The Goal is 4 rounds we fell short we.
We will be back
The goals is to complete a 5k plus 1,000 reps in under a hour
adding a video that has all the details on rounds and Reps.
Next time planing on swapping Bur-pee Broad Jumps for walking lunges
Have a great week. Go Get Some…
News Story on the Funeral of Elvis Presley
“Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave ’em all over everything you do.” –Elvis Presley
40 Years ago today, Elvis Aaron Presley, the King of Rock & Roll, was found dead in his Memphis home dubbed “Graceland”. Elvis, alongside his Mother Gladys, his father Vernon, and Grandmother Minnie Mae Hood aka Dodger still rest in Graceland to this day. Thousands of mourners gathered in Memphis in the days to come to pay their final respects to the man that defined a generation and changed the world as it was known.
In honor of the legend, YHC crafted a special Elvis themed beat down. Disclaimer….
The Thang…
“Don’t Be Cruel” to me Q, but we need to offer up a little downPAINment – Burp & Merk 2:03.
YHC doesn’t mean to be cruel though, just wanna be your “Teddy Bear” – Bear Crawl; Crawl Bear Suicide 1:48
We can’t go on together with “Suspicious Minds” but we have to – Indian Run to NOMA
Find your Memphis Mafia and check in at the “Heartbreak Hotel” – Heartbreak 1, 2, 3’s (Dora 1,2,3 with a hill). 100 Merkins, 200 Squats, 300 LBCs.
Due to excessive use of heart medication, Elvis was “All Shook Up” and collapsed due to heart failure on the throne – People’s Chair 2:00
Elvis was a great dancer, especially in the movie “Jailhouse Rock” – Walk like an Egyptian (Indian Run w/ Lunges) last pax “jailbreaks” to front, Jailbreaker takes the radio.
We may not have time for an encore, after 1 round of Walk like an Egyptian, mosey to the VF for some Priscilla.
We always comeback to the flag after a COP, so why not the ’68 Comeback special…”If I Can Dream” – ABC’s spelling “ELVIS PRESLEY”
And now, the King is singing on that stage in the sky, but he came from nothing, almost like he was “In the Ghetto” – Weezy Jefferson’s x 15 IC
The clock strikes 6:15, Countarama, Namearama,
Announcements:
BOM for understanding of our fellow man and an end to hate.
Moleskin:
Thank you for the opportunity to lead, Thank You Very Much,
Da Parish
Mark your calendars for The 3rd Annual F3 Golf Classic, hosted by the Area 51 Pax at Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation on Friday, July 29th at 9:00 AM.
The F3 Golf Classic is a great time to celebrate the great gift F3 has been to all of us. This year, it is also an opportunity to give F3 away to other men, as all proceeds from the tournament will go to fund Leap Expansion efforts.
You will need a Pay Pal account to register as a foursome or a single.
We trust all of you are excited and ready to be a part in our largest gathering of F3 men. When F3 Nation descends upon the Leatherneck this Saturday, we will definitely turn some heads and draw a lot of attention. There are a few logistical changes, so this PreBlast is an attempt to provide sufficient detail so things run smoothly. A schedule of events and the F3 Starting Order are included at the bottom.
ARRIVAL**: You should plan to arrive at The Leatherneck by 7:00am. You do not want to be late. Running from the parking lot to make your start time will make for a miserable day. The Physical Address of the Leatherneck is 1215 Valley Ridge Rd., Gaston, SC 29053. Directions are below:
**(FOR SITUATION AWARENESS THERE WILL BE CONSTRUCTION ON 1-26 AND EXIT 125 WILL BE SHUT DOWN AT 7AM).
THE TENT: This year, the F3 tent will be right next to the starting line. You won’t be able to miss it, because we have the biggest, baddest tent on site. It will also be well marked with flags and banners, and will serve as our central meeting point.
Bag Check: There is a bag check for normal registered runners. This location will be chaos. Plan to check you bag into the F3 tent. We will have several volunteers that will be staying at the tent and I’ve heard that F3 Nation brothers are pretty damned trustworthy!
SHOVEL FLAGS: Please bring EVERY shovel flag in your Region and plant them at the tent upon arrival. This is always a significant gathering, and the flags will make a statement.
THE MUD RUN WAIVER: Bring the COMPLETED mud run waiver form with you (ONE PER TEAM IS REQUIRED TO BE COMPELTED).TEAM CAPTAINS are responsible for your team’s waiver (we will print some extras to be available at the F3 tent). Print the waiver here:
REGISTRATION: Don’t go register until your ENTIRE team is Assembled. You register at the registration tent (NOT THE F3 TENT). Give them your waiver and get your race bibs and get marked up with your numbers. Team Captains will get the team’s timing chip. You will be free to come back to the F3 tent after you register. T-shirts can be picked up (as a completed team) at the F3 tent.
THE START: Teams start every 15 seconds. This is it. Do well.
THE COURSE: The course layout is the same this year. Watch Twitter (@F3MudRun) for any course recon updates prior to the race. There should be actual Marines monitoring obstacles (rather than JRROTC volunteers). The Marines are much more strict when it comes to attempting/completing each obstacle or taking penalties. With 108 teams, odds are very high that one of us will piss off a Marine with a hard-on to bust somebody. Don’t let it be you.
Fountainhead’s “Wiki-Mud” provides strategy tips and information about specific obstacles and is recommended reading: http://f3nation.com/2014/03/16/the-wiki-mud/
Purple Crayon’s “How To Beat the Mud Run Obstacles” is also excellent (Note: order of obstacles has changed): http://f3nation.com/2013/10/08/how-to-beat-the-mud-run-obstacles/
THE FINISH: You must cross the finish line with your entire team. In our meetings with the Mud Run reps, they specifically mentioned this rule. Team Captains with the timing chip must finish with your three teammates and ONLY your three teammates.
AFTER THE RACE: When you are off the course, the mud run will have fruit, water, etc. for you. You can also hang around the finish line to welcome your buddies as they finish. At some point, you will want to make your way toward the “showers” (which are hardly more than a glorified garden hose) for a rinse off. Don’t think for a minute you’re gonna get all the mud off you. That will take weeks. After you clean up a bit, make your way back to the F3 Tent for 2ndF (AND ENJOY THE BEER BOAT!!!) We will have this stocked for you and remember that GLASS BOTTLES AND PERSONAL COOLERS ARE NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE GROUNDS.
OPERATION ENDURING WARRIOR DONATION: Operation Enduring Warrior is an organization that supports disabled veterans through training and competing in obstacle races. You may have seen photos of the OEW guys wearing gas masks during the mud run. Their web site is here: http://www.enduringwarrior.org/
F3 Nation will again support their efforts this year with a financial donation and moral support. You may remember having the option to make a donation to OEW when you signed up on the F3 Mud Run website. We raised about $1700 that way. On the morning of the race, we will “pass the hat” again for anyone who would like to donate to OEW and increase our check size. There will be a donation bucket (very well marked) at the tent. We will also have a F3 volunteer walking around with a bucket. Think about it – if all 420 of us gave just $5, we’d add $2100.
OEW CHECK PRESENTATION: At approximately 7:45am F3 (Fountainhead and Napalm) will present our check donation to OEW. Logistics are still being finalized regarding exactly where that exchange will take place, but we only have about a five minute window before OEW hits the starting line, and we don’t want to back up the rest of the starters. We’ll annouce this when it’s time.
PHOTOS: At approximately 11:00AM, we will take our group picture (please be at our tent at 11:00AM for this). This should not take but a few minutes. We will also have several photographers on the course.
BUSTED PAW: The awarding of the Busted Paw will take place immediately following photos. It better be a team from F3 that wins this and not a pack if FIA gals……
Tenative Schedule of Events:
THE STARTING ORDER:
Since this run’s inception, we have received countless communications regarding starting times. You name it, we’ve heard opinions from every region. After carefully weighing all the information, the overwhelming consensus was that most of the regions wanted the chance to compete for The Busted Paw against each other’s best competition and on a level playing field. It also became apparent that any solution we offered was going to piss somebody off. This year we have a LOT more regions running for the first time (and not all necessarily consider themselves in the running to take home the trophy).
The defending champion South Beach is not registed to defend there team title so ALL F3 teams are together with nobody between us. Each Regional Q ranked each of the teams from their region.
When all teams were blended together for ranking, we considered three primary factors:
Basically each region has an equitable starting position to compete for The Paw. Any arguments and speculation should be finally decided in the arena.
While this might not be the best way, its how it was done, and it all should work out just fine.
SO The best part about this is IF you don’t like where your team is, Here are the things you can blame instead of ganging up on YHC:
With that said HERE are the Starting Times (and remember if you are part of F3 then every last one of you has a “priority starting time”)!
UPDATED TO PDF BELOW:
Below is the Individual Registed Runner List (with the Teams they belong to):
F3 Nation Individuals per team
PDF Version-Individuals per team
Blood Clots…Bones Heal…Sweat Dries…Pride is FOREVER!
The Thang: September 11 and September 12….from Whitetop, Va to Asheville,NC….208 210 mile relay run completed by teams of 6-12 pax, each running 1 of 36 legs in sequential order.
NM: 54 Teams consisting of almost 500 Pax completed this event which is the pure definition of CSAUP.
As with all things F3, there is always a title for the fastest team. This year, that title belongs to Team Lean from Charlotte-Metro. Team Lean also set the fastest time ever for an F3 team. In second place, was a six man team, Team S6X, also from Charlotte-Metro. Team S6X also placed 3rd overall in the Ultra Category. 3rd place was Team Paperboy. Nice job to all. BRR 2015 Race Results
While there were many fast times, what is more impressive to YHC was the shear volume of teams and the variation in geography. In addition to Charlotte, there was representation from Winston-Salem, Fort Mill, Huntersville, Harrisburg, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Hickory, Lake Murray, Wilmington, Greensboro, Columbia, Irmo, Lexington, Greenville, SC. Special shout out to some of our newest regions, Richmond-VA & Summerville, SC. Great to have you! Word on the street is that Richmond will have 2 teams next year. Cobains if I missed your region.
This is an event that because of all the 2F during and the excitement leading up to it, it’s easy to forget how hard this is. Very few things can prepare one for sitting in a van and having to run for your 3rd time in less than a day up some mountain at 3AM. It hurts, your legs rebel, your lungs burn, and there appears to be an abundance of wild dogs lurking about when the sun goes down. Yet, somehow, we all end up doing well. We like to say that this race really doesn’t start until the sun goes down. Makes sense that F3 does so well since we are usually done with our workouts before the sun even goes up. There is also something about being accountable to the other members of your team. In F3, we look to carry and not be carried. Big effort all the time. WE OWN THE GLOOM.
Congratulations to each and everyone of you that had the courage to sign up and complete this. This may be the hardest thing you do all year. For those of you that haven’t tried this yet, the bar has been set.
Here are some quick notes from the event.
Thank you to Mud Gear for making the event gear so available and high quality.
Thank you to The Show- He was last year’s Q and made it simple for me to take over.
Thank you to all the Region Q’s and Team Captains. You made my role very easy. It was my honor to Q.
Announcements:
If you have team pictures, please email OBT and he will give you access to upload to DropBox. He is working on something cool.
There were several good ideas regarding the ending of the race. I would expect to see something more organized next year at the finish.
Race On!
FL
YES It’s that time again, so get ready…the MUD RUN is coming! YHC will be the Q for F3Nation this year. Your Regional Q’s are being finalizing. Many regions have an assigned Mud Run Q for the Fall, the full list should be completed and displayed soon (updates will be made to this blast to list Regional Qs). The Ultimate Challenge Mud Run is the F3 Nation “Super Bowl,” (it’s just muddier than the one we watch on TV). Our next opportunity is Saturday, October 24th, 2015 at the Leatherneck course in Gaston, SC. We had approximately 500 pax at the Spring 2015 Mud Run. The goal for Fall 2015? 527.5 Pax (or thereabouts)…. We can do it!
ALL AO Qs talk it up to the Pax that post to your AO. Veteran runners, do it again, get better, finish faster and most of all encourage our new brothers to take the next step! Since the last MUD RUN, We have seen a lot of FNG’s dip their toe in the water to see what F3 is all about. LEAP expansion efforts have been nothing short of amazing. We will have representation from several new AOs, including several teams from #TheMission (from Oliver Gospel Mission out of Columbia)! Good Form is being promoted and the Pax are holding each other accountable. VQs are multiplying at staggering numbers. There is no better time than now to be Plant, Grow and Serve. Let’s all pull together to promote OUR event! Now it’s time, are you going to step up and help us to exceed our goal???
As usual, we have a reserved block of priority F3 starting times with the Mud Run organizers. This next bit is important: Start times: so please PAY ATTENTION:
The TOP 3 Finishers (Teams) from the Spring 2015 Mud Run will have MUD RUN priority slots. We will slot in the next 10 F3 Teams. This is all based on the below 3 conditions:
1) TEAM NAMES MUST REMAIN THE SAME
2) Team must be comprised of AT LEAST 3 members of Spring 2015 Team
3) Team roster must be submitted by the published deadline
Registration and payment this year will be the same as the last Spring Mud Run. TEAMS WILL BE MANAGED BY THE REGIONAL MUD RUN Qs! You register as an individual and then coordinate with your Regional Mud Run Q to form your team. DO NOT CONTACT F3MudRun@gmail.com or Heist regarding changes or setting up your Mud Run Team!!!! ONLY your Regional MudRun Q should be contacted for this.
Registration fees are $55 per person and the DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 12TH 2015. This deadline is based on how Eventbrite reimburses us. Registration is considered a “hard commit” with NO REFUND should you be unable to compete. If you register and cannot meet your commitment, it’s your responsibility to your team and your Region to find your replacement.
Transportation to the race is your responsibility. Coordination of charters/buses/road-trip refreshments should be coordinated through your Regional Q.
We will continue honoring Operation Enduring Warrior with a donation from F3 Nation. They support wounded soldiers, particularly amputees. If you saw them at previous Mud Run presentations, it was powerful. Several members of their group compete with prosthetics and one has no legs at all. There will be a block on the registration form to make a donation. $10 per person as an add on is suggested, but donating more, less, or nothing at all is ok. It’s completely optional. We presented OEW with a Check for $5000 at the Spring Mud Run and we are hoping to make another check presentation at the Fall Mud Run (GOAL to exceed $5,500).
Regional Mud Run Q’s:
Florida:
Jacksonville:———————-BigBird
Georgia
Atlanta:—————————-
North Carolina:
Asheville:—————————GoodLuck
Charlotte MECA:——————Chicken Strip
Charlotte Metro:——————-
Charlotte North:——————-Mortimer
Charlotte South:——————-Mermaid
Foothills:—————————-Abraham
Gastonia:—————————Bandit
Greensboro:———————–
Greenville-NC:———————CousinIt
Chapel Hill:————————-
Sandhills:—————————Vault
Shelby:——————————GoGreeneGo
Wilmington:————————-
Winston Salem:——————–
South Carolina:
Anderson:————————–
Bluffton:—————————-Gambit
Charleston:————————Dugger
Columbia:————————–Myrtle
Fort Mill:—————————-OldBay
Florence:—————————Foxy
Greenville-SC:—————–Flay—-and—- Iceman
Greenwood:———————–Juggernaut
Hartsville:————————–ChuckyCheese
Lake Murray:———————-FireDaddy
Lexington:————————–ShadesOfGray
Myrtle Beach:———————-OneCall
North Augusta:———————
Spartanburg:————————
Summerville:————————Picasso
Sumter:——————————-Waco
Winnsboro:————————–Doobie
Finally, we have set up a dedicated email account for Mud Run issues and coordination. Please use it!
LINKS
MUDRUN REGISTRATION (F3 SIGN UP HERE FOR MUDRUN):
https://f3mudrunfall2015.eventbrite.com/
Email Address for questions/issues:
F3MudRun@gmail.com
F3 MudRun Twitter account (FOLLOW THIS FOR DAILY TWEETS/ UPDATES):
@F3MudRun
Operation Enduring Warrior:
http://www.enduringwarrior.org/
USMC Mud Run (DO NOT SIGN UP VIA THIS LINK, this is just a general FYI link about the mudrun):
http://www.ultimatechallengemudrun.org/
Some very helpful course knowledge items, especially with the new guys. Be as prepared as possible and know what you’re in for (provided courtesy of Bolt)!
Spring 2015 actual Course video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkDYciKY1fc
How to beat the Mud Run obstacles: http://f3nation.com/2013/10/08/how-to-beat-the-mud-run-obstacles/
The Wiki Mud document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/111l7-UMkAzHeQtrBiThDGkN5gh2Mg6Lhoz4yhfSGrRo/edit fromhttp://f3nation.com/2014/03/16/the-wiki-mud/
FAQ:
1) When do we have to be at the race? All expected to be at our tent at 7:00am to be ready for pre-race BOM.
2) When will we do the BOM? Before 7:30am.
3) When does the Race Registration Tent Open? Registration tent open at 7:30am and ALL 4 TEAM MEMBERS MUST REGISTER TOGETHER.
4) When can I pick-up my T-Shirt from the F3 Tent? AFTER you team registers at the Registration Tent.
5) When does the race start? First teams off at 8:30am, then teams staggered after this time until a bit after 9:00am.
6) What do I do AFTER my team finished? Pat yourself on the back then head straight to the F3 Tent!
7) How long do I have to stay at the F3 tent? Can’t believe you would ask that, BUT PLEASE stay there until 11:00am. We will take our final Pax photo at 11:00am and want all to be included!
More to come soon. Go Register!
Aye!
Do you know anything about The LEAP? Is it…
A. What we were all hoping would lead to Tom Brady seriously bruising his ego? I know I was hoping that Bill Belichick had leapt just before him and Tom would have landed on Belichick down in that lagoon and neither one of them would coach or play football again for fear of airborne objects.
B. The proper way to traverse the last three steps in any set of stairs. Unless you subscribe to the every-other-step theory. Which is a much sexier way to do it. Sexier but risky. This also applies outside of workouts.
C. A necessary progression of one’s thoughts from an observation of reality to thinking that The Nibbler actually does it better than the next guy. This can also be described as the side-straddle-hop syndrome, 10 burpees = 4, or Mumblechatter Moxie.
If you answered A, you are correct. But that’s not what this post is about…
If you are reading this it is because you are an F3 guy. Someone headlocked you, you showed up, you showed up again, and your life started to change. Someone somewhere had started this thing that would forever change lives and the lives of those around us. It was free; doesn’t cost nuthin’. What they didn’t tell you is that if you want to keep it, you would have to give it away.
Now’s your chance to do that. If you click on the Leap above you will learn all about how F3 can grow. But it isn’t easy, and it isn’t free (insert joke about Nibbler’s first girlfriend here).
The upcoming F3 Golf tournament is an excellent way for you to support the Leap initiative. Most of us give to something in our lives; our church, favorite charity, school fundraisers…So why not give to the thing that impacts our lives the most. Give so that it can do the same in others people’s lives. Why support something to help someone you may never meet? Because someone did it for you.
Playing in the golf tournament is a great start. Sponsoring the tournament is even better. But you don’t need to do either of those things. You can donate your money through the PayPal link in the original post below. If everyone reading this would send in $10, the Leap would be funded well through the launch of the cities currently on the hit list.
So don’t be like most of the Gonzaga players just standing there taking up space. Shuffle your feet and do something. After all, most of you are Carolina fans with nothing left to root for unless you are waiting on your $200 check too. I hear Sean May took the entire Orleans Loiret team out for authentic crème brulee. It just so happened that J.R. Reid waited on them in the fancy new beret he bought with his check.
Final teams are due by April 16th. Stop procrastinating, reserve your spot now. At the very least come and see Uncle swing a club. I hear he has a three wood he whittled out of the actual Cuban pine tree he came over on. That I’d like to see. We all know that pine is unwhittleable.
To learn more, and to sign up, click HERE
YES I RELAIZE THAT YOUR REGION MIGHT NOT BE ANYWHERE EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO THE TOURNAMENT. Why is this on your page then? BECASUE YOU CAN STILL DONATE. AFTER ALL, HOW DO YOU THINK F3 GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE? (All caps means serious business, just ask Belk).
It’s time to hard commit to the Blue Ridge Relay, September 11-12, 2015 (Friday – Saturday)
This event is capped at 160 teams. Last year, it was completely sold out by late May, this year, they expect all slots to be filled as early as April. If you plan on joining one of the best CSAUP events on the calendar, DO NOT DELAY!
We EXPECT to build on F3’s growth and continued interest in this event, which is a near-perfect combination of First F, Second F and CSAUP: A brief history of F3 at BRR
2011: Two official F3 teams (18 pax)
2012: Five official F3 teams (48 pax)
2013: Fifteen teams including over 170 pax
2014: 31 Teams!
2015 ???
The Basics:
208-mile relay race along the Blue Ridge mountains, beginning in Grayson Highlands State Park in southwestern VA and ending in downtown Asheville, NC.
Race starts on a Friday morning (starting times are staggered and vary from 7am-11am) and ends on Saturday afternoon (our past teams have finished in around 26-30 hours).
Race is split into 36 predetermined legs of varying distances (2 to 10 miles) and difficulty levels (Easy to Mountain Goat Hard).
Teams can be a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12 people (I think most people will tell you that the 9-man team is the way to go).
For a 12-person team, the average total distance is 16.6 miles spread over 3 legs (it’s like running three 10Ks in a day). You can do the math for the average mileage for the other teams sizes. Average is just average though – some legs are longer and some are shorter.
Teams travel along the race course in vans, picking up and dropping off runners at the beginning and end of each leg. You get to know, and smell, your van-mates very well.
Veterans will tell you that the BRR is a great experience. You can expect a reasonable but very manageable physical challenge and fantastic fellowship.
What You Need to Do Right Now
If you are generally interested in the event and want to be paired up with a team with others from your F3 Region, please complete the form below, and we will make introductions to teams looking for pax.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1h97zN45pEErJO8NFy03fy_w0foKn92AfkVEm0rGXCrE/viewform
Regional Q’s are listed below – please contact them directly with questions about teams in your region. (q’s-email me with changes and I will update) These Regional Q’s will assist with team formation, transportation logistics, and other important details. If you have a team, but need help filling out the roster, contact these fine folks.
Raleigh Flatline kevin.powell.jr@gmail.com
Columbia Chaser pjr@swblaw.com (will be changing)
CLT – Metro Fa So La matt@doerreconstruction.com
CLT – The Fort DD
CLT – A51 Turkey Leg smastbrook@metlife.com
CLT – NoCo Kumquat dudley-matthew@aramark.com
Lexington
Winston TBD
Charleston TBD
Nashville ?
Richmond?
New Orleans?
Anyone looking for Free Agents, please look at this form. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IvBynHhBOacAVh2IMhNmOIyRe3CHXW5oZ5bloSscXw4/edit?usp=sharing
If you already have formed a team and want to enter as a team now, please do the following:
Sound off the in comments below with your team name and pax to let the world know you are HC’ed
Team captain email the F3 regional captain above to make sure they have your contact info for future announcements
Each team captain will be responsible for registering their team directly with BRR (rosters don’t have to be finalized when you register the team). You aren’t registered for the race until you register directly with BRR.
Only one person needs to register from each team. Team captain should register directly with BRR at this link. http://www.blueridgerelay.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=29
There is no special F3 discount and BRR is not holding spots for us. The race typically fills up by May, though it’s been closing earlier and earlier each year. Don’t wait around on this one.
Team captains will be responsible for collecting money directly from their team members
All team names should be submitted to BRR in the following format “F3 ……………” (i.e. F3 Lean, F3 Paperboy, etc)
You don’t need to submit a roster to BRR today (and I suggest you hold off on doing so in case there are changes) – the final roster does not need to be finalized until the summer.
The form will ask you for an average 10k time. This is what they use to seed the start time waves. The faster the time you submit, the later you start.
FAQ
Can I do this?
Anyone who posts to regular F3 workouts and can run a 10K can definitely be comfortable on a 12 man team. A 9 man team is a bit more of a challenge, but you can do it. Last year, South Beach did a 4 man team….any challengers for this year.
What’s the optimal team size — 6, 9, or 12?
9-man team the best. 6-man team is a lot (and I mean a lot) of running without a lot of rest. 12-man team has really long breaks in between your runs (~ 8 hours) and you stay in the same van of guys for both days – but it is still a fantastic experience. 9-man team is the best of both worlds – yes the mileage is longer than a 12-man team, but you are running every 6 hours, and you switch vans several times during the race, thereby getting fellowship with multiple F3 pax.
I’m interested, but don’t have a team and want to get placed on one.
Perfect. Just register using the Free Agent Form above, and we’ll find you a team.
Can I invite non-F3 pax to do this race?
Absolutely. Just have them register below.
Will I sleep at all?
You may get an hour or two here or there in the exchange zones, but if you really want to sleep just don’t draw the short straw to be the driver home from Asheville on Saturday afternoon.
How do I train for this?
We’ll worry about that later. But suffice it to say that doing several runs a day (morning, lunch, and/or evening) is good training in the months leading up to the race.
What does it mean when it says some of the legs are rated as “Mountain Goat hard”?
Baaaaaah. You’ll find out when you see it. Think steep, never-ending switchbacks.
How much does it cost?
Race registration $1,200 (team of 7 – 12) and $600 (team of 4-6 runners). In addition, plan on roughly $150 per person to cover costs of van, gas, food, drinks, etc.
But I’m already doing (fill in the blank) marathon/half-marathon this fall, so I don’t think I can do this too…….”
Well, then, you have no excuse, BRR is a perfect training opportunity.
Other questions – email Freeloader / Steve Redmond at F3BRRINFO@gmail.com
Don’t delay–you will regret not doing this.
The mission of F3 is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership. It’s a wonderful mission that has seen great success in the past couple of years.
The idea of “community” may prompt much discussion. Is it our neighborhood? Our town? Our city? Or, is it any group of people with a common goal? A church? Our office/work place? Our family? F3? All of them?
Most would agree there is a great need to develop, improve and invigorate male leadership in Charlotte and across the United States. During my years with F3, I have seen what the accountability and brotherhood within the group can accomplish. F3 has played a role in strengthening marriages, helping men reduce or eliminate medication because they have lost so much weight, and supporting men as they work towards becoming stronger spiritual leaders in their homes and workplaces.
As a group, we’ve donated tens of thousands of dollars to various charitable organizations. We have opened the door for men to meet others and find a place where they gain a sense of belonging/fellowship. I know I have found several genuine friends in F3.
However, this need for male leadership does not stop at our nation’s borders. In fact, I believe that there is just as much (or greater in some cases) need for this type of male leadership in other countries as well.
This past September, I travelled to Haiti with ten of my F3 brothers. We experienced a culture that lacks male leaders known for their integrity. Often times in Haiti, the men play little, if any, role in caring for their children. Violence in the form of domestic abuse or rape is not uncommon. Joblessness is the norm, and even if jobs were available, many men in Haiti are not literate or lack the skills required to hold down jobs successfully. Many don’t know how to drive.
During our week in Haiti, we learned about the true needs of this country (the poorest in the western hemisphere). Yes, they need financial help in the way of food and material possessions. However, what they really want are jobs. What they need is accountability. What they absolutely crave are relationships with God and a place to learn what it means to be a leader in their families and churches in order to do their part to reverse the lessons they learned as boys.
We met one such group of men. There were six men enrolled in a men’s discipleship program through the mission organization we were there to serve. These men met every day for Bible study, meditation, fellowship, trade skills training, and spiritual and emotional encouragement. Most of these men live in Haiti’s tent cities. At least one is homeless, sleeping in his church at night. But every morning, these guys got themselves up and traveled up to an hour and a half to get to this discipleship program. These men made the necessary sacrifices to attend this program in the hopes of creating a better life for themselves and their families. They formed a brotherhood (much like F3) to encourage accountability and were turning into leaders for their families and in their communities.
While we were in Haiti, we stayed at a guesthouse owned by this ministry. In addition to the F3 Team, there were various other staff and missionaries from around the world staying there. Every morning we were up and in the driveway by 6:00 AM in order to post before our day’s work began. Our host leader posted with us each morning. (He originally told us that he doesn’t exercise and might post once. He posted every day.) It was an odd sight in Haiti when the twelve Americans were up before the sun, running, doing merkins, dips, burpees, etc. along the streets and fields in the neighborhood we stayed. By mid-week, one of the other missionaries from Haiti staying in the house joined us. The next day, the son of the guesthouse manager joined us. On the last day, a missionary from Zimbabwe joined the PAX. We started with eleven F3 brothers and finished with fifteen from three different nations. It was a pretty cool community.
Along with meeting these different men, there was plenty of time spent on construction projects, visiting orphanages, and learning about the Haitian people. Aside from the need for accountability and male leadership in Haiti, another lasting impression for me was the amount of joy and thanksgiving the Haitian people have despite their perceived lower quality of life. Within the slower lifestyle, away from the technology and distractions we take for granted, they spend much more time reading, in prayer, and with each other than I do in my life. Since our return, I’ve come to evaluate my life differently and have adjusted my priorities. I do my best to keep my life simple and avoid over-filling it with things that may not matter down the road. I do my best to not hurry as much.
There were many lessons we took away from the week. We are looking forward to a continued perspective change I’m sure we’ll have after our next trip. Mostly, we look forward to catching up with the men that are in this class of the discipleship program, meeting the men in the next round of the program and EHing as many as we can to post with us.
We have two weeks booked in September (9/13-9/20 and 9/19-9/25) and we would like you (from as many AOs as possible) to join us. If you’re interested:
Thank you,
Frodo (from MECA)
