Conditions: 47°F with lots of wind, pouring rain throughout the ruck and beatdown.
YHC provided a solid disclaimer, just making sure that no one was unaware of what we were about to partake in. Even an old “say aye if you agree” for good measure!
11 men started their Saturday morning rucking for 3.3 miles, with a few pain stations in between, led by Trigger. The circuitous route took the man throughout Phoenixville, with stops at key locations. Lots of great chatter.
At 0630 on the dot, 32 men had posted for the 3 Year Anniversary of F3 Valley Forge at the Blast Furnace! As expected, men from F3 Princeton, F3 Lancaster, F3 Lehigh Valley, F3 Villanova and F3 Philly all showed up to participate in the extremely soggy beat-down.
We had 5 overall Qs for the day :
Trigger – ruck Q
Dial-Up – warm-up
Boyant
Winklevoss
Spike – 6MOM and COT
Despite the chill, the rain, the wind, all 3 Fs were heavily on display today as we appreciated the rain, each other, and doing the hard thing.
Warm-Up : (Dial-Up)
Dial-Up started it off by reminding the PAX that this is Memorial Day Weekend. Many people gave their lives so we could have our freedom today to meet in a park like this. Let us not forget their sacrifice.
¾ of a Lap mosey around the park to the baseball outfield
Arm Circles
Circle Arms
Michael Phelps
Wrist Stretching x2
High Plank with Cobra Pose
“the Dial-Up” Stretch – aka “Best Stretch ever
Part 1 : Boyant’s Dora
Mosey over to the bench area where PAX partnered up for :
300 monkey Humpers
200 step-ups
100 Bulgarian Split Squats
After much groaning, Boyant explained that was only the first part. Second part continued, as the rain fell :
300 dips
200 under-bench pull-ups
100 Carolina dry-docks
Part 2 : Winklevoss
As the 6 rolled in, Winklevoss took over, and the PAX moseyed over to the baseball outfield again, the ground pretty sodden.
5 rounds of :
Flying Squirrels X6
Body Builders X6
Angle Grinders X6
Navy Seals X6
Absolutions X6
Burpees X6
More groaning as Winklevoss explained and demonstrated each exercise. Someone definitely spent too much time in the F3 Exicon this week! Seemed to YHC that every exercise had some form of burpee built into it!
Winklevoss provided a brief reprieve from these horrendous reps with Trivia from 2018 (none of which YHC knew, but no surprise there).
- Who won the World Series in 2018?
- Who won the Superbowl in 2018?
- Who was on the Bilboard Top 100 in 2018?
- Along with what famous royal couple was married in 2018?
While the PAX were doing these horrendous reps, 3 men at a time ran over to the pull-ups bars for 15 pull-ups each, and then back into the circle. Pretty sure we got through everyone at least twice.
6MOM :
Thoroughly soaked at this point, Winklevoss handed it over to YHC, who finished it off with some 6MOM, including :
Flutter Kicks – hands under 6, X10
Flutter Kicks – hands out to the side, X10
Flutter Kicks – hands on chest, X10
Flutter Kicks – hands above head, X10
Supermans X10
Freddy Mercury X10
Hello Dolly X10
Rosalita X10
Plank with right hand up, right leg up x 10 seconds
Plank with left hand up, left leg up x 10 seconds
(some chatter when YHC tried to get the PAX to do “right hand and left leg” accidentally!)
1 quality merkin
2 quality merkins
3 quality merkins to top it off
Not a dry spot on any man anywhere!
COT :
Count-o-Rama and Name-O-Rama was a good time when you have 31 PAX (Hermit had to leave early!)
YHC thanked everyone for coming, and reminded himself and others what F3 is truly about, and what it means to him. Without the fitness, the fellowship and the faith that F3 provides, many men’s lives would be very different. There are still guys out there who need F3 – so let’s keep EH’ing.
YHC recounted the story of how F3 Valley Forge began, from its humble beginnings with Side Effects and Flipper in 2018, until what it is today – an AO open 6 days a week. The success of the region is built upon the men who post and the men who continue to Q and lead every day.
Coffeeteria :
Juice, coffee, muffins, breakfast bars and fruit were provided under the only dry spot in the entire park – under the bandstand pavilion. Most of the PAX remained for some chatter, and some grub as they tried to dry off.
Thanks for everyone who made it out to celebrate with us!