F3 New Orleans

Tag: Paradox

  • Holy Thursday–Plenty of Material to Work With – from Goose

    4 PAX gathered in the gloom of an ominous Holy Thursday morning. Lightning flashed and rain threatened throughout, but off in the distance, there were breaks in the clouds that promised a hopeful future. But, until then, there was much to endure:
    Warmup: SSH, AC, Cherry Pickers, Chinooks (gonna be using those shoulders today), IW, SL

    Thang 1: Passover Prep and Darkness Prowling
    Partner 1 prepped for Passover while Partner 2 prowled in the darkness for three rounds.

    -Round 1: Partner 1–Colt 45’s with coupon (15 curls from waist to chest, 15 curls from thighs to waist, and 15 curls from thighs to chest); Partner 2–Block and bear across the field and back (bear crawl while dragging block forward from between legs/arms).

    -Round 2: Partner 1–Bolt 45’s (15 squats with coupon from upright to halfway down, 15 from halfway down to all the way down, and 15 from all the way down to all the way up); Parter 2–Murder Bunnies w/coupon across the field and back.

    -Round 3: Partner 1–Kettle bell swings until partner 2 returns; Partner 2–rifle carry (overhead) across the field, 10 squat thrusters, and rifle carry back.

    Thang 2: 4 Corners = 4 stages of Holy Thursday night–2 rounds of each

    Washing of the Feet–“If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.” (Jn 13:8)
    15 Absolutions (8-count ab killer; look it up). Round 1 was called in cadence; round 2 was not, because YHC needed to breathe.

    Last Supper–“And he took a chalice, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.” (Mk 14: 23).
    15 Goblet squats (squats with coupon held vertically under the chin).

    Judas’s Betrayal–” ‘It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it.’….So, after receiving the morsel, he immediately went out; and it was night.” (Jn 13: 26, 30)
    15 Dips, 15 right leg step-ups, 15 dips, 15 left leg step-ups

    Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane–“Father, if you are willing, remove this chalice from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.”
    Mission Impossible plank (hold one inch off the ground)–PAX counted around in a circle up to 50.

    After Round 1 of this, it was about 6:15, which is our 45 minute stop time, but for some reason, YHC had 6:30 locked in, so after Round 2 began, Enron and Paradox began to mumble on their bench: “Is he going over time? Is there some deeper meaning to this? Did we do something wrong? Did he secretly tell our wives we’d be later than usual?” Then, as we moved into round 2 of the Agony planks, YHC made a joke about “keeping watch for one hour”, which sealed the deal in the PAX’s mind that it we were purposefully going the whole hour, though YHC meant it only as a joke that we’d be planking for an hour if we really loved Jesus. And, just like Peter at the last supper, they were afraid to ask the Q directly, and hoped Kilo, who shared a bench with YHC, would ask. But, Kilo was blissfully without a watch and had no idea he would be late for work today.
    So, we ended with a long sprint, a long carioca, and a long nur, to connect us to the apostles who all fled. And, we completed 6 minutes of Mary.
    Just FYI, going over time, especially 15 minutes over, when the agreed time is 45 minutes is disrespectful to the PAX, and YHC would never purposefully surprise the men with such a move. My deepest apologies! And, thanks for your patience this morning, gents!
    SYITG,
    Goose

  • Am I My Brother’s Keeper? – from Goose

    YHC had an interesting idea that could either be a memorable challenge, chock full of valuable life lessons, or it would be a total cluster, and nothing in between. So, with a record 6 PAX gathered at The Stage in the gloom of a gorgeous morning, we commenced.

    Warmup: SSH, Windmills, Grass Grabbers (deviations from the norm, duly recognized, are always for a reason), Arm Circles, Cherry Pickers, Imperial Walkers, Self-Love

    When YHC requested the assistance of JBL, Paradox informed us that JBL was fartsacking (or “charging”); and this after multiple prompts over the past few weeks to take advantage of JBL: “He’s here for you. He’s always ready to provide deep, booming base, and consistent bluetooth connection. Take advantage of his presence and his audio prowess.” But, alas, the first test of “Am I my brother’s keeper?’ resulted in grave failure. So, the morning’s soundtrack was barely audible on the phone speaker and out of YHC’s control, so there’s no telling what the guys closest to it were subjected to.

    Thang: Total Dependency

    PAX lined up and were instructed to observe the exercise of the man to their right and repeat it. Each man was then responsible for completing and displaying that exercise and communicating the number of reps to the man to their left. YHC was first in line and basically took the PAX through an ascending ladder of exercises (listed below), so there was constant movement and constant need to communicate down the line what exercises came next. Each man could only speak to the man next to him, so one-on-one communication was key.

    At first, there was some confusion as to what each PAX was responsible for communicating. Enron almost let Paradox do 25 burpees instead of 25 mountain climbers because he assumed it was a sort of “telephone” type game where misunderstandings were not corrected, but passed on. (That may have been YHC’s fault for explaining the exercise as “sort of like ‘telephone’”.) But, as the beatdown continued, and reminders to “Take care of your brother!” were repeated, the PAX caught on.

    Exercises were done as an ascending ladder (starting with the first, then the first and second, then the first and second and third, etc.):
    5 Burpees
    10 Merkins
    15 Lunges (2:1)
    20 LBC’s
    25 Mountain Climbers
    30 Second plank (4-count to 30)
    35 American Hammers
    40 Side Straddle Hops
    45 Big Boy Situps
    50 Squats (ran out of time for these)

    After count-off and name-off, YHC explained the lessons learned:

    1. Pain and/or pride typically cause us to focus heavily on ourselves and forget about the men around us. But, here, if we were overly focused on our own rep count or just trying to finish, the man next to us would be completely lost. It required much focus on where he was in the series and when he needed what information to continue. This is immediately applicable to life as a married man and as a father. When we’re overly focused on ourselves, either out of self-pity or pride, the people who depend upon us are left in the dark.

    2. Faith is never truly internalized from an expert to a group. It can be understood intellectually, but for a man to take ownership, he must be accompanied intimately by another who’s in the same boat, who’s been down the same road, and who can give both direction and confidence that it’s doable, it’s real, and it’s worth the struggle. Without this one-on-one accompaniment, faith struggles to escape the world of ideas, and we struggle to escape our own doubts and questions.

    COT, excellent prayer, announcements about the clown car trip to the Northshore beatdown on April 23 (Zoorich Classic) and Percleator having to go back to being a weekend warrior (Nooo!).
    It’s such a privilege to be out there with you, fellas!
    SYITG,
    Goose

  • I met a man named Lumber Jack Webb – from Paradox

    “Once I was sad for a PAX who must jog, until I met a PAX who had no log ”
    – Ancient Chinese Proverb

    YHC found inspiration deep in the hardwood bottoms of north La this weekend after a trip to visit parents. A recent storm dropped a fine red oak that needed processing for firewood. While assisting YHCs father in stacking logs the variety of exercises one can accomplish with logs overwhelmed the senses. The PAX need this and they don’t even know it! SUV space was cleared and a 5 hour drive back down south fueled numerous future uses for logarithmic progress. A few hours later….

    A thicker than usual bayou gloom hung over the stage as 5 PAX assembled at the Stage. Glances at the lumber ranged from quizzical (Goose) to pure disgust (Cardinal). Pleasantries were exchanged then we got down to business.

    WARM UP

    SSH, WM, IW, Arm Circles, High Knees, Butt Kicks – Mosey to Bumper Stop Sign to get the juices flowing.

    THANG 1

    YHC instructed everyone to grab a log and circle up . Gave a disclaimer about the lumber discovery and the associated symbolism of a trees strength.

    Song- “Strong Tower” by Kutless. Held Al Gore position during song with Log Jacks (SSH with logs presses) during Chorus.

    Next YHC introduced Lumber Jack Webb….Lets just say Abe Vigoda and Freddy Mercury check under their bed for Lumber Jack Webb. Started with 2 Log raises (OHP w/ logs) and 4 Log Twists (american hammers w/ logs) and advanced by 2/4 every set. Transport in between was via 10 x Log Swap Lunges (held log at chest, swap sides with every lunge). When we got to 16 Raises and 28 twists we descended by 2/4 and circled for home. Respect for Goose and Yankee Joe who selected particularly heavy lumber and kept mumble chatter to a low 7%. Solid effort here.

    THANG 2

    Mini log Dora 123

    1 man has log exercises while 1 man travels to benches and back with Log Tires (high knees while bringing log to same high knee side) and back with Log Flippers (flip log, follow, repeat)

    50 frog log squat presses

    100 Jane Fondas (log up and bring to high knee crunch position)

    150 Lumber Jacks (SSH with log raises)

    Just enough time for Log Mary- Big Boy sit ups with log lifts, Penguins, Log Gas Pumps (nice call Perc!) and Log Wife Pleasers were all completed.

    COT and Cardinal prayed us out.

    Some beatdowns look way better in the caffeine riddled brain of YHC but I think this one came to life as planned. Lumber Jack Webb is now a cajun folk hero and he will return when you least expect him….

    Great discussion post beatdown about not comparing the weight of our burdens with others and instead embracing the suck. A continued theme as we march closer to Holy Week- there is little growth without pain. Continued some excellent discussion about the example of St. Joseph as a family leader during challenging trials.

    Always a joy to lead you out there fellas.

    SYITG

  • The Headlights Are Getting Hazy – from Goose

    As three PAX rolled in right on time on a windy morning, mumblechatter was subdued by both the news of a major change in the life of one PAX (answered prayers!) and the major pain that YHC knew awaited them.

    Warmup: usuals plus some Moroccan Night Clubs to warm some still sore shoulders from last week’s craziness–SSH, WM, AC, Cherry Pickers, IW, SL.

    Thang 1:
    It all started with what at first sounded like a pretty challenging set of 11’s–jump squats at one stop sign and leg raises at the other, about 100m apart: start with 10 jump squats and 1 leg raise, then 9 jump squats and 2 leg raises, and on until 1 jump squat and 10 leg raises with the mode of transportation between being an all out sprint there and carioca back.
    Then, to add some flair to what would already be a cardio beast, for the duration of the rest of the beatdown, all PAX would stop and do five burpees for every car that pulled through.
    Which was a lot.
    T-claps to Percolator and Paradox for keeping up with YHC who was freshly motivated by a few days on a Lenten silent retreat. One of the major lesson learned there: there is no real growth without pain. Paradax vowed to never allow YHC to Q after a retreat again.

    Thang 2:
    After a good cardio/leg burner, YHC opted for another cardio/leg burner–Baba O’Reilly (song by The Who–“Teenage wasteland…”) with Imperial Walkers in rhythm for the duration of the song. Percleator knew what we were in for, but it was a new experience for Paradox, who learned that Peter Frampton makes the legs heavy and the neck ache. And, somehow, for those five minutes, not a car passed, though a burpee break would certainly have been welcomed.

    Finished with a few minutes left for Mary (and a set or two of burpees): Crunchy Frogs, Dying Cockroaches, maybe something else.

    COT–thanksgiving for answered prayers and God’s faithfulness, and intercession for that same faithfulness for family members going through an especially hard time. Shared gratitude for what a massive difference it makes having brothers to push ourselves with and the creativity we’ve come to expect in every beatdown, excited to see what we’ll face together.
    Thanks for letting me lead, gents.
    SYITG,
    Goose

  • Burpeepalooza 2022! – from Goose

    Everything had come together. It was time. Late night event meant YHC didn’t have much time to plan for the next morning’s beatdown, and the newer guys were dropping like flies with excuses as to why they weren’t gonna make it. So, knowing that there would just be three to four warriors in the gloom ready for a challenge, the time had come for YHC to pull out the Burpeepalooza.
    In January, 2021, YHC participated in the Make America Burpeee Again challenge (100 burpees a day for the month), and came across an all-song, all burpee beatdown from the guys in St. Louis. After some tweaks (improvements), it’s now a fun/painful way to trick the PAX into completing over 200 burpees in 45 minutes without complaining (too much). It’s amazing what the body can do when the mind is distracted!

    After a quick, but thorough warmup of the usuals–SSH, WM, IW, AC, SL, high knees, and butt kicks, the playlist began.
    Here’s a link to it on Spotify with the following instructions: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1lix6fRtQYiLIfOwT0QuXg?si=lB1LqA5UQVmu9hDlhwIE7w

    “Flower” by Moby–burpees on every “Down”
    “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba–every “I get knocked down…”
    “Black Betty” by Ram Jam–every “Black Betty”
    “Peaches” by The Presidents of the USA–“Peaches”
    “Roxanne” by The Police–“Roxanne”
    “Get Back Up” by Toby Mac–“Get back up again”
    “This is Who I Am” by Third Day–“This is who I am”
    “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC–“Thunder” (includes “Thunderstruck”)
    “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher–“Babe”
    “Up Down” by Morgan Wallen–“Up Down” (keep count–they come quick!)
    “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash–“Ring”
    “Red Solo Cup” by Toby Keith–“Cup” and “Up” (didn’t get to this one–warmup lasted too long, I guess; probably would substitute “Black Betty” with it if I did it again)

    The variety and the need to pay attention to the lyrics took the PAX’s mind off much of the pain and repetitiveness of the burpees–that and the reminders to keep good form to avoid straining knees, back or wrists.
    It was a joy to share this experience with these awesome guys, and I’m grateful the stars aligned to make it the perfect morning for it! Thanks, for letting me lead, fellas!

    See You in the Gloom,
    Goose

  • Memory Round 2 – from Paradox

    One by one, reports of Monday morning pax absences flooded the group line late Sunday night. Superflu, airport delays, late Mass, Enron early morning crypto trades? All seemed legitimate but each took a bite out of my already dwindling morale. YHC prepared for his darkest hour, a solo castaway beatdown with only my kettlebell as companion. As I peered into the gloom and the clock struck 5:30 am I dug deep and stood on the shoulders of those who taught me the way of the Q: post with integrity, whether 1 or 20.

    So I dove in and was wrapping up some really shady windmills when my eyes deceived me. Is that a gloom mirage? No it’s a real F150 coming in hot from Chackbay! Percolater to the rescue…and wait what’s that!? Another unidentified vehicle rolling in. YHC went into a mental scramble and prepared his legal disclaimer for an FNG but it was no stranger. Yankee Joe came to join the fray after getting a taste of the action at the Peltch. 3 PAX! Lets get it .

    Warm up
    SSH, IW, WM, AC (little, medium, big IC x5 each, then reverse), high knees, butt kicks.

    THANG 1 TABATA-ISH
    YHC introduced a new tech team member today. After much anticipation the new JBL FLIP 5 was THUMPING. Bringing some serious thunder for future beatdowns.

    45 second work- 15 second rest
    Round 1
    Upper- elevator push ups
    Lower- prisoner squats
    Core- flutter kicks
    Cardio- jump shots
    Round of the track to cleanse the palate

    Round 2
    Upper- Carolina dry docks
    Lower- single leq squats (swap, halfway)
    Core- leg raises
    Cardio- mountain climbers

    Note** apologies for serious tabata timer app issues here, I will no longer be depending on their services.

    Thang 2 Continued Memory Game
    We got a little deeper into completing memory but still haven’t scared 50%. Continues to be a fun format. We also let the JBL flex its muscles with some sweet Peppers and Zeppelin to make sure Goose could here the base all the way from the stage.
    Completed: 15 jump squats x2, 20 dips, 1 road sprint, 50 SSH, 15 burpees, 50 mountain climbers, 15 Carolina dry docks x2. 25 diamond merkins.

    Rounded out with some MARY: 20 dolphin hops, 20 LBC
    COT and Perc prayed us out
    Continued prayers for Ukraine/Russia conflict. Prayers for Percs job interview on Wednesday.
    Nice to have Yankee Joe at the Stage!
    Thanks for the effort today fellas, and for the opportunity to lead

    SYITG

  • The Great Nursery Rhyme Beatdown of 2022 – from Goose

    Kilo warned us it might happen. “Bring a towel,” he said. “It might be wet out there,” he said. But, little did he or the rest of the PAX know the level of carnage that YHC had in store for this cold, windy, soggy morning. Of course, Cardinal may have used his spiritual upper hand to gain some kind of foresight that led to his admittedly pure, unexcused fartsacking. The rest were caught off guard by what at first seemed to be just a semi-creative way to work through a hard, but not impossible Tabata list. But, then came Jack and Jill…

    Warmup: the usual Goose faves–SSH, WM, AC, IW, and Self-Love with some high knees and butt kicks to wake up the cardio system

    Thang 1: Tabata (“It’s Italian for…”)
    One minute, as many reps as possible (AMRAP) of each of the following exercises, with 30 seconds of rest in between, which was long enough for YHC to explain the next nursery rhyme and its connection to the assigned exercise:
    * Humpty Dumpty—wall sit
    * Jack be nimble—hop back and forth over a line, feet together
    * Sing a song of sixpence—8-count body builders (the king was in his counting house…)
    * Pop Goes the Weasel—monkey humpers
    * Old King Cole—wacky jacks (like a jester)
    * Georgie Porgie—suicides (when the boys came out to play, Georgie Porgie ran away)
    * Little Boy Blue—BBS (wake up, boy!)
    * Little Miss Moffet—Dips (rise up off that tuffet!)
    * Peter Peter—Peter Parker Peter
    * Old Mother Hubbard—Nolan Ryans (reaching into a bare cupboard, coming up empty-
    handed)
    * Rockaby Baby—LBC’s
    * Three Blind Mice—mosey to the sidewalk in front of the playground (see how they run).

    Thang 2: Jack and Jill
    Partner up (Jack and Jill): Jack (partner 1) runs up the hill to fetch a pail of water, and does five jump squats at the top before coming back down, while Jill (partner 2) falls down (burpees). Partner 1 takes over the burpee count upon returning until 100 are completed. Then, Jack broke his crown: 100 Carolina Dry Docks, while partner 1 still ran up the hill to do five jump squats. Lastly, Jill came tumbling after, which meant 100 Superman/Canoes while Jack still ran up for jump squats. Superman/Canoes = PAX started on faces in Superman position (arms and legs up), then rolled to the six without the use of hands to Canoe position (head and legs a few inches off the ground, hands down by hips).
    The combination of that many consecutive burpees with jump squats at the top of a small hill seemed to be a new level of suck for many of the Bayou PAX, but complaints were few. Could’ve been because we still hadn’t laid in any cold puddles yet (Superman/Canoes were done on the sidewalk.)

    Thang 3: Deal or No Deal
    YHC left the nursery rhyme theme behind for the last 15 minutes as we moseyed to the practice field and the heretofore hidden F3 Deck of Death was revealed. (Note: the cards are very much waterproof, mudproof, and tear proof, but the box is very much not.) Each PAX was given a chance to pick two cards but only look at the first. They could then decide whether all would complete the first card’s exercise, or blindly commit to the second.
    Though most of the ridiculously hard cards were avoided, the greater majority of exercises chosen seemed to require lying in the mud, so Kilo’s warning was well grounded. Due to the high winds, most PAX were still wearing their sweatshirts (even after Jack and Jill) so they soaked up the frigid puddles like sponges. The mosey back to the flag was heavy and cold, but spirits were high as the proud PAX discussed making t-shirts or getting tattoos that said, “I survived the Great Nursery Rhyme Beatdown of 2022!”

    COT and Paradox prayed us out.

    Thanks for letting me lead and being willing to keep pushing, especially you new guys who are still working through your first weeks of this! And, much gratitude for you somewhat more experienced PAX who have decided that F3 is now a part of how you do life well. Your companionship in the gloom is a gift beyond value!

    See You in the Gloom,
    Goose

  • I Wanna Go Fast- Mario Kart – from Paradox

    Strong showing in the gloom of the stage on a cool bayou morning with 4 PAX for our first 5:30a beatdown. Goose supplied the coups, Kilo made seven traffic violations on his way in and Perc rounded out the group and told the Monday meetings they can wait. This beatdown creation comes from my longtime love of mario kart and a recent run club variation I picked up while cruising the deep web for beatdown inspiration (please exercise caution typing “car themed beatdown” into your googler). YHC has been letting this pot of pain simmer for a few weeks in the beatdown laboratory. An extra merkin there, a dash of burpee here and the concoction was ready to serve to a hungry PAX.

    Warmorama IC 10-15 counts
    SSH, WM, IW, Chinooks, Cherry Pickers, Self Love, High Knees, Butt Kickers
    New Feature: Deep Squat Dislcaimers (nothing worse than dead air). We aired our grievances and discussed how poor form on burpees turns you into a GroupMe castaway.
    *followed by a brief track mosey so the PAX could get a feel for the course.

    Thang 1/Extended WarmUp

    A few songs to get the Pax into a racing state of mind:

    Low Rider: Hold plank with slow merkins on “low rider”
    Mustang Sally: headed to the pavilion for Mario power up steps on “sally” ( future note add incline merkins on non sally time or mustangs, I could feel the internal mumble chatter for not adding more pain)
    FUN, fun , fun- Beach boys: Coupon Calf raises on song, Coupon OHP on FUN

    Its time for the main event…THANG 2

    Mario Kart Rules
    There are 8 stations designated by neon cones placed at intervals on the track. Underneath each cone are 3 banana peels. Each peel contains an exercise. At each cone you will select a banana peel and complete the exercise then advance to the next station with standard mosey as your mode of transportation. Exercises may include the following:

    LIGHTNING-yell lightning and all PAX doing smurf jacks while the card flipper sprints 1 lap on track
    BLUE SHELL: All pax do 7 burpees
    RAINBOW ROAD: mosey to bumper, sprint back
    *if you arrive at a station and flip a banana with a currently being used prop, hold plank until ready

    All Pax were given a green turtle shell token. Each token has the power to be handed to another man and end his current suffering and advance him to the next station. Use them wisely. Leave no man behind, but no many where you found him.
    We got started and used our guesses at how many “funs” were in the last song to determine pole position. (39 )was correct, Perc was closed with 32, Goose used his typical price is right theory with a high 56 and Kilo with a nice lowball 26.
    Starting with station one, 30 second plank and 15 second rest, deployed men at 15 second intervals into the track: Perc, Kilo, Goose, YHC.
    Many Blue Shells were endured, Lightning attacks were numerous. With great power came greater responsibility. I think this one will be a staple and we can add wrinkles as we go. (See attached picture for rotation setup).
    Wrapped up Lap 2 Blue shells at 6:15. (where is our sunrise?!)

    BIOSTATS:
    YHC Max HR: 162 : rainbow road sprint?
    MumbleChatter: a calm 32%
    Lost in Translations: 0? YHC had less coffee, so the speech was clear

    Continued prayers for Ukraine/Russian Conflict, Happy house hunting to Kilo (let him know if you have a hot real estate tip!)

    COT and Goose prayed us out,

    Appreciate the extra savings time effort fellas. It’s a great privilege for me to lead.

    SYITG

  • Better Luck Next Time Calvin – from Paradox

    Better Luck Next Time Calvin

    YHC woke in a blind panic at 5:15 realizing my car was in the shop and this car had all my F3 props (cones, kettlebell, hickory stick). Had to scratch a fully formed beatdown with said props and jump into the beatdown laboratory for some quick inspiration. Two cups of unleaded later we were ready for an impromptu 3 man beatdown at the Stage. Goose provided some top notch coupons and apple music brought some fresh jams.

    Lots of discussion this morning with our QIC and the two PAX involved the great slide incident from a recent peltch beatdown. After a full incident report and lots of counseling we moved on and YHC reinstated himself as YHSC (your humble safety coordinator). Todays plan was to hit as many muscle groups as possible and I think we gave it a fair run.

    Warmorama
    SSH, IW, WM, AC, SL, HKs, BKs, Morrocan nights, mosey to bumper/stop sign
    Wrapped up warm up with a little MJ Beat it: Burpees on Beat it , Al Gore for the rest

    THANG 1
    Mini Dora #1
    50 Coupon Squat Presses, 100 Coupon Curls, 150 Coupon Calf raises alternating with mosey to bumper, stop sign

    Neck stretches 10 count, chin to shoulder , roll to side repeat

    Song
    Best Day of my Life: Side plank reaches then Mountain Climbers on “best day of my life- hook”

    Mosey to bumper

    Oblique Coupon Raises x10 IC

    Mini Dora #2
    50 Coupon deadlifts, 100 Coupon rows, 150 LBCs alternating with run-high knees-toy soldier-run around the track

    Just enough time for a true finisher
    Calvin Harris: Too Close
    Chest on ground for back pinchers constant with flutter kicks on the chorus beat drop
    Great effort from the PAX and we let Calvin know this was a weak attempt to break us.

    HR max: 159 (see you next time Calvin)
    Mumble Chatter: ultra low 14% (Perc and Goose are warriors and complaint is not in their DNA)
    Paradox Redneck Translations: Perc thinking I was saying EnDoras instead of Mini Doras because English is not YHCs first language.

    Strong Effort Fellas

    COT and Goose prayed us out
    As always I appreciate the opportunity to lead
    SYITG

  • The Reality of Weakness – from Goose

    A solid nine PAX gathered at the Peltch despite having six regulars out due to sickness or travel. An FNG showed early and was almost spooked by what at first seemed only to be a pile of kids wrestling around a flag. It was only YHC’s three 2.0’s, and it didn’t take long for the rest of the PAX to pull in and make it clear that there were plenty of out-of-shape adults to play with, too. The FNG (Jacob Broussard) was EH’d by Tighty Whitey, and is an awesome addition to the Thibodaux crew!

    Warmup was led by Coyote, whose cadence count was adequate, and consisted of: SSH, Windmills, high knees, butt kicks, Arm Circles, IW, and Self-love
    Moseyed to the Diamond for…

    Thang 1: Duck Jousting
    The infield was the ring, and with arms folded across the chest (most of the time), duck-walking PAX tried to knock each other down. Last man standing won while those who fell did exercises while they waited: squats for the first round, lunges for the second, and heel raises for the third. There may have been some elbows, arm hooks, and very tall ducks here and there, but even without performance enhancing tactics, rounds were short, and the FNG proved himself a sturdy duck.

    Thang 2: All Around the Thunderdome
    Moseyed to the Thunderdome and circled in the center while YHC explained that the PAX would do an exercise for the length of time it took for one of us to run the sidewalk around the dome and the adjacent community center building (approx. 400 meters). While each took a turn running, the rest completed one of the following exercises while yearning to catch a glimpse of the runner coming around the final corner from behind the building:
    * Mission Impossible plank
    * Heel raises
    * J-Lo’s
    * Donkey kicks
    * Diamond Merkins
    * Heels to Heaven
    * Bonnie Blairs
    * Chill cut plank
    * Merkins

    Thang 3: The Ground is Lava
    Moseyed to the playground where YHC revealed the lesson of the day, particularly as it related to Thang 2 and 3:

    There’s only so much we can do at any particular moment about the fact that we have weaknesses, and those weaknesses will affect other people in a negative way whether we like it or not. And, we will be affected in a negative way by the weaknesses of others, whether we like it or not. What reveals the true greatness in man (and the image of the Maker in man), however, is our ability to choose how we respond when affected by another’s weakness. Our true greatness is shown clearest when we choose to allow ourselves to be affected by the weakness of another so that he’s not left alone in it. “No man left behind” is most deeply and fruitfully fulfilled when we’re willing to suffer with another man even if we have the ability to avoid that suffering ourselves. “Catching the six” is the most obvious example of this in F3, but so is “The Ground is Lava”:

    PAX lined up at the long-ish monkey bars to traverse, hand over hand, without touching the ground. If any appendage so much as brushed the ground, all PAX dropped for 10 burpees. Same rules applied for two other areas of the playground–mostly requiring upper body strength, balance, and perseverance. Most of the elements were chosen knowing that one or two guys might struggle, but the burpees were done with willing camaraderie, and there was no room for shame or isolation.
    What seemed like it might have a childish feel on paper ended up feeling more like a joint challenge, and the shouting of encouraging words and guidance were a constant.
    The only thing YHC might have changed was the use of the slides at the end. These suckers came down long and steep from the second story, and they were wet. There were three next to each other, the middle one straight and the other two bending sharply, one to the right and the other to the left at the very end. Percleator was the first down the middle, and he almost had his pretty grill knocked out as he was thrown dangerously close to the perimeter boundary at about 30 mph. Paradox chose the one to the right, and YHC wished he would have caught the violent, body-tossing action on camera as he was jarred sideways at the hip air after slipping a reportedly “six-times faster” than he expected through the bend at the bottom. He landed hard on his side after barrel rolling in the air once or twice, but he’s a medical professional, so he was able to reset all dislocated joints before we could even ask if he was ok. The rest used the shoe brake method, but the fire-pole may have been the better call.

    Indian Run around the park before a final sprint to the flag for three long minutes of Mary: all IC–Alphabet (with feet in leg raise position), LBC’s, Wife Pleasers, Crunchy Frogs.

    Welcome Pledge! Way to stick with it!

    COT and Percleator prayed us out.

    Awesome morning, and so grateful to you men for posting and pushing hard!
    See You in the Gloom,
    Goose