Day: October 1, 2016

The F3 Gas House PAX were so determined to get the Ghost Flag back from SOB this morning that it seemed like half of Gaston County emerged from the gloom at da Vinci to make sure they outnumbered any other contenders. Doors and windows could be heard slamming and locking and mothers huddled in bedroom corners attempting to comfort their frightened children as Whoopie, Dolph, and Freight lead the rowdy Sandy Vs into town.

YHC was briefly a target of the Vs menacing intimidation tactics when he began his site recon. As YHC crossed Ardrey Kell in the darkness he could see glowing beast eyes rapidly approaching him and he heard that final roar a defenseless antelope hears as the lion makes him his next meal (In all honesty I run more like a jackalope). It turned out to be a pickup truck overflowing with Gas House PAX but it was quite scary and YHC is certain he heard the truck aggressively accelerate as he reached the middle of the road….just sayin’.

Luckily Kid Rock had just done a “fly by” of da Vinci as part of his weekly 20 mile pre-workout “warm up” run. So if things got out of hand with the Vs, YHC knew that if he pressed his Life Call button Kid Rock would put the Flash to shame and be at YHC’s side in a heartbeat.

YHC is not sure what the root cause of all the Gas House hostility is. As all you readers know, YHC has done nothing but kindly encourage his beloved Gas House friends to come and enjoy peaceful and loving fellowship with the gentlemen of da Vinci.

• Note: In the spirit of full disclosure, YHC’s past week’s Twitter activity MAY possibly be interpreted as him doing everything he could to taunt the Gas House Sandy Vs (I mean PAX) into a confrontation…again, just sayin’.

COP:

After a quick parking lot warm up lap with high knees, butt kickers and L/R karaokes, PAX rounded up for first of 3 COP locations.

• 1st COP – 20 SSH
• Mosey to guard rail behind Pet Smart for 10 derkins IC
• Mosey to far end of guard rail for 15 incline merkins IC
• Mosey to 2nd COP – 15 LSS
• Mosey to 3rd COP – 15 IW

The Thang:

Cross Rea Road to Blakeney Shopping Center.

P1 = LBCs while P2 = runs lap of center square. R&R for 2 rotations. Plank for the 6.

P1 = Freddie Mercurys while P2 = runs lap. R&R = 2 rotations.

Mosey to back building with stairs. Get new partners.

Between partners complete 100 merkins with P1 pumping them out while P2 runs the stair loop. R&R. Plank up for the 6.

Same drill – substitute 200 squats for the merkins.

Mosey to 131 Main parking lot for new Mary exercise in honor of our Gas House visitors. The “Sandy V” was unveiled today and it received loud applause from the PAX and even louder laughter from passersby.

Mosey across Ardrey Kell to the Green Monster for 5s = Merkins at the top, squats at the bottom.

Mosey down the side walk for a set of 10 merkins IC.

Mosey to medical  parking lot fountain area. Do 15 fountain dips, run up hill to stop sign and back and R&R once.

Using 4 islands – alternate bear crawl, lunge, bear crawl, lunge back to top of hill.

Mosey to bottom of hill. Lunge to mail box, backwards run to speed bum, balls out run to stop sign.

After almost losing half the Gas House PAX to a stray car (I swear that wasn’t planned – driver only waved to YHC because he thought he was a good friend of mine that I had told to be there at exactly 0714 #weirdcoincidence?), 10 more Sandy Vs.

Mosey back across Rea Road to apartment complex road. Run back towards Chick-fil-A stopping at 7 trees along the way and doing 10 merkins at each. All PAX go back to finish with the 6.

Note: The whole PAX going back to get the 6 and finishing those last few sets with them was the text book definition of what this whole F3 “thing” is all about. And incredible effort and determination shown by the 6 to push through the pain and fatigue and finish da Vinci STRONG!

Mosey to bank lot for Mary:

• LBC x 15
• Flutter x 20
• American hammer x 15
• H2H x 15
• 4 corners of the bank – 10 LBCs each corner (and a little car dodging – YHC didn’t know them either #2ndweirdcoincidence?)
• End with 5 Sandy Vs IC !!!

Mosey back to start.

DONE!

Announcements:

• Gas House is hosting “The Climb” over Veterans Day weekend with special guest speaker Dredd. Read the pre-blast for details. This sounds like an awesome and challenging CSAUP event or as the Vs say “Where a goat can go, a man can go. And where a man can go, a cannon can go.” While YHC thinks the actual quote says that a man can “drag a gun” I don’t want that pickup truck appearing again when I try to cross the road sooooo, AYE Gas House, AYE!
• Southern Discomfort – 10/22/16 – 0700 – Charlotte Catholic High – sounds awesome and painful all at once – see pre-blast for details.

Moleskin:

• Paper Jam – thanks for taking us out with a powerful and heartfelt message.
• Great 2nd F at Coffeteria!
• Sorry to keep you from your tree stand Blart. (SOB guys are Googling “tree stand” right now!)
• All kidding aside – thanks for coming down Gastonia – great PAX with incredible energy and enthusiasm. (Thanks again for not putting my car on blocks)
• Heisenberg – keep up the dedication – support is all around you – you’ll be Q’ing in no time!
• YHC has determined that Bucky is a cyborg – I’ve never heard him breathe hard or seen him break a sweat. In the heat of the workout he recited the Declaration of Independence…TWICE! …BACKWARDS!
• Has the Earth tilted off its axis? Has the fat lady sung? Has Hell frozen over? Did Dolph actually QUIT an exercise before anyone else? Does YHC get some kind of merit badge or special act award for making him say “You got me!” ??? That is by far my greatest F3 accomplishment!
•  Enjoy your time with the flag Gas House – but don’t get too comfortable with it and don’t mistake our INCREDIBLE kindness for weakness – the “SOB Flag” will be home again soon!

Great start to the day with Monk’s faith/history lesson on spreading the good news and leadership. It was a bit cooler today… so much that Monk has declared that we’ll start 3F at Panera after #Gashouse workouts starting next week (seriously… It’s OFFICIAL).

After our 3F discussion, we had 10 regulars. Most were familiar faces to me. Also glad to meet Pink Floyd who had EH’d 2 FNGs that were ready to roll. This is what went down…

Disclaimer (even if JK2 didn’t bother to listen)
– I’m Not Professional
– Participate At Your Own Risk
– You are Responsible for you
– Instructions are Suggestions
– Modify As Needed

Warm Up
– SSH x 20
– Squat x 20
– Toy Solider x 15
– LBC x 15
– Don Quixote x 10
– Mericans x 10

Mosey to flag for the Pledge

Mosey to the Greer Middle School parking lot for some additional warmups back and forth. Included butt kickers, high knees, kareoke, bear crawls, duck walk (t-claps to JK2 for being the fastest duck).

Next we mosied to the track for some 4 Corners work.
– Dying Cockroaches x20
– LBC x20
– American Hammer x20
– Mountain Climbers x20

First round was together IC. Rounds 2 and 3 were OYO making sure we always pickup the six.

After a brief lesson on the origins and principles of F3, we made our way to the picnic tables for some dips and step ups IC. 15 dips, 25 step ups. 10 dips, 25 step ups, 10 more dips (last 5 REAL slow to really feel the burn) and 25 step ups.

Next we mosied to the courtyard for some partner work. Each pair completed 100 merkins, 100 LBCs and 100 squats (combined reps), while the partner would run up and down steps.

T-claps to the PAX for cleaning up the overgrowth on the stairs! #SafetyFirst

Finally, we mosied back to the Schiele parking lot and wrapped up with a COP full of various favorites. Of course we started with Bandit’s favorite… the Dying Cockroach. By popular demand, and in honor or Stroganoff who was battling the CRUD, some flutter kicks (always too many in my opition). There were several calls that we were at 0800, but YHC heard no church bells so we pressed on with monkey humpers, squats, merkins, and ultimately 5 BOYO until we made the church bells ring!

Great work by everyone in attendence today. It was a pleasure to welcome FNGs Johnny Cash (Jeff Walker) and Picaso (Jon Craig). You guys put in the work this morning! Well done guys.

Lots of calls for thanks and prayers in the COT today. Sledge-o-matic’s father will have surgery in 10 days for a pacemaker, thanks for our families, prayers for our country. Also for JK2’s business as they are going through changes. Thanks for the health of JJ’s mom who has been cancer free for 15 years. Prayers and thanks for CMPD and others keeping peace in our community in light of recent events (especially our brother Roscoe who was in the trenches). Pink Floyd lifted his friend Chuck who recently had a serious mountain bike accident resulting in broken arm and concussion. For Anderson, SC where they are dealing with tragedy of a young boy taking the life of his father. We also held up those that are living life unhappy, praying that they find joy.

As you can see, life is happening all around us, often totally out of our control. Take time to enjoy the blessings you have been given, and reach out to help those in your own families and communities. Let’s all be aware, be HIM, be part of the solution!

Pleasure leading you men today!

Bandit