Conditions :  62F and sunny!
Q : Spike
Beatdown  : 17 PAX posted 

A solid disclaimer was given, YHC providing the FROM Acronym (Free, Rotationally Led, Outdoor, Men only and ending in a circle of Trust).  YHC had this grand idea to get in at LEAST 3 miles, on this, his 5 year anniversary of joining F3.  Might have bitten off more than I could chew, but it turned out just fine!

We had to park at the lower area of Reeves Park today due to some event going on.  Some chatter amongst the guys that this should be our new location, it has better parking, more shade, a picnic bench, but YHC wasn’t convinced.  Needless to say, a few guys were a bit late, but they all arrived before the warmup finished.

Startup pulled up wearing a big-old knee brace, having just learned about his torn ACL and meniscus, and YHC was glad to see him, but sad he wouldn’t be running with us.  He’s a true HIM and glad he still was there for everything else!

YHC pretty much does the same warmup routine each time he Qs.  I don’t know if that’s a bad thing, or just possibly a good habit, you be the judge.  Anyway, the guys knew what was coming…

Warmup :  

1. 10x SSHs IC
2. 10x arm circles  IC
3. 10x chinooks IC
4. 10x circle arms  IC
5. 10x sprinklers IC
6. 10x weed pickers IC
7. Plank Position – push down on toes (heels to ground) stretch then Cobra Pose
8. Best Stretch Ever – right leg 10 seconds, left leg 10 seconds with hands in the air
9. 10x Plank Jacks IC

Mosey down Lock 29 along the Schuylkill Canal.  Approximate overall mileage : 3.14 miles

For the past few weeks, since we could see outside at 0530 without headlamps, we’ve been rucking along the canal.  We’ve seen some great wildlife – from geese, mallard ducks, a river otter (some say it might have been a muskrat, YHC isn’t sure), and even a bald eagle!  So YHC was hoping we’d see some amazing sights along this path, but we only saw geese.

The first time we hiked down this path, YHC saw these large, flat white surfaces that would be perfect for dips, inclined or declined merkins, or any number of things.  There’s a little waterfall nearby, and the sound of rushing water is always refreshing.  It’s approximately 1.5 miles from our flag, so should be perfect for a 1 hour beatdown, theoretically!

Time to put that thought to the test!

The Thang :  3 Miles of FELLOWSHIP
And off we went.  We did a pearls on the string beatdown, stopping every 1/3 to 1/2 mile to spell out one of the letters below.  Stops included at the VFW, the “grassy gnoll” on Bridge Street, and then the top of the canal path, and along the canal path going down and back.

Floyd Mayweather – plank punch (out, behind, under) x15 IC (some chatter about how one side was now more swole than the other!)
E2K – x20 IC (10 each leg)
LBCs x15 IC
Lunges 20x IC
Outlaws 20X IC
Wide arm decline Merkins 10x in civilian cadence
Seal jacks 20x IC
Hand release merkins 15x IC
Imperial Walkers 20x IC
Peter Parker x20 IC

We stopped at various spots when cars were coming, dodging bikes and geese alike.  About half of the way back, YHC was running out of breath, checked his watch and saw my heartbeat was getting closer to 190!

We all made it back in one piece, with about 8-9 minutes for some 6MOM!

6MOM included :
10x superman swims
10x flutter kicks hands under 6
10x flutter kicks hands on chest
10x flutter kicks hands out to the side
10x flutter kicks hands over head
10x heel taps
10x toe touches
10x LBCs
20x E2K (10 each side)
10x WW1 sit-ups
10x Jane Fonda’s (each side)

Then we did a silent 21 (10 reps of SSHs and then silent counting to 21).  If we didn’t end as a group, then we’d do penalties, and sure enough, someone didn’t quite end at the exact spot (who shall remain nameless), so we did 5 burpees OYO.

COT :
I am very grateful for F3 and what it’s done in my life.  I’m grateful to Flipper for standing up one day in church and asking if anyone wanted to join him for a Saturday workout.  That was 5 years ago.  I relayed the story about how I was almost 200 pounds, couldn’t run a quarter mile without gasping for breath, and knew I needed a change.

F3 is like small ripples in a pond.  One guys tells another, and that guys tells more, an then it grows.  I’m really glad to see how it’s taken off, not just in PA, but around the world.  What a thing to behold, and to realize there’s a positive factor behind all of that, we’re not just doing it for us, we’re trying to “live third,” makes a huge difference.

Prayers for StartUp and Retail’s injuries, for Nightstick’s father, for job searches, and for Krull’s friend as well.

As always, it was an honor and a pleasure to Q for the men at the Blast Furnace, and an even special day to have my 2.0 (Checkers) join us.  He was running along just fine (ahead of me, at the end of course!) and to share this day with him.   To show him what it’s like to have a group of men around you that you can trust, that you can share your inner challenges and struggles, and they can share with you.

See you in the Gloom!