Backblasts

QIC:  Blackout

Date: 03/17/2021

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

AO: Parliament

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Conditions

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

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COP

Mosey one lap around track to parking lot beside school

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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Recent Backblasts

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

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Conditions

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

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COP

Mosey to Imagination Station parking lot.

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The Thang

44 B.C

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Recent Backblasts

QIC:  Blackout

Date: 03/13/2021

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

AO: Legacy

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Conditions

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

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COP

Mosey to Parking lot in Park

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The Thang

STATION #1 – Legs

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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.

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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!

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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.

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Recent Backblasts

QIC: Blue

Date: 3-12-21

PAX: Radiohead, Milkman, U-turn, Slois Lane, Dundee, Nordic Track, Snatch, Tasty Cakes, Sherlock, Gretel

AO: Shothouse

Conditions

A warm 55° with a bit of humidity in the air, needless to say, things were moist.

CoP

Started off with some SSH’s (51) to pay homage to John Doe’s Wednesday Q at Detention and get nice and warmed up. Then some shoulders, legs and other various warmup exercises.

The Thang

Lap 1

Start with 5 Manmakers (burpee w/ a coupon) OYO, then 10 CPR’s (curl, sh. press, tricep raise) OYO. Then moseyed around the track stopping 4 times to do 5 “Kraken Burpee’s” OYO, (a burpee with 3 Hand Release Merkins……release the Kraken)

Lap 2

5 Man-makers OYO, 15 CPR’s, moseyed around the track stopping 5 times to do parts of a “deconstructed Burpee”. 10 Squats, 10 Leg thrust\groiners, 10 Merkins, 10 leg thrusts, 10 jump squats.

Lap 3

5 Man-makers, circle of CPR’s x2, while the PAX hold coupon rifle carry. Moseyed around track stopping a total of 10 times to do “Contra Burpee’s” (burpee w/ increasing number of Merkins)

Lap 4

5 Man-makers, 10 CPR’s. Moseyed around track stopping 4 times to do 5 “Body Bag Builder Burpee’s” (A body builder burpee w/ one mtn climber) 2 stops, then 5 reg. Burpee’s for 2 stops. A PAX had mentioned hating “10 counts” and jokingly said, “offer a 10 ct. then about the number 8, say 5 Burpee’s OYO”, so that’s what happened this lap.

For time, 5 man-makers OYO, 15 CPR’s OYO, 5 Burpee’s OYO, then form a circle and up/downs w/ a “Navy Seal Burpee” (Burpee w/ 3 Merkins & 1 mtn climber) each PAX calling down until time.

CoT

Other than announcements and prayer requests w/ a prayer to close us out, I completely botched a COT message. I kicked my own ass with that Q to the point I just skipped what I had planned to say. No one said anything though. My COT was supposed to be about Grace and patience.

Mumble Chatter

Most if not all of the PAX talked about how wonderful it was to be doing another Blue’s Q and burpees. Dundee had described my Q’s as being a culmination of everything and anything the PAX hated from the previous week. To quote Dundee paraphrasing my thinking, “you don’t like Burpees, guess what bitches, I got 45 min of them”, I still find that hilarious. Snatch decided that he will definitely be delivering a paper bag full of goodies to my front porch and will even set it on fire to help me find it in the gloom. All PAX were appreciative AFTER the workout was done for the motivation and pushing to get better.

QIC:  Wood Rider

Date: 03/12/2021

PAX: John Doe, WoodRider, Tatonka, Abercrombie, Shawshank, Cavity Search, Clothespin, Dimples, Flamer, Blackout, Coldplay 

AO: Parliament

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Conditions

52 degrees and lovely

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COP

21 SSH

15 LBCs each way

15 Morakin Night clubs

15 Self esteems

Forward Fold to downward dog

Bah with the Ba Bang the Dang Burpie Burpie (3 mins). 

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The Thang

POWERLIFTING STATIONS.

12 stations. All exercises with coupons using 35 and 48 pound “Big Boy” coupons. All exercises are done AMRAP style with the guy doing double farmers carry acting as the “timer”.

1- Lying coupon “prayer press” 48 lbs

2- Double coupon bar bent over rows (75 pounds total)

3- Standing coupon shoulder press 35 lbs

4- Standing coupon conduit curls (36” pipe ran thru a coupon so both arms can perform curl) 48lbs

5- Standing tricep extensions (30 pounds)

6- 40 yard double coupon farmers carry 75 lbs

7- Lying coupon chest press (48 lbs)

8- Bend over underhand coupon rows 48 lbs

9- Conduit coupon front raises (similar to alpine raises, but without the awkward crossover grip) 35 lbs

10- Single arm coupon curls (10 reps each arm, then switch) 35 lbs

11- Negative merkins (on your knuckles in plank position, slowly lower yourself for a five count, then press back to starting plank. The focus is on the eccentric movement here, not the press back up)

12- Big Boi Sit-ups

13- Derkins (Decline Merkins)

The timing worked out to roughly 20 reps of each exercise before switching. We did three rounds

Ended with Plank-Merkin Mary to “Don’t Bring Me Down” by Electric Light Orchestra (Merkins on the word “down”)

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COT

With the theme of Strength building we talked through Psalms 91:2 “I say this about the LORD, my shelter and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust.”

If God is your stronghold He is there to provide strength to you when you feel weak. That said, He is also there when you are tempted to rely on your own strength. The trick is to reply on Him in all circumstances. Let Him be your stronghold and strength in all things.

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Moleskin

One day I have to upgrade my speaker. Maybe I’ll just borrow Blackout’s…

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News

[Keep Night Sweats family in your prayers. Planning a convergence at Ridge Cut on what would have been his VQ (3/26/2021).

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Recent Backblasts

QIC:  Mansiere

Date: 03/11/2021

PAX: Hambone, Recycle, Burrito, Pediasure, Prosciutto, A-A-Ron, Zima, Jorts, Red Raider, Gusher, Pound Dog, Friday, Truck Stop, Pomade, Whittler, Joanna, Snow Patrol

AO: Smackdown

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Conditions

A refreshing and dry 55 degrees

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Here in March I’m four months out from my day as the FNG and now taking my fourth turn as Q. I can still remember the new things and the surprises from those first few weeks. There’s the soreness, the fifteen variations on the burpee, and the realization of how much more I was capable of doing in my fitness life. Nothing, however, compares to the shock from one of those days in the gloom when I heard one of my fellow men, the inimitable Burrito, acknowledging–nay, praising!–the idea of “Rocky 4”. I won’t dignify such an obscene notion with Roman numerals. There are films, there are movies, there are cynical cash-ins, there is lowest-common-denominator schlock, there are Alan Smithee failures, and then there are things 👏 that 👏 never 👏 happened 👏.

There are many arguments for Rocky 4 belonging in that final, damnable category. Take for instance the dance entrance of Apollo Creed which, if you truly must watch it, should be done between narrow slits of your fingers. You could watch the real Rocky movies (that would be one through three, smartass), and see every good part of this pretender. I’ll spare you the screed about consistency of tone. For those of you still holding on, I present the following. Watch it as long as you can. When you finally collapse, as if you just did one hundred dive bombers after having done one hundred shoulder presses only moments before, tell me then that Rocky 4 happened.

Appropriately, Burrito and I almost came to blows over this on multiple occasions. Sometimes our anger dissipated into a footrace. Other times better men had to come between us. One morning, while driving (slowly, of course) in the gloom, I was thinking about that robot, the sheer chutzpah of it! My blood was running hot. Suddenly I heard the unmistakeable hamster-in-a-cheap-blender squeal of Burrito’s brakes. I looked in my rearview, saw his grinning mug there, and decided the time was nigh to settle the issue. I got out and in the dramatic headlit fog held up a defiant three fingers.

Burrito is a lot of things, but I always thought he was the kind of man who would settle issues properly. I was thus surprised when he jammed the accelerator, but fortunately that shock was not ultimately fatal as I was able to roll across the back of my car with but a nanosecond to spare. As I watched him vanish into the darkness on Taft highway, I was ashamed at having been taken off-guard. Truly, a man who acknowledges anything past Rocky III is capable of any level of depravity.

“This can’t go on” I muttered. And so here we are:

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COP

SSH IC x20

Right-over-left OYO, then switch

Windmills

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Ahead of today’s workout, Mr. T was asked which man would prevail in our long-running feud. While he maintained a position of neutrali-T, he did offer a prediction: pain

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The Thang

Rocky

In Rocky, our eponymous hero climbs 72 steps at the end of his training run. When Sylvester Stallone wrote the script in three days, he had $106 in his bank account. 72 box jumps, 106 shoulder presses

Rocky II

We did some laps around the track, pausing for some themed exercises while I shared trivia from the trilogy. Burrito’s impudence incurred a group penalty of ten burpees. His incompetence on those incurred another ten-burpee penalty.

Rocky III

In Rocky III, Rocky trains for the rematch with Clubber Lang in the mountains of Siberia (citation needed). We recreated the famous log carry through the snow scene, substituting a rifle carry and John McCains.

We then went around to the backside of the bleachers. Rocky is 34 years old in Rocky III. 200 mountain climbers and 34 pull ups (sub burpees if necessary)

Rocky…wait a minute

We did wall sits and “Clubber Langs” while waiting on each PAX in turn to do five Bobby Hurleys.

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Adrian

Pretzel 15x each side IC

Gravediggers 10x each side IC

Rocky III (later revised to Rocky 4 [see moleskin]) 15x IC

20 BBS

20 SSH IC

With the training montage out of the way it was time for the showdown. Burrito calmly stood his ground, That’s when I realized something: Rocky 4 is important to Burrito. It’s important to some of the other men, too. It has its place in the canon and was monumental for its time. It’s an eighties movie and thereby warrants special considerations. I’m fighting a selfish, lost-cause crusade against a flawed but endearing icon. Did Rocky 4 end the Cold War? Well….

So it was I, the righteous denier, the man of irrefutable arguments, who was finally to agree that Rocky 4 did indeed happen. Actually, it had some moments that weren’t even that bad. Under no circumstances, however, does it warrant roman numerals. I don’t hate the man who thinks otherwise, but I pity the fool. What’s more, Burrito and I found further common ground, as did every man in that circle:

Rocky 5 never happened.

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Moleskin

Some PAX refused to do the penalty burpees in protest. An F3 first in my experience.

When asked how many Rocky movies there were, Burrito said “five”. He is also a Rocky denier, but which one is he omitting? 🤔

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News

Pray for Night Sweats and his family.

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Recent Backblasts

QIC:  M.I.A.

Date: 03/10/2021

PAX: Band Camp, Burrito, Cleaver, Hambone, Magnum, Milkman, RadioHead, Recycle, Roomba, Sherlock, Slois Lane, Snow Patrol

AO:  Shot House

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Conditions

40ish – chilly, but not for long

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COP

SSH ICX25
Forward Fold OYO
Willie Mays Hays ICX10
Iraqi Tea Time OYO
LBAC ICX10
Reverse LBAC ICX10
Seal Claps ICX10
Overhead Claps ICX10
Chinooks ICX10

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The Thang

7 Stations – Dad Activity Related
Each station had 2 PAX (except one) PAX rotate stations when station #7 (Stroller Shuttle) completed

1. Pickle Pointers – Where it all starts
2. Farmers Walk – AKA Car Seat Carries
3. Head Shoulders Knees & Toes – Silly Song Time
4. Bunny Hops – One legged because of Lego damage to the other foot.
5. John McCains w/sandbag – Like a piggy back ride, with a lot of low doors
6. Elf on the Shelf – Holiday Prep
7. Stroller Shuttle – PAX runs with jogging stroller (you know, exercise is king) at ~50 meters PAX returns to start to put child (rucksack) in stroller. Runs ~100meters & returns.

Continue (b)rotation until time

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COT

I have read a lot this year about the importance of fruitful labor, this week I read & was challenged by the below lines from Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley:

“No area of a man’s life has more potential for improvement than his relationships. Most men, in pursuit of the good life, leave a trail of broken relationships… No amount of success at work will ever be adequate to compensate for failure at home. We each need to do a gut check. Do my wife and children know that I am for them by the way I spend my time.”

I have been focused on work a lot lately. It is a good thing to care about your work, I just felt challenged, and wanted to share the challenge to make sure you don’t neglect the things that are most important.

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Moleskin

Burrito was there; his shorts were not.

The strollers were a big hit, but will NEVER be repeated. YHC did not leave them for FiA tomorrow morning. Had to return them before M noticed.

The stations created a great opportunity for MC and awkward but intense eye contact. These opportunities were not missed.

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News

Prayers for Night Sweats & family

F3 Softball team – if you have ANY interest go to the softball channel.

FiA meets at Shot House AO tomorrow for any M’s interested.

QIC:  [Seagull]

Date: [03/10/2021]

PAX: [Tha Flock]

AO: [Hacksaw]

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Conditions

[Beyond the Gloom. No Street Lights, only Moonlight.]

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The Thang

[F3 O-G 80-lb-sandbag coming in hot!]
New Horizons
[Team up with a partner at the F3 meeting point.

Team #1 carries the 80-lb-sandbag, with the PAX, to station #1. 

At Station #1, PAX does warm-up cross-legged forward folds, and seated chest pulls while holding toes.  PAX does OYO 100 Merkins, then holds Iraqi-Tea-Times until the 6 finishes.

Team #2 carries the 80-lb-sandbag, with the PAX, to station #2. 

At Station #2, PAX does OYO 50 Side-Straddle-Hops, then holds Iraqi-Tea-Times until the 6 finishes.

Team #3 carries the 80-lb-sandbag, with the PAX, to station #3. 

At Station #3, PAX does OYO 100 Aquamans, then holds Iraqi-Tea-Times until the 6 finishes.

Team #4 carries the 80-lb-sandbag, while the rest of the PAX does an Indian Run, to station #4. 

At Station #4, PAX does OYO 50 Imperial Squats, then holds Iraqi-Tea-Times until the 6 finishes.

Team #5 carries the 80-lb-sandbag, while the rest of the PAX does an Indian Run, back to station #3.

At Station #3, PAX does OYO 100 LBCs, then holds Iraqi-Tea-Times until the 6 finishes.

Team #1 carries the 80-lb-sandbag, with the PAX, back to station #2. 

At Station #2, PAX does OYO 100 Hundreds, then holds Iraqi-Tea-Times until the 6 finishes.

Team #2 carries the 80-lb-sandbag, with the PAX, back to station #1. 

At Station #1, PAX does OYO 50 Hard Count Flutter Kicks, then holds Iraqi-Tea-Times until the 6 finishes.

Team #3 carries the 80-lb-sandbag, with the PAX, back to the F3 meeting point.

Do Mary PAX Cadence call-outs and hold plank until time.]

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COT

[The only constant in the universe is change. At some point, none of us had F3 in our lives, but we all eventually allowed for new opportunities to shape us. Don’t be afraid to push forward into the unknown. Every step forward is a surprise. You create your next moment, the next you. ]

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Recent Backblasts

QIC:  AOL

Date: 02/22/2021

PAX: M.I.A. ,Bandwagon, Coldplay, Seagull, Top’em, Point Break, Picabo,
Mothballs, Uncle Joe, Bernie, Smokey, Tipper, Escobar

AO: Hacksaw

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Conditions

Rainy & windy. 50 degrees

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COP

SSH x15

Willie Mayes Hayes x10

Forward Fold (silent..as Threeskin was not in attendance)

Little Baby Arm Circles (FW x10 – Rev x10)

Cherry Pickers x10

Seal Claps x10 (with Picabo Sound effects)

Moroccan Night Club x10 (Just for ColdPlay)

SSH x15

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The Thang

Dora Style Workout
PAX partnered up in pairs

PAX Must complete 3 burpees before exercises below
Moving PAX completes a lap around the flag pole (~200 meters)

100 Reps per exercise to be completed per pair
Merkins
Imperial Walkers
Squats
Chest Press w/ coupon
Manmakers*
Lunges
Shoulder Press w/coupon
Heel Touches
Squats w/ coupon
Thrusters
LBCs
Curls
Freddie Mercurys
SSH
John McCains
Flutter Kicks
Bent-over row
American Hammer

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COT

Encouraged the PAX that in all we do, work, home life, spiritual life……it can be hard, but we are called to work. So that in whatever we are doing we work and we work hard, we push through difficult times. It’s not easy getting up each morning and being in the gloom, but yet here we are and we continue to put in the work and make each other better.

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Moleskin

Had some MC, along with the 80’s 90’s rock playlist, included in the MC was a Coldplay comment or two about how he was enjoying the morning. 

*YHC decided that he will call the exercise he called manmakers, whatever he wants to (it was essentially half a blockee). Thanks for the clarification from Escobar.

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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.