Dear Mom,
I’m writing this letter this morning as I woke up early to get a jump start on my day and also because you taught me the importance of being accountable. Like every Sunday for the past 2 years, I’ve been Q’ing this thing called ‘Any Given Sunday’ as part of a group called F3. Sometimes its just me, sometimes we get 4 and as many as 10 out there to run miles around town because that’s what is prescribed and hold each other accountable. That’s what showing up is and thankful you taught me the value of accountability and for you continuing to show up for patients during the time of this pandemic through your 50 year career as a nurse.
So as I rolled out of the driveway this morning to head to Womble, I thought of all those early mornings you woke up early to start your 2nd shift after working til 9pm the night before. Probably half awake, raising two kids on your own, but you did it because you had to and wanted to be sure my older brother and I didn’t go without. I also remember during the summers when I was twelve, you first brought me to your medical office to pull weeds in the parking lot where you worked to learn the value of money and earning a honest wage. When we do these F3 workouts in the summer, as oppressive as they can be with the humidity, it doesn’t hold a candle to the 90+ degree weather you had me in doing manual labor at the age of 12, but I’m better for it and mentally stronger in the gloom because of it. Fortunately, you also taught me the value of being versatile and the importance of communication, which eventually landed me a job inside your medical office and secured a job throughout high school and college. Later landing me my 20+ year career in Healthcare IT. You showed me the value of working from the ground up and for that I thank you.
As I entered the parking lot this morning, I saw that I was not alone. This guy we call Pikachu was there, fresh off a few miles prior to the 5 miles I have planned this morning. He’s a bit of an overachiever and not sure he sleeps, but he’s a solid runner and I’m sure he is gonna make me go faster than I want to go, not because he means to, but it’s a given that we will go faster because of how competitive you and I can be to try and keep up. I then turned around and 2 more guys rolled up. There’s these guys Oboe and Vasoline. Oboe is kinda quiet usually and a silent leader, kinda like you when you want something done and you don’t really say it, you just kind of do it and then based on your actions I usually follow suit and do what you do and I try to keep up. Vasoline is one of the new guys in the group. Been running the past few months on the weekends and through quarantine. He’s battling some issues now with his IT band after overextending on some of his runs, but is doing his research and studying up on how to get stronger to run injury free. You and I both know what burn out can do and always good to take a step back and reassess corrective measures. A reminder of when you always tell me to breath, especially when presented with challenges. Then there is Coal Ash. Might be the one guy in the gloom that seems to get the most out of me on Sunday’s when he posts. Not really a runner by trade, but a soccer player that is conditioned to run long distances, and can inspire intermittent speed when he wants to drag it out of you, especially up hills. Kinda like the time I didn’t want to take that AP Bio exam in high school because I thought it was too hard and wasn’t going to pass it. You made me stay in all weekend and accelerate my studying on all things amoeba and branch chain amino acids. I eventually passed like you knew I would and actually allowed me to get a jump start on college credits my freshman year. “Don’t put off til tomorrow what you can do today”….yeah I get it.
FNGs: No new guys, but that’s ok, they’ll show soon enough.
Warm Up: With these guys already warmed up, I figured I’d pick up where they left off with a hot lap around the lot. We circled up for some exercises that are gonna sound a bit unusually so I won’t bore you with the details, Good Mornings X10, Imperial Walkers X10, Hillbillies X10, Moroccan Night Clubs X10, Phelps, Fazios 10F/10B, Prisoner squats X10. We then squatted while I explained today’s route
The Workout: Since you are many miles away, I figured this morning’s route needed to be special, but also let you know that I was thinking of you. With that, I decided on a route that in the end when viewing on Strava would look like NH, where you currently live with the end point being close to where you live at the bottom. I even forced Pikachu to run an extra lap with me at the end to accentuate the point. He thought I was trying to finish up and get the extra mileage, but I was actually trying to make the picture on Strava look better. That’s the perfectionist in me that I learned from you and also a tribute to you for always instilling in me the importance of a plan, while also encouraging my creativity.
The route started down Stinson and all the way up the hill to Bass Lake where we took a left to Holly Springs Road and straight up through Rhamkatte Village. It’s that place I took you to look at townhouses when you visited. I kinda knew you wouldn’t relocate down here, but I appreciate your willingness to try even though I know deep down you are a creature of habit. A quality I have gained genetically and battle with every day as I strive to try new things. To continue this morning’s route we headed left through Rhamkatte and caught Skymont all the way down to the greenway. From the greenway, we took a right onto the back end street, which is the opposite route of this other run we do at another workout called Paradise City. Continued on that and then looped it by taking a left on Arctic Ridge and back the way we came via the greenway. I told the boys with the hills coming up, that I’d need a piggy back ride, but unfortunately that is frowned upon these days with the current pandemic. I’d have to push through from a distance. The good news is that these dudes came back on every turn. There is a name for it and it is called picking up the six.
It’s kinda like that time I had a few too many the night before you planned to drive me back to college for my sophomore year. You had worked through the night on a private duty nursing case and told me that I had better have that car packed and ready to go when you got home. Instead, I was passed out on the bathroom floor with the car only have packed. Yeah- you didn’t let up that morning, forcing me to scrape myself off the floor, finish packing, and force my way through the hangover. To this day I do not drink Southern Comfort and have your voice in the back of my head every time I see it.
With all these pick ups by the guys this morning, I started to say I was sorry for dragging behind, but when I looked at my watch I was running a sub 9. Sorry not sorry… These guys were flying this morning. Finally made our way back, and added a little distance at the end as mentioned. We then circled up and we do this thing called COT, which is a circle of trust. I told each of them to call their mom’s because if you were there, that’s what you’d tell them to do. As many are married and with kids, I also advised and challenged each person to make this day special, take care of their wives, spend time with their kids and enjoy the day. Alot of special women in each and every one of our lives on a daily basis, deserving more than a one day celebration. We need to take time to thank them and for me personally I need to do a better job of that to include those daily thank you’s.
Announcements: I additionally told these guys to make breakfast for their wives, give virtual hugs\real hugs where applicable and check this thing called Slack where we organize the workouts and intel for the week ahead.
T-Claps (Recognition): I gave some additional praise to all the guys in attendance this morning, helping to keep each other accountable, some with PR’s- Vasoline, Oboe, YHC (myself) included. I told you we’d run faster this morning. Again, not because we wanted to, but because of competitive nature, and more importantly because these guys showed up.
Prayer: In the end we offered some prayers for some of our F3 brothers like Wallaby and Wrangler and their families, as well as all of our front line healthcare workers helping others through this tough time with the Covid health crisis. Even though you aren’t here physically in NC, please know I am thinking of you. As well, I know the guys in attendance this morning and the other F3 Southwake brothers, like Deadbolt and Redenbacher (who we missed at the workout this morning) will be thinking of their moms today. I will call you later.
With Love, your Son (aka- F3-Mookie)
