F3 New Orleans

Category: Backblasts

  • 2016: Good Riddance

    Weather: Light sprinkles greeted the PAX in the early City Park gloom; an omen of the storms awaiting us for the rest of the day, perhaps – but nothing that keeps the loyal PAX from their morning workout.  Cars rolling in hot turns a PAX of 5 at 5:27 to a PAX of 14 at 5:30.  After the disclaimer, off to the main lawn.  YHC had a workout ready to look back on 2016, remembering those who were called to greater glory during the year.  And what a list it is.

    Warm Up: Mosey to the Great Lawn.  Quick warm up of SSH x25, Peter Parker x25, Mountain Climber x24 (oops…).

    COP 1: Actors left and right.  Debbie Reynolds; Abe Vigoda AND Ron Glass from Barney Miller.  But for the workout, we went with Florence Henderson: TV’s ultimate Mom.  And what says Mom better than a round of every “Minute On the Minute”.

    • 10x Burpees OYO (modify to 12x for the brave, 8x for the faint-of-heart).
    • Repeat at the top of every minute.
    • 7 minutes: Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan, Cindy and Alice.

    COP 2: Mosey back to the Jungle where we remember the Animals we lost.

    • Harambe: What better way to remember the most famous Gorilla of 2016?
      • Monkey Humpers x25
      • Gorilla Humpers x20 (Monkey Humpers but with feet spread wide and grab inside of ankles)
      • Howling Monkeys: Circle up and all PAX hold the Monkey Humper position.  1 PAX does 10 Monkey Humpers, repeat with the PAX on the right.  All hold until the wave makes it all the way back to the start.  Having so much fun, start a second wave while the first is still going around.
    • Jia Jia: Worlds oldest Panda Bear passes on in October.  Dan Haggerty, he of Grizzly Adams fame too.
      • Bear Crawl Ring of Fire.  Crawl in circle for a while, then PAX hold plank while we pass around a wave of 10 Merkins.
    • Pepe the Frog: Feels Bad Man.  Feels Good Man.
      • Frog Jump to the big oak tree over yonder.

    COP 3: Off to the Tad Gormley fence.  People feared the Calf Raises, but not today.  Instead, YHC calls out from the long list of notable musicians: Maurice White, Leon Russel, Pete Fountain for starters. According to Wikipedia (the source of all truth): Glenn Frey, David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, Merle Haggard combined for a total of 66 Billboard #1 hits.  So – Route 66 it is.  11 Brick Pillars on the Tad Gormley Fence.  Squat Jumps is the exercise.  1 at the 1st, 2 at the 2nd, etc…  YHC legs were burning by the end.

    COP 4: To the mini-foundry, today referred to as “Space”.  Here we run a set YHC chooses to call “The Right Stuff”

    • 5 Pull Ups for John Glenn, America’s first Astronaut
    • 10 Dips for Edgar Mitchell, survived Apollo 13 and then landed on the moon with Apollo 14
    • 15 Death-Star Merkins for Carrie Fisher.  Combine Plank Jack and Merkin: “Out, Down, Up, In”.  (People mocked YHC “That’s it?  That’s the best she gets?”  YHC heard much less mocking after PAX had been at it for a while…)

    OYO, repeat repeat repeat until YHC says stop.  YHC said stop after 4:55, commemorating John Glenns 4 hour 55 minute first trip to space.

    In memory of Kenny Baker, the actor who literally played R2-D2, PAX repeated the same cycle for 2 more minutes.

    COP 5: Literary figures: Edward Albee, Umberto Eco.  But for this round, we commemorate Harper Lee with a re-enactment of the great chase scene.  Partner up.

    • PAX 1: Scout.  We don’t have our pageant costumes on.  Instead, High Knee run.  Hands in front, keep knees hitting hands.
    • PAX 2: Bob Ewell.  Drop for 10 Merkins, then chase Scout.
    • Flapjack and repeat until back to the Great Lawn

    YHC noticed that PAX knees (especially his own) were not nearly as high at the end as they were at the start.

    COP 6: Athletes.  Muhammad Ali, 4 separate heavyweight title belts.  Gordie Howe, 4 Stanley Cups.  Arnold Palmer, 4 Masters.  Nate Thurmond, first ever NBA quadruple double.  Athletes and the number 4.

    • Tabata: 4 minutes of Mountain Climbers.

    PAX grumbled about DJ-Rudy’s music selection (1999 from Prince and Heroes from Bowie).

    COP 7: Running short of time, but one last round: Politics.  Intentionally kept to a short list.  Antonin Scalia and Fidel Castro.  Opposite ends of the spectrum (YHC forgot to reference Scalia.  My apologies….).

    • Tabata, take your pick: Scalia’s American Hammer or Castro’s Russian Twist.

    DJ-Rudy queued up Freedom by George Michael.  Bogey especially appreciated DJ-Rudy’s enthusiastic rendition.

    Back to the VSF (where are the flags?).  Count-off, Name-o-Rama, Announcements:

    • Join the F3 NOLA 2017 NYR: how many F3 workouts will you shoot for?  Join the GroupMe chat, make a commitment public.  Let us all hold each other accountable.
    • Check the Q schedule, you may be on it with or without your knowledge

    Finish with a prayer.  As we look back on 2016 and those lost, let us all remember that none of knows the day nor the hour when we will be called back home.  Let us live our life every day as good and faithful servants, doing our best with the talents and abilities we have been blessed with, to be leaders and followers, helpers and servants, inspirers and inspired.  When our time comes, let us each be ready to look back on our time here with pride for what we have done for our brothers and sisters around us.

    Thank you for letting me lead.  I pray for blessings for all of my F3 brothers and their families for a joyful 2017.

  • The Uptowner says goodbye to 2016

    Giving other PAX grief for not posting a back blast took a toll on YHC, keeping me sick and out of commission most of the week. YHC began to feel better late Wednesday, and decided to post to Okwata Thursday morning. YHC was rewarded with ants fighting for their existence at the base of the levee, leaving their mark for more thoughtful positioning along the levee in the future. Needless to say, YHC needed a good turnout at the Uptowner to be inspired and to feel that it was all worth it. The PAX did not disappoint.
    7 Men of F3 Nation gathered at the somewhat cooler Uptowner for the final beatdown at this location for 2016.  YHC gave the disclaimer and….

    The Thang

    Warm Up

    SSH x 25 IC

    IW x 25 IC

    Arm Circles 15 forward and 15 back IC

    Now that the PAX was warm….

    10 Burpees OYO

    Everyone grab a rock…..

    COP #1

    Rock on the shelf to the right x 15 IC

    Big Boy situps with the rock x 15 IC

    Rock on the shelf to the left x 15 IC

    Rinse and Repeat and then….

    Rock Curls x 15 IC

    Rock Rows x 15 IC

    Big Boy Situps with the rock x 15 IC

    Repeato 3 times

    The Field

    With rocks as markers, estimating 50 feet, the PAX bear crawls to one side and broad jump burpees the way back.  That was so much fun, we had to repeat.

    COP #2

    Rock on the shelf to the right x 15 IC

    American Hammer with the rock x 15 IC

    Rock on the shelf to the left x 15 IC

    Rinse and Repeat and then….

    Rock Curls x 15 IC

    Rock Rows x 15 IC

    American Hammer with the rock x 15 IC

    Rinse and Repeat

    The Field again

    With rocks as markers, estimating 50 feet once again, the PAX bear crawls to one side and…. crawl bears (backwards bear crawl) the way back.  That wasn’t so much fun, but we still had to repeat.

    COP #3

    Rock curl burpee circle…..all PAX continuously does rock curls until the count is theirs, then drop the rock, complete burpee, then start curls again.  PAX counted up to 35.

    With only a couple minutes left, time for more abs….

    with rock 6 inches off the chest…

    Flutter kicks x 24 IC (24 just felt right)

    Hello Dolly’s x 24 IC

    LBC’s with rock x 10 IC (didn’t really work so…)

    Big Boy situps with rock x 10 IC to finish it off

    COT

    Count-off, Name-o-Rama, announcements and intentions.  F3 pushes me harder than I could push myself, and you guys inspire me to become better in all things.  Tclaps to the PAX!

    Tclaps to Thibodaux for posting while visiting from Greenville, NC.  Rumor has it we might see him again on Saturday at the Mothership.

     

     

  • 610 Stomp #71

    Damp air with upper 60’s temp was on tap for the weekly F3 run/cardio showdown.  Not the worst running conditions but not the best either.  As the PAX arrived we were pleased to see an FNG courtesy of Triple Shift.  Also, our trusty four-legged sidekick, Puddles, joined in to keep us on pace.   After determining that the assigned Q was not present (due to communication snafu), we quickly decided that a mosey along the usual Bayou St. John route would be plan.  Many of us “were not feeling it” that day (maybe the muggy air?) so total distance varied with PAX around 3-4 miles.  T-claps to Rudy and Amnesty for keeping our FNG company.  T-claps to those who knocked out some Mary at the end in lieu of planking.  This has become an added bonus to some of the stomp workouts.  Solid COP to cap off the morning.

    Moleskin:  As I type in the #71 on this title, I realize just how many workouts F3 has held in the past few years.  It’s impressive that many of us have stayed on a consistent routine to strengthen our bodies and minds.  T-claps to the PAX for pushing each other and YHC looks forward for many more workouts to come.

    Tool

     

  • Hot December Morning

    It’s hard to believe its so hot in December….Oh never mind this is New Orleans wait a day and it will be forty degrees.

    We started out with a mosey to Oak Ally first running by the female boot camp for inspiration.

    At Oak Ally we did suicides

    -10 x V-ups at the start

    -5 x burpees at each light pole

    Indian run to the row bars.

    Four stations at the row bars:

    -Merkins x 20 for the count

    -Side Lunges

    -Mission Impossible

    -Rows

    Mosey to the tables under the pavilion

    -Decline Merkins x 15 for the count

    -Dips

    -Alternating step ups

    -Alternating super step ups

    2 circuits of these exercises.

    On your own Mary:

    -LBC x20

    -Russian Twists x 15

    -Dying Cockroach x 10

    Mosey back to Oak Alley for Suicides again

    -Jumping Squats x 10 at start

    -Bear Crawl to shoulder taps x 5 at each light

    Indian run toward pull up bars then running back (jogging two markers sprinting one) to the flag

    -plank-o-rama, count off, name-o-rama, prayer

    I spared everyone from my inability to count so everything was stations, suicides or on your own.

     

    Thanks,

    86

     

     

     

  • 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)