Initially, when I volunteered or was “voluntold…” to lead the PAX in a workout, I jumped to the challenge! Immediately after accepting the offer, many ideas were rushing through my mind. I really wanted to be creative in a sense, so I decided to stick to my passion and have a soccer themed beat down. I themed the workout “sudden death,” a term not used much often anymore, but many know that is the time to give it every thing you got! I arrived in the gloom at BLP to 24 warriors ready conquer the inevitable beatdown I had prepared! The PAX was ready! With jitters and all, we began the warmup….

Warmup:

Side Straddle Hop x 15 (IC)

Diamond Merkins x 15 (IC)

Jump Squat Circle (Inspired by Grammar) (PAX held a squat position… Rotating around the circle, each person yelled “UP!” and we were back down in squatting position until we made it around.)

PAX was given a number (1 or 2) that would play an important role later in the workout.

Mosey (1 lap) around BLP and back to the flag….

THE THANG!

Russian Roulette Soccer…. The Pax formed a horizontal line with the number they were given. Both lines faced each other. We used a soccer ball (Numbers of 1,2,3,4, & 5 were placed all over the ball) to thrown back-and-forth until we made it to the end of the lines. When the ball was caught, wherever your thumbs landed generated the number of reps we completed (Add the two numbers together and multiply by 2) #Times2. So, of course everyone was trying to catch ones… The exercise alternated from line to line.

For the first half of the lines…. World War I’s and Merkins (IC)

(Sudden Death) For the second half of the lines…. Burpees and Jump Squats

After this, the PAX mosey to behind homeplate at the back baseball field at BLP. The next exercise was a Team Indian Run. The PAX, still sticking, with their group number, ran two laps around the baseball field with a twist…. While jogging in a straight line, the six would sprint to the front of the line. This continued until the PAX at completed two laps.

Mosey back to the flags for the FINALE…. A HAT OF TRICKS!

At this point, it had started to mist. Little did we know, we would be soaked in a downpour in the next 15 minutes. The PAX, one by one, came to the center of the circle to pull a workout out of the hat… Most exercises were in reps of 11, representing the number of soccer players that play together on the field as a team.

Slow Merkins x 11 (IC)

Flutter Kicks x 11 (IC)

Jump Squats x 11 (IC)

Mountain Climbers x 11 (IC)

Staggered Merkins x 11 (IC)

Bear Crawl 360 Degrees (Around the circle to the original position)

World War I’s x 11 (IC)

Carolina Dry Docks x 11 (IC)

World War II’s (IC)

Zombie Walk 360 Degrees (Around the circle to the original position)

Wave of Merkins x 11 (Just like the wave at a sporting event, just with merkins…)

Moleskin

So, this morning was my first time Q’ing, also known as the VQ. I felt that I did a fairly decent job, but I couldn’t help to be a little nervous as the minutes ticked by closer to 5:30am. I am used to leading people in workouts and in the classroom; however, these people are my soccer players and students, making them much younger than me. It is a different story when you plan to lead a group of men (BROTHERS) that have much more experience than me in many areas in life. However, I jumped to the challenge and was ready to take it all in as a new experience!

This is something I am grateful to share with the PAX… I have been a fitness enthusiast for years and an avid gym goer. Since I’ve started my young teaching career, I have been going to the gym every morning through the week at 5:00am, but I always left feeling like I could have pushed myself harder. It was just me, myself, and I in the gym barely speaking to anyone and feeling like just another gym goer of the countless hundreds. I just couldn’t get my workout fix with this day-to-day routine. It almost felt like I was just checking it off a “to-do” list.

This is all changed when I was invited to my first F3 beatdown by Skipper. I was excited, but I didn’t know what to expect. I arrived at Elm Street Park on an early Tuesday morning for a “Run Strong” workout led by String Bean. Immediately, several PAX members were introducing themselves to me. Of course, I wasn’t going to remember all of these weird and awesome nicknames that morning, but it was these individuals that set the atmosphere for the workout that I still love today.

The workout began, and I noticed how competitive the PAX was (I feed off of this!). At the same time, the PAX never left a man behind, as I often heard “Get the six,” something I would soon learn the meaning of. After a great workout, I was hooked! I couldn’t wait to come to more of these workouts. I wake up every morning at 4:30am ready to have my six kicked!

After attending these beat downs for several weeks now, I have started to notice that it is not just the workouts that keep me coming back. It is the feeling of togetherness that F3 has shared with me, that makes me feel a part of something that is not only beneficial for me, but many others around the community. Since I have joined the PAX, nothing gets me more physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared for each day of the week.

With the combination of beat downs, valuable life lessons, and togetherness through Him, I have come to be very grateful of being among so many wonderful brothers. I am surrounded by individuals that are doing great things in our communities, whether they be big or small. It is the actions that count. This group has pushed me not only to live an active lifestyle, but more importantly to become a better person than I was yesterday, and for that, I thank you all….

Hat Trick