Start Today

Today, at least for Gaston County Schools starts a new milestone for 2.0’s of various ages. Actually some of these starts have occurred over the past week or so, but regardless of when, a new step has occurred. Even at a respectful age now, I can remember some of those first days. I vaguely remember, but my mother enjoys recalling 45 years ago when I wouldn’t get out of the car for kindergarten. For about the first 2 weeks (so I’m told) I cried every morning not to “take me to that place!” Sounds a little like F3 except the crying came after the workouts. Flash forward, class of ’22 Seniors are ready to embrace this moment they’ve been awaiting for years. Confident and ready to assume their mantel of leadership. Quite the opposite for the 6th and 9th graders, entering bigger schools with older kids. Hoping not to get lost or to make an “uncool” mistake. Kind of like an FNG.

I arrive to The Sandlot with only 2 minutes to spare. The circle is formed and chatter is mumbling. Larger group than normal – I wondered if there was a special celebration I was not privy? Ah, who cares, happy to see some guys out in the gloom as I’ve been taking Mondays off recently. Not today, nope, we’re getting this $hit show going early.  Some new faces and a Kotter or two, but no FNGs – still the disclaimer – perform the suggested exercise, modify as needed and don’t sacrifice form. Rarely do I begin my warm-up with Side Straddle Hops but what the hell:

Warm-up:

• Side-Straddle-Hop – in cadence…since I don’t really like this, let’s make the most of it…how long can we go? Once past 20, I wanted to see who would break form first. JK2 was the first I saw, then Whoopee…then I see headlights pull into the parking lot. Who might this be running behind…Cinderella takes a slow mosey to the circle, tying his shoe and various other delay tactics…I announce “we’re not stopping until you join.” EZ Rider says we got to 50 in cadence (Linus – if your tracking at home that’s 100 total reps).
• Next up – Imperial Walker IC x 10
• Side to Side Lunge – IC x 10 (these are better than cotton pickers because Whoopee will do them but they’re effective to open your adductors, hamstrings, and glutes – google it!)
• I think I did one more warm-up-ish exercise. I can’t recall. JK2’s mouth was moving faster than his body so he did get me discombobulated a bit trying to correct my call. Yes, officially these exercises are all in cadence even though I didn’t say “in cadence.”
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Mosey to Martha Rivers Park and the picnic shelter by the turd shack. This would be our home base for the day.

Thang:

I’m nursing a groin-like injury at the moment. Happened when I did weighted glute bridges last Saturday when I was unable to post but did a YouTube video from my girl Caroline Girvan (check her out for some ideas or a tough workout – or just check her out physically – she’s more ripped than Gold Digger). Note to self – don’t put a 30 lb dumbbell across your junk and imitate Slaw air humping – not a good combination…not really a good visual either, sorry for that. Where was I? oh yeah, my groin hurts. Voodoo offered some advice on Saturday and I’ve done some stretching, rucked instead of ran at the Coconut Horse so hopefully I can get through this Q. I drew inspiration from the WOD site, combining a few ideas into what I thought would work the entire body and avoid having to do any open body weight stuff like flutter kicks or big boys that would aggravate my injury. Now, that is not to say the exercises I selected wouldn’t aggravate the PAX various injuries – but, I did say modify as needed and I am the Q (hint: JK2 if you don’t like what I say – you can Q and do your own thing).

What did we do you’re wondering? 5 exercises, 25 reps each for 4 rounds. After each circuit is complete, run across the parking lot and return.

• Hand Release Merkins
• Squats
• Dips
• Plank Jacks
• Turtle Crunch (back of calves on the bench, sit up)
• Run
• Rinse & repeat 4 times

Next to burpees, I’m of the opinion that HR Merkins are nearly as difficult, especially 25 reps where your arms fatigue. But even if you cut the corner w/o a straight back, you’re still pushing your body weight off the ground. Unlike merkins when you can do baby-pulses for high rep counts. Now combine that move with dips and plank jacks and a nice burn should occur between your elbows and shoulders – maybe not as swole as Cougar benching 350 but definitely feeling it. However, I think I heard the most bitching for the Turtle Crunches…yeah – there not easy either. Even with your feet able to grip the bench and getting you started – it’s pretty much all abs pulling you up to the bench. Keep that in mind when you need to quite the crowd.

So that took longer than I thought but I did have Round II on deck. Same format as the first but different exercises:

• Shoulder Taps (count each movement)
• Step up Right
• Dips (again, I know!)
• Step up Left
• LBCs
• Run

Originally I had derkins queued up but felt the first circuit did enough upper body work. So I offered the PAX a choice and they took shoulder taps. Step ups – now the easy route was to give one leg a break and do both interchangeably. I wont’ argue against that could be more efficient, but the goal was to stress your quad muscle with higher focused rep count. So there is a lesson for the day from the teacher (Q). Running short on time, had to cut this circuit to 3 reps. If I break this out again, maybe go to 15 or 20 so we can get both rounds in. Oh, well – mosey back to base.

Announcements: 2 weeks from today on Labor Day, combined workout with The Sandlot and Mt. Hollywood, post at 0700 at Pharr Yarns across from Spruce Goose in McAdenville; Nutria is Q 8/30 next Monday. Forgot to say in the circle – sign up for Iron Pax Challenge – it will be a challenge for sure. Consider it and give your best effort. Prayers: Cougar’s grandmother, Flintstone’s sister, Whoopee 2.0 recovering, family members, kids, teachers and administrators beginning school.

Moleskin: Heard this in a sermon yesterday and pondered on it a bit and wanted to share (additional disclaimer – I’m not a professional, just trying to get better). Though the sermon wasn’t about starting school, I led with that because of some conversation this morning. In Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” The main theme of the sermon was “Are You Ready to Change?” Change is hard. Many of us are closer to being curmudgeonly old men, if we’re not already, than we are to spring chickens. We’re set in our ways and creatures of habit. For most of us, work doesn’t revolve around a particular school calendar (now don’t go overanalyzing that more than what I intended…other than teachers, most of us are in a continuous cycle – hopefully that makes sense). Point being, we don’t have a particular date that we “start something” that is mandated by someone else (and I’m not headed toward a political discussion about mask/unmask with that). Ok, reset again, so my real point I’m driving at, if you want to change your life or change something in your life, Proverbs says “Start today.” There is some unknown element about tomorrow that even with proper planning, it will be different (reflect back to Q-source and Preparedness). You want to make change in your routine, your diet, your mind – Start Today. I know for some today at The Sandlot, this was a start of something new. Regardless of those inner challenges we have, I know for 100% certainty, the 17 men that posted, we all started the week off better than had we not made the choice to attend. Cheers to new beginnings.