WARM O RAMA: IN CADENCE —- SSH x 20, Cherry Picker x 20, Morrocan Night Clubs x 20, Smurf Jacks x 20, Travoltas x 20, Elwoods x 20
THE THANG:
(1). Each HIM receives a die to carry with him through the workout. The PAX mosied to a series of stations located throughout Lewes (Canal Gazebo, Canal Lot, St. Peters Wall).
(2). Before the PAX arrived at each station, the QIC threw his die. The group then performed ten times the number of Merkins shown on the initial dice throw.
(3). Upon completion of these Merkins, the PAX mosied to the next exercise station to perform the following routine: (a) Seal Jacks, (b) Tennesee Rocking Chairs, (c) Smurf Jacks, (d) Travoltas, (e) Elwoods, (f) Mountain Climbers. The number of repetitions for each exercise was determined by the sum total of all dice thrown by the PAX.
(4). The QIC then throws his own die and the PAX performs ten times that number of Merkins before again proceeding to the next station.
THIRD F:
The question posed was why vote on Super Tuesday? And if there is a reason, is this reason relevant to anything else happening to us? The QIC suggested that voting is an opportunity to think through what is important, to be inquisitive, and then to be intentional with the information gathered.
If this is a valid reason to vote – and to decide how one is voting – this same approach might be applicable to situations at home or work when an important decision needs to be made. Inquire, think, act. Simple…..?
And since there is a Presidential election coming our way, here are words of wisdom from earlier office holders:
“It’s easier to do the job right than to explain why you didn’t. (Van Buren)
“Amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets credit.” (Truman)
“In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock.” (Jefferson)
“Accomplishment is a journey, not a destination.” (Eisenhower)
“Presidents are like cemeteries, there are lots of folks under you and no one is listening.” (Clinton)
“If I walked across the the Potomac, the headline would read ‘Johnson can’t swim'”. (LBJ)
“I left an order to be awakened in case of any emergency, even if I was in a Cabinet meeting.” (Reagan)
COT / ANNOUNCEMENTS / PRAYERS
Milton Parade coming – See Pre Blast for workout next Saturday
Eleven PAX posted at CHOP this Gloom for a beatdown hosted by YHC himself. Some wonder was expressed over where the other (potentially) 12+ PAX were at on such a perfect day, and for the first beatdown of F3 First State workout week.
YHC has been trying not to be a “numbers watcher” but, hey, you’ve gotta understand there’s been just a little invested in the past 3.5 years to put a shovel-flag in the ground here in the First State and get this mustard seed growing. So, yeah, there’s this tendency (because of ownership) to watch the numbers and want to see both F3 PAX and more and more FNG’s welcomed into the fold. Put it this way, if you’d been the one to put the first shovel-flag in the ground in the First State, you’d very likely want to see all the guys out, all the time; you’d want to see every man consistently win over the fartsack in order to sharpen others and make F3FirstState the best it can be. That’s a pretty high expectation, yet YHC is aware of reality too. Nonetheless, he merely wants to see that ownership spread [ownership in a healthy way…as in responsibility]. Still, we had 11 who broke the grip of the fartsack this morning, and it was the perfect number for a beatdown in honor of Faye Marie Swetlik.
YHC saw the post last night calling PAX across the F3Nation to wear the brightest colors we had to our workouts on Tuesday, Feb 25th. Known for wearing our dark colors, the bright colors instead were worn to honor Faye, a 6-yr-old girl who loved pink and purple and brought sunshine into the lives of all those around her. You likely saw on the news that Faye was recently abducted from her front yard in Cayce, SC. Sadly, she was found deceased 4 days later near her home.
YHC used to land-survey all over the community of Cayce, but F3 PAX from AO’s in that area have both family and friends familiar with the family—some of their 2.0’s went to school with Faye.
Wearing bright colors was a small thing for our PAX to do this morning, but it was at least one way for us to stand in a shield-lock with F3 brothers, the Swetlik family, the community of Cayce, and all those, especially LEOS, who spent countless hours searching for 6-yr-old Faye. Our hearts go out to everyone effected by this tragedy. YHC appreciates all the PAX who read the post last nite and came dressed for success at today’s workout…
Leatherman
QuattroThe boys
WARM-O-RAMA:
SSH – 10 IC
ImperialWalkers – 10 IC
The Motivator – 10’s Single Count IC (YHC still has to figure out how to properly end this heart-pumper)
Crab Flippers – 10 IC (A legit local favorite, cousin to the Cherry Picker)
Hillbilly Walker – 10 IC
Windmill – 10 IC
Patriot Run to “Merlot Hill” (a.k.a. the end of Behringer Street by the park, so named after a PAX by the same name. And, yes, you know why!)
THE THANG:
YHC introduced the conspicuously placed Restrictor Plates (20lb sandbags) lying in the shade beside the power pole.
The Workout: 11’s on the hill.
Merkins at bottom and top. The sandbags? Only rule was that you could never pass one up (unless you had just carried it either to the top or bottom) 11 PAX, 2 bags…no problem. Everyone got their fair share of carries by the time this series was completed. No one slowed! No one quit! No one passed up opportunities to carry an extra 20 lbs!
110 Merkins total + Racing hearts = Great cardio
And…no one splashed!
PAX Circled Up for 3rdF:
The leadership strategy of subordinating your ego.
A few verses I want to share as an underlying foundation for today’s 3rdF:
▪1 Pet. 5:5-6 say, “You younger men, likewise, he subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one-another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives GRACE to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.”
▪Critical Quote: Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.
▪Rom. 12:3 “For through the GRACE given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought...”
I’m reading Jocko’s book LEADERSHIP STRATEGY AND TACTICS. In one portion he talks about Subordinating Your Ego. As men we tend to think AND practice otherwise, but subordinating your ego IS a leadership strategy!
Jocko tells of meeting with senior executives from a young and very successful company. He was impressed with all of them! The COO, the CFO, the CTO were all solid! Then he tells of meeting the CEO. The guy had been an NCAA athlete. A 6’5″ beast! He’d earned his MBA at an Ivy League school. Was already running a hundred-million-dollar company in his mid 30’s! Was physically impressive, and had a massive ego to match. His attitudes and the look on his face screamed “I’m better than you are!”
Jocko said there was immediate tension because of the guy’s enormous ego. But after realizing that ALL of the CEO’s senior executives and midlevel managers liked and respected the man, Jocko assumed “He’s got them all fooled!”
At several of the company’s training sessions, Jocko observed the man’s self-important, ego-driven attitudes. He wondered, “what the heck is wrong with this guy?”
As he pondered why fellow executives weren’t bothered by the CEO’s conceit and self-importance, Jocko began to think, “Wait, is it possible the problem is me? Could it be my ego causing this problem? Was there a chance that my ego was intimidated by all this and that I was the one who was acting like an idiot?” His conclusion: “Of course—Our two massive egos were bumping into each other and causing friction.”
At one break Jocko asked the man to step out in the hallway, out of earshot from the other team members, where they could talk. He gave him a quick assessment: “Your leaders are solid. Your company has great morale. Everyone understands the mission here. But the most impressive thing I’ve seen here is you….” He spoke of several more items about the CEO that brought Jocko to the point of telling him he was impressed and that he had nothing but respect for the CEO. RESULT: They talked of their deep respect for one another and both laughed as the tension between their two egos disappeared.
Jocko wrote: “The problem was solved. How? Simple. As soon as I was able to detach and recognize that this was a clash of egos, all I had to do was humble myself for a minute; I had to subordinate my own ego to allow the tension to break. Once I did that, the problem was solved.” “Subordinating your ego is actually the ultimate form of self-confidence. That level of confidence earns respect.” He said, “To put your ego in check, to subordinate your ego, you must have incredible confidence. If you find you cannot put your ego in check because you’re afraid it might make you look weak, then guess what? YOU ARE WEAK. Don’t be weak.
Subordinate your ego. Build relationships. Win the long game” (Adapted from Leadership Strategy and Tactics 72-78) …a great read, get it!
▪Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
I love that: Don’t be weak! Subordinate your ego, its what HIM do!
Patriot Run back to the CHOP AO: Shovelflag + two 20lb sandbags. YHC said next time we’re taking the backstreets. Moseying back up Union was a bit of a clusterbanger (Rush hour in Milton!)
Short round of Mary complements of Leatherman, Beeker, & Fireplex (Flutterkicks, LBC’s, and Crabjacks respectively)
COT/BOM:
Announcements:
Saturday, March 7 workout moved to Crossroad Community Church@ 6 a.m., instead of the usual 7, followed by breakfast and Operation Timothy Men’s Conference at the church. (See Quattro for details)
Lucky Rucker, March rucking challenge by @ruckingchallenges. Whoever is a HC and wants to roll the dice for accountability, stick around because YHC has the BIG dice available…see results below
Sunday, March 15 @ 3:17 p.m.Annual Shamruck Family Ruck. Park in Big Lots parking lot in Milford. 1 mile around industrial park loop to McDonald’s for Shamrock Shakes, 1 mile return. Bring the M, the 2.0’s, and friends and family. Bring the wagons and strollers! Recommended weight: Over 150lbs, you carry 30lb ruck; under 150, you carry 20lb ruck. The weight, however, is not important—the 2nd F is!
Nothing like a ruck with a reward: Shamrock Shakes!
Prayers:
Hoffstetler family
PAX’s Marriages
Swetlik family in Cayce, SC
Chairman’s mom, ankle surgery
Semi’s M, Leah, going for job interview
Chappie: 6 Rucks, 4 miles each
Leatherman: 5 Rucks, 4 miles each
Ruxpin: 3 Rucks, 5 miles each
That’s a wrap! Honored to lead the workout and offer a little something for transformation as HIM. Thanks men for posting! Remember: Don’t be weak!
Mosey to Richard Allen School (where Q attended Kindergarten in 1985 [only one year mind you!]) parking lot, taking a quick pit stop for a set of fence hurdles at the Grace UMC park
Circle up for Global Warming (10 burpees, 20 bobby hurleys, 50 lbc, 25 WWI situps)
Time for recess!… Wosey to playground
Split in 2 groups: 25 x 2 each swerkins, extra PAX do E2k until swings open up
To the monkey bars: Merkins, while 1 PAX crosses monkey bars performing a newley-named workout “monkey junkers” 3x alternating regular, wide-arm, and diamond merkins
Break for 3rd F
Proverbs 22:28 "Do not move an ancient landmark which your fathers have set"
from Biography.com:
Born into slavery in 1760, Richard Allen later bought his freedom and went on to found the first national black church in the United States, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, in 1816.
Synopsis
Minister, educator and writer Richard Allen was born into slavery on February 14, 1760. He later converted to Methodism and bought his freedom. Fed up with the treatment of African-American parishioners at the St. George Episcopal congregation, he eventually founded the first national black church in the United States, the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was also an activist and abolitionist whose ardent writings would inspire future visionaries. Allen died in 1831 in Philadelphia.
Background and Younger Years
Minister, educator and writer Richard Allen was born into slavery presumably in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 14, 1760. (As with other details surrounding Allen’s life, there have been some questions as to the place of his birth, with certain sources asserting that he was born in Delaware.) Known as “Negro Richard,” he and his family were sold by Benjamin Chew to a Delaware farmer, Stokeley Sturgis, sometime around 1768.
Allen converted to Methodism at the age of 17, after hearing a white itinerant Methodist preacher rail against slavery. His owner, who had already sold Richard’s mother and three of his siblings, also converted and eventually allowed Richard to purchase his freedom for $2,000, which he was able to do by 1783. The paper detailing Richard’s freedom would in fact become the first manumission document to be held as a public file, having been donated to the Pennsylvania Abolition Society.
After attaining his freedom, Richard took the last name “Allen” and returned to Philadelphia.
Early Religious and Social Work
Allen soon joined St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church, where blacks and whites worshiped together. There, he became an assistant minister and conducted prayer meetings for African Americans. Frustrated with the limitations the church placed on him and black parishioners, which included segregating pews, Allen left the church as part of a mass walkout with the intention of creating an independent Methodist church. (While Allen gave the year of the walkout as 1787 in his own accounts, some scholars have asserted that the departure happened in 1792-93.)
Along with the Reverend Absalom Jones, who had also left St. George, Allen helped found the Free African Society, a non-denominational religious mutual-aid society dedicated to helping the black community. A century later, scholar and NAACP founder W.E.B. Du Bois called the FAS “the first wavering step of a people toward organized social life.” In 1794, Allen and several other black Methodists founded the Bethel Church, a black Episcopal meeting, in an old blacksmith’s shop. Bethel Church became known as “Mother Bethel” because it eventually birthed the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Helped by his second wife, Sarah, Allen also helped to hide escaped slaves, as the basement of the Bethel Church was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Founding the African Methodist Episcopal Church
In 1799, Allen became the first African American to be ordained in the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Then, in 1816, with support from representatives from other black Methodist churches, Allen founded the first national black church in the United States, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and became its first bishop. Today, the AME Church boasts more than 2.5 million members.
Understanding the power of an economic boycott, Allen went on to form the Free Produce Society, where members would only purchase products from non-slave labor, in 1830. With a vision of equal treatment for all, he railed against slavery, influencing later civil rights leaders such as Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr.
Death and Legacy
Allen died at his home on Spruce Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 26, 1831. He was laid to rest under Bethel Church.
In 2008, Richard Newman and NYU Press published an acclaimed biography of Allen—Freedom’s Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church and the Black Founding Fathers.
https://www.richardallenschoolgeorgetown.com/
Richard Allen Coalition Inc in Georgetown opened its doors in the 1920s as one of the 80 schools built by Philanthropist Pierre S. DuPont for African-American children in Delaware. This is one of the “DuPont Colored Schools” that continued to serve as the heart of the African-American community for more than half a century.
Beginning in 1829 when public schools were established in Delaware, both white and black Delawareans paid schools taxes. However, the taxes supported schools for white students only. The few schools for African-Americans that existed relied on contributions from local churches for land and materials. The modest wooden buildings were built with community-based labor.
When desegregation was implemented, it became part of the Indian River School District. Five years ago, the school district decided to close the school and has been vacant since then.In 2010, a small group came together to form the Richard Allen Coalition Inc. We are a diverse group with a common goal: to restore the school so it can once again be a cultural, civic, and educational center. We found so much history in this school which has never been recorded, including baseball games held on the field behind the school and baseball teams formed by Luther Tingle.On August 12, 2015, Phase I of our journey was completed when Governor Jack Markell signed the bill sponsored by Senator Brian Pettyjohn and Representative Ruth Briggs King which deeded the building to the Richard Allen Coalition. Phase II was a kick off with a gala at the Georgetown Cheer Center on February 6, 2016, which was a success.
Today, we are hosting programs on the grounds for the community. There has been considerable work within the building. With the community help, we have painted, sanded and worked to bring portions of the building into a useable facility. We are continuing to raise the funding needed to begin the renovation and restoration project of the Richard Allen Coalition School. It is an ambitious goal, but with the help of the grants, civic and business leaders of Sussex County, we can do it efficiently.
When Richard Allen School opened its door, it was a beacon of hope for African-Americans living in Jim Crow Delaware. When it opened, it welcomed all of us who wanted to learn about the past while helping our youth explore their talents and prepare for a wonderful future.
The state of Delaware mandated racially segregated schools until 1967. The Act of Free Schools of 1829 provided public education in Delaware, but taxes levied on both white and black citizens supported schools for white students only.
A few schools for blacks existed in the early 20th century but all land and material were acquired with contributions from local churches, and the modest wooden buildings were built with community-based labor.Pierre S. DuPont, appalled by the unfair tax system and the lack of educational opportunities for Delaware’s’ black students, donated the funds to build more than 80 schools for black students throughout the state in the 1920s.
Be the man in the boat: Abyss big boys while legs are hooked into side of playground boat -25 IC amid plenty of mumble chatter
25 Seal jacks. I/c 20 Cherry picker. I/c Capri lap – side shuffle length of court, nur width of court, side shuffle length of court, and nur width of court 25 Seal wave. I/c 20 Windmill I/c Capri lap – side shuffle length of court, nur width of court, side shuffle length of court, and nur width of court 25 Ssh. I/c 20 mountain climbers i/c
THE THANG
Mosey to far side of ball field. 1 HIM does 10 Abyss merkins between picnic tables while rest of pax does derkins rotating through pax till all have completed abyss merkins.
Mosey to backside of lifesaving station 15 hanging knee raises from leanto header Crawl dragon up ramp, dragon crawl down ramp 15 hanging knee raises Dan lt. Up and lt. Dan down ramp 15 hanging knee raises 25 6″ squats 25 sumo squats 25 squats on the ramp facing the water
3rd F Go After God’s Heart https://bible.com/reading-plans/2272/day/1?segment=0
Mosey to playground beside basketball court 25 calf raises off ledge 20 urkins 15 split squats per leg 10 burpees 5 super bananas 10 burpees 15 split squats per leg 20 urkins 25 calf raises off ledge
Mosey back to center court
6 HIM showed – semi, Chappie, Chairman, Wildwing, Ruxpin, kings point
The Grit Mill was 5 solid this morning with HIM who won THAT FIRST BATTLE by overcoming the fartsack, dropped the DRP, and posted in some soggy weather. It was a celebration beatdown at the hands of YHC for a 4-year “Manniversary.” (Details will follow in the 3rdF below…read on!)
WARM-O-RAMA:
If you don’t know Jack, you do now…
SSH (a.k.a. – Jumping Jacks) – 18 IC
Smurfjacks – 18 IC
Swartzjacks – 20 IC (forgot to stop at 18!)
Plankjacks – 18 IC
Splitjacks – 18 IC
Sealjacks – 18 IC
Sorry Fireplex…no Crabjacks.
Mosey to Arena’s parking with 2 sandbags being swapped between PAX along the way. Here’s a freebie: YHC explained along the way that parking at the Milford Senior center was completely filled last night, as were surrounding streets, and the entire lot at Arenas. YHC had to park a block-and-a-half away to get to the NRA-ILA meeting held at the Senior Center–proud that it was very well attended!
Upon arriving at the Arena’s parking lot (now all but empty) YHC explained the concept of “21’s”. At one end of the lot PAX would perform 20 Merkins, at the other end PAX would do 1 Gas Pumper. Rinse and repeat all the way down to 1 Merkin and 20 Gas Pumpers.
EXTRA RULE: PAX could not pass a sandbag. If a bag is free carry it to the other end of the lot. If you carried one there, you didn’t have to pick one up. Good tool to extend the suck a little. Here’s what it looks like on paper:
20 Merkins – mosey to other end of lot – 1 Gas Pumper
mosey back picking up sandbag…
19 Merkins ………….2 Gas Pumpers
18 Merkins…………..3 Gas Pumpers
17 Merkins…………..4 Gas Pumpers
16 Merkins…………..5 Gas Pumpers
So on and so forth to we got to…
1 Merkin…………….20 Gas Pumpers
When PAX got to 10 Merkins and 11 Gas Pumpers YHC called for a breather to share the following 3rdF about his Manniversary:
3rdF:
Four years ago I walked onto the parking lot at an AO called “The Dragon.” It was the parking lot of the York Comprehensive High School near where I lived in SC, and I’d showed up for my first F3 workout, after being EH’d by my buddy Wade — whom I would come to know by his newly minted F3 nickname, Nunchuk.
Wade had called me after his first workout and said, “You gotta come check this out!” He told me, “It’s a military style bootcamp workout. They do a lot of the exercises in cadence, etc. and it’s a great group of guys.” He was actually EH’ing me. Though I didn’t know it then, I would come to learn that an EH is called an Emotional Headlock. If you want to see F3 grow right here in Milford, the most effective way to make that happen is for you to make contact with other guys you know and invite them personally.
So anyway, I posted with my buddy Nunchuk and I was hooked! And it’s true: The fitness brings men out, but the fellowship is the glue that keeps them coming back.
That first time I was lost! I was familiar with exercising in cadence because I had served for nearly 12-years in the Army National Guard, but a lot of the exercises/names really threw me off (for instance, the Imperial Walker), so I spent a lot of time watching guys next to me in the COP’s.
That first day after the warmup, our Q ran us around to the other side of the high school where in a long alley-like concrete stretch between two wings of the high school we did 21’s!. It was tough! I wasn’t out of shape but I certainly wasn’t in shape either. In fact, I never finished the 21’s that day because the Q finally moved us on to something else. Thank God! I was gassed! Yet I was invigorated at the same time.
Here’s the thing that got me: The whole time guys were running past me going in the same or the opposite direction, they kept encouraging me by saying things like, “You got this! Good job! Keep it up! DFQ! Hang tough.” I knew in that moment I’d found a special brotherhood because they demonstrated that they’d never leave anyone behind. I’d found out they called it “picking up the 6.” That Saturday…I WAS THE SIX!”
Somewhere mid-workout the Q circled us up and shared a brief devotional message. Then he shared a little bit more about F3 mission, which is: “To plant, grow, and serve small workout groups of men for the invigoration of male community leadership.” Every aspect of what I was experiencing was exactly what I was looking for as a man! The physical fitness, the camaraderie with other men who are striving to be a better men and better leaders at home, in the workplace, and in the communities in which they serve, and the opportunity to lock shields and be strengthened and sharpen one-another in our faith “as iron sharpens iron” (Prov 27:17). And the Coffeeteria that followed was as awesome with about 10-12 guys.
So this week marks my 4 year manniversary! I’d only been in F3 for 4.5 months before I’d move here to Delaware, but for that period F3 became such a part of my life that I knew I had to bring it to Delaware where it didn’t exist yet. The group of guys I was leaving behind threw me and my wife a going away party, at which time they also gave me a shovel-flag and said, “Go plant that thing in Delaware!”
Here we are 3.5 years later, with 4 AO’s and a day dedicated to rucking: Roving RuckF3st Friday. F3 First State has touched the lives of more than 50 guys so far, we are seeing nearly 20 guys working out regularly, and we’re growing because HIM like yourselves continue to value the fitness, fellowship, and faith. We’re growing because HIM like you continue to own the mission by striving to be better leaders at home, in your workplaces, and in the communities in which you serve. F3 First State exists because of HIM like each of you! So keep up the good work! DFQ! Keep EH’ing guys around you, not necessarily so that F3 First State will grow (it will), but because you know that through F3, MEN will grow and become better leaders. “Leave no man behind, but leave no man where you found him!” LET’S KEEP PLANTING, GROWING, AND SERVING, MEN!
After the 3rd F, PAX got back to it and continued 21’s through to 1 Merkin and 20 Gas Pumpers.
Mosey’d back to the AO.
COUNT-O-RAMA
NAME-O-RAMA
BOM/COP:
Announcements: Annual “Shamruck” will take place on Sunday Afternoon. March 16. Details to follow but this is a family ruck to a nearby McDonald’s to get Shamrock shakes for St. Patty’s Day.
Prayers: PAX circled up and prayed for Chairman, Doubtfire, and Chauffeur and their “home fires”… Prayers also for Leatherman and for everyone else to stay healthy.
YHC appreciates all the PAX who posted in the sogginess of this Gloom; humbled by the opportunity to lead! Thanks men!
~Chappie, out
P.S. – Following the workout, YHC did Eh the Milford Police Officer who was observing our workout from across the street. He took a few cards to share with his peers, said he was watching us, and that it sounds good!
15 HIM beat the fartsack in the rain: Gump, Bovine, Quattro, Leatherman, Vanilla, Chairman, Beeker, Waterfall, Ruxpin, Chattahoochee, Chappie, Fireplex, Streüdel, Wildwing, Doubtfire
Warmup:
25 SSH IC
25 Cherry Pickers IC
25 Windmills IC
20 Triple Bears IC
30 Sumo Squat Jump OYO
Mosey to HOB
The Thang:
Dragon Crawl from one light pole to the next
25 Burpees
3rd F :Be the Buffalo: When storms brew on the Colorado plains, they typically move in from the west, many times building in strength and intensity as they travel eastward. Cattle and buffalo share the plains as their home, but their response to the impending storms is very different. Cattle will attempt to avoid the storms by running away from them. They scatter and run with the storm for a longer period of time, increasing panic in the herd as well as the chance of injury. Buffalo, however, will gather together, turn, and run directly into the storm, thereby reducing the duration of time in danger and increasing their chances of emerging unscathed on the other side. By nature, most people want to avoid confrontation. Like the buffalo, the best relationships are the ones that encourage each other to continually turn headfirst into the issues. So much of the health of our relationships is riding on our ability to confront each other well!
Buttkickers halfway around circle Toysoldiers the other half.
Mosey to school for BOMBS
Split up into 2 man teams 1 pax does exercise the other mosey’s half way across school yard Nur’s back as a team 50 Burbees, 100 overhead arm claps in jackwebb position, 150 merkins, 200 bigboys, 250 squats
Mosey to library- Lt. Danger across parking lot Lunge walk back.
Mosey to Armory- Toy soldier set 50 LBCs, 25 E2Ks, 15 bigboys.
1 set of Aiken legs 20 Squats, 20 box jumps on step, 20 Lunges, 20 Splitjacks.
Mosey back to the AO for number-rama, name-o-rama and COT
Warm O Rama: In Cadence – SSH x 25, Cherry Picker x 25, Alabama Ass Kickers x 25, Daniel Son (Karate Kid Crane Kicks) x 5 each leg, Windmill x 25,
The Thang:
Pax performed four HIIT training exercises for a period of 60 seconds with a 30 second recovery period between each exercise at the following locations:
….Bath Overhang: (Squatting Joe Lewis, Big Boys, Broad Jumps); ….Park Gazebo: (American Hammers, Mountain Climbers, LBCs); ….St. Peter’s Wall: (Dirkins, Apollo Ohnos, High Knee Taps); ….Bank Tunnel: (Overhead Squat Claps, Bobby Hurleys, Fireman Ladders).
In addition, there were two impromptu sessions – LBCs in the bank driveway and circle merkins near Rose and Crown.
F3 Message: According to some, the President gave a rollicking State of the Union speech last night and, in honor of this, the F3 message began by recalling memorable SOU’s from years past:
James Polk (1848): “The accounts of the abundance of gold in [California} are of such a character as can scarcely command respect….”
Franklin Roosevelt (1942): Berlin and Tokyo know “that victory for us means victory for freedom….It means victory for the institution of democracy – the ideal of the family, the simple principles of common decency and humanity. They know that victory for us means victory for religion. And they could not tolerate that. The world is too small … for Hitler and God.
Abraham Lincoln (1862): Proposed constitutional amendments by which the federal government would free slaves and compensate owners by 1900. Lincoln argued that this formed the basis of a compromise to end the civil war. He ended by stating: “Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We will be remembered in spite of ourselves….We say we are for the Union. We know how to save the Union. [By freeing the slaves] we shall nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope of hearth. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just – a way which if followed the world will forever applaud and God must forever bless.
F3 messages are generally uplifting and relevant. This SOU briefing was neither. It did, however, make me think where does one find a moral compass these days. For some, it is natural to pull inspiration from the Bible. (As Chappie says, it is now permissible for anyone to read it.). But, according to Pew Foundation polling, Catholics have different sources of moral guidance – 10% from the Pope, about the same from the Bible, and, surprisingly, the vast majority of Catholics have their moral compass set by watching what others do and say.
So, to tie this together, I wanted to thank the HIM’s for the guidance they give – Chappie mentioning guardrails for posting and many others who support their families and Ms in small and large ways. Uplifting, relevant, and useful. Well done, F3.
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Windmills – 15 IC
Burp & Merk – Burpee with Ascending Merkins up to 10
Chilly Jacks – 25 IC
20 lunges (10 each Leg) – OYO
20 split Jacks (10 each Leg) – OYO
The Thang
B.O.M.B.S. – 50 Burpees, 100 Overhead Claps, 150 Merkins, 200 Big Boy Sit-ups, 250 Squats. PAX partnered up and worked on exercises while their partner ran a “Chairman Lap” out the back driveway of the CHOP parking lot, left toward Union Street, and then left back to the CHOP. The distance per circuit is approximately .25 miles. Pax switched off with their partner after each lap. Each PAX completed their half of the listed exercises before moving on to the next exercise. The entire “Thang” was complete before a break was taken for the F3 Message.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message 02/04/20 – From Ron Hutchcraft Ministries
A BUCKET OF WATER, OR A THREE-ALARM FIRE – #7744
I’m a tornado and hurricane kind of guy. I mean I don’t like them but, I’ve lived where you learn about those things. I’m not an earthquake kind of guy. I’ve never lived where those mattered much. But when I was in San Francisco, I was where earthquakes are a big deal! Most people there still have dramatic stories to tell about what happened during that big quake in 1989, the one that interrupted the 3rd game of the World Series. Some of the heaviest damage and injury was in the Marina District of San Francisco.
Well, actually, I was doing a youth radio program back then, and we went there to record part of it. In fact, we were right on the comer of Beach Street and Divisadero where several buildings collapsed or burned, including one that had been totally consumed by fire. One of the neighbors described the scene for us, one very different from this quiet neighborhood with beautiful rebuilt homes. The night of the quake was total chaos. This neighbor described that awful fire with the unbearable heat that had destroyed the building on the other comer. He said, “The fire started out with a gas leak. It was small. If I could have gotten over there, I literally could have put it out with a bucket of water. But then it started to spread and pretty soon there was no way to stop it.”
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “A Bucket of Water, or a Three-Alarm Fire.”
God believes in fighting fires when they’re small, when you can still put them out with a bucket of water. He talks about it in Ephesians 4:26-27, our word for today from the Word of God, and some of the most insightful verses in the Bible for preserving relationships. Here’s what God says, “In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Could it be that you have let a fire smolder in some relationship in your life? Let it go, let it grow and you will have a blaze on your hands you cannot control.
Maybe there is a strained relationship in your life right now, between you and your mate, or you and a child, you and a co-worker, you and your parent, you and a spiritual brother or sister. Maybe there’s trouble in your marriage and so often, honestly, it’s the guy who’s the last to admit that anything’s wrong. Men – let’s face it – tend to be postponers when it comes to dealing with relationship difficulties. But I’m telling you, the fire isn’t going to stay the same size. Relationships of all kinds burn down when someone lets the small fire just go, until it becomes this uncontrollable inferno that can do so much damage.
In fact, the Bible says that when you let conflict or strain or anger go longer than a day, you literally give the devil himself a place to get into your relationship. Four verses later, in Ephesians 4:31, God lists the kind of ugly things that come from letting relationship fires go unaddressed: “All bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, every form of malice.” Look, can you see some of those flames maybe right now growing in a relationship of yours.
Don’t wait another day to do something about the fire. It’s as small now as it’s ever going to be. Gently confront what you have to confront, forgive what you have to forgive, apologize for what you need to apologize for, and overlook what you have to overlook, but deal with whatever is between you, whatever is breaking or broken.
Because I’ll tell you this, the devil is standing there with his gasoline can ready to pour gasoline on that fire so everyone involved will get burned. You need to come running with whatever water it will take to put it out now. A bucket of water now is a whole lot better than a 3-alarm fire later.
While dreaming earlier this morning YHC was guided to another world. Time and time again when that happens, at sunrise YHC fights to stay asleep ’cause he doesn’t wan to leave the comfort of this place (name that tune). Nonetheless, it was time to rouse and post at The Grit Mill, for yet another beatdown in the name of #Two-Four…Kobe Bryant. Almost all the reps today were done with a Two-Four rep count simply to remember and honor one of the best ballers to ever play the game in our generation. The idea: Adopt the Mamba mentality which Kobe was so legendary for. Here’s how it want down:
WARM-O-RAMA
SSH – 24 IC
Squats – 24 IC
[Legit] Crab Flippers – 24 IC
Motivators – by the 10’s (Shout out to @sunspot and the Lanco PAX)
Calf Raises – 24 OYO
Alternating 2 baby sandbags (20-pounders) between one another, PAX Mosey’d to 4′ wall near east end of Gigante International Market parking lot. On this beautiful newly-discovered structure PAX did the following…
Iron Mikes – 12 OYO, Lt. Dan -24 Steps, MJB’s – “Two Four” (Return to parking lot)
3rdF BREATHER
This morning I’m sharing some thoughts adapted from Jocko Willink’s LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES & TACTICS. A portion of the book is about “The Power of Relationships” (48-51). In it he writes, “Leadership requires relationships. Good relationships with people above you, below you, and beside you…are critical for a strong team. The better the relationships, the more open and effective communication there is. The more communication there is, the stronger the team will be.”
He first talks about having a good relationship with those above you (i.e. your boss/bosses/managers, etc.) and gives this advice when it comes to building a trustworthy relationship with superiors:
▪ The first, most obvious way, (often overlooked) is PERFORMANCE. Your boss expects you to complete certain tasks. So COMPLETE THEM. On time. On budget. Without drama. Get the mission done.
▪ There will be things you might not be in 100% agreement with, do them anyway. It will always serve you well. If the boss wants you to fill out extra paperwork — Do it. If the boss wants you to cover a shift for someone else — You’ve got it! Does the boss want you to clean up an administrative mess that got spilled? — You’re on it! Even take on the nasty, low-reward missions that need executing — Get all over it.
▪ With each set of problems. Be the solution. With each problem you solved, the level of trust the boss has in you goes up.
▪ Over time, as you do what needs to get done, your boss/bosses will know that you’re the man who can be trusted to make things happen; you gain clout with the boss.
▪ Gaining clout with the boss allows you to give feedback or criticism of their plans if that becomes necessary (when time is right, and only when ego is set aside). So ultimately this leads back to one of the most powerful tools you could have as a leader and in the workplace — a good relationship with your boss. This will always lend itself to your team’s ability to BETTER accomplish the mission.
As followers of Christ, this ultimately (first) has everything to do with our relationship with God. God’s Word tells us,
“Whatever you do, do it heartily (with all of your heart), as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” (Col.3:23-24)
▪ Personal experience. Years ago only a couple of years after I’d joined the Army Nat’l Guard, I got stuck with KP duty (“kitchen police”) during Annual Training at Ft. Drum. I’d been in a few years by this point so quite frankly I felt that it was beneath me to pull KP duty, after all I was a high ranking PFC! KP sucked in a regular mess hall, but what was worse was that we were in the field. The next morning my Sergeants roused me from my fartsack at O-Gawd-Thirty and took me for about a 15 minute drive to the location of our field kitchen. As we traveled the road, images of M*A*S*H episodes were flashing through my mind as I bounced around on the dew-covered back seat of that 1/4 ton Jeep. But it was far from humorous–I was cursing under my breath for getting stuck with a duty that NO ONE EVER WANTED to get stuck with. I was mad as a hornet. As about a “3-yr-old” Christian, I knew the things I was saying under my breath were wrong. Plus, I dared not voice them aloud because I didn’t want to be insubordinate toward either of my Sergeants. Yet, God heard them! Then, about 5 minutes into the ride, the Lord spoke to my heart (His voice came alive in my heart by His Word being hidden there) and I heard that verse: “Whatever you do, work heartily at it, as for the Lord rather than for men…“
Those words hit my like a ton of bricks and changed my perspective and attitude in an instant. As I was dropped off I went to work on KP duty, which turned out to be about a 16 hr day. I did everything you can imagine and washed ever pan, and cleaned everything that didn’t move, etc. in that field kitchen. And I did it as if I were working for the Lord. Enjoyed it. Embraced the suck, if you will. By the end of that non-stop day, when my Sergeants came to pick me, the Mess Sergeant , along with the rest of the Mess crew said I’d done such a great job that they were begging for me to come back the next day. As much as I enjoyed my response was a quick “Uh, no thanks.” Yet two things happened: (1) I’d left a good impression on both the mess crew and with my Sergeants (my “bosses”), and, (2) I’d left a good testimony for serving my Lord — the ultimate pleasure in all of life is giving glory to His name!
Back at it…
Mosey return to AO, alternating baby sandbags between PAX.
Partial round of Mary:
LBC’s – 24 OYO (Courtesy YHC)
Dolly – 24 IC (Courtesy Ruxpin)
E2K – 24 Single Count (Courtesy Loose Wheel)
X’s & O’s – 24 OYO (Courtesy Waterfall)
COT/BOM:
Announcements: Planning on putting a Site-Q meeting together sometime in Feb to plan into the year a bit.
Prayers: For Waterfall, Felicia, and Dee Dee; for both Chauffeur’s and Doubtfire’s families; and for Papa Bears daughter sitting for her nursing boards near future.
Lots of 24 count reps to remember and honor Kobe Bryant. The Mamba Mentality gave us some good motivation to go beyond normal rep counts. The reminder to build relationships with those above us, based upon serving the Lord, gave us good motivation to go above and beyond even what is expected of us.
Always honored to bring the beatdown. Thanks for the opportunity HIM!
