Author: F3 The Capital

AO:  Patriot

QIC:  Fish Fry

PAX:  9 Pax were up for our Christmas challenge.  YHC, Maj. Payne, Hightower, Poe, Bone, Jenner, Trebeck, Lucius, and Buffet from the compound

The Setting:  A warm, springy 61 degrees and wet.  Hey, wait.  We’re in December.  What is going on with 61 degrees?  I’m not complaining, though.

Warm Ups:

SSH

Baby Arm Circles

Shoulder Presses

Slow Squats

We then played several rounds of Christmas-themed warm up games.

Rudolph the Reindeer tag with one person (Rudolph) trying to tag designee inside the huddle.  Bone went totally outside the rules and tried to crawl through the huddle.  Only coal for him for Christmas.

We then moseyed to the flag poles for Festivus feats of strength.  We partnered up and joined hands for a feat of strength called slap.  A few rounds later, and no one was pinned into submission, so Festivus continued.  I don’t think anyone aired their grievances.

Finally, we moved over to the hill for Santa Sled races.  Each sled was laden with one block, representing all the gifts for kids.  Hightower took a beating after a collision of the sled with a pole. In what can only be classified as a Christmas miracle, he was back up on his feet in no time and ready to go.  Good thing about those disclaimers.

After all the games, we were ready for the challenge:

The Thang:

 

12 Days of Christmas Challenge

1. Squat Thruster with block
2. Sprint to bottom of hill and back (counts as two reps)
3. Silver Bell swings (kettle bell with block)
4. Around the world jump
5. Derkins
6. Dwight Howards or Air Squats
7. Curls
8. Aussie Pullups
9. Bent Over Rows
10. Dips
11. Burpees
12. Overhead walking lunges with block

Do like 12 days of Christmas Song

1, then 2-1, then 3-2-1, etc.  For a total of 364 reps

Mary:  YHC wisely decide to skip Mary due to his over design of the Q for the day.

COT:   Drawing from a meditation I read about Advent.  Advent is about the already and not yet.  About the coming of light breaking into the darkness, but that breakthrough is not yet complete and won’t be until the second advent.  What was unleashed in that miracle is working through us now, and we have a call to act on it in our jobs, in our families, and wherever we are to be an agent of good.

AO: Compound

QIC: Hightower

The PAX: HT, Prius, Buffet

Warmup:
15 cadence count SSH’s, Arm Circles forward and reverse, calf stretch, them mountain climbers. Followed by Fellowship pace jog to parking deck by MOM’s.

The Thang:
YHC wanted to pay tribute to Coco from Churham, who had the Q of my first F3 in Hillsborough. He totally smoked me so bad that I was totally hooked on F3.

Start on the bottom of the parking deck, as our Base. Here we did 5 burpees, then sprinted to top of ramp. There we did 1 minute of Mountain climbers. Then jog back to Base. At Base 5 burpees, then sprint to next level up the parking deck. There we did 1 minute of Side straddle hops, followed by 1 min of mountain climbers. Recovery jog back down to Base. At Base do 5 burpees, then sprint to the next level up the parking deck. There we did 1 min of Monkey Humpers, 1 min SSH, 1 min mtn climbers. Then jog back down to Base. At Base we did 5 more burpees, then sprint to the next level up the parking deck. There we did 1 min of
Merkins, 1 min monkey humpers, 1 min SSH, 1 min mtn climbers. Then jog back down to Base for recovery. Since we ran out of time, once we got to Base we did 5 more burpees, then sprinted up to the next level of the parking deck, finally jogged back down for recovery.

Mary:
Ran out of time, so PAX jogged back to middle school field for COT.

COT:
YHC spoke about the need for change! Best way to accomplish change is to get out of your comfort zone. Gratitude to PAX for coming out in the cold and pushing their comfort zone, looking for Change.

AO: The Patriot

QIC: F3Carpex DR PAX Hello Kitty

The PAX: Maj. Payne, Hightower, Bone, Subprime, Prenup, Lucius, and Poe

YHC was bound for the Swamp and 2 days at a conference, and with that I jumped onto the Gmail machine to send Maj. Payne a note with a request, nay a demand, “Bro, gonna be there on Friday the 7^th and I’m Q’ing.” And, like a true HIM he obliged.

With that, YHC arrived at Yorktown High School having been on-site with the fellas in May before they were offish.

7 others joined for a total of 8 and after brief introductions, we’re off.

Warm–up:

– Get a lap around the track and circle up for SSH, Sir Fazio, Seal Claps and Mountain Climbers

The Thang:

– Get the fellas back onto the track and get a partner for Catch Me If You Can, prisoner run style with world’s worst merkins. The Pax crushed their 2 laps.

– Upon completion, YHC intro’d the boys to Bull in the Burpee ring. Competitive sprirts were high.

– From there we traveled out of the Thunder Dome and over to a lot of a round of 7’s and the star-jump + LBC combo.

– The man are still going strong and we head back to the Thunderdome for traveling Jack Webbs.

– Oh man, still some time left, YHC circles up the men and with the aid of Payne and Hightower we hit a quick 10-to-1 circle of pain. Klassic Kitty moves with the Bull in the Burpee Ring and the Circle of Pain. Boom.

Mary included Bonnie’s Torture, other stuff, and we closed with a Carpex Classic of 100’s.

COT:

Announcements were announced and prayers were lifted.

NMS:

– Proud of the work these boys have put in to grow the region. Love knowing they’re up there for trips to the Swamp.

– Maj. Payne joined YHC for PUT6, listen here.

AO: The Patriot

QIC: Maj Payne

The PAX: Lucius, Noodle, Dr. D, Prenup, Subprime, Bandit, Poe, 90210, Roddick, Bone

Two brave PAX posted for EC ruck this A.M., with a 0430 SP, and additional nine arrived for the 0530 main event, where 11 PAX honored the life of our 41st president, George H.W. Bush who passed away peacefully Nov 30 at his home. Regardless of where folks land on the political spectrum, there is no denying that 41 led a full life of service. We live in the greatest country on Earth, and it is important to take some time to honor and remember someone who contributed so much.

WU:

SSH x 41
IW x 10
LBAC (front) x 10
LBAC (rear) x 10
Merkins x 10

The Thang:

The PAX learned a bit about George H.W. Bush today. Correct responses garnered 10 x Merkins while incorrect responses resulted in burpees. Let the fun begin!

YHC decided to start with an easy one, recognizing that President Bush served in the Navy, in Congress, as Director of the CIA, as vice president and ultimately as president. What number president was he? Ans from the PAX: 41! Correct! Knock out yer 10 x Merkins and off for a snake through the stadium steps.

Once all PAX finished the stadium, YHC offered up Q2. We all know Bush was a WWII veteran. In fact, he is the last combat veteran president. What inspired him to join the Navy? Several initial responses surfaced, with service to country, almost being settled upon by the PAX as a final response, when Noodle piped up that it was the attack on Pearl Harbor. True fact! Well done and another 10 x Merkins for all PAX!

Back through the stadium stairs for Q3. President Bush was a Naval aviator, and he flew a Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber. He actually survived multiple crashes as a result of enemy action during his military service. How many crashes did he survive? The PAX were unsure, with the numbers 2 and 3 being thrown out as guesses. The correct response was…well, actually two!  YHC incorrectly said four, and doled out 5 x burpees to the PAX. That’s life sometimes.  It ain’t fair.  But rest assured, YHC is knocking out penalty burpees as you read this.

Back through the stadium stairs to the other end of the field for Q4. 41 entered the Navy just prior to his 19th birthday, and was the youngest aviator in the Navy in 1943.  He flew missions from the carrier USS San Jacinto that operated in the Pacific. How many combat missions did he fly? The PAX responded with numbers ranging from the 40s to the 80s. Subprime had obviously been waiting for this question and confidently responded with 57 since that’s what Norah O’Donnell said. Too bad…NO’D led him astray says the Navy. Close, but it’s actually 58! 10 x burpees for the PAX.

Time to move to the next venue, and the PAX moseyed on to the Arena.

On a Navy carrier, there isn’t much room to exercise. To honor what surely must’ve been a cornerstone of 41’s workout regimen, the PAX worked through a single circuit of pain consisting of the following:

• 15 x Aussie pullups, then 15 x Merkins (timer — approx 41 seconds, of course)
• Battle Rope
• Banded Side Steppers
• Banded Squats
• Wall Balls (20# medicine ball)
• KB Ground to Overheads (35# KB)
• Banded Side Steppers
• Reverse Flys (5# DBs)
• Abdominal Wheel Extensions
• Banded Squats
• KB Swings (45# KB)

Pack up and mosey back to the start for some flutter kicks. How many? You guessed it, 41!

COT: President Bush led a life of service. He said during a 2011 ceremony to honor former President Ronald Reagan with the George Bush Award For Excellence In Public Service the following: “There could be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others. Find something to do. Get off the bench. Don’t sit there whining, sucking your thumb, get in the game.”

So, get in the game! Go forward and serve those in your midst and in whatever your role: father, husband, son, friend, employee, boss, or even crazy uncle.

CAVU.

Aye!