4 PAX for the 4th, and YHC focused on what makes a nation truly great–the unnoticed people on the ground level who do the “small”, thankless work, generation after generation. It’s hard work, humility, patience, perseverance, and a willingness to just keep grinding it out day after day regardless of the circumstances. We would be in solidarity with them this morning.
After a much needed warmup of the usual after Yankee’s soreness-inducing Saturday, YHC introduced the main Thang:
Often, we hear about the men who led and made major decisions in decisive battles, but rarely do we think about those who built the weapons, who hauled the ammunition and gear into the field, and who followed orders and took care of their brothers in the trenches.
So, the PAX partnered up, and while one partner made continuous progress on the road to greatness by doing alternating step-ups on the picnic tables, the other partner built BOMBS (then flapjack):
Bicep Curls–17
Overhead Press–70 (by tens)
Manmakers–6(teeen)
Big Boy Situps w/block–50 (by tens)
Squats w/block–13
Altogether, 1776, 50 stars, and 13 stripes
Thang 2: Push Through It
All PAX army crawled the length of the field, then ran back. It was grueling work, and the ground was harder than it seemed, so all were glad to be done with it. But, of course, in keeping with the theme, YHC announced we’d be repeating the trek.
YHC shared his great admiration for those on the battlefield and in their homes who are able to make the shift from asking the question, “How much more of this can I take?” to “What is needed of me in this moment?” This shift seems to require a lot of practice (which YHC was happy to provide this morning), and I think it’s one of the main reasons for the Q-drenaline phenomenon–your focus is on the PAX and the plan rather than on constantly trying to calculate how much more you think you can suffer.
Thang 3: Coyote Ugly’s
Back to the picnic tables. Partner 1 holds Partner 2’s legs in wheelbarrow position while Partner 1 steps up with his arms onto the bench, merkin, then onto the top, merkin, back down to the bench, merkin, and down to the ground, merkin. That’s 1 rep. The plan was for each PAX to do 5 reps, but the physics of the step up from the ground to the bench proved to be a major strain on the lower back, despite the holding partner’s best efforts. So, each did 3 reps with legs held, and the last two with feet on the ground. Looking back, it might have been more successful just going from the bench to the top, skipping the ground stage altogether.
With a few minutes left, all PAX sprinted to the road and back just to add some intensity before 7 minutes of Mary (“7 minute abs!”): All 20 IC–Flutter kicks, LBC’s, Leg raises, American Hammers, Hello Dollies, and Wife Pleasers.
COT with some great updates about the St. Vincent 500 and some intense prayer intentions including thanks for Percleator’s finding a house. We’re grateful that they finally found a winner, but it won’t be the same without him!
Extremely grateful for these HIMs and their willingness to get up early and grind it out, as well as for the gift of this great nation and the people who make it that way.
SYITG,
Goose
