There was a spot open on the Q sheet for a few weeks after the Doctor had officially cleard YHC to run again. So naturally YHC took that spot, looking to make a triumphant return to running at the rooster. While the Dr. cleared me to return to full body weight running, the physical therapists have said, not so fast. They say “You can’t just go from no running for a year to setting PRs without a transition period” and other Blah Blah about stress fractures and all sorts of other kill joy stuff like that.
This last year has been rough; two hip surgeries, a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, and a bunch of doctors, PT, and nurses telling me what I couldn’t do. YHC went from taking an alergy pill everyday to taking a handful of drugs and supplements to fight the some of the lesser known issues of RA; everything from depression, weakness, fatigue, rheumatoid nodules (which hurt by the way), and joint pain. Through all of that, being the AOQ at Rooster meant that I had a responsibility to be there. To lead the men, even if it was just by showing up. It would have been easy for me to just say, “I’m sick” or “I have PT today” or “I can’t run” and slept in. Having this pressure was good for me. It pushed me to be better. On the other hand, carrying the flag just to make me post is a selfish reason to have it. All I need to make me post is someone to keep me accountable. While I have the flag that means someone else is being denied the opportunity to lead.
When YHC went in for the second surgery on October 26th, Happy Trees took over the AOQ duties while YHC was on crutches. At that point something was telling me it was time to let another man lead. YHC had been the AOQ since the launch, which was coming up on a year. After looking at the Rooster attendance sheet, HT was the only man besides YHC who attended nearly every WO. YHC told HT at the time “If you want to carry that flag, its yours.” He said he couldn’t, unbeknownst to me it was because he was about to take the AOQ duties at smokehouse. YHC is happy carrying the flag and loves posting with these men so it wasn’t a problem. But there was still something nagging, saying it was time. About that time another mans name started popping up on the Q sheet a lot, and YHC took notice that there was a new face who could be counted on to post at every WO. Stay Puff had turned into quite the runner and was on the books to run 18miles of the P200. YHC approached him about taking the flag and without hesitation he said he wanted it.
Back to today, So this Q wasn’t going to be the triumphant return to running but it was going to be the changing of the guard. YHC had promised to deliver the men something this morning that they had never seen at the Rooster, but delivered an underwhelming route. YHC tried to drum up all the Pax he could hoping the break the record of 13. As the men assembled we ended up with 12 pax, so close. Would have been good to have Cinco De Mayo join us since it is just 1 day away
The Route (poultry festival in reverse)
Left out of the Park
Right on Bernard
Left on HWY23
Left on Schumpert street to the activity building and then back out to 23
Left on Crosson
Left on Long Terrace
Right on Bernard
Left on Trotter
Right on North Lee
Left on Georgia Ave
Left on Cherry
Left on Walden
Right on North Lee
Left on College St. and back to the flag
At the end of the Workout, YHC forgot how this was supposed to go down. YHC forgot the count-o-rama, Name-o-rama, but did remember why it was something that had never happened at Rooster before. The flag was permanently changing hands for another man to lead.
Devo:
Deuteronomy 1:6 – The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb (the mountain of God), “You have stayed at this mountain long enough.”.
He didn’t say the mountain was bad, he didn’t say that you should have never come to this mountain. He didn’t say that this mountain is unfit for someone else to come to. He said you have stayed long enough. Is it time for a change? Have you stayed at your mountain long enough. You have the career, kids, hobbies, ect. But have you gotten comfortable, maybe even lazy in your routine? Have you stayed at this mountain long enough? If you know your biblical history you know that after the Israel left the mountian, things didn’t get easier for them. I don’t plan on leaving the mountain to fade off into the sunset, but to lead in another way.
Thanks men for allowing me to lead this group for over a year, even when I was physically unable to lead.
After the short Devo, YHC handed the flag over the Stay Puff and we started a new era of the Rooster AO.