F3 New Orleans

Author: Captain Sparkles

  • Remembering 9/11

    Well I felt I had no choice but to sign up for the Q Tuesday 9-11-18 since I’m a firefighter and want to always remember the sacrifices by brothers in New York gave for people they didn’t even know. It’s a shame that sometimes we are willing to give more to strangers than our own families. I’m learning the hard way. But hopefully I’m learning!!! Anyways enough for reflecting on values we should all think about!!!
    Of course there was not much to this Beatdown or was there? The twin towers had around 1071 steps in them so to my calculations that means we had to do 86 times up the Trailhead steps. Only there is no elevator to take us down so that means 86 times down as well adding to the difficulty of this task.
    Since I am participating in the New Orleans memorial stair climb I decided it was time to Bunker up for this one and to no surprise I couldn’t keep up with my F3 brothers. Only finishing 50 with full gear. In the allotted time. We then circled up for our normal count off and prayer. Since I waited so long for blast I can’t remember who prayed us out but there was prayer. Congratulations to all the guys who were there it means a lot to me. And also great job finishing the 86 Climbs.

  • Revived Milestone Marsh

    Well after cleaning court, the pax started to roll in excited to see four of my F3 brothers come for the Beatdown.
    warm ups
    25 side straddle hops
    25 toe touches
    25 Imperial walkers
    25 mountain climbers
    The Thang
    Head over to some soft ground.
    50/35/15 = 100 three sets
    50 sit-ups
    50 Merkins
    35 sit-ups
    35 Merkins
    15 sit-ups
    15 Merkins
    15/10/5 = 30 leg lifts
    Hanging from monkey bars
    30 step ups right leg
    30 step ups left leg
    Over to Basketball court
    Bear crawl to 3 point line
    5 Merkins
    Crab walk
    5 Merkins
    Bear crawl to 3 point line
    5 Merkins
    Crab walk to end of court
    5 Merkins
    Shuttle run back to other side
    25 flutter kicks In cadence
    25 hello dollies in cadence
    25 Iron sharpens Iron sit-ups since I cant remember what they were called lol.
    2 min. Plank on forearms.
    Order might not be exactly but that’s what we did. Lol

  • Stair climb rain out (Lightning)

    Well since Captain Sparkles is starting to prepare for the annual 911 New Orleans Memorial Stair Climb it was on his agenda to incorporate the Mandeville Trailhead stairs into the Beatdown.
    But Mother Nature had other plans throwing some lightning around.
    So for the warm up.

    Side straddle hops originally planned on 20 but with late comer Chewy felt the need to extend the count so Chewy wouldn’t miss out on a few so extended it to 50 as I was approaching 50 got some mumbling from Mr Shooter thinking it would never end. Lol.

    25 Imperial walkers in cadence
    25 mountain climbers in cadence

    The Thang

    Partner up for sit ups
    50 each
    50 Merkins or your best without stopping
    35 sit-ups
    35 Merkins
    15 sit-ups
    15 Merkins
    Totaling 100 of each
    Jog to bus stop in remembrance of Steve
    His favorite. Yep on benches
    10 Freak Nasty’s
    10 box jumps
    10 Freak Nasty’s
    5 box jumps
    10 Freak Nasty’s
    3 box jumps so I’m out of shape
    Jog back to Trailhead
    2 min. Forearm plank
    25 flutter kicks in cadence
    2 min. Elevate legs 6” above ground or as long as you can.
    30 right leg step ups
    30 left leg step ups
    Gave last 3 min. To Chewy for some stretching exercises.

  • F3 TOUGH 2 TOUGH

    Warmarama

    26 Side straddle hops

    The Thang

    Start off with 50 Merkins
    20 times up and down stairs
    35 Merkins
    20 times up and down stairs
    15 Merkins
    26 times up and down stairs
    Water break
    20 times up and down stairs

    Total 100 Merkins
    86 times up & down stairs
    Equaling 110 floors
    Or 2071 steps
    Complete in approximately 50 min.

    COT

  • 2 is Enough!

    Well after a long month of filming a movie and missing many Q’s it was time to get back in the picture. Can’t say i was overly anxious to run 6.1 miles at 0445am
    But new i had to get back at it. Then the thought crept in my mind maybe no one will show and I can just go to gym for a light workout. But the morning breeze was so nice that thought left and new thought of maybe doing the lakefront and back little over 3 miles. But thanks to ONE of The Seal Team 6 members for showing up and pushing me a little further than a solo run would have brong. Shooter the man who really inspired the start of the cove held me accountable. Thanks Brother.
    There is NO doubt we are STRONGER together!

  • To Run or Not to Run?

    Well you see it goes like this. We had an F3 Brother who advertises he’s going to make Captains Cove this Friday since he’s on this side of the lake this weekend.
    So F3 Brother Steve gets excited to host our brother in his first Northshore appearance and makes a Hard commit to show up for the 10K Friday even though he has a 10K race the next day. Witch and trainer would tell you to take the day before a race off and rest your legs!
    Well since this Q has been canceling so much lately and also likes to cater to our F3 Brothers when ever he can. He also against better judgment woke up at 3:50am to be there for our guest. Captain Sparkles shows up early when he shows up lately. Steve rolls in minutes to spare. So no South shore guest yet. Well it’s his first time to this AO he might have got lost. So Captain Sparkles & Steve start talking about the Movie industry. And next thing you know it’s 5:30am well Steve looks at Captain Sparkles, Captain Sparkles looks at Steve and both with happy looks on our face say well looks like he’s going to be a no show. So using good judgment we do what any hardcore F3 would do with a race next day. Yep we high tailed it back to the fart sacks. To rest our legs. So every sad story has a Silver lining.

  • Who Wants it. Earn it!!!

    Well after EIEI getting me all excited about him and a unknowing Shooter Running an extra 6.2 after our regularly scheduled 10K. Only 4 of our Seal Team 6 showed up for the 10K Friday with Captain Sparkles setting an example getting there a few min. Early to get in an extra mile thinking some pax’s Running that extra 6.2 just might edge by in our map my run challenge. But with our regular no show master at work in his fart sack the lead is safe for now! With two pax Shooter & Bushwacker staying to put in an extra mile or so made me proud to see them not settle for what was on the schedule and having an appetite for more puts a smile on my face. After our long time joking about the F3NORTHSHORE having a
    Seal Team 6 I figured let’s put some names to this face. So at the end of our Run Ranger Run month and it benefiting our Veterans there is no better time. So put the work in and do something above average to get named in our elite
    Seal Team 6 for the Northshore.

    Ok for the start of our day.
    Countoroma, Captain Sparkles leading us in prayer then heading out for the oh so well known journey to sunset point and back. 6.2 miles complete.

  • High Hopes for 1000

    Well with high hopes of the Northshore shining like the North Star Standing out from the rest. I think the simple fact that other pax logging all kinds of miles including bike miles makes it hard for a strictly running pax to shine. No matter this F3 hopefull still would like to see that 1000 Mark broke. In high hopes our 10K Friday would get more participation with this Run Ranger Run as our ISI this month. It seems that the 4:45am is still just to early for some to get out the fart sack!! But I can always count on those Seal Team 6 our Above Average F3 Brothers to show up. Your Q Captain Sparkles trying his hardest to keep up and lead by example showed up just a little earlier to get some foreplay in it wasn’t much but was enough for Shooter to ask with a wondering voice “Captain you getting some foreplay in on a 10k Friday” with the tone of his voice I wasn’t sure if it was a tone of being impressed or concerns that the Captain has gone completely crazy, as if 4:45am isn’t crazy enough. Bushwacker still insisting he isn’t a runner but glides through the dark of the gloom with no signs of fatigue just gets to me since I seemed to struggle just to keep up.
    As always count off and circle of trust starts off our 10K Friday then were off wondering where is Steve maybe he will jump in mid way since he lives the closest to this AO.

  • Crackerjack surprise

    Well committed to the Monday beat down and curious to whom would kick my but this gloom, I checked the Q sign up to see who it would be at 4:00am as I was very surprised no one had signed up to Q in this beautiful weather. Well I thought easy Q right if everyone checks the Q for the day and see’s no one signed up hey probably no one will show and I could hit it light and easy. So I signed up for the Q at 4am. Well not to my surprise there is always someone looking for a workout on the Northshore and had two hardcore F3 brothers ready to round robin it if need be. But just like in a crackerjack box they got a surprise Captain Sparkles signed up to Q at 4am. And since it was last min. This Q had no pre plans for a beat down. So it makes for a very hard backblast remembering everything that was done. But I’ll give it a shot with exercises probably not in order but most certainly done.

    Warm up all in cadence
    40 side straddle hops
    20 windmills
    20 High knees

    Moving Straight into the thing
    IN CADENCE
    25 LBC
    25 leg flutter
    2 min. Plank
    50 Putin’s
    50 Merkins
    25 LBC
    25 leg flutter
    25 Putin’s
    15 Hanging leg lifts
    5 pull-ups
    15 hanging leg lifts
    5 pull-ups
    20 LBC
    20 leg flutter
    6” off ground held legs for 60 mississippi
    25 Merkins
    20 Toe touches
    50 right leg step ups
    50 left leg step ups
    20 LBC
    20 leg flutter
    2 min. Plank
    1 min. Right plank
    1 min. Left plank
    50 air squats
    25 right side Jane Fonda’s
    25 left side Jane Fonda’s
    15 combination of bicycle/ Imperial walkers / on Butt very tuff balancing while in motion makes for a great core workout.
    Basically it was a CORE day with some or a lot of extra thrown in.
    Thanks Shooter and Pelican for being there and holding me accountable to a half way hard beat down.

  • 22% Do I NEED TO SAY MORE!!!

    Man I hate to admit this publicly but this Q on this day was really hoping to have a bunch of fart sackers so I myself could go back to my warm house!!! Sitting in my truck posting my soon to be morning routine on Facebook wondering if I’m helping or hurting F3 chances of getting any new FNG’s. Posting at 4:45am in 22% weather might or should I say probably sounds crazy to most! But the second thing I realized is how strong the fellowship is to bring brothers together in such extreme temperatures to get in a good beat down. There truly is no other group like F3!!!
    Thanks again Captain Sparkles

    Now for Warm ups in cadence
    40 Side straddle hops
    20 windmills
    20 Imperial walkers
    20 Butt kicks
    20 High Knees
    20 LBC’s
    20 Putin’s or American hammers

    The Thang

    5 times up down the stairs

    Up stairs every step doing the number of calf raises that coincides with the step your on. Step one 1 calf raise step two 2 calf raises step fifteen 15 calf raises all the way to step 27. That’s 378 calf raises.

    Down steps same thing except squats. That’s 378 squats

    3 times up down the stairs jog pace.

    20 Merkins on your own.

    Lung walk to end of covered trace area.

    Mosey to bus stop for
    10 box jumps on benches
    10 Freak Nasty’s
    10 box jumps
    10 Freak Nasty’s
    10 box jumps
    10 Freak Nasty’s

    Then hands on bench hoping over bench together on Q’s count to 15

    Mosey back to Flag area for the finish

    10 in cadence LBC
    10 in cadence Putin’s
    10 in cadence flutter kicks

    Holding legs 6” above ground for count to 60 ok that was to easy again

    Holding legs 6” above ground for 60 mississippi Little harder.