QIC: Wham!
14 PAX: Trump; Plumb Bob; Blueprint; Captain Insane-O; PED; Fridge; Sump Pump; Noxeema Jackson; Violet; Dynomite!; Deep Dish; Maxi; Fergie; Wham! (Q).
Time: 0515
Weather: Cold and windy. 29* with a “Feels Like” of 18*
ZooZooLemon Gear Check: Black tights underneath navy blue GoRuck Simple Pants; Gray Under Armour cold gear long sleeve shirt underneath blue (Carolina blue, not Kentucky blue) hooded sweatshirt; Black ninja mask with black beanie on top; Solomon Speedcross 3’s.
Pre-WO
As some of you know, I participated in a men’s retreat at Holy Trinity this past weekend. Without giving details, suffice it to say that it was an exhausting but rewarding experience that I would recommend to anyone, but in retrospect, signing up to Q the next morning was not my most well thought out decision. However, I knew my F3 brothers would be at the O waiting for me this morning, including several guys who were on the retreat with me (shout out to CI, Sump Pump, Blueprint, Fridge and PED), and so I woke up with a surprising energy that has honestly lasted all day. A shout out also goes to Dynomite! (who is my former neighbor and F3 son) for posting at the O for the first time today and bringing a clown car with Deep Dish and Maxi. Hell, even Noxeema Jackson showed up for me today. Needless to say, I was thrilled and humbled by the turnout on a cold and windy Monday morning. Fist bump to you gents.
COP
After the requisite disclaimer, we moseyed to the O’s basketball courts and circled up for the following:
– 20 SSHs in 4 Count Cadence
– 15 Abe Vigodas in 4 Count Cadence
– 15 Imperial Squat Walkers in 4 Count Cadence
– Kendra Newman’s OYO
– 15 Merkins in 4 Count Cadence
– 15 Flutter Kicks in 4 Count Cadence
Thang 1
The first Thang of the day consisted of getting from the O’s basketball courts to Cogan’s Corner, which would be the site of Thang 2. Rather than just running from Point A to Point B, I decided to mix things up a bit. We started with a mosey from the basketball courts to the long downward hill that leads to Beals Branch Drive. Starting at the top of the hill, the Pax broad jumped all the way down the street until we got to Beals Branch Drive. Quick 10 count and then we were on our way via crab walking to the bridge a little bit further down the road on the way to Cogan’s Corner. We stopped at the bridge and split into 2 groups. Group 1 did 5 derkins with feet on the bridge wall, then bear crawled across to the other bridge wall, turned around and did 5 more derkins, and then bear crawled back to the starting point for 5 more derkins. While this was happening, Group 2 did AMRAP squats. The groups then switched (with Group 2 doing derkins and Group 1 doing squats) and then moseyed the rest of the way to Cogan’s Corner for Thang 2.
Thang 2
Jacob’s Ladder was the plan for Thang 2. This consisted of running up the Cogan’s Corner hill and doing an ascending number of burpees at the top (starting with 1 and increasing by 1 each time up the hill) with the goal of ultimately getting to 10 burpees at the top of the hill. To change things up, YHC had the Pax Bernie Sanders up the hill each time. My shins are currently not happy with this tweak, but hopefully we are all better for it. Because I am a kind and gentle Q, I allowed the Pax to “rest” at the bottom of the hill each time by sitting on their six and busting out 10 gas pumps. We did this for approximately 10 minutes but due to time restraints, we had to stop short before getting to 10 burpees and move on to Thang 3. I think I made it to 7 burpees before we moved on.
Thang 3
By the time we moseyed from Cogan’s Corner back to the O’s running track, it was 0603, so we had 12 minutes remaining. Thang 3 was inspired by something called Burpee Bear Crawl 11’s, but because we had already done plenty of burpees, I changed it to something called Merkin Bear Crawl 21’s. This started with a bear crawl of 20 paces (1 count for each reach of the right hand) and then 1 merkin (thus equaling 21. Math!). The Pax would then stand up, turn around and lunge walk back to the starting spot. Once back to the running track, the next round would be 19 bear crawls, 2 merkins and then lunge walk back. This pattern continued (decrease bear crawls by 1 and increase merkins by 1 each round, always equaling 21) until YHC called time at 0613. I think I made it to 12 bear crawls and 9 merkins, but I was bringing up the rear.
With 2 minutes remaining, a standard native American run was called to get the Pax back to the shovel flag. It was a brisk pace and we arrived back at the flag at 0615ish.
COT
Per SOP, we counted, we called out our F3 and hospital names (and ages) and then we did announcements and intentions. In my closing remarks, I talked about how much F3 has meant to my life and gave the example of me having attended the retreat mentioned above this past weekend. Without F3 in my life, I likely wouldn’t have known about or been invited to the retreat. It would have just been another paragraph in the church bulletin that I may or may not have noticed and wouldn’t have followed up on. Instead, because of F3, I was invited by multiple guys and was able to experience an amazing weekend of reflection and growth that will make me a better man. Yet another reason why F3 has changed my life for the better.
Time to wrap up. Gotta be back in the gloom in less than 7 hours and I can’t wait to be there.
-Wham!
F3 Louisville 