Author: BOS (Page 2 of 7)

As twelve hard charging HIMS returned from bonus point workout number one for the day; a CSAUP pillaging of the neighborhood Harris Teeter, we found quite a group of guys assembling for bootcamp.   What a great day to get two points for double posting!  A CSAUP and a Bootcamp.

The guys above and a handful of boot campers offloaded their groceries into YHC’s truck and it was time to get busy.

No FNGs this morning but we were blessed with five nomads from Metro on their way to Crowders Mountain for a shield lock hike.  Our usual late arrivals scurried to the flag while the disclaimer was underway and a dull roar of  mumblechatter…already.   After a quick count and another quick count and a fly by from Tiger and his 2.0 we were on our way to the bunker for warm up.

BOS’ usual warm up.  (yawn)  15 reps in cadence – Side Straddle Hop, Imperial Walker, Gravel Pickers (which according to the peanut gallery “is not an exercise”) plank jacks (met with approval).  Followed by Arm stretches, Leg stretches R/L, L/R and Feet Together.   Lots of groaning with these but nobody seems to like them.  Don’t worry you will thank YHC later.

Enough of that on to a Four Corner Stack.  Count off by Fours.  Handed cards to the first four guys and told them to take their like numbers to one of the four bunker corners.  The cards for this stack moved them five times bringing them back to where they started. Each corner starts with Burpees and adds the previous corners work.

First corner – 10 Burpees.  Second corner add 20 Merkins.  Third corner add 30 Monkey Humpers.  Fourth corner – add 40 American Hammers.  Back to corner you started in – add 50 LBC.

While this was happening we had plenty of mumble chatter and some good conversation with our new Metro brothers.  The plan was coming together.  YHC and Anchorman had the plan to slip out early so we could get set on the upper field.  YHC asked Gavel to round up the PAX when finished for a mosey up to meet us.

A little back story…during a ruck, or maybe coffee, probably both YHC talked with Anchorman about the food ruck and the beatdown following that was rattling around in YHC’s head.  Anchorman said sounds fun but not sure its for me.   Well, we need a fair and impartial referee; which actually sounds awful to most anyone who knows F3 Gastonia PAX.   With a laugh or two we came up with “MY WHISTLE, MY RULES!” and it was on.

As the PAX began to reach the top of the hill in Stowe Park our referee, donned in a green referee jersey blew his whistle and greeted the guys to a muddy Ultimate Frisbee field all coned off and ready for battle.  Teams 1 & 3 from earlier and teams 2 & 4 joined forces to make the teams and we were ready to go.  Not quite, our referee blew his whistle and announced he could not tell the teams apart so one team needs to be skins.  Without debate one team started stripping.  Thank the lord it was only their shirts!   Before the first throw the whistle is blown again.  5 Merkin penalty for the shirt team for not volunteering to take their shirts off quick enough.

Play began and the skins scored, and scored again, and scored again and they were the old guys!  Anchorman issued penalties to the team that got scored on.  Penalties for mouthing off, for telling the ref what penalty should be called, for not wearing green and for whatever he wanted because It’s “My Whistle, My Rules!”  There were slips and slides, impressive footwork and a lot of mud.  Best part there were no injuries reported!

Honorable Mentions – Goose (he may be named Goose but he was running some Stealthy plays.)  Whoope (play making on his feet, on his back it didn’t matter.)  Tardi Gras (Highlight reel – Catch of the day.)  Tooth Fairy (He played Rugby you know!?!)  The Skins – (Guess being shirtless on a muddy field in March gets you pumped.)  The Shirts (for fighting the good fight and knowing to mosey to the track when those bullies called LBCs for your penalty when they scored.) The Ref (cuz it’s his whistle!)

The final score needs to be confirmed by the ref but I remember it as “a lot to a little.”

After the final whistle the PAX moseyed to The Fighting Yank Statue for a short Mary.  Orangeman called his patented Six Shooters and when don we were at the final whistle.  Time!

Announcements: 3/20 2ndF Lunch at Bad Daddy’s.  4/13 – Community Foundation Run (Speed For Need – See Purple Haze)  4/20 – Extinction Run 0900 at Primal Brewery (See BOS or Anchorman)

Prayers: Gavel & Family, Anchorman & Family, Fannie Mae & Family, Jane Fonda & Family, Hall Family

This was not your normal F3 CSAUP.  This CSAUP included all three Fs and was COMPLETELY SELFLESS AND ULTIMATELY PLEASING!  Not to mention a bonus POINT for all who rucked and donated food.

12 HIM assembled at The Fighting Yank ready to go at 0545.  A quick disclaimer was muttered even though nobody was paying attention cuz all eyes were on Whoopees wheelbarrow.  The guys knew the drill.  Ruck to Harris Teeter.  Raid the shelves.  Pay and pack up for a return trip in 60 minutes or less.  Enough chatter lets go!

Lots of laughter and talk along the way with a squeak or two coming from our trusty ole wheelbarrow.

With Teeter curbside parking wide open at 0605 the wheelbarrow was left to wonder just how much food she would be wheeling back to the Yank.  Twelve rucks exited the store overflowing with food donations and ultimately filling the wheelbarrow to the top.    A quick picture for the history book and we were headed back to the Yank.

With 10 minutes to go until bootcamp we had YHCs truck half filled with food, and it kept coming.

Honorable mentions go to the guys who sent over cash donations (Pallbearer & Balljoint); those dollars were converted into canned goods.  Those that rucked their food days earlier as their schedule allowed (Pinto); and those who added food donations to truck before bootcamp as YHC was trying to get ready to Q.  (Tooth Fairy, Fannie Mae, Norwood, and most likely there were more that YHC didn’t see.)  Sorry. Please speak up and YHC will edit.

This was a fun CSAUP to start our morning and all for a worthy cause.  We estimate F3 donated 450-500 lbs. of food to Peace Hope and Love in Gastonia.  Eh Yall, Tooth Fairy and YHC delivered these goods Saturday morning.  Trust us when we say they will use everything we delivered.  The PH&L staff were very happy with our blessing!

Thank you all! & Til next time!

BOS

Come out to The Fighting Yank on Saturday 3/16/24 for a different kind of CSAUP.

This CSAUP will get your day headed in the right direction with all three Fs!

The normal F3 “CSAUP” Completely Stupid And Utterly Pointless workout may have the pax carrying heavy things through muddy waters filled with crocodiles, running long distance through hills and valleys or playing catch with kettlebells.  Not this CSAUP!

This “CSAUP” COMPLETELY SELFLESS AND ULTIMATELY PLEASING workout will launch from The Fighting Yank at 0545 on Saturday 3/16.  Bring your empty rucksack and a few dollars.  We are rucking to Harris Teeter to buy food for local food pantries.  Need a rucksack, ask a brother, take your 2.0s school bag, grab the Ms beach bag.  Better yet grab that big duffle bag in the closet, fill it up and partner carry it with your brothers.  Still no bag?  Harris Teeter bags work too!  Have a bad back?  Wheelbarrows and Radio Flyers are also welcome!

FIRST F – Rucking 3 miles without and with food for local food pantries!

SECOND F – Rucking 3 miles with your brothers to get food for local food pantries!

THIRD F – Joining your brothers in a ruck for food and knowing its going to fill a local food pantry and a neighbors need.

Ruckers will be back in time for The Fighting Yank 0700 bootcamp!

Can’t make the 0545 ruck?!?  Bring some non-perishable food to The Fighting Yank before the 0700 beatdown.

** A backblast will be written for this CSAUP and Pushing Rocks points will be applied for!

See you in the gloom!

BOS

Ten HIM joined YHC on this dark and foggy morning for the first Thursday edition of the BULLDOG.

Thanks to the men that posted.  We had some new faces on site that I hope will continue to join us and help make this site even better.  After a quick disclaimer and discussion about the drive in we got to work.  Here is how it went.

Warm up – Side Straddle Hop x 15 / Imperial Walker x 15 / Sprinkler x 15 / Moroccan Night Club x 15 / Stretch – Left foot over Right  / Right foot over Left /  Feet together…Why is it that Anchorman is the only one who can touch the ground while doing these stretches?

Grab your Bells for two rounds of the following:

Kettlebell Swing x 20 / Goblet Squat x 20 / Kettlebell Snatch x 10 each hand/ Skull Crusher x 20 / Kettlebell Curl x 20 / Lunge x 10 each hand / Overhead Extension x 20 / Reverse Curl x 20

Lots of conversation going on about a little of everything, including the music selection.

DORA 100 Flutters / 100 Jump Squats / 100 LBC (Yes 100 we wanted to get back to swinging our bells.  Partner one Farmer Carries two bells around traffic circle while partner two works on the called exercises.

Alright back to the bells.  Time for only one more round of the bell work above.  YHC had plans for four rounds total.  Maybe next time we will skip the warm up.

Five minutes of Mary started off with WattsUp calling Burpees.  SMH…  Nutria followed with American Hammers, before the call came for some Six Shooters led by Orangeman before we finished with Tube calling Windshield Wipers.

It was a fun crowd this morning.  Enjoyed the chatter as always.

Announcements:  Rice and Beans Tuesday 3/12  /  Food Ruck 0545 launch from The Yank Saturday 3/16  /   Community Foundation Run – Speed For Need 4/13  /  Extinction Run 4/20.  Volunteers, Runners and Ruckers needed at all of these events.

Prayers for The Hall family , The Curti Family,  Tube’s M,  Huckleberry, Turtleman, Anchorman, and more.

Enjoyed it as always!

BOS

18 HIM joined YHC at Ground Assault today to get their blood pumping for Valentines Day!

Six Rucked one way and 13 Ran another.  All returned safely back to the Yank.

Message of the day:  Don’t forget Valentine’s Day!

Fourteen HIM and an FNG joined YHC at The Goat this morning for a frosty start to the day.

Warm Up:  15 SSH / 15 Imperial Walkers / 15 Crack Pickers (since we have a block parking lot, we pick cracks)

Stretch Legs: Right over left, Left over right, and feet together.  Stretch Arms: Right behind back, Left behind back.

Count off and mosey to upper lot for a modified DORA.  Today instead of a DORA we are doing an ORA-OYO.

100 Seated Arm Raises then run around the building and back up the stairs.  200 Squats and a bunch of bitching…then run around the building and back up the stairs.  Some powered through others took an extra lap to break up the squats.  300 LBCs and even more bitching.   Why aren’t we doing a normal DORA?  Because YHC wanted everyone to stay warm this am.  LBC’s and a lap or two or three and we finished up our ORA-OYO.  The rep counting chatter was great and there was little debate as the callouts were made.

Mosey around the building again to the back alley for Touchdown-Beatdown.

Bear Crawl from the End Zone to the 10 for 10 Jump Squats. Run to the 20 for 20 Merkins. Run to the 30 for 30 Dying Cockroaches. Run to the 40 for 40 Apollo Ohnos. Run to the 50 for 50 LBCs. Run to the 40 for 40 Lunges. Run to the 30 for 30 V-Ups. Run to the 20 for 20 Merkins.  Run to the 10 for 10 Toy Soldiers.  Run around the block and back to the start for a repeat.  Many guys got through two laps.  Everyone made it past the 50 on the second lap.  Everyone had a great time according to the chatter.

Mosey back to the flag for a brief Mary and the naming of FNG Kyle Creed, or Skyjack as we now know him.

Announcements: Rice & Beans next Tuesday evening. Get with Virus or Anchorman to HC.  2ndF lunch 1/17 at Whiskey Mill.

Prayers for ALL.

Two days before Christmas and there was very little Christmas spirit present.  Seemed some of Santa’s Elves were tired.

With no FNGS an abbreviated disclaimer was given, and we were off to the Bunker for warmup.

In Cadence:  SSH x 15 / Grass Pickers x 15 / Imp. Walkers x 15 / Moroccan Night Clubs x 15 / Stretch: R foot over L /      L foot over R / Feet Together /  Right Arm Stretch & Left Arm Stretch.

Mover to the wall for some partner work.  First is Partner Push across the Bunker and back.  Second was Partner Pull across the Bunker and back.  The third partner work was announced and instantly met with a chorus of whining and out right mutiny.  None of these cranks wanted to do Partner Wheelbarrows.  YHC hopes Santa was still watching cuz that was just a poor display of holiday spirit.  So the new third partner workout was Partner 10 to 1.   Partner 1 starts with 10 merkins followed by 10 American Hammers while partner 2 wall sits.  Switch for partner 2 to do their 10 and 10 while partner 1 sits.  Next round 9, then 8 and so on to 1 each.  Second attempt to execute the Partner Wheelbarrow.  Nope!

Mosey through town after a stop at the corner for monkey humpers to parking lot across from Pita Wheel.  Here comes the complaints about the rough paved surface,  YHC stopped explanation of our next round and began to run further down the road, stopping at the corner for monkey humpers and continuing on to the Mill for a 4 corner stack.  First corner 10 Merkins, second 20 Apollo Ohnos, third 30 Squats, forth 40 Flutters starting with merkins at each corner.  Round two stacking 10 Monkey Humpers, 20 Calf Raises, 30 LBC and 40 Air Presses.

Mosey back to the parking lot behind the Mercantile Barber Shop for a Partner Dora.  100 Jump Squats, 200 Mtn Climbers and 300 LBC.

Mosey back to the Yank for a short round of PAX choice Mary before we time is called.

Announcements:

New Years Day Convergence at Sandlot.  All other AOs closed.

Beer Mile – See Preblast.

Prayers:

Turtleman, Montana, Jane Fonda, Traveling PAX and families.

You’ve heard of the BRR now we haves the BBR.  BOS’ Beer Ruck!

Twelve HIM including an FNG laughed at the weather forecast and joined YHC for a rucking good time.  This ruck was the final ruck of our 2023 Ruck Trifecta.  In case you have been missing in action this fall… #1 was the Crowders Mountain Ruck, #2 was the Half Marathon Ruck and of course the #3 was BOS’ Beer Ruck.   Two HIM accepted the challenge and completed all three of the “Trifecta” rucks.  Great work Anchorman, and Eh Y’all!

With an FNG in the ranks as we assembled YHC went through a quick disclaimer, counted off, and we were on our way to our first stop.  Mainstreet ruck through Christmas town towards Cramerton for a stop at Confluence, home to our Goat AO.   As thirteen men breached the doorway at Confluence we could see the terror in the beer tender’s eyes.  Of course, YHC mentioned there were 46 of us coming as we walked in the door.  Just kidding…  Beer started flowing and the Poker Ruck began.  Simple rules.  Buy a poker hand for $5.  Draw cards at each stop.  Best and worst hands win.  Our thirty minute stop was up time for the next leg, Cramerton to Belmont.  We crossed to the bridge to Goat Island and into the neighborhood behind and made our way to Stewart Cramer HS; home of our Storm AO.  We continued to the baseball diamonds around the outfield fence and onto the trails through Rocky Branch Park.  Even with the drippy weather we had lots of conversation and plenty of mumble chatter going on.  Our FNG even jumped right in.  Half way through the trail he announced he needed two beers at the next stop.  Through the trail and a couple of Belmont blocks and we made it to our second stop at Primal Brewery.  More hydration and a few snacks were consumed.  We had Water, Gatorade and maybe a beer, or two.   The guys were getting hungry but we couldn’t wait for the kitchen to feed us.  We pulled our poker cards, finished our drinks and grabbed our rucks to begin the final leg.  With popcorn in hand Balljoint was ready to roll.  Our FNG however, keeping true to his word popped out of the brewery with a fresh beer. He saw we were ready to move so without delay he poured his beer down his throat in one gulp.  Watchout Beer-Milers!  More on that later but you can imagine the names that are brewing for him now,  Belmont back to McAdenville.   We made our way back across Belmont, snaked our way through neighborhoods, and played a bit of Frogger making our way across Wilkinson Blvd.  Some PAX play in traffic safer than others.  The final push down McAdenville Road and we were back to our vehicles and the River Room to pull our final card, name our FNG and grab a group picture.  Conversation escalated towards the end of the ruck on what to name our FNG.  With some background and more conversation many of the suggestions were just to kind.   After watching that beer disappear “Deep Throat” evolved from conversations and was thrown out to the delight of the PAX…except the FNG.  Perfect!   We finished up Poker.  The best poker hand went to Tardi Gras with two Aces. He took home or left at the River Room $50 .  The worst hand went to Balljoint with a whole lot of nothing.  Still worth $10.

All in we had a good day with a great group of HIM.  Thanks for joining the fun!  If you didn’t join us, you should have. Not to worry though, we will do it again!

Til Next Time!

BOS

11/22/23 Ground Assault

Two runners and two ruckers made their way to Stowe Park to put in a little pre Turkey Day work.

The runners followed the Soldier to Soldier route taking them from the Fighting Yank to the Cramerton military statues and back.  One runner just finished a marathon and the other has one coming up in a few weeks so their pace covered five miles before the ruckers returned from their three.   The ruckers followed their usual route around town while discussing real world issues and an idea that began to brew for a future CSAUP…

Announcements:

McAdenville Christmas Light 5K this Sat. 11/25, F3 Christmas Party Next Sat. 12/2 and the Beer Ruck the following Sat. 12/9.

Prayers for Turtleman and those on IR,  Safe holiday travels for all PAX and families.

After you post at your favorite AO and enjoy 2nd F coffee with your brothers go change your shirt and grab your ruck for this double down opportunity!

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9th is the final ruck of our Official 2023 Trifecta Ruck series.  THE BEER RUCK!

Did you get a beer when you rucked from Kings to Crowders?  Probably not.

Did you get a beer when you rucked the Half Marathon ruck?  Probably not.

Well, this time you will have no less than three chances to grab that frosty beverage you were deprived of earlier.

DETAILS:  Park and Launch from:

The RIVER ROOM – 102 Main Street, McAdenville.  Park in the large lot to the side.

Launch 11:30.  Return after 8 miles of 2nd F Rucking including a few stops.

Bring $5 cash (or more) so you can buy into the Poker Ruck.  Someone will win some extra beer money!!

CHEERS!

BOS