CONDITIONS
Lower 50’s, and I mean lower 50’s…the same kinda temps that Ned Stark warned us about what with his great sword named “Ice”, the dire wolves and #WinterIsComing and all that.
Far be it from me to dictate how the #MenOfDepot should prepare themselves each morning, but lo to those that would ridicule others trying to avoid frostbite and/or make a fashion statement. #TobogganShaming
But I digress….in typical STH fashion (who was famously last minute) we started a minute or so late with a quick disclaimer and then the standard Depot warm up:
WARM UP
- SSH’s x 10 IC
- TTT’s x 10 IC
- IW’s x 10 IC
- LBAC’s x10 IC (fwd/rev)
- Hillbillies x 10 IC
Line up single file and indigenous persons run the big loop, grab a block and to the skin tag on the track for further instruction.
THE THANG
Upon arrival at the skin tag the PAX found a lone block in the #gloom and the following white board.
There were 2 parts to The Thang.
PART 1
The first part consisted of 3 stations. Station 1 (S1) was at the skin tag where the PAX deposited their blocks, S2 was about a third of the way around the track, and S3 was about two-thirds of the way around the track. Perform the exercises on the whiteboard listed above at their appropriate stations running in between stations. After your 3rd lap change up the exercises accordingly. Hostel approved the instructions, so all was in order.
PART 2
In honor of STH, we renamed the Cusack (hold the block over your head and walk) the STH. The reason for this is despite his scrawny arms he was one of the best in F3 Nation at doing this exercise. For Part 2, two men teamed up with the aforementioned lone block. Partner 1 STH’ed the block around the track going as far as they could until they were smoked. Partner 2 did 3 Burpees and then ran to meet them, check in, and rinsed/repeated Burpees and running until Partner 1 was ready to hand the block off. Flapjack and rinse/repeat until you get all the way around the track and hand the block off to 2 new pax.
The workout progressed and each of our 12 pax had the chance to STH the block around the track at least once.
With about 6 mins to spare, we put the blocks away, and did a Dealer’s Choice Mary. Exercises included: Iron Crosses, Freddy Mercurys, Flutter Kicks, Butterfly Stretches, Butterfly Kisses (that was put in to see if you were paying attention), Rosalitas, and probably some other stuff YHC forgets.
BOM/COT/End Workout
MOLESKIN
Thirsty Thursday Happy Hour (TTHH) has been an ~monthly affair for as long as I’ve been at F3 and has been one of my favorite parts of being a part of F3. Last night we had a lively group (Laettner, Badger, Flashdance, Chowdah, Speedo, Bird Strike, Buddy Love, Joanna, Bellhop, Hostel, Stagecoach, and me…apologies if I missed anyone). We swapped stories of adventures had and adventures planned (as Spano used to say “sat around tellin’ lies”), and had some good laughs in between solving the world’s problems (don’t worry about #Decision2024, Sydney Sweeney is well on her way to healing the nation) and consuming copious amounts of wings and beers.
Derek (or Sir Topham Hatt, STH for short, as we knew him) shared many a TTHH with the men of F3 Lake Murray. I suspect he’d have loved last night, joining in on the laughs with a sharp but subtle brand of humor and that wry smile of his. Yesterday’s Q was in honor of Derek. I suspect he would have enjoyed it as well. Certainly he’d be wearing that same wry smile as he toted that heavy block around the track, going farther and faster than the rest of us.
Sharing the block and being there to lend a hand when the burden became too much for your brother in Part 2 of the Q was a bit of a metaphor for life. All of us have dealt with (or maybe are currently dealing with) things that at times seem to be too much to bear. There’s an old saying “a burden shared is a burden halved” and the lucky among us (and I count myself among them) have someone they can go to to share those burdens. Certainly several of us that posted today, and a number of others that weren’t able to be there, attempted to share some of the burdens Derek was going through in the days, weeks, and months before his passing.
Despite the difficulty of those times, and the mourning that followed, three years later I’m mostly just grateful for being able to spend a little time in Derek’s orbit. He was such a competitive guy and whether at handball, a workout, or on a run he pushed all of us to work harder. He would have loved Blue Chips and I can only imagine the jawing he and Nick would have done playing against one another. He was incredibly disciplined, doing every rep with proper form…I even remember the time he taught me and Stagecoach how to “properly” prepare your chicken and waffles after the Cottonmouth at Kiki’s…turns out there IS a “right” way to eat chicken and waffles.
I’ve camped a lot in my life, but one of my favorite camping adventures was an F3 trip with STH to Sassafras Mountain (sorry Roommate, the NC trip is a bit lower on the list). It is where the header pic of me, STH, and Skunky was taken and of course the origin of the now infamous and infinitely meme-able photo of Joanna’s tuna sandwich and Bellhop below.
A half-dozen or so of us started at Table Rock, climbed Sassafras Mountain, and camped up near the top before hiking back the next day. It was a tough but fantastic hike and we shared many laughs, lots of shit talking, and more than a few lies around the fire that evening. Some of my favorite memories of Derek are from that trip. During hours on the trail, we talked at length about life, careers, parenting, and purpose among other things.
Last night at TTHH I caught up with Stagecoach who I hadn’t seen for a while. We swapped stories about running (or our combined lack thereof), our kids and how they were growing (his in college, my son about to drive) and lamented a bit about the passage of time. Three years on I’d say I’m mostly grateful to have witnessed Derek’s love for his own son Keenan. That love is evident in the pics of the two of them posted by his family here. Derek talked about Keenan all the time, they were always doing things together, and sometimes he’d bring him around to TTHH’s or F3LM kids workouts which was always a treat.
None of us will ever fully understand the forces that separated Derek from us, but we can honor his memory by deciding to let those around us share our burdens from time to time. By the same token, you never know what someone is going through, so we can also decide to reach out and check in with that guy we haven’t seen for a while. It just might make a bigger difference than we realize.
With that, on to the TClaps:
- TClaps for the dozen pax who posted yesterday morning and the dozen yesterday evening to celebrate the life of Sir Topham Hatt. Those that knew STH swapped several stories about him and we shared a Steel Hands Tropical IPA (his favorite brew, special TClaps to Laettner for introducing it to him) in his honor. Rest in peace brother.
- TClaps to #F3Royalty Box Wine and Badger for swinging by from GOAT to join us and Stagecoach marking his first of what I’m sure will be many consecutive trips back to F3 with his #Kotters last night
- Speaking of #Kotters and #F3Royalty, TClaps and welcome back to the #Gloom our boy Mayhem. It’s been great having him back the last few weeks and I’m hopeful he’s here to stay.
- Speaking of consecutive trips, TClaps to Joanna on doubling his post count yesterday and doubling it again next week (announcements below) #CompoundInterest
- Also TClaps to Laettner for surpassing me in the #F3LM150. My plan is to let him gain a sizeable lead while I’m out west, then in Moose fashion sandbag and blow past him at the last minute to reclaim the title.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
I’m late in getting this BB out and TTHH last night and the Donut Run this morning have come and gone, but:
- Hoops this weekend at Blue Chips, 6 AM, come on out!
- The “Week of Joanna” starts next week with everyone’s favorite fixer-upper Joanna on 4/2 and 4/4/24!
- Q-sheet needs a lot of love in April, wide open save Speedo on 4/9 and Lumbee on 4/16. Get your name on there!
- COTTONMOUTH – Saturday 4/20 – volunteers needed to help with this, see Shredder for details!
PRAYER REQUESTS
- This time of year is especially hard on STH’s family. May they focus on and gain strength from the good times and memories of him.
- Those PAX traveling for Easter this weekend
- Unspoken
TL:DR
Rest in peace brother, miss you buddy.