A Worthy Teammate

Any great journey begins with one small step. A small step that can be taken as an individual but only completed with quality teammates. Today is about being a teammate. Pushing yourself and doing what is needed so Together Everyone Achieves More (T.E.A.M.) 6  pax showed up for EC and 8 for the Thang.

The goal was clear. Be a team by proving you are a worthy teammate.

We don’t warm-up. We Ruck. Guys matched up with a partner of similar size/speed and got 2×2. We made a loop around the park, doubletime for most of the way.

PT part 1 – We stoped by the concession stand to test ourselves and push ourselves. We circled up so everyman could see each other.

• Merkin – 4 ct. IC
• Squat  – 4 ct. IC
• Ruck Rolls – 4 ct. IC (it sounded like ruck row, so there was a little confusion on that one…)
• Overhead Hold

Each man had to count how long they held their ruck overhead. Arms locked out. Counting Mississippi. When you had enough you got in a low squat hold to see how long your teammates could hold it.  Then we did it again. The only rule was to hold it for longer than you did the first time. Then go to a low squat hold.

Then we had to get back in a 2×2 line and double timed it again. This time to the back field.

PT part 2

• Get back ups – down/up

Get back up is a simple exercise, lay on your back and then get back up. The trick is to do it as a team. The cadence was called to promote speed and leave the slow behind. However, the only way to stop is to complete it as a team. The guys were not fooled and got this pretty quick. We took a quick moment to “Have a nice day” after getting it together as a team.

Then we had to get back in a 2×2 line and double timed it again. This time to the side field at the front of the park.

PT part 3

We split up into teams with your 2×2 partner. Odd number vs even numbers. The goal was to buddy carry your partner and all coupons to the other side of the soccer field. This was a race of technique as much as a race of teammates. The first pair across could go back and help the rest of the team. Either with the coupons, Ruck, or buddy. The goal is to get every teammate across the field as fast as possible. This was a bitch. Ma Bell had Pied Piper with his ruck on and a #40. YHC had Vanilla with his Ruck on and a #60. The other mules did the same. The entire crew made it in one trip. Patch came back to get my #60 and the others came back for other guys.

We made a run around the parking lot and picked up the coupons. Rotated the coupons at the far end of the other lot and kept double timing it. We finished with another over head hold for the final 40 seconds. It was a great time my brothers.

BOM/COT – Praises to this dissertation thing being done – Dr. Bono was heard quite often today. Prayers for Patch’s daughter and ROTC scholarship opportunities. Jock Itch’s fiancee – clarity on the job search. Prayers for the Dare 2B Different program. Rose Daniels is an awesome lady and if you can ever help them out, please do.

Announcements – Remember to look up lunch each week.

Moleskin – Today was the first Q post-dissertation. Guess there are no more excuses for not posting. It has been a brutal 7 months and really a long 6-years. Today reminded YHC that sometimes life is all about doing something hard. Often times the only way you get through it is with the help and the efforts of those you love and need – your team. YHC is thankful for the calls, support, and love of my F3 brothers.

There was a point about 2 months ago with my dissertation, where YHC thought “The hell with this stupid shit!” It was an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and frustration. Then, thoughts of the Ruckers and my brothers came to mind. You don’t finish a Heavy by thinking about the whole thing. That’s how you quit. You only focus on the one step ahead of you and you communicate with your team mates, so morale is lifted together. That reframed my emotions and focus. YHC only has to write the next morning, so I did. Then the next morning, and I did. By that Sunday, chapter 4 was rewritten the second time and it was so much better. YHC needed to experience the suck and the hopelessness to do good work.

Today was about trying to make sure we were a team. What was most impressive was the way the guys came together from the beginning. There were things that YHC set up that often trip up less team-focused groups. We started at the beginning 2×2 with a sandbag to share between the pairs. YHC was by himself, because Belding wasn’t there yet. The test was to see how long they would let me walk by myself with the 60# sandbag. The answer was not far. There was a double-tap on the bag and Ma Bell  lifted the burden from my shoulders. The same thing happened over and over again. That’s the goal of being a team – You don’t give your burden to a brother – a brother willingly lifts the burden off your shoulder to share it. Today we mastered that.