Fitness, Fellowship, Faith

Day: November 23, 2017

It’s Much Colder than Whoopee Expected

It was nice to see Whoopee tweet asking if anyone would be in the Sunset Beach area over Thanksgiving since I would be at Ocean Isle Beach with the family at the same time.  I immediately responded that I’m in……..not sure it was the best idea.

After some early recon, we agreed to meet at the Sunset Beach park near the Sunset Beach bridge on the mainland side.   Can you tell I’m stretching out the text of the backblast?

We arrived at the exact same time.  It was dark.  Whoopee immediately declares, “It’s colder than I expected.”  Hmmmm…..there’s an app for that.

Having only driven past this park in the past, I was not sure what we were getting into as it was not lit at all.  Regardless…..let’s get after it.

Short mosey around the walking/running path for some warm up:

SSH X 10

LBC’s X 12

The Thang

A photographer shows up about this time (apparently to take some pics of the sunrise), it was still dark and I think we scared him pretty good, especially in my F3 Ninja gear.

Mosey over to a memorial for local veterans for the Pledge and our first round of IC work:

Merkins X 15

LBC’s X 25

Squats X 15

Rinse & Repeat

Mosey around the length of the path back to the Memorial for round 2:

Dips X 15

Flutter Kicks X 25

Lunge Walk along the path for….I think about 20 miles

Rinse & Repeat

Mosey around the length of the path plus some to get to the other side of the park near the waterway for Round 3:

Derkins X 15

Freddy Mercury’s X 25

Step Ups X 15

Rinse & Repeat

Mosey around the length of the path back to the waterway side location to finish off with a set of each of the previous exercises IC:

I believe it was during this Mosey that we realized the  photographer was dressed like a Teletubby, specifically Laa-Laa (the yellow one).  He really was decked out like this.  If you are not familiar with the Teletubbies, Google it…..you will be amazed and probably creeped out as I was when my kids briefly watched the show.

Merkins X 15

LBC’s X 25

Squats X 15

Dips X 16 (lost count)

Flutter Kicks X 25

Lunge Walk another 20 miles

Derkins X 15

Freddy Mercury’s X 25

Step Ups X 15

I believe it was just before the last set of Freddy Mercury’s that the photographer’s phone started ringing, it was some glorious bagpipe music and I asked him if he was Scottish.  He replied no and that he just wanted a ringtone that was loud and obnoxious so I replied, “Oh, you mean like Whoopee?”  Whoopee proceeded to count out the reps in a ‘not very accurate’ Scottish accent.  All I could envision was Fat Bastard from Austin Power’s fame.

One last Mosey around the park path and we’re done.

I just realized we did not officially do the COT even though we did have an informal prayer request section.

The Moleskin

Not sure I would have ever imagined getting in a workout such as this during a Thanksgiving Holiday trip to the beach with the family.  I have ran before but not really gotten in a workout like this before gorginig myself with food.  Thanks for the push Whoopee.

I have said this before, but I am very grateful to F3 Gastonia, F3 Nation and all my F3 brothers.  You guys have changed my life in a positive way.

We all have the struggles of leading families,  work, community, etc. but we also have a lot to be thankful for.  I know I do and I do not remember this enough.

I’m looking forward to the next workout.  (Probably tomorrow)

Until the next one.

Aye!

Stroganoff

Anybody got a dime? Kings to Crowders Backblast

I apologize for the delay but since this was a pseudo CSAUP event the 24 hour backblast rule is a little gray.

Unfortunately my plans to eat at a decent breakfast eatery  near Crowder’s Mountain went awry when everywhere decent I checked was closed on Sunday except for McDonald’s.  I arrived about ten minutes early and sorted my car out and wondered to myself if anyone would bother to show but I had a good feeling that my hiking partner Stroganoff would and at 0600 hours there he was.  The pre-blast had a 0600-0640 breakfast timelime and no one else showed so I wondered how many would actually come for the hike.  About 0645 JK2 showed up and ordered some food to go so I knew we would have at least 3.

I pulled out right on time and wondered why Stroganoff wasn’t behind me.  I waited and figured he was being a good wingman for JK2.  Only later did I learn that someone left their phone in the head and had to go retrieve it.

We pulled into the Linwood access at 0658 and the gates were open and there was the Nantan and his crew waiting to go.  Kotter Richard Simmons let me know he was coming since he signed up for a HTL Ruck in 2018.  Once he appeared nine PAX got in two clown cars and off we went to the Boulder’s access at Kings Mountain.  Defib and I registered our vehicles while everyone hit the head and got organized.  Before I could set the tone for “church on the mountain”, Stroganoff ripped JK2 with a quip about his Ron Jeremy mustache.  JK2 didn’t know who that was and some others pretended they didn’t either.  This was the first of many Ron jokes the rest of the day.  I decided we needed to read the “Mile One” verse before we started.  GENESIS 2:15  “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”  God intends for us to work and through our efforts we can honor God by fulfilling our purpose to work.

We then headed out on the trail.  It was clear and brisk to start.  We went up a hill and down a hill and I walked past some signage and kept going.  Fortunately the wiser group in the back called to us and said we were heading towards South Carolina so we returned to the sign and made the appropriate adjustment.  It could have been a very long day.

We had a good pace and there was lots of fellowship along the way.  The group of nine all stayed close together.  I learned all about Richard Simmon’s training for the GoRuck in Charlotte next year.  He had a 40 lb plate in his ruck which made the rest of feel pretty weak in comparison.  He also had a feisty female voice on his phone telling all of us constantly to pick up the pace.

Everyone had on a pack of some sort from Camel-backs to  first aid kits and food.  Monk, the stoic that he is, only had his thoughts with him and a few snacks in his coat pocket.  He had a water bottle that probably held about 3 ounces.  Fortunately I had at least half a case so I gladly gave him some of mine later in the day.  At every mile we stopped to read another verse of scripture and share a lesson.  For the first 3-4 miles we only saw one person…an odd man sitting on a bench who seemingly came  out of nowhere.   Both Monk and JK2 had foot problems during the hike.  Monk later declared that his boots were too small.  However between some quality first aid and fresh socks there were no complaints.

On the Ridgeline trail there is an option to climb to King’s Pinnacle.  There was a discussion about whether or not to do this but Stroganoff didn’t hesitate and led the way and the others followed.  We arrived at the top with the mountain to ourselves.  We had a snack break and Stronagoff ate a delicious looking smashed PBJ sandwich.  Then Freight tried in vain to get his phone to take our picture by balancing it on a near vertical steep rock face.  Suddenly two strangers appeared and Monk asked them to take our photo.  When they asked if we would take theirs, I believe Monk said “NO”!  It was a pretty well timed joke but of course we took their photo.

From this point of the trail and we were about halfway and we past many hikers coming from Crowders or the Sparrow Springs parking lot.  At one point near Sparrow Springs the trail was closed as indicated with about a fifteen foot section of Crime Scene Tape.  Someone said, “anybody got a dime?  Somebody’s going to have to go back and get a sh%tload of dimes!”

We crossed another road and had a Mayor of Charlotte sighting.  She was walking her dog and actually passed us twice on the trail.   From this point the elevation increases towards Crowder’s Mountain.  Eventually we made it to the Crowder’s Pinnacle where there were what seemed like  hundreds of people.  After a mosey down the stairs we ended at the Linwood parking lot where we finished with a COT.  JK2 drove Defib and me back to the Boulder’s Access and we called it a day.

During the times we stopped for bible verses, Def Leppard could almost always repeat the verse with just a few hints.  He is a wise sage and I appreciate his impact on me.

All in all it was a great day with all three F’s on the Mountain.  Next time we will start from South Carolina for the whole trail.  I don’t think it would add much distance but at least it would resolve the feeling of unfinished business.

Psalm 1 18:6   “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?”

Live without fear and you can be free knowing that your ultimate destination is in heaven.

I appreciate all the F3 brothers that I have crossed paths with  over the last several years.  The hike was right around the 11 mile mark.  I know that Def Leppard thought this was a CSAUP.  I can’t argue with that especially since the soreness I experienced this week was ridiculous!

It was a pleasure to lead as always.

Walmart Annex 11’s

YHC was optimistic about the turnout for a turkey day serving of breakfast in the gloom. A few loyal Folsom PAX had already claimed their deer stand as preference over the AO…….which may have been a better idea. Rolling in, I see Pizza Man in stride doing some EC prior to the Q. Not long after PAX start rolling in. The Twitter message about Midoriyama not meeting brought out a handful their finest and even Nantan himself. After some good ole fashioned fellowship and how-do-ya-dos, it’s time to go to work.

Warmarama

SSH, monkey humpers, all x12 IC, with all the mumble chatter and sarcasm it was hard to focus on the non existent weinke. So, let’s just do this.

thang

mosey to the park entrance for the pledge, wait, not so fast Pizza Man, on our six for LBCs x20 IC. Ok now, the pledge, haha. Ok, mosey across death highway to our local neighborhood Walmart. While in pace, much chatter about going in where it’s warm to workout, cabbage curls, laps around the store, etc. Although it was very tempting, YHC had a limited time and what was not sure about what was about to go down. Continue to mosey around the back of the store and finish up by this nice looking hill. Ok, not that hill, but the one next to it, which kookier a fair bit safer. Ok, 11’s. Mike tysons on the curb, up the hill for burpees. Yes, much mumble chatter, this idea seemed great on paper, which it never made it to paper. Finally, recover. Mosey on up to the front of the parking lot for some calve raises, or calf birthing, a PAX commented. 20 IC. Mosey on back over to the Folsom horse track for step ups and arm squats x15 IC rinse and repeat. Let’s take the long route and mosey back to start. 22 Merkins for the Vets.

announcements, Xmas party Dec. 1, Xmas town 5k Saturday(be there early to help setup), Convergence at Gashouse Dec 2.

quick around the horn to mention what you’re thankful for, then YHC lead in prayer

nice work men, honor to Q and to have you guys out there encouraging me to push harder. Freight seemed to be very excited this AM, very talkative, at some points QIC lost train of thought. Made for some good laughs. Pizza Man learned that train horns are not a sound wave very familiar to Folsom. YHC learned Blart skipped a 30 year tradition of hunting Thanksgiving morning just for my Q. Thanks bro, and PAX also learned much about moist Stroganoff, which is where the train of thought left. There were many topics of discussion that were on the way downhill or already there when the Q had to ring us all back in, but again, good times. Have a great Thanksgiving men and thank God for the precious gift of His son, Jesus. Aye!

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