Author: willhlaw

AO: The Patriot

QIC: Jenner

PAX: Bone, Lazlo, Two Percent, Sticks, Lucius

The night before, there was no Q. YHC had the [mis]fortune of talking with the Site Q, who was fighting the flue, and mentioning that they’d be backup Q, half regretting the offer as a sore throat and potential cold was coming on. Worse yet, the weather forecast called for rain. Morning came. Throat was sore. Rain pattered on the window. Fart sack? Nope. Suck it up. Here’s the story of the struggle.

Warmup:

The rain was fortunately light enough so we didn’t have to warm up under the roof ledge of the restrooms. Things are already looking brighter.

Side Shuffle Hops, Arm Circles, Imperial Walkers, Cherry Pickers, Downward Dog and Calf Stretch, Merkins.

The Thang:

Partners & Gravity: PAX moseyed over to the pull up bars to take advantage of the light rain in case it worsened and performed 2 rounds of 6 stations:

1. Merkins w/ resistance (x10 and was the timer)
2. Partner providing merkin resistance
3. Chest to bar
4. Pull ups
5. Push press w/ resistance
6. Partner providing push press resistance

Bike Rack Bonanza: PAX then moseyed towards the arena, but stopped at the bike racks for some Mobility Leg Swings. Starting in the center of the 30 bike racks, we swung right leg up and over followed by left leg up and over the same rack progressing towards the right for a total of 15 leg swings right lead leg. Then we ran back to the center of the bike racks and progressed left for a total of 15 swings left lead leg. We did 2 rounds of leg swings separated by 30s of Air Running Mans and 15s of Air Knee Ups where a PAX mentioned we could conveniently use the swimming clock as the timer.

UnderCover Unique Exercises: Pax then moseyed over to the corner of the school by the arena that had plenty of roof cover.

PAX split into 2 groups. First group performed lower body hyperextensions on the picnic tables while the second group performed Traveling Balls to The Wall – but since there wasn’t any good contiguous wall space without a window jutting out, we traversed the corner, which was interestingly tricky. YHC never done this corner traversal before. Bone says, matter of factly, “If you had, we wouldn’t be doing it.” Possibly, truth speak. Groups switched for a total of 2 rounds.

Then, PAX performed some precision jumps. Starting at an intersection of four lines in the sidewalk, jumped forward and back to center and left and back, back and forward, and right and back in a counter clockwise circular motion for 30s. Then, we speed roped for 30 seconds. Then precision jumped in clockwise circular motion for 30s. Then we lined up on the wall and performed quadrupedal movement forward, then to the left, then backward, and to the right returning where we started (supposedly). Dubbed by the PAX as Square Bears, we did 2 rounds counter clockwise and 2 rounds clockwise. Then we did scissor jumps for 30s. YHC demonstrated this exercise after some confused looks. And PAX said, “Oh, so Bonnie Blairs”. “What? Uh…oookay, just not all the way down,” YHC tentatively agreed. Then a PAX said, “That’s how Bone does Bonnie Blairs.” “Boney Blairs!” someone shouted. For the record, this video shows what we did for scissor kicks aka Boney Blairs. Then, we performed some two legged butt scoots, 1 round counter clockwise and 1 round clockwise. Then one legged butt scoots forward and backward 1 round each leg. PAX dubbed this dubious exercise the Itchy A-hole.

Mary:

Still under the cover from the rain, the PAX got on their six.

Oh Yeahs for a 10 count. Slowing it down for the last two counts results in an entirely new exercise called, “Oh No Jenners”.

Reverse Elbow Merkins Progression for 2 rounds of 10. First progression was lying flat on back, arms stiffly by the side, upper body raised up on elbows for one rep. Second progression is repeating with both upper body and butt in the air with only heals and elbows touching the ground.

CoT:

So YHC woke up with a sore throat and heard the rain and was so ready to fart sack. But name was on the Q Sign Up Sheet, shovel flag was in the car, so had to post and lead whatever men decided to show up. With 6 PAX out here, it’s a testament to the resolve and the self-dedication and also the accountability to the group that each of you have since you weren’t as compelled to be out here. So good for you. That is awesome. It’s what makes F3 so great and makes each of us better.

Moleskin:

These small area, under cover from the rain exercises inspired by these videos:

 

• 10 Minute Parkour Workout | Ground Exercises | Training At Home
• Getting Started In Parkour-Top 6 Exercises For Beginner Parkour Training

Inspiration for the name of this backblast comes from the saying in computer science that naming things is hard [ref].

AO: The Patriot

QIC: Jenner

The PAX: Bone, Lucius, Major Payne

Superbowl LIII happened last night where the Patriots beat the Rams 13 to 3. Not all that exciting. Only YHC and 3 other PAX made it out of the sack and all would soon become familiar with the score of the game.

The AO had some remnants of the Polar Vortex as we found out during our fellowship lap. Patches of black ice were looming in the gloom, but the Patriot PAX managed to stay on their feet and work their way around the icy lanes back to the corner of the field to get started. Here’s what went down…

WU: 13 x SSH, 13 x Windmills, 13 Arm Circles Fwd and Reverse. 13 x Cherry pickers, 13 x Mountain Climbers, 13 x Merkins

The Thang:

Mosey to pick up a cinder block per PAX and carry over to the right side of the Toy Box.

Three rounds of 16s: PAX started with 13 x Wall Mountain Climbers and then 3 x Dwight Howards. Then 12 x Wall Mountain Climbers and 4 x Dwight Howards. Then 11 and 5. Then 10 and 6 and so on until the last set of 3 and 13. Split the work into thirds and separate with exercises below.

Split #1 Wall Ball Burpees: With a partner, throw tennis ball off the wall and then do a burpee. Catch the ball as partner throws it back off the wall and then repeat. If the ball gets past the partner, continue doing burpees.

Split #2 Ball to Block: With partner on opposite side of basketball foul line holding a cinder block, toss the tennis ball over so partner hits it back with the cinder block.

Split #3 13 x Curls, 13 x  Thrusters, and 13 x “Kettle Bell” Swings: Use a cinder block.

Mary:

Around the horn Mary. 35 x Flutter Kicks, ABCs, 10 x Heels to the Sky, 20 x American Twists.

COT:

Did not have anything planned. Thanks for taking up the recommendations and going along with some of the “experiments” with the tennis balls and cinder blocks. Maybe there’s something there when it gets lighter outside. Let me know. Always looking for feedback. Anyways, it’s awesome that we had the four of us out here. Thanks for coming out!

AO:  The Patriot

QIC: Jenner

PAX: Major Payne and Lucius

Today is Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. so the start time is the delayed Federal Holiday time of 7:00am. Usually, this extra time allows more PAX to post…unless the temperature outside is half way between when fresh water and salt water freeze.

WARM UP: SSH; Imperial Walkers; Windmills.

THA-THANG:

Knights of Columbus: The PAX moseyed over past the front of the school, took a right on Yorktown as Lucious told us about his latest Ruck event that was successful! We turned into the Knights of Columbus and explored its snow covered grounds. We ran past the volleyball court, which looked like a permafrost you could ice skate on. We trotted through the snow to the playground and found horizontal bars that were perfect for pull ups if you were a fully grown elf and did pull ups til failure. We then found a suitable dry area for 15 merkins. Then we found a non-pristine part of the white brick wall and did 15 four count wall mountain climbers. We then did 20 box jumps on a low wall of stone pavers. After that, we picked up blocks of chopped wood and ran the length of the parking lot, approximately 100m but actually felt like 150m with the wind, and then back while commenting how this would have been great with a larger PAX when we could have partnered off and done different distances and things with it. We couldn’t think too hard about the past and the days when we had strength in numbers. We needed to focus on battling the harsh weather and completing our journey.

Discovery: The PAX mustered their strength and moseyed over to Discovery, taking a shortcut through a neighborhood where we gathered wind-swept trash and threw it back between trash containers. At Discovery, we climbed over two hexagonal metal pods that had rock handholds so it made it OK. Major Payne nearly slipped and broke a leg. But still, we pressed on. Our journey was not over. We monkey barred, hopped over fake fallen trees, and spider climbed. We then found shelter from the freezing winds behind a wall and did 15 Dwight Howards. A challenge was given to run up a slide. It was taken. Slipped like there was a banana on the slide. Recovered. Then we all helped Major Payne relive the memory of bear crawling through the bike racks. Ah, what good memories from that PAX we once had.

Lewes the Log: The weather hardened PAX then headed back, running side by side, back to Patriot Field. We stopped by to lift Lewes up to free it from the frost bitten weeds promising that we’d see him / her / it soon. We made it.

MARY: PAX choice of Flutter Kicks, Box Cutters, and Hollow Tuck

COT: I had the cold last week and so I stayed out of the cold. I am getting over the cold so I came out in the cold. Thanks for baring it with me. We are F3 hoorah! (I made this last part up).

AO:  The Patriot

QIC: Jenner

PAX: Deflator, Laslo, Wham-O, Poe, Dr. D, Lucius, Bone, Major Payne, Noodle, and FNGs Good Year and Villa

WARM UP: SSH; Imperial Walkers; High Knees Tap; Windmills. Run the stairs and half of the stadium stopping behind the field house for Arm Circles; Air Pushes. Finish running the stadium.

SECONDARY GOAL: Similar to Deflator’s Kiss My Grits audible, at any time, yell a name for that man to lead the PAX in 10x LMAs (LBCs, Merkins, Air Squats). Goal is to reach the monthly challenge’s daily 100x LMA.

THA-THANG:

Hurdle Mobility Progression: Each PAX grabs a hurdle and carries it above the shoulders to the corner of the track by the stairs. Place 5 hurdles in lane #6 and 5 hurdles in lane #3. Each hurdle is placed behind the next one 5 feet apart at the base.

1. Run Stairs then 5x Right leg swing skip then 5x Left leg swing skip
2. Repeat above steps then 5x Right leg skip over then 5x Left leg skip over
3. Repeat above steps then 5x Alternating leg skip over and then Alternating leg skip over pausing with high knee (at 90 degrees) in the middle for a 3 count
4. Repeat above steps then 10x hop overs. Mention that a modifer is to hop over the along side the hurdle. Look back and see if anyone who doesn’t modify eat plastic hurdle as the quads start to give out.

Circus Progression: Mosey over to the end zone and line up behind the green cone.

1. Gorilla Crawl to 10yd line
2. Repeat above steps and then Frog Jump over the cones to 20 yd line
3. Repeat above steps and then Butt Scoot back to 10 yd line in-between cones (if there are any bocci balls at the start, carry one with you)
4. Repeat above steps and then Bear Crawl pushing bocci ball along the rope to the 20
5. Repeat above steps and then Spider Crawl to the 30 (time permitting)
6. Repeat above steps and then Inch Worm to the 40 (time has got to be expiring)

MARY: PAX choice of Corkscrew, Flutter Kicks, American Twists, and Bonnie’s Torture

COT:   As I was thinking about how I would be leading the PAX today through life’s hurdles and on to some fun animal-like activities as if it were the circus, I realized some PAX may have to modify and stray from the path so to speak. Then I remember my father telling me an ancestor’s gravestone said “As I am now so you shall be, so be prepared to follow me.” Then a gravestone that was put next to it said, “I will not be bent, until I know which way you went.” Basically, I take this as follow great leaders that have the same core values as you. Don’t blindly follow leaders that veer from the path and steer you away from your core values. So whether you are the leader or have influence over leaders around you, ensure that the vision is communicated and try to have everyone align to the same core values and no matter what, remain true, strong, and steadfast in your own beliefs.