Tortoise & Hare #4

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: Young and Restless, Decaf, Barney, bluemule, Michelin Man, Wham-O, Chunks, Right Said, LIGHTNING(Devario Parson), Speechless (Bryan), Bubbles (Tyler Slaughter), hambone, Hipster, Old Maid, Step Back, Beyonce, Puppy Chow, Purple Rain, Napoleon, 1 Star, Black Jack, Cow Pie, Cool Runnings, Clorox, Big Mama
FNGs: None
COUNT: 26
CONDITIONS: Perfect for a morning run

WARMUP: Standard pre-run warm-up: SSH, Windmills, Squats, IWs, Stretches

THE THANG: Partner up and RUN!!! We had two 4:13 Strong men set PRs today at opposite ends of the clock. Cow Pie came in with a new class record of 24:04 and Big Mama finished in 40:30, shaving 15 mins off his first 3 mile time.

MOLESKINE: 26 men running 3 miles on a Tuesday morning at The Stronghold…what an amazing way to begin the day. Thank you to all my F3 brothers for coming out today! It was great to have the regulars and to welcome Bubbles (Tyler Slaughter), LIGHTNING(Devario Parson) and Speechless (Bryan) to the Tortoise & Hare!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 50 Mile CSAUP on 8/29…still time to put a team together. If you have a team with an open spot, there are several 4:13 Strong men that have expressed interest in joining in. Let me know and I can connect you.

COT: Prayers for family, school, strength, wisdom and endurance.

Tortoise & Hare, Run #3

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: Decaf, Barney, Michelin Man, bluemule, baggervance, Hipster, Drop Trow, Wham-O, Crawlspace, Tebow, Old Maid, Step Back, Beyonce, Puppy Chow, Purple Rain, Napolen, 1 Star, Black Jack, Cow Pie, Cool Runnings, Clorox, Big Mama
FNGs: None
COUNT: 23
CONDITIONS: Better than last week!

WARMUP: Chunks started us off with a challenge….achieve 3 PRs in the next 4 runs and win an All Out Running Co shirt!

He then led us through our pre-run warm-up – SSH, Squats, Stretches

THE THANG: Partner up and run. As the name indicates, we had a bunch of hares from the start. A herd of 10 4:13 Strong men took off like they were being chased while 2 stayed comfortably in the rear. By the time we hit the smoke stack, 5 of the 10 were gassed. By the time we circled the barn another 3 dropped back. But 2 maintained the quick pace and finished in the run in 25:00.

The six gave us more than enough time to work through a Burpee + Squat Apocalypse with some Flutters and WWIs at the end just for fun.

MOLESKINE: Failure to join the circle at the end of the workout resulted in a little extra running as a reminder of the importance of putting the group’s needs before your own.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: CSAUP 50 Miler coming up at the end of August. Get your 5 man team together now and remember that there are some 4:13 Strong guys that can help fill team gaps if needed.

COT: Prayers for Wendy’s in the loss of his sister; prayers for strength, wisdom and endurance.

Tortoise & Hare, Run #2

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: Wham-O, bluemule, Michelin Man, Chunks, Right Said, Crawlspace, hambone, Young and Restless, Hair Band, Judy, Decaf, Toto, Road Trip, Old Maid, Step Back, Beyonce, Puppy Chow, Purple Rain, Napoleon, 1 Star, Go Fish, Speed Date, Black Jack, Cow Pie, Cool Runnings, Clorox, Big Mama
FNGs: None
COUNT: 28
CONDITIONS: Moderate temps and high humidity created an absolute sweat-fest at The Stronghold.

WARMUP: Standard pre-run warmup routine: SSH, Squats, IWs, WMH and any other body part needing a stretch before running.

THE THANG: Pick your group (Fast, Medium and Less Than Medium) and RUN!!! Thanks to the great showing and encouragement of my F3 brothers, 8 out of 14 4:13 Strong men set a PR today. Thank you for showing up and offering encouragement.

MOLESKINE: Hard things are easier when you do them with someone else. Thank you F3 for such a strong showing this morning. I think this was the biggest run group we have ever had on a Tuesday!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 50 mile CSAUP on Aug 29…get your 5 man team together now. There are several 4:13 Strong men that are interested in participating so if you are looking for a fifth, let me know.

COT: Prayers for wisdom, strength and endurance.

The Meaning of Life is 42: Tales from the Fog Breathers

AO: westeros
Q: hambone
PAX: bluemule, Tim the Toolman, Old Maid, caprate, Drop Trow, Black Lung, Michelin Man, Shy Guy
FNGs: None
COUNT: 9
CONDITIONS: swampy AF

WARMUP: do that on your own time

THE THANG: SSH, IST, merkins, mosey

more mosey, more merkins

bear crawl x 10

pull ups + count up on burpees

lunges + bear crawls around tennis court

UH OH, WHAT’S THAT!?!?! Black Lung penalty is in effect for 21 minutes late. hambone multiplier is also in effect for 2x effort. The meaning of life is 42, and 42 burpees were done (mostly).

MOLESKINE: I don’t think I’ve ever seen bluemule hug a tennis court net–definitely a first. I also have a suspicion that our heralded AOQ was not out of the FS until 0517 this morning based on the poopyness level in the face.

Old Maid, you looked concerned during the sprints, but then you had a blast of energy and you crushed it. I saw the back give out on the burpees–sorry, it’s a short man’s game. Speaking of which, I think Tim the Toolman probably did 50+ burpees; he’s a show off, but he missed the meaning of life (which is 42).

caprate and Shy Guy had their moment of doubt, but once they remembered the Q was a wide man shaped like a barrel, they knew he would tucker out.

Black Lung you’re not late, you’re just chronologically challenged. You found us, and that’s what counts. Speaking of finding us, Drop Trow only had one parking lot to look in so it was easy today.

Michelin Man, I did keep it to 5 push ups. There was also a half-decent amount of running. To be honest, I planned for more, but the arrival of 42 helped redefine the meaning of the workout.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: silent crew

COT: silent crew, but we prayed to Jesus Christ and asked for the improvement of our lives.

PLAYLIST RATING: C’mon, you knew what it was going to be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtXby3twMmI

Struggle

AO: thestronghold
Q: tampalibra
PAX: Skeet, Barney, Wham-O, bigbang, Minnie Pearl, bluemule, House Arrest, Squatter (F3 Muletown), Red Skull, Decaf, Shocker (Mark Holmes), Hipster, Young and Restless, Dan and Dave, Chunks, hambone, Ponzi, Purple Tiger, Purple Rain, Black Jack, Beyoncé, 1 Star, Napoleon, Clorox, Old Maid, Go Fish, Step Back, Speed Date, Cool Runnings, Cow Pie, Puppy Chow, Big Mama, Kneecaps, Slick Rick, Tebow
FNGs: 17 Purple Rain, Black Jack, Beyoncé, 1 Star, Napoleon, Clorox, Old Maid, Go Fish, Step Back, Speed Date, Cool Runnings, Cow Pie, Puppy Chow, Big Mama, Kneecaps, Slick Rick, Tebow
COUNT: 36
CONDITIONS: Ripe

WARMUP: SSH x 30, Squats x 10, Merkins x 15

THE THANG:
Grab a block!

In the format of 7’s we started with 15 lunges (1is1) and 1 curl+1press, 14 lunges and 2curl+2press…1 lunges and 15curl+15press

Next we did 7’s: thrusters and burpees – mode of transpo is an overhead block carry

Circle up for 20 4-count flutters with block overhead, 19 block situps, 18 4CF’s, 17 block situps, etc all the way down. Don’t believe we made it past 15.

All-in-all a great workout! We were ~5 minutes over on the first two blocks, we should have had ample time to finish the core block. It’s not over-Q’d it’s the standard but 30+ guys are hard to move and hambone’s goofy ass tried to cause confusion on the counting and Red Skull somehow forgot how to demo a thruster like they haven’t been a staple of Struggle 001-004

MOLESKINE:
YHC got an urgent and tough call mid-workout that pulled me away for a second. Sobering example that stuggles dont care what you’ve got going on. Trying to help some dudes out? Trying to get your life in order? Finally submitting to God after years of straying? New baby on the way? New job? etc etc They’re coming brothers whether we like it or not so how can we prepare? We practice hard things so that we know how to respond when hard things happen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
F3 Ragnar thingy – get at Chunks if you’re one of those weirdos that love running
Struggle 005 – announcement and new promo video about to drrrrroop

Tortoise & Hare – Run #1

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: bluemule, Decaf, Young and Restless, Barney, Michelin Man, Wham-O, Chunks, Road Trip + 14 FNGS
FNGs: None
COUNT: 23
CONDITIONS: Sun light and very humid!

WARMUP: Standard Warm-Up – SSH, Squats, IWs, WMHs, stretches

THE THANG: Break into 3 groups – Fast, Medium and Slow…and then RUN!!!! Our fastest time was 23:25 and our “all in” time was 50:07. We had a great effort by several men who worked really hard and a couple men who decided to test the clock and leave some room for improvement.

MOLESKINE: A great first run. Now the mystery of the run is gone and everyone knows they can do it. Next week we will see improvement.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: None

COT: This is a big class full of energy and personality. The 4:13 Strong men are anxious for change and crave fellowship with positive men who can offer encouragement.

VF3NSS Pt. 2

AO: greenmachine
Q: SalPal
PAX: Pep, Esposa, Betty Ford, Matador, Cowboy, DintyMoore, Focker, bluemule, moneyshot, Westham (visiting from Omaha IIRC)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: Locked up tight.

WARMUP: Mosey to field.

THE THANG: 3 Sets, Song + Reading (10 Burpees) + Sketch (Routine)

Set 1: Get Lucky, Leadership, Death March
Set 2: Flower, Get Right, EMOM Sprints/Burpees
Set 3: Stairway to Heaven, Live Right, DORA

Close with 10 burpee buyout

MOLESKINE: Discussion on what constitutes martyrdom, whether Catholics go to VBS, whatever happened to mumblechatter at ~32 minutes in, and record-breaking calorie burn.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Nightmoves, CSAUP 50, Brewsday next month.

COT: F3/FIA Wedding, Travel, Work Anxiety

Stay salty y’all.

Look ma no hands

AO: 1stf
Q: SalPal
PAX: Black Lung, CubCadet, bluemule, Sam Mullaney, Strutter
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
CONDITIONS: very little parking

WARMUP: mosey around Parthenon

THE THANG: legs only Dora + wall sits. Death march to close.

MOLESKINE: Strutter tried to EH some teenagers. Black Lung walked us through the finer points of eating sh*t.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Night Moves, every 2nd Thursday of the month! Strutter on deck for August!

COT: Black Lung closed with Our Father.

Beers followed at SpringWater. What a gem. 10/10 would go back with cash next time.

Looking forward to relaunching this tradition. Green sally out.

A Weirdly Perfect Playlist

AO: titan
Q: Vector , Natural Ice
PAX: Pep, DintyMoore, CubCadet, bluemule, Hipster, Wolfpack, Cropduster, GameStop, Squatter (F3 Muletown), Spinal Tap, Tim the Toolman, Choo Choo, West Ham (Willy Lohman)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 15
Several months ago, Natural Ice and I were asked to Co-Q a Battle of Playlists Epic Q at Titan. Yet, the two of us are not fighters; hence, we pooled our powers to craft the GREATEST PLAYLIST OF ALL TIME (or GPOAT)! The theme was unstated, leaving the PAX to wonder what was this madness. Kudos to Pep who called the theme by song #3: A Weird Al tribute with the regular songs during Half Vector and the Al parodies for Half Ice.

CONDITIONS: Humid yet perfect

WARMUP: Mosey to front of Parthenon (aka Where the Giant Head Lives), only to find an equally weird potty training set up care of Cocomelon. SSH, LBAC, Overhead Raises, Seal Claps, RLBAC, and Imperial Walkers to start the show.

THE THANG:
Half Vector:
Playlist:
– Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
– I Love Rock ‘N Roll – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
– Like a Virgin – Madonna
– Bad – Michael Jackson
– Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) – The Offspring
– Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio

DORA with partner, who runs counterclockwise around oval: 100 merkins – 200 Dips – 300 Iron Mikes – 400 squats

Half Ice
Playlist:
– Smells Like Nirvana – Weird Al
– I Love Rocky Road – Weird Al
– Like a Surgeon – Weird Al
– Fat – Weird Al
– Pretty Fly for a Rabbi – Weird Al
– Amish Paradise – Weird Al

DORA with partner, who runs clockwise around oval: 100 Amish Merkins (aka Incline Merkins) – 200 Accordion Step Ups – 300 Eat It Crunches (feet on bench) – 400 Tacky High Knees (“exaggerated form encouraged”)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Night Moves tomorrow at Titan. CSAUP in August.

COT:
Prayers for work, safe travels, visas. Much praise of the playlist was overheard among the PAX. Words like “brilliant,” “fantabulous,” and “masterpiece” were bandied about. Ultimately all agreed: A ++++ with one more + to grow on.

CoverBands Kept Us Moving

AO: middle-tooth
Q: Cowboy
PAX: Matador, Toothless, Focker, Betty Ford, sooner, DrRupp, Choo Choo, Esposa, Pepsi, bluemule, Puzzlah
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
CONDITIONS: Cool, Moist. Engaging. Invigorating. Fast Paced. Efficient but confusing at times,

WARMUP: Some Bro-ga, Some streatches, Slow-n-Low Squats, Cowboy Giddy Ups, SSH,

THE THANG: Tabata x 2 + 1
Mosey, Burpee Buyin, Pair Off
1. Tabata Timer: 2 Stations 2 sets 4 Rounds / Set 16 intervals total: Work:30 sec Rest Transition 15sec: Mike Tysons against the wall vs Wall Jumps – Partner takes opposite exercise, Burpee & High Five you partner in transition. Then Mosey to Thang 2
2. Tabata Timer: 4 Stations, 2 Sets 4 Rounds / Set 32 Internals total: Work 30 sec, Rest Transition 15 sec: Pull Ups, Swing Thrusters, Crunchy Frogs, Incline Merkins. Mosey to Thang 3
3. Plain-Ole 11s (except only 7s per time constraints). Cowboy Giddy Ups vs Iron Mikes: Back to partners. Partners start at opposite ends. Both start at 6 on their end but with opposite exercise. Move to opposite end and do One, and continue as normal 7s…. Except when you meet in the middle Five Slap Merkins with your partner.
Back to Start for NO-Mary NoTime.

MOLESKINE: sooner shared personal connections to tragic loss in Texas Mystic Camp. It is good to feel the hurt and loss and not deflect or avoid. We love and care deeply at the risk of hurt when lost. This is living fully. But our hearts long for a world where that risk does not exist. The creator God as revealed has promised this day will come when “every tear is wipe away” and we can experience the life our hearts long for. It is hard to see and believe in the middle of hurt.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Night Moves Thursday titan location 7:30pm ; CSAUP 50 Relay end of August.

COT: Count, Announce, Prayer