7 Strong for a Monday morning workout in the gloom at Martha’s House. Not too cold but some significant wind dropped the temperature chill down a few notches.

As usual we gathered at Pelicans for some pre-workout mumble chatter and were thrilled to see an FNG in our midst. Getting toward a new year is a good time for EH’ing as many will be setting some New Year’s Resolutions…..why not F3??

We got right to the warm up on time thanks to the high dollar Casio on the Q’s left wrist:

In Cadence

SSH X 16
Imperial Walkers X 16
Moroccan Nightclubs X 21
LBC’s X 18

Pledge

The Thang

Mosey to the far end of the parking lot at Martha Rivers for some 22’s (11’s with the added number of reps to add up to 22 and count by 2’s)

20 reps of Merkins – Run to other side of parking lot – 2 reps of squats – run back to starting location
18 reps of Merkins – Run to other side of parking lot – 4 reps of squats – run back to starting location
16 reps of Merkins – yada yada, etc. etc…….you get the point. Continue until the last set included 2 Merkins & 20 squats

Mosey to center of the baseball fields for some Dora 1 – 2 – 3 work.

Partner one does exercise while partner two runs to the post at the end of the walkway/spoke of the wheel and then switch positions for cumulative reps as follows:

100 Merkins
200 LBC’s
300 Flutter Kicks

Mosey to the covered picnic shelter for some final work as follows in Cadence:

Dips X 15
Squats X 20
Dips X 15
Squats X 20
Dips X 15
Squats X 20

Mosey back to Pelicans for one quick set (or attempt) of Flutter Kicks. At rep # 26 or 27, we discovered the real reason he is called “GAS”tone, it was an epic, dinosaur killing explosion and YHC was in the line of fire and unable to complete the planned 40 reps of flutters. Workout abruptly ended.

Several announcements from the Advisory Board meeting: New 3rd F every Tuesday morning, 6:00 am at the new Harris Teeter/Starbucks on the corner of Robinwood & Kendrick Rd. New running workout on Thursday mornings, 5:30 am – 6:15 am, meet in the parking lot at the Publix/Hickory Tavern location. January 7 – F3 party at Whoopee’s – M’s invited, let Whoopee know if attending.

Several prayer requests. Remember the significance of this week.

Welcome to FNG Ditka. Look forward to seeing you at another workout, great work this morning!!

As always, I was honored to lead the group this morning. Until the next one, Aye!

Stroganoff

Boot camp workouts are predicated on “muscle confusion” and since each Q designs their own workout there isn’t a grand plan with alternating focus on the various muscle groups. Each workout has its own tempo and identity. Gastone is the new CEO of Martha’s House and has brought a new energy to the venue, constant energy seems more appropriate. I offered to fill the open Q slot and went to the drafting table, determined the session would go at a pace respectful to our new leader. Little did I expect to get pre-workout mumble chatter based on my pre-blast tweet declaring “no running.” How do you like that? Like a stubborn teenager avoiding authority, I became more convinced my plan was correct. I had 11 PAX to be the judge. Stroganoff shares insightful leadership quotes and the one I found to fit this situation is attributed to Socrates (or So-cratz according to Bill in the most excellent film: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure): “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

Approaching our launch time, there was a larger than normal group stretching and moving around the damp parking lot. Freshly named Stone Cold quickly made it to post #2 having made his debut four days prior; a good sign as our region grows with additional #HIMs. As the circle began to form, Gastone noticed two men in the distance of Martha River’s parking lot. His F3 senses kicked in and he was off to check if they might be FNG’s. A minute later we were introduced to Bounty and Nunchuck, on their own nomadic venture from their home AO of Rock Hill, SC. We exchanged introductions, quickly realizing their F3 birth names were much tougher than ours as we offered a “Whoopee” and a “Stroganoff” among others. We definitely lose the name game, but could we bring the heat in the workout? Let’s find out….

Warm-up

• Seal Jack IC x 10
• Don Quixote IC x 10
• Toy Soldier IC x 10
• Side to Side Lunge IC x 10

Mosey to the bank across the street for the Pledge. We then moseyed 20 yards to the rear of the building and that was all the moseying we were going to do. Mumble chatter ensued. Instructions were provided, disclaimer re-stated – modify as necessary, go at your own pace. There would be 6 sets of 5 exercises timed at 30 seconds with a 10 second rest. Any PAX having completed an Insanity DVD will recognize some of the exercises that do not have an F3 brand affixed to them.

1. Set 1
   1. SSH
   2. Merkin
   3. Squat
   4. Flutter Kick
   5. Freddie Mercury
2. Set 2
   1. Burpee
   2. LBC’s
   3. Side Straddle Squats
   4. Jingle Balls
   5. High Knee Twist
3. Set 3
   1. Burp to Lunge
   2. Dips
   3. Diamond Merkin
   4. Shoulder tap w/Plank Jack
   5. Cross Jack
4. Set 4
   1. Merkin Jack
   2. Bobby Hurley
   3. Crunchy Frog
   4. Box Cutter
   5. Iron Legs
5. Set 5
   1. WWI Sit Ups
   2. Pike Ups
   3. Pretzel Crunch Right
   4. Pretzel Crunch Left
   5. Spiderman Merkin
6. Set 6
   1. X Crunch
   2. Plank to Squat
   3. Prison Cell Merkin
   4. Hook Lunge
   5. Ski Burps

Like any of these ambitious sets that are timed, the set-up and rest periods to catch the PAX breath encroaches the dedicated 45 minutes of the weekly workout. We made it through all six sets one time but only halfway on the second go around. We moseyed back to the start for one minute of Mary: Hillbillies IC x 15 and Imperial Walker IC x 5 before time expired. Good work by all the PAX to push through. Tabata sets are always a You vs. You. The group setting provides the background noise even though George Strait didn’t make the playlist (next time Whoopee – I promise). But in this setting it’s your gloved hands pushing against the rock, trying to get a little better than before.

Thanks to Bounty and Nunchuck for joining us this morning. Hope you will come again when we make a broader tour of the AO. We shared announcements about our upcoming Convergence at the GasHouse Saturday am. Bring an item or two off the list to support Operation Sweet Tooth. Monk shared his new plan to post a bible passage that can be the basis for the Third F at Panera or any time at your leisure. Finally Whoopee needs a head count for PAX and M’s attending the After Christmas Party January 7^th. There is no truth to the rumor that his M will do a burpee for every female in attendance.

Thanks for the opportunity to follow my lead, even if you didn’t get to run.