Sunday 10/21/2018 2:30 p.m. at US National Whitewater Center
There is a group text that goes around every so often to a few guys who ride mountain bikes. This text is usually from someone who decides they are going somewhere to ride and would like to see if anyone else is interested. This has never been a formal arrangement but it seems to be that in the fall, the meetings are more regular. This meeting starts in the large gravel parking lot a few parking rows past the bathrooms. After discussion with the group, this can be a weekly meeting, provided the Whitewater Center Trails are open (check their website). If they are closed, we can move it to Poston Park in Lowell. We had very fast guys (Swimmer, Floppy Disk, Two Stroke, Gumby) and pretty fast guys (Sidecar, Wojo, etc.) and kinda fast guys. We don’t need to name them, we know who we are! The great thing is the faster guys always wait on the slower ones so each guy gets to push as much as he can without the group leaving him. I really appreciate that the faster guys do that. I volunteered to do a “backblast” and we’ll see if the Weasel Shaker will consider this a legit AO. Certain skillet chasers may disapprove but we will defer to the all-knowing Weasel Shaker. I assure you this is a tough workout. We rode the “Parkway” trail to the “Prairie Dog” trail. We then tried the new trails across the highway. The “Smokey” trail was first. This was a nice short trail that led back to the road. We then rode the “Bandit” trail which seemed long and hilly and was a little muddy but should be much better after it is broken in. That was enough for me. Several of us stopped then and returned to the parking lot for around 7 miles. A few others connected to the Academy trail to got in over 10 miles. We had an FNG (new to F3 but not to riding with us) named Nathan Freeman who is a friend of Gumby. He was nicknamed Clown Car due to his funny clown horn on his bike. Consider this your invitation to join the rides. FYI. Mayor stood me up today.
Author: Def Leppard (Page 12 of 17)
Mount Hollywood 10/22/18
Warmup
SSH x 15 IC
Don Q x 15 IC
Cotton Pickers x 15 IC
PLEDGE
Mosey to back BB&T parking lot downtown near the nice well-lit wall for Angry 7’s!
7 reps of an IN CADENCE exercise, run a lap around the bank and return for a word about Anger while we catch our breath.
7 Merkins, run. In your anger, do not sin. “One who is quick tempered displays folly or foolishness.”
7 LBC’s, 7 Merkins, run. “Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.” Patience is often an antidote for anger. Take that extra time to be patient in conversation especially with family.
7 Low Slow Squats, LBC’s, Merkins, run. “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Grudges eventually hurt you. I consider this essential to staying married for 31 years. My M is great at this and I am improving.
7 Hip Slappers (Where’s Huck?), Low Slow Squats, LBC’s, Merkins, run. “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.” Reminder to take a deep breath before we speak and think about what we are saying.
7 WWI (probably shouldn’t be done In Cadence but we did any way), Hip Slappers, Low Slow Squats, LBC’s, Merkins, run. “Fools give full vent to their anger, but the wise bring calm.” Think of someone you know who is patient and calm and try to be more like that.
7 Monkeys Humpers, WWI, Hip Slappers, Low Slow Squats, LBC’s, Merkins, run. “It is to ones glory to overlook an offense.” Again, my M is great at this.
7 Flying Squirrels (CSpan special), Monkey Humpers, WWI, Hip Slappers, Low Slow Squats, LBC’s, Merkins, All In Cadence, run. “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” This is essential especially when dealing with your children.
1 minute Wall Sit with a few presses included.
Rugby Sprints. An exercise performed until Q says Go and then sprint across parking lot, sprint back across parking lot and then walk back across parking lot. Sprint should be faster pace than your previous lap speed. Little Baby Flutter Crunches, Freddie Macs, Jump Lunges (Sister Act’s fault for these), Merkins.
Mosey back to the school parking lot.
Announcements: 40 day challenge starting today, Convergence 11-10 at Yank at 7am, 3rd F event after that Convergence on 11-10 with Tiger and Squirt speaking.
Prayer Requests: Shad Rap’s M and son.
COT
*Nice to be out on this cool morning. We got in almost 2 miles and plenty of reps of arms, core, legs and a little speed work. I wouldn’t have wanted to be the person at the bank machine when 10 men started running from the back of the parking lot toward their car. Sister Act was kind of quiet, so that was unusual. Slaw posting on a weekday morning was good to see and he was scraping the ground on the Low Slow Squats. We call those Slaw Squats at Midoriyama. Orangeman has been training for the half in Belmont and it sounds like he is ready. Shad Rap has his VQ Thursday at the Goat. Nice to see Freon posting as he lives close by and just runs up for the workout. Virus was running fast this morning on his laps around the bank. Always good to see all of the Mount Hollywood regulars. Tesla was War Daddy (oldest) and Shad Rap was War Baby (youngest). Until next time.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage: be strong.
14 various and assorted runners started at various and assorted times from Ingles in Dallas with various and assorted distances and paces. Gold Digger is training for a marathon and got in a speedy 18 miles. Pizza Man, Defib and Tool Time all got in a half marathon at 13.1 miles. Broke took off for 8 miles. Most everyone else pulled 5 miles. Welcome 2 FNG’s. Nature Boy – Trevor Adams who is a wrestler for Hacksaw at W.C. Friday. Tiny – Kevin Mills who I am not sure was in the workout but was there for COT and I wasn’t going to NOT give him a name. I went to school with him and we played baseball together a while back. Nice way to start a cooler Sunday Morning. Coffeeteria followed.
Announcements: Burpeethon next Saturday at 9 am. Christmastown 5K is filling up and Pizza told us there will be 8, yeah he said 8 chairs that will need to be pushed for Speed for Need!
COT
Forge 9/26/18
Our story this week was an Old Testament man named Namaan who was a popular, respected battle hero but had a terrible skin disease called leprosy. The cliff notes version of the story is his wife’s servant girl said he should go to Israel and see a prophet who could heal him. He talked about this with his king and his king have him money and sent him on his way. The King of Israel got angry and thought this was a trick but the prophet Elisha sent for Namaan. When Namaam arrived at Elisha’s house, a messenger was sent out to Namaan and told him to wash seven times in the Jordan river and your flesh will be restored! Namaan got angry about this since the prophet didn’t even come out to greet him and he also complained about the dirty Jordan river! Namaan’s servants convinced him to do as the prophet said and as a result he was healed! Here are a few lessons from the story that we discussed:
1) God uses available, committed messengers. The servant girl was small, humble, obedient, insignificant to men and living in dire conditions but used her position for God’s message to an unwilling listener.
2) The Grace of God can’t be purchased. The king wanted to help by paying the King of Israel to help heal Namaan rather than relying on God’s healing through the prophet.
3) God is contantly at work to lead people to himself, no matter how dark their condition. Elisha says “Let him come to me” and this is a symbol of God’s love for all of us.
4) Pride can cause us to miss out on God’s blessings. Who can experience God’s grace? The humble. Who are the proud? Those who are indifferent to God’s plan. There are many verses on the destruction caused by pride.
5) Opinions can also cause us to miss God’s blessings. Verse 11 begins with “I thought” whereas following God’s plans as laid out in His Word is usually a pretty clear path to follow. Opinions shouldn’t take priority over God’s Word.
6) God has the power to change lives if we follow His commands. Just as Namaan stubbornly followed God’s plan, it healed him and changed his life. The same can apply to our lives and those we affect.
Questions We Discussed
1) Are we open to God’s message? Do we even remember what our preacher preaches or what our devotions are about?
2) Do we sometimes ignore certain people with God’s message because of their “condition”? Family members, angry people, people different from us.
3) Are we too proud? If we were sure God was telling us to do something seemingly ridiculous, would we do it? Are we humble enough to be open to God’s plan?
4) Do we let our “opinions” about God’s word cloud the message he is trying to send? My preacher friend said he often heard from people, “I know the Bible says this but…” Are we guilty of saying that or at least thinking it in some situations?
5) Do we really believe God still changes lives? Have we “given up” on certain people?
Thanks for the guys attending and hope to see you next week.
Date 9/25/2018 In 2016 I did this routine where we just run a little bit and stop and do an exercise to a certain count (29 in 2016) based on the number of years I have been married as well as list a year and an event that was either an “up” or a “down”. Well now, it’s been 31 years as of 9/12 so here we go!
Warmup – Whoopee warmup 1 SSH in cadence. Pledge. Let’s mosey!
The Thang went similar to this but I may have missed one!
Bottom of hill below horseshoes, 1987, Got Married, Decline Merkins x 31 single ct.
Across parking lot to Field 4 right field line, 1990, Birth of my Son, Sumo Squats x 31 single ct.
Around Field 4 to left field, 1993, Miscarriage, CDD’s x 31 single ct.
Halfway to first soccer field, 1994, Son begins having seizures, affects his abilities. Hillbillies x 31 single ct.
Hill before small soccer field, 1996, Birth of my healthy daughter, Arm Release merkins x 31 single ct.
Hill at end of soccer parking lot, 1997, “M’s” mother passes away from cancer at 50 years old, Freddie Mercury x 31 single ct.
Dog Park hill at soccer field, 1999, “M’s” father passes away from stroke at 52 years old, Clock Merkins on the hill, 8@12, 8@3,8@6,7@9
Bathrooms for soccer fields, 2000, I got a much better job. M made me apply. Dips x 31 single ct.
Right field Field 3, 2002, Son was saved and baptized. Flutter kicks x 31 IC (called by Blart)
3rd base side Field 2 slightly down hill, 2003, “M” fell down stairs, major broken leg, down 6 weeks, Incline Merkins x 31 single ct.
1st base side Field 1 in shade, 2007, Unexpected promotion at work, LBC’s x 31 IC (called by Pizza Man)
Circle Field 1 to Left field, 2009, Daughter was saved and baptized, Monkey Humpers x 31 single ct.
Back to Field 1 steps, 2010, Son graduated high school after major struggles. Amen, Calf Raises 3 per Step until 31
Playground, 2012, My wife had major back surgery. Pullups x 31, OYO OUCH!
Back to turd shack, 2018, Daughter graduates college in December, Hip Slappers x 31 single ct.
22 for the Vets, Oompa with the call!
One of the things I like about F3 Q source material is the concentrica which has the M as the most significant relationship in a man’s life. I have certainly experienced this to be true. I reminded the Pax to cherish their wives, protect them and be there for them and always make them feel like you are on their side. I also encouraged each man to find out what his wife likes and needs and strive to give that to her. If that relationship is strong, it makes all of the “Ups and Downs” of life so much better!
Announcements – Burpeethon for Special Olympics on Saturday, Oct. 6th at 9 am. This is a BIG event for F3 Gastonia and everyone should sign up and be there. ChristmasTown 5K is coming up and Pizza Man said we were going to have 8 chariots this year so sign up.
Prayer Requests – The missing little boy at Rankin Lake, Lil Sweet and his family as they travel.
COT
* I appreciate each man who came out today. It was great to see Tyson back as he has been injured. He said he wasn’t even born yet in 1987 when I got married! It was great to see Medicine Woman out today as he is a Folsom regular but missed Folsom that morning for some reason! Wojo ran today getting ready for Bourbon Chase. Pizza Man and Defib got in some EC before the workout. Freight and Blart provided running commentary throughout the workout which I mostly ignored. I’m not sure how many more years I can make it through that workout but I hope quite a few!
Date 09/18/2018 Back blast called for by Weasel Shaker so YHC (Def Leppard) will try to remember for Lil Sweet.
Warm Up…. Can’t remember.
Mosey to Dog Park Hill, I think. Sprint the hill with 10 squats at top and 20 LBC’s at bottom. I think I remember doing this 7 times (seemed excessive) and several dogs at the dog park didn’t like this at all. We had several ROTC students running by us on the sidewalk also.
Mosey to lower big soccer field for a Dora but I can’t remember the three exercises and one partner moseying about 60 yards and back then the exercise.
Split into 2 teams and took turns sprinting half the field and back and then our second turn sprinting to the fence and back to see which team won. I seem to remember my team winning but I really can’t be sure. This was terrible.
Mosey back to the flag!
Lil Sweet always passes along a good word. I believe the scripture was from Isaiah 40:29-31 about the Lord renewing our strength and not growing weary.
Announcements and COT.
11Sep18
Midoriyama
Disclaimer.
Slaw demonstrated a destructor which is start with a LBC, switch to a mountain climber, finish off with a side straddle hop.
Run to beach volleyball court, perform one destructor at every light pole passed. Do one at top of trail and one at each volleyball net pole.
There’s Leppard running on Sparky time.
Freight goes back to watch him change, spots, clothes, whatever.
Count off 1, 2. 1s this side, 2s opposite. Simple rules: anything inside the sand is in, burpee for every point scored against you.
Here straggles in father and son.
Not to brag, but, Def Leppard’s team won by a large margin. Freight was the best player for the other team. No one got medevac-ed.
About 180 burpees in the sand.
Back to flag, destructors every pole on way back.
Pledge.
9 merkins, hold for 11 count.
Prayer for Gumby family member. Sly in Afghanistan. Spoken. Unspoken. Weather.
Announcements
Q versus Q. All AOs move to Schiele Saturday at 0700.
Forge at Grits and Greens Wednesday 1830.
YHC took us out
08/27/2018 11 strong HIM’s (High Impact Men) gathered in the gloom of the newest AO Mount Hollywood in F3 Gastonia region. I recently highjacked my wife’s Facebook to add a note about the new AO on the Mount Holly Town Talk and lo and behold, we had an FNG who read about it and lives close and ran about a half a mile to the workout! Those FNG’s are great when starting a new AO. Welcome FNG Jon Surratt, who will now be known as Freon.
Warm Up 5 burpees OYO (Slaw’s fault), 15 Cotton Pickers IC, 15 Hillbillies IC, 15 Leg Stretches each leg (Wojo’s fault) that was mainly for the ones who did the CSAUP 50 mile relay Saturday. Pledge.
Mosey down the road (darker than I thought) to the Second Baptist church parking lot (further than I thought) to see some sidewalk chalk instructions. 7 parking spaces marked as follows: 10 Burpees (Slaw and/or Roscoes’s fault), 20 Imperial Walkers, 30 Merkins (It was down ToolTime), 40 LBFC’s (Freight’s fault), 50 CDD’s (you know why), 60 Squats, 70 SSH. Partner up and select a parking space. Perform the listed exercise run a lap around the parking lot then move to the next space. Every group got at least one round in before we ran to the other side of the church parking lot and circled up. A little talk (borrowed from CSPAN) about that routine explaining how even when others seem like they are ahead of where you are, we are in this together. The one guy with you can help and the entire group of guys can help you. We all started F3 for the Fitness but the Fellowship is the glue that keeps us coming back. How true that is!
Mosey back to the front wall of the school (Huckleberry’s fault) where I use my trusty Interval Timer (Short Sale’s fault) set for 25 second intervals. Wall Sit, Recover, Upside Down Shoulder Taps, Recover, Wall Sits, Recover, LBC’s (around here was where the gastrointestinal problems began for someone, you know who you are), Recover, Hip Slappers (Sister Act whining starts), Recover, Wall Sits, Recover, Upside Down Shoulder Taps (seemed much longer than 25 seconds), Recover, Dips on the benches. Back to the flag.
Announcements, named the FNG Freon and COT. We remembered the Hamm family (friends of Breaker Breaker), kids and teachers returning to school, many of our kids at college.
*Nice to see a steady number for Mount Hollywood and thanks to Tiger for leading as Site Q. He needs help making sure there are Q’s so let him know because we have plenty of great Q’s. Speaking of great Q’s, great to see Brownstreak back out this morning. He tried to kill me one time in Ollie’s parking lot trying to get to 1000 reps(he remembers). A rare Slaw sighting in the gloom. His daughter is starting her senior year and he’s a mess but he will make it and I happen to know she is a wonderful young lady. Sargento had to hurry home to help get his group to their schools. I don’t think Sister Act or Orangeman even broke a sweat this morning but I tried. Breaker was pushing hard after running the CSAUP this weekend. I didn’t hear much from CDL and Virus but those men were pushing this morning. We ended with over 2 miles and around 400 reps so that’s a great way to start the work week!
08/21/2018 On a warm breezy afternoon at Midoriyama YHC had promised to go where we haven’t been before so 10 strong HIM’s showed to find out. Slaw and Freight coming in hot and almost missed the …
5 burpees (stressed to watch the form on all exercises as there has been some less than perfect form going on lately)
Cotton Pickers x 15 IC
Hillbillies x 15 IC
Pledge
Mosey (asked the guys to mosey a touch faster today than our normal mosey) to the entrance and across the road to the entrance to the asphalt track/trail (squats waiting on the 6). 15 Merkins IC (watch that form, yes my butt was down).
Mosey down to the steps and then the steep hill leading down to the South Fork River (squats for the 6). There on the muddy banks of the river we did Moroccan Night Clubs x 15 IC, Seal Jacks x 15 IC, Toy Soldiers x 15 IC. Sprint back up the steep hill and do 2 calf raises per step to the top. Rinse and repeat to the delight of everyone.
Mosey back to the track/trail entrance for LBC’s x 15 IC (squats for the 6).
Mosey back across the road to the lower picnic shelter near the lake. Dips x 15 IC.
Mosey up the hill to the larger picnic shelter (squats for the 6). Flutters x 15 IC, Derkins x 15 IC, Step Ups x 15 IC, Dips x 15 IC, Box Cutters x 15 IC.
Mosey through the woods back to the road. Get a count.
Mosey to the playground for a 6 Pack. 5 pullups, 1 CDDs, 4 pullups, 2 CDDs, 3 pullups, 3 CDDs, 2 pullups, 4 CDDs, 1 pullup, 5 CDDs. Whew!
Mosey to the far Turd Shack near the soccer fields. Wall Sit for a while with some Hallelujahs (single count and IC by request). The plan was 15 Hip Slappers but YHC was tired so I was going to change it to 5. This was when the mumblechatter, which I had largely ignored up until this point, became rather loud and had to be addressed. Hip Slappers IC until I say stop. I had Blart (the reigning F3 Hip Slapper champion) by my side for motivation so we start. 5, 10, 12, 15 (gotta stop soon) 17, 20 and stop! Not everybody completed the full reps! You know who you are!
Mosey back to the flag. Nameorama. I repeated the story Moses told us at Forge last Wednesday about when Gaston County was getting 911 service and it was being advertised. Moses worked in the jail and there was a street preacher that would preach and sing at the jail that told Moses all they needed was 333. Moses asked what that was and he said Jeremiah 33:3 says “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee
great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Who are you going to call on when you need something?
Announcements: Forge on Wednesdays at 6:30 at Grits N Greens in Lowell. Huckleberry speaking this week on Joshua. Our local CSAUP this Saturday morning at 4 am (yeah that’s right) at the courthouse in Dallas as we run our region. 2nd F at Sargentos this Saturday after 5 (there may be a toilet paper problem, not sure). New AO in Mount Holly at the Middle School on Mondays at 5:30 am. SFN race on September 22nd in Belmont. JJ5k race the same day in Stanley.
Prayer Requests: Gumby’s father in Law, Mayor’s family in the loss of his uncle, Oompa dropping his 2.0 off at Clemson, Broke dropping his 2.0 off at UNC and others lifted up. Kids and teachers going back to school.
* It is always great to lead such a fine group. We got in 2 quick and hilly miles and lots of reps. Wojo’s back was acting up on him so we hope he is better soon. There was a discussion of Defib’s lovely smelling choice of laundry detergent. Slaw tried to EH a guy as we were going down the big hill to the river but either Slaw or the hill scared him off. According to Sister Act, Slaw scares off a lot of the new guys by being “overly” friendly. Swimmer, who is the King of F3 Gastonia Mountain Biking, has also become a runner as he passed me several times today after riding 3 miles before the workout. Great to see Lil Sweet back out pushing the rock. Freight’s hair never moved. Nice work by all!
8-8-18 Wednesday evening at the Forge at Grits N Greens in Lowell to discuss Paul. Paul is such an important biblical figure that it is difficult to speak about him in such a short time but I promised a “cliff notes” version (that’s kinda like Wikipedia for you youngsters) so we just hit some highlights. I tried to point out several main themes of his writings and ministries as well as some facts about Paul the man. We summed up with this verse. 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” The point is to live a life worthy of imitation because many are watching! Thanks to those who attended. Moses will be speaking next week and he always has a great word to share.