F3 New Orleans

Category: Backblasts

  • Northshore GrowRuck 03 Training-Final Edition

    The Northshore PAX rolled out at 1830 Friday night for the final edition of GrowRuck 03 training.  5 hours and over 13 miles later, the PAX returned to the starting point on the Mandeville Lakefront for some cold ones.  Lots of good miles on our feet and lots of great F2.  Along the way Steve tried to EH two armadillos, Chewy apparently is scared of his own shadow and will try to relieve himself on fire plugs if not reined in, Grudy spreadsheeted the entire coupon exchange protocol with his beautiful mind, and Shooter was a steady presence as always.  Needless to say, we all missed Butt Splice but guess who was ready and waiting at 0545 this morning on the Lakefront for Part II of the Final Edition? Ei and his sarcastic sense of humor were there too for Part II and declined multiple requests to shadow the PAX for the Main Event next weekend to keep us entertained while suffering.

    100 burpees, 1 mile, 50 burpees, and another mile later it was time for Part III, the regular Saturday morning beatdown.

    Suffice it to say that YHC is too tired at the moment to recount accurately Part III’s exercises but can report that it was Round Robin Q’d which was very appropriate considering.  We really didn’t cut ourselves much slack, and it is safe to say that we will all sleep well tonight and are ready for next weekend.

  • Hump Day Delight

    It was a damp and gloomy Wednesday in City Park but fortunately we were spared any rain. Solid turnout with 8 faithful PAX of F3 and a not-so-solid turnout with the rest of the Wed am exercise enthusiasts that typically converge on that area of City Park.  No boot camp crowd, no track team practice, only a few stragglers in site….this would mean we’d have the track to ourselves so YHC altered the route laid out in his hard drive.  The high and almost dry track area would be much more enjoyable than the soggy grass that had been saturated with rain all week.  Maybe YHC is getting weak or picky or maybe it’s just the flashbacks from the “Duck Diharreah” workout that had me questioning the morals of F3.  Keeping the feet dry is always a plus in my book.  As the PAX trickled in, we were graced by Amnesty’s reappearance after getting back from three weeks in The Philippines with the USMC.  Thanks for your service and glad to have you back in the gloom.  The workout in store was intended to hone in on the upper body and hopefully improve our pull ups, something YHC has always struggled with.  After informing the PAX of what was on tap, then the disclaimer, and off in a mosey to the west side of the track.

    Warmup (all IC):

    • SSH x30
    • Hill Billies x20
    • Arm Circles x20
    • Chinook Squats (aka Stripper Tease) x20
    • Plank Roll x20
    • Cherry Picker x20

    Realign near the edge of the rubberized area (50yds long according to Google Maps).  Usually we have to share this space with others but today it was all ours.  Great surface for crawling and less slippery than the green alternative.  Here’s what we knocked out:

    1. Bear crawl across
    2. Mosey back
    3. Crab Walk across (forward half way, backward the other half)
    4. Backpedal back
    5. Lunge Walk half, Bear Crawl half
    6. Mosey back
    7. Lunge walk half, Crab Walk half
    8. Backpedal back

    Catch our breath and trot to The Foundry where we paired off into four groups for a circuit routine:

    1. Body Rows AMRAP
    2. Run to water fountain, grab a sip, Squats x20, run back (Timer, approx 1 minute)
    3. The “Shorty Special” at the monkey bars: Pull Ups x2, Merkins x5, alternate AMRAP
    4.  Flutter Kicks AMRAP

    Rinse and repeat for two rounds total.  Make our way back to base with a detour for another COP that YHC hoped to squeeze in.  In lieu of 6MOM, we attempted to do 5 Minutes of Cardio, aka Cinco de Cardio….five different cardio-packed exercises for one minute each:

    1. Up Downs
    2. Rapid Low Country Crab
    3. …….Ran out of time but hoped to also do: Burpees, Semi-Circle Mountain Climbers, and Side Hops.

    Mosey across the track and back to the flag to commence another fine hump day beatdown with the PAX.  T-claps to Griz for detouring to pick up a few pieces of litter near the sidewalk….gotta keep our AO’s looking good!  Wrapped up with a COT.

    Always a great way to start the day.  Thanks for letting me lead.

    Tool

     

     

     

     

     

  • 45 minutes of Mary

    9 strong at Okwata on a rainy gloomy gloom.

    YHC always thought to do a core only work out, today would be that day. #45minutesofmary Has it ever been done in NOLA??

    Mosey around the fountain.

    Warm Up COP:

    25 X SSH

    25 X Hillbillies

    25 X Plank Jacks

    15 X Cowbells (Smurf Jacks)

    10 F/B X Arm Circles

    Mosey to the lakefront for:

    “Hurricane Hoedown”

    4 different variations of flutter kicks (Sitting up right with hands in the air, slightly reclined, laying down, crunch position)

    7 X each variation

    6 X each variation, etc. down to 1

    11’s on the lakefront (LBC / Hello Dolly)

    Mosey up Canal Blvd to the levee and to the pull up bar shelter.

    Circuit:

    -Hanging Leg Ups

    -Russian Twist X 20 (TImer)

    -Dying Cockroach

    Repeat X 2 (last round Russian Twist X 10)

    Mosey to the parking lot median for:

    “Hands of TIme”

    Circle up, feet out, heads in, legs at 90 degrees, legs down to 10 degrees and count off after the person to your left counts,legs back to 90. continue around the circle.

    We got to 150. #crowdpleaser

    1 minute left, time for Mary!

    20 X LBC

    Great post by the entire PAX, especially our Friendly New Visitor from Spain, The Stranger!

    Always a pleasure to lead y’all.

  • HIIT week 1 of 6

    5 pax met at Mandeville City Hall at 5:15 am for the normal jaunt to sunset point.

    YHC was inspired by a recent study published by a friend at UAB, and decided to switch things up a bit.
    The same route was ran, but it was broken up into 5, 1/4 mile sprints with a slow mosey in between sets.
    YHC then challenged the pax to 6 consecutive Thursdays of interval training.

    Pretty cool stuff here, basically 1 x per week of HIIT = 5 x per week of Moderate intensity exercise
    http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0138853

  • Lafitte’s Plunge #18 – Don’t Get Wet in the Rain

    *tip tap *tip tap

    The rain beat intermittently on my roof this morning.  Only having put the baby down 4 hours and 10 minutes prior, YHC knew the gloom would be extra gloomy.  Good thing I was going swimming and not working out in the rain.  *snooze

    5:10 am – GET UP!!! GET UP!!! GET UP!!!

    5:20 am – In the car, “Siri, text F3”

    5:38 am – Take The Plunge (Amnesty had already completed most of the 200 yd w/u)

    The Thang (distance 950 yds)

    • 200 yd w/u
    • Pace work:  25 yd Sprint, :30 rest, 50yd fast,  :20 rest, 100 yd swim, :10 rest, 25 yd Sprint.    Rinse & Reverse: :30 rest, 100yd swim, :20 rest, 50yd fast, :10 rest, 25yd Sprint
    • 11’s (I don’t know why, but I always come back to 11’s) Merkins/WWII Sit Ups

    Running Club at The Basin tonight at 6:30, M’s & Shorties are welcome – https://www.facebook.com/groups/930543780411154/?ref=bookmarks

    Thank you for the opportunity to Lead,

    Da Parish

  • GrowRuck 03 Preblast & Agenda Update

    Gentlemen,

    With GrowRuck 03 quickly approaching, I wanted to provide you with an update on the agenda for the weekend. Please read this comz completely, and if you have questions, let me know either through comments below or on the Twitter machine.

    First off, I want to thank the local Qs for their help in organizing the event. These men (listed below) have spent many hours herding cats and without their hard work, this event would not be possible. Next time you seen them thank them.

    Local Qs:

    • NOLA: Heisenberg
    • Northshore: Turbo
    • Houston: Leprechaun

    Secondly, I want to tell you men how excited I am about the opportunity that lies before us. As anyone who’s done an event like a GORUCK Tough before will tell you, putting yourself in a stressful and difficult situation helps you better understand who you are, and where your limits lie. Most men who take on and finish a Tough find that those limits are well past what they originally perceived. Additionally, the bonds forged in these difficult situations are strong and not easily broken.

    This experience paired with F3 GrowSchool will hopefully strengthen your leadership chops and give you some tools to help you grow your regions.

    Now, here’s all the logistical info that you’ll need to know for the weekend:

    T-Shirts

    We’ll distribute t-shirts during GrowSchool on Saturday AM. Wearing these shirts has been scientifically proven to make you ruck hard. Trust me.

    Packing List

    Please double-check that you have all the required items on the packing list in your ruck prior to start time. Don’t be the guy that causes OBT to have to do 100 (more) burpees because you forgot your $20 or extra batteries.

    Required Packing List

    • A rucksack or backpack
    • 6 Bricks (4 if under 150 lbs) / 30# plate (20# if under 150 lbs)
    • Water – 2L minimum (hydration bladder recommended)
    • PT belt/reflective band around your ruck
    • $20 cab fare (but you aren’t allowed to quit)
    • Headlamp with extra batteries
    • A photo ID

    You can check out GORUCK’s full packing list and recommended items here.

    Agenda

    Friday Night

    Capitol Ruck Tour in Baton Rouge: Friday, June 9th 6:30 (caravan from City Park)
    City Park (1 Palm Dr, New Orleans, LA 70124)

    For GrowRuck 03, we have the opportunity to combine some 1st and 2ndF on Friday night by taking part of the final portion of Cadre Danny Stoke’s Capitol Ruck Tour in Baton Rouge. Danny (our GORUCK cadre) is traveling across our great United States this year to raise awareness and money for Operation Enduring Warrior. OEW’s mission is “to honor, empower, and motivate our nation’s wounded veterans through a physical, mental and emotional rehabilitation”. It’s an amazing organization and I’m proud that we’ll be able to support it.

    We’ll ruck the last few miles of the tour, then take part in the closing ceremony at the Louisiana State Capitol where representatives from OEW will speak to the group about their experience in the service.

    The trip to BR and back should give the crew plenty of time to hang out and get some good 2ndF in, and I’m proud that F3 will make a big presence at this stop on the Ruck Tour.

    The plan is to meet up with the rest of the group at 8:30 at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine (Skip Bertman Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70803) for the last 4 miles of the ruck to the Capitol. To do so, the New Orleans crew will meet at City Park (1 Palm Dr, New Orleans, LA 70124) at 6:30 to caravan to the rally point. The Northshore guys will coordinate travel from their AO, and the Houston guys will arrive in Baton Rouge in time to rally with us.

    The patch ceremony should wrap around 10pm allowing us to get back to New Orleans by midnight.

    Capitol Ruck Tour
    https://www.facebook.com/capitaltour2017/

    Operation Enduring Warrior
    http://enduringwarrior.org

    Saturday

    Convergence: Saturday Morning, June 10th 8:00am – 9:00am
    Audubon Park (6500 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70118)

    Convergence led by Dredd & OBT, with men from three local regions. This is not intended to be a heavy, break-you workout, but hell, you never know with these two guys at the helm.

    Please, please, please encourage everyone to participate in the Saturday AM convergence and GrowSchool.

    Coffeeteria & GrowSchool: Saturday Morning, June 10th 9:30am – 11:30am
    PJ’s Coffee (5432 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115)

    Breakfast provided (we’ll pass the hat to cover it), in a sit-down instructional setting, led by Dredd & OBT in the back room at PJs Coffee. If you’re the type of guy that doesn’t have total recall, bring a notebook to jot down some truth nuggets.

    GORUCK  Tough Challenge: Saturday Evening, June 10th 5:00pm
    City Park (56 Dreyfous Dr, New Orleans, LA 70119)

    Our challenge will take place at City Park and will begin at 6:00pm sharp. Our start location is the Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn. Be there for pre-challenge BOM at 5:30.

    If anyone would like to shadow the event, they need to be at the starting point to receive instructions from the cadre. Also, since this is an F3 event, we have a “dudes-only” rule for shadows.

    Sunday

    You can plan on the GrowRuck to last approximately 12-ish hours, depending on our performance.

    Finally, I’d like to leave you with this, the best advice I’ve ever received: When I was gearing up for my first GORUCK Challenge, and had the pre-event jitters, one of my buddies told me “Don’t worry Robber, they won’t eat you, and they can’t take away your birthday”.

    Remember that.

    -Robber

  • Heavy Shoes, Light Hearts

    The rains of the week blessed us with a cool morning and plenty of soggy ground to play with.

    We started with a comfortable mosey around the clubhouse parking lot that allowed us to gather the straggling PAX who seemingly modified their alarm clocks this AM.

    Once at a dry patch on the field in front of the zoo, we got to warming up:

    • Sidestraddle hop x 25
    • Arm Circles forward x 20
    • Arm Circles backward x 20 (missing Seaman’s countdown)
    • Imperial Walker Squats x 20
    • Peter Parkers x 20

    A mosey took us across the train tracks to a levee that could more appropriately be described as a mountain rising from the surrounding marshland.

    Here we partnered up for Dora 1-2-3’s up and over the levee:

    • Merkins x 100
    • LBC’s x 200
    • Squats x 300

    With heavy breaths and heavier shoes, we mosied back to Oak Alley and the lamp posts:

    • From the track, Bear Crawl to first lamp post: Putins x 25
    • Bear Crawl to 2nd post: Dying Cockroach x 30
    • Bear Crawl to 3rd post: Parker Peters x 20
    • Bear Crawl to 4th post: Box Cutters x 20, with a complimentary hold at the end at 45 degrees

    After an easy mosey to the shelter:

    • Left Leg Step-Ups x 20
    • Dips x 20
    • Right Leg Step-Ups x 20

    Finally, wetter with sweat than the ground we trod on, we mosied back to the flag for the Count-Off, Name-o-rama, Announcements, and BOM. Happy to see the 13 PAX this morning. Thanks for following along with the workout and keeping a light heart in the mud – Jadeveon.

  • MARSOC Beatdown

    Rudy joined us at the Wolfpack on Friday ostensibly for some uptown fellowship but perhaps he really wanted to ensure the Mothership had an uptown Q for Saturday. Quick Draw had to postpone his Q and I volunteered to fill in.  What to do?

    In memory of those that sacrificed for our freedom I chose to lead the Pax through a military themed post on this Memorial Day weekend Saturday.  I for one was sucking air and this certainly help put my cush civilian life in perspective.

    Mosey to the big American flag near the peristyle for a warmup:

    • SSH X 30
    • Hill Billy X 20
    • IW Squat X 20
    • WWII Sit-ups X 20

    Mosey to the Foundry running path:

    (So long Walleye!)

    • Bataan Death March subbing 10 squats instead of burpees to save some stamina
    • Once we cycled through the Pax we started over with POW style Indian run until we competed the lap

    Water break and slow mosey to a grassy clearing for the main event.  The MARSOC short card. These were done in cadence and at a slower pace which proved to be a challenge on top of the challenge (i.e. perhaps a bad idea!).  This is intended to done without a break between exercises.  Full disclosure: we took an occasional 20 count and the Q even needed a water break (err ‘don’t splash merlot break’) about 2/3 of the way through.

    • 30 Merkins
    • 30 Air squats
    • 30 Crunches
    • 10 Burpees (4-count seemed to work)
    • 10 Windmills
    • 30 Merkins
    • 30 Mountain Climbers
    • 30 Flutter kicks
    • 10 Burpees
    • 10 Cherry pickers
    • 30 Merkins
    • 30 SSH
    • 30 Supermans
    • 10 Burpees
    • 10 Chain Breakers
    • 20 Merkins (Q prerogative)
    • 30 Lunges
    • 30 Hello Dollies
    • 10 Burpees
    • 10 Trunk Twists
    • 1 set of pull ups (max reps) Modified from the 3 reps on the official workout

    T claps to the Pax for busting this out.  The mumble chatter was to a minimum and I was impressed with your endurance.

    Hobble back the flag for count off, nameorama, and ball of man.  Thanks for our Freedom!

  • Rucking Around in the Rain

    Ruck for 45 minutes in the rain: that’s about it–if you’re counting time.  But life’s a journey.

    So after Cowbell ditched his Q to stay an extra day at Orange Beach, and after Da Parish texted at 5:04 that he would be fartsacking (dude, you’re already up!), and after Rudy was fearing that he might even like the Green Eggs and Ham if he tried it, and after an apparent loss of the Red Pill amongst others, an intrepid PAX of two showed up in the rain for a nice stroll along Bayou St. John with their rucks.

    When you’re rucking, the F1 is on autopilot, so the F2 kicks into gear.  A nice chat about life.  The rain stopped when we finished: I love the rain in late spring.  A great time for a beatdown.

    Prayers for Fracsac’s father who begins radiation treatment.

    Jingle Vader

  • All-Right-E

    On Memorial Day, a day of honor, respect and thanks, you’d think (hope) that the PAX would show at least a modicum of respect to their elders. But apparently, the answer is no.  A good reminder that there are no free rides.  So YHC arrived about a minute before 5:30 and had an aha moment that he’s today’s Q.  All-Right-E, with a quick disclaimer, off we go…

    COP1 is going to begin a little different, because we should always be vigilant and never complacent.  All-Right-E, here goes:

    • Bunny rabbits (high knee slaps 20 single count each
    • SSHs 29xIC
    • Abe Vigodas 15xIC
    • Hillbillies 31xIC

    YHC got some good mumblechatter with the bunny rabbits: need to keep that one in the queue.  Pick up some rocks and mosey to the benches under the shelter (don’t want the PAX to melt from the slight rain).  For COP2.  All-Right-E, it was all with rocks (except where noted):

    • Right leg step ups 20xIC
    • dips 20xIC (one rocks, obviously)
    • Left leg step ups 20xIC
    • Incline merkins 20xIC (no rocks, obviously)
    • squats 20xIC
    • Hip slappers 20xIC (no rocks, obviously)
    • Prison duty (move rock from left to right and back to left) 20xIC
    • Derkins 20xIC (no rocks, duh)
    • partner up for buddy situps passing rock from PAX to PAX 30 each pair OYO

    COP3 for some navel contemplation on the wall.  All-Right-E, here’s how it went:

    • Minute sit starring at your rock
    • sit with overhead press 20xIC
    • sit with curls 20xIC
    • Minute sit starring at your rock again

    COP4 for some Mary.  All-Right-E:

    • Hello Dolly 20xIC
    • Penguins 20xIC
    • Putins (with or without rocks) 20xIC
    • Right Hip Dips 20xIC
    • Left Hip Dips 20xIC
    • Dying Cockroach 20xIC

    Mosey back to rock pile and then to our flag for Count Off, Name-O-Rama and COP.  Thanks again to all those who have given their lives for out country, and thanks also to all those nor or formerly in our military.  We have so much to be grateful for.

    Moleskin: As Mathlete noted, Memorial Day is a good day for a Murph.  We finished with another 17.5 hours left in the day: go to it.  Nothing’s holding you back, except yourself.

    Jingle Vader