F3 New Orleans

Author: Tool

  • Crusader Convergence – 610 Stomp #32

    This backblast is two weeks late but figured better late than never. The scheduled QIC was unable to make it so the three brave men a.k.a. Crusaders agreed to make it a joint Q. We took off in the direction of Bayou St. John and decided to take it easy on this run since a few of us were in recovery mode from previous beat downs. The PAX stayed together the whole time and somehow started talking about our shared alma mater, Brother Martin High School. After figuring our twenty year time span at the school (classes of ’86, 94′, 06′), we cracked a few Jesuit jokes, talked about work, and enjoyed other random chatting as we made our way back to the flag. It was good having a little F2 thrown in during our F3. T-claps to Team Crusader for posting.

  • Rectangles and Circles

    Six men converged on Lakeshore Dr. this morning and were greeted with pleasant conditions.  This was YHC’s last notch on the belt for Q-ing in all six AO sites.  Fortunately no rain in sight, even though the forecast looked iffy and YHC mapped out the morning assuming it may be wet and muddy.  Operation Dry Feet would still be just as effective with dry ground so after a quick disclaimer, we were off for a mosey around the MG Fountain.

    Circle up for the pre-thang:

    SSHx30, IPWx30, Plank Rollsx20, Smurf Jacksx20 (All IC), 10 Burpees OYO

    Mosey over to where Canal Blvd crosses the levee to knock out 4 laps of the following rectangular route:

    Backpedal uphill southbound on sidewalk.

    Bear Crawl westbound on top of levee

    Run downhill northbound

    Lungewalk Eastbound

     

    Mosey over to the first cluster of circular concrete planters for some ledge work.  This would be a progression with increasing reps at each planter:

    Cluster #1 – 8 planters – Hip Slappers x2,x4,x6,x8,x10,x12x14x16 = 72 Total Hip Slappers

    Plank, wait, and mosey to the next cluster.

    Cluster #2 – 3 planters – Ledge Crunches x10,x20,x30 = 60 Total Ledge Crunches

    Plank, wait, and mosey to the next cluster.  (T-Claps to Hotty Toddy for pointing out the L.P. Okwata landmark sign…we’ll definitely have to pass back and read it and incorporate that into a work somehow)

    Cluster #3 – 8 planters – Dips x2,x4,x6,x8,x10,x12,x14,x16 = 72 Total Dips

    Plank, wait, and mosey to the next cluster.

    Cluster #4 – 10 Planters – Inclined Merkin x2,x4,x6,x8,x10,x12,x14,x16,x18,x20 = 110 Total Inclined Merkins (This proved to be brutal…maybe too brutal.  Note to self: next time swap hip slappers for IM) T-Claps to Cowbell for nearly executing the lagniappe dare of inclined merkins on the 3ft trash bin.

    That was it for time so a short mosey back to the flag.  The usual COT announcements.  YHC took a play out of Splash’s book and encouraged the PAX to all try to do something nice for one person today, whether it be a family member, co-worker, neighbor, etc.  Ended with a prayer for the flood victims in LA, bombing victims in Belgium, and also gave thanks for the religious freedoms we enjoy here in the US, especially on the heels of a Christian holiday weekend many of us celebrate.

    In addition to our modest PAX of 6, there were plenty of runner, walkers, and cyclist on the lakefront this am.  It always seems to give a slight motivational boost when others are out bettering themselves along side us.  Glad I was one of the ones out there this am.

    -Tool

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Monday Funday

    Ten men came out this morning and were greeted by perfect conditions and temperature that was pleasantly cool yet warm enough to bring the sweat later on.  YHC informed the PAX that the workout might be slightly out of wack since this was his first Monday Q along with having a tweaked shoulder.  The plan was to go for a smaller rock of 5-10 lbs since we were going to try some “strange”.  The PAX were still trickling in during the disclaimer and kept growing as we ran to the rock pile.

    Pre-Thang:

    SSH IC x 30

    Arm Circles IC x15 each arm

    Windmills IC x 15

    Grab a rock 5-10 lbs and mosey to open field for a COP:

    One or two of the latecomers missed the small rock announcement:

    Rock Jacks IC x20

    Imperial Rock Walkers (right side) IC x20

    One Hand Rock Curls (right side) IC x 20

    Imperial Rock Walkers (left side) IC x20

    One Hand Rock Curls (left side) IC x20

    Jack Webb w/Rock (progression of merkins and overhead rock press) worked up to 8

     

    Quick mosey to the foundry (and a detour by some for rock adjustment) where we lined up in a plank with everyone taking a turn to crank out 10 pullups.

    Mosey out across the track to the sideline of the football field.  YHC announced that we were getting ready to race and there would be something in it for the winner.  This got the competitive juices flowing:

    First up was a shot put race to the other sideline, 5 burpees, then shot put with the opposite arm on the way back.  T-claps to Hawg for a photo finish first place.  His prize was a victory jog across the field while the remaining PAX did burpees.  We managed to all come out of this exercise unharmed which was impressive given the flying/rolling rocks.  Lesson learned that next time we spread out a bit more.

    Second round was a rack squat race across the field.  YHC got some dirty looks while demonstrating the ever so awkward position of holding the rock down low with two hands below the knees and running while in a semi-squat position.  The goal was to keep the rock low and work the legs.  Once across, churn out 5 burpees, the rock squat run back.  T-claps to Cowbell for killing it and also to Rudy for a respectable second place.  They were privied to burpees while the remaining PAX ran across the field and back.

    Mosey back to the foundry and hold a People’s Chair along the fence while 2 PAX rotated for 10 more Pullups each.  T-claps to those who cracked out some lagniappe curls while in the PC position.

    Mosey back to the open field with enough time for one last COP:

    Imperial Rock Walkers (right side) IC x15

    One Hand Rock Curls (right side) IC x15

    Imperial Rock Walkers (left side) IC x15

    One Hand Rock Curls (left side) IC x15

    On your six for some Mary:

    Flutter Kick IC x25

    LBC IC x25

    Parker Peter IC x25?

    Russian Twists IC x15

    Freddie Mercury IC x15

    Deposit the rocks and Mosey back to the flag with a minute of planking to cap off the morning.

    Usual announcements included an array of upcoming events this spring.  Prayed for Heisenberg’s father-in-law as he battles health issues.

    Thanks for letting me lead.  The Monday workouts are definitely a good way to start the week.

     

     

     

     

  • 610 Stomp #24 – Bridge Bonanza

    Four brave souls gathered this morning for the usual Tuesday fix.  We were greeted with 70 deg temp along with a slight bit of breeze and mugginess.  With a fartsacking from the scheduled Q, YHC stepped in and ran something new by the crew:  A run on the usual 4.5+/- mile Moss St. route with a stop at every bridge and red light to do 5 burpees.  After a poem of some sort by Jingle Vader followed by the disclaimer, we were off and soon greeted by Side Effects who was only able to join us for the first part of the workout…t-claps for still posting.  The bridges and red lights were evenly scattered along the route making for 15 stops or 75 Burpees (w/o modifying).  That capped off with 10 more burpees for lagniappe made for a sweaty morning.  YHC managed to get tangled up in a lucky dog landmine somewhere near Banks St. but fortunately the injury (an smell) was not serious enough to hamper the completion of the mission.  While the bridge/red light stops made for a cool variation, the jury is still out on whether or not it made for a better workout.  It did take longer so a shorter route may be needed if this is used in the future.  JV closed us out with the prayer.  A good morning was had by all.

    Tool

  • Run DMC in the House

    Eleven men gathered in City Park on this pleasantly cool morning to get another F3 fix.  After the disclaimer, off we went to the Great Lawn for a warmup COP:

    SSH IC x25, Windmills IC x25, IPW IC x25, Plank Jacks IC x25, and 10 Burpees for lagniappe.

    Short mosey over to to Sculpture Garden to grab some ledge.  Box Jumps for 1 minute.  Blood was flowing at this point.

    Mosey to the Foundry for clockwise rotation of exercises alternating upper and lower body.  Goal was 10-15 of each rep:  Pull Ups, Low Slow Squats, High Dips, Lunges, Rows, and planking while in line.  T-claps to those who hit the monkey bars for extra credit.  After one round, hit the track for an 3/4 mile Indian Run veering off on the soccer field for a new twist on core work that YHC had been pondering for months:

    In lieu of 6 minutes of Mary, YHC came up with 3 MINUTES OF MARY MARY.  This was inspired by a Leonard Fournette training video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iet4hgHhzvA) where he did what appeared to be a 10 minute routine in the Russian Twist position.  To add to this inspiration, YHC played the 80’s rap classic “Mary Mary” composed timeless trio Run DMC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgmyVLheqkQ).  With the PAX holding in RT position, we jammed to the music on YHC’s not so loud smartphone, with a side to side rep each time the name “Mary” was in the lyrics.  Needless to say it was a long three minutes, with most having to modify with a knee hold.  YHC envisioned this as more of a core thing but it wound up being a leg thing too.  Not the smoothest routine but it was something different.  Would have been way more “bitchin” with an old school boom box.  Lesson learned.

    Mosey OYO back to foundry for another round of upper/lower body reps.

    Mosey to Big Lake track to grab some ledge on the boardwalk overlooking the water.  Great view and great way to see the sun coming up.  YHC once again whipped out the smartphone for what would be a timed Tabata inspired group of high intensity 40 second exercises with 10 seconds of rest in between:  Round 1-Dips, Round 2-Right Leg Step Up, Round 3-Declined Merkins, Round 4-Left Leg Step Ups, Round-5 Hip Slappers, Round-6 Inclined Plank with toe taps to ledge (Spiderman style), Round 7-Inclined Merkins.  The sweat was dripping at this point.  YHC hinted that we would head west back towards the flag but pulled a fast one and headed east with just enough time for a short mosey and another round of 3 Minutes of Mary Mary.  This go round we held the LBC position and completed two crunches each time we heard “Mary Mary”.  This was a bit botched by the lack of ghetto blaster sized speakers on the iPhone 6, not to mention the ladies laughing and cat-calling us as they walked by on the track.  After another grueling three minutes, westbound we went with a pit stop for sudden change: 10 Burpees.

    Mosey to the flag.

    COT and prayer included a shout out to Marlin’s neighbor, Kimchi’s new baby, safe travels for Amnesty, Aunt Julie, and OSHA’s wife.  Seven PAX meandered down to grab some coffee and were greeted with a reserved table and VIP treatment from our favorite waiter, Mike.

    Definitely a good way to start the day.  Thanks for letting me lead.

    Tool

  • University History w/ a side of Duck Poop

    Thirteen men gathered on a pleasant Friday morning along St. Charles Ave. to once again test the limits of our twenty-something to fifty something yr old chassis.  The flock of ducks staked claim on our usual spot so we were confined to the sidewalk.  YHC gave the usual disclaimer along with an additional disclaimer that the history lesson about to be included in the workout may contain info that is distorted by the gasping of air and wooziness of strenuous exercise.  Since RY put me down for another history themed running tour, I had to fulfill the obligation.

    The Warmup:

    Quick mosey up and down St. Charles to Green Wave lawn.  We gathered by the Tulane sign to briefly discuss the history of the school which started in 1834 as The Medical College of LA, then later became a private university and moved to the current day campus in 1894.  The first COP was a T-U-L-A-N-E themed one made me dig deep on the F3 website for exercises that would fit the bill:

    T – Tempo Merkin ICx20

    U – Up Downs x 10

    L – Lunges IC x15?

    A – Air Squared IC x 15?

    N – Nolan Ryans IC x 10 each side

    E – Elbow plank for one minute, alternating leg up

     

    The Thang:

    Quick mosey to the Holy Name of Jesus Church where we paid homage to the architecture and impressive craftsmanship of the building that was completed in 1892 by the Jesuits.  We split in two groups and used that date for the rep count:

    Low Slow Dip OYO x18

    High Knees OYO x92

    Rinse and Repeat.

    Mosey around the horseshoe to Marquette Hall, which was built in 1910 and is the centerpiece of Loyola’s campus.  This stop included:

    Inclined Merkin on curb OYO x19

    run up and down stairs

    Declined Merkin on curb OYO x10

    For Lagniappe we planked on the curb (not as high as I thought) and Bear Crawled up the stairs and attempted to Bear Crawl down but changed it to a mosey.  YHC discovered those steps are not the best for bear crawling.  Lesson learned.

    Mosey through the campus to the Wolfpack Mountain where we split in two groups and proceeded to Indian Run to the top.  This run seemed a bit tougher than usual for YHC and a few others, possibly due to the humidity or maybe just the extra calories taken in over the holidays.  Once we had our six, circled up for some Mary and briefly talked about Loyola University’s founding, which was in 1904 as Loyola college.  That was 112 years ago so YHC used that as our rep total for the following:

    Flutter Kicks IC x25

    LBC IC x25

    Peter Parkers IC x25

    Penguins/Back Scratchers IC x25

    Russian Twists IC x12

    Mosey down the stairs toward the flag with a brief detour followed by some grumbling from the PAX for lagniappe/sudden change on the Loyola front lawn:  Burpees x10 OYO

    Mosey back to the flag only to discover the ducks were still holding down their fort so re-routed to the benches for Dips x20 IC.  Swung wide left back to the flag where the ducks gave us just enough room to plank for a minute or two.  The pretty boys opted for the sidewalk while the real men went au-naturel in the duck poop.

    COT included the usual name-o-rama followed by YHC mentioning his appreciation for being pushed by the PAX during the workouts and the recent Jackson Day race where he clocked his best pace for a road race.  YHC encourage the PAX to sign up for at least one or two races this year to help push ourselves to full potential.  Something was also mentioned about the fact that races typically have a bit more eye candy than the F3 workouts…just saying.  Shout out to RY’s Aunt Julie and prayed for starting the year off right by continuing to be good men, husbands, fathers, co-workers, and leaders in our community.  Also continue to strengthen those around us.

    Upon packing up the flag, the ducks assembled for a flyover and managed to seek revenge on our intrusion by dropping a deuce on my shirt.  Good aim and way to take down the leader.

    A good way to start the day.  Glad I had the chance to lead.

    Tool

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • 610 Stomp #17 – Baker’s Half Dozen

    Six brave men gathered in the pleasantly cool gloom of City Park to get our usual Tuesday fix of running and burpees.  Hawg rolled in hot to make it an even baker’s half dozen.  After kicking around some chatter on which route we’ed take, the consensus seemed to lean towards the Moss St. route so off we went.  Once we got past the museum and near the bayou, the PAX started to spread out into a few packs (no pun intended) as we embarked on our normal 4.5 mile route.  The workout consisted of six minutes of running, then a minute of burpees and/or walking.  Rinse and repeat till done.  Not exactly rocket science but not exactly for the weak either.  T-claps to several PAX for having a brainfart and passing up the normal turnaround.  Way to get extra credit.  T-claps to Hawg and Side Effects (and maybe others?) for knocking out 15 burpees at each stop.  We all finished around the same time with a 9-10 minute-per-mile pace.  We all sealed the deal with 15 burpees at the end.

    One FNG this am who is from Florida and is a Florida Gator and Tampa Bay Bucs fan so immediately someone blurted out “Crab Legs” in reference to QB Jameis Winston’s ordeal.  Needless to say that stuck….welcome Crab Legs.

    A good workout was had by all.

    Tool

  • 610 Stomp #14 – Moss St. Route

    Seven men gathered this morning for our usual Tuesday fix of running and burpees. Conditions were moderate with a strong breeze, slightly damp air, and a surprisingly not so cool temp of 73 degrees.  After discussing an alternative route and the disclaimer, we headed off into the gloom of City Park.  Six minutes of running and a minute of burpees and/or walking, rinse and repeat till done.  The route this am was as follows:  Roosevelt Mall around the museum, down Lelong Drive to Moss St./Bayou St. John, down Moss to the end of the bayou, proceed along the bike path on Jeff Davis Pkwy, loop around the Jeff Davis Statue, and head back on the same route but opposite side of the bayou.  Total distance of 4.18 miles with several options to modify to a shorter route if needed.  We also talked about the option of bonus points by running a lap or two around the track (or Big Lake track) at the end for anyone who finishes early and feels so inclined.  Everyone was between an 8-10 min per mile pace and sealed the deal with 10 burpees at the end.  Nothing super exciting or super funny this am to report so hard to make this backblast any livelier.

    COT included some thoughts for the turmoil with ISIS and the Syrian people along with the frustration that so many feel in trying to find resolution.  We also mentioned those battling illness and surgeries.  T-claps to Side Effects for taking the prayer.  Also, T-claps to OSHA for being a regular the past few weeks and posting most mornings when in town.

    Definitely a solid morning and we all got stronger.

    Tool.

  • Audubon Lagniappe

    Fourteen men assembled in Audubon Park this am to get their normal Wednesday fix with a bit of lagniappe.  YHC’s last two Qs included a landmark tour and history lesson of City Park so the pressure was on to do the same for Audubon.

    Disclaimer included the usual F3 lingo along with YHC’s warning that some of the history lesson soon to be given would most likely included errors and would only be as accurate as what he read on the interwebs.  Audubon Park is not YHC’s “homefield” so there was definitely some “craming” the night before to brush up on the days of old.

    The Thang:

    Short Mosey to the bandstand for warm up.  YHC informed the PAX that in 1871, The City Of NO acquired the land (formerly a sugar cane plantation) with intentions to an urban park.  That was 144 years ago so that was the number of reps for this COP all IC:

    SSH x 24

    Windmill x 24

    Arm Circles x 24

    IPW x 24

    Plank Jacks x 24

    Monkey Humps x 24 (these brought the burn)

    Mosey over to the soccer goal for round two.  The 1884 World’s Fair was held on the ground we were standing so YHC felt the need to pay tribute to that by splitting up into four groups, rotating clockwise to complete 2 rounds of the following with a 1-8-8-4 rep count (well sort of):

    1 x One Arm Plank

    8 x Low Low Slow Squat

    8 x Peek-a-boo Pull Ups on goal post

    4 x Triple Merkin Burpee  (timer)

    Mosey over the levee to the banks of the mighty Mississippi River where YHC reminded the PAX of the Great Flood of 1927 which was the greatest river flood in US history, displacing over 600,000 people and triggering massive flood control.  We also talked about the Flood Control Act passed in 1928 that prompted new levee standards and brought The US Army Corps of Engineers on board to tame the Mississippi River.  Those years set the tone for our 6 minutes (or 4 minutes?) of Mary all IC:

    19 x Boxcutter

    27 x Russian Twist

    19 x Pickle Pounder

    28 x LBC

    Mosey back to flood protected ground to spend some quality time with the concrete bench in front of the Zoo, where we talked about two relevant dates in the park’s history.  The first was 1914 when The Audubon Commission was established to maintain and develop the park.  Two years later in 1916, the Audubon Commission constructed a large flight bird cage which was the first of many animal attractions that laid the footprint for a world class zoo.  COP included the following IC:

    19 x Left Leg Step-ups

    14 x Dips

    19 x Right Leg Step-ups

    16 x Inclined Merkins

    Mosey to the field for a Sudden Change w/Lagniappe consisting of 21 BURPEES to recognize the fact that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month as well as Down Syndrome Awareness month.  This was a spin on the “Burpees For Boobs” initiative with the Spartan Race with a rep count of 21 to give a shout out to those with Trisomy 21 a.k.a. Down syndrome.  (Props to YHC’s 11yr old son with DS)

    Mosey back to the flag.

    Shout out and prayer geared to those with cancer, special needs, and health ailments.

    YHC enjoyed leading.  Trying to remember and relay accurate information while gasping for air is art form that I’m gradually trying to figure out.

    Tool

     

     

     

  • 610 Stomp #9 – City Park

    Seven men gathered around the flag on this pleasant fall morning to do the usual Tuesday 4.5 mile run/burpee beatdown.  The PAX started out strong with a good brisk pace and it was on…6 minutes of running and 1 minute of burpees/walking.  Rinse and repeat till done.  Some of the PAX have been opting to shoot for 10+ burpees per stop while others have settled for 5 or less.  At the end, we banged out 10 extra burpees which has become par for the course.  The pace as a whole this AM definitely seemed to be the best yet which means the PAX is getting better, faster, and stronger.  The stopping points for the burpees is getting a little further each week…way to go men!  Ended the COT with a shout out to the health and injury recovery of those training for the Spartan and a prayer courtesy of Side Effects.

    Tool