F3 New Orleans

Tag: QvQ

  • Nothing Gold Can Stay…

    So the time had finally come. The great scepter of Q had been passed to YHC, for the first time ever – with wise words from the Q’s before, and much great advice, pomp and circumstance; I had been called to lead and could not refuse. Humbly, I accepted.

    And while some historians may have differing stories… about how the burden of Q leadership was thrust hastily upon the first available, unsuspecting, member of that weeks coffeteria; or how there were no wise words, or any advice, or how the pomp mostly came from the circumstance of bad jokes and poor planning… YHC chose to see the bigger picture, to take away the more important lesson: Historians are dumb, and only believe what they read in books, or on Backblasts. So there is really no way way of knowing exactly what happened on that day except that the result was, I was an HC to Q the #Renaissance for my VQ.

    In the darkness of a sultry morning, while the rest of the city slept, like so many sheep, YHC went to the AO early to scope out a few areas for our challenge – only to find a wiley Catfish who apparently had run to the site to warm up for the beatdown. Tclaps! (and consequently ran to coffeteria and then home…)

    As a small digression, YHC had just spent the week in Austin on a work trip and was able to commune with the NATX AOs to stay sharp. It is a powerful and reassuring feeling to stumble in to another F3 group (in another city, in another state) and see them keeping the same commitment, the same standard, to the F3 code. Our brothers are out there just as we are here, every day.

    So as we waited for the remainder of the Renaissance crew to materialize in the gloom, YHC had the eerie feeling of waiting on all the other good men, materializing in the gloom of cities all across the nation. All, ready for a new day and a new beat down.

    THE THANG

    The rabble gathered and YHC gave a short disclaimer sure to let all know he was not the professional he appeared to be, and a circle was made.

    All IC:
    x10 Grass Grabbers
    x10 Toe touches
    x15 Windmill
    x20 Peter-Parker
    x20 Parker-Peter

    A quick turn around in the grass, facing up Lelong Dr, with Trees to our left, noting them as markers for first exercise (as measured on gmaps, Trees are 50ft apart):
    OYO, in succession no break-
    5 Burpees
    Bear Crawl to next tree
    5 Burpees
    Crawl-Bear to next tree
    5 Burpees
    Crab Walk to next tree
    5 Burpees
    Walk-Crab to next tree
    5 Burpees
    Sprint distance back to start
    Plank for 6

    Next a mosey up Roosevelt Mall to Track, plank for 6
    Partner up

    Next Ex:
    Catch Me if You Can – One man starts with 3 Burpees while partner runs/sprints backwards around track. When Burpees complete, sprint normal to catch partner; alternate. Tagged man goes down for Burpees while other switches to backwards run… Until tagged… Continue all around track. – 1 lap. Plank for 6

    Next Ex: Move to open area of track
    Keep your partner
    100 Merkins/Plank combined. Alternate in intervals of 10. While partner completes merkin set, you hold plank, back and forth… hold plank for 6

    Next:
    200 Squats/Al Gore combined. Alternate intervals of 20 squats. While partner completes set, you hold (a tree) Al Gore, back and forth…

    Next:
    300 LBCs/Leg Raise combined. Alternate intervals of 30 LBCs. While partner completes set, you hold 6in leg left (or modify with legs kept in LBC position…. either way, no touching the ground till complete), back and forth.

    Might have had a 20 count in here for recovery, but I’m no historian…

    Mosey back to flag, stop at rear of NOMA to post up against the wall for a rest… sort of.

    Next Ex:
    x3 sets of following, OYO
    1 set =
    Peoples chair timed by completing x10 Jack Reachers
    x5 Donkey Kicks (half plank type position, kicking both feet up and back against wall)
    Straight in to Balls to the Wall, or Reverse Wall Stand (Kick feet all the way up, walk back if need be, doing hand stand). Do 1 hand stand press, or hold count 10. (YHC open to better name for this maneuver, or maybe one already exists).

    Complete mosey back to Flag
    Approx 4-5m easy stretches

    All above written upon memory of YHC, the quality of which cannot be accounted for or verified. As a reminder, YHC is NOT a historian. So while no one really knows what happened on this day, or others before it, the sound of trumpets were heard in the distance at one point, and it has been said that a bevy of doves was seen above, as this VQ came to a close (whether or not those trumpets were the screeching brakes of local dump trucks and the doves were pigeons is not for us to debate).  But one thing is for sure, no more Gold of showing up to another man’s Q, just to make it through. It’all Iron now.

    Jokes aside – I am thankful for the opportunity to Q, had a lot of fun doing it, and I hope I presented a challenge to those who showed. Tclaps to FracSac for nudging me in and putting me on rotation. I am appreciative of the F3 brotherhood and have seen huge strides in health, fitness, and energy in just the few months I’ve been committed. Thanks to all who continue to show up daily so that we can all hold each other accountable, to be just a little better, every day. Thank you, F3 NOLA.

  • Q vs. Q at Fight Club

    Our friend F3 Bono from F3 ENC reached out to us a few months ago about an idea they were using at one of their AOs – Q vs. Q.  The idea is simple, start with a five minute warm-up, then for the next 40 minutes two Qs battle it out to see who can deliver the best beatdown.  Each Q gets 2 ten minute rounds to deliver the pain.  It’s kind of like a dance off…actually it will be a dance of when it’s Rudy vs. Da Parish.

    YHC thought Fight Club would be the obvious place to hold a competition like this, so I reached out to Rev Sox and we decided to do a trial run.  The plan is to have a Q vs. Q battle at Fight Club on the last Wednesday of each month starting in 2019.  Let’s get a couple of guys on the docket for  1/30/19.

    Warm-up

    Amnesia was voluntold for the warm-up:  SSH x 30; Good Mornings x 10; Squats x 20 – All in cadence

    Q vs. Q

    YHC won roshambo and decided to go first.  Being that it was the national day of mourning for George H.W. Bush, I decided to go with a tribute to #41, a man I think would have been all about what F3 is doing.

    Round 1 – Hawgcycle

    George H.W. Bush was the 43rd VP of the U.S. so in round one the plan was to complete 43 burpees:

    14 burpees OYO

    President Bush joined the Navy at 18, six months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  During his time in WWII he piloted 58 missions.

    Merkins x 18; Squat Jumps x 58

    14 burpees OYO

    He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his military service

    Iron Cross (left leg) x 10; 5 burpees; Iron cross (right leg x 10); 5 burpees

    After WWII he went to Yale where he became a cheerleader like his father and future son.

    Mary Catherine’s x 10 (IC); 5 burpees

    Flags are at half staff today – Hold a mission impossible for 41 seconds.

    Round 1 – Rev Sox

    Rev Sox informed us that he has always been self-conscious about his teeth.  He was born missing 3 of them.  Which JV responded with “I was born without any teeth.”  Touché JV.

    In hopes that we would all lose some teeth, Rev Sox had us do the tooth fairy up the steps.  2 merkins at each step all the way to the top for a total of 56 merkins.  Bear crawl each landing.  Then at the top, lunge walk to the other side and run back down.  For the second iteration, we  did 1 merkin at each step for a total of 28 merkins.

    Round2 – Hawgcycle

    Let’s move to the presidency.  As H.W. famously promised “No new taxes” to start his presidency, YHC promised “No more burpees” to start round 2.

    H.W was the 41st president, so the plan is to do 41 eight-count body builders during round 2.

    14 eight-count body builders

    The Cold War ended during 41’s presidency so we proceeded to tear down the wall by bear crawling to the top of the levee then doing 30 AMERICAN HAMMERS in cadence at the top.  We bear crawled back down and did 20 Russian Dips at the bottom.

    14 eight-count body builders

    41 signed a trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico famously known as NAFTA during his presidency.  To commemorate this, we did Mexican Jumping Beans and Flutter Kicks – Canadians love flutter kicks.

    Not enough time to do the final 13 body builders so YHC called an audible and had the pax do 13 burpees.  I broke my promise just as President Bush did when he raised taxes.  Sometimes circumstances call for it, right George?

    Round 2 – Rev Sox

    Rev Sox and I had a good friend, Charlie, pass away from cancer earlier this week.  Charlie had his leg amputated earlier in the year and had been hoping to recover enough to walk the Crescent City Classic in April.  Rev Sox is not what you would call a runner, but Charlie had convinced him to sign up for the Classic.  In honor of Charlie, Rev Sox is now training for the Classic in April.  Round 2 was dedicated to Charlie as we ran a 1 mile route along the levee.

    NMM

    • JV and Amnesia were tasked with choosing a winner in the first F3NOLA Q vs. Q.  They failed miserably as they called the battle a draw.  Our hope was that a clear winner would be chosen before the COT and that man’s hand would be raised in victory just like at a boxing match.  Well that didn’t work out.  This appears to be a design flaw.  Perhaps we should do the scoring anonymously online as they do in ENC.
    • I didn’t mention the Thousand Points of Light during the workout, but that is one of 41s more famous initiatives.  I certainly think F3 falls perfectly in line with his vision.  Americans taking the initiative to make our world a better place.  In addition to the free daily workouts, there are other great things going on across the nation.  Check out programs such as Speed for Need, Operation Sweet Tooth, the Darby Project, or F3 The Mission, just to name a handful.
    • TAP for the friends and family of Charlie.  He was one of the most humble, unassuming men I have ever met.  He endured a lot of pain and heartbreak in the last few years of his life, but he remained strong and continued to share his faith with a joyful heart and attitude.  He will be missed by our community, but he has left a lasting impression on those that know him.  Help us all to have the strength, joy, and faith that Charlie showed.