22 PAX were in attendance. It was 57 degrees and clear (yet, no Coppertone). This is officially day 11 of the 12 Days of Pothole. Disclaimer: This is all really hard and you should go home right now.
COP:
Through The Tunnel x 15 IC Imperial Walkers x 15 IC Overhead Arm Claps x 20 IC SSH x 20 OYO (since PAX complained that is the only exercise they hate doing IC) Everyone line up behind Soft Toss and Whitney, in two lines, and mosey the big loop. #IYKYK
Tha Thang:
Nothing gets the blood going like running and circuit work. For the last push to the finish line of T12DOP, I wanted us to keep up the momentum of hard work. It’s amazing what a block, some pull-up bars, and a 0.25-ish track can do.
The workout went down like this…
Grab a block and head to the track.
The track is divided up into four UNEQUAL segments. Rally Point #1 (RP1) is at the approximate 1/4 mark of the track. RP2 is approximately half way at the pull-up bar area. RP3 is at the bottom of the incline of the track (there is a tree right as you start uphill). RP4 is at the paved landing pad (#IYKYK).
1. STH to RP1. Leave your block.
2. Mosey to RP2 and take your pick of 5 pull-ups or 10 dips. (get assistance if you need it, but do them correctly)
3. Mosey to RP3 and bear crawl up the incline to the top (there’s a slight pavement joint to designate the “top”). If you have to modify, walk 10 steps and do 10 merkins.
4. Mosey through RP4 and around to RP1.
5. Pick up your block and STH to RP2. Leave your block. Do 10 pull-ups or 10 dips.
6. Mosey to RP3. Bear crawl up the incline.
7. Mosey through RP4 and around to RP2. Do 10 pull-ups or 10 dips.
8. Pick up your block and STH to RP3. Leave your block. Bear crawl up the incline.
9. Mosey through RP4 and around to RP2. Do 10 pull-ups or 10 dips.
10. Mosey to RP3. Pick up your block and STH to RP4. Leave your block at RP4.
11. Mosey (without your block) to RP2, do 10 pull-ups or 10 dips, and mosey back around to RP4.
Rinse & Repeat the last 11 steps.
Return the blocks, Recover/Recover.
If you did everything correctly, you should have ended with:
10 total laps. 50 pull-ups (or dips, or a combination thereof). 2 cumulative laps of STH. 850 (approximate) feet of bear crawling, or 0.16 miles. My Garmin logged 2.46 miles (including the COP warmup).
COT/Count-O-Rama/Name-O-Rama
Announcements:
1. Continue to EH people! Numbers have been good lately, but Depot always has room for more. 2. Legacy continues next Tuesday (and every Tuesday) at 0500. 3. Promote and show up for all the socials! We had a great turnout at La Fogata in Chapin. Next up is Thirsty Thursday, May 13th, at Social Grill in Ballentine, 1730 (that’s 5:30PM for you civilians). 4. Hey! Guess what? There’s this thing called the Midlands Combine coming up May 1st. You mighthave heard about it. If not, you’re hearing it now. It benefits the Transitions Homeless Center. You can also donate: “Midlands Combine”. See Darla and ask for the cliff notes version or to make a donation. 5. Fool’s Gold has confirmed that STH established a 529 for his son’s college funds. After we get more details, we will share how you can make contributions. Stay tuned. 6. Only 1 more day in T12DOP. If you’re in the A honor roll, maintain your grade. If you need that last one to break out of the B category, now is your chance. And if you’ve only been once or twice, why not at least make the last one? Special treat at the end! 7. Shout out to Phonebooth for extending Depot news to other AO’s and getting Alter Boy and FOB to join us. Remember to plan time to visit other AO’s and give them their support. Yes, even GOAT once in a while. 8. Congratulations to Whitney as he and his M celebrate new life. 9. There will soon be another opportunity to take a trip to Slim Jim’s property and help do some needed work. Keep an eye on the Twittersphere and Phonebooth will announce the deets..
Prayer Requests:
A co-worker of TNT’s in the records office recently passed away due to complications with COVID-19. Pray for her and others still battling health issues. Continue to remember the Haigler family, Slim Jim, and other unspoken needs.
BOM
Devo:
Romans 15:14“I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.”
We’re wrapping up T12DOP and I’ve been making sure that I select Devos and verses that encourage leadership among us. It’s time to take the next step!
We’ve talked about laying down our lives for each other. Encouraging communication among us. Being careful not to repeat our folly. Being grateful for new life – both literal and spiritual. We’ve talked about being a sheep amongst God’s flock and falling away from Him and becoming a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
As we reflect on ourselves and our growth, it’s time to return not as mere sheep in the flock, but as sheepdogs.
We’ve lived the wolf mentality. As sheepdogs, we understand wolves because they are so genetically similar. Having lived the life of a wolf, we are better able to defend the sheep around us. If every pasture was filled with sheepdogs, there would be no threat from wolves. Period. The only reason sheepdogs are necessary is because there are still sheep, and sheep need protection. Not saving. Only the shepherd can do that. But sheepdogs help herd the sheep. They help keep them from running astray. They help guide them away from threats. Each of us needs to transition from being the prey to being the prepared.
For me, personally, it all started when I took that first step out of denial of issues I faced. It was rough. All those times I sinned and told myself I could stop whenever I wanted, I was only fooling myself. I thought being a wolf was the apex predator and I could change whenever I wanted right back into a sheep and no one would be the wiser. But what I failed to realize, was that in God’s eyes, I wasn’t a predator, I was still the prey.
Even as sheepdogs, we are not apex predators. We are prepared. Being a sheepdog doesn’t mean you won’t be provoked. It doesn’t mean you’re not prey. Wolves are big. Tactful. Ferocious. They hunt in packs. All it takes is for a sheepdog to be singled out and surrounded and it’s game over.
And it also doesn’t mean that sheepdogs aren’t capable of going astray on their own. Remember Proverbs 26:11?
We need each other. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Surround yourselves with other sheepdogs. You don’t have to be the biggest or the most fearless sheepdog, but when everyone in your midst is a sheepdog, in one shape or another, you’re in a safe place.
Growing up I didn’t have many sheepdogs in my life. Sadly, this transitioned into my adult life and I found myself going astray, coming back, going astray… Every time God, my Shepherd, was calling out to me, I wasn’t listening. I wandered so far away from the flock that I allowed myself to become something that God didn’t intend me to be.
What I needed was a sheepdog to give me that BARK! Something to snap my attention and herd me back towards the others.
There’s another mantra in the Marine Corps: “it’s not always about me.” We show up and put forth our best efforts. We push ourselves. We log our miles and calories. We strive to post as many times in one year as possible. But we need to remind ourselves, it’s not always about me.
We post and push ourselves not just for ourselves, but for others around us. Imagine how boring F3 would be without the 2nd F? Or mumblechatter during a workout? Or social gatherings? Even the smallest friendships can go a long way.
Even a few words of counsel can make the difference.
Yield yourselves to be used to bring God’s word to others, both by example and words.
