F3 New Orleans

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  • No Q means All Q

    Weather: A surprisingly calm morning at Okwata.  YHC has grown so used to the winter gales creating a tempest of Okwata, he momentarily wondered whether he had arrived at the wrong location.  Especially because he was all alone at 5:20.  YHC also wondered whether JV would have the guts to fartsack after texting everyone at 4:55 to say “don’t fartsack!”.  Slowly but surely, though, the cars began arriving.

    5:31 am comes, PAX looking at each other wondering “Who has the Q?”  A round of “I hope its not me.  I didn’t check the schedule.”  So without a Q, we all Q.

    COP #1: Rudy leads the group around the fountain, through Butt Kicks, Karaoke (with JV choosing to prance uncomfortably close), and High Knees before reaching our designated swamp for the warmup:

    • SSH x25
    • IW x25
    • DQ x15 (slow count to try and stretch my hammies)
    • PP x25
    • MC x25
    • PP x25
    • PW x25

    COP #2: Jingle Vader takes advantage of the calm waters to lead the group to the lakeshore.  Time for Bear Crawl suicides.

    • Bear Crawl to first planter.  Monkey Humper x20.  Mosey to starting line, Monkey Humper x20.
    • Repeat to second planter.  MH x15 (at planter and at home)
    • Repeat to third planter.  MH x10 (at planter and at home)
    • Repeat to fourth planter.  MH x5 (at planter and at home)

    That fourth planter was, uh, “not near”.

    COP #3: FracSac leads us back to the levee for some Dora 1-2-3.  Partner up.  PAX 1 run up the levee, then backwards down the levee.  PAX 2 does exercise.  Flapjack.  Repeat until hitting the total number of reps

    • 100x Merkins
    • 200x Lunge
    • 300x Plank Jack

    YHC was pleasantly surprised that he did not tumble down the hill.  Running backwards down the levee in the dark is not something he is particularly good at.

    COP #4: Mosey back to the virtual flag for Q’s choice Mary:

    • DaParish: LBC x20
    • Surge: Dying Cockroach x20
    • Bongo: I-style BoxCutter x20
    • Griswold: Russian Twist x25
    • Splash: Freddie Mercury x20
    • Crab Legs: Legs up and hold (seemed like FOREVER)
    • Maverick: Flutter Kick x27

    Circle up for Count Off, Name-o-Rama.  Then Surge closed us out with St. Ignatius Prayer for Generosity.

    Nice work all – my abs are killing me as I type this.

    All: Remember to check the Q schedule!!!

  • Silence is Golden … Pain Per Syllable

    With apologies to 86 for posting this backblast after his awesome V Q, YHC couldn’t wait any longer because that unrepentant, recalcitrant, inveterate fartsacker Shorty (and, no, that doesn’t mean you’re entrained to The Rebels) is talking way too much smack to stay silent.  I don’t have the patience of 86.

    So after a terse but complete disclaimer, 86 was off for a long mosey without a word.  With the obvious reminder that My Deed Is My Word, 86 would lead by example.  We circled up at the Alley of Death for some suicides.  The instructions were recited once.  [Lesson One: you need to listen to others, it’s not about you.]  Mosey to first lamp post for 5 burpees and return for 10 V-Ups; mosey to 2d for 5 more burpees and return for 10 more V-Ups; same to third lamp post; and same to the fourth.

    After a call for a 15 count from Roots, a single call for an Indian Run to the row station.  Again, the instructions were recited once.  [Lesson Two: see lesson one.]  Break into four groups: 20 Merkins for the count, Side Lunges AMRAP, Mission Impossible til the Merkers say recover, and Inverted Rows AMRAP.

    Mosey to the shelter by the band stand for another split into four groups.  Again, one recitation of instructions.  [Lesson Three: if you didn’t get Lesson One or Two, you’re hopeless.]  15 Derkins for the count, Dips AMRAP (which for YHC ended up being about 12), Steps Ups AMRAP, and Single Left High Lifts (switching legs every 5) AMRAP (which for YHC ended up being about 6-7).  After a single call for a 20 count from C-Man(?), a single call to Rinse and Repeat.

    “Let’s Mosey.”  Ended up being way shorter than YHC was fearing: only to the bollards just outside the shelter.  [For those who’ve skipped The Birdcage too many times or have been there but never listened to the engineers in the PAX, the bollards are those thick posts jammed into the ground.]  The tease was all the more cruel because the next round was two or three levels below Dante’s Ninth Level of Hell: more suicides with the five lamp posts up the Alley of Death.  The instructions were terse and simple: at each lamp post, five sets of a single pair of shoulder taps in plank, bring hands back to feet and hop up; at the bollards, ten jump squats.  Again, a single recitation of the instructions.  [Lesson Four: Listen well, and don’t assume that it will be easy, because this was probably the toughest DownPAINment in months: sorry, Hawg and Bubba; don’t even think you’ve been close, Rudy.]

    YHC assumes there was another call to Mosey, but perhaps not.  Anyway, another Indian Run mosey around the track to some location that YHC couldn’t discern as being any different from anywhere else.  The instructions from there were as short and clear as all the rest: slow mosey past two stencils in the road (the outline of the guy running with arrows in both directions), and then haul ass (YHC’s words; I think 86 simply said run) to the third stencil; and repeat a second time to end up back at the Flag (which in fact was not virtual, but in fact real this time, courtesy of YHC because he knew that the uptowners can’t be relied on in this regard; their flag producing abilities resemble Shorty’s posting abilities).

    End with some planks.  It went like this.  “Regular Plank.”  Silence for an indeterminately long period.  “Put your right hand behind your back.”  Again, silence for an indeterminately long period.  “Regular Plank, again.”  The third word took YHC by surprise: it seemed so surprisingly effusive, but 86 is after all a chef in New Orleans: he certainly is well versed in the sparing use of lagniappe to make the surprise an integral part of The Experience.  Anyway, silence again for another indeterminately long period.  “Put your left hand behind your back.”  Yep, more indeterminately long silence.  “Recover.”  That was it.

    Thank God we were done.  This was more Pain Per Syllable than I thought humanly possible.  Mumble Chatter is easy, but the required use of listening ears throughout the Pain is a challenge.  Today was another good reminder that we gain wisdom, insight and strength by listening, not by idle chatter.  [I did overhear 86 comment at the end that we didn’t do any COPs because he doesn’t like to count: yeah, that’s what all yogis say.]  After a Count-Off and Name-O-Rama, a prayer of thanksgiving for the holidays and new year.  Thanks, 86, for a great Q.

    Jingle Vader

  • Foggy Mountain Breakdown

    There certainly are no mountains in Covington but we do have stairs, plenty of fog this time of year, and YHC believes that Einstein could sing a plaintive Bluegrass tune or two if requested.  It was that kind of morning as the PAX converged around the shovel flag in the foggy gloom.

    The Thang kicked off with a mosey to the Taj Mahal.  The PAX circled up around the flagpole for the warmup:  SSH, IW, Butt Kicks, High Knees, Windmills, Torso Twists, and Front to Back Lunges…all IC 25x.

    The PAX then put the Taj Mahal stairs to work.  One PAX hit Merkins and one hit Seal Jacks while the third ran up and over the stairs.  Rotated through the line up, AMRAP for 6 tough minutes.

    Mosey to the Justice Center Parking Garage benches for Step Ups, Derkins, Freak Nasties, and Irkins..all IC 15x.

    Mosey to the Justice Center itself for some speed and pre-agility work.  The PAX made six trips down the back entrance alley.  The first two trips consisted of a backpedal for 20 yards, turn and sprint for 10, and then decelerate quickly for 5, sticking the last footfall like a Romanian gymnast.  The next four trips substituted carioca for backpedal and then it was time to mosey back to the Trailhead for Mary.

    Roaches, Freddy Mercury’s, Jackknives, and Scuba Steves…all IC 20x.

    Count-o-rama, name-o-rama, and Einstein prayed us out.

    Announcement:  Collard Greens has his Virgin Q next Wednesday so plan on getting out of your fartsack and joining us in the gloom.

     

     

  • Mission Ispossible

    Five men gathered around the VSF this gloom.  The goal for this beatdown was to break up the Pax into smaller groups, then send them out on missions to complete.  Since we had 5, we stayed together as one group for our missions.

    DISCLAIMER

    The Thang

    Mosey over to the track for a warmup COP.

    COP #1:
    20x Seal Jacks IC
    20x Plank Jacks IC
    20x SSH IC
    20x Smurf Jacks IC

    Mosey over to The Refinery for the following circuit:
    Pullups x AMRAP
    Step Ups x AMRAP
    Dips x AMRAP
    Inverted Rows x AMRAP
    Mary x 25 IC (Timer)

    We did set #1 with Mary = Putins, then set #2 with Mary = Flutter Kicks

    Enough for now, Indian Run to the fountain by NOMA, and complete this set:

    10x Box Jumps, then Frog Hop/Step Jump up to the top of NOMA… that’s one.
    We did three!

    Indian Run back to The Refinery for one more set with Mary = Real Freddie Mercury.

    Mosey back to track for a Burpee Mile.

    Four Laps around the track + 20 Burpees in 10 min.  Do your laps/burpees anyway you want. Cowbell and Duct Tape knocked out the burpees before running laps (nice!).  Tool, Walleye, and YHC chose to do 5 after each lap.  The five of us finished the Burpee Mile at 0615, and since we had a VSF, we held the COT on the inner track.  Thanks for letting me lead!

    Moleskin

    New Years is fast approaching, and more importantly, it is EH season!  Start working on you EH form like Randy Orton:

    randy orton

  • Hopkinsville Expansion???

    Pre-Thang

    It’s the day after Christmas, we’re all feeling fat, and we are nowhere near an official F3 AO.  Banjo and YHC decided to make one up a little outside the typical F3 norms i.e. invitation to a couple of female family members.  The great thing about F3 is it can be done anywhere… in a park or in a square, during Christmas time without spending a dime… even if there are a few girls, let’s give it a whirl… the goal is still to better ourselves so let’s set out to frolic like gay little elves.

    Warm-Up

    Banjo kicked off the Q-spot with a light mosey over to the Justice Center:

    • Good Mornings, Imperial Walkers, Windmills

    The Thang

    Next up is Four Corners in the Justice Center parking lot:

    • Round 1: Jump Lunge x 10
    • Round 2: Monkey Humps x 10
    • Round 3: Squat Jumps x 10

    After each round, the PAX completed a ½ Bruce Lee: 10 count on Hammers a.k.a. Putins a.k.a. Russian Twists; Dying Cockroach; LBC; Heal Touches a.k.a. Penguins; Boat-Canoe.  Apples was a little late to the game but joined in midway into Round 2.

    YHC took over the Q position with a mosey over to the playground by Sherwin Williams.  Circuit training always gets the blood flowing well.  Banjo took it easy on his sister who requested no burpees, but YHC could really give a $4:t.  5 PAX, 5 Stations, complete each station twice:

    • 10 Burpee count for rotation
    • Swing set hip slappers AMRAP
    • Dips AMRAP
    • Pull Ups AMRAP
    • Slalom ab ski jumps AMRAP

    Mosey across Little River for a DJ-Style / Dealer’s Choice Mary:

    • YHC: Pickle Pounders a.k.a. Jane Fonda’s
    • Banjo: Freddy Mercury
    • YHC’s M: Leg Raises
    • Apples: LBCs
    • Banjo’s Sister /YHC’s Aunt: 1 minute plank

    Mosey back to the start (flag was there in spirit).  PAX ended the BackBlast with #BringSallyUp.  Merikan failure inevitably overcomes the PAX.  Audible called to switch over to squats and the finished back up with Merikans.

    YHC’s M lead the PAX in some final yoga stretches.

    Stoker F3Nashville was M.I.A.

    Announcements: Apples getting married May 20th in Covington, KY.  Safe travels to everyone headed home – New Orleans, Savannah, Raleigh, and Cincinnati

  • Dora in the Foggy Florida Gloom

    YHC advised pax of lingering shoulder issue so we would be limiting about of shoulder work. Only problem was when 3 pax showed up late and CSX train came through.

    Started with a light mosey around parking lot to field. Circled up for a few warm-up exercises. All were 15 IC.

    • SSH
    • cotton pickers
    • Moroccan Nightclub

    YHC had pax pair up for a little Dora 1-2-3. 1 Pax exercised while other ran to end of field and back.

    • 100 Big Boy Situps
    • 200 Sumo Squats (no leg lift)
    • 300 Imperial Walkers (counting only 1 leg)

    10 burps were then completed for 1st late pax member. Then with same partner completed 2nd round of Dora. This time the run was only 1/2 the distance but run there forward, run back backwards.

    • 100 Mountain Climbers
    • 200 Supermans
    • 300 Skaters (counting each leg)

    Then Pax completed 2nd set of 10 burpees for late pax. We then moseyed to pavilion for 3rd round of burpees. Then mosey to Virtual Flag (Thanks Drone!!) for last set of burpees. We completed to w/o with 10 slow cotton pickers IC to stretch as well as various other stretches.

    This morning YHC admitted that he has not been reading his bible lately. Looking at todays reading plan from church, I read part of what it was. It was John 3:16-17.

    YHC ended all with continued prayer requests for OTC and family, continued healing in Lifo and PUD, travel protection for those that are traveling, for Toxic’s M, and others that were unspoken. We ended with prayer and a few went for 2nd F coffeteria at Panera.

    Announcements – will check with Drone about serving next Friday, Barker Birthday Bash Thursday night, 2nd F lunch in January.

    To those pax that are traveling be safe. We miss you. (Except Jumanji)

  • A Pocket Full of Singles

    The Pax is fully aware I am trying to get as many miles in as possible lately.  After I gave the disclaimer they became worried that we were heading out of the park on the 610 stomp route.  No worries, I found another way to get in the mileage.

    The Thang

    After moseying to the Foundry, we partnered up for the following sets:

    • 10 partner assisted pull-ups
    • 20 box jumps
    • 30 Derkins
    • 20 Pole Dancers
    • 10 Burpees

    The exercises could be done in any order.  Once complete, the pair runs to the Refinery and does the same set of exercises.  Once you finish there, run back and do the same at the Foundry, etc. etc. and so forth.  Partners had to stay together, but the race was on to see which pair could complete the most sets.  In the end, everyone completed 4, but Bubba and Kim-Chi were the first to finish.

    We headed back to the flag for COT where we prayed for special intentions, loved ones, and peace.

    Moleskin

    Contrary to popular opinion, pole dancers are no fun.

     

  • 610 Stomp #70

    Nothing fancy about this one.  YHC needs to lose some weight, so I’ve been trying to get some miles in.  Straight out and back along the bayou route as far as you can go in 45 minutes.  This also allowed the YHC, Tool, and Rudy to get some miles in against Shorty in this month’s Extra Mile Challenge (Sorry we can’t figure out the app Fracsac).  Rudy and YHC ran together and logged 5.7 miles (to the street on the other side of the I-10 overpass and back).

  • Giving the Pax the Finger

    YHC is an idiot.  I’m a bleeder and at least once per year, I slice my finger chopping some sort of vegetable.  It’s one of the reasons I don’t eat that many vegetables.  This year it happened slicing beets the Tuesday before I was scheduled to Q Okwata.  I would show you a picture, but I can’t figure out how (good thing Rudy took over as COMZ Q).  Anyway, strict doctor’s orders not to use a keyboard for two weeks, hence the late backblast.  I really wanted to get it out sooner, but infection could have set in and I could have died of dysentery.  So here we are, almost two weeks late.

    The Thang

    Mosey around the fountain and circle up in the muck for the warm-up COP.   It evolved into a half-circle.  I was worried it might be an intervention – What had I done?  I knew I had at least 3 really stupid exercises planned, but how did they find out?  I didn’t write them down anywhere…Am I that predictable?..It must have been the bear crawl route 66…, ah, nevermind it was just the majority of Pax concerned about getting their feet wet and opting for the concrete – pansies.  I may not remember all of the exercises that we did, but I do remember we never got into plank.  I think it went something like this:  SSH x 30; Imperial Walkers x 25; Don Quixotes x 20; Good Mornings x 15; Hillbillies x 25; Seal Jacks x 30

    Then YHC decided to try out a new exercise called the Daft Punk from the exicon.  I chose it for many reasons:  1. It was leg day.  2.  I saw it on the good Reverend’s tweeter feed as he showed the world his weinke prior to his VQ.  3. My 6 year old likes to listen to that band while getting ready for school in the mornings.

    The Daft Punk is a 12 count series of lunges that starts with the right leg forward, side, and back and ends with the left leg going back, side, and forward.  It blew Cowbell’s mind.  Watching Cowbell struggle through this exercise became the best reason to do the Daft Punk.  We kept going until Cowbell made through one complete series.  I’m not sure how many that was.  Probably 15 times.

    Next we moseyed to the benches by the fountain for the Fireman’s Fountain.  7 Pax line up on the benches.  Half (or I should say, roughly half) do squats while the others do lunges.  As many as you can do while one of the Pax fireman carries another around the fountain.  When the fireman gets back everyone shifted down a spot on the bench rotation and the man on the end ran around the fountain and prepared to carry the fireman.  This continued until everyone got to play the fireman.  We had a couple of modifications due to poor size pairings and epic failures, but other than that it was more successful than YHC imagined it would be.

    Next we moseyed to the levee for “I Can’t Drive 55.”  The title to that stupid song seemed a fitting title for this stupid idea.  Run over the levee and do 50 Monkey Humpers on the other side, run back and do 5 calf raises.  Go back over the levee and do 45 Monkey Humpers, come back and do 10 calf raises.  Similar to 11s, but everything adds to 55.

    In the end, everyone did 275 monkey humpers and calf raises for a PAX total of 2475 (Thanks to Shorty and JV for the math on that one).

    This left us just enough time to do about a minute and half of Quadraphilia, before sprinting back to the flag for our COT where we fellowshipped and prayed.

    -Hawg

  • Jacks and Blimps

    Weather: A balmy 70 degrees.  Humid.  Foggy.  Damp.  Just delightful day-after-Christmas weather.  PAX start appearing in the gloom, ready to pay the piper for the Christmas food and beverage indulgences.  Clock strikes 5:30 (on the Q’s notoriously inaccurate watch), so after the disclaimer – we’re off to find the rocks.

    COP: Jacks warm up

    • SSH x25
    • Seal Jack x25
    • Smurf Jack x25

    Then Plank-o-Rama

    • Peter Parker x25
    • Mountain Climber x25
    • Parker Peter x25
    • Plan Jack x25

    Back to our feet for arm circles (each way x15).  Then find a rock suitable for short moseying.

    The Playground: Partner up – 8 PAX, so 4 groups of 2.

    • Station 1: Burpees
    • Station 2: Uneven-bar rows
    • Station 3: Swerkins (like Derkins, but with your feet in the swing)
    • Station 4: Pull-ups

    Burpees are the counter, everything else is AMRAP.  Each round, everyone rotates through all 4 stations.  Round 1: 12 burpee timer.  Round 2: 10 burpee timer.  Round 3: 8 burpee timer.

    Grab your lonely rock.  We really are going to use them.

    The Field: BLIMPS.  Field isn’t measured for football, but using Bogey approximation method (“the lightpost, then the bench, then the possum over by the shrubbery), we lined up for rock-BLIMPS.

    • Goal Line: 5 Burpees
    • 1st Light Post: 10 Lunge sets (with Rock)
    • Edge of the Circle: 15 IW sets (with Rock)
    • Other Edge of the Circle: 20 Murcans (one hand on rock, switch at 10)
    • Other Light Post: 25 Plank Jacks (hands on rock)
    • Other Goal Post: 30 Squats (with Rock)

    Dang, now we’re all the way at the other end of the field.  We’d better start back.  So turn around and repeat.

    Mosey back to the rock pile to return our friend then horses back to the virtual flag.

    Due to YHC mis-calculations, we end up back at VF 90 seconds early.  So everyone ON YOUR 6.  Russian Twist till the cows come home.

    Finish Up: Count-off, Name-o-Rama, and close with our prayers.  Ask for God’s blessings on the downtrodden, addicted and lonely throughout the holiday season, and for safety, health and happiness for all of our families.

    Thanks for the opportunity to lead.