Q: Diablo
PAX: (26) Tron, Wiki, Worm, Valdez, Fanny Pack, Kilo, McAfee, Catfish, Huggies, Mr. Kotter, Glen Ross, Tony Malito, My Boy Blue, SnowDay, Snowman, Jitterbug, Meter Maid, Tool Time, PK, Digiorno, Plumb Bob, Rosie, Handbook (FNG), G-String, Krzyzewski, Diablo
Introduction: YHC wanted to put together a 9/11 Memorial Ruck. I thought about it, sent my man Kilo a text for his thoughts, he confirmed my thinking, and I put out the invite. Fellas, it’s no more complicated than that. With F3, you are freed to lead.
We spoke quite a bit about 9/11 this week. Many PAX had a moving morning with Stormtrooper at The County, a HIM who truly answered the call after 9/11, served his country, and now serves as a firefighter. (We are blessed and humbled to have so many Veterans and first-responders within F3 Louisville. I’d like to name them all, but I would undoubtedly omit one. But, you know who they are.) Several of us spoke about it in the Gloom one way or another, and I was proud to be a small part of it.
For this event, we paid honor in our small way to the 23 NYPD officers killed on 9/11, the 37 Port Authority responders killed on 9/11, the 55 Army personnel killed on 9/11, and the 2,343 US troops killed during Operation Enduring Freedom.
The Ruck
I arrived at 8:45 to be “early,” but of course Jitterbug, Snowman, Kilo, and others were there before me, already loading gallons of water into Jitterbug’s Jeep for Wayside Christian Mission.
At 9:11 pm, PAX rucked up and circled up for what turned out to be a pretty decent smoke session. Here’s what we did:
All with ruck on –
9 SSHs (IC)
11 Squats
23 Jug Curls
37 Lunges
55 Calf Raises
As the PAX caught their breath for a moment, and paid homage to Huggies and Mr Kotters’ swole arms, YHC asked Kilo to tell the PAX what F3 means to him. Kilo, never short on energy or words, gave a 2 minute spiel that we should have recorded. This fired the PAX up a bit.
PAX then did the next round:
All with ruck on –
9 Burpees
11 Plank Jacks (IC)
23 Jug Curls (IC)
37 Copperhead Squats
55 Bonnie Blair’s
It was humid and the PAX had worked up to some heavy breathing at this point. While PAX took a short break, YHC asked Tool Time to tell us what rucking means to him. As you know, Tool Time is always up for a ruck, and is one of the best men we have to have next to you on a movement. (His 2.0 is a beast, too.)
But back to the work, which next included:
All with ruck on –
9 Up / Downs
11 Copperhead Squats
23 Jug Curls
37 Shoulder Taps
55 Calf Raises
Sweat was literally dripping from YHC’s hat at this point. Needing a breath, YHC asked Meter Maid how rucking has made him better. He told the PAX some of what we’ve all noticed regarding his health and fitness levels. Meter Maid is what a TV sports pundit would call “sneaky strong,” but, that’s not going to be the case much longer. Rucking has helped push him to a different level, and his talk further fired up the group.
At this point, the PAX removed their rucks for first and last time, but it wasn’t to grab a snack. YHC set a timer for 2 minutes and 34 seconds of AMRAP ruck pull throughs (hold plank, and alternate arms to pull the ruck through). That. Was. Rough. McAfee even caught YHC taking a moment at about 2 minute mark and rightly called me out. That call out – that push which might have bothered me a few years ago – now made my night. Someone who knows what I have in the tank cared enough to push and to make me better. Remember, when you’re called out, or pushed, it’s because we care.
Now, it was time to Ruck. But, we must first talk about Glen Ross’s gallons of water. YHC and Jitterbug used this opportunity to ask all those participating in the ruck to bring gallon jugs of water to donate to Wayside Christian Mission. (More on this later.) 25 of those in attendance brought what you and the rest of our species would call gallon jugs. They look like this:
Glen Ross, MBA, bank president, financier, jump rope enthusiast, and evidently a connoisseur of fine water, brought water in jugs that look like this:
This only became known to the PAX when YHC gave instructions for jug curls. Worm and others noticed Glen Ross was having to contort his fingers into the silly top handle like a proctologist with an unwilling patient to have anything to grip. Us Kroger and Wal Mart shoppers, after a good chuckle, needed to know about this high-end water? Rainbow Blossom maybe? Was it distilled over Valhalla’s limestone?
So, when it came time to Ruck and carry the flag, YHC naturally told Glen Ross to leave the holy water and to lead the PAX out front, with the flag. All others picked up 2 gallons of water, and carried it with them on the ruck. (Glen Ross of course started of our on a blistering pace because he’s a machine and apparently expensively hydrated.)
Glen Ross started us out, but McAfee, Jitterbug, SnowDay, Meter Maid, Fanny Pack, Valdez, and Catfish all took turns leading the PAX, with flag out front. (Yes, Glen Ross had to carry someone’s IGA water for duration of ruck.)
After about 2 miles, YHC circled PAX up for some more PT, which included Al Gores, squats, curls, and overhead presses. PAX then retrieved their gallon jugs and rucked back. We covered just under 4 miles in just over an hour. With what we were doing PT-wise, that was a surprising pace.
As Catfish led our return to The Vet, we planted the flag, moved over to the steepest hill I could find in the dark, and Army-crawled to the top of said hill. As Tony Malito said a few times during the night, he picked a bad day to wear a cotton tank and panties.
YHC finally had the PAX circle up for COR, NOR, and intentions. We welcomed FNG Handbook, who picked a helluva night to throw himself into F3 (he killed it, btw). As we made intentions, Jitterbug explained the importance of what we were doing for Wayside. As we pulled fresh water being held in rugged bladders within expensive backpacks, he explained that the gallon jugs of water we were donating were going to be distributed to those who are homeless, who not only need drinking water, but also water with which to bath, and to maybe rinse a dish. Remember that the next time you’re envious of your neighbor’s new grill, or wish you had a larger water heater when the fourth member of your house exhausts the hot water for a few minutes. (YHC is guilty of this.)
I am proud to note that we will be delivering something close to 200 gallons of water to Wayside Christian Mission. (I must note that HIMs Old Bay and Loco contributed to the cause even though they couldn’t make it.)
YHC closed the night by thanking the Sky Q, and by making sure the HIMs around me knew just how much they meant to me and encouraged me.
After that, we cracked open a few of these:
(Yes, the original Coors was for YHC because I like it so leave me alone.)
This late night HH was one of the best parts of my week. Catching up with PK, Fanny Pack, and Digiorno; hanging with shirtless Kilo; talking to My Boy Blue about his weight training (ask him about this); learning that Valdez races kayaks(!); hearing about Plumb Bob using F3 and rucking to do events with his M; and, watching those relatively new to F3 blend in nicely. Absolutely nothing better than a cold beer with friends after a ruck.
As always, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of THIS.
Diablo
F3 Louisville 