Laps and Ladders….oh, and Cutoff Tees

QIC:  Blackout

Date: 04/27/2021

PAX: AOL, Bonsai, Cavity Search, John Doe, Mayhem, M.I.A., Mothballs, Picabo, Tatonka, Toe Tag, Uncle Joe

AO: Parliament


Conditions

Cut-off weather AKA perfect. No rain and No cold.


COP

Mosey lap around track

  • WMH x10
  • Forward Fold x10
  • SSH x15
  • Arm Circles x15
  • Reverse Arm Circles x15
  • Seated Calf Stretch – 10 seconds
  • Butterfly Stretch – 10 seconds
  • Hamstring Stretch – 10 seconds each side
  • SSH x15
  • One lap of Indian Runs

The Thang

Track Day Apocalpyse

Run one lap at a “fast” pace and then run second lap at a “Mosey/jog” pace; These paces determined OYO by PAX. Once two lap circuit complete, do the following exercises:

10 Burpees, 10 Squats, 10 Merkins, 10 LBCs

Rinse and Repeat two laps and exercises, except the exercises go down by ones (9 Burpees, 9 Squats, 9 Merkins, 9 LBCs, etc.)


COT

Spoke about gratitude. For me, personally, sometimes when I have a bad day or I am in a valley of life, I can sometimes forget just how much I have to be grateful for. Whether it be family, job, physical abilities, mental abilities, etc., we all have something every day to be grateful for even during bad times. Challenged PAX to remember this when going through tough times.


Moleskin

Q had to find something, ANYTHING, to slow Tatonka down. Turns out if you throw in Burpees, Merkins, Squats, and LBCS in between running laps, the rest of us PAX don’t get lapped as often!

M.I.A. busted out the cut-off shirt this AM. It became a major distraction and almost derailed the entire workout!

Turns out it doesn’t rain every time Blackout Qs, contrary to historical data and trends. Weather was perfect,


News

3rd F still rolling: Monday nights at Chubby’s 5:30-6 pm; Habitat Build July 10; See 3rd-F Channel

Two VQs this week: Top Em at Hacksaw Wednesday and Gilligan at Legacy Thursday.


Recent Backblasts

    Stationary 11s at Legacy

    QIC:  Blackout

    Date: 04/22/2021

    PAX: AOL, Bernie, Ramrod, FNG – Short Circuit (Maybe, still under debate), Sousa, Uncle Joe

    AO: Legacy


    Conditions

    Cold…..stupidly cold for late April. No rain though, so that was good.


    COP

    Mosey to Parking Lot beside the playground

    • SSH x25
    • FF x10 seconds
    • Willie Mayes Hayes x15
    • Arm Circles x15
    • Reverse Arm Circles x15
    • SSH x15

    20 Merkins/20 Squats; 15 Merkins/15 Squats; 10 Merkins/10 Squats; 5 Merkins/5 Squats

    Mosey a lap around park


    The Thang

    Round 1:

    Perform Atomic Merkins and Squat Jumps (Started with 10 Atomic Merkins and 1 Jump Squat; Worked down to 9 Atomic Merkins/2 Jump Squats, etc. until we got to 1 Atomic Merkin and 10 Jump Squats)

    Mosey a lap around park

    50 Monkey Humpers (5 rounds of 10)

    Round 2:

    Perform Big Boy Sit ups and Broad Jump (Started with 10 Big Boy Sit ups and 1 Broad Jump; Worked down to 9 BBSU/1 Broad Jump, etc. until we got to 1 BBSU and 10 Broad Jumps)

    NOTE: was supposed to be BBSU and Box jumps OR step-ups. Refer to Weather portion as the benches we were to use had layers of ice. Q audibled so as to assure nobody slipped off the bench during the box jumps.

    Mosey a lap around park

    2 minutes of reverse lunge burners (1 minute each leg)

    Round 3:

    Perform Burpees and Flutter Kicks (Started with 10 Burpees and 1 Flutter Kick; Worked down to 9 Burpees/1 Flutter Kick, etc. until we got to 1 Burpee and 10 Flutter Kicks)

    Mosey a lap around aprk

    Finished out last 70 seconds or so of beatdown holding Plank.


    COT

    Read John 14:1: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid. Talked about troubles, stress, and worry. We all have the tendency as human beings to worry and have high anxiety at times, especially during times of stress at work, home, during Pandemic, etc. Give those worries to God. Pray during those times that you may think and act with your heart and leave the worries in your mind behind for God to handle. Asked PAX a question: Will this situation I am worrying about matter in a week, a month, a year? If the answer is no, then stop and pray to God to guide you through the worries with peace and comfort.


    Moleskin

    The MC was wonderful for today’s beatdown!

    From what I gathered: Sousa met his now-wife at a Toga party in which there was a goat eating bed posts and sheets. After this, he subsequently lived in a barn on a king-sized bed full of Hay. At some point, the goat turned into a baby lamb that lived inside with his in-laws. It was then determined that Sousa uses a washing machine to wash his box spring (unsure how that works). Oh, and his mother in law is not named Mary so Mary and the Little Lamb didn’t work, however, his father in law is Wendell. Story took a weird turn (if that’s possible) after that discussion began.

    It was determined that some of the musical choices were not politically correct, subsequently followed by one PAX saying “Great music today”. Not sure what that means in the grand scheme of things, but worth nothing.

    Uncle Joe busted out his fur underwear for the beatdown, fortunately, we took him at his word and no proof was necessary. Did I mention it was cold, like 50 degrees colder than the high two days ago cold?

    Sousa was asked what raves were like now since he was the youngest PAX. He followed this up with “the movie theater in East Ridge?” Additionally, he noted that the closest thing he got to a rave was a Church gathering. Reach out to Sousa if you are looking for a new church….


    News

    3rd-F Channel: Chubby’s Mondays at 5:45-6; Habitat project set for July 10, need 6 people; Legacy park cleanup being rescheduled. See Slack 3rd-F channel

    Shawshank on at Parliament tomorrow; Escobar at Hacksaw. Two great options.


    Recent Backblasts

      TurboPAX, H&R Rocks, and PAXAct….1040s, Deductions and Penalty Burpees

      QIC:  Blackout

      Date: 04/15/2021

      PAX: Clothespin, El Chapo, M.I.A., Thin Mint

      AO: The Battery


      Conditions

      It was a very remarkable change in trends, it didn’t rain for a Blackout Q for the first time, well, ever! Great conditions, 55 degrees, no wind, and low humidity!


      COP

      Mosey lap around dog park to Pavilion – grab a rock

      • Imperial Walkers – x15
      • Randys – x15
      • SSH – x15
      • Tempo Merkins – x15
      • American Hammers – x15
      • X-factors – x15
      • Extra Small Arm Circles – x15
      • SSH – x15

      5 penalty burpees OYO


      The Thang

      Form 1040 First HalfUpper Body (10 seconds rest/40 seconds exercise)

      • Curls with rock
      • Shoulder Presses with rock
      • Dips
      • Mountain Climbers
      • Curls with rock
      • Shoulder Presses with rock
      • Dips
      • Mountain Climbers
      • Flutter Kicks with rock
      • 40 second Plank

      5 Penalty Burpees

      Deductions

      Start at one light pole in parking lot, perform 10 Diamond Merkins, jailbreak to other side of parking lot light pole and perform 10 LBCs, karaoke back to initial light pole. Perform this routine until we have “deducted” reps from 10 to 1. For second half, did Bernies instead of karaoke back to initial light pole.

      Form 1040 First HalfLower Body (10 seconds rest/40 seconds exercise)

      • Lunges with rock
      • Squats
      • Toe Merkins (also now known as Twerkins)
      • Monkey Humpers
      • Lunges with rock
      • Squats
      • Toe Merkins (also now known as Twerkins)
      • Gorilla Humpers
      • Flutter Kicks with rock
      • SSH

      Deductions – we found more potential deductions for our 1040

      Start at one light pole in parking lot, perform 3 burpees, jailbreak to other side of parking lot light pole and perform 3 BBSU, mosey back to initial light pole. Perform this routine until we have “deducted” reps from 3 to 1.

      Payment

      Once deductions on the tax return were corrected, we finally made our payment. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes with rocks until time (3-5 reps).


      COT

      Stole some of the Mayhem COT from Parliament on Wednesday, talking about where you are now is not your destination. If you are not happy, or in a bad place for whatever reason: job, relationship, internally, etc. Whatever the case may be, it is not too late to make changes for the better. Challenged the PAX to constantly evaluate whether or not they are truly thriving instead of just surviving. Thanks Mayhem, enjoyed that one so stole it a bit.


      Moleskin

      Lots of good MC, especially with a crowd of 5. Big thanks to Thin Mint for pointing out that Tax Day has been moved to May 17. Told the PAX it must feel great to have it done and paid by the “real” tax day today.

      Lots of good names for a tax beatdown: H&R Rocks, H&R Blocks, TurboPAX, PAXact, and my personal favorite from the one and only WuzntMe: “Screw Jackson Hewitt/This workout I will not do it”. He held true to his promise and in fact…did not do it. 10 minutes in, M.I.A. did not find these jokes funny any longer.

      Very thoughtful and drawn out discussions about the differences between Gorilla Humpers and Monkey Humpers. Clothespin was gracious enough to demonstrate proper form with sounds as well. Also, we gave Toe Merkins a second name “Twerkins” but then decided that should probably be used for Monkey Humpers instead. Verdict still not reached there.


      News

      2 spots open for Habitat build 4/17; Legacy clean-up to be rescheduled; Chubby’s continues on Monday nights. Join 3rd-F channel for more info.

      Woodrider at Parliament tomorrow; 9 Volt at Hacksaw

      Clothespin sending out info for July 24 Fallen Five beatdown and Ruck; Will span from 7 am to early afternoon; Clear your schedule and try to make it out to honor the fallen five that day.


      Recent Backblasts

        You only get wet once…….at 6:14 am

        QIC:  Blackout

        Date: 03/25/2021

        PAX: 9 Volt, Abercrombie, Clothespin, El Chapo, Deep Dish, Mrs. Baker, Rug Doctor, Thin Mint

        AO: The Battery


        Conditions

        As mentioned in many other backblasts before this, Blackout is on Q so it was cloudy and rainy. A whole new meaning to YOGWO as it rained for about 1 minutes of the workout and then poured during the COT. As always, weather channel app had no clue when it would rain. That said, it was warm in the mid-60s so that was good, humidity high.


        COP

        Mosey lap around Dog park and up to the top of the hill

        • Forward Fold – silent count
        • SSH – x25
        • Arm Circles – x15
        • Reverse Arm Circles – x15
        • Seal Claps – x15
        • Moroccan Nightclubs – x15
        • SSH – x15
        • 5 Burpees, 4 Burpees, 3 Burpees, 2 Burpees, 1 Burpees (OYO)
        • Mosey to coupon stack and pick out your favorite coupon

        The Thang

        Circuit One – Legs

        • Goblet Squats – x25
        • Lunges – x25 each leg
        • Toe Merkins – x25
        • Monkey Humpers – x25
        • Deadlifts – x25
        • Hot Feet – 30 seconds each foot

        Finished circuit by running down hill, 5 burpees, and back up hill

        Circuit Two – Arms/Chest

        • Incline Merkins – x25
        • Curls – x25
        • Triceps Extensions – x25
        • Diamond Merkins – x15
        • Shoulder Presses – x25
        • Plank – 1 minute

        Finished circuit by running down hill, 5 burpees, and back up hill

        Circuit Three – Core

        • Flutter Kicks – x50
        • American Hammers – x50
        • LBCs – x50
        • BBSU – x25
        • Freddie Mercuries – x25
        • Plank Jacks – x25

        Finished circuits with 3-4 minutes left. Finished up the workout with a Mercle (fancy term for circle merkins); Went in a circle and each PAX in the circle did one Merkin. Once it got back to start, started over at 2 merkins, etc. all the way up to time. In between Merkins, PAX performed SSH for 2 minutes and Imperial Walkers for 2 minutes.


        COT

        Kept today’s COT short and sweet: Don’t stress the small things in life. Keep your focus on God and your faith in addition to your family. Everything else should be lower on the priority listing. Sometimes, during work deadlines and kids sports and within all the other chaos in life, we forget to slow down and find peace in our faith and enjoy time with our family. Instead, we worry about being late, deadlines, etc. God is with us all the time and our faith will get us through all trials and tribulations!


        Moleskin

        During the COP, it was discussed why Forward Fold was silent count; Long discussion ensued on how the plan going forward is to perform silent counts at beatdowns in which Threeskin is not present; and the opposite when he is present

        Halfway through the workout, Clothespin decided he “didn’t like the Q anymore” Q was surprised as he didn’t realize Clothespin liked him before that moment either. HA

        Apparently The Battery and Blackout both have a bad reputation for rainy beatdowns. I wish there was something we could do to curb that, unfortunately, it is what it is.

        The hill at the Battery sucks!


        News

        3rd-F still rolling strong: Chubby’s on Monday nights at 6pm; 4/10 park cleanup at Legacy; 4/17 Habitat build; Thin Mint mentioned a potential opportunity for helping cleanup Tinsley Park at the Battery at some point in the future. Join 3rd-F channel.

        Convergence for Night Sweats went great, 80 men strong!

        Parliament – Bonsai on Q 3/25; Hacksaw – Mothballs VQ 3/25


        Recent Backblasts

          March M.A.D.N.E.S.S. Doracides

          QIC:  Blackout

          Date: 03/17/2021

          PAX: Flamer, M.I.A., Meow Mix, FNG-Nickelback, WuzntMe

          AO: Parliament


          Conditions

          A nice crisp 55 degrees. No rain but very damp and humid. Great gloom weather.


          COP

          Mosey one lap around track to parking lot beside school

          • SSH x15
          • Forward Fold – 15 seconds
          • Willie Mayes Hayes x10
          • Little Baby Arm Circles x15
          • Reverse Baby Arm Circles x15
          • Seal Claps x15
          • SSH x20
          • 5 Burpees OYO

          The Thang

          In the spirit of March Madness starting this weekend, we partnered up a did a March Madness Doracide. PAX 1 did the exercises at specified location while PAX 2 ran suicides (also in the spirit of a basketball court). There were two cones placed in the parking lot. PAX 2 ran to first cone, did 1 burpee and ran back, then ran to second cone, did 2 burpees and ran back and then swapped with PAX 1. All exercise reps were cumulative.

          • M – Merkins (150 total)
          • A – Alternating Side Squats (150 total hard count)
          • D – Dips (150 total)
          • N – Nipple Scraper Merkins (50 total)
          • E – Extended Leg Big Boy Sit ups (100 total)
          • S – Squats (150 total)
          • S – SSH (200 total)

          4MOM – Finished DORA with four minutes left so we did four minutes of mary

          • WuzntMe: Kamala Harris (Heals to Heaven) – 15 in cadence
          • Meow Mix: Flutter Kicks – 20 in cadence
          • Flamer: One minute Plank
          • M.I.A. – Freddie Mercuries – 20 in cadence

          COT

          Read C.S. Lewis quote to PAX: “We all want progress. but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive”

          I tied this quote into my prayer life and the struggles within. During this Lenten season, I have focused on making my prayers intentional and not just a “transaction” It is too easy to fall into the trap of making the prayer part of our daily checklist and moving on about our day. In my prayer life, I was headed down the wrong road and thus, to obtain progress I had to turn back and start over on the right road with intentional, conversational prayer. Challenged all PAX struggling with this same issue to do the same.


          Moleskin

          Burpees during the suicide were stupid. Called that off about 15-20 minutes into the workout. Added them at 5:15 to the beatdown and removed them at 5:55. Pretty quick turnaround there.

          Experienced the quickest naming of an FNG since I have been around F3. Didn’t even get to finish his story before we had his name nailed down.

          Great group of men this morning. Mumble Chatter not super high as suicides and burpees knocked it out of us!


          News

          Convergence at Ridgecut next Wednesday March 24. Would have been Night Sweats VQ. Let’s really show up and show out for this one!

          Third F still going strong with many opportunities to support our community: Monday Nights 6:00 pm Chubby’s Homeless Ministry; Heritage Park (Legacy) landscaping volunteer work Saturday April 10; Habitat for Humanity build Saturday April 17. See Third F channel on Slack for info on all of these opportunities.


          Recent Backblasts

            Beware the Ides of March – 44 B.C. (Burpees in a Corner)

            QIC:  Blackout

            Date: 3/15/2021

            PAX:  AOL, Bandwagon, Escobar, Flemish, M.I.A., Madoff, Mothballs, Picabo, Ramrod, Rollback, Sex Wax, Slim Shady, Sousa, Uncle Joe

            AO: Hacksaw


            Conditions

            Beautiful, clear morning. NO RAIN!! 55 degrees and no wind. Felt a lot warmer after the 44 burpees.


            COP

            Mosey to Imagination Station parking lot.

            • SSH x15
            • FF x15 seconds
            • Willie Mayes Hayes x15
            • Arm Circles x15
            • Reverse Arm Circles x15
            • Seal Claps x15
            • Overhead Claps x15
            • SSH x15
            • Mosey to Pickleball courts

            The Thang

            44 B.C

            • One round of 44 Burpees in a Corner: Performed 11 burpees in Corner 1 and moseyed to Corner 2; 11 burpees in Corner 2 and moseyed to Corner 3; 11 burpees in Corner 3 and moseyed to Corner 4; 11 burpees in Corner 4 and moseyed back to Corner 1

            Three Rounds of 44 B.C.

            • Corner 1: 44 Mountain Climbers
            • Corner 2: 44 LBCs
            • Corner 3: 44 Squats
            • Corner 4: 44 Merkins

            During Round 1, we lunged the sides from Corner 1 to 2 and 3 to 4 and karaoke the lengths from Corner 2 to 3 and 4 to 1

            During Round 2, we bear crawled the sides from Corner 1 to 2 and 3 to 4 and bernied the lengths from Corner 2 to 3 and 4 to 1.

            During Round 3, we did traveling burpees from Corner 1 to 2 and 3 to 4 and moseyed the lengths from Corner 2 to 3 and 4 to 1.

            Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times

            Moseyed to Pavilion

            • 23 Step-ups
            • 23 Dips
            • 23 Decline Merkins

            Moseyed back to flag and held Plank for six until time


            COT

            Read a C.S. Lewis quote: “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive”

            I spoke about my Lenten goal of turning back towards more meaningful prayer. My praying habits had become very stagnant and transaction like instead of conversational. Instead of just praying and going about my way, I am trying to make the prayer intentional and I challenged my fellow PAX to do the same if this is also something they struggle with. I spoke of how this quote resonated with me, because in theory, I was on the wrong road in terms of my prayer life and even though I was praying more, it wasn’t true progress. I had to turn back and start over down the right road to make sure my prayer was meaningful and intentional.


            Moleskin

            44 B.C. = 44 Stupid’s! Also, we now have not only a ten count, but a 44 count in the F3 repertoire.

            M.I.A. does not like it when Blackout tells him he is doing a good job, anyone else can tell him that, just not Blackout

            PAX of this workout are still plotting a betrayal for the next beatdown. Let’s hope it doesn’t involve knives.


            News

            Lots of 3rd-F opportunities: Chubby’s on Mondays at 6 pm; Habitat build on Saturday 4/17; Legacy Park cleanup after a beatdown on Saturday 4/10; Join 3rd-F channel on Slack for more information

            Convergence at Ridge Cut on 3/24/2021 in memory of Night Sweats. Would have been the date of his VQ.

            Legacy starting a 6am option on Saturdays. OTB started this month, come out and join.

            Hacksaw and Hackliament shirts posted on shirtz channel. Check them out!


            Recent Backblasts

              OTB Legacy – Pain Stations

              QIC:  Blackout

              Date: 03/13/2021

              PAX: AOL, M.I.A., Mothballs, Rollback

              AO: Legacy


              Conditions

              Felt like Spring; Temps in the upper 50s/low 60s. Slightly damp and humid but other than that, great weather for a beatdown.


              COP

              Mosey to Parking lot in Park

              • SSH x25
              • FF x10
              • Willie Mayes Hayes x15
              • Arm Circles x15
              • Reverse Arm Circles x15
              • Seal Claps x15
              • Nightclubs x15
              • SSH x25
              • Bur-kin Apocalypse: 5 burpees/1 merkin, 4 burpees/2 merkins. 3 burpees/3 merkins, 2 burpees, 4 merkins, 1 burpee, 5 merkins

              The Thang

              STATION #1 – Legs

              • 25 Squat Jumps
              • 25 lunges – each leg
              • 25 Toe Merkins
              • 25 Monkey Humpers
              • 25 Squats
              • 1 minute Hot Feet (30 seconds each side)
              • Burpees – did 10 less number of pax (5), so 5 total
              • Moseyed lap around park

              STATION #2 – Arms/Chest

              • 25 Merkins
              • 25 Dips
              • 15 Diamond Merkins
              • 25 Dips
              • 10 Dive Bombers
              • 1 minute Plank
              • Burpees – did 8 less number of pax (5), so 3 total
              • Moseyed lap around park

              STATION #3 – Core

              • 25 Flutter Kicks
              • 25 LBCs
              • 25 Freddie Mercuries
              • 25 BBSU
              • 25 American Hammers
              • 25 Plank Jacks
              • Burpees – did 6 less number of pax (5), so 1 total

              Finished up with “Flower” by Moby (Sally). Started first half of song doing Squats up and down on cadence of song and finished doing planks up and down on cadence of song.


              COT

              Read Luke Chapter 17:11-19. Jesus heals ten men with Leprosy. Spoke about my personal Lenten goal/challenge on learning how to treat prayer like an essential conversation with a friend and not so much like a transaction. In the story of ten lepers, Jesus healed all ten, however, only one of these men stopped and bowed at the feet of Jesus, thanking God for healing him and for everything he had been given in that moment. The other nine went about their way, treating the healing like a “transaction” of sorts that was over once they were cured. I challenged myself and the PAX to be like the one leper and not the nine. So often, my habit of prayer was amplified during difficult times but I often stopped to praise God during times of greatness and comfort. This has been a focal point of my Lenten journey this year and I challenged my fellow PAX to do the same if that is something they also struggle with. Strive to be more like the one and not the nine!

              After the COT and announcements, we took a moment of silence for Night Sweats and his family to remember a fallen brother.


              Moleskin

              Jokes abound regarding the weather forecast. When Blackout Qs, it rains. Wasn’t supposed to rain until Monday but of course we got a light sprinkle overnight and slightly during the beatdown as a reminder of this fact.

              Great group of me this morning, mumble chatter was great!


              News

              Chubby’s 3rd F still going strong on Mondays. Habitat build on 4.17. Legacy Park cleanup on 4.10. See 3rd-F channel for more information.

              Convergence 03.24 Ridge Cut to honor Night Sweats.


              Recent Backblasts

                80% Legs, 90% Rain, 100% Gloom

                QIC:  Blackout

                Date: 02/22/2021

                PAX: Tatonka, Threeskin, WuzntMe

                AO: Anvil


                Conditions

                Blackout was on Q so only one option was available from a weather standpoint: Rain and Wind. True gloom status. 48 degrees with rain for entirety of beatdown


                COP

                Mosey one lap around track

                • SSH x25
                • Willie Mayes Hayes x10
                • Forward Fold (silent for the pleasure of Threeskin)
                • SSH x25

                Mosey one lap around track


                The Thang

                80/20 Leg/Core Intervals (45 seconds work/10 seconds rest)

                • Goblet Squats w/ block
                • Lunges w/ block
                • Toe Merkins on block
                • BBSU w/ block
                • Jump Squats (no block for everyone’s safety)
                • Reverse Lunges w/ block
                • Alternating Side Squats w/o block
                • Flutter Kicks w/ block

                Ran one lap after 8 interval exercises. Performed this interval and lap 3 times total.

                Turned on “Flower” by Moby (Sally up, Sally down). Instead of planks/merkins, we did squats to Sally. When the song said down we went into a low squat and when the song said up, we came up out of the low squat.

                Finished with 4MOM

                • LBCs x25 (WuzntMe)
                • Twisted Scissors x20 (Tatonka)
                • Pickle Pointers x20 (Threeskin)
                • Freddie Mercuries x20 (Blackout)

                COT

                Shared a little of the gospel reading and sermon from church on Sunday. The gospel reading from the New Testament was related to the 40 days in the desert. This is a story of Jesus avoiding temptation and becoming exactly who God made him to be. Mentioned a couple of things that stood out to me: 1) Temptation and 2) Repentance

                It is important and crucial to avoid temptation. The sermon on Sunday talked about squashing it before it ever starts because it can be very similar to peer pressure. Once you let the temptation in and begin dialogue with the devil, the heart and mind become lost and the devil can respond and converse with you further along the line of falling into temptation. Easier said than done, but try to squash that right off the bat.

                Also in the spirit of the Lenten season, repentance is a hot topic. I am trying this year to look at repentance as a step forward to not only finding forgiveness and God again but also to finding myself again. So often repentance is seen as negative because it requires asking negative questions, stopping negative habits, asking for forgiveness for negative sins, and discussing negativity all around. I challenged the PAX to think of the negativity as stairs to get back to the individuals we are meant to be in life. Getting back to our best selves is the only way to truly serve our families, communities, colleagues, friends and fellow PAX. If we see this as a progression and not with negative connotations, then we can strive to be our best selves.


                Moleskin

                A fair amount of MC this morning, which was great. That said, we decided that April at Anvil is “anaerobics and a-holes” so if you want a brutal workout, Anvil is the place for you in April (and really, any other time of the year)

                John Doe on Q for first Anvil March workout. Therefore, March is “Modify March”, only for one week, than it goes back to “Merkin March”

                Many more laughs had this morning, can’t recall them all at the moment.


                News

                3rd F in full swing. Look for 3rd F channel in Slack or reach out to John Doe. Following opportunities available:
                Chubby’s Homeless Ministry – Mondays 6:00 pm downtown Rossville Blvd.
                Habitat for Humanity Build – April 17, 2021.


                Recent Backblasts

                  40 SSHs, 40 second intervals and 40 days of Lent

                  QIC:  Blackout

                  Date: 02/18/2021

                  PAX: 9 Volt, Abercrombie, Mrs. Baker

                  AO: The Battery


                  Conditions

                  The coldest rain you can have without snow, so basically miserable. True gloom status. 34 degrees and rainy. However, wasn’t too bad under the pavilion. Still cold but largely avoided the precipitation


                  COP

                  Mosey to Pavilion

                  • 40 SSH
                  • Forward Fold OYO
                  • 20 Arm Circles, 20 Reverse Arm Circles
                  • 20 Seal Claps, 20 Overhead Claps
                  • 40 SSH
                  • Berkin Apocalypse: 5 Burpees/3 Merkins, 4 Burpees/4 Merkins, 3 Burpees/5 Merkins, 2 Burpees/6 Merkins, 1 Burpee/7 Merkins (40 total burpees and merkins combined)

                  The Thang

                  PAX grabbed a rock (preferably a dry one if possible); Most exercises performed with rock of choice

                  INTERVALS – ROUND 1 (each interval was 40 (ish) seconds of exercise and 15 (ish) seconds of rest in between

                  • Curls
                  • Dips
                  • Shoulder Presses
                  • Wide Merkins
                  • Forearm Curls
                  • Triceps Extensions
                  • Front Raises
                  • Incline Merkins

                  20 SSH between Rounds 1 and 2

                  INTERVALS – ROUND 2 – (each interval was 40 (ish) seconds of exercise and 15 (ish) seconds of rest in between

                  • Squats
                  • LBCs
                  • Toe Merkins
                  • Freddie Mercuries
                  • Lunges
                  • BBSU
                  • Step-ups
                  • Flutter Kicks

                  To celebrate being half way with the intervals (2/4), we did 10 burpees OYO

                  INTERVALS – ROUND 3 – (each interval was 40 (ish) seconds of exercise and 15 (ish) seconds of rest in between

                  • Curls
                  • Dips
                  • Shoulder Presses
                  • Wide Merkins
                  • Forearm Curls
                  • Triceps Extensions
                  • Front Raises
                  • Incline Merkins

                  20 SSH between Rounds 3 and 4

                  INTERVALS – ROUND 4 – (each interval was 40 (ish) seconds of exercise and 15 (ish) seconds of rest in between

                  • Squats
                  • LBCs
                  • Toe Merkins
                  • Freddie Mercuries
                  • Lunges
                  • BBSU
                  • Step-ups
                  • Flutter Kicks

                  COT

                  Spoke about the beginning of the Lenten season this week. Utilized 40 in most exercise reps: Berkin Apocalypse, SSH, arm circles, seconds of intervals, etc. to symbolize the 40 days story from the Bible which is now celebrated with the Lenten season. I am doing a devotional written by a gentleman named Matthew Kelly. Read this excerpt from his book “I Heard God Laugh”

                  “Is your life working? It’s a simple, yet brutal question to ask yourself. We cannot look at another person’s life and know, but most of the time, we know how well our own life is (or isn’t) working. When we reflect upon our lives, we usually discover that in some ways they are functioning well and in other ways they are not. What does hit mean for you? It means that in some ways you are flourishing, but in other ways you are experiencing dissatisfaction. God can speak to you through dissatisfaction. You can learn to live with discontent, or you can accept it as an invitation. The danger zone is marked by a comfort zone. This is where things aren’t great, but they aren’t horrible either, so you just continue to muddle along. We gravitate toward comfort, and it’s amazing how comfortable we can get in life. The thought of something new and unknown activates our resistance and hesitancy. These are mental, emotional and spiritual obstacles that we all need to push through in order to move from surviving to thriving. Are you thriving or just surviving? If your life isn’t working, what are you willing to do for the next 40 days to jump start a change?”

                  I used this to challenge myself and fellow PAX to do three things for the next 40 days:

                  • Ask yourself the brutally honest questions about your life. Be willing to change things in your life if you don’t like the honest answers.
                  • Try something new to you during the next 40 days and try to make it stick after that time frame as well.
                  • Keep pushing your comfort zone and pray to God as he guides you through those uncomfortable situations.

                  You can’t get better in a “comfortable” environment. We must step out of that to achieve true betterment of self.


                  Moleskin

                  Apparently, some creepy guy likes to park by the dog park at the Battery AO. Luckily, nothing too weird happened…. I think.

                  Small crowd this morning provided for great, intimate mumble chatter. Lots of good conversation during the beatdown (when we could breath that is).


                  News

                  3rd F still rolling with multiple opportunities. Homeless Ministry at Chubby’s is Monday nights 5:45-6 pm downtown Chattanooga and lasts until around 8ish. Great opportunity to help out those most in need throughout our community. Also, donations are welcome (coats, hats, socks, hand warmers, etc.). In process of setting up 501(c)3 so that monetary donations will be tax deductible in the future.

                  Habitat build in April. Reach out to 3rd-F channel on slack or John Doe directly for more information.


                  Recent Backblasts

                    Pain Stations at Parliament

                    QIC:  Blackout

                    Date: 01/29/2021

                    PAX: Cavity Search, Coldplay, M.I.A., Tatonka, Woodrider

                    AO: Parliament


                    Conditions

                    Very, very cold! 25 but felt like about 10 degrees with the wind blowing. A sharp contract to Track Tuesday which was in the low 60s.


                    COP

                    Mosey lap around the track

                    • Forward Fold – silent
                    • SSH IC – x15
                    • Willie Mayes Hayes IC – x15
                    • Arm Circles IC – x15
                    • Reverse Arm Circles IC – x15
                    • Moroccan Nightclubs IC – x15 (for Coldplay of course)
                    • SSH IC – x20
                    • 5 Burpees, 5 Merkins; 4 Burpees, 4 Merkins; 3 Burpees, 3 Merkins….Stopped there as everyone not only noted they were plenty warmed up but also how stupid it was!

                    The Thang

                    Moseyed to the parking lot by the entrance of the school for Station #1

                    PAIN STATION 1 – Arms/Chest

                    • 25 Merkins
                    • 25 Dips
                    • 25 Incline Merkins
                    • 25 Carolina Dry Docks
                    • 25 Dips
                    • 1 minute Plank
                    • 10 Diamond Merkins

                    Moseyed to parking lot behind the school building for Station #2

                    PAIN STATION 2 – Core

                    • 25 Flutter Kicks HC
                    • 50 LBCs
                    • 25 BBSU
                    • 50 American Hammers
                    • 25 Freddie Mercuries
                    • 50 Plank Jacks
                    • Finished the countdown from the COP with: 2 burpees, 2 merkins; 1 burpee, 1 merkin

                    Moseyed to the church parking lot for Station #3

                    PAIN STATION 3 – Legs

                    • 25 Squat Jumps
                    • 25 Lunges HC
                    • 25 Toe Merkins
                    • 25 Monkey Humpers
                    • 25 Squats
                    • 25 Gorilla Humpers

                    Moseyed to side parking lot of school for slight repeat of Station #2

                    PAIN STATION 4 – Core (again)

                    • 25 Flutter Kicks EC
                    • 50 LBCs
                    • 15 BBSU
                    • 25 American Hammers
                    • 15 Freddie Mercuries
                    • 25 Plank Jacks

                    Moseyed to the parking lot by the entrance of the school for repeat of Station #1

                    PAIN STATION 5 – Arms/Chest (again)

                    • 20 Merkins
                    • 20 Dips
                    • 20 Incline Merkins
                    • 1 minute Plank

                    Plank got us to time of 6:15


                    COT

                    Talked about the story in Matthew where Herod had John the Baptist killed. On that day, Jesus mourned and was very sad about the passing somebody so close to him as John the Baptist. His day started off terribly with this news so he wanted to get away to a remote location and be by himself to pray and mourn. However, all of his followers saw him walking out to the location and followed him to see what he would say and/or do about this tragic killing. Instead of letting his bad day continue, Jesus chose to do what Jesus always choose to do: Perform Miracles and give to others. We all have bad starts to the day and even sometimes long periods of the day that are bad, however, we have the ability to take this approach and turn our day into greatness! The moral here is, never let a bad start keep you from a great finish. Jesus had a terrible start to the day but later on performed one of the greatest miracles ever seen by turning small portions into enough to feed 5,000 men plus women and children. Bad starts don’t have to equal bad endings!


                    Moleskin

                    Lots of MC this morning due to smaller group which was AWESOME!

                    It turns out that burpees counting down from 5 to 1 gets just as much flack as from 10 to 1. Who would’ve thought?

                    At one point in the beatdown Woodrider told Coldplay that “his face looked like Woodrider felt” Still not sure to this point whether that is a compliment or passive aggressive assault

                    Chest and arms station was by far the most hated pain station, so like any good beatdown, we did it again!

                    We will make sure to get a second Parliament flag for two reasons: 1) the picture of Tatonka on the design and 2) to make sure John Doe doesn’t get his way

                    It was brought up that Sniffer fartsacked on us again! PAX to ensure that FIA schedule is posted on Parliament channel for his viewing pleasure.


                    News

                    3rd F still in full swing at Chubby’s downtown. 5:30 – 6:00 on Mondays. Also, any monetary donations and/or blankets, coats, hats, etc. are welcome also. Drop those off at any AO and we will get them there. Great ministry so try to get involved if possible!

                    Second Habitat build in the works. reach out to John Doe or 3rd-F slack channel for more information.


                    Recent Backblasts