Author: Flintstone (Page 6 of 23)

5 runners and Maybelline put in work (I think, though Maybelline’s late arrival after the runners left and first PAX to COT requires Strava verification to prove work was done).  With the Varsity squad on the Peak-to-Peak ruck, the JV team made its way down Union Road before heading separate directions at Hudson.

Short Sale joined us for a QSource discussion on “Hope is Not a Strategy”.  Bottom line is that goals are great, but goals without a plan to achieve them are just empty air.  The strategy comes from the what, how, and who it takes to execute the plan.

Habits, discipline, and a daily drive to be our best are how we prepare for the Gloom, for our jobs, and to be the men our families need us to be. Never quit.

Announcements:

• Come get the belt next week at the Horse.  I’m not planning on letting it go easily.
• Convergence 9/4 at Honey Hunters ballpark.  Park in left field near Community Foundation Run start
• Iron PAX launches this week with Week 0
• Next ruck event is in October

Prayers for Jackson Hall

Grateful for all of you.

Yabba Dabba Doo

6 PAX posted for Round 2 of the Classic PT Test at Ricky Bobby.  Here’s what I remember…

The Thang:

We started with some warmup.  It was fine.

Classic PT Test is:

• 1 lap
• 100 reps (as close to proper form as you’re able) of each exercise before moving to the next)
• Merkins
• Squats
• LBCs
• SSHs
• 1 lap
• 75 reps of same 4 exercises
• 1 lap
• 50 reps of same 4 exercises
• 1 lap
• 25 reps of same 4 exercises
• 4 laps

After putting up a fast time in June, YHC was looking to prove it was no fluke.  With Defib there, the target was in place.  Now to execute.

First lap is quick, on to the Merkins.  Plan was 60/25/10/5.  Couldn’t get the 60.  Uh oh.  Struggled through the Merkins and watched Defib take off at a pace YHC couldn’t keep up with.

Looks like my soccer arms from running season caught up with me this time.  Runs were good though, and we all pushed hard.

Defib finished first, with a blistering pace, and as YHC was coming around for my last lap at the track, Defib shouted “Do you believe Iron Sharpens Iron?  Don’t let me catch you!”  And I didn’t.  Fastest lap of the day, and the earlier ones weren’t slow.  Top speed was faster than anything I’d hit on Lightning a week later.  So to answer your question, Defib, yes.  I believe it.

Times:

• Defib – 25:55
• Flintstone – 29:27 (+1:46 from June)
• Mama’s Boy – 32:17
• Kool Aid – 32:41 (-0:04 from June)
• Buckshot – 32:42
• J2C – 36:56 (+2:19 from June)

I guess that’s why we do these things… to see how things stack up over time.  All the more reason to keep pushing.

Solid work by all.

Thanks for the opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo

6 was the number on a solid August morning where YHC answered Maybelline’s call for a Q, trying to get out of the Peter Parker Merkins.  We did them anyways.  Here’s what I remember:

Not sure if Maybelline knows this or not, but there are 6 days prior to Wednesday when you can find a Q for your site.  On top of that, it’s also possible to line Qs up weeks ahead of time.  Also, contrary to popular belief, it is possible to get a Q without using Slack.  Every AO has regulars, and every AO has regulars that don’t Q often.  Just ask one of them.  Use words and a conversation if you’d like.

Anywho, YHC picked up the Q, as being back in run season has cut down on my bootcamps lately.  Glad to get back on the bike.  Had some ideas, confirmed with Maybelline, and came ready to fire.

Except for the warmup.  YHC farmed that out.  Who cares about a warmup?  Each PAX called an exercise and then we ran out.  Went something like this…

The Thang:

• 10 x SSH (IC – Captain Stubing)
• 10 x Gravel Pickers (IC – JJ)
• 15 x Squats (OYO – Winehouse)
• 10 x Hillbillies (IC – Clutch)
• 10 x Peter Parker Merkins (IC – Guess Who?)

You lose friends calling Peter Parker Merkins, Maybelline.

Off we go to Martha’s, stopping at the entrance for:

• 10 x Burpees (OYO)

Looking for flat ground.  Found it.

• 10 x Crunchy Frogs (IC)
• 20 x Freddie Mercuries (IC)
• 30 x Flutter Kicks (IC)

Down to the playground

• 10 x Burpees (OYO)

Next we headed into the playground, which means one thing… pull-ups.  Start with 6 pull-ups and 6 big boys, and work your way down to 1. 21 of each total doesn’t seem like a lot, but when we don’t do them often, you can definitely feel it, especially the day after.

Head into the center of the Labyrinth where we would get in another round of:

• 10 x Crunchy Frogs (IC)
• 20 x Freddie Mercuries (IC)
• 30 x Flutter Kicks (IC)

Next, we’d use the spokes on the Labyrinth to put in work.  Run to the end, do something, run back, do the same thing in the middle each time.  Looked like this…

Spoke 1:

• 40 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)

Center:

• 10 x Perfect Form Merkins (OYO)
• 10 x Oblique Crunches L (OYO)
• 10 x Oblique Crunches R (OYO)

Spoke 2:

• 30 x Merkins (OYO)

Center:

• 10 x Perfect Form Merkins (OYO)
• 10 x Oblique Crunches L (OYO)
• 10 x Oblique Crunches R (OYO)

Spoke 3:

• 20 x Jungle Boy Squats (OYO)

Center:

• 10 x Perfect Form Merkins (OYO)
• 10 x Oblique Crunches L (OYO)
• 10 x Oblique Crunches R (OYO)

For the last round, we do all 3, tracing the outside route:

• 40 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)
• 30 x Merkins (OYO)
• 20 x Jungle Boy Squats (OYO)

No time to head back to the center, so we headed back to the flag instead.

With time left on the clock, we got in 1 more set of each:

• 10 x Crunchy Frogs (IC)
• 20 x Freddie Mercuries (IC)
• 30 x Flutter Kicks (IC)
• 10 x Perfect Form Merkins (OYO)
• 10 x Oblique Crunches L (OYO)
• 10 x Oblique Crunches R (OYO)

And that was all we had time for.  Everyone got their money’s worth.  Effects lingered on afterwards, which is a good sign.  Satisfied customers all around.

Good to be out at Martha’s on a Wednesday.  Good to see a group of regulars forming too.  As much as we give Maybelline a hard time for just about everything, he’s committed and doing right by his AO.  Give him a hand and grab a Q out there sometime and save the regulars from Peter Parker Merkins.

Also, this doesn’t need to be said, but JJ is a monster.  He rolled in looking and sounding like death, but just won’t give a mental foothold to the fartsack.  We win the day when we have our “C” level stuff and show up and put in solid work anyways.  No excuses.

Grateful for another opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo

Routes were meant to be raced and belts were meant to be defended.  Time to put the belt on the line with a good old fashioned horse race at the Coconut Horse.

Sunday, September 3rd

0630 Launch

5(ish) mile loop.  For route details, check Strava.  Or ask.

Start/Finish line will be the crosswalk at Hoffman and Kendrick.  So we will start from where we finish.  Purists be damned.

No fine print needed, if you need to cheat to get the belt, you don’t deserve it.

The cream will rise to the top.  Ohhhhhhhh yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah!

Yabba Dabba Doo

9 PAX put in work with blocks, some with no gloves, others fresh faces, but none backed down.  Here’s what I remember:

Game time.  Many PAX out on vacation.  Some others decided to show up  to fill in the gaps.  Hokie’s been a regular lately, and it’s been good to see him out.  Hunchback and his 2.0, Pizza the Hut, made rare appearances in the summer sun at Midoriyama.  Hot Corner made up for an AM fartsack by getting in a late one.  Add in regulars Blart, Pockets, Montross and Happy Trees and there you have it.  A full ball team.

• 10 x SSH (IC)
• 10 x Don Quixotes (IC)
• 10 x Hillbilly Walkers (IC)
• Tesla Stretches
• 10 x Mountain Climbers (IC)
• 10 x Overhead Claps (IC)

Meander to get blocks.  No running til the hill work.  Once everyone had their blocks, we carried them down the road, around the turn, and to the turd shack at the top of the hill to the lake near the picnic shelter.  As we traveled, we stopped at each light pole on the route for

• 1 x Blockee (OYO)

We’re at about the midpoint between the early summer and late summer rounds of the PT tests.  Time to check on progress.  Today’s progress check was all about Thunder.  To recap:

• 12 x Thrusters
• 12 x Curls
• 12 x American Hamers (w/coupon, count right side only)
• 12 x Swings
• 12 x Bent Over Rows
• 12 x Big Boys (no coupon)
• 12 x Heels to Heaven (no coupon)
• 12 x Burpees (no coupon)

In Thunder, you repeat it for time.  As this is a bootcamp, we’re gonna take a break to run.

• Mosey down the hill to the water and back up at the end of every round

You’re welcome

Timing worked out pretty well.  The long walk over trimmed down the time to where we really didn’t have too much more time than the 25 minutes that’s allotted for Thunder.  Adding in the running sucked, and it was a sweatfest for those 25 minutes.  Most PAX got through 3 rounds, with some more and some less.

Shortcut back, stopping for

• 1 x Blockee (OYO)

at every pole.  We probably got about 15 in total.  Not significant, but not nothing.  It broke up the carrying.

By the time all PAX were back, blocks put up and we met back at the circle, we were 1 minute past time.  YHC cranked out his 10 burpee penalty for each minute late as COT got started.

Prayers for Norwood, Turtleman, Montross’s Mom, Balljoint’s Aunt & others.

Just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy.  These 9 put it out there and left a lot of sweat on the field.  Strong work by all.

There’s nothing like July at Midoriyama.  Grateful for the opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo

2 FNGs actually showed up for Balljoint and joined 9 other familiar faces to grind through a burner.  Here’s what I remember:

Proper Disclaimer with FNGs present. Been a while since YHC got to name an FNG, much less 2.  No merlot was splashed.

The Thang:

• 10 x Don Quixotes (IC)
• 10 x Gravel Pickers (IC)
• Tesla Stretches
• 10 x Mike Tysons (IC)

Mosey to the entrance to the Parking Deck.

Rules are we do 5 burpees every time we reach the bottom and the top, so we start with:

• 5 x Burpees (OYO)

Next we got partners.  The partners were to help the PAX push, but also to help the FNGs know what was going on.  Balljoint took both FNGs and we did an ascending (literally) stack of exercises.  Think 4 corners, with parking deck levels as corners:

• Level 1: 10 x CDDs (OYO)
• Level 2: 10 x CDDs (OYO), 20 x Bonnie Blairs (OYO – count each jump)
• Level 3: 10 x CDDs (OYO), 20 x Bonnie Blairs (OYO – count each jump), 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)
• Level 4: 10 x CDDs (OYO), 20 x Bonnie Blairs (OYO – count each jump), 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO), 40 x Merkins (OYO)

YHC started the levels wrong, so we ended up a little confused, but it didn’t matter.  We were climbing to the top and doing all those things along the way, and that’s what we did.  At the top, time for:

• 5 x Burpees (OYO)

Next up, take the stairs down…

• 5 x Burpees (OYO)

Run with your partner all the way to the top…

• 5 x Burpees (OYO)

And wait for the Six.  At this point, there was a single FNG on his own, with Balljoint and the other finding a quicker way to the top than the ramps.  Hopes rose for a merlot sighting.  We got back together, headed down to the bottom for…

• 5 x Burpees (OYO)

And went up again, with the exercises, except this time due to time constraints and more work still to do, no stacking.

• Level 1: 10 x CDDs (OYO)
• Level 2: 20 x Bonnie Blairs (OYO – count each jump)
• Level 3: 30 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)
• Level 4: 40 x Merkins (OYO)

And again…

• 5 x Burpees (OYO)

Take the stairs down…

• 5 x Burpees (OYO)

So one more thing to finish up before we leave the deck.

YHC had pulled this one once before at Tequila Sunrise a while back, and thought to give it another run.  Basically, partners synchronize mountain climbers alternating between regular and Australian.  Looked like this:

Stupid Synchronous Mountain Climbers:

• 10 x Mountain Climbers (count left only)
• 10 x Australian Mountain Climbers (count left only)
• Repeato for 3 total rounds

3 was enough, as the burn kicked in by then.  Leaving as little rest as possible between rounds was good too.

Still plenty of time for plenty of work, so we left the garage, crossed the street to the church and kept the partners for a little Cora

• Partner 1: Bear crawl around the drop off area
• Partner 2: Exercises
  • 50 x Reverse Crunches
  • 100 x American Hammers
  • 150 x LBCs

Always a grumble when bear crawls are mentioned.  Not sure why.  YHC assumed that meant the PAX craved more running, so we finished fast on our feet, taking the long way back, covering a little over 0.5 mile, stopping 3 times for

• 15 x Jungle Boy Squats (OYO)

YHC was introduced to the Jungle Boy at QvQ Downtown when Balljoint called them, and we’re all better off for it.

We wrapped up right at 0615, so that was the end of the beating.

As we started COT, there was an ambulance off in the distance, and one of our FNGs mentioned that his Life Alert must have gone off and it was coming for him.  One name down, one to go.  As for the other, we didn’t have to go too far as Kelly Brown didn’t get too far past stating his name before “Kapowski” came out.  The Weasel Shaker attempted to veto it, as our PAX, while solid backblast writers, are not the best at spelling.  Also, YHC was stunned that such a solid group of non-respect PAX didn’t know who Kelly Kapowski was.  The FNG did, as did about half the group, and it was enough for the name to stick.  A quick tutorial on the spelling.  Think “Kapow” and add a “-ski” to it.  It’s easy.  Kapowski.  Let’s hope we’re listing Life Alert and Kapowski frequently in future backblasts.  Both are great additions to the group.

Downtown never disappoints.  Great group of PAX that pushed hard today.  Grateful for the opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo

A whopping 16 PAX for some running and rucking on the eve of Independence Day.

Today’s message spawned from YHC stumbling across an old Spanish proverb, “Take what you want and pay for it, said God”.  As citizens in a country that values its freedoms, we have many choices of how we can act, and the autonomy to make those choices as we see fit.

The cost of choices manifest either in discipline and preparation or consequences and repercussions.  We can choose to fartsack, but the loss of some degree of physical fitness and connection to the PAX will result.  We can choose to train, but with training comes some discomfort and a loss of sleep and sweat.  For every choice, there’s a cost.

Galatians 6:7-9 says

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

As citizens of our great country, it is imperative that we live right.  Do the right things for the right reasons.  Be honest.  Be fair.  Treat others the way you want to be treated.  Listen to others, even when their opinions are different.  It’s ok to disagree.  In fact, it’s in the fabric of our nation.  It is our responsibility to carry ourselves honorably, doing the best that we can to pass America on to future generations.

We reap what we sow.  If we do not give up, the harvest will be plenty.

Take what you want, and pay for it.

Thanks for the opportunity to lead this morning.

Yabba Dabba Doo

2 runners and 2 ruckers set out from the Coconut Horse, and spent time discussing the beginnings of McRaven’s “The Wisdom of the Bullfrog”.

Bottom line to leadership is there’s no secrets and no shortcuts.  Lots of time will be wasted trying to find the easy way out.  While leadership is not easy, it is simple.

Just do the right thing.  Act courageously and with honor, as often as you can if not always.  Our honor is the anchor that stabilizes us when we go adrift.

Be honest.  Be fair.  Treat others like you would want to be treated.  These are classic and fundamental traits and mantras for a reason.

Our aim as High Impact Men is “to live above the common level of life”.

“Before we can master any other axioms of wisdom, we must first strive to be men of honor and integrity.”

Discussion rolled today on the topic of honor.  We talked about the origins of honor and how it could be nurtured or developed.  We talked about the relationship between faith and honor.  We talked about the subjective nature of assessing honor in others, and the need to constantly cultivate honor in ourselves to strengthen our anchor for those times we get off the path.

And we talked about how knowing the importance and priority of honor as a gateway to wisdom impacts our responsibilities as fathers.  Raise ’em right.  It’s simple, but it sure ain’t easy.

Thankful for the opportunity to lead

Yabba Dabba Doo

8 PAX, 3 (Short Sale, Tesla, Orangeman) completing the second half of a Friday double header, got out at F3 Gastonia’s newest AO for the first block workout in Snooze history.  It was both awful and could’ve been worse at the same time.  Here’s what I remember:

At Midoriyama convergence, Slaw called a round of exercises and said “if you put your block down, do burpees” or blockees or something like that.  Anyways, the idea is not to put your block down.  Well that must’ve sat inside brewing ever since and was just waiting to get out, so on this fine morning at Snooze, we weren’t going to put them down (well, except that one time).

Full disclaimer today, because YHC had no idea how this would go

The Thang:

• 10 x Goofballs (IC)
• 10 x Arrows (IC)
• Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Mans (AMRAP)

Short Sale called something like that at Sandlot, so embrace the utter silliness and also know that that was about all the fun we were going to have today.

To the Grocery Getter, where the blocks were waiting.

Instructions were given.  Once each PAX picked up their block, every time it hit the ground, that PAX had to do 5 Blockees.  No rest for the grip or the arms today.  Time to grind.

First up, partner work.  There was a loop in the parking lot.  One partner would hold both blocks, the other partner held none.  And no block hit the ground in the process

Round 1:

• Partner 1: Shoulder Carry both blocks around the loop
• Partner 2: Lunges (AMRAP)
• Switch

Round 2:

• Partner 1: Shoulder Shrugs with both blocks (AMRAP)
• Partner 2: Run the loop
• Switch

Fast partners were key on the Shrugs.  Simple, yet tough.

Time to get to know our blocks, as we were going to be holding them indefinitely.  We had to haul them to the next location – the long way.  We carried them up the finish hill at Christmastown, up the side street, and all the way in to McDonald Field, the home of the McAdenville Dolphins.  We stopped at the end of the parking lot, and turned around and faced back up the hill of the parking area while we talked about the famed history of the Dolphins.  Not too long, though.  More work to do.

Still carrying the blocks, we went through 2 rounds of:

• Top of the Hill
  • 10 x Thrusters (OYO)
• Bottom of the Hill
  • 10 x Bent Over Rows (OYO)

About halfway in, time for a short burst of mercy by the benevolent Q.

“Set down your blocks.”

We put em down and headed down to the field bleachers for some quick work without our new friends, heading up and down the bleachers a few times.

• Run to the top of the stairs
• 10 x Dips (OYO)
• Run to the bottom
• Run to the top of the stairs
• 20 x Monkey Humpers (OYO)
• Run to the bottom
• Run to the top of the stairs
• 30 x American Hammers (OYO, count both sides)
• Run to the bottom and down to the field goal post and back
• Repeato, but switch field goal posts (as there are 2, well unless you’re Breaker Breaker)

The stadium at McDonald field is just like 5 or 6 rows of concrete and massive steps, so they were awkward to get up and down, but not hard.  It’s kind of like the one at The Goat.  One of these days YHC will figure out what to do with a stadium like that.

Anyways, we wrapped up and went back to the parking lot where our blocks were waiting.  We picked them up and did the required

• 5 x Blockees (OYO)

And then we just unrolled the things that we rolled up, starting with thrusters and bent over rows:

• Top of the Hill
  • 10 x Thrusters (OYO)
• Bottom of the Hill
  • 10 x Bent Over Rows (OYO)

Short route back this time, as we seemed pressed for time, but as we walked, YHC realized that the short route was much shorter.  We went by another round of stadium seats, so we did some more work, this time with the blocks:

• Carry to the top of the stairs
  • 3 x Goblet Squats (OYO)
• Carry to the bottom of the stairs
  • 3 x OH Presses (OYO)
• Repeato 4-5 times (for every section between the beams)

And back to the parking lot for

Round 3:

• Partner 1: Shoulder Carry both blocks around the loop
• Partner 2: Lunges (AMRAP)
• Switch

Round 4:

• Partner 1: Shoulder Shrugs with both blocks (AMRAP)
• Partner 2: Run the loop
• Switch

And somehow, time got away from YHC.  We put the blocks up and headed back to the circle 1 minute late.  It was the extended disclaimer that did it.  No matter, YHC followed through with his self-enforced rule of a 10 Burpee penalty per minute late that the Q returns to the COT.  It was only 10 burpees.

And that was that.  Between the extended time carrying the blocks and having to load/unload them to my storage building, my grip was shot.  Those missing gloves got the worst of it, as we may have drawn a little blood.

It’s always a good feeling to get the nasty crawling around the inside of you out, regardless of what that nasty might look, feel or smell like.  Grateful to these PAX today for sticking with it and grinding it out.

Yabba Dabba Doo

4 PAX, 2 runners & 2 ruckers faced the challenge of driving in the rain to the AO, only to find that the rain mostly let up during the beginning of the journey.  Turned out to be just what we all needed.

Run route was Stowe Point.  Virus ran the last mile like a domesticated jungle cat that’d finally been turned loose.  Ruckers rucked quickly, thanks to the long legs of Anchorman.

Before we launched, the rain was quite present, and the discussion centered around commitment.  Apparently, Seuss and Anchorman committed to each other to be there on this rainy morning, so they weren’t going to leave the other up the proverbial creek.  They asked if Virus and I were committed.  Well, not verbally, but between Virus as Site Q and YHC as the Q for the day, we were pretty committed.

So let the record show that the 4 PAX at Ground Assault on this day should all be committed.

At COT, YHC brought the average age down by about 5-10 years.

A strong bunch today of some of the finest HIMs I’ve grown to know here in F3 Gastonia.  Honored for the opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo