Author: F3 The Capital

AO: The Highlands

QIC: Maj Payne

The PAX: Trolley, JAG, Toolbox, Antman, FNG Sputnik, FNG Hubble, Deflator, Posse, Cueball, MileHigh and Lightyear

A dozen PAX gathered for a special beatdown at The Highlands. It was a convergence of DRPAX, with one coming from Charlotte (Posse) and six inbound from Montgomery, AL, where they are building out their mustard seed. Incidentally, Lightyear celebrated his BDay at the Highlands, although he didn’t say anything about it.  Want to know how YHC learned of this?  Listen here where his hospital brother Hello Kitty mentions it and then proceeds to provide a pretty darn great podcast featuring father/son F3 PAX Liverpool and Spitshine who discuss the recent GrowRuck 17 (Quicksand) in the Sandhills area of N.C.If you haven’t done a GrowRuck – schedule it now and do it. It’ll change you — for the much better.

Now, the following is a mostly true account of the Nov 21 Tour de Highlands adventure.

WU: Follow me! Mosey on towards an adventure like no other. First stop – corner of Hayes and 15th. Knock out some SSH. Cross the street and flow into a few IW.  Keep on moving south on Hayes to the TSA HQ for 20 x suitcase situps (get it?). Then a short jaunt to the DEA HQ for 20 x Derkins, 20 x Erkins and 20 x Air Presses (see what we did there?). Continue forward to Army Navy Dr. and Fern St. where the PAX conducted upwards of 50 x BWS as all waited for the light to turn so we could mosey on under I-395 and to the Pentagon parking lot.  Traveling on the sidewalk of South Parking toward the Pentagon 9-11 Memorial, the PAX completed 20 x Merkins, 20 x Flutter Kicks and 20 x Jump Squats. The Memorial is closed for renovation, so no tour through the hallowed ground.  Only stopped momentarily to pay respects and then moseyed onward to the pedestrian tunnel. WU was almost complete, but first, the PAX were required to Ricky Bobby the length of the tunnel under I-395 via Bear Crawl (last man runs to front as PAX bear crawl). Admittedly, it was a lengthy distance — football field-ish length.  All likely have gone further, but this distance definitely left a small mark.  Once back onto Army Navy Dr, take a louie to head south on Joyce St. Bank right at Pentagon Row Park and don’t stop until the hill.

The Thang: Jacobs Ladder. Start at the top of the hill with 1 x pull-up, run down the hill for 6 x Merkins, back up for 2 x pull-ups and down for 5 x Merkins.  And so on until 6 x pull-ups and 1 x Merkin.

Time flies when PAX have fun, and a roundabout mosey brought all back to Virginia Highlands Park where there was time to swing through some monkey bars on the playground, knock out 20 x Merkins and then move to center of the turf field for 50 x LBCs and finish.

COT: It’s always an honor to lead the PAX.  We in F3TheCapital often say we specialize in DRPAX and this day in the gloom was no exception with 7 in our midst. There’s a great feeling associated with welcoming in fellow brothers from around the nation. We draw energy from each other, and our task is to take that positive energy and sprinkle it across our day, wherever we may travel and whomever we may meet.  Be a positive force for others. Be the best husband, brother, father, son, friend, neighbor, work colleague, boss, crazy uncle — whatever your role in life.  Be the best you possibly can!  Aye!

AO:  The Patriot

Q:  Fish Fry

Pax:  Maj. Payne, Lucius, Jenner, Shark Week, Murdoch, Vegan, Bone, 2%, Lazlo, 3 mile, Brown Bag

Warm up:  SSH, Seal Claps, Mosey around the track with hi knees and butt kickers on the straight aways, and then a stop to pick up coupons for The Thang.

The Thang: YHC grew up in the south where he saw lots of monster trucks and tractor pulls, which gave him some ideas for this queue.  After picking up the coupons, we made our way over to the workout location.  Along the way, we made a couple of stops for some post-warmup, pre Thang exercises, to wit, 10 jumping frogs and then a little later 15 aussie pull ups using the rails from the ramp down.  Then the fun began.

We moved our favorite 1000 lb tire Samara into place and loaded up the sled to begin the circuit:

1.  Sled pull with 1 coupon per person from the concrete pad up the hill to the street and back as the pacer.
2. Tire flip Samara back and forth on the black top.
3. 30 DD’s using the benches on the side walk:  10 dips, 10 derkins, 10 split squats each leg.
4. ALARMS (5 each)

•             Arms:  Curls
•             Legs:  Goblet Squat
•             Abs:  Mountain Climbers
•             R exercise:  Bent over rows
•             M Exercise:  Man makers

Once everyone had a trip around the circuit, we returned with a Ricky Bobby run with the coupons in front.   Last person in line went to the front and took the coupon from behind and others passed forward until we returned to Patriot.

Mary:  A very quick but meaningful Mary was had with Wave of Fire up to 3 push ups, and 15 pike ups.

COT:  Built off the following quote:

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” –Chuck Swindol

Each workout, we are faced with some impossible obstacles that we work to overcome.  We can support each other to meet our obstacles at work, home, at family, and wherever else to strengthen each other.   And we closed with prayer.

Announcements:  JBL 5K on Saturday morning, and 2f Axe throwing on Saturday night.

AO:  The General

QIC: Lucius

THE PAX:  JAG; Pocket Chicken (DR); Romo; Toolbox; Traveler; Trolley

Seven PAX, including DR guest Pocket Chicken, posted in the gloom to celebrate Sandbag Tuesday.  They performed a series of exercises using two sandbags filled with 50 lbs of play sand (scientifically proven to weigh less than 50 lbs of mason’s sand).  Here’s what the PAX accomplished:

WARM UP: SSH; Windmills; LBACs; Sun Gods; Cherry Pickers; Downward Dog; Cobra Commander

THE THANG:

Sandbag Suicide Relay:  The PAX split into two teams, then took turns moving 50-lb sandbags 10-yards via the traditional clean-and-toss method.  Upon reaching the 10-yard line, each PAX shouldered the bag and ran back for the start, so that the next PAX on his team could take a turn.

Rest exercises for the PAX waiting in the endzone included Merkins, BWS, Plank Jacks; Tree-Huggers, Bonnie Blairs, and Air Presses.

Repeat for the 15, and 20 yard-lines, so that each PAX got 45 yards of clean-and-throws and 45 yards of shoulder carry.  Finish with two rounds of ten single count side-to-shoulder lift and drop for each PAX.

Ring of Sandbag:  The PAX circled up and passed their two 50-lb sandbags from man to man.  After each hand-off, the PAX performed a burpee, then recovered to receive … another sandbag!

 Sandbag Bucket Brigade:  The PAX split into two teams, then moved the sandbags (still 50-lbs) 50 yards via the traditional bucket-brigade method.   After passing off the sandbag, each PAX ran to the front of his team (Ricky Bobby style), to keep the bag moving.

Sandbag Bucket Brigade with Overhead Press: The two teams returned from the mid-field to the end zone, each PAX performing an overhead press before handing the sandbag to his teammate.  Multiple overhead presses per pass for the last 15-20 yards.

Sandbag Pull-Through:  The PAX lined up in plank position, then proceeded to move both sandbags 50 yards via the traditional pull-through method.  Each PAX performed a single-count Merkin before each pull-through.  After passing the second sandbag to his neighbor, each PAX moved to the front of the line (Ricky Bobby style), to keep the bag moving.

 Sandbag Farmer’s Carry:  The PAX took turns performing a 100-yard farmer’s carry with their two sandbags (50 lbs each).  Rest exercises for the waiting PAX included Merkins, BWS, Plank Jacks; Tree-Huggers, Lunge Steps, Air Presses, LBCs, Flutter Kicks, and Freddie Mercuries.

THE MARY:   Having already completed their Mary exercises during the Farmer’s Carry, the PAX ended with a fun game of Bear-Crawl Marco Polo.  No sandbags were used.  YHC lost.

COT:  YHC had the privilege of teaching Sunday School this week, meaning that YHC had the privilege of learning a lot about Joseph in a short amount of time.  Joseph encountered many highs and lows in his life.  He was enslaved, wrongfully imprisoned, named the head of ancient Egypt’s Dept. of Agriculture, and ultimately saved his family from famine. No matter how good things appear—or how bad they appear—change is constant.  Prepare for it.