Short Card, Knoll Ed.

AO: the-knoll
Q: Malibu
PAX: Pebbles, AAA, Waffle, Timber, Stubs, Sparrow, Sooie, morning stār, Malibu, Bumblebee
FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
CONDITIONS: 27*, frosty, and motivated.

WARMUP: Mosey to stop sign, BAC+BBAC, slow squats, imperial walkers, something else I can’t remember rn, and stretching on own.

THE THANG: modified version of a workout from an earlier life: the Marine Corps Recon Short Card. The Knoll’s edition of this is: tabata (120s work, 60s rest) of each:
Squats
Mericans
Burpees
Crunches (dealers choice of WWI, WWII, baby crunches, or other)
Mountain climbers
Flutter kicks
Burpees again
Daisy pickers
Back extensions
American Hammers

MOLESKINE: sometimes life stretches you and diminishes your ability to create new things. A lesson from Marine Corps days in these situations: sometimes the value of habits isn’t in something new but in going through something that works. Grateful for this community to do the work in the dark, cold, and yet wonderful mornings together.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: lean pax coming up in January.

COT: Closing prayers for family and brothers, in the words of a great friend (Peace at Last, JH Newman).

Coffeeteria ftw, thanks to Pebbles for bringing the brew!

Simplify

AO: the-knoll
Q: El Capitan
PAX: morning stār, Sparrow, Stubs, El Capitan, FLO, Half Lyfe, Papa Bear, Pebbles, Pitmaster, Sooie, @Bumblebee (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: damp & foggy; mid-50s

WARMUP:

10 minutes of Pilates Warrior Flow with speed cardio mixed in (mountain climbers, scissor kicks)

THE THANG:

Part 1: Held a 90-30-Run around the Flood Table

Workouts included:
1. Elevated merkins
2. dips
3. Step-ups
4. Elevated shoulder taps
5. Elevated crunches

Work for 90 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, run to backstop & back as a group.

Discussed the F3 Mission Statement, Credo, and what F3 means to us as men during the rest breaks.

Part 2: Light Battle

Split into two teams / three light-up cones per side

Object of game is to change color of all three lights of other team first by hitting the (hard-to-push) buttons.

If you are tagged (two hand touch) by a defender, you must return to your side’s end zone & perform 5 Lt. Dan’s before returning to game.

MOLESKINE:

December is an extremely busy month. I’m grateful for the opportunity to simplify with a straight-forward workout & focus on stretching (something I haven’t had time to do in weeks!). I encouraged the Pax to remember the Advent season with the word “Immanuel” (God with us). The birth of Jesus & His Presence with us through the Holy Spirit is a great comfort in the chaos.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

LeanPax starts in January. Enjoy those treats while you can. 😀

COT: Countorama, Nameorama, and ended with Mountain Mojo + Mochas.

I’m grateful for y’all! :el-capitan:

Partner Murph

AO: the-knoll
Q: Pebbles
PAX: Sooie, Stubs, Timber, The Banker, Papa Bear, Étouffée, Siri
FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
CONDITIONS: Cold, frosty, 20deg

WARMUP:
Side Straddle Hops
Half mile mosey
Slow Merkins
Slow Squats

THE THANG:

Murph with a partner. 100 pull ups, 200 merkins, 300 squats total as a team. 1 partner ran 200meters while the other was working.

11s on the hill – Carolina Dry Docks & Iron Mikes

MOLESKINE:
I used to think a virtuous man impressed others with feats of strength on the battlefield. I’m realizing now that the real battle starts in the mind. It’s the struggle to get up with the alarm, choosing to do the right thing, push when things fee hard. These small acts of will are what make a man virtuous and strong.

Inspired by all of you who choose to wake up early and do something hard.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
LeanPax starting soon.

COT: Prayers offered

Keep it Simple

AO: the-knoll
Q: Wolfpack
PAX: Hair Band, El Capitan, Timber, Sooie, The Banker, FLO, Parka-Eh, Pitmaster, Pebbles, Papa Bear, Malibu, Half Lyfe, morning stār, Link, Bumblebee, Schmoltz, Goliath, Ace, Monkey, Dr.Kitty, Taz
FNGs: None
COUNT: 22
CONDITIONS: Little wet, but temp was right

WARMUP: Jog around the Knoll while the 2.0’s call out various movements to get those joints loose.

THE THANG:
Tabata: 30 seconds on 10 seconds rest. 4 exercises in a round. 4 rounds total:
– Merkins
– Mountain Climbers
– Squats
– High Knees

VCR
Split up into pairs. One PAX is the VHS and the other has the remote. If remote runs backwards, the VHS goes in slow motion. If remote runs forwards, the VHS goes fast. If the remote pauses, the VHS holds it’s current position in the exercise.

4 rounds of Squats
4 rounds of Merkins

5 minutes of Yoga then 10 minutes of Mary

MOLESKINE: Little bit of mumble chatter. Lots of 2.0’s today, which always makes it fun!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: morning stār on Q next week with so get ready for some cold cold ice plunges.

COT: In NoNoiseNovember I have reflected on some of the key writings I find important. I’ve found that these are broken out into three categories that really feed off of each other. So a reminder to PAX to make sure you have a FOUNDATION to build your ACTIONS off of so that you can push into the unknown and GROW. For me, I use the Tao Te Ching for my Foundation, The Four Agreements for Action and Emerson’s Self Reliance for Growth. Find what works for you and take the time to read and reflect

FREEDOM!

AO: the-knoll
Q: G-string
PAX: Pebbles, Timber, Waffle, AAA, Stubs, Sooie, morning stār, Ike(William Herbert), Bumblebee, The Judge, Rubix
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
CONDITIONS: Warmer than Tuesday and wet

WARMUP:
13 of each for the colonies
– SSH
– Don Quixote
– Hill-billy
– BACs
– Merkins
– Indigenous people’s run to the stop sign and back

THE THANG:
– 56 Pull-ups for the 56 signatures on the Declaration of Independence
– 65 No Surrenders for the 65 countries who have won independence from Great Britain
– 76 Merkins for 1776 signing of the Declaration and the 76th birthday of the British Monarch, King Charles
– 87 Squats for 1787 ratification of the Constitution
Each of the PAX was encouraged to modify up or down according to their ability. There were Sandbags and Coupons available.

One of the cultural phenomenon lost as the British Empire spread was stone lifting in Ireland and Scotland. There were heavy stones of cultural significance that the people lifted as rights of passage, job interviews, funeral games, etc.
I brought a large stone from home that anyone who wanted to could attempt to lift. T-Claps to Timber and Waffle for lifting the stone, to Pebbles and morning stār for working together, Sooie for getting an ghaoth faoi (the wind under it), and to the 2.0s for their heart to try!!

MARY:
– American Hammers
– WW1s
– WW2s
– Panamas

MOLESKINE:
There were blocks and sandbags to allow PAX to modify up as well as options to modify down. Know yourself and what you need. Push yourself when you can, and pull-back when you need to.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
– No Noise November
– Bingro

COT:
– Prayers were offered up.

KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid)

AO: the-knoll
Q: G-string
PAX: Stubs, AAA, Pebbles, Timber, morning stār, El Capitan, Sooie, Ex-Pat, Siri, Papa Bear, Sparrow, Bumblebee, the Judge, Rubix
FNGs: None
COUNT: 16
CONDITIONS: Cool and damp

WARMUP:
– SSH
– Seal Claps
– Overhead Press
– Mission and Credo while stretching
– High Plank with 5 merkins for each of the 5 core principles

THE THANG:
– Brief run to the far stop sign with stops
– 10 Burpees
– Politician two houses
– 10 Iron Mikes
– Karaoke two houses
– Wounded Bear Crawl
MAIN THANG: Partner up for a DORA
– 100 Pullups
– 200 Bulgarian Split Squats
– 30 yard Bear-crawl
– One partner crawls while the other does reps. Alternate bear-crawl and crawl-bear

Count the number of sets each pair took to complete the work (35 total). 7 PAX over the HC count (thought it was 8 because I didn’t count the 2.0 HC).
Set out to finish with 8 sets of:
– 35 merkins
– Hill Sprint

T-Claps to Timber, Pebbles, and AAA for completing six sets.

MOLESKINE:
I tried for a long while to come up with a super involved workout that would have taken as much time to explain as it would to do. But then I remembered to just keep it simple. Do lots of just a few exercises, and it’ll work. Sometimes I get so bogged down in the details that I forget simplicity. How often things go better if we do them the straightforward way.
Also, we often say to “modify as necessary,” with the thought of modifying down, but what about modifying up? How often do we challenge ourselves and really try hard? Today I wore a weight vest to challenge myself a bit more, and it was brutal! I felt like it was my first workout all over again. Seek out challenges when they are available.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
none

COT:
-Thankful for our veterans

The Gauntlet

AO: pain-train
Q: Wolfpack
PAX: Siri, Cheeks, Sooie, Timber, G-string, Pitmaster, Stubs
FNGs: None
COUNT: 8
CONDITIONS: Little mist in the air. Perfect to hit the gauntlet.

WARMUP: SSH, BAC, BACBACs, SC, OP, WMH

THE THANG: THE GAUNTLET!

Timer set to 30 minutes

Cones set out all 10-20 yards apart. Performed an exercise at each cone and movement between cones as listed below:
– Walk
– Squat
– Mosey
– Merkin
– Mosey
– Crunch frog
– Mosey
– Burpee
– Mosey
– Coupon suitcase carry
– Bear crawl
– Sprint
– REPEAT

Started with 1 Rep and increased reps by one each lap.

Ended with 5 minutes of breathing and Yoga

MOLESKINE:
Tclaps to G-string and Timber for completing 16 LAPS! That’s 136 reps of squats, merkins, crunchies and burpees. Phew!!

Tclaps to all the PAX who came out and pushed today!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: tussle coming. Volunteers needed.

No Noise November has begun. Grab an accountability partner and tone down the electronic use and tone up self reflection.

COT: Reminder to all PAX that to get stronger you have to add reps. Don’t be afraid to push yourself!

4 Minutes Ain’t Nothin’

AO: the-knoll
Q: Timber
PAX: El Capitan, Ex-Pat, Sooie, G-string, Sparrow, Pebbles, Papa Bear, Wolfpack, Stubs, Timber, Smoltz (2.0), Rubiks (2.0), Link (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 13
CONDITIONS: Chilly (43 degrees), damp, dark

WARMUP: SSH, Slow Merkins, Slow Squats, Don Quixotes, High Knees (talked about F3 mission, 5 core principles, credo between exercises)

THE THANG: AMRAP; 6 exercises, 4 minutes each, 1 minute rest in between
Exercises:
1. Burpees,
2. LT Dans (10, 15 yard murder bunny w/coupon, 9, murder bunny, etc.)
3. Perfect Merkins
4. Squats (level up option w/coupon)
5. Floor to Ceiling (coupon)
6. WWIIs
*option to jog 50 yrds and back for a break at any point during the 4 minutes

MOLESKINE: Hoping for dry grass, we got wet grass. No worries, the men of the knoll executed instructions with minimal mumble chatter. Everyone layered up nicely, and quickly began to shed layers. El Capitan provided some warm coffee afterwards to warm up the bones. Good push by all.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Chiliteria this Sunday @ Shelby Park from 12:30p-2:30p. Sign up docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17_9407aYu87ZAMPuzUaCmJ3WaD7bwOyDyOxLUXz_BP8/edit?gid=0#gid=0!

COT: My youngest’s 4th birthday is today (where is time going??) which has caused me to reflect on slowing down time and reflecting on each day I have. God has gifted us so much, including each day. Whenever I’ve given a gift to someone, I’ve wanted them to cherish it and use it. May we do the same with God’s gifts – show gratitude for our lives, pour into those around us, and not take our gifts and challenges for granted.

Thanks for putting in the work with me this morning, men!
-Timber

Burpee Roulette

AO: the-knoll
Q: Pebbles
PAX: Pitmaster, Sooie, AAA, Ex-Pat, Lady Liberty, El Capitan, morning stār, Bumblebee, Eagle
FNGs: None
COUNT: 10
CONDITIONS: cool

WARMUP:
Inch worms
Motivators
Bacs
Bac Bacs
Slow Merkins
Slow Squats
Stretch oyo
Burpee Apocalypse!!!

THE THANG:
Deck of Cards
Clubs- Burpees
Diamonds – Carolina Dry Docks
Spades – Iron Mikes
Hearts – WWIs

5 min of Mary

MOLESKINE: Fortitude – courage and tenacity. Getting out of bed early, doing something hard, etc. are all habits that are developed one small step at a time.

The world record for burpees in one hour is 1,027. Today as a group we did 1,120 burpees.

Honored to continue to grow in fortitude with all F3 brothers. Together we can do big things.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Check slack

COT: Prayed in thanksgiving

Games in the Dark

AO: the-knoll
Q: Sooie
PAX: AAA, El Capitan, Ex-Pat, morning stār, Pebbles, Sooie, Stubs, Wolfpack, Bumblebee (2.0), Tonks (2.0), Fish Biscuit (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 11
CONDITIONS: Perfect

WARMUP:
Head and shoulders OYO
BAC
BBAC
Imperial Walkers
Cherry Pickers
Don Quixote’s
WMH OYO
Slow squats
Slow Merkins
20 yard mosey

THE THANG:
2 team relay
2 cones 20 yards apart
Each team sends a runner down to perform exercise, runner sprints back. After everyone on the team ran, we progressed to the next exercise. First team to finish wins. Exercises were:
5 burpees
10 jump squats
15 WWII’s

GAMES!!!
Bear Crawl Tag to determine who would hold the torch first in Torch Tag.
Torch Tag
1 pax with a flashlight, all other Pax try to tag them. Pax had to do SSH while the flashlight was shining on them. Bumblebee held the torch longest.
Infection
Toilet Tag

Ring of Fire to 5

MOLESKINE:
Didn’t have much of a moleskine planned other than having family fun during fall break.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Big announcement coming 10/10! Come to the-knoll to find out.
Chili Cookoff 10/20. 12:30-2:30 Shelby Park. Bring your M’s and 2.0’s. See Wolfpack for additional details.

COT:
Prayed for East Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida as well as PAX traveling over fall break.

Enjoyed the Mtn Mocha generously provided by El Capitan !