F3 New Orleans

Author: Tinkles

  • One Trick Pony

    On the way back from the BRR the F3 braintrust of Yankee and Hawg were discussing the week ahead for F3 NOLA,  ‘Tinkles do you know you’re Q at Mothership this week?’  Later during the week on mumble-chatter, ‘Tinkles has the Q on Saturday, think he knows.’  ‘Yeah he knows.’  ‘He’s known for inidian running all 3 garages at WPM.’  ‘I’ll host a low impact workout for those not wanting to run.’

    So it sounds like I’ve been type-cast?!   With such a reputation of perhaps being unaware of my commitments and making the Pax run, the challenge to show up and to run had been laid down!  It actually made planning the beatdown pretty easy.

    Disclaimer and mosey to peristyle for a group warm up:

    • SSH IC X 30
    • IW IC X 30
    • Mountian Climbers IC X 30

    Mutual agreement with low impact group to go our separate ways.

    Indian Run from the peristyle back around to City Park Ave.  Up City Park Ave to Carrollton to main entrance of the park.

    Quick breather then BLIMPS (plus BLI) at the light posts up the neutral ground on the way to NOMA.

    At the fountain:

    • Dips IC X 20
    • ‘Bongos’ IC X 20
    • Incline Merkins X 20
    • RLSU IC X 20
    • Decline Merkins IC X 15
    • LLSU IC X 20

    Water break and then form up on the jogging path by the lagoon.  Indian Run around the lagoon.  Break at the boat dock for ring of fire Merkins.

    Keeping the theme going and Indian Run back around to the great lawn.  Found our buds doing some ‘Sally Up’ and quickly got out of there.

    Suicides on the great lawn for a little change of pace.

    Slow Mosey back to peristyle for some Mary:

    • Dying cockroach IC X 20
    • Real Freddy Mercury X 20
    • Penguins X 20
    • Super Man X 20
    • Russian Twists X 20

    Mosey back to the flag just as time expired.

    Count off to 25, namorama and welcome to two FNGs:  t.i. (as in Texas Instrument, 2.0 of Abacus, yes still in business) and Tumbleweed who is originally from Amarillo.  Intentions were offered for Abacus’s family after the recent passing of his uncle and for another pax relative recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Thanks to God for the desire to challenge ourselves to be the best we can be!  Thanks for the chance to lead!

     

  • Give me a ‘B’

    I seem to get stuck on repeating the same exercises between Q’s so in preparation for Monday’s Skinny I figured I’d consult the F3 website for some new ideas.  There are plenty. I didn’t have to go past the ‘B’s until I found a couple and after hearing of the eminent meteor shower I knew the Pax may be distracted and I didn’t want to put too much excitement into one beatdown.

    Warm up:

    • SSH X 20
    • Smurf Jack X 20
    • Plank Jack X 20
    • Star Gazers (Penguins) X 30 (No meteors seen ☹️)

    Mosey to row bars for 4 stations:

    • Burpees X 10 as the count
    • Rows
    • Squats
    • Lunges

    Black Snake from the row bars to the fountain.  White Snake may be trademarked or perhaps it’s a shorter version of the Black Snake?  We went full size.  It’s a Indian Run though the runner weaves through the line.  It took some coordination and a slower speed to maintain the proper spacing.  Perhaps a nice addition to the line running options.

    Benches at the fountain:

    • RLSU X 20
    • Dips X 20
    • LLSU X 20
    • Derkins X 10, Shoulder Taps X 10, Derkins X 10

    Progressive Burpee Run 1-5 increasing at each jogging man icon.  Thinking of social activism would it be a bad idea if those jogging men were to be adorned with an F3 sticker?  Hmm.

    Mary on the golf course.  Was to be our next star gazing opportunity but it was too dark, El Wire sharted, and there was a bird loudly dying in a tree so the mood just wasn’t right.

    • LBC X 20
    • Dying cockroach X 20
    • Breakdance Merkin X 5: In summary on the up motion you bring the right arm off the ground and rotate to lateral plank position and kick the left leg forward.  In the down motion rotate back to neutral position and go chest to ground.  Repeat this time with left arm and right leg. This is a slow 4 count (down, up, down, up).  This one may not stick but should be tried again before shelving.

    Two Column Indian Run to pull-up bars for 4 stations:

    • Burpees X 5 for the ciunr
    • Pull ups
    • Al Gore
    • Werkins

    Free Run back to the flag.  1 minute of plank work to run out the clock.

    Count off to 16, Name-o-Rama.  Announcement about upcoming Saints Run for those not invited to be on the BRR team but like to run anyway.  There will be a selfie opportunity with the new male Saintsation. Speaking of trying new things and men that dance, Colonel Mustard announced his try out for the 610 stompers and his appreciation of the well wishes from the Pax.  On the serious side I offered thanks to God for the courage to try new things.  Thanks for the opportunity to lead.

     

  • 8118

    So many directions that a Q can take that sometimes it’s hard to pick just one.  With some late night pondering though I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of 8118.  Has there ever been a palindromic beatdown in the history of F3?  Does the Pax know what a palindrome is?  Does the QIC know that numbers really aren’t palindromes?  Is drinking a Rockstar and going for a 7 mile run at 10pm a good idea?  Is drinking a Rockstar and…… ever a good idea?  Having exhausted myself I knew I needed a workout where the Pax could just do their thing.

    Mosey over to the zoo parking lot for a warm up:

    • SSH IC x 30
    • Hillbilly IC x 30 (testing the ability of the assembled hillbilly’s to count to 30)
    • Mountain Climbers x 30

    Mosey to the Audubon statue for some stretching and a little Q&A.  As Rudy was not with us I had to scan the crowd to find the next most likely PAX to appear on Jeopardy and my eyes settled on JV.  ‘What is a palindrome?’ Some under the breath musings about Elba and Canals hinted at the answer.  ‘Why does that matter today?’ Nip Tuck nailed it, ‘8118’.

    The Thang:

    • A figure of 8 run around the medians
    • 8 Merkins at the bottom and top of the 8
    • 1 burpee every time at the crossover
    • Run forwards from bottom to top of the 8
    • Run backwards from the top to the bottom of the 8
    • Run 8 laps

    Not much was said from this point on.  Perhaps some disbelief or just boredom.  There wasn’t an official time goal but we did run out of time with most still on the course.  Congrats to Beiber, Pony Boy, Mahatma, El Wire, G Spot, Peppa, Swamp Cock plus maybe others who finished the 8 laps.

    Mosey back to the flag.  Count off and namorama.  Intentions for Rudy’s sister and a couple of Roots’ friends who are ill.  An official uptown H8 may be something to consider.

     

  • Cleveland- An alternate F3 Universe?

    T-claps to ‘Captain’ from Cleveland for posting with us today.  His presence destroyed the stereotype of what I thought airline pilots did on their overnight layovers in far away places like New Orleans.  Either Captain dusted off the glitter and rallied really well or he got a good night’s rest and was fresh for the Monday morning beatdown.  With a new found appreciation for pilots I did, however, question the pax-naming ability of our friends in Cleveland.  What could I have been: Doc, Doctor, Life-saver, McSteamy?  Not so fast here in Nola.  But it did have me thinking a bit of the 14 of us the sweated it out today with our less respectful names.  I decided we need a re-do a la Cleveland style:

    • Tinkles = Surgeon General
    • Reluctant Yankee = Enthusiastic Northerner
    • Angie’s List = Frank Lloyd Wright
    • Bartman = The Hawk
    • Jadaveon = All American
    • Koopa = Fortnight
    • I Love You Man = I Love You Man, Woman, or LGBTQ friend
    • Saban = Billy Cannon
    • Mulligan = Scratch
    • Roots = The Rock
    • Peppa = Co-Captain (being that captain is off the board)
    • Sand Bar = Earthsaver
    • Shrinkage = Sigmund

    Maybe one day we will get a chance to post in Cleveland!

    Oh and about the beatdown.  I was a sub for Swamp Cock’s VQ who had to change his plans at the last minute.  I enjoyed the lighter crowd and appreciated those who posted on this holiday week.

    Warm up:

    • SSH IC x 30
    • IW IC x 30
    • Peter Parker IC x 30

    Mosey to the track and Indian run to the row bars for four stations:

    • Burpees x 10 for the count
    • Jump squats
    • Rows
    • LBC

    Catch me if you can with the last guy dropping and doing 5 merks.  This took us all the way to fountain.

    At the benches:

    • Derkins x 10, Should taps x 10, Derkins x 10
    • LLS IC x 20
    • Dips IC x 15
    • RLS IC x 20

    Back to the track for progressive burpee count on the running men icons starting at one and progressing to 5

    Time for some Mary in golf course grass:

    • WW2 situps x 10
    • Penguins x 20
    • Dying cockroach x 20
    • V-ups x 10

    More Indian run to the pull up bars for 4 stations:

    • Pull ups x 10 for the count
    • Body builders
    • J Lo’s
    • Al Gores

    Jog/Sprint alternating intervals back to the flag.

    Some time to spare so we worked in some planks and marveled at a recently set record of 10 hours of planking.  Frank Lloyd Wright noted he probably couldn’t stand for ten hours.  Well played. Even The Hawk and Scratch found it humorous!  Earthsaver used his long arm to capture a group selfie.  Count off and nameorama. Enthusiastic Northerner provided some useful information to the group.  Surgeon General closed us with prayer.  Thanks for visiting Captain!

     

  • Running Introduction

    Not enough can be said about what we can achieve when we are held accountable.  I’d had a long week by Friday morning and the weekend wasn’t looking any better.  No need to get up at 5 right?  Not quite.  Roots had already texted earlier in the week to let me know I had the Q and just knowing it was my turn to contribute was enough to drag myself out of bed.  I’m not saying I did it very quickly and when I forgot my watch and had to go back inside to grab it I knew time would be tight!  Salt it the wound when I arrived and found a movie production taking up all the parking.  I grabbed a spot much further than normal and could see the Pax staring at their watches as I ran up to meet them.  F3 disclaimer on the fly as we moved quickly into the warm up.

    Warm Up:

    Quick Mosey to the flag where this spring’s duck shit has sprouted some aggressive grass. Knowing the shoulders would be a little tight from Wed:

    • Plank Jack IC X 30
    • Peter Parker IC X 30
    • Mountain Climber IC X 30

    Mosey to the neutral ground for F3 marketing BLIMPS.  Several cars patiently waited on us to cross so at least a few people noticed.

    Slow Mosey from the neutral ground to in front of the Loyola music building where We found some benches:

    • LLS X 20
    • Dips X 20
    • RLS X 20

    Long Mosey to the Tulane Parade grounds.  Smell of bacon was in the air.  BLIMPS at the corners and 1/2 way mark.

    Mosey to Wolfpack for a double line Indian Run to the top. Hustle down the stairs.

    Mosey to touchdown Jesus for one round of dying cockroaches IC X 20.  Mumble chatter suggested perhaps the pace between locations was faster than desired but everyone made it!

    Mosey back to the flag just in time.  Count off, namorama,  ball of man.  After a little grab ass in the ball of man, the Pax redirected and joined me in a prayer of thanks for the abilities we have including the mental strength to get out and post with our brothers!

  • Come on Down to the Silver Slipper with Paw Patrol

    After coughing up a lung all night I figured resting my cold as I did Monday wasn’t going to cut it anymore.  Having the q was the motivation I needed to get myself out in the gloom and hope that a good sweat may cure me. For extra motivation I closed on a slow play EH Yankee had started years ago and didn’t want to let the new pax down.  Turns out my guy plus an old friend from college were the FNGs today which certainly made it fun.

    Complete with a cough and mumbling double disclaimer we were off to grass lot in front of the zoo for some warm ups.  My weakness gave a good opportunity to develop another’s strength so I invited up some guest Q’s from some of the newer pax during the warm up.

    • SSH IC X 30
    • IW IC X 30 courtesy of Kong
    • Mountian Climber IC X 30 courtesy of Willie
    • Plank Walk IC X 15 courtesy of Koopa

    Mosey to the next field over for some four corner BLIMPS finishing in the center with a shimy over the soccer cross bar vs crab walk option thrown in for fun.

    A train was blocking access to the fly so 11’s on the levee were scratched in favor of Dora 1-2-3 at the Audubon statue.

    • 100 Derkins
    • 200 Dips
    • 300 LBCs

    Mosey to the golf course for some uptown sticker-free grass for some Mary:

    • Russian Twist IC X 20
    • Hello Dolly IC X 20 courtesy of Peppa
    • Flutter Kicks IC X 25ish courtesy of Swamp Cock

    Mosey back to the flag.  Another large count off and Name o Rama.  Welcome to club FNGs Silver Slipper and Paw Patrol.  I must say two quality F3 names!  Ball of Man with thanks for our blessings and prayers to help us to be the best Men possible.

  • Crips Don’t Drive Volvos

    I have to admit that I anticipated a light and groggy pax this morning following a beautiful Easter weekend here in NOLA.  I know I afforded myself an extra beer or two between the Crescent City Classic and family festivities over the weekend.  Yankee perhaps anticipated the same when he texted last night to make sure I had the Q on my radar.  Too tired to orchestrate a plan last night I figured I’d hash one out on the fly this morning.  All was going perfectly while I walked towards the park this morning thinking about the best beatdown possible.  All of sudden I see a car creeping down Magazine without its lights on.  My heart rate ticked up a bit thinking that maybe this was it.  Then as it came closer I noticed it was white Volvo SUV and I remembered that old adage that Crips (or Bloods for that matter) don’t ride in Volvos.  That’s just when G-spot came in to focus and I knew that I wasn’t the only one that was groggy!  I went back to my resting heart rate.  But not for long as I walked up to the virtual flag and saw we had a guest pax in our midst- no other then F3 co-founder OBT.  Thanks Yankee for the heads up!  At least it will be an authentic beatdown.

    The Thang:

    Disclaimer and we’re off a traditional Skinny lap.

    Mosey counter clockwise around the track to a grassy spot for a warm up:

    • SSH IC x 30
    • Smurf Jacks IC x 20
    • Plank Jacks IC x 30

    Mosey to the row bars for 4 groups of 4:

    • Rows
    • Mountain Climbers
    • Jump Squats
    • Burpees for the count x 15

    Two columns for Indian Run all the way to the benches at the St. Charles entrance fountain:

    • Dips IC x 20
    • R Leg Power Ups x 20
    • L Leg Power Ups x 20
    • Derkins => Shoulder Taps => Derkins IC x 10,10,10

    Back to the track for some running intervals:

    • Mosey
    • R karaoke
    • L karaoke
    • Backwards run
    • Mosey
    • POW run until halt

    Green space by the green for some Mary:

    • 10 Burpees OYO (just to mix it up)
    • Dying Cockroach IC x 20
    • LBT IC x 20
    • Hello Dolly IC x 20
    • Invitation to Douille to pick the next classic ab exercise, Pickle Pounders (go figure!) IC X 10

    Two column Indian Run to the pull up bars.

    • 4 groups of 4: each guy doing 10 pull ups while the others Al Gore.  When all four are done mosey together back to the flag.

    Count off to 16 and namorama.  Announcements: Blue Ridge Relay, thanks to OBT for telling his experience with this team building opportunity!  Intentions:  for a Holy Name dad undergoing cancer treatment MD Anderson and for all the dad’s of new babies including Landing Strip.  Thanks for the opportunity to lead!

    Post Script:  So authentic was the beatdown OBT congratulated me on a good VQ!  Here’s hoping perhaps he was little groggy too!

  • You Say Richard Simmons, I say Steve Prefontaine

    The Pax always enjoys a birthday beatdown and since my 42nd happened to be on the day of a traditional running workout and we are in the middle of the Run Ranger Run challenge I figured I’d take the Q and log some miles.  Resurrecting a Halloween Q get-up I also figured I should look the part.  Perhaps I’d excite more middle-aged flabby ladies then I’d earn respect from the Tulane cross country team but I considered myself more Pre than Richard in my own mind!

    Yankees preblast in addition to driving home the meaning of fart-sack (see the list of pax) also tipped off the runners and I was pleased to see the response.  A scouting run by the course director found a wet but fast track.

    Disclaimer and let’s get started.  Warm up in place with some hamstring stretching and let’s mosey.  Run as a group clockwise around the park from the flag.

    0.0- .5 miles: pause for 10 burpees IC and then Indian Run

    .5- 1.0 miles: benches for dips IC x 20 then some ‘classic Tinkles’ of 10 Derkins, 10 Shoulder Taps, 10 Derkins IC.

    1.0- 1.5 miles: POW run, backwards run, Right and left karaoke, and pause for 10 burpees IC

    1.5- 2.75: Indian Run and pause for 10 Burpees  IC

    2.75- 3.15 miles: Mosey

    3.15-3.6 miles: Alternate sprint/jog in the running man back to the flag. 12  Burpees IC to finish strong at a total of 42.

    Count off, namorama, Ball of Man.  Thank you Lord for the fellowship that make the painful painless and for the desire to make ourselves better.  Special intentions for Peaches’s brother and YSR’s aunt.  Please give them the strength to face their challenges.

    Thanks to Pax for getting me off to a great start to my 43rd year!

  • Credit Due!

    Better late than never on the backblast but between the Friday before Mardi Gras and today I had to reconnect some neurons.  But it was said Friday when 11 strong kicked the weekend off right.  We were short some rolling Elvi, Muses groupies, and flambeau carriers but those that showed were rewarded with a beatdown.

    Granted it had been a while since I q’d so naturally I forgot this disclaimer and promptly warmed up with 20 merkins IC.

    Mosey to St. Charles and Walnut for BLIMPS on St. Charles (F3 PR). Brought us to in front of Holy Name.  Encountered some displaced (ie lost) Navy ROTC students looking for another Seaman but we had to disappoint.  We did point them in the right direction.

    Mosey through Loyola to Tulane quad (plenty of Seaman here) (an ROTC breakfast perhaps) for some 4 corner abs. Russian twist x 30, LBCs x 30, LBT x 30, WW2 sit-ups x 20. Plank and wait in the center.

    3 peak challenge commenced: Mosey to Yulman garage and Mosey to the peak on your own pace down the stairs.  Long Indian run down Calhoun to Loyola Rec garage.  Indian run to the top and Kong ran like he was being chased- he was – so the pace was aggressive. Down the stairs and Mosey to Wolfpack mountain.  Indian run to the top with a lot of heavy breathing.  Down the stairs and hustle to the flag!  3 minutes overdue but a good 4 mile run once it was all done!

    Count off, name o rama, and intentions. Ball of man with prayers for a safe and fun Mardi Gras.

  • You Know You’re Q Tomorrow?

    Always good to learn at 6pm instead of 11pm. Fiction: Never mind a daughter who forgot all her math books at school prior to her math test the next day or a wife who wants to strangle said daughter or two sons that haven’t bathed in three days- I’ve got a workout to plan! Fact: As I fall asleep at 1130! So perhaps a good time sink or two will make for a good workout with minimal planning.

    Much to my delight at 530 is assembled a grizzled group of F3 veterans plus a 22 year old Pony Boy. They got this. Let’s Mosey.

     

    Warm up by the Zoo: SSH X 30, Peter Parker X 30, IW X 30, Mountain Climber X 30

    Mosey to levee for Burp Back Mountain:
    Partner one does Burpees, Partner two runs backwards up the levee and back down forwards, two laps and switch. Continue to 100 Burpees. The darkness plus tall grass plus running backwards on the one part of the levee with an apparent sub-levee all added to the fun! Once done, keep running. Recover with a slow 30 count.

    Mosey to the river bank in the Fly. Ring of Fire. Big circle with bear crawl to the right. Halt. Round of Merkins, each Pax does 5 and passes on the love. Bear crawl to the left. Halt. Repeat the round of Merkins. Bear crawl to the center and listen to breathing of the Pax. Having heard enough, recover.

    Mosey to the soccer field for some 21. Start here with 20 LBCs and go there for 1 jump squat. Having no watch the Q lost track of time. Had to call it at 16/5, still a winning hand!

    Double time mosey back from the Fly to the Flag.

    Count off to 14. Nameorama with a 30 plus year age span observed. Kudos to the Pax! Intentions for our friends and family in Houston and prayers for those in Florida. Thanks to God for a great start to the day.

    P.S. She made an A despite her efforts.