A day of remembrance for the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who landed on Gallipoli in World War 1. Depending on your point of view, this was perhaps the most devious but poorly executed plan, or the most ill-begotten idea ever devised by humans. Regardless, the actual outcome was a far cry from the hopes originally envisioned by one Winston Churchill when he devised the plan as a way to break the Western Front stalemate in 1915. After the failed seaborne invasion, the military commanders arrived on a plan to land troops and take the peninsula. Alas, they probably couldn’t have picked worst landing points – and the Australian/New Zealand troops landed on a small beachhead, surrounded by high ground and entrenched Turkish troops. The troops never came close to a breakthrough, and instead took 8 months of astounding losses – but refused to retreat from their position.
Please take some time today to offer a prayer for military troops everywhere who have suffered and died in their missions.
Brick Day: YHC woke to a beautiful crisp morning at the Foundry. The lights are still out, so I struggled to identify the shadows milling about the flag. “Is that you Milkman?” Yes, it was. “I hear singing!” Yup, there was Bogey. Smooth and Tool snuck in quietly, forgoing their cars to mosey to the AO. Mambi, Abacus and Mahatma rounded out the morning crew.
5:30 – disclaimer (especially watch footing because its so darn dark…) Stop by YHC’s car for a morning surprise. Bricks. I like to keep bricks in the car just in case something like this (a morning Q for F3). Everyone grab 2 bricks and lets go.
Stop #1: ANZAC Day remembrance
- A: Abe Vigodas x15. Slow cadence, no bricks
- N: Newton’s Cradle x20. With bricks. Good times
- Z: Zig Zag Hops. 10x Out and Back
- A: Absolution x20. Look it up in the lexicon. 8 count plank exercise.
- C: Crunches x25
Stop #2: Brick-BLIMPS on the track. Partner Up. Each partner runs opposite ways on the track. Whenever they meet, do the next exercise. Then back to the track to run opposite ways. All exercises with bricks. Total of 3+ laps on the track plus the assorted exercises. Plank, then throw in another set of 10 Newton’s Cradles.
Stop #3: Off to the baby Foundry.
Quick Change of Pace: Brick Bear Crawl across the field (maybe 50 yards?). Bricks slide, but then get harder to hold as they get slick….
At the Foundry, leave the bricks in a pile and partner up for 4 stations
- Box Jumps x20 (the timer)
- Pull Ups
- Hanging Knee Lifts
- Jumping over the Green Snake
Repeat x2
Stop #4: Not a complete Rudy workout without a plank-o-rama. Since its 4/25, we’ll do 4 sets of 25. I guess we do 4 sets of 25 every time. But whatever. It was special today anyway.
- Peter Parker x25
- Shoulder Taps x25 (with or without brick at your choice)
- Parker Peter x25
- Floyd Mayweather x25 (with or without bricks – though it was MUCH HARDER with the bricks)
Back to the flag (stopping to carefully put the bricks back in YHC’s car). We had a minute to spare, so close up with 15 Burpees OYO.
Did you know – today (4/25) is also the day that Admiral Farragut demanded the surrender of New Orleans in the Civil War (1862), and the day that US and Russian troops met at the Elbe river in German in World War II (1945).
Close with Announcements – 5/18 Barathon, 6/2 Summer Series race. COT to remember all of our intentions, and ask for blessings to use the gift of today wisely, and grace to be better leaders and servants.
Thanks for letting me (the Foundry Foreigner, I suppose) Q today.
Good workout Rudy. The forearms are feeling it.