Author: f3monk

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Pre-Blast: All Aboard F3 The Love Train! 

F3TheCapital’s first running/rucking AO. Launch Sunday, November 3, 2019

Sundays 0630 Vienna Train Station (Vienna, VA; meet near the Red Caboose)

Before anyone asks … it’s called The Love Train because we meet at the Vienna Train Station and go to Café Amouri afterwards. And love is the best motivation for fitness, fellowship, and faith.

This workout is for everyone, regardless of your ability. Run or ruck, six miles or one, at your pace down the W&OD trail. We start together at 0630 and end together with COT after we pick up the six.

1st F: Fitness. Who’s it for?

  • Runners & ruckers (obviously)
  • Guys just starting to accelerate fitness
  • Boot campers ready for a challenge
  • Guys preparing for CSAUPs like Grow Ruck, relays (BRR), half-marathon, marathon
  • Once / month for M’s & 2.0s (1st Sunday; ht–Bone for the suggestion)
  • Anyone who Loves to Train
  • And fellowship for everyone: Talk while running/rucking = easy 🙂 Talk doing burpees = hard 😦 

2nd F: Fellowship. Coffeeteria after the run.  

3rd F: Faith. In F3 Faith is about purpose as well as service. Whatever a man’s faith, he’s often thinking about it on Sunday. So The Love Train meets then. When circumstances change, love motivates positive change, like an old railroad line becomes a fitness trail. Love exists between people, like cars linked on a train, accelerating together.

Details:

  • Run/Ruck: Sundays 0630 at the Vienna Train Station, Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail, Vienna, VA 22180. Meet near the Red Caboose
  • 2nd F at 0730 at Cafe Amouri, 107 Church St NE, Vienna, VA 22180

I chose the W&OD for safety and accessibility, but more than that because the W&OD is busy on Sunday mornings, and Cafe Amori seems to be THE place to stop after your workout. Our presence there will make F3 visible to many men. I wouldn’t wish Sad Clownishness on any of them, but it’s there, and so are we. 

So here it is: F3 The Love Train. Hope to see you there.

Monk

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We Did Hightowers

AO: Olympus

QIC: Monk

PAX: Rogue, Shark Bait, Major Payne, Pop Fly, Glee, Hightower, Roddick, NAFTA, Mule, Paoli, Monk

Upon arrival, I heard an awful grinding noise coming from the far side of the parking lot. There was Hightower, ruck on his back, pulling a weighted sled across the asphalt. Happy those partnered with him in the upcoming GrowRuck.

Speaking of Hightower, F3 The Capital should just make it official that every exercise performed in the region should be called a Hightower. This, anyway, seemed to be the consensus of the PAX present today, after a brief conversation. No one objected, except Hightower, who was outvoted. I can’t imagine anyone else in the region objecting. It’s F3 anyway, and we can do what we want. Of course, we’ll have to keep subtitles to avoid confusion, e.g., Hightower-merkins, or merkins for short, but any Q should feel himself free to use the full form. 

Now with that bit of housekeeping out of the way, the Warm-Up: 

SSH, mosey around the school building, stopping along the way for Imperial Walkers, Forward and Reverse Arm Circles, Good Mornings, Toy soldiers 

The PAX moseyed to the bleachers to climb Mt. Everest (Lunge, Lunge, Squat up the stairs) X3. Since the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is approaching, we did Dora 1-2-3 (Merkins-LBCs-Squats) where the runner runs up and down the stairs. 

Wouldn’t it be nice if life were all fun and games, but 9/11 reminds us that there are difficulties to be faced. Gratitude prepares us to face them, so I asked the PAX to think of something they are grateful for while NAFTA gave us a 20 count.

Then the games began. With the Blue Falcon:

“Pax is divided into two teams teams have 30 sec to come up with a plan then each team has 3 min ( how ever log Q decided) to do their own workout at the end of the workout you trade workouts and the other team has 3 min to complete the other teams workout. This can be done single or multiple rounds at the end of each round loser has a punishment (20 burpees) or something like that if both teams complete the exercises it can be a tie. Or since this is America first one to complete others workout plan wins.”

I’d planned Bear v Crab Soccer after the Blue Falcon, but Major Payne came up with a different game: Start with two teams + ball around two large tractor tires on their sides (or another suitable, heavy, round target). Each team tries to throw the ball into the other team’s tractor tire. Miss and throwing team does 2 burpees; hit and receiving team does 10 burpees. Teams roll their tractor tires towards each other and throw again. 

7 min of Mary began with Flutter kicks. Then Mule’s 2.0 Paoli made us do some ridiculous number of LBCs and do them quickly. Major Payne honored his wife, Rogue, with a round of Bonnie’s Torture. There were others that I forget.

Announcements: Party at Hightower’s this afternoon; 9/11 stair climb; QSource during coffeeteria. 

COT: Gratitude for the ability to be there, be together, and be good for others as we part. 

Honored to be with such fine people this morning. 

Monk

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Target Practice

AO: Compound

QIC: Monk

The PAX: Hightower, Jenner, Buffet, Prius, NAFTA

This was my first Q in The Capital, and I pulled out one of my favorite beat downs from F3 Gastonia days. B.O.M.B.S.

Warm-Up:

SSH, Arm Circles, Toy Soldiers, Merkins

Main Event:  

I’m still learning the area, so I asked the PAX “Take me to that parking garage in the Mosaic District.” Of course they said “Which one?” Never mind. I led them to the only  parking garage in sight, only to find a residents-only gate preventing access above the first level. Need to find another parking deck. So we moseyed to the Mosaic District and then to the second floor of the Target parking garage. 

Partner up for B.O.M.B.S., which I always modify slightly.  One partner performs exercise while other partner runs to the next level, does 5 burpees, runs back.  Switch upon movement partner’s return. 

Before we started, I gave the PAX a thought to ponder. We’re often motivated by fear. Sometimes it keeps us from doing stupid things, but other times from seeing opportunities to advance.

B.O.M.B.S. = Burpees (normally 50 of them but performed by runner in my version) 100 Overhead claps, 150 Merkins, 200 Big Boy Sit-ups, & 250 Squats. As expected, the PAX got quiet as soon as they hit the sit-ups. 

With a bit of time left, we moseyed to the green at the Mosaic and some other exercise. I don’t remember what it was except that it involved lunges. Then a mosey back to Compound for a little Mary. 

BOM: Go forth aware of how fear influences you and others. Encourage others; confront dangers wisely.

I’m really enjoying getting to know The Capital PAX. 

Aye!

Monk