Conditions: Cold in the Hill City – 36°
Shovel Flag — Planted
Disclaimer — Delivered with enthusiasm
Warm-up: Little mosey with only 3 PAX (Burner was waiting for us when we returned to the Love Shack), SSH, Baby arm circles, upper back stretch, chest stretch
THE THANG
Nothing complicated today: Elevens w/ CMU coupons executed between distant light posts
10 CMU squats / 1 CMU burpee (overhead press instead of jump)
9 / 2
8 / 3
7 / 4
6 / 5
5 / 6
4 / 7
3 / 8
2 / 9
1 / 10
COT
YHC was worn out but energized by his Brothers.
BOM
Guidance & wisdom needed for decisions
MOLESKIN
Without any creative juices flowing, YHC decided to plan a slog fest without using any of the hills at AO Hill City. The PAX were up to the challenge and completed the task at 6:15 on the dot.
Preblast: Rebooting The F3 Super Bowl – The Mud Run
F3 is gearing up for the next installment of our annual Super Bowl, the Ultimate Mud Run. We aren’t just doing another Mud Run this year. The men of F3 Summerville are rebooting the whole dang thing.
After many successful events put on by the Columbia regions of F3, Ken Doll wrote “you may have noticed a steady drop in attendance over the past few Mud Run events. In addition, the enthusiasm for our Super Bowl has waned.”
It’s true. Very true. So we’re starting over and giving you a reason to come back out and fellowship with over 500 of your brothers from every F3 region.
Some things will remain the same. We’ll have a big tent. We’ll have a beer boat. But you’re going to see a lot of changes.
For starters – only one Mud Run in 2017. It will be the Spring one held on May 20th. And it’s going to be epic. Bet on it!
Best of all – more competition and more partying!
You’ll see:
1. A longer after party.
2. A new tailgating row (Second F Village if anyone asks) with tents from every region.
3. More competition before, during and after the run. Think awards for a Respect crew, Rucking crew, F3 Olympics and much more. We’ll announce all that soon.
4. A more competitive starting order.
5. A competition to see who can chug more beers than Team Unicorn Slaughterhouse Death Match – certainly going to happen, maybe, probably not.
What: 2017 Mud Run – The Super Bowl of F3
When: Saturday, May 20th | 0700
Cost: $60 per person
How: Click here – http://f3summerville.com/mud-run-spring-2017/
(after signing up here you will be sent to a page with the PayPal link for payment)
IMPORTANT: You will sign up for the Mud Run individually. Your Region Nantan will appoint Region Mud Run Q. You should report your team name and members to your Region Mud Run Q. Additional information will be sent to your Region Nantan and Mud Run Q later.
UPDATE 1 | May 8, 2017
- We currently have about 325 F3 men doing the race.
- Sign-up ASAP. YES, you can still sign up today. http://f3summerville.com/mud-run-spring-2017/
- Donate to the Hidden Wounds foundation at the below link. This is a worthy cause and we will be presenting them a check at the race site. https://facebook.com/donations-f3-summerville-causes/
- Form your team and let the Mud Run Q for your AO know who is on it and the team name prior to 10 May. If this is not done by 10 May, you will be placed on a team of our choosing. Don’t assume just because you put it in some hidden thread or mentioned it over a beverage two months ago that he has your team info. POC for this is Banjo cupoe13@gmail.com
- If you “think” your team is a competitive team and worthy of being placed at the front of the pack with other studs, contact the Mud Run Q for your AO prior to 10 May as well.
- Contact the Mud Run Q for your AO prior to 10 May and sign-up for F3 Village games. POC for this is Goose r.w.martier@gmail.com
- Team Captains print and sign the race waiver which can be found at the below site. Each team must have a waiver signed by all team members with them upon checking in for the race. http://www.ultimatechallengemudrun.org/
DAY OF EVENT TIMELINE:
- 0730 gates open for the masses.
- 0815 BOM
- 0830 Race starts
- 0852 First F3 team steps off
- F3 games will go at approximately 1130 or as determined by Goose.
- Food and beverage vendors will be on site. Please support the vendors that support the race.
- ENDEX is TBD, expect late afternoon/early evening.
- If you plan to drink, plan NOW for a Designated Driver.
F3 Trip: Israel, May 2018
I BELIEVE yet I’ve never BEEN. I’ve never walked where Jesus walked and I’ve never seen the land that Jesus saw.
That’s gotta change.
Have you been? Don’t we have to go at least once? If you’ve been once…why not twice? If you’re like me you’re a Christian and have been for decades. Yet I’ve never set foot on the same soil that Jesus walked on when he was here on earth. I don’t know about you but that is an itch I have to scratch. Have to. Call it the pilgrimage of a lifetime – because that is exactly what it is.
Turns out there’s a F3 brother in Hickory, Walk-On (David Wachter), who leads trips to Israel on a regular basis. He’s nearly completed his seminary education and has a thing for taking groups to Israel. A former college quarterback, Walk-On is on his self-described “third vocation” after spending much of his twenties, thirties and forties as an engineer and then financial planner. He’s long had a call to seminary and is fulfilling that call now at 46 while maintaining his financial planning business.
Like a lot of people who do this regularly he’s “got a guy” on the ground in Israel, his name is Boaz (naturally), to help coordinate that side of the pond and then grab him and his groups when they get off the plane in Tel Aviv. So what had happen wuz…I was talking with my father, Abraham (this is all a bit too cliché perhaps?) and mentioned not for the first time that I really want to go to Israel and he put me in touch with Walk-On. This was all pre-ordained (yep, I’m a Presbyterian) because Walk-On is leaving in May to take a group and wants to do another trip in May 2018. His trip this May is a run of the mill, on the path, touristy trip but Walk-On really loves the other kind of trip. The other kind of trip is a bit, shall we say, harder. Walk-On likes leading an “intense trip” for 30 people OFF the beaten path. We will still stay in hotels every night so, no, this is not a camping trip or a no shower mission trip but what this sounds like to me is a PERFECT F3 trip. Don’t just go look at the mountain, climb it. Don’t just go look at the desert, hike across it just like Jesus and his disciples did. The trip will of course include all of the Israel “must sees” like Masada, Qumran, Jericho, Galilee and the Golan Heights, Tel Dan, Jerusalem, Mt. Arbel, Mt. Tabor, Mt. Carmel, Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb but with a different, off the beaten path, approach. Check out a sample itinerary here: http://www.insightsintravel.com/utica-israel-trip-2017.html and a video promoting that trip here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0zk-6kOSpU.
So, how does all of this work? Walk-On’s wife, Noelle, has a travel agency in Hickory (http://www.insightsintravel.com/) and she does all of the nitty-gritty planning and coordinating work with flights, hotels, meals, etc. We will fly out of Charlotte together (centrally located for most of F3, “New Jerusalem” as Dredd calls it for some reason). The ideal trip size is 20-30. Walk-On likes to travel Israel with a group about the size of Jesus’ group (naturally right?). If we have more than 30 that are ready to HC then we’ll coordinate a second trip.
Who: F3 men and their wives (from anywhere, this is not region-specific, put the F on your chest and come on). My approach is that I really want to walk where Jesus walked and see what Jesus saw and I want all of that for my wife also. We are capping the trip at the first 30 total people to HC and then will form a waiting list in the event something comes up (30 total people, not 30 couples). If we have enough for two trips then we’ll plan a second one around the same time. We can take singles as well but if there is not another single to bunk up with then there is a “single supplement” to be paid on top of the trip price (more on that below).
When: The dates are not 100% set in stone but we’re looking at May 18-30, 2018. If we have a heavy contingent of people that need the trip to be later in the school year we can shift into early/mid-June if that makes sense. Plenty of time to commit to this, set your calendar, get family/sitter set up for the children, plan and save money…about that…
Cost: Israel is not cheap but that’s mainly because of flights. For some reason flying to Israel is a good bit more expensive than flying to other locations of similar distance (someone reading this may know why that is but I don’t). The price is all-inclusive and includes mandatory travel insurance (seriously, everything is included except any gifts you buy and any incidental beverages you put in your mouth) and will likely come to ~$4,200 per person. Steep yes but not much more than “canned trips” and a WHOLE lot more bang for the buck. Plus the price tag is broken up into payments with an initial deposit, second payment and then a final payment (like this http://www.insightsintravel.com/pricing-and-terms4.htm). If you’re going to do this once in your life then the price is the price. I don’t say that about many things but I do about this.
How do you HC? Send me an email (pjasonreynolds@gmail.com) and I am going to keep a list. You can HC below of course but make sure to send me an email as well so that my list stays solid. If you can’t HC just yet but you are pretty interested then email me and I will put you on a “maybe” list and ask you before I give away your spot. Our first payment, likely a $400 per person down payment, will be due in September or October, so you have time but first come first serve on reserving your spots on the list.
So, who wants to go to Israel and take your wife and have a trip of a lifetime? I do and in May 2018 I’m gonna do it. Come with me. We’ll do burpees in the Holy Land. Email me now to reserve your spot: pjasonreynolds@gmail.com.
Now Accepting Entries for the Official 2017 F3 Race Jersey Logo
The F3 Marketing Team will soon select and unveil a new national Official F3 Race Jersey Logo for 2017. PAX from all regions are invited to submit ideas for this year’s design.
Like previous years, we plan to keep the standard F3 logo on the front, uniting us as one F3 Nation, and feature a new design on the back to commemorate this year of F3. As before, the logo will be retired at the end of the year with no additional printings, so you can always tell who has been putting in down-painments the longest. The official yearly F3 Nation Race Jersey has become a cherished collectible for PAX across F3 Nation – a reminder of your years in F3, suitable for framing retired jerseys above the mantle as trophies to your manhood.
This year we are encouraging the use of Google albums for posting your ideas and enabling comments on them. Images can be fully developed or just sketches that need refinement.
Link to Google Photo Album To View Entries and Submit your own:
https://goo.gl/photos/pP9nhp9p4JQmyA568
You can also comment to applaud the creativity of others, or voice your opinions. Remember that this will be the fleeting image that countless sadclowns see passing them by on the course or track next year – make it memorable. There are no design requirements this year, meaning you do not have to incorporate the f3 URL or twitter handle – just make is something that unites us across all F3 regions and nomad groups. F3 Marketing will be making a final selection before the end of February, and then get some shirts going for Spring races.
Thanks and good luck. Aye!
2017 Maltz Challenge
YHC has been advocating for awareness of our armed forces for nearly as long as I have been able to breathe. That has even been paired with F3 when I launched REDFriday here in Greenwood and shared my passion for it with groups in MECA and Mint Hill. We even spotted a guy from Richmond, Va. rocking a REDFriday shirt at one of the transitions on the BRR. Now it’s time for the Nation to tackle a pretty tough Hero WOD in honor of one of America’s finest heroes.
The DEA Maltz Challenge started in 2006 to honor Air Force MSgt. Michael maltz, a highly decorated member of USAF Pararescue (the USAF’s elite special forces unit) who was killed on March 23, 2003, during a rescue mission in Afghanistan.
Read more about MSgt. Michael Maltz here.
Each year, the Maltz Challenge selects service members who were killed in action to honor during the Challenge.
Read the list of honorees here.
This year, the Challenge will be held on Friday, March 10
The workout can be completed in any park or gym with minimal equipment. The workout is simple, yet difficult:
- 400m run
- 50 pull-ups
- 100m fireman’s carry or 200m farmer’s carry with 50lb. dumbbells
- 50 dips
- 50 knees to elbow
- 100 sit-ups
- 400m run
Work should not be partitioned other than prescribed above. Participants can modify to half Maltz by cutting all reps in half or complete it as a team of two. If you have a weight vest, wear it.
We are asking that everyone participate to the level they can. There is no cost to register and t-shirts can be purchased separately for $20.
Register for the Maltz Challenge here.
Purchase a Maltz Challenge t-shirt here.
After the event is over, we will have a backblast posted on the Nation website for guys to enter their times for the challenge and who they honored during the Challenge. This is not to see who can complete the WOD the quickest, but to document your time so that you can see how much better you do next year!
You can follow the Challenge on Facebook here.
If you have any questions or comments, hit me up here or on Twitter @JuggernautF3. If you have any gripes or complaints, please contact CSPAN.
I look forward to seeing how everyone does!
Hooyah!
“Is Everybody Wearing Running Shoes?”
As a general rule, YHC does not like to surprise the PAX with exercises for which they might not be prepared or equipped. But as is the case for all general rules, there are exceptions. Driving to the Hill City AO, I was feeling froggy and knew it might be time for an Omaha. When I pulled up to see three steely-eyed veterans waiting on me, the Weinke stayed in the car.
Conditions: Cool and partly cloudy – 49°
Shovel Flag — Planted
Disclaimer — Delivered with enthusiasm
Warm-up: Knee-and-ankle rotation, which elicited some giggles from the PAX.
With our joints sufficiently lubricated, the PAX set off to execute the Merkin Mile. This took us to roughly the halfway point of the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge.
Front lunges / Side lunges / Power skips to the end of the Bridge, where the PAX executed an impromptu 6MOM on the southern shore of the Tennessee River
Three-block loop around some overpriced condos, then up a hill back to the Bridge
Power walk headed due north toward the AO while banging out a Ratchet Shoulder Blaster (for the ladies) / Run to end of the Bridge
Powered through some squats IC on the street corner, then returned to the Shovel Flag
With approximately 8 minutes remaining, we broke out the CMU coupons to get a good burn.
Bent-over row
45° front press
Bench press
– Normal 20, narrow 20
– Normal 15, narrow 15
– Normal 10, narrow 10
– Normal 5, narrow 5
20 CMU merkins
Shoulder blaster to close
COT
Continued prayers for Steam Engine’s travels and the Laces Out’s son
BOM
I Am Third.
MOLESKIN
I am constantly encouraged by the men of F3 Chatt. Attitude and effort are always there. I’m not sure they enjoyed running 2.5 miles this morning, but sometimes they need a surprise.
A Big Leap for F3 Gear: MudGear Shirts to be Built in the USA
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Turning Pain Into Purpose-The Final Wrap on the First Annual Operation Sweet Tooth Toy Drive
When my wife and I had the idea to create Operation Sweet Tooth to honor our daughter’s memory, we had no idea of how our initiative would be welcomed. We are just a simple, mourning family, wanting to honor our daughter’s memory and do some good for other children, and their families while trying to find some healing during the process. As Pastor Rusty of Camino Church said, “We are turning our pain into a life of purpose.” When we enlisted the help of our brothers from F3 (f3nation.com) and sisters of FiA (FiAnation.com), the response and support was overwhelming. Friends, strangers, co-workers and family were eager to help support, honor our daughter and have a positive impact on children within our local communities. Receiving all the texts, tweets, emails and pictures of all the trunks filled with toys and gifts was just absolutely incredible to see. Moreover, receiving the numerous thank you letters, hugs and condolences for our loss was equally impactful. We cannot express our gratitude enough for everyone’s generosity and support and we are truly humbled and blessed that you played a significant role in making a difference.
During this time, we were invited to Christmas parties, asked to give speeches, guest workouts, helped deliver the donations to many of the institutions we supported and were honored for our strength and vision at a nearby Church. This experience only fortified the belief that through our grief, we could muster up enough strength to help others in need.
Together, with all your help, Operation Sweet Tooth was able to collect over 2500 presents, personal items, clothes and gift cards. In addition, we raised over $3000 dollars in cash donations to be used for future initiatives and projects in the upcoming year and beyond. $205 was graciously donated in the memory of David Lacivita. The foundation has been set and we welcome the opportunity to continue to provide hope and lift the spirits of those children who need it most.
The institutions we were able to help are listed below. There may have been some we left out and if so, we do apologize.
Levine’s Children Hospital
Camino Church
The Children’s Attention Home
Boys and Girls Club
Birthday Blessings
Duke Hospital
UNC Hospital
Betty H Cameron Women and Children’s Hospital
Toys for Tots
McLeod Hospital
Ada Jenkins Center
Church of God Orphanage
Thompson Children Home
Sojouner Truth House
Lydia’s Loft
Alexander Youth Network
Individual Families
Nassau County Hospital
New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Although 2016 was the worst year imaginable for us personally, losing our precious daughter, we do recognize that Operation Sweet Tooth has provided us with a small amount of comfort and peace. We are excited to continue with our efforts in 2017. Please continue to follow our website www.operationsweettooth.org, and social media to learn more about upcoming initiatives beginning in the Spring and how you can help make a difference.
*This write up is also available on the website under “Blog”. Please visit and check it out as we have some of the pictures everyone shared with us during their respective toy drives.
PRE BLAST The F3 Darby Challenge Feb 1-28
Think you can run 565 miles #notanotherBRRx2? What if you had a month #notovernight? What if you could do it on a bike #gears? Want to try and help those that have deployed more times in the past 15 years than any other unit #tipofthespear? Then welcome to the F3 Darby Challenge.
The F3 Darby Challenge is F3 Nation’s contribution to Run Ranger Run, an event to be held this upcoming February (2017) throughout the country. Run Ranger Run is GallantFew’s annual fundraiser, and it is the collective goal to raise as many funds as possible to do the work we do to transition veterans to civilian life and benefit the communities they live in. Don’t care about history, purpose or why and just want to know how to participate just scroll to the bottom. #justsignmeup.
The History:
One of the GallantFew’s core programs is the Darby Project. The Darby Project’s mission is “to facilitate a successful transition for Army Ranger veterans from active military service to a civilian life filled with hope and purpose.” Rangers have been at the forefront of every major conflict since their advent in the Revolutionary War. Major battles include:
Normandy – Rangers scale the cliffs at Point-Du-Hoc to eliminate German coastal guns that threaten the success of the Normandy invasion.
Philippines – The Great Raid. 6th Ranger Battalion infiltrates 30 miles behind Japanese lines to rescue 500 POWs sent to a prison camp after the Bataan Death March in 1941.
Vietnam – Rangers conduct deep reconnaissance missions, often without support, to seek and report on troop movements.
Battle of Mogadishu – Black Hawk Down. Rangers, along with other special operations units, conduct a daylight raid that turns into the largest firefight since the Vietnam War. At the end of the raid the following day, elements of the assault units are forced to exfil on foot an entire mile in full gear under fire, soon dubbed the Mogadishu Mile.
Objective Rhino – Rangers conduct a daring nighttime jump in the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) to seize an airfield and destroy local al-Qaeda elements.
Haditha Dam – Rangers assault and secure the strategically important Haditha Dam (Iraq) and hold for 9 days while repelling multiple attacks from much larger, elite Iraqi
armored forces.
Since the events of September 11, 2001, the Ranger Regiment has deployed more than any other unit in the U.S. military, with some Rangers being down range for over 15 deployments.
The Purpose:
GallantFew’s mission is to prevent veteran isolation by connecting new veterans with hometown veteran mentors, thereby facilitating a peaceful, successful transition from military service to a civilian life filled with hope and purpose.
GallantFew does this by creating and supporting a nationwide network of successfully transitioned veterans that engage locally with new veterans with the same military background now going through transition, and by motivating communities all over the nation to take responsibility for veterans returning; welcoming, connecting, and including.
GallantFew believes this will prevent veteran unemployment, homelessness, and suicide.
As part of the GallantFew, the Darby Project is a network of networks that synchronizes the efforts of veteran support organizations to lead revolutionary transition services for the elite Army Rangers! We are not waiting for the next war to figure this out.
Three Pillars of The Darby Project:
- RESILIENCE: Educate active duty Rangers still serving of the programs available to them now and after leaving the service.
- REINTEGRATION: Coordinate Ranger education programs and available resources before the Ranger exits active duty.
- REDIRECTION: Provide assistance to those Ranger veterans and families that need additional care and assistance after Rangers have entered civilian life.
Why F3?:
Why not. The Darby Project is headed up by one of our own, Bryce Mahoney (aka Darby #realoriginal), who served in 3rd Ranger Battalion. During his time as a Ranger, Darby deployed 4 times to the Middle East. The mission of the GallantFew and the Darby Project ties into the F3 mission of reinvigorating male community leadership. What better way than to help to integrate proven leaders, whose motto is Sua Sponte (referring to the Rangers’ ability to accomplish tasks with little to no prompting), into our communities.
What is the Event?
A team of up to ten individuals will pledge to walk, run and/or ride bicycles a combined total of 565 miles in the month of February (usually 28 days). Teams may be formed from anywhere in the world and your miles can be logged from the comfort of your own home.
What Can I Do?
There are 3 ways to participate:
- Join the F3 Nation team. Register at Team F3Nation.. There are currently 8 spots left on the team. Don’t make Darby and Coop Dog do all 565 miles by themselves #Icantfeelmyquads
- Form your own Team: Think you can do more than the F3 Nation team? Form your own team in your region or sub-region. Use your BRR or Palmetto 200 team #yourealreadyrunning. Team with the most donations raised will receive a one-of-a-kind F3/Darby Project Challenge Coin.
- Donate to a team. Whether it’s the Nation team or one of the regional teams that you support the funds all go to the same great cause. If you are interested in donating go here RunRangerRun2017 and make sure to select your team.
Questions
For more information on the GallantFew and the Darby Project visit https://gallantfew.org/ or https://darbyproject.org/.
Still have questions email [Bryce Mahoney] at [Bryce.mahoney@darbyproject.org].
Through The Eyes of an M
‘Twas the night before the weekend, and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, except for my spouse.
His compression socks were hung on the towel rod with care
In hopes that gloom soon would be there;
His F3 shirt laid out, oh so neatly pressed
Teenaged girls don’t take as long to get dressed.
He finally came to bed. “Would he be the man that I need?”
Nope! He just got busy with his copy of “Freed to Lead”
Then at 0430 there arose such a clatter,
I rolled over an muttered, “What the hell is the matter?!”
All I could see was his disgusting plumber’s crack
As he threw off the sheets and yelled, “I beat the fartsack!”
I asked’ “Why do you wake so early each day?
It only takes a moment to dress and be on your way.”
“Because,” he replied , “I gotta check Twitter,
and it take some time while I sit on the… toilet.”
At 0515, he sped off in the dark
So I figured I’d follow; tailed him to a park.
From the bushes I saw fist bumps, and heard something strange;
None of his friends called each other by their actual names.
“Yo! Hootie! Stinky Cheese! Wojo, J-Love, Sacked!
“Hey! Gunny! ‘Sup, Daphne? #Cotter… welcome back!
Then someone yelled, “Men! No time to get cozy”
“I’m no pro, please don’t sue. Now, let’s go for a mosey.”
I watched from the bushes, still in my pajamas.
They ran, circled up and yelled, “Warm-o-rama!”
I knew the exercises, but the names were all stumpers:
“Sun Gods & Merkins, Hillbillies & Monkey Humpers.”
And that is when the morning really went south…
One of them broke wind; I almost threw up in my mouth!
And yet, I maintained, my cookies were not tossed.
The men formed two lines; something about, “applesauce”
For the next 30 minutes I was thoroughly confused
As I watched them run amok, their bodies, abused.
Burpees & pull-ups. No gym, just the Earth
As the one they called, “Wicked” led them on “the Murph.”
One guy, he puked right on his partner’s toe!
They even had a name for THAT, “Tossing Merlot.”
I was convinced that my husband joined a cult.
Then they called for, “Mary!”, the final insult.
I’d had enough, it was time for me to end it!
But what happened next had me completely suspended.
As the men circled up, my husband, he spoke.
He began with a quip, a really lame joke.
But then opened up about a concern that he had
How a friend lost a job, how he hoped he was a good dad.
Another man wept, asked for prayers for his wife
Then they all took a knee and gave thanks for their life.
Better husbands, better fathers, better friends, they all prayed.
“Amen!” they ended and ’round the shovel flag stayed.
They spoke about how to help our own town
Feed the hungry, clothe the cold, put a tree in the ground.
Repair houses, Judy’s Chair, Book Studies & fund-raising,
What these guys have accomplished is truly amazing.
So I snuck on home, I hadn’t known what to expect
These men of all ages had earned my RESPECT!
Although it’s annoying to be married to F3
I can see why they do it; for brotherhood, for community.
And as they sat at Panera, coffee the preferred drink,
I remembered just how bad, the family wagon would stink.