Author: Jag

November 28, 2019

AO: #thehighlands

QIC: @JAG

The PAX: @Maj. Payne; @Toolbox

Warm-Up Appetizers: Side-Straddle Hops; Inchworm Merkins; Imperial Walkers; Hands Release Merkins; Windmills; Diamond Merkins; Cherry Pickers; Wide Merkins; Seal Claps; and Carolina Dry Docks.

The Thang Main Course: After the appetizers, the PAX moseyed to the field to enjoy some T.U.R.K.E.Y.  This consisted of generous portions of Turkish Get Ups, Up Downs, Russian Twists, Knerkins, (Mt.) Everests, and Y-Holds (Supermans with the arms held out in a Y-position), with midfield sprints in between as palate cleaners.  The PAX were thankful.

The PAX then got an early start on Black Friday by moseying to the Pentagon City mall to enjoy the side dishes that Toolbox and Maj. Payne brought to share.  The PAX had just finished the Major’s freshly-prepared Merkin Mountain when the mall’s security force arrive to defend the hallowed grounds.  Words were exchanged.

Okay, one guard asked us to leave.  Discretion being the better part of valor, the PAX complied with the guard’s request and wished her a Happy Thanksgiving.  We returned to the field for

Mary Dessert: flutterkicks, speedbike and WWIs.

COT:  As we give thanks for the blessings in our lives later today, let us not overlook that we are also blessed with the opportunity to have a positive impact on others.

AO: The Highlands

QIC: JAG

PAX: Toolbox, Trolley, and Jenner

Warm-Up: SSH, IW, IBAC, Cherry Pickers, WMH, and Merkins . . . lots and lots of Merkins.

The Thang:  The PAX did a friendship lap around the luscious Highlands’ pasture and then moseyed over to the Costco garage.  There, the PAX performed a set of Box Jumps, Dips and Derkins before a sprint up the 7 flights of garage.  The PAX returned to the first floor via the garage’s ramps performing a variety of exercises along the way, including Bear Crawls, Crawl Bears, Crab Walks, Walk Crabs, Seal Claps, Inchworm Merkins and Squats.  Once upon solid ground, the PAX did another set of Derkins and Dips before returning to The Highlands’ proper.

Mary: American Hammers, WWIIs and the debut of “Freddy Flutter Mercury Kicks” – an exercise where the Q calls one exercise and then performs the other much to the confusion of the PAX!

COT: Two of the podcasts that the Q listed to this week mentioned the positive effect of exercise – one was an interview with Ryan Manion of the Travis Manion Foundation and another was a biography of President Theodore Roosevelt.  Remember this lesson as we get into the coldest of The Gloom.  Don’t let the dropping temps give you a reason to Fartsack it.  Get up and get after it!

AO: The General

QIC: JAG

PAX: Toolbox, Trolley, 2 Percent, Traveler, Prenup, Subprime and Lucius

Warm-Up: SSH, IBAC, Cherry Pickers, Windmills and Musclemakers . . . lots and lots of Musclemakers

The Thang:  The PAX convened for a leisurely mosey around the greater General area.  We started with a friendship lap around the track to the pull-up bar.  There each PAX performed a set of pull-ups and then a wall sit while they waited for the other PAX to complete their set.  The PAX then headed to the north end of the stadium for Box Jumps, Derkins and Dips.

From there, the PAX did a Ricky Bobby to the local park, where they did a Crawl Bear up the park’s steps, walking lunges and LBCs.  The PAX then moseyed to The General’s garage to perform Bear Crawls, Crab Walks, Crawl Bears, Mt. Everests, Walking Lunges, Reverse Walking Lunges, Al Gores and Seal Claps.

After getting momentarily lost (Hey, thanks Q, it’s not raining or anything!), the PAX returned to the stadium for more Derkins and Dips as well as two rounds of Australian Merkins.

Mary: Speedbike, WWIIs and Penguins

COT: Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  Are you going to get right, live right, lead right and leave right or do something else?

September 19, 2019

AO: The Highlands

QIC: JAG

PAX: Maj Payne, Toolbox, Bandit and 2 Percent

Warm-Up: SSH, Matt Biondi, Windmill, WMH and The Absolutely Worst Merkins Ever TM (an inchworm merkin, a hands release merkin, a diamond merkin, a wide merkin and a Carolina Dry Dock done in succession).

The Thang:  The PAX moseyed to the Costco where they performed dips and derkins on the blocks outside the parking garage.  Then they ran up the parking garage stairs, across the top deck, down the far-side stairs and back to blocks for box jumps and incline merkins.

The PAX then performed a black snake to the Pentagon City Metro station, went down the escalator and into the adjacent mall.  There, it was shock and huh for the poor commuters just trying to get to work as the PAX performed a Mt. Everest walk, bear crawl and a travelling BTTW through the mall and under the garage.

The PAX emerged at Pentagon Row to perform musclemakers, american hammers and seal claps.  They finally moseyed back to the Highlands for merkins, WWIIs and LBCs, mule kicks and dirty dogs.

Mary: flutterkicks, protractors, and speedbike.

COT:  Adm. McRaven encourages us to face our obstacles – the Shark – in Chapter 7 of “Make Your Bed.”  The PAX demonstrated that there are many ways to do that, including over, under, around and through them!

AO: The Highlands

QIC: JAG

The PAX: Maj. Payne, Toolbox, Slide Rule, Hogan, Trolley, Bandit and DR PAX Mad Dog and Viking

Warm-Up: SSH, Imperial Walkers, IBAC, Windmill and The Absolutely Worst Merkins Ever TM (an inchworm merkin, a hands release merkin, a diamond merkin, a wide merkin and a Carolina Dry Dock done in succession)

The Thang:  Considering that the Highlands features a soccer pitch, not a football field, the PAX prepared for Week 1 of the IronPAX by broad jumping from the goal line to the edge of the 6-yard box.  There, they performed 6 burpees, 6 Bonnie Blairs, 6 big boi situps and then bear crawled back to the goal line.  The PAX did this 5 times in the set.

After the set, the PAX did a lap around the edge of the penalty box and then lined up along one of the short sides.  Then, they did Elevens that consisted of Spiderman pushups, walking lunges across the width of the penalty box, seal claps, and then a sumo walk back.  The PAX repeated this for 4 sets.

The PAX recovered with another lap around the penalty box, stopping along the top edge to do reverse lunges back to the goal line.  Then they repeated the IronPAX prep until Mary.

Mary: Flutterkicks, Protractors, Freddie Mercuries, and whatever torture that Toolbox made up.

COT:  Adm. McRaven ends Chapter 6 of “Make Your Bed” by writing “Life is a struggle and the potential for failure is ever present, but those who live in fear of failure, or hardship, or embarrassment will never achieve their potential.  Without pushing your limits, without occasionally sliding down the rope headfirst, without daring greatly, you will never know what is truly possible in your life.”  The PAX spent this workout in the box, but McRaven encourages us to step outside those lines and push ourselves to be the best spouse, father, worker, and whatever role we have in our lives.  Aye!