Final Tortoise & Hare for Class 2

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: Chunks, Right Said, bluemule, Decaf, Michelin Man, Longhorn, Skeet, Hacker (Franklin), Detective Pikachu, John Deere, Yak, Frozen, Westside, Pacer, C#, Triple Sevens, Blitz, Sgt Meatball
FNGs: None
COUNT: 19
CONDITIONS: A perfect morning for a run. 43 degrees, a beautiful sunrise, a train and a locked gate.

WARMUP: Westside took us through our warmup – SSH, IW, Stretches, Squats and Tappy-Taps

THE THANG: Pair up – each 4:13 Strong man picked an F3 running partner and set a goal time for the run. The pairings seemed to work well as today was our fastest run of the class. We were “All In” by 34:00 with 7 out of 8 4:13 Strong men setting a new PR.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Signing Day is this Friday, 11:30am. Come celebrate what these men have accomplished and stick around for some lunch and fellowship. It is one of the best ways to spend your Friday lunch hour.

COT: Red Skull closed with a prayer.

Concrete vs Steel

AO: thestronghold
Q: Chunks
PAX: Shocker (Mark Holmes), Dan Tanna, Young and Restless, toga, Grape, Dan and Dave, Skeet, Decaf, Red Skull, Right Said, Frozen, C#, Blitz, Sgt Meatball, Westside, Pacer, Triple 7, Yak, Wes (DR Seattle)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 20
CONDITIONS: More than Pleasant

WARMUP: No Warm Up – Played the Song “Great Day to Be Alive” as a 4 min warning and opportunity to stretch

THE THANG:

TRIVIA Concrete vs Steel

Divided the 4:13 men into their fraternities and divided the rest of the PAX

Must perform a Burpee before answering the question
Q1 – Core Principles of 4:13 Strong
13 SSH
Q2 – Mission of F3

2 Column Caboose is Loose run with YHC setting the pace

Round 2 – Bible
Q1 – Noah’s Sons Names
BOMBS – Starting at 5 and adding 5 reps each exercise
Q2 – How many years were the israelites enslaved

2 Column Caboose is Loose run with YHC setting the pace

Round 3 – Finances
Q1 – Reasons to save money
BOMBS – Starting at 10 and adding 5 reps each excercise
Q2 – Who needs a budget

2 Column Caboose is Loose run with YHC setting the pace

Round 4 – Work
Q1 – What does OSHA stand for
BOMBS – Starting at 10 and addeing 5 reps each excercise
Q2 – What are two free things you can bring to the job

2 Column Caboose is Loose run with YHC setting the pace

Stopped at stop sign and walked back to the Startex together.

Last Question for 5 points:
What are the requirements to graduate 4:13?

Group stuggled to answer this question, so we settled it with a Ring of Fire won by West Side.

Game ended in a tie for the first time.

Always honored to lead at 4:13. Thanks, Chunks

SIGNING DAY 4/26 AT 11:30 AM! Come support these men as they start the real work at their new jobs.

Tortoise & Hare v6

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: Hacker (Franklin), Longhorn, Chunks, Right Said, baggervance, Decaf, Michelin Man, Bruritto, Yak, Frozen, Westside, Pacer, C#, Triple Sevens, Blitz, Sgt. Meatball
FNGs: None
COUNT: 17
CONDITIONS: Perfect 66 degrees with a light mist at the start

WARMUP: SSH, IW, Squat, Stretch

THE THANG: Partner up – each 4:13 Strong man picked an F3 man to run with him and help him reach a new PR. It worked….today we had 4 PRs and 6 sub 30:00 finishers! Thank you to the PAX for your one-on-one encouragement today. You made a big difference.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: One more run with this class. Next Tuesday will be the final installment of Tortoise & Hare for this class. Signing Day is next Friday, 4/26 11:30am. I would love to pack the house and run out of food so please come join us!

COT: After setting a new PR, Yak closed us out with a prayer.

Tortoise & Hare

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: bluemule, Hacker (Franklin), Skeet, Longhorn, Decaf, Judy, Chunks, Buritto (Franklin), Yak, Frozen, Westside, Pacer, Trajectory, C#, Triple 7s, Blitz, Sgt Meatball
FNGs: None
COUNT: 18
CONDITIONS: perfect running weather – 63 and no rain!

WARMUP: Yak took us through a warm up which included SSH, IW, and a little stretching.

THE THANG: RUN!!! 3 miles around the campus. No train, no rain, a little pain. We have multiple PRs this morning – 5 from the 4:13 Strong guys and a couple from the F3 crowd. Overall, a great morning at The Stronghold.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: The 4:13 Strong annual fundraiser is this Thursday. Several of our men will be on the stage sharing a testimony or performing some original music. It is going to be a great night!

COT: Yak closed us with a prayer.

Last Minute Switch

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: Shocker (Mark Holmes), Chunks, Dan and Dave, Minnie Pearl, Bill Dance, Decaf, Young and Restless, Yak, Frozen, Westside, Pacer, Trajectory, C#, Triple Sevens, Blitz, Sgt Meatball, Mr. Clean
FNGs: 1 Mr. Clean
COUNT: 18
CONDITIONS: A chilly 46 degrees

WARMUP: Mosey to the gravel lot for a Toga-inspired warm-up:
– Motivators
– Slow and Low Squats
– Imperial Walkers
– T-Ups
– Scorpion Stretch

THE THANG:
– Run to the front STEM parking lot for some EMOM work: 15 burpees, 20 squat jumps, 25 WWI’s
– Run to the NSA parking for another round of EMOM work
– Run to the Dept of Safety parking lot
– 15 burpees then Lt. Dan’s with locked arms to the next light
– 20 jump squats then bear crawl to next light
– 25 WWI’s then crawl bear to final light
– Run to the helipad – 15 burpees
– Run to the maintenance parking lot – 20 jump squats
– Run to the smoke stack – 25 WWI’s
– Run to the hill for two attempts at crawl bears up the hill
– Run to the StartEx for a little Mary

ANNOUNCEMENTS: The Stronghold is headed to Franklin to defend the flag. Join us at The Armada at 0630 for a Mid-TN / Alabama convergence.

COT: Prayers for strength, courage and wisdom

Tortoise & Hare v3

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: Hacker (Franklin), Chunks, Judy, Decaf, Longhorn, Popper (DR from Alpha), Yak, Frozen, Westside, Pacer, Trajectory, C#, Triple Seven, Blitz, Sgt Meatball
FNGs: None
COUNT: 16
CONDITIONS: Windy, 72 degrees with occasional rain drops…perfect weather for a PR!

WARMUP: SSH, Slow & Low Squat, IW, Right/Left Stretch, WMH

THE THANG:
RUN!! We took the normal 3 mile route. No route disruptions encountered today.

Plenty of time for some Mary while waiting for the six. Mary included burpees, SSH, lunges and more burpees before dropping to the ground for some flutter kicks, prom dates and hello dolly’s

MOLESKINE:
We are in week four…the hardest week of the 40-Day Challenge. The 4:13 Strong men were invited to dig deep and keep pushing. A positive attitude and an honest effort is all it tasks to stay on track.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
4:13 Strong is headed to Franklin on Saturday to help defend the flag. Join us at The Armada at 6:30am and help keep Alabama from going home with our flag.

COT: Prayers for strength, wisdom and courage

Tortoise & Hare

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: Crawlspace, Hacker (Franklin), Michelin Man, Chunks, Judy, Decaf, Army Surplus, Yak, Frozen, Westside, Pacer, Trajectory, C Sharp, Triple Sevens, Blitz, Sgt Meatball, Training Wheels
FNGs: 1 Training Wheels
COUNT: 18
CONDITIONS: Wet and Soggy

WARMUP: SSH, IW, Squat, Leg Stretch, WMH

THE THANG: A perfect day at The Stronghold. The wet weather created a little adversity which provided the opportunity for us all to choose between an attitude of joy or frustration. The train created a disruption that allowed us all the chance to choose between doing the right harder thing or taking an easier shortcut.

MOLESKINE: Over the past week, we have let five men go from this current class (from 15 to 10) as we continue to weed out those that are not yet ready to take this opportunity seriously. Those five men are now back in uncomfortable, unsafe and even dangerous situations. Hopefully we will see those men come back and try again with a future class.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: The Tennessee vs. Alabama showdown is less that two weeks away. Help TN defend the flag by showing up on Saturday 4/6, 6:30am at Pinkerton Park in Franklin. Check middle-tn for more details.

COT: Prayers for the men at 4:13 Strong and for those that are no longer with us.

Tortoise & Hare #1

AO: thestronghold
Q: Red Skull
PAX: bluemule, Longhorn, Hacker (Franklin), Right Said, Chunks, Decaf, Young and Restless, Big Country, Wookie, D Pole, Mix Tape, Milli Vanilli, Comeback, Army Surplus, Frozen, For the Girls, Westside, Pacer, Trajectory, C Sharp, Triple Sevens, Blitz, Sgt. Meatball
FNGs: None
COUNT: 24
CONDITIONS: Very cold 27 degrees

WARMUP: SSH, IW, Squat. WMH, stretches

THE THANG: RUN!!! 3 mile loop around the campus. Not bad for the first official run. Fastest time for the new class was 28:23, and all in at 40:18. Had a little time at the end for some Mary.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Happy 37th birthday to bluemule. Thank you for starting your day at The Stronghold!

COT: Comeback closed us out with a prayer.

First One – Done!

AO: thestronghold
Q: Right Said
PAX: Dan and Dave, moneyshot, Betty Ford, Cowboy, Shocker (Mark Holmes), Skeet, Young and Restless, Decaf, Minnie Pearl, bluemule, Red Skull, Sunshine, Bill Dance, Wookie, D Pole, Comeback, Army Surplus, Yak, Frozen, Pacer, Mix Tape, Milli Vanilli, For the Girls, Westside, Trajectory, C Sharp, Triple Seven, Blitz, Sergeant Meatball
FNGs: 9 Mix Tape, Milli Vanilli, For the Girls, Westside, Trajectory, C Sharp, Triple Seven, Blitz, Sergeant Meatball
COUNT: 30
CONDITIONS: Absolutely perfect at 57 degrees

WARMUP:
Mosey to the front parking lot for:
– SSH, LBAC, R-LBAC, Seal Claps, Good Mornings, WMH
– Partner Up – 1 F3 PAX to 1 4:13 Strong Participant (we had the perfect number to get to our 1:1 ratio!)
Mosey to the basketball court with a quick stop at the Block Pile to pick up one block per pair.

THE THANG:
Assemble along the baseline – Partner 1 works while Partner 2 moves the length of the court and back, swap and then hold plank for all in.
– Round 1: Block Curls, Suicides
– Round 2: Block Squat, Lunge
– Round 3: Overhead Block Press, Suicides
– Round 4: Block Wings, Suicides

Circle up for the Doomsday Circle (Ring of Fire) – Each man does one merkin, advancing around the circle until 500 merkins were completed. If a break was needed, complete 15 SSHs and then re-enter the circle.

Mary – Flutter Kicks, Hello Dolly, Freddy Mercuries,

ANNOUNCEMENTS: The newest class is off and running. Thanks to the PAX from greenmachine who joined us this morning. It was great to have you out!

Six more weeks with this class. Come out and join them.

Discern the signs

AO: thestronghold
Q: morning star
PAX: Chunks, Skeet, Minnie Pearl, Wolfpack, baggervance, Dan and Dave, Decaf, Shocker (Mark Holmes), Red Skull, morning star, Woodpecker, D Pole, Wookie, Goldie Locks, Army Surplus, Yak, Frozen, Lost & Found, Evel Knievel, Sunshine, Neanderthal, Peach Pie, Prince’s Hot Chicken, Tatter Tot, Iron Flush, Mittens, Mr. Krabs, Long Horn, Bill Dance(?), Dantana, Cat Man
FNGs: 1 Cat Man
COUNT: 29
CONDITIONS: high 20’s and lively

5:30 – disclaimer given … YHC asked men to raise their hands if they were willing to take personal responsibility for their own safety. Modify as necessary.

WARMUP: mosey to the light, circle up … motivator x5, lazy imperial walkers x10, hard style low slow squats x11

YHC taught PAX how to do fast and loose drills (active recovery) … dubbed “Mickey’s” or “Soviet Sprinter Shakes” … the idea is to shake the tension out of your limbs as if you were shaking water off after a shower.

THE THANG: partner up and stay in a circle. 11 seconds of jump squats, then 49 seconds of active recovery …. for 30 minutes. pairs take turns carrying coupons around the basketball counts, completing 5 supermans between the far two goals.

PAX were instructed to transition from jump squats to SSH if they experienced 1 of 2 signs: lots their power on the jump or had trouble singing along/talking between sets of squats.

It was long and monotonous and we passed our time by encouraging each other, signing along with “Lean on me” (which was on repeat). The challenge was to stay mentally engaged the whole time; powerful jump squats and constant movement during active recovery.

Mary: baby crawl, bear crawl, cat crawl, imperial walkers, skipping … all done while moving in a circle.

MOLESKIN: YHC shared the story of when my mom kicked my dad out of our apartment when I was 13. Talked about how that flipped my world upside down. I cried myself to sleep that night, lonely and afraid. Ultimately my parents got divorced and my adolescence was an experience of me being emotionally orphaned; there was not a place in my home for my heart to express itself or grow in maturity.

YHC shared how I used to avoid my past, the painful memories and even grew to despise my story.

However, as I’ve leaned to go back to those traumatic moments, bring them into the light, share them with others … I’ve found the capacity to offer grace, kindness and tenderness to parts of my heart that were frozen in time. As I practice this, I grow in resilience.

Just as we had 2 signs that we used to transition exercises during the workout we also have signs that our heart and body gifts us with: emotions. Each emotion I experience can be a doorway into my story. And if I discern it and go back with curiosity and kindness I have an opportunity to find healing and ultimately grow in maturity.

New approach to consider: we accelerate our capacity to do hard things not by gritting our teeth but by offering tenderness to our hearts.

So, go forth and do the hard internal work … do it with a guide (a trusted friend or mentor or counselor) and see your maturity advance!

YCH blessed the PAX and we ended with “Heart on 3”.

Was wonderful to finally make it out to the stronghold.
– m out!