Let Your Light Shine – 2021 Convergence

To borrow the hashtag from hometown pro golfer Harold Varner “#WeHere” and more 50 men showed to embrace the opportunity and the challenge for 2021. It was the first convergence of this year, God willing, hopefully not the last. Unable to have our annual Christmas party, we began the workout with 2020 Nantan Def Leppard announcing the transition of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT):

• Nantan – Broke
• 1st F – Short Sale
• 2nd F – Allen Tate (wait a second…[checks notes], no, that’s correct)
• 3rd F – Breaker Breaker
• Weasel Shaker – Watts Up (why change what works?)
• Comz – Big Pappy
• Wetstone – Huckleberry

Broke is hung up in quarantine from the Rona…so Def Leppard begins the warm-up:

• 10 Burpees OYO (one last bit of power for the big guy)
• SSH
• Cotton Pickers
• Imperial Walkers

He gives way to YHC. I was honored when Broke first asked me to consider this opportunity to be the First F for our region. Without hesitation I accepted. It’s a role I had thought would be a fun challenge. Tesla mentioned in his backblast from Downtown some themes of chaos, adversity, and disruption being a catalyst for F3 Leadership. A Starfish organization where each day is a different Q, organized by a Site Q, under the command of my new role as First F Q. Each opportunity provides a chance to fail as much as a chance to learn, grow, and become stronger through it. So please be patient as I intend to disrupt your path to fitness. Provide leniency as I try new things (see Sandy V Obliques).

“Those who dare to fail miserably, can achieve greatly”

John F. Kennedy

To begin my maiden voyage as First F I began with a childhood game of “Red Light/Green Light.” I divided the circle around me roughly in half with the south group as the green and the north group as the red. Either the 30 degree cold froze the ears or the PAX brains reverted to their childhood when they last played the game. I said do burpees until your color changed…how does the color change? Via the Randomity Timer app on my phone. It took about 2-3 rounds before the PAX thawed to join in…leave it to Tool Time (3rd place Mumble Chatter award) to create more chaos and distract others from their opportunity. Pizza Man snuck closer toward my phone and realized I actually was working off of the app and assisted in the calls. You can set the time limits for the min/max you choose. I had it at 5 seconds min and 20 seconds max – but the algorithm changes the color and decides the length of time. Ideally this would work in the gloom and a smaller circle (…dare to fail).

I’m a big fan of working the core. A strong core can help you avoid injury and strengthen your body as we age. If I were to have a platform in my role – #1 – emphasize core work. Normally “Mary” is reserved until the end and often neglected, so I put it in the warm-up this morning:

• Flutter Kicks – IC x 21
• Suitcase Crunch – SC x 15 (lay flat and fold your chest to your knees, go back to full hollow position – this is different than a Crunch Frog where you remain in “C-sit” only pulling your knees toward your chest)
• Elbow to Knee – SC x 15 (feet flat, knees bent – all lower abs to pull your knees to touch your knees)
• Knee to Elbow – SC x 15 (the reverse and a little easier – if you tighten your belly like your wading into the ocean on Labor Day morning – it helps to blow out just before you begin the crunch)
• Freddie Mercury – you’ve done these before – IC x 15
• Sandy V Oblique – newly created for this crew – how do you do it? Flat on your back, legs up, in a “V”, arms on head, elbows flexed – ready to move? Crunch 2 x left elbow toward left knee, return to starting position, then crunch right elbow toward right knee.  Admittedly , this is difficult to call cadence and I’m sure the PAX were challenged to follow along – however – it will work your obliques – I assure you.
• Corkscrew – IC x 15

Warm-up concluded and now for another challenge: count off into five groups. To make it easier, I purchased glow sticks in five different colors. Direction was to line up behind the leader who had a bigger glow stick (I know some of your delinquent minds are thinking of the Space Balls scene comparing “schwartz’s”). Line up for an Indian Run to the flag pole at the front of the park. As the last man makes his way to the front, take the baton (i.e. light stick) and hold until the next man arrives. It was a bit longer run, but there was a point to this exercise – more on that later. Getting over 50 guys to one spot took some time and I appreciate Freight leading more Mary and to several others for rounding in the six. We then recited the pledge.

Next on the list was a short mosey to the horse rink where we’d split into two partners. P1 would run two laps around the track while P2 used the concrete stands for the following circuits. A disclaimer was shared to modify as needed for either the run or the exercise parts.

• As Many Reps As Possible – AMRAP
  • Dips / Squats
  • Derkins / Imperial Walkers
  • Box Crunch (feet on bench at 90 degrees & crunch) / Glute Bridge (feet flat on bench and raise so only shoulders are touching)
  • Decline Peter Parker / Mtn Climbers

The runner is the “timer” so P1 does as many dips as they can until their arms gave out, then do as many squats until you can’t go any longer. Likely P2 relieved P1 before the second exercise exhausted. The point was to keep the heart rate elevated. Some of the teams were able to speed through a little faster so they rotated through again. Sargento was paired with Dr. Seuss and was in the lead group though I’m not sure he is the newest BFC member (Bat Flippers Club). Someone be sure to check his card at the door.

Time to mosey back to base where we gathered for a few concluding remarks and acknowledgements. We had an FNG – Donnie Wooten who spent time in the Navy and Air Force: welcome Beetle Bailey. Be on the lookout for a new AO on Friday mornings (0530) at Belmont Central Elementary School. New 3rd F Q Breaker Breaker took us out.

Moleskin:

Gathered at the flag pole, having saluted Old Glory the PAX were briefly quiet, even Tool Time. So I seized the opportunity reading the following verse:

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

The Indian Run (or in these politically correct times – Indian/Squaw Run…screw that, Core Principle #2 “Open to all Men”), so Indian Run it is…you know the drill: slow mosey with the last man picking up the pace to arrive at the front and rotating through with each person having a turn at the front. For this occasion, the leader is holding the aforementioned ‘bigger’ light stick. The newly arrived leader takes the baton/light.

This is what we are called to do being leaders within our homes, our communities, our workplaces, whenever and wherever we’re called to lead. In the back of the line, we’re in the dark and it takes a greater effort to reach the light – to lead, which we do before we in turn share the platform and return to follow once again. Life works in a similar manner. If you work to follow the path Jesus set, people around us will see our good works, deepening your faith. To me it is a lesson that compiles all three F’s. As we begin this year of 2021 hoping it is better than the trials of last year, we need to seek the light and the chance to lead. Thanks for providing faith to me as your First F Q. I appreciate the opportunity to lead today and in the year to come. Aye.