Deep Roots

The Site Q reached out with a series for the month on Living Third and YHC was honored to get a chance to lead.  8 PAX scampered all over Cramer Woods for a high mileage bootcamp courtesy of Fred’s 2 Feet.  Here’s what I remember:

The Thang:

• 10 x Toy Soldiers (IC)
• 20 x Elwoods (IC)

Hot start on the track for a Wolfpack Warmup, a YHC staple at TRB.

• Half a lap
• 10 x Don Quixotes (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Hillbillies (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Hi-Lo Punches (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Mike Tysons (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Dying Cockroaches (IC)
• Half a lap
• 10 x Hello Dollies (IC)

Everyone kept up.  We’re gonna have a good time running today.  Let’s mosey to Winder and the entrance to the neighborhood.  3 different sets of exercises today with a long mosey between each set.

Set 1:

• 3 x Chuck Norris Merkins (OYO)
• 10 x Rocky Balboas (OYO)
• Repeat 3x
• 30 x Toe Touches (OYO)

Mosey

Set 2:

• 3 x Perfect Form Merkins (OYO)
• 10 x Mountain Climbers (OYO)
• Repeat 3x
• 30 x Flutter Kicks (OYO)

Mosey

Set 3:

• 30 x American Hammers
• Thoughts on Living Third

The 3rd F is Faith, which F3 describes as a belief in something bigger than yourself.  If we only think about ourselves, we never seem satisfied.  It’s when we give of ourselves that we can be content.  Living Third is about prioritizing your community and those in your orbit and working to meet their needs.

Mosey

Set 1

Mosey

Set 2

Mosey

Set 3

The most valuable thing we have isn’t money but time, and when it comes to community and how to prioritize it, F3 gives us the Concentrica.  At the heart is a man’s spouse, then his family, then his shieldlock, then other friends, and then work.  We think of our time as arrows, and there’s a time and place for each of these, but our arrows should be properly distributed through the Concentrica, with the highest portion of them going to the center.  Ultimately, how we spend our time defines our lives and our legacies.

Mosey

Set 1

Mosey

Set 2

Time is short, so rather than wrap up in the neighborhood and do the Triple Nickel on the Weinke, we just started back towards the flag, stopping at a certain house on Winder Trail for

• 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)

Mosey back to the school

Set 3

I can’t say that it happens to everyone, because I don’t know, but I know that there’s a lure to going through life undetected.  If we stay under the radar, we won’t be noticed.  Praise and criticism are both uncomfortable, so it’s better to not be known.  It’s what gyms offer–a “judgement free zone” of anonymity.  In F3, we talk about the idea that if you stop showing up, someone will know and will reach out.  That sounds great in theory, but in practice, in a region our size, you can be both well known and not known at all.  People know you just well enough to know your name and some of your story, but they don’t rely on you to be there every week due to work responsibilities, inconsistent posting, or nomadic tendencies.  If you’re not there, you’re not really missed.  Nobody expected you to be there anyways.  For some people, that’s the way they like it.

My charge for the day was to make the conscious decision to be a regular at the AO of your choice.  To make a contribution, you’ve got to leave your mark, and you can’t leave your mark if you stay undetected.  Show up regularly.  Get to know the other PAX.  Take a turn Qing.  Be reliable.  A lot of AOs have 1 reliable PAX showing up–the Site Q.  The bonds get tighter, the mumblechatter gets more lively, candor is dealt more consistently, and everyone grows if it’s more than just the Site Q that make it a point to show up every opportunity.

It’s the difference between pickup basketball and a well organized team.  Pickup ball is great, but when you get to know your teammates and can anticipate their next move, there is a synergy that develops that makes everyone better than they could be on their own.

As we talked about in the Concentrica, time is limited.  You can’t always be everywhere, and can’t necessarily be reliable everywhere, but you can choose where to focus your efforts and make a decision to let your roots grow deep.  Strength and durability in the face of hardships come from the deep roots established by repeatedly showing up and being reliable.

And time was called and that was that.  Had a blast.  Always a fun time at The Ricky Bobby.  Thanks the opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo