time under tension is a great way to build strength and stamina in workouts and life.

We were also blessed with BNB posting today back home for a bit from Raleigh.

YHC,
🎒🐜

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

 

 

 

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Stronghold – 1/19/23 – If Help = Needed Then Ask

Gloom: Yes. Good
PAX: 42!
F3: Decaf, Moneyshot, Hacker. Knuckles (FNG), Young Pawn, Skeet, Esposa, Shocker, Rocket Mortgage, Monster Biscuit, Import, Cowboy, Bagger Vance, Winger, Grey Album, Grape, Black Lung, Chunks, Red Skull (AOQ), Michelin Man, Young and Restless, Blue Mule, Shoota, Red Tees, YHC

4:13: Pinky, Master Chief, Squidward, Thing 1, T-retch, Jazz Hands, Comeback, Mindset, Plumb Line, The Bus, Chef Yo, Zorro, Potluck, Contractor, Red Shark, Bolt

5.30: Disclaimer. Mosey in a big loop around to Basketball court
Warmarama:
SSH’s
IW’s
HB’s
BAC’s
Air Press
Seal Clap

Thang:
Partner up. 4:13er grabs coupon. 4:13er must ask for help if he wants his partner to take the coupon.
Mosey to Auditorium loop

Heavy Dora (Dora with blocks): 100 OH’s, 200 Squats, 300 LBC’s

Mosey to Big Parking Lot
Sprint Parking Lot x2

Mosey to StartEx
SSH’s until everyone in

COT: What you focus on will appear bigger than everything else to you. When you’re tired, and don’t want to keep going because things are hard, don’t think about those things. Keep your mind on better things, and the problems will seem smaller.
Pray for these men as they go through this challenge. Pray every single one of them has the courage and fortitude to make it through.It was an honor and a privilege to lead this morning. Thanks to Moneyshot and Green Machine for converging, and for everyone out there who’s happy that Stronghold is back in session.
Detective Pikachu out.

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III Pillars – 12.27.22 – “Hippendicitis”

Three amigos enjoyed the cool temps and a stand-in Q at III Pillars this morning.

QIC: Princess Aurora

PAX: Go Fish, Grape

THANG:

Post-disclaimer, PAX carefully moseyed up to midfield for warm-o-rama.

COP:

  • SSH x 20
  • Windmill x 10
  • WMH x 10
  • Imperial Walker x 15
  • SnL Squats x 10
  • Good Mornings x 10 OYO

Hop over to the jungle gym and find some space for a 20’ AMRAP circuit of the following:

  • Pull-ups x 5
  • Merkins x 10
  • Big Boy Sit-ups x 15
  • SSH x 20

Find some space on low wall for another AMRAP circuit:

  • Dips x 15
  • Step Down R x 10
  • Step Down L x 10
  • Bent-over Y Raise x 15
  • Run 120 yds

RnR for 12’

Mosey back to start and get 10 quick reps of side-lying hip adductions (Thighmasters?) on each side

COT/Triangle of Man

MOLESKINE:

Felt good to lead again after having to punt on last Friday’s subzero Bomber and having the good problem of a steady stream of Qs and VQs at iiiP.

I owe it all to Hipster’s appendix which is the perfect segue into…

BULLHORN:

TAPs:

  • Hipster’s appendectomy and recovery
  • Grape’s and Go Fish’s small group
  • Holiday travel for all

Upcoming events:

  • 01.01.23 – NYD Convergence, 0600 at Bermuda Triangle in Brentwood
  • 01.02.23 – LeanPax Challenge begins – No alcohol, follow a *healthy* diet of your choice, and 30 minutes of exercise
  • 01.03.23 – Brewsday! (If you’re forgoing the above OR can stomach the taste of NA beer OR just want to hang out in a bar – all are acceptable)

Go Tigers!

PA out.

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Returns

Returns

Temp : 19
Gloom Factor : Mod

PAX : Esposa, EZGO, Works For A Guy, Topanga, Donkey Hammer, Bagger Vance QIC : BV

DISCLAIMER CLAIMED 0530:30

WOR – Mosey around school to block pile. Various carrying positions to front of CHE.
(Threw in bear crawl complex under pavilion)

THANG – RETURNS

Evens
5 Burpees
10 LCSP
15 ASTs
20 Romanian SS (SGL CT)
25 Prone Thrusters
Clockwise Bus Loop

Odds
5 Burpees
5 TUT Goblet Squats
15 Walkouts to DD
20 RDL Split Stance (SGL CT)
25 Plank Jax
Counterclockwise Bus Loop

AMLAP (all ended up w 2 each + 5 Burps for good measure)

Return blacks
Plank Progression Finisher

Time

NMM : There was a little chatter this am RE: Deep State’s repeated HCs = Fart Sacking, please advise.
Topanga EH’d FNG – Donkey Hammer an NP w TOA.
Esposa got some new gear.
EZGO was able to put his rural Florida upbringing behind him and drive in the snow to meet us.
W4AG went shorts, a bold play that really bit him in the arse with the skin to ground contact in some of our movements.
No one fell today during the workout which was good. However, there were 3 yard sales post COT that were YouTube worthy.

BH : LeanPax starring 3 Jan.

YHC,

🎒🐜

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Polar Qortex

 

Gloom Factor – High
Temp – 1ish
PAX : Uncle Jerruh, Local Boy, W4AG, Bagger Vance
QIC : BV

Disclaimer Claimed 0530:05

WOR –
Big Loop
SSH
WO2DD
Upper Loop
RL w Twist
Butt burners R/L
Upper Loop
Squat n Reach
Upper Loop

THANG –
Grab Presents
Head to Santa’s Pavilion

EVO I –
Sled I Cides
Push the new picnic tables sled style to the four columns and back to the baseline

EVO II –
Present Work
Dead Bugs
Rows
Merkins

EVO III –
Murder Present Suicides

EVO IV –
Cook Hip Ext x 20
Stretch
Hip twists
90 / 90 internal / external hip extensions
Froggers

TIME

NMM : Hearty group of 4 posted for the coldest F3 CH I can remember. Thank y’all for braving the elements.
BH : Prayers up for peace this season.

YHC,
🎒🐜

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iii Pillars 12-13-2022: Time Keeps on Slipping . . .

YHC was excited to travel east to join the HIM of iii Pillars.  Had to bring my best in terms of a theme/playlist . . . oh, and there was a workout too.  Today we focused on time – how we don’t know how much we have, we risk wasting it, and we must value it.

PAX:  Bad Boy, Formica, Go Fish, Govt Mule, Grape, Grisham, Haggis, Harbaugh, Headgear (FNG), Hipster, Howitzer,  Jazzercise, PA, Pep, T-cell, Vector (QIC) & Yum-yum.  

Conditions:   37 degrees but a pretty nice sunrise

Patented Cheesy Yet Secretly Good Playlist:  

Only Time Will Tell – Asia
Days Go By – Dirty Vegas
It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
4 Minutes – Madonna with JT
Time Has Come Today – The Chambers Brothers
Happy Hour – The Housemartins
Too Much Time on My Hands – Styx
Tik Tok – Ke$ha
If I Could Turn Back Time – Cher
Closing Time – Semisonic
Clocks – Coldplay

Disclaimer given and then mosey to the track, stopping to respectfully lunge up the hill:

  • Warm-o-rama:   SSH x 20, LBAC x 15, RLBAC x 15, Squats x 15, Toy Soldiers x 10
  • Thang 1:  Race the Clock:

12 Pull ups, 24 merkins, 30 squats, 60 LBCs and then run lap (clockwise, of course) — repeat until Q grew tired of this round

  • Thang 2: PAX O’Clock

Circle up.  Starting with Q, each PAX calls exercise for 12 reps.  While rest of PAX do the exercise, that person serves as the second hand, doing SSH until the 12 reps are over. Great mix of leg, arm, core exercises by the crew.

Ended with a demonstration of the well-wound clock with 60 SSH as a group.

  • Mosey to startex for a few last Flutter Kicks and Alabama Prom Dates.

COT:

  • Next Open Tab: This Friday, December 16th at Fat Bottom in the Nations (start ~5:30p) — topic : A relationship that has impacted you
  • NYE Convergence
  • LeanPAX coming in January (c’mon, HIM – you know you want 6 pack abs, right?)

Thanks, HIM.  Honor to lead you this morning.

SYITG,

Vector

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New blood

Backblast! Tampa from the block
Date: 125/2022
AO: #detention
PAX: @worksforaguy @esposa @deepstate @ar @ccr @bagofants @YHC
FNGs: 0
Q: @tampalibra
Total: 7
Conditions: Perf

WOR:
SSH x 25
Squat x 15
Merkin x 15
Flutters 4 count x 15
Finger bangers x 10 each way

Thang:

7s on the back hill:
Block crunch at the bottom
Burpee pull-up at the top
20 curl speed bump on your way up

Thang 2:
7s on baby front hill:
Kraken burpees on the bottom
Blockees on the top

Planned for a speed bump and to do Thang 2 at the church but audibled for time.

COT:
Lots of new blood in the shire, loved being back with you lot.

YES – bring donations if you’d like by this Wednesday at #the-racetrack, or drop by my house. Sign up to volunteer for YES event on 12/10 – afternoon slot. https://volunteersignup.org/LRPHE

Prayers: @esposa and his BIL as @esposa walks with him through his DUI and any related fallout

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Westeros 11-28-2022: Double the Effort

The PAX returned from the Thanksgiving holiday full of turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and other assorted feasts. YHC needed to think of a workout theme to start the pre-Christmas workouts appropriately.  Because sometimes you have to put in twice the work to get results, today’s workout was repeated and had an appropriately doubled playlist.

PAX:  Chunks, Crawlspace, Natural Ice, Right Said, Salpal, Siri, Spinal Tap, Supernova, Tool Man, & Vector (QIC).

Conditions:   47 degrees – practically balmy

Playlist:  

History Repeating – Propellerheads (playlist theme clue)
Promises, Promises – Naked Eyes
Bye Bye Bye – *NSYNC
Rebel Rebel – David Bowie
Doctor Doctor – Thompson Twins
Mony Mony – Billy Idol
Money, Money, Money – ABBA
Girls, Girls, Girls – Motley Crue
Say, Say, Say – Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
Talk Talk – Talk Talk
Louie Louie – The Kingsmen
Sugar, Sugar – The Archies

* Was pretty funny hearing the PAX try to determine the theme.  We went from my retirement announcement to I was becoming a banker to I was going to start running a strip joint . . . you’re thinking way too hard, my friends.

Disclaimer given and then mosey to the playground:

  • Warm-o-rama:   SSH x 20, LBAC x 10, RLBAC x 10, Willy Mays Hayes x 10 
  • Thang: 50 squats, 30 merkins, 10 pull-ups.  Run to front of school, do one burpee, return and start again.
  • 0551: Disclaimer #2 given
  • Warm-o-rama #2:  SSH x 20, LBAC x 10, RLBAC x 10, Willy Mays Hayes x 10 
  • Thang #2: 50 squats, 30 merkins, 10 pull-ups.  Run to front of school, do one burpee, return and start again.
  • Mary: Alabama Prom Dates x 10, Alabama Prom Dates x 10, Boxcutters x 10, Boxcutters x 10, LBCs x 10, LBCs x 10, J Los x 10, J Los x 10
  • Run back to startex and SSH x 10 and SSH x 10 for added measure.

COT:

  • Prayers for Baby Elijah and Salpal’s family; Praises for Supernova’s M (Happy birthday!)
  • Brewsday next Tuesday at 4:30p at 12 South Taproom
  • Next Open Tab: December 16th at Fat Bottom — topic TBD

Thanks, HIM.  Honor to lead you this morning.

SYITG,

Vector Vector

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Hobbling Gobbler 3.0

24 Nov 22

Hobbling Gobbler 3.0

Temp : 40ish
Gloom Factor : Moderate

PAX : Right Said, Det Pikachu, Michelin Man, Umbrella, Money Shot, Hipster, Care Bear, Skeet, Red Skull, Cowboy, Esposa, Happy Ending, Smoke Jumper, Siri, Offshore, Ponzi, Tampa Libra, Natural Ice, Tolkien (W/L STL), Black Lung, Works 4 a Guy, Floppy Disk, Turtle, Club Car (FNG 2.0), Yamaha (FNG 2.1), EZGO, Iron Lung, Toga, Hugs not Drugs, PSL, Sooner, T Cell, Toothless, Bagger Vance
QIC : BV, Money Shot, Michelin Man, Toothless

Disclaimer Given 0559:45

Thang :

Hobbling Gobbler 3.0 route.

NMM : Such a great turnout today. Grateful to see all the PAX converge at Machina Verde aka Green Machine aka 3rd Annual Hobbling Gobbler.
Ruckers rolled out at 0530 while Ponzi and Happy Ending did a pre run loop scouting all of our turns for us and even made an adjustment to one sign.
PAX all broke out together and soon split into several pace and convo groups. Young bucs along w FD and PSL out front. More seasoned PAX fell in behind.
Per usual, YHC hit the Porto Let at M1.2 while Iron Lung held back to watch my 6 … (types weirder than I expected).
The race was on upfront for the coveted prizes. While YHC wasn’t there to witness, word is there may have been a Mary Decker Zola Budd incident between Floppy and W4AG. Again, I can’t confirm but there was talk of reaching out to Dilfer to see if he had any finish line footage.
So many great connections post run. Was really cool to see PAX reach out to others and meet new Bros.
T Claps to our local sous chefs, line cooks, runners, et al T Cell, Toothless, Hipster, Det Pikachu, Money Shot.
See y’all tomorrow at either The Buff or Cruel Hall.
Next Convergence is 1/1/23. AO / QIC TBA stay tuned to the Slack for Deets.

BH :
Movin on Up’s new baby
Third Coast in Ukraine
413 class starts in Jan
Black Lung is Qing a gnarly 1stF challenge beginning 3 Jan 23. Be on the lookout for deets. Think it’s called the LeanPax challenge … hope someone designs some sweet gear for us to consume.