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Possum Trot – The House Always Wins

Warm Up:

The temp was forecast for 22 but we arrived to a balmy 28, perhaps we were already warm enough? Just in case, we started with some good mornings to loosen up the back, some side-straddle hops to get the heart beating, and a quick tour around the tennis courts with the request to grab a rock on the way back.

The Workout:

Craps! Using a pair of dice, the rules are simple. Each PAX would have turn to roll the dice. Before rolling they called out their exercise of choice and then gave them a toss. If the roll was a 7 or 11, the pax did 7 or 11 burpees, respectively. If the roll was a 2 or 10, the pax ran one lap around the tennis courts. If the roll was anything else, they did that count of whatever exercise was called. If the roll was not burpees or a run, the called exercise remains live and you get to roll again. You keep rolling until you hit 7, 11 or 2, 10.

I don’t think anyone kept count, but we did some curls for the girls, tricep extensions, something where you grab your ankles and squat, merkins, a crab-position-touch-your-hand-to-your-foot thing (which was much more difficult than it sounded), and many burpees. A few laps were run as well.

Mary:

Once everyone had their rolls of the dice, we worked our way into the tennis courts and circled up. A few minutes of yoga-inspired stretches loosened us up and kept us warm. Then we ran through the circle and talked for a minute about what the phrase “Leave good evidence of a life well lived” means to you. Lots of great answers that showed the true depth of the men who show up in the gloom.

Announcements: Wrightsville is this weekend

Prayer:

  • Prayers for Shredder to have a successful surgery and quick recovery.
  • Prayers for everyone running this weekend to stay healthy

11 Guys came out to sing the famous song, “The woods are alive with the sound of… Spring Peepers!!!”

Warm Up

A fun jog around Clubworx to circle up in the roundabout for warm up consisting of: SSH, daisy pickers, good mornings, imperial walkers and various stretches

 

The Workout

Jog to the tennis courts

Bear crawl, merkin suicides (somebody called “Gents on the Fence” as the waiting on the 6 exercise… I’m sure it was Banana Seat)

Duck walk, LBC suicides (Please note that R22 called “Burpees” as our waiting on the 6 exercise this go round)

Jog to the rock pile

Rotating rock exercises consisting of curls for the girls, ruh rows, shoulder press, shoulder taps and triceps extensions) with a jog around the circle as the time keeper

11’s with dips and derkins under the pavilion

 

Mary

WWII and Have a Nice Days (with meditation, prayer and reflection)

 

Announcements

Wrightsville this weekend and U-Turn will still be open

7th Annual F3 Raleigh Mule is on Saturday

NC Spring Classic 8K and 16K April 27th. Get 10% off with F3SW2019

 

Prayer Request

Crab Legs; DD and Shredder and other injured brothers

Little Squirts

8:40 on a cool, wet Saturday morning and Bluehen, Hard Hat, Speed Racer, Emeril, Potter, Q-Bert walked throughout Womble planning the first of many monthly 2.0 workouts.  Pucks, ropes, hoola-hoops and flags were spread throughout the park.  Around 8:50 the PAX and their 2.0’s started to trickle in.   Quite a few 2.0’s had already been to some workouts and had names but there was a big group of FNG 2.0’s in the mix.  A great first turn-out.

 

Warm Up:  Quick jog around the tennis courts.  Time to get the 2.0’s riled up.  First exercise Fortnite’s Hype kicked off by Bluehen.  Second exercise Floss led by Q-Bert.  Into evolution of Kid:  Planks, Monkey Humpers, Squats, Duck Walk, Butt Kicks, High Knees, Jumping Jacks

The Workout:

Jog down to back parking lot. Emeril pointed the 2.0’s onto one of 2 sides of the parking lot.   Bin full of hockey pucks in between the groups.  1 2.0 per team ran to the pin and retrieved a hockey puck and returned and dropped it into the hoola hoop circle.  While the kids raced to grab a puck the PAX did push-ups and squats.  Emeril brought more pucks than he thought so at one point 2.0’s were asked to grab 2 and then 3 pucks at a time.   Yellow card was ready to move on to a new exercise so him and a couple other 2.0’s grabbed the bin and brought it back to their side.  Automatic disqualification for his team and 10 SSH as punishment.

Next up bear crawl capture the flag

PAX put in their flags and bear crawled up the parking lot while the 2.0’s ran around capturing their flags and taking them back to the hoola hoop circle.  2.0’s quickly won.  10 burpees to the PAX as punishment.
2.0’s were up next as they put the flags on and did a duck walk while the dad’s did a 1 legged hop to try to catch them.  2.0’s won so 10 burpees to the PAX as punishment.

3 sets of indian runs back to the tennis courts area for 2.0’s vs PAX in Tug a War.  Matches started with multiple 2.0’s on one end and Flanigan on the other.  2.0’s won.  5 Merkins for the PAX.  Second match pitted Moby, Beater and Bubba vs teh 2.0’s.  2.0’s won. 5 Merkins for the PAX.  Third match pitted 6-7 PAX vs the 2.0’s.  2.0’s won again.  Everyone does 5 Merkins

Mary:

LBC’s,  Boat Canoe’s
Announcements:

See Slack channel for announcements
Prayer:

Dovetail took us out

Taper Mode Edition

Great turnout for U-turn this morning as Pax are gearing up for WB and Tobacco Road. 187, LED, Sliderule, Warbucks, Boy George, Skidmark for some extra miles at the beginning.

Warm Up: some quality dynamic stretching
The Workout: standard 5 mile loop and picking up the 6.
Mary: coffee and stretching
Announcements: WB I think is next weekend. 5k Friday night for Crablegs. Wear red. Banana Seat will post details. 2.0 workout.
Prayer: lots of pax with injuries. Buford, shredder, Double D, Crablegs. Recent losses of family and friends. Lipstick’s mother in law. Too many. Enjoy the time with 2.0 today. We are blessed.

Burnin’ Down The Quads

9 men came out in the gloom to pick daisies, sing, and dance.

Just kidding; we worked out.

Three newcomers to Sheepdog, (not FNGs though): Cupid, Yosef, and Mufasa (from Carpex, at Cupid’s invitation). Mercy was taken on the PAX for the second half due to wet ground and the presence of cover at the front-side of the school, so 2nd F at Dunkin would be a drier affair.

Warm Up:

Mosey around the school. Imperial walkers and hillbillies, followed by leg sweeps, Sir Fazzio arm circles, Michael Phelps, Good Mornings, and round of monkey humpers to limber up the hips

The Workout:

5-to-25 squats and 25-5 merkins, changing by 5 each round, with about a 35-yard sprint between each set, e.g. 5 squats; sprint; 25 merkins; sprint; 10 squats; sprint; 20 merkins.

Then ran back around front, and did 10 squats and 10 OYO butterfly situps, followed by a sprint around the round-about. Rinse & repeat 2 more times.

Combatives started with Wing Chung punches: 30 singles, 20 doubles, and 20 triples, and then moved on to a couple of handshake techniques, because you never know when someone’s going to come at you with a vicious left-handed knuckle-squeezer (not really, but it’s useful and simpler to start with handshakes than a knife).

Mary:

Stretching (since we don’t do a good job of this, and because core had already been worked in). Practiced tension-release stretching (holding tension in the stretch for 10-30 seconds, then relaxing int a bit deeper stretch. 3x).

Announcements:

Wrightsville half, first 2.0 workout Saturday at 9. If you’re interested in the Sprint triathlon this summer, join the Slack channel.

Prayer:

The Courtine family at the unexpected loss of their 9-year-old son; Shredder; Yosef’s high BP, wants to get more regular working out; Mufasa’s mom is going through a divorce; in general, marriages in turmoil

A moist “circle merk” with the Japanese Express

16 men got to business on a fine drizzly morning in the Quay.

7-8 got their EC in and apologize gents but I didn’t catch the role call for that one before we left out or when we got back in

Warm Up: Broke up the mumble chatter, stayed put and circled up the Pax for the following

20 – SSH, 10 Good Mornings…nice and deep-like, “Fonzie”-arm circles 10 front/10 back, 10 Imperial walkers right into (kinda) 10 Hillbillies, and 10 Windmills

The Workout: Now that the gang was all loose and pleasentries exchanged it was time to get down to why we all left our warm bodied ladies back in the fartsack….

“Circle-Merk” – Pax partnered up and ran opposite directions around the tennis courts to meet 1/2 way where each would perform a Merkin exercise (from list below) then continue in opposite directions to meet back at original starting point for another Merkin exercise (from list below)…. rinse and repeat

10 – Broke back merks

10 – Japanese Express (partner 1 in squat hold, holds partner 2’s feet at shoulder height (wheelbarrow hold like) while partner 2 does merks)

10 – Patty cake merks

 

Partners then grabbed a rock and headed to base of hill for a Dora.

Partners completed the following reps (200 curls/tri ext, 200 LBCs/American hammers, 200 overhead press/chest press) at base of hill while other partner climbed Mount QuaRina and completed the following on the guard rail at top (10-irkins, 10-dips, 5/5 one legged squats off rail)

Mary: Pax dropped their rocks off at the pile and mossied to Mary in the courts for the following –

15 – Peter Parkers/15 – Low Slow Flutters/15-WW2/20 – Reverse LBCs/10 each downward dog stretches into right leg then left leg scorpion Merkins

 

Announcements:

Blue Ridge Relay, Wrightsville 1/2 coming up – the Friday night before is a 5k – come support Crablegs!

 

Prayer:

Shredder’s healing, Crablegs continued prayers, Coal Ash calf (and ankle?) injury at start of workout today, Moby’s dad

Thunder is a mainly no running…. but we like legs…

Warm Up:

Mosey to Amphitheater – Dynamic High Legs 10, Quad Stretch 10, High Knees 10. MERKIN Twists Arm Up / SCORPION stretch / Dynamic Hamstring / Groin Stretch 1 arm up. 

The Workout:

LEG SETS

10 Jump Squats

10 Bulgarian Split Squats (5L/5R)

10 Pistol Squats (5L/5R)

DEEP SQUAT HOLD (15 cadence)

10 One leg get ups (5L/5R)

Foot Over Toe – shoulder on wall, tighten quads to lift heels off the ground, keeping heels off ground touch the top the top of toe with heel (5L/5R/5L/5R)

Recovery: 20 Cadence Count BALLS

Rinse and Repeat 3 times

*******

10 Diamonds/10 count Superman/10 Pickup Planks/ 10 Inch Worm Merkins

*******

REPEAT LEG SETS (3 sets)

Mary:Box Cutter 15 cadence, Low Slow Flutter 20 cadence,  American Hammers 20 cadence, Homer to Marge 20 count std +10 left leg, +10 right leg. Diamond Merkins 25 count. Finished up with Protractos 10 count cadence each angle 22.5/45/90/45/22.5

Announcements: Tri-Sprint June 1st (speak to Gump)

Prayer: Thanks for Fitness & Fellowship

Minding my own business… now I’m Qing

Warm Up:

Took a lap around the track into our circle up for 20-SSH, 10-Good mornings nice and slow, Arm stretches, 10 ea. – Imperial Walkers/Hillbillies, Butterfly Stretch

The Workout:

Each Pax picked a parking spot and got to business with a “Build a bear-ish” start to the day. Bear crawl down the line – 7 Merkins at the curb, bear crawl back out to 1 Burpee. Ascending and defending order until 1 Merkin and 7 Burpees were felt in all their glory. Prize for winning was helping pick up the six.

From the comfort of our parking spots Pax mossied down to the rock pile and partnered up for a Dora where we explora’d the benefits of reps and cardio together.

Partners swapped between “sprints” up the parking lot and back and the following rock work: 100 bicep curls/100 tricep curls, 200 squats, 100 overhead press/100 chest presses from your six. Q audibled our of sprints into LBC’s and WW2’s once we hit the plus one mile mark on “sprints”

Pax retuned the rocks and lined up for an Indian run up to tennis courts for Mary

Mary:

Pax circled up to finish off with the following: 15-American Hammers, 15-Freddy Mercury’s, 15-Side to Side Heel Taps, 15- Low Slow Flutters, Downward Dog stretch into left leg raise for 10-scorpion presses(?) rinse and repeat for with right leg raised, finished with a lovely have a nice day moment of reflection

Announcements: Gump is swimming now and wants you to join him on the tri circuit 😜 – Wrightsville in the final count down (baaaanaaannnnannnnaaa bana-nantnantna)

Prayer: H1N1 trusting in God’s plan for next step in career path and news of promotion. Grablegs

Flying Cupids & Dancing Rocks

11 PAX braved the damp and cool gloom for a virgin Q – and hopefully a proper beatdown.
Cupid flew in at the last moment after the other HIM’s slowly emerged from the warmth of their respective vehicles as though they could foresee the “fun” that awaited them.
No FNG’s
Warm Up:
Mosey around the track to the front parking lot
SSH x 20 IC
Imperial walkers x 15 IC
Hillbillies x 15 IC
Hairy Rockettes (alternating toe touches) x 15 IC – LipSync enjoyed these a little too much. 5 6 7 8…)
Squat kicks x 15

 

The Workout:

Head to the rock pile to get a moderately sized rock suitable for lifting multiple reps.
John Cusack to the corner of the parking lot.
Rock Exercise 1: Rock-a-bye-baby x 15 IC (up, out, left twist, right twist = 1)
Lunge walk to the island (of misfit toys) – Merkins x 10 OYO – run back to your rock – squat hold or hold plank for the 6
Rock Exercise 2: Curls for the Girls x 20 IC
Lunge to island – 10 Merkins – run back
Rock exercise 3: Tricep Extensions x 20(ish) IC
Lunge to island – 10 Merkins – run back
Rock exercise 4: Ruh Roh’s x 20(ish) IC
Lunge to island – 10 Merkins – run back
Rinse and Repeat with a twist: Replace lunge walk with Bear Crawl and replace Merkins with WW2’s x 10 OYO
Return your rock from whence it came a la John Cusack just in time for 6 minutes of…
Mary:
LBC’s x 20 IC
Freddie Mercuries x 20 IC
Gump requested American Hammers x 10 IC
LipSync requested Homer to Marge x 10 IC
Martini requested Low Slow Flutters x 10 IC
5 Burpees in honor of R22 (who is the one who invited me to F3 back in August 2018)
Announcements:
Wrightsville half in two weeks
See Slack/ FB for the rest…

Prayer:

Several relatives and friends who have been diagnosed with cancer (Cupid’s friend’s dad, Modify’s dad – going through Chemo)

Two young guys who have committed suicide recently – lift up their families and friends — Don’t struggle alone or let anyone struggle alone. Reach out to guys you haven’t seen in a while and let them know they are missed.

Crablegs (ALS)

Shredder (knee)

Forgive me if I missed any…
COT:
Wise men build their house on the rock by listening to the words of Jesus and putting them into practice. When (not if) the wind and waves come, the house will stand strong.
Foolish men build their house on the sand by either not listening to the words of Jesus and/or not living them out. When the wind and waves come, that house will come down with a huge crash. (Matthew 7:24-27)
At least this day was built on the rock – quite literally – which made all of us stronger and less likely to get knocked over…once the soreness subsides.
2nd F at Stick Boy for celebratory scones.
It was my great honor to lead you HIM’s in the glorious (and damp) gloom this am.
Until next time…

Birthday Bash at Possum Trot

Warm Up:  13 PAX took Dauber’s double dare showing up in wet conditions from an overnight rain for a birthday bash arm beat down in 36 deg balmy weather.  Before departing for our warm up jog, Pablo asked for the where-about  of breathtaker.  A Dauber hug was enough evidence for Pablo who pulled a Reagan needing to “trust but verify”.  Dauber had the extra gear under his sweatshirt (did I mention it was above freezing?).   Jog commenced around the tennis courts to the parking lot and began the following exercises in cadence:  20 ssh ; 10 Fazio Arm circles F/B; 10 good mornings; 10 Vegetation grabbers; 10 IW; 10 HB; Michael Phelps; Static arm stretches.  Jogged to the Love Shack for the workout.

The Workout:  10 Star jumps, 10 merkins.  Mosey to grass area with small hill behind ball field for 11’s – SSH on bottom and LBCs on top.  Mumble chatter about counts; More reps is a good thing.  Mosey to the shack for a birthday celebration of balls to the wall.  In honor of Doc’s 47th Birthday, PAX completed a 47 cadence count.  Modify gave a much needed 10 count post BTTW.  Lined up at the bottom of the incline and began alternating strides, 10 strides in length, until reaching the top of the incline/parking lot.  Each PAX then grabbed a medium-sized rock from the rock pile and met back up in the parking lot holding plank for the six.  With rock in hand, the following exercises were completed with 10 reps:  arm curls, arm o/h presses, triceps extensions, rut-ros, one hand on rock merkins (L/R), Squats.  25 SSH, Rinse and repeat.  25 SSH, Rinse & Repeat with a slight modification of completing rock exercises from your six; exercises included chest press, skull-crushers and LBCs/WW IIs.  25 more SSH (inspired by Nemo – keeping the heart rate up).  Rocks back to the rock pile John Cusack style.  Ran out of time so no hill work was executed.

Mary:  Dauber made up Yoga names for some much-needed stretching – – – inspired by a yoga class fresh on his mind from last night with Doc and Double D (missed you DD this morning – perhaps too much stretching or just a clear colon?). PAX were overjoyed performing these stretches on the Action Park parking lot asphalt. Knees, forearms and elbows were so comfortable.  Perhaps the puddles on the tennis courts should have been utilized?

Announcements:  BRR, WB half and full, sprint tri registration.  Q-Source post PT at Stick Boy.  Namerama ended with birth name (junior, junior, junior?).  Happy birthday 🎁🎂🎈🎊🎉 sung to Doc; called out Lucky Charms when he emphatically said he was still 49 – evidently his birthday is May 1st.  Let’s plan for a big celebration.

Prayer:  Thank you Fonzi for taking us out in prayer.  Lots of requests today, spoken and unspoken:  injured/ill PAX including Shredder & Crab Legs; illness/cancer with PAX family members; job interview; HS kids taking ACT today; other prayers…

EC today:  great job Pablo for getting it done.

Always a pleasure/honor leading these fine #HIM men in the gloom.  QIC- Dauber