The Folsom site Q, Ball Joint, has set up Kotter Tuesday. A day dedicated to bring out those kotters. It was great to see Beetle Bailey and Handcuff this time around. Keep posting.

The Thang:

Various stations with various coupons setup in a half moon shape.  We performed exercises in 2 minute intervals rotating around to each station as we watched King of the Hill and some SNL skits.

Prayer Request

Huck, Stogie, Sister Act, Ball Joint coworker.

A go fund me has been set up for a friend of Ball Joints coworker, Json Pitts. He passed away on a wreck on 321.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/foreverliveonjson?qid=605a24d9b66584bafe7e43e0a046256a

So we had at least 3 starting off times this am meaning this: A ruck group left at 0600. A running group left at 0630. Another running group left at 0635. A rucker stopped at 0655 and the other ruckers continued until 0715. A different rucker did step ups for the upcoming Chad 1000X (thank GOD it’s almost here!!!!) along with some rucking. A running group got in at 0715. And finally another running group of 1 got in at 0717. It was good to see a descent crowd this am including a final group (of 1 on IR for stage 4 sandy vaginitis) arrive at 0725 for COT and Q Source. Everyone did some work this am which is the point-You vs. You.

Next was COT then Q Source-I was notified Saturday by Stroganoff that I had Q Source this am. I should have known but did not so the reminder was helpful. I’ve got a few ideas in the hopper so it was not really a big deal to find out late, the biggest problem was picking which one. I’ve got a somewhat strange idea I will probably pull out later but today was not the day. I saw a post by Art of Manliness that seemed like a good one so we went with that. It’s called “How to Give and Take Criticism like a Man.” This, like so many things in F3, would have helped me a few decades ago assuming I would have listened……which is another topic altogether I guess. Keep in mind this was directed at helping with criticism which is very different from MUMBLECHATTER…..also referred to as constructive criticism by some but again, very different from what this post was about in my opinion.

During the discussion we talked about anatomical reasons for not responding well to criticism (insert amygdala discussion here-suffice it to say, I believe I have a VERY LARGE amygdala, my wife may not agree but what does she know and who has the title of SCA?????). We also talked about the MANY ways that I have screwed this up in the past year or 2…..but I am working on it and getting a little better each time. On the receiving criticism part, the 2 that struck home with me are 1-shut your trap and listen and 2-don’t take it personally. Both of these are tough for me. Keeping quiet for long enough to have a reasonable response I think is where I go wrong over and over. If I am honest, I suspect ego plays at least a (tiny) role here too. That’s another tough one for me.

We all actually contributed a lot to this discussion which was great. It’s funny how similar we are and the common threads we seem to repeat as far as mistakes or lessons we have learned. It is times like these that I wish I had found F3 when I was in my 20’s or even in my 30’s. Had I listened, I really think I would be a different person than I am today. But then again, I am not really sure I would have listened if F3 found me when I was in my 20’s. I guess I should just be thankful that I am part of this group.

By the time we finished, we had also talked about Neuroticism, Ben Franklin quotes, and Eroticism. I am going up to get a dictionary and thesaurus from upstairs so I can look up some of these things.

Thanks for hanging around for Q Source. I enjoyed that a lot more than doing my step ups. Don’t forget about Chad 1000X this Thursday at 0500 at the Bulldog AO. As Roscoe reminded us, you can partner with someone or scale it down with less weight if you want. I’ve got some Jocko stuff he donated for those who are there so come check it out if you can.

Whoopee

7 men tackled The Gloom, pack ready, to get in some work.  We got in a warmup, rucked up into Riverwood Plantation, found a hill prior to Gastone’s, took the path to Martha Rivers, then brought it home.

Exercises were:

• Don Qs
• Imperial Squats
• Rocky Balboas
• Shoulder Taps (Ruck on)
• American Hammers (Holding Ruck)
• Chest Presses (with Ruck)
• Flutter Kicks (Ruck extended)

We about lost a knee in the first half mile, ignored the suggestions of some signage, talked about pissing contests between PAX and got in close to 2 miles.

Thanks to Castle Rock for the opportunity to lead at Diablo.  The mumblechatter there is strong.

Announcements:

• Rudolph Q 11/13 @ PainLab

Yabba Dabba Doo

What are you giving your M for Christmas? How about 6pack abs! 5 Hims showed up in the cold gloom. We grabbed our kettles and some bricks and met in the center of the parking lot. Kicked up the heat with some Pyromania. Lets get it on.
Set 1: Core 50/10
crunches, American hammers, baby makers, reverse crunches and heels to heaven. R&R
Set 2: Arms 50/10
burpees, curls w/bricks, single arm row w/kettle, up right curls w/kettle, concentration curls w/ kettle. R&R

Set 3: Core/Arms 50/10

Why is it giving me an extra line? kettlebell swings, alternating kettlebell pushups, squats with overhead kettle press, clean press w/kettle and kettle L-sit toe reaches w/kettle. R&R

This was a good solid workout. Good work men!!

Shout out to Easy Rider for running 50 miles the week of his 50th Birthday!👊

I rolled into the center of town with just a couple minutes to spare and all the parking spaces had cones in them.  So I parked on the side street and had to run up to get started just in time.  No FNGs so standard disclaimer given.  The 13 of us then moseyed down to The Bunker for the warm up.

Warm Up

SSH – 20 IC
Imperial Walkers – 20 IC
Moroccan Nightclubs – 20 IC
LBCs – 20 IC

The Thang

We moseyed over to Hawthorn and counted off by 4s which gave us three in each group.  Group two headed up the hill to the to of the Hawthorne loop with instructions to AMRAP merkins until the runners get to them.  Group three was sent up to where Hawthorn loops back to McLeod to AMRAP squats until runners get to them.  Once the two groups were in place group one started LBSs and group four started running up the hill.  When the group of runners reached the next group the runners would start assigned exercise and that group would run.  Each group got to workout at each station three times.  This loop was a bit longer than I remembered so I nixed doing a second round with different exercises.

Mosey back to the fence overlooking the Bunker to perform monkey humpers for HIPPA who was there by himself.  He immediately reciprocated by performing monkey humpers for us.

Knowing the the Extinction Run was starting an hour after the end of bootcamp I had planned to spend the last half of bootcamp with the Deck of Death with no running.  HIPPA decided to join the circle for this.  Using a standard deck of cards each suit was assigned an exercise.  For six through 10 do that number of reps.  For Jack – Ace, do 10 reps.  The fun part was for any duces through five we did that number of burpees.  The card drawer called out the cadence.  Here were the exercise assignments:

Clubs – CDDs
Diamonds – Merkins
Spades – LBCs in cadence
Hearts – Flutters in cadence

HIPPA left the music playing which helped the time pass a little faster and drowned out a bit of the mublechatter over the burpees!  And at times there was confusion on whether we were calling for CDDs or LBCs.

We got a little more than halfway through the deck and it was time to head to the Fighting Yank!

Pledge of Allegiance.

Announcements

Extinction Run
Bunker will be SHUT DOWN next week, Nov 13th  –  Come to Gashouse Painlab for Rudolph’s final Q before he moves
Christmastown 5k – November 27th – the race signup is full, but you can still come and help push for Speed for Need
Blood Drive Wednesday Nov 10th
Christmas Party – Dec 11th

Prayer Requests

Queso – still awaiting MRI results
Injury free Extinction Run

We closed with prayer.

Promptly stared at 7 am with the pledge then moved into the warm up

Warmup

SSH   15 IC

Imperial Walkers 15 IC

Merkins    10 IC

Grass Pickers 10 IC

Squats  20 OYO

Mosey to Greer Middle School

Route 66

Merkins then lunge 2 parking spaces

Comeback on Route 66 with Squats and bear crawl 2 parking spaces.

The remaining part of the work out consisted of the following sets with about a .25 mile mosey in between sets

Set 1

15 burpees

20 Reverse lunges

15 merkins

20 LBC

20 Moroccan night clubs

Set 2

30 Mtn climbers

20 squats

15 CDD

20 Freddie Mercuries

20 Hip dips

Set 3

30 SSH

20 Lunges

20 Merkins

20 Reverse crunch

30 Sec L side plank

30 Sec R side plank

Set 4

Tabata  for Abs

American Hammers

Reverse Crunch

Freddie mercuries

Flutter kicks

Time with that last exercise of Tabata completed.

Announcements

COT

Thanks for the opportunity to lead.  The difficulty of the work out did not match the name of the workout, but I liked it.  Mumblechatter was good during the work out.  Relived some relay moments and had a few laughs.  Until the next time.  SYITG.

Disclaimer

Warm up: SSH, Plank, & Moroccan Nightclub

Mosey to the parking deck for some partner work  on each level

Four total rounds on each level-partner 1 perform the call exercise while partner 2 runs to the opposite side of level and back.

exercise consisted of : LBC’s, Flutter kicks, Merkins, Crunchy frogs, & squats

After each round the Pax ran to the top of the parking deck and than back down to the next level.

Mosey down South St to the lower level parking deck for one round of LBC’s and running around building.

Mosey back to the start in time for SA to call 5 burpees

We got a couple miles and worked up a sweat, you should have been there so this back blast may make since.

Time

Announcements

Prayer

Pledge

Until next Time (Sat at Gashouse)

EZ (still 49)out!!

With darkness coming for Midoriyama we had to get 1 more game of Ultimate Frisbee in for the year.

We had a quick draft for the teams. Lil’ Sweet was the last pick. He ended up being a MVP.

Mayor showed up late. The traffic must of really set him off, he was in a grumpy mood.

I’ll leave the rest to Show To Know!!!!

Disclaimer, Pledge.

As it’s coming up on the Marine Corps birthday and Veteran’s Day, I decided to try a themed workout ala Big Pappy.

Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams (born October 2, 1923) is a retired United States Marine Corps warrant officer and United States Department of Veterans Affairs veterans service representative who received the United States military’s highest decoration for valor—the Medal of Honor—for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Since the death of Charles H. Coolidge on April 6, 2021, Williams is the only living Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

Williams, the youngest of eleven children, was born and raised on a dairy farm in Quiet Dell, West Virginia, on October 2, 1923. By the time he was 11, his father had died of a heart attack and several of his siblings had died of a flu pandemic.

Based on the loss of this family members at age eleven:
Elevens-Freddie Mercuries & Iron Hulks. Lots of mumble chatter here (especially from Freight).

Williams was drawn to the Marines by their dress blue uniforms that he had seen several men in his community wear. He disliked the Army’s brown wool uniform that he considered “… the ugliest thing in town … I decided I did not want to be in that thing. I want to be in those dress blues.” Aside from the appearance of the uniform, Williams knew nothing of the Marines. Standing 5-foot-6, when Williams tried to enlist in the Marine Corps in 1942, he was told he was too short for service. After the height regulations were changed in early 1943, he successfully enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in Charleston, West Virginia, on May 26.

Being 66 inches tall:
Route 66-Bobby Hurleys

Williams received his recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California. Upon completion, he was sent to the Camp Elliott training center in San Diego, where he joined the tank training battalion and was later transferred to the training center’s infantry battalion for instruction as a demolition man and in the use of flamethrowers.

Upon completion of training in January 1944, he joined Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division at Guadalcanal, where his unit later fought the Japanese during the battle of Guam.

In honor of the 21st Marine Regiment:
Twentyones-Shoulder Taps IC

Williams’ next and final campaign was at the Battle of Iwo Jima, where he distinguished himself with actions “above and beyond the call of duty”, for which he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the
MEDAL OF HONOR
to
CORPORAL HERSHEL W. WILLIAMS
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following
CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Demolition Sergeant serving with the First Battalion, Twenty-First Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Island, 23 February 1945. Quick to volunteer his services when our tanks were maneuvering vainly to open a lane for the infantry through the network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines and black, volcanic sands, Corporal Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machine-gun fire from the unyielding positions. Covered only by four riflemen, he fought desperately for four hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flame throwers, struggling back, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another. On one occasion he daringly mounted a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flame thrower through the air vent, kill the occupants and silence the gun; on another he grimly charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon. His unyielding determination and extraordinary heroism in the face of ruthless enemy resistance were directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strong points encountered by his regiment and aided in enabling his company to reach its’ [sic] objective. Corporal Williams’ aggressive fighting spirit and valiant devotion to duty throughout this fiercely contested action sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
/S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN

These actions occurred on the same day that two flags were raised on Mount Suribachi, and Williams, about one thousand yards away from the volcano, was able to witness the event. He fought through the remainder of the five-week-long battle even though he was wounded on March 6 in the leg by shrapnel, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.

Five weeks = 35 days:
Thirty-five Mountain Climbers IC

In September 1945, he returned to the United States, and on October 1 he joined Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He and thirteen other servicemen were presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 5, 1945, at the White House.

Two of the four riflemen covering Williams were killed. In 2020 Williams said, “Once I found out that this happened, this Medal of Honor took on a different significance. I said, from that point on, it does not belong to me. It belongs to them. I wear it in their honor. I keep it shined for them, because there is no greater sacrifice than when someone sacrifices their life for you and me.” In 2017, UPS executive Pat O’Leary and one of Williams’s grandchildren discovered through documentaries the identity of the two Marines who sacrificed their lives for Williams during the Battle of Iwo Jima. They were identified as 24-year-old Corporal Warren Harding Bornholz, of New York City, and 20-year-old Private First Class Charles Gilbert Fischer, of Somers, Montana. They were killed in action while protecting Williams from Japanese enemy fire on February 23, 1945.

Four riflemen with two KIA
Escalating 4 Corners (2 Burpees-4 LBC-6 Merkins-8 Squats)

On October 20, 1954, he joined the Organized Marine Reserve when the 98th Special Infantry Company was authorized by Headquarters Marine Corps to be located at Clarksburg, West Virginia.
He was advanced through the warrant officer ranks during his time in the Marine Corps Reserve until reaching his final rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CWO4). Although CWO4 Williams technically did not meet retirement requirements, he was honorarily retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969 after approximately 17 years of service.

Seventeen years of service:
17 Flutter Kicks IC

On February 4, 2018, Williams along with 14 other living Medal of Honor recipients was honored at the Super Bowl LII during the coin toss. He is the only living Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. Williams was selected to do the official coin toss for the game. The coin toss ceremony set a record for most coin toss participants as Super Bowl LII was dedicated to them.

14 other living Medal of Honor recipients:
14 Hipslappers

Named in his honor:
• Hershel “Woody” Williams VA Medical Center
• Hershel “Woody” Williams VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post 7048
• West Virginia National Guard Armory
• USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB-4), a Mobile Landing Platform built by General Dynamics NASSCO at their San Diego shipyard.

• In a 2020 Washington Post interview remembering the 75th anniversary of the Iwo Jima battle, Williams credits his religious awakening with ending his nightmares and transforming his life.

75th anniversary of the Iwo Jima battle:
75 SSH IC

Back to the flag for Mary. All got to call 25 ab exercises IC except for Purple Haze as time ran out. Or we didn’t wish to find out if he really is gas powered.

Announcements
Extinction Run the 6th
Blood Drive the 10th
Christmas Party next month
Rudolph’s Q at Gashouse the 13th
Service project (fill bags)

Prayers
Freight’s grandmother (going to hospice)
Mayor’s M
Sister Act
GSM co-workers
Virus
Others not mentioned

YHC took us out.

Afterwards, discussed the joys of chemistry: how to cook meth, make nerve gas, explosives, napalm, moonshine and other assorted substances.

Thanks for allowing me to lead.