The Sasquatch – Year One

YHC was sitting at The Coffee Shack with the Pax a couple months back when someone mentioned the need for a #CSAUP in July/August.  We lightly tossed a few ideas around but let’s be honest, nothing was really going to happen unless someone took the helm.  Armed with inspiration from our conversation and the knowledge that this group of guys would help carry the weight of the task at hand, YHC put something on paper and posted a Pre-Blast.   The Sasquatch was born on that day and the PAX went to work over the next couple of months to figure out the details.  I had butterflies in my stomach as I approached our first AO on 8/1 but had confidence that no matter what it looked like, the Sasquatch would be a success because the men that I fight beside every morning were the same men that designed and coordinated the Mega Beatdown that will be forever burned in our memories.

To my satisfaction, there were 30 men eagerly waiting at The Commons when I arrived.  0530 struck and YHC brought the PAX together for some instructions and T-Bone led us in a very inspirational prayer and a quick Warm up.  No disclaimer was given because the Pax knew what they were getting themselves into the minute that they committed.

The Thang

The Commons

I had given T-Bone the “I want this to be Hard” speech a few days earlier and he exceeded all expectations.

• 11s on one of the few inclines we have in Greenville with Burpees and LBCs
• 1st AMRAP competition of the day:  Two Minutes of Hand Release Merkins – Winner: Sparks

Mosey 1.5 Miles to Elm Street Park

Elm Street Park

YHC arrived at the AO with a few of our cheetahs and asked the question: Where is our Q?  Then I quickly realized that Moses, our 63 year old Q, was running the entire event.  If you guys want to see inspiration, watch that guy do some work.  It will blow your mind!

• Four Corners on the Tennis Courts-  One time around/Ten reps Each
  • Merkins
  • Dive Bombs
  • Plank Jack Merkins
  • Mountain Climber Merkins
• 2nd AMRAP Competition: LBCs – Winner: Light Bulb and Mugsy
  • YHC was not wearing a shirt so the suction on the tennis courts sounded like wet farts.  If F3 has taught me nothing else, I have learned that men (regardless of their age) think that fart sounds are funny.  The Pax that was close enough to me to hear the commotion had no chance of winning this AMRAP because we were all dying with laughter and I sounded like a giddy schoolgirl.

Mosey .6 Miles to the Stadium

The Stadium 

The separation of the PAX was no longer than a 2-3 minutes so our workout began pretty quickly.  Papa Smurf, our AO Q and regional Nantan took the opportunity to announce that this location would soon be home to 3 new Non-Running Boot Camp workouts (MWF at 0530), for a weekly total for 13 workouts.  This is big news for an area that is only 7 months old.

Papa Smurf had no concerns that the PAX would be running the longest leg immediately following this workout, evidenced by the following sequence of leg movements.

• 5 IC bench Pistol Squats (Left)
• 5 IC Derkins
• 5 IC bench Pistol Squats (Right)
• 5 IC Irkins
• 10 IC bench Pistol Squats (Left)
• 10 IC Derkins
• 10 IC bench Pistol Squats (Right)
• 10 IC Irkins
• 15 IC bench Pistol Squats (Left)
• 15 IC Derkins
• 15 IC bench Pistol Squats (Right)
• 15 IC Irkins
• 20 IC bench Pistol Squats (Left)
• 20 IC Derkins
• 20 IC bench Pistol Squats (Right)
• 20 IC Irkins

3rd AMRAP Competition: WWII Situps – Winner: Cousin IT (Not surprising since this man’s ABS fire like a V12 Engine).

Mosey 4.4. Miles (Not the easy and direct route by accidental design)

Pararmore Park

If there was any part of this event that YHC was worried about, it was the 4.4 Mile run to Paramore.  Many of the men in our PAX had not run distance and I was anxious to get everyone to the AO in good working form.  Fortunately, we had a great support team (Smurf on bike, Shrimp with his circus rickshaw armed with our Flags and hydration, and Sparks with a truck full of hydration and calories).  All of the PAX arrived successfully and the remainder of the pain began.

Extra Credit (I made this up on the fly because of the 15 minute gap between the front and the six and planking was getting boring)

• Circle of Pain (All done in IC, 10 – 20 count, and listed to the best of my recollection)
  • Good Mornings
  • Copperhead Squats
  • Merkins
  • American Gazelles
  • Jazz Hand Squats
  • Carolina Dry Docks
  • Washing Machine Jump Squats

Steamy took over when the six arrived for a creatively punishing Football Themed Clipboard Q

• Mountain Climbers rolling left or right when the whistle blew
• Public Enemy TerrorDome (4 Corners set to Public Enemy TerrorDome)
  • Bear Crawl to corner one
  • Side Step to corner two
  • Back Pedal to corner three
  • Sprint to corner 4
  • Rinse and Repeat x 3
• 4th AMRAP Competition: Up Downs – Winner:  Cousin IT
  • Up downs were performed when the Q blew the whistle.  Last man going won the sasquatch medallion.  This was a serious gasser right before our last leg.

The Pax lined up at the Paramore exit for the last leg of our journey (2.4 Miles).  YHC gave a few words on the ease of the final 500 and the race was on.  The winner of this last leg would be awarded the Sasquatch Trophy.

Boyd Lee

As soon as YHC left the park, I felt unfamiliar and debilitating calf cramps.  I asked Gazelle if he had any more carb chews left and with a #NoManLeftBehind, #CarryMyBrotherToTheFinishLine mentality, he gave me his last chew.  I know that he would have carried me to the finish line, but this man (Gazelle) also wanted a race, and he didn’t want his win to be qualified with my excuses of physical ailments.  I quickly recovered and we were on our way.  Gazelle and I stayed neck and neck until about the last mile.  Since I had seen his sprinting ability the week before, I thought that I may be able to wear him down with an uncomfortable pace, but he was setting me up.  There was no epic sprint to the finish for first place, Gazelle simply pulled away from me extending to about a 300 yd gap over the last mile.  Cousin It, Bush, and Eagle Eye, and Early Bird were close behind.  Although YHC is a fierce competitor, I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing that Gazelle was not that fast when he began posting and he is only going to get faster.

I know.  Blah Blah Blah.  Enough about your ego and the the drive for the finish line.  What was happening behind us was much greater than what was happening at the front.  Most of the PAX had never run more than 5 miles.  Belding (54) and Moses(63) finished heroically.  (Belding even posted at the Commons the very next day while YHC fartsacked the morning away).  San Fran, who recently quit smoking, put on an excellent showing with a strong finish.  MJ, someone who could not run around Boyd Lee Park 6 months ago, and Bono finished side by side, pushing through to the end.  Rambo didn’t splash merlot and BigFoot looked like a bull charging the finish line.  If I didn’t mention your name in this section it’s because YHC was in survival mode and paying attention for only intermittent periods of time.  The only thing that really rings clear in my memory is Charlie Brown’s inspirational, testosterone inducing, slightly angry yet encouraging cheers for every Pax member that crossed the finish line.

We were all about dead at this point but Hokie had more in store for us.

• 10 Minutes of Mary  (Sorry Guys but I can’t remember these exercises but it was hard and incorporated most of the AB exercises we do on a regular basis)
• Final AMRAP Competition – American Hammers – Winner: Mugsy

COT

Epic Breakfast (Compliment’s of T-Bone and his M)/Award Ceremony

Moleskin

The Sasquatch celebrates the impact that F3 has made in the lives of the men in our Pax.  It also gives recognition to the men leaving our region to carry their gifts to other parts of the world (Moses and Bigfoot).  It managed to touch all three Fs and brought us closer together.  YHC wants to thank the Pax for putting forth all of the effort that made this CSAUP possible.  Special Thanks to our support team (Sparks, Shrimp, Coach K,  and Charlie Brown), our breakfast team (T-Bone and His M), our 2.0 Photo Team, and our AO Qs (T-Bone, Moses, Papa Smurf, Steamy, and Hokie).  Big time T-Claps to everyone that participated.