Today was the birth of our new AO, Northside (My name vote was Nacho Libre) so I was a little unsure what to expect in terms of attendance at the stadium.  This marks the first time that we have ran 3 AOs on Friday and we now have 15 workouts a week, all of which are maintaining healthy numbers.  Growth is a beautiful thing.  As the size of the PAX grows, so does the positive impact we have on the physical, spiritual, and emotional health of the men in our communities.  So with a sense of satisfaction that trusted Qs were at the helm of the other AOs today, and the early days of the spider management were growing fainter and fainter in the shadow of the Starfish, I took the PAX on an exploratory Journey around the Stadium.  After 50+ Qs I still sketch out my Winkie and commit it to memory to ensure I do the PAX justice but today I had figured up about a 1/3 of it in favor of some exploration and improvisation.  I hadn’t seen Underdog and Steamy in a while so it made the morning just that much more Awesome.  We skipped the foreplay today and got straight to business.

Mosey to the Playground: 11s with Pullups, 20 M Mosey, and Jump Squats

• Serious faces were on so not much to note in terms of mumblechatter at this point

Mosey to the Circle Benches near the Statue: 11s with Box Jumps and Irkins

• The mouths started to warm up at this point so we discussed the idiocy of calling the exercise Box Jumps since we were jumping on a bench/mini wall, the importance of picking the right spot on the wall, Abu’s ability to do Bench Jumps and Irkins faster than the rest of the pax and his inability to keep track of rounds/reps (no worries, many of us have this counting disability).
• Right before we began our mosey to the next spot, MJ pulled out his list of Tonka quotes and began heckling the Q.  Imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery.

A few Mary movements to catch the breath and off to the next spot.

Mosey to the dirt lot between Dowdy and LeClair: 10 rounds 10 Merkins, 10 LBC, 10 Squat 100 M Run

• A few points of information
  • The Closed Hand does like Whiskey (Duh) but Johnny Walker Red is Scotch
  • Aquaman does not know what Whiskey is.
  • The Closed Hand gives himself the most motivational and awe inspiring speeches under his breath when he is trying to push through the suck.  If you don’t know what I mean, knock out some reps next to him towards the end of a tough workout and you’ll see.  Just make sure your 2.0 is not near.

Mosey to the parking lot:  100 M Wind Sprints x 4

• A few more points of information
  • YHC needs at least a 3 second cheat to beat Abu at 100 M wind sprints.  2 seconds won’t cut it.
  • Stitches is very fast for short distances
  • More Hammies and some other muscle are torn from stopping abruptly.  Leave enough space to decelerate when performing sprints.

Mosey back to the Flag

COT/BOM – Prayers out to many of our brothers including Gamecock, Steamy, and Papa Smurf

Announcements : Go ahead and sign up for Grow Ruck.  Don’t let your PAX do it without your help.

Moleskin

I met an old friend from College for lunch today and we had this profound conversation.  During college we lived together for several years and regularly participated in the self gratifying behaviors of a lower power.  There were times when it was questionable whether or not we would survive, let alone become productive members of society.  But here we were, years down the road trying to figure it out; tending to our families, growing careers, and trying to impact our communities.  While we were discussing the inability to have everything in life (the ideal fatherhood, the best career, and all the material/self-gratifying things our society says will make us happy) he paraphrased a scripture “Your heart lies where your treasure is”.  This is something that F3 has truly helped me clarify over the last couple of years.  My default setting is that the pursuit of happiness lies in the pursuit of more wealth and those things that provide me with immediate gratification.  What I have come to find though is that in the sole pursuit of this idea of happiness, I can easily put the blinders on and the result is ultimately more stuff and more misery.  Balance is important in our lives.  Our families and our friends are important.  Our relationship with a higher power is important.  The impact that we make in our communities and those around us is important.  When I look at the men that stand around me in the gloom I recognize a shared understanding for these values and I am grateful.