Buck on a Ruck

AO: the_eddy
Q: Sooie
PAX: Roadkill, Half Lyfe, Choo Choo, Sooie, Siri, Legos
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
CONDITIONS:
Verily, the morn broke cold as a miser’s mercy. 26 degrees with a sly, needling breeze that whispered of winter’s oncoming siege. Old Man Winter had not yet unsheathed his frosted blade, yet his breath could be felt upon the nape.

WARMUP:
Nay.

THE THANG:
Our fellowship, numbering six set forth westward beneath the paling gloam, rucks strapped firm like the burdens of ancient questing. Our boots found rhythm along the winding westward toward the venerable cemetery resting at the knees of mighty Mt. Eddy.

At the pavilions, we moved as one—six silhouettes vanishing and reappearing between cedar guardians, their boughs sighing. The path swelled upward, a slow heave, a subtle beckoning, all the while treading upon a road of gold: fallen leaves beaten flat as though by elven hands, paving our ascent to the summit.

Time, that ever-reluctant companion, betrayed us. 0615 rang out across the ridge though our loop remained unsealed. Yet YHC called the ruck to a halt where we stood. Numbers and names recited, announcements spoken, and petitions lifted skyward like sparks from a campfire.

Down the final slope, through the thinning trees and the reluctant dawn light, we made our return to the mortal trappings where the humming sound of automobiles ferrying commuters to their various destinations steadily increased. We sealed our brotherhood with the sacred draught: Sooie Brewie, the steaming elixir that stirs the bones awake.

But let it not be forgotten—
On the trail, as though summoned from forgotten legend, stood a buck, proud and unmoved, bearing eight points upon his antlered crown. A sentry of the forest realm. A sign, perhaps, or a silent benediction upon our wandering fellowship.

MOLESKINE:
Our quote for the trek:
“A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship.”
So spake Aragorn son of Arathorn, chieftain of the Dúnedain, ranger of the North.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Siri is leading a 0600 beatdown on 11/15 at the Percy Warner stairs.

COT:
‘Twas good to welcome back Half Lyfe to the gloom and hear him recount the various trials he endured during The Struggle!

The Great Beaver Beatdown 🦫 🌖

AO: pain-train
Q: Sooie
PAX: Siri, Roadkill, Juicy J, FLO, Cheeks, Sooie
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
CONDITIONS: A perfect 55 degrees, slight breeze, and basked in the smile of the Great Beaver herself.

WARMUP: 3 Truths and a Lie (F3 Edition)
Each PAX took turns sharing three truths and one lie while everyone did Imperial Walkers. Guess correctly? Reward yourself with 10 squats. Guess wrong? Pay the penalty: 10 burpees.
If the majority sniffed out the lie, the storyteller took the burpee penalty instead.

By the end, we learned a few surprising things about our brothers, some believable, some definitely HR violations if true.

THE THANG: The Labors of The Great Beaver
Juicy J made a brief cameo, then sped off after the “warmup” in his Prius to “save his body” for “the tussle,” dashing our hopes for an epic 3v3 showdown. So, the remaining five brave souls launched a co-op campaign to conquer four brutal labors:
– Labor 1 at gazebo 1: 100 Alternating Hand Block Merkins (as a group)
– Labor 2 at gazebo 2: 200 WWII Sit-ups with Blocks (as a group)
– Labor 3 at gazebo 3: 300 Goblet Squats with Blocks (as a group)
– Labor 4: the team returned to gazebo 1 for the Table Carry Gauntlet: 1 PAX at the front, 1 PAX at the rear of the picnic table, 2 PAX performing farmer carries with blocks, 1 PAX carrying a single block solo. We rotated positions as fatigue set in.
Completed 2 full rounds of the 4 Labors.

MOLESKINE:
None, other than reflection on the joy of doing hard (stupid) things together.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
– The Ascent (11/15) see Siri for details
– Pain train food drive, bring your non-perishables to pain train to help alleviate food insecurity in our community. See FLO for details.

COT: The Fellowship of The Beaver
Topics discussed:
– Siri’s unsolicited Zoom call contribution
– Apricot explosions (don’t ask)
– Chocolate milk + spicy peanuts + paintball = a questionable life choice
– Gallon Challenge CSAUP proposal
– FIRE! it isn’t anything.
– The mysterious inner workings of the male psyche
– Deep thoughts from shallow dudes
– Quantum entanglement and other things we don’t actually understand

Prayer Requests:
That none of our lives depend on opening a pickle jar for the next couple of days.

Thank you FLO for the Flo Joe and all who came out. Had a great time!

Station to station

AO: the-knoll
Q: Stubs
PAX: Wolfpack, Derby, Sooie, Roadkill, Stubs, Gold Digger, AAA, El Capitan, Juicy J, morning stār, Pebbles, Étouffée, Link (2.0), Bumblebee (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 14
CONDITIONS: chilly start but quickly warmed up

WARMUP: SSH x20
BACs x12
BacBacs x12
Shoulder presses x12
Slow squats X10
Willy Mays Hays OYO
Mosey to far stop sign (voted on by Pax on Election Day)

THE THANG:
5 teams
4 stations
5th team as timer carried 50LB sandbags to fire hydrant and back

2 Rounds
Mercs
Squats
LBCs
Dips

2 Rounds
Carolina dry docks
Swing rows
Freddie Mercuries
Step ups

With remaining time we did 11s on grassy hill
Jump Squats and Hand Release Mercs

MOLESKINE:
Don’t Borrow Worry

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Good Luck to All participants in the Tussle
COT: silent prayer and coffeterria

Hi Tired, I’m Dad

AO: f3dads
Q: Sooie , Black Lung, Derby
PAX: Shania, Grape, Sooie, Black Lung, Derby, Juicy J (JBowman), Two Face, Diego (2.0), SixSeven (2.0), Spidey (2.0), Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (2.0), Raisin (2.0), Craisin (2.0), Tonks (2.0), Fish Biscuit (2.0), Tiger Slash (2.0), Hotdog (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 17
CONDITIONS: Slightly overcast and 56 degrees. :pinched_fingers:

WARMUP: Black Lung kicked us off, acknowledging that none leading were proffessionals. A quick ~100 yard mosey got our heart rates up and Diego took over warming us up with some lunges, ab warmups and leg warmups. Black Lung finished up the warmup with some classic BAC, BBAC, and low, slow merkins.

THE THANG:
With our limbs now limbered, Derby took the helm, leading us in some fantastic EMOM’s. exercises were as follows
– 10 burpees, 5 sets
– 20-30 WW2’s, 5 sets
– 20-30 Squats, 5 sets
– Simon Says 5 minutes. Simon called out exercises. If PAX exercised when Simon didn’t say, PAX would perform 1 burpee for the first infraction, 2 for the second, 3 for the third to buy back in.

Now having worked up a good sweat, YHC led in some games:
– bear tag battle royale (3 rounds)
– Infection (3 rounds)
– Dad bear crawl assault. (2.0’s harassed dads as they attempted to bear crawl up the hill toward the goal.)

MOLESKINE:
Nothing better about being a dad than doing stuff with your kids! We took a moment to reflect on that and enjoy our time together

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Tussle coming up. Briefly considered the idea of a 2.0 Tussle.

COT:
Prayers were lifted. SixSeven offered a spontaneous prayer of gratitude for the unexpected blessing of chocolate milk! Enjoyed some fellowship over donut holes courtesy of Grape, bagels from Black Lung, coffee from Derby, and bananas & chocolate milk from YHC.

T-claps to Grape for getting this on the calendar, Derby and Black Lung for CoQing, and Diego for a great warmup!

The Trial of Pain at Insane Train!

AO: pain-train
Q: Sooie
PAX: Wolfpack, Derby, Stubs, Chili Dip, Juicy J (JBowman), Piglet, Sooie
FNGs: None
COUNT: 7
CONDITIONS:
The air, cold and crisp, at last rang the death knell of summer and heralded the final turn into fall. The stars faintly lit our chosen field, while the moon, in modesty or malice, hid its face from what was to come. The Magnificent 7 assembled beneath that dim firmament, resolute and grim, knowing full well the travail before them. For they had seen the playlist of pain unveiled the night prior — and none could plead ignorance.

WARMUP:
Warmup? Nay! Such luxuries are not found aboard the Insane Train.
Those who would ride her rails are expected to have stretched their sinews ere 0530 strikes. YHC issued the disclaimer, reminding all PAX that F3 aligns with no creed nor denomination and in those fleeting moments before the suffering began, urged each man to make peace with his Maker.

THE THANG:
Thing the First

Hand-Release Merkins, in cadence, performed until collective failure. None escaped the burn. A re-entry toll of 10 squats was levied upon any who dared rest — though lactic acid made swift work of all good intentions.

Thing the Second

Having rendered our arms unto jelly, the fellowship advanced upon the field — a 100-yard pilgrimage of lunges and squats.
For lunges, 2 is 1, and each interval saw our number increase by one:
1 lunge, 1 squat… 2 lunges, 2 squats… until the full measure of 10 had been reached.

At last, we stood before the cairn of cinder blocks, grim trophies of pain. “And now what?” someone breathed.
A gentle mosey back? Nay!
The call went forth: Murder bunnies! — all the long way home.

Thing the Third: The Circuit of Suffering

Having returned to our stations, we began a rotation. Each PAX endured one torment until the timer PAX completed their trial, then all advanced to the next circle of pain.

Block Work Stations:
• Concentration Curls — Bent at the waist, curl the block toward thy chest.
• Renegade Rows — Plank upon two blocks; lift one, then the other, in grim salute.
• Block Swings — Momentum and madness.
• Full-Collapse — Descend fully to the ground and rise again, the block ever in hand, never kissing the dew.
• Steering Wheels — Arms locked straight, blocks turned in furious orbit like mad charioteers in a hellish race.
• Three-Point Press — Lift to chest, extend outward, draw back, press to heaven. Repeat. Regret. Repeat again.

Timer Work:
• One lap ‘round the path
• Upon second rotation, replaced with 50 LBCs

When all had completed a full cycle, the PAX took a light mosey to clear the mortal coils of fatigue before returning to their posts.

Finale: The Sacred Brigade

With seven minutes remaining for the Magnificent 7, we undertook the Hot Squat Block Brigade — a low squat line, blocks passed hand to hand, legs trembling in fiery unity. Once all had been delivered unto their resting place, the PAX closed with a Ring of Fire, hand-release merkin style.

MOLESKINE:
YHC reflected upon the nature of burden and brotherhood how weight, shared among men, becomes lighter; how pain, endured together, transforms into strength. The morning’s frost could not chill what had been forged: a fellowship of iron beneath the cold October stars.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
f3dads and 2.0’s workout THIS SATURDAY 9 am. Green hills park.

COT:
Prayers were lifted for courage in hardship and grace in all endeavors. Derby Draught was downed in grateful camaraderie as the sun at last breached the horizon — a silent witness to our toil and triumph.

Weighted Dora

AO: the-knoll
Q: Derby
PAX: El Capitan, Malibu, Papa Bear, Gold Digger, The Banker, Timber, morning stār, Piglet, Half Lyfe, Pebbles, AAA, Juicy J (JBowman), Sooie, Roadkill, Bumblebee (2.0)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 16
CONDITIONS: Perfect!

WARMUP: SSH, BACs, BACBACs, Moroccan Night Clubs, Air Press, Good Mornings, Willie Mayes Hayes, PE Stretch

THE THANG: Partnered up for Dora. Runner runs around backstop while partner does the following using coupon/sand bag:

10 Chest Press
10 Squat
10 Curls
10 Rows

Upon return partners complete 20 WWII’s each then switch (~30 min)

Next switched up the work to 2x Planks and 2x Wall Sits w/ runner being the timer.

Closed out the time in a 1:45 group plank w/ last 30 secs hammering out as many Merkins as your arms can handle.

MOLESKINE: Challenged PAX to schedule a date with their significant others.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Encouragement for our AO Leader Half Lyfe in the upcoming Struggle this weekend!!!

COT: Prayed us out

Thank you for the opportunity to lead this morning!

Wolfpack Missed Shoulder Day

AO: pain-train
Q: Cheeks
PAX: Derby, G-string, Chili Dip, Sooie, Juicy J (JBowman), Stubs
FNGs: None
COUNT: 7
WARMUP:

PAX Lead shoulder warm up before I got there
20x SSH
WMH OYO

THE THANG:

Teams of 2
One teammate runs the track while the other does workout

1st – Overhead press
2nd – Bent over rows
3rd – Hand Release Merkins

11s
Squat Thrusters
Mosey
Lt Dans
Bear Crawl back

50x LBC
2 rounds of swimmers for a minute each
DJ Queued up Pony by Genuine
Pickle Pounders
Prom Dates in Cadence

MOLESKINE:

Ships float flawlessly when the water stays out. Once the water gets in they begin to fail. Don’t get wrapped up in the outside noise and your choice of entertainment. Those things can be impure and lead you to personal failure.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Chili cook off

Thanks for letting me lead men!

-Cheeks

Figure 8s

AO: pain-train
Q: Chili Dip
PAX: Wolfpack, Derby, FLO, Sooie, Juicy J (JBowman)
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
CONDITIONS: Perfect

WARMUP: SSH, BACS, BBACS, Merkins, squats

THE THANG: Mosey to Tennis courts.
Station 1: 8x Merkins
Station 2: Bear crawl across net
Station 3: 8x Iron Mikes (2-1)
Station 4: 8x WW2
Station 5: Burpee broad jump across net
Station 6: 8x shoulder taps (2-1)
Mosey back to parking lot
Lunging Mary-Burpee broad jumps, Merkins, WW2, etc…
Ended with 2 minute plank
MOLESKINE:
Thinking of all of the Government workers that are out of work/furloughed right now. Especially all of the families out there with a single income.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sooie on deck next week!!!!!
COT: Prayed us out

Up the hill and down the hill

AO: the_eddy
Q: Wolfpack
PAX: Choo Choo, Sooie, FLO, Stubs, Lady Liberty
FNGs: None
COUNT: 6
CONDITIONS: Perfection

WARMUP: nope

THE THANG: Took the main road to the left and all the way up to the top loop and back.

MOLESKINE: PAX organically broke up into pairs for most of the ruck.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Chili cook off on Oct 19th! F3Dads on Oct 25th!

COT: “You only failed to learn if you don’t learn from failing.” – Einstein

1979 – Smashing Pumpkins

AO: pain-train
Q: Chunks
PAX: Young and Restless, Pep, G-string, Cheeks, Roadkill, FLO, Squatter, Sooie, Wolfpack, Stubs, Half Lyfe, Hooters
FNGs: None
COUNT: 13
CONDITIONS: Perfect

WARMUP: Gave a 5 minute warning for the PAX to warm up.

THE THANG:

Partner Up and mosey to grab a coupon per team

Mosey to Church parking lot

Burpee Apocalypse

Round 1
Partner 1 Runs around Church Van Corral and back
Partner 2 – Shoulder Press
Switch

Round 2
Partner 1 Run
Partner 2 Tricep Ext
Switch

Round 3
Partner 1 Run
Partner 2 – Curls
Switch

Round 4
Partner 1 Run
Partner 2 – Bent Over Rows
Switch

Round 5
Partner 1 Run
Partner 2 Swings
Switch

Round 6
Partner 1 Run
Partner 2 Squats
Switch

Repeato! – Got to Round 4

Was great to see some guys pushing and racing each other back to their partners.

All of us took a mosey around the van corral and sprinted back to the coupons.

Headed back to drop off the coupons. Partner 1 took off with the coupon while Partner 2 did 5 Burpees and then caught Partner 1 to switch.

Stacked the coupons and mosey’d back to Startex

Finished up with another Burpee Apocalypse and some flutters.

MOLESKINE:

Thanks for the opportunity to lead. So excited to see how Bellevue has grown. Y’all are meeting a need. Keep up the good work HIMs.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Check Slack or ask Wolfpack

COT: