While it was not quite sunny and 75 degrees as promised in the pre-blast, it was an unseasonably warm mid-50s and the expected rain never hit. The weather was literally perfect…you can try to convince me that there is not a magical bubble around Pleasantville, but it will be a futile attempt. I am not sure whether it was the warm temperature or the opportunity for a leg-heavy beatdown, but the PAX showed up and showed out this morning!!
PAX (19 strong!): Pelican, Le Pew, Peach, Nice and Slow, Fructose, Mama’s Boy, Grizzly, Retainer, Meter Maid, Double Down (R), Little Jerry (R), Potter, WILDflower, Cratchit, Gisele, Holy Roller, Focker (FNG), Jolly Rancher, Dauber (Q)
Mubblechatter was “early and often” as the PAX discussed the best approaches for knee stretches. The clock struck 0530…disclaimer was given and confirmed (by most of the PAX who were not overly chatty this morning). For the COP, we moseyed around the PV Ring of Lights with stops along the way for the following exercises: Downward Dog / Runners Stretch; Imperial Walkers IC x20; disclaimer was given again and confirmed by PAX who were too focused on knee stretching to hear the first disclaimer; Grass Grabbers x15; SSH IC x40 (last 20 were double time); disclaimer given again just in case; Plank Jacks IC x20; Groiners IC x10 (half the PAX completed these on gravel / rocks…strong!)
We completed the mosey back to the first light post for the Main Thang – “Ring of Lights” Elevens, which went down like this…
Sets of 11s completed at each light post along the PV Ring of Lights
First Set – BBSU / Jump Squats – Start at first light post…1 BBSU / 10 Jump Squats, then All You Got to next post; 2 BBSU / 9 Jump Squats, then Lunge walk to next post; 3 BBSU / 8 Jump Squats, then Broad Jumps to next post; 4 BBSU / 7 Jump Squats, then All You Got to next post; (Continued pattern ending at final light post with 10 BBSU and 1 Jump Squat)
This was a SERIOUS leg workout as YHC was feeling it already with the first set of lunge walks. However, even with a number of the PAX fighting lower body ailments, the energy and intensity was high and everyone KILLED IT! Mumblechatter had died down at this point so I am pretty sure everyone had given up on the concept of a knee stretch. Time was tight as we wanted / needed to complete another round of 11s before 0615…PAX were challenged to pick up the pace for the next round…
Second Set – Reverse Crunches / T-Merkins – Start at first light post…1 Reverse Crunch / 10 T-Merkins, then All You Got to next post; 2 Reverse Crunches / 9 T-Merkins, then Mosey to next post; 3 Reverse Crunches / 8 T-Merkins, then All You Got to next post; 4 Reverse Crunches / 7 T-Merkins, then Mosey to next post; (Continued pattern ending at final light post with 10 Reverse Crunches and 1 T-Merkin)
This set of elevens was completed by the full PAX in just about 9 minutes which was a great pace…inspiring and motivating HIMs! The reward for this overachievement was a little bit of Mary at the amphitheater. We did a little stretching after so much leg work with very slooooow Grass Grabbers, and then Little Jerry introduced a fantastic runner stretch that felt good and evoked a great deal of moaning, then we topped it off with 20 LBCs IC and 20 BBSU, and headed to the flag for COT. We circled up for Countarama, Namearama (which included an extra still shot of Mama’s Boy), welcomed FNG Focker (thanks for your service Vet!), Announcements (the F3 Awards Night on Jan 24th is a real thing), and then pulled together for the COT…
I sound like a broken record, but it is humbling to lead a workout with you men. I see guys fighting through aches and pains and injuries to be part of the morning workouts. I see guys that have dropped SERIOUS weight. I see guys that never run out running like crazy. All of it is inspiring to me. After thanking the PAX, we focused our prayer intentions on the Phillips family at St. Aloysius who are being challenged with cancer for the second time. Life is not fair. There is no rational explanation for the worldly hardship placed on them. But of course none of this is in our hands, so we prayed to God for strength and comfort for the Phillips family, but even more so for HEALING. YHC believes fully in the healing power of prayer and I asked the PAX in the COT (and to all who may still be reading) to focus prayer over the next week for God to heal Leah Phillips. We ended with a Hail Mary. I love you boys. – Dauber
F3 Louisville 