F3 New Orleans

Tag: Russo

  • Return of The Ruck – from Steve

    I feel like that may have been a BB title a few months back? The Rucking Crew, Ruck Off, Ruck in the Middle With You…. I don’t know, the puns are endless but my little mind seems to go to the same old, tired ones. Regardless – the ruckers have returned! At least, for one scramble outing. With JV off to Warsaw and Nuremberg and other WWII-affiliated cities, it could all fall apart next week. But his and Akbar’s return this week couldn’t have been better timing for the tireless Russo, who suffered some sort of heat exhaustion last Saturday and was fully prepared to ruck alone if necessary. This heat is no joke.

    And this Thursday morning was no different – the same brutal conditions we’ve been dealing with for months now. Pelican, who hibernates in the summer, may well stay hidden until 2024 the way this summer has been going.

    YHC can no longer say we took the “usual route” since there is no usual route these days. Shooter likes takes us on a walkabout through the jungles of Greenleaves and the wilderness of Mariner’s Blvd., seeking out uncharted territory (or trying to lose us), while Pik prefers the lakefront loop and back, and Bushwacker, well, YHC didn’t experience it, but Bushwacker prefers something called “Follow the Leader,” which involves parkour and stunts that might be found on MTV’s Jackass. Hey, to each his own. YHC prefers the Pik route, so we did that – the runners hit Coffee and looped back, while the ruckers did a 17 minute out and back.

    All survived. Few complaints. And that’s because these men know what it’s like out there in the “real world.” Well… let’s say that with most of these men being in their mid-40’s, they’re at least beginning to get a vague idea of this real world. If you think you’ve experienced it, just ask Hammer’s dad. You’re probably close, but not quite there yet.

    Thank you men for the camaraderie and the accountability, appreciate you all.

  • The Whipping Post – from Steve

    That was the first song up on the playlist this Tuesday morning and it really hit the nail on the head. “Good lord I feel like I’m dying,” hasn’t rang more true than it did on this mild morning at Granny’s (82* with 90% humidity), with the cinderblocks awaiting us at the stage.

    Now unlike Wacker, YHC enjoys the block beatdowns every now and then. I mean, sure, there’s never been a time when I’ve thought, “Hey, Murder Bunnies would be perfect this morning!” But a few curls, overhead presses, kb swings – why not?

    YHC made a verbal commitment to Cowbell at caffeteria that this beatdown would have little to no running and that promise was (mostly) kept. We did run to the pilot house between sets, but the boot-legged Cowbell modified and simply meandered amongst the columns for his rest.

    The Circuit:

    Curls x 40
    Squat Thrusters x30
    Dead Lifts x20
    Merkins x 10
    Burpee Block Jump Overs x5

    Flutter Kicks (2:1) x40
    Shoulder Press x 30
    Bent Over Rows x20
    Merkins x 10
    Burpee Block Jump Overs x5

    Chest Press x40
    KB Swings x30
    Merkins x20
    Crunchy Frogs x10
    Burpee Block Jump Overs x5

    Block Windshield Wipers (2:1) x40
    Alt Block Merkins x30
    Goblet Squats x20
    Elf on the Shelf x10 (5 ea. side)
    Burpee Block Jump Overs x5

    The unofficial poll scrawled into the stage wall that revealed just how important a man’s height (among… *ahem*… other things) is to women was thankfully painted over months ago. And, there were no bat attacks today. So we were all able to leave the stage with our dignity somewhat in tact. As always, thanks for the opportunity – not just to lead – but simply to be out there pushing to be better with you guys.

  • Hurt Locker – from Akbar

    You’ll know it when you’re in it. Google definition: to physically mess someone up, badly. AKA a world of pain.

    Unlike the movie – we weren’t disarming bombs in the heat of combat, recklessly plunging men into a deadly game of urban combat, didn’t have to control a wild leader, no cities exploding into chaos, and may not have changed every man’s character forever.

    There wasn’t even a locker per se, but the 13 men who showed up to make themselves better for the day were in a sense locked into the beatdown.

    Did we have to overcome obstacles? Were we challenged? Was there sweat and complaints? Absolutely. There was enough bang to send us all to Jesus, but we didn’t die. We made ourselves better today.

    Conditions 79,WNW wind 4, 5% cloud cover, still hot

    Warm Up: x10 IC: SSH, Imperial Walkers, Hillbillies, Grass Grabbers, Self-Love, Toe Touches, Windmills, Merkin, Squat, 2 burpees
    _____________________

    Mosey toward the Gazebo for the main thang at the wall, with various moseys to the street and back in between. 20 reps for the first exercise, 30 for the second, and 2 burpees to wrap it up.

    Merkin, Squat, Burpees
    Dirkin, LBC, Burpees
    Irkin, Sumo Squat, Burpees
    Stone Mountain, American Hammers, Burpees
    Merkin, Lunges, Burpees
    Dirkin, Mountain Climber, Burpees
    Irkin, Sweat Angels, Burpees
    Wide Merkin, SSH, Burpees

    _____________________
    11’s at the wall – Freak Nasties and Supermans with a run in between

    7’s – Plank Jacks and Squats, Bear Crawl/run

    _____________________
    Mosey back to the flag for a Mountain Climber Ring of Fire

    Hold plank, start with 1 MC and add 1 each time around the circle – ended up stopping at 5.

    ____________________
    6 minutes of Mary, x10 IC

    LBC, Wife Pleaser, E2k, Little Manny crunches, Nolan Ryan, Heels to Heaven, Flutter
    Kicks, Plank, Down Dog, Cobra

    Count, Name, and Mathlete prayed us out.

    _____________________
    Announcements

    Iron Pax: Week 0 next week
    Grow Run NOLA – need more men or the event will be canceled. See Slack for details and sign up, or get with Fracsac
    Never forget 5k run/walk in Covington, Sept 9th

    Thanks for following my lead👊
    SYITG – Akbar

  • 5 has to be a record – from Russo

    Simple and effective this morning. Much like my high school gym teachers, when YHC limits time spent on coming up with a plan, it devolves to “just run.”

    Odds were Pelican would show, but much to YHC’s delight, the Splashpad was graced with 3 other HIM looking to brave the heat and move and shake: semi-regular Hammer, a semi-returning Akbar, fresh off either traversing the country (“What’s a traverse?”) or recuperating from said traverse, and a returning Splash Godfather Quarterpipe ™, who YHC can only assume has finally decided at around 80 degrees it’s not too cold to post.

    Warmup (all 10x IC)
    – Good mornings
    – Toe touches
    – Self love
    – Sealjacks
    – Imperial walkers
    – Cherry pickers
    – High knees

    Thang
    Traverse to the tunnel, stopping every 60 seconds for 10 merkins and 10 squats.

    At the tunnel:

    11s – donkey kicks and shoulder tap plank jacks

    Mosey down, “sprint” through, mosey up.

    Recovery walk/mosey back, where COT, Name-o-Rama, and prayer closed us out. Prayers for Steve’s mother-in-law, all our brothers hurting and healing, and that we’re strengthened with the Spirit to guide our day.

    Tomorrow is Pickaxe’s birthday Q to celebrate his 12th trip around the sun.

    Thank you to each of you for posting / reading. You all keep pushing me to be better and I’m grateful for it.

    SYITG

  • Eight is Enough – from Russo

    83 this morning as YHC pulled up, with a nice breeze to limit the sweat damage early. Great group of 12 for the beatdown.

    Warmup
    All 10x – 16 IC:
    – Seal jacks
    – Self love
    – Toe touches
    – Cherry pickers
    – Good mornings
    – High knees

    Thang

    Mosey around the block, stopping at each corner for:
    8 8-count body builders
    16 shoulder tap plank jacks
    24 merkins
    32 Peter Parker’s (1 is 1)

    Next round:
    8 Imperial squat walkers IC
    16 Hallelujah squats
    24 Apollo Ohnos
    32 Monkey Humpers

    Round 3:
    8 Dr. w’s
    16 Gas pumps
    24 LBCs

    Over to Rip’s, where it was:

    – 4 minutes of 24 rocky balboas followed by a trip up and down their steps (R&R)
    – Two rounds of 24 Rocky Balboas, 16 Urkins, 8 Rocky Balboas, 4 Urkins
    – Two rounds of 24 calf raises, 16 step overs, 8 calf raises, 4 step overs

    Back to the flag for Mary (16x IC)
    – Penguins
    – American hammers
    – LMCs
    – Rosalitas
    – Crunchy Frogs

    COT, Name-o-Rama, Announcements, Prayer, in that order. We lifted up our walking wounded, school starting, those traveling, Steve’s mother in law, and the victims of the Maui wildfire, among others.

    Coffee added a couple Starskys (apparently a thing in the F3 lexicon according to ‘Whacker) in Bird and Cowbell.

    Even though I took us away from the breezes on the lakefront that cooled us off ever so slightly, I appreciate you all joining me on a jaunt around the area, and what you bring to your own corner of the northshore. Fine group of men this morning. Let’s do it again soon (like at the Splashpad!)

    SYITG

  • Double Solos (or how two solo posts became a duet) – from Russo

    Even though there were two of us present this morning, YHC has determined that it was a coincidence, so there just happened to be two solo posts on this fine morning. Anything to make Jose right in his prognostication. 84 to start, as it seems the early morning temps are offering no relief, with no end in sight. I miss the 20 degree weather; that will never change.

    Warmup
    All 10x – 15x IC:
    – Self love
    – Toe touches
    – Cherry pickers
    – Arm circles
    – Good mornings
    – High knees

    Thang

    Walls of Jericho (7 count of seven exercises 7 times around the Treen Center)

    – Hallelujah squats
    – Apollo Ohnos
    – Peter Parkers (2 is 1)
    – Shoulder tap plank jacks
    – Monkey humpers
    – Imperial squat walkers
    – Crunchy Frogs

    Mary
    15x of flutter kicks, LBCs, hello Dollie’s as we went around the Treen Center one more time.

    Mosey back to home, where COT, Name-o-Rama, and prayer wrapped us up. Good chatter today and of course a good sweat.

    YHC has Q at the lakefront tomorrow (at least the early part until Bushwacker can join us), so join us.

    SYITG

  • Runners only! – from Shooter

    The hint and feeling of rain at the Scramble brought out 5 PAX and amongst the 5 were only runners..

    Brief warmup consisting of 15IC Grass grabbers, Toe Touches, Selflove, Cherry pickers, Goof balls, 50 OYO SSH and plank jacks along with alternating leg swings front/back and side/side..

    Path of the run was down E Causeway to Monroe down to West Beach south to Lakeshore looping back to City hall. Close to 4 miler with all PAX returned and safe..

    Intentions lifted up for F3 brethren out on injuries and for Steve’s mother-in-law..

    PS
    Russo will be destroying your PAX Milner Jose10k, as when this week has ended the score shall possibly be Russo 3 Jose10k 0!!

  • Do we hate the 8? Is the 8 instead great? – from Russo

    I h8 how hot it’s been. We started at 82 and worked up to 84 degrees before we were done at Granny’s. Gr8 group of 4 (a factor of 8) to comminic8 how much we love 8s on 8-8. Luckily, no one had to regurgit8 or inebri8 (or any other “8” that might be a little more risky).

    Warmup (all 8x IC)
    -Sealjacks
    -cherry pickers
    -Butt kicks
    -self love
    -toe touches
    -good mornings

    Thang

    Honoring the Crazy 88’s from Kill Bill Vol. 1
    – 88 calf raises
    – 88 shoulder taps (1 is 1)
    – 88 plank jacks

    H – 8 (8x 8-count exercises)
    8 count bodybuilders
    Legs: front and back lunges
    Side lunges and Apollo ohnos
    Dr. W’s
    Absolution

    Crazy 8’s
    Hold deep squat while playing the card game.
    Every two minutes: 8 merkins
    Someone throws an 8: 8 burpees
    Someone can’t play a card: one 8 count body builder

    Between rounds, we slalom the columns (kinda like a figure 8 but not exactly)

    Mary (all 8x IC)
    – flutter kicks
    – Gas pumps
    – Penguins
    – American hammers
    – Crunchy frogs
    – LMCs

    1 minute and 8 second plank wrapped us up at 6AM.

    COT, Name-o-Rama, Announcements, Prayer, in that order where we lifted up half of F3 Northshore that is currently in the infirmary (Pik, Turbo, Backdraft, Akbar and I’m sure many others).

    YHC enjoyed the time, SYITG

  • The scramble goes Open Mike – from The Hammer

    Hot, but not record heat. Humid, but not record humidity.

    No official Q this morning, so Hammer led, YHC takes the backblast to appease PaxMiner.

    Warmup

    SSHs
    Cherry Pickers
    Windmills
    Toe touches
    Hammer’s favorite stretch
    25 merkins

    Thang
    Feet moved, some faster than others. Rucks were rucked by Jose and YHC. Runs were run by Mr. Miata, Hammer, and the resilient Waterpik, working through his recent injury like a champion. You can’t keep a good man down.

    COT, Name-o-Rama, and prayer closed us out, until…it was comedian’s showcase. In an unexpected twist, what began as a serious prayer intention turned into a joke involving bridges to Hawaii. Not to be outdone, Pik took the mike and dropped the Hammer (figuratively) with his own version of a biblically themed wisecrack. Before Mr. Miata could break out his favorite limerick, we disbursed into the gloom. Rule number 1 for a good comedian: always leave them wanting more.

    SYITG

  • Total Meltdown with the Fire Fighter Challenge Tabata – from Bushwacker

    Following a long rehabilitation after shoulder surgery, during which YHC did ABSOLUTELY nothing overly strenuous that Chewy would frown upon, it’s back to the fire department. And, of course, that means then Lakefront is due for another Fire Fighter Challenge… this time Tabata style! Our own friendly neighborhood Steve graciously offered to stalk me at 5:45am and help set up an array of treacherous exercises for the general populous of F3 Northshore.

    WARMORAMA

    Ok, let me be honest, as I sit here typing this drivel of a backblast, I’m having (not for the 1st time) memory issues. Everything came in sets of 10 and in cadence. There were several things with knees and feet and hands, ya know the usual. We really just needed to get loose enough to reduce risk of injury while dying in the heat and humidity.

    THANG

    The PAX mosied to the shaft where a variety of tires, weights, a giant rope, and a 50ft length of fire hose awaited the assembled. A hopefully-briefer-than-expected-by-the-PAX explanation of the ordeal laid out was given and things got underway. A tabata of 40 cycles – seconds of work with 12 seconds rest in between had such familiar FF exercises such as the Tire Pull, Tire Toss, Tire Flip, and Sledge Hammer Swing, interspersed amongst which were other favorites such as the High Rise Pack Carry, Burpees, Flutter Kicks, Farmer’s Carry and more. After the completion of the Challenge, in which a valiant effort was put forth by the brave men willing to cross the thin red line to take the red pill, there were none willing to compete for the Badaxxe Award by completing the Tire Pull, Tire Flip, and Farmer’s Carry for time. QIC wasn’t certain whether the lack of interested parties was because the defending title holder Grundy was not in attendance, or like myself, everyone was almost fully spent. Either way, there seems to be some unfinished business…

    MARY

    After mosying back to the flags the PAX were treated to 11 full-ass minutes of mary that finaled with 100 100s OYO.

    COT

    Countorama/nameorama, True Coat shared the opportunity to take part in a 30 minute men’s weekly zoom meeting involving spiritual discussions of Opus Dei and more of the most intriguing sort. Hit him up to learn more. The fair-weather Kotter Quart Pipe prayed us out and off to coffeteria we went!
    Gentlemen, thank you for following me into the fire (of sorts), and allowing me to lead you all in this thing of ours, la F3 cosa nostra. And don’t forget, HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!