CONDITIONS
Mid-40’s and cloudy….same as several of the PAX who posted today, including YHC. An unusually large crowd gathered as YHC pulled in just in the nick of time to unload his effects and shout out a 1 minute warning. YHC was happy to see some guests from Strut – Enos and Socrates and Depot’s own Joanna, who took the occasion to make his first post of 2024 (Folks on the @f3lm150 should watch out)!
WARM UP
You know the drill – quick disclaimer and….
- SSH’s x 7 IC
- IW’s x 7 IC
- LBACs x 7 IC forward/reverse
- OACs x 8 (damnit!) IC
- TTT x 7 IC
- Hillbillies x 7 IC
Run the big loop, grab a block and meet up at the skin tag on the little track for further instruction.
THE THANG
YHC celebrated his 7-year F3versary this week and thus today’s Q gave the number 7 a tribute.
The concept was pretty simple and as with most things, it looked a lot better on paper. YHC produced a whiteboard with some sheets of paper attached. The plan was to do seven rounds of 7 different exercises with reps increasing in multiples of 7. In between each round, we’d run a lap and stop for 7 pullups/dips in between, plank on the 6 and then the next round’s exercise would be revealed. The twist; however, was that we’d also do the old exercises each round as well. This was met with lots of excitement and joy by the PAX.
The exercises were as follows:
- Burpees x 7
- Big Boys x 14
- Merkins x 21
- Overhead Presses x 28
- Curls x 35
- Rows x 42
- SSH’s x 49
We ran out of time so we skipped a round of running at the end. All told, if you did all the reps you ended up with these totals (including the 7 burpees Flashdance called during Mary):
- Burpees x 49
- Big Boys x 70
- Merkins x 84
- Overhead Presses x 84
- Curls x 70
- Rows x 42
- SSH’s x 49 + 14 from the warm up = 63
Mary consisted of the usual moans and groans including some yoga stretches by Buddy Love/Soccer Mom, Freddie Mercuries by Socrates, LBCs by Joanna, Iron Crosses by Laettner, and the aforementioned Burpees to close us out by Flashdance.
Afterwards, there was lots of high praise and excitement for the workout and I’m sure the PAX already have YHCs 8th anniversary penciled in for March 2025.
Blocks Away COT/BOM/End Workout
MOLESKIN
It’s hard to believe it’s been 7 years since I first entered the gloom on a frosty Saturday morning of March 2017. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a lot of stuff since that day, but despite many hours and thousands of dollars of therapy and goat yoga, I have been unable to forget the nearly merlot-inducing 80 burpees and seemingly endless soccer field laps that were crammed into that first Q led by Neck Brace.
Luckily my first F3 experience was a handball day, so that limited the workout portion to 30 minutes. The latter 30 minutes was reserved for handball (anyone remember handball???). It was a brutal, confusing affair, with strange men with strange names barking out instructions in a foreign language.
I came away with a new name, glad for my many many handball goals (the official records burned up in a court house fire…you’ll have to take my word for it), but still unsure if I wanted to come back. Yet the following Tuesday I reluctantly posted again. Temps were in the upper 30’s and the fields were soaked from the previous night’s rain. We marched across the soccer field doing 8 count man-makers soaking wet, freezing our nuts off and numb to the bone! There was nary a sign of a handball on that cold morning I can tell you. #ClassicBaitAndSwitch
Smarter men would have packed up their yoga mat and scented candles and headed home, but I kept on going finding myself later in run groups sometimes and with a ruck on my back at others. The rucking didn’t really stick (save when I take Jasper out for his morning constitutions and throw it on my back), but the conversations had with pax while doing it surely did. Run groups led shortly to sweaty vans (sans candy….runners don’t know the first thing about true van etiquette…except Fiji of course, his van manners are 2nd to none) that traveled hither and yon from the Appalachians to the Atlantic and various spots in between (e.g. Damn Dams, Villainous Villes, ummm Ragnarious Ragnars, etc. etc.). Many a potato, both baked and fingerling, has been consumed therein I can tell you. #CarboLoading
I’ve been on Depot trains that Strutted, Staggered, and Swaggered to the Roost, got caught in Speed Traps and Foxholes, and even ran over a pink-handed GOAT or two (#NeverForget), a Cottonmouth or three, and convergences a plenty! In between the running and the burpees and toting poles, there have been lighter moments and a lot of laughs, even some hanging out with a few Poles on Thirsty Thursdays and the like.
Beers have been drank, balls have been dribbled, mountains climbed, and tears shed over this last 7 years. We’ve had losses and gains, weathered pandemics and politics, and helped each other navigate the storms life inevitably throws in our paths, while celebrating the calm waters in between.
I am grateful, humbled, and happy that I somehow stumbled into this group of men 7 years ago and for those who have joined along the way. While some have come and gone, each have made an impact on me and the others around them. I look forward to seeing what the next 7 years bring!
TClaps to the 12 PAX that joined me to celebrate today and more importantly continue to help each other get a little better with each passing Q. Thank you!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Depot Q sheet needs some love:
- Thursday 3/14 – Lumbee
- Tuesday 3/19 – OPEN
- Thursday 3/21 – Flashdance
- Tuesday 3/26 – OPEN
- Thursday 3/28 – FG
F3 Lake Murray Donut Run – Friday 3/29/23 – 0515, Chapin High @ The Roost, BOM at 6 with Waffle-Houseteria to follow!
COTTONMOUTH – Saturday 4/20 – volunteers needed to help with this, see Shredder for details!
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Shake N’ Bake’s family, his father recently passed
- Strength in the face of adversity
- FG’s twitter video uploading skills
- unspoken
TL:DR
7 years of F3>7 minutes in heaven>The 7 year itch
FG Out – #SYITG