Tag: Substation

…the Pax must travel a long and difficult road, a road fraught with peril. Mm-hmm. You shall see thangs, wonderful to tell. You shall see a... a Donkey Lips... on the Public Square, ha. And, oh, so many startlements. I cannot tell you how long this road shall be, but fear not the obstacles in your path, for fate has vouchsafed your reward. Though the road may wind, yea, your hearts grow weary, still shall ye follow them, even unto your salvation. (the BOM!)

Well it sounded like a good start! However, the Donkey called an audible on account of his        "ob-stac-les" YHC stepped forward to offer his services as Q for the Gloom, resulting in the whole damn SubStation goin' apey. Pole Dancer R-U-N-N-O-F-T to California for a 1 Day Business Trip! (is that even possible?) DeerStand said he musta been lookin' for answers. The following exchange was heard between Little Debbie and Patty Cake;

LD: Gonna paddle a little behind.
PC: Ain't gonna paddle it - gonna kick it, real hard.
LD: No, I believe he's gonna paddle it.
PC: I don't believe that's a proper characterization.
LD: Well, that's how I'd characterize it.
PC: I believe it's more of a kickin' sitcheyation.

DD then chimed in with a "I'm with you fellars" To which BadCall added, "Heh, you don't say much, friend, but when you do, it's to the point and I salute you for it!" YHC response to all this rambunctiousness and misdemeanoring was a simple "C'mon in boys, the water is fine."

WARM-UP

• 25 SSH IC
• 25 Windmills IC

Deck of Death

YHC presented the PAX with a slightly modified deck of 56 cards. Each Pax took turns drawing a single card, the PAX would then complete the number of Reps and assigned movement. Jokers were assigned as follows - small Joker (25 Reps pax's choice), Large Joker (one lap of the AO and 25 Reps of the pax's choice), OH,,,,this deck has four Jokers.

• ♠ CopperHead Squats (3 count)
• ♣ Flutter Kicks IC
• ♥ CopperHead Merkins (3 count)
• ♦ LBC's IC

The resulted in 129 Copper Head Squats, 129 Flutter Kicks (IC), 104 CopperHead Merkins, 104 LBC's (IC), 25 Imperial Walkers (IC), 25ish Wind Sprints across the AO, and 2 laps around the AO.

COT/BOM

"The Lord your God is with you; his power gives you victory. The Lord will take delight in you, and in his love he will give you new life.He will sing and be joyful over you..." Zephaniah 3:17 (GNT)

The opening paragraph and the devotion share a common theme even though they come from different sources. No matter the challenges we face or the difficulties the Jester throws in our path, the SkyQ is the ultimate authority! God rejoices with us and over us every time we follow him and conquer the our quest. The Victory is already won!

YHC got a text from LD, who’s recovering from the “crud”, seems he needs a fill-in Q for GroundHog Day.  Knowing that LD is a soldier who combines a strong desire for living with a strange carelessness about dying; (he desires life like water and yet drinks death like wine) YHC is honored to be considered! Its a good thing I'm back on days for the rest of the week. (Which also means YHC will be able to make the 2nd FOX CSAUP @F3 Hartsville!!)

Da'Thang (for real)

• Wind Mills 25 IC
• Imperial Walkers 25 IC
• SSH 40 IC
• Freddie Mercury's 25 IC
• Dying Cockroaches 25 IC
• Pretzels 20 IC (each side)

Mosey to the big Fresco near the Tribunal for a full round of BlackJack! Sprint across the parking lot, 20 LBC's; Bear Crawl back to the start, 1 Merkin. Repeat the Reps until the LBC's <1 and the Merkins >20. (210 of each)

BOM/COT 

"So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong"       Hebrews 12:12-13

The SkyQ's discipline builds up your soul and prepares it for the fruit of peace and righteousness. So what do you do when it seems nothing is going right and you can't catch a break?  The verse is clear, get a better grip and hold on, don't give up! But there's more - set the example for those who look to you for encouragement and be an inspiration. Your legs may be shaky, but the guy following you could be lame. Bear one another's burdens. That way you can both become who the SkyQ wants you to be.

Prayer & Pledge 

Ground Hog Day!

• God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
• He that post this day, and comes to the SubStation,
• Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,
• He will strip his sleeve and show his scars,
• And say ‘These wounds I had on Ground Hog's Day.’
• Old Pax forget; yet all shall not be forgotten,
• What feats the Pax did this day. Then shall our names,
• Familiar in their mouth as household words-
• Deer Stand, Donkey Lips, and Pole Dancer,
• DD, BadCall, Somewhat and Mayberry-
• Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.
• This story shall the good man teach his son;
• We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
• For he today that sheds his blood with me
• Shall be my brother; be he ever so sweaty and vile,
• This day shall the Shadow of the Ground Hog fall;
• And gentlemen in Darlington fartsacking
• Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
• And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
• That posted with us upon Ground Hog's Day!

After missing most of the week because of the new employment situation, YHC greatly anticipated the Saturday morning GLOOM. I had considered Clown Caring to Camden with some of the F3 Hartsville PAX, but a quick check of the Q scheduled reminded me that YHC had the Q at the Substation! Even better – I had no idea the valuable lessons to be learned!!

Da’Thing

• 5K Flat Out All In Run
• 100 Burpees
• 200 Copperhead Squats
• 300 Merkins
• 400 LBC’s
• 300 Big Boys
• 200 Flutter Kicks
• 99 Body Builders (YHC got a crap)
• 5k Run (cool down before Coffeteria)

COT/BOM

In order to better address the needs of our fitness-obsessed brothers, YHC is introducing this semi-regular column, “I of the Tiger,” to address vital hardcore fitness issues of our time. Today: the journey to hardcoreness is a solitary one. Dig it. People like to work out in groups. They like to go to CSAUP’s. They like to do F3 and GoRuck and Spartans and MudRuns with a bunch of like-minded PAX. They like to go to Saturday night dance party workouts for PAX who like to sweat and mingle.

These people are wrong. Wrong how? I'll do the talking here, thank you very much. Just wrong. Hardcoreness is not achieved in groups. Hardcoreness is achieved via a journey into the sweating painful depths of yourself. Hardcoreness is achieved alone. Therefore you should work out alone. Do you know who works out in groups? Jerks, mostly. "But," you object in a pitiful manner, "I have a 'workout buddy.' It gives me 'motivation.'" Sure, sure you do. You have a workout buddy, alright. Maybe it is your friend. Maybe it is even your M. But that workout buddy is only motivating you to do one thing: to talk to them. To discuss things. To mumblechatter.

Mumblechatter about this: SHUT Da'Fuq UP!

The AO is not a place for talk. The AO is a place for action. Action consists of doing things. Hardcore things. It could be pulling things, or pushing things, or pulling and then pushing things, or moving things around in a circle. It could be lots of things. One thing it cannot be: talking to another person. Every word you say at the AO reduces the ambient levels of hardcoreness. Being with somebody therefore places you in imminent danger of subjecting yourself to a workout that is just some bullshit. Here is a scientific statistical breakdown of the time the average pax spends at the AO with a "workout buddy:"

21%: Palying Grab Ass
13%: Discussing the plan for today's workout.
18%: Taking Random selfies of the PAX.
18%: Working out.
30%: Mumblechatter, while someone else who wants to actually lift something is waiting for you to stop bitching about the workout.

You and your workout buddies are not creating fitness synergy. You are carrying on like the cast of Perfect Strangers while monopolizing valuable workout real estate. You are, in effect, giving yourself a plausible excuse to rest for the majority of time at the AO. YHC is onto you. The only plausible reasons to have a partner with you as you work out are 1) Because you are actually hardcore enough to require a spotter. (You're not.) Or, 2) Because that partner is a specialized trainer who is screaming at you a lot and forcing you to work out harder and faster. We're not even going to talk about "Converging" here. Get real. The ideal workout is you, alone, in a locked room, a lone dirty bulb flickering overhead, the faint scurrying of rat paws the only sound, squatting a heavy barbell, or perhaps just a big rock, over, and over, and over, unto death. Failing that, you may go to an AO . Do not bring a buddy to your workout. Do not go to the trouble of checking the Q "schedule". Do not tell anyone you are going to the AO. Just go to the AO, in secret. Do not say hello to the other PAX. Do not smile and chit chat with your PAX. Get ready quickly and in private. Dedicate every thought in your head to hardcoreness. Mumblechatter is just HARDCORENESS LEAVING THE BODY. Don't let it happen to you. It didnt happen to me today!

"One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

After missing a full weeks worth of workouts, YHC had the Q and was determined to make up for lost time!

WARMUP

• Side Straddle Hops 30 IC
• WindMills 25 IC
• Flutter Kicks 25 IC
• Pretzels 15 IC each side
• Freddie Mercurys 25 IC

Da'Thang

• BlackJack - Run the length of the Mural parking lot, Merkins on the front end, LBC's on the other end. Start with 1 Merk/20 LBC's and continue progression 20 Merks/1 LBC.
• Route 66 - In the back lot, run down hill, 1 burpee, run back (up hill) to the start - 2 Burpees. This progression continued to 11 Burpees (66 total).
• Hands of TIme - Mosey back to the AO for a quick round of "HOT". Who knew 4 guys would have so much trouble counting to 12?

COT/BOM

"Certainly the faithful love of the LORD hasn't ended; certainly God's compassion isn't through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23

A quick little workout, with a few “elements” from other events. Imitation is the best form of flattery!

WARM-UP

• Stretches
• Penningtons (Ruck Style)
• WindMills
• Side Straddle Hops
• Pretzels
• Dying Cockroach
• Capt. Thors 1:4 (up to 10)

BLIMPS

• Burpees (5)
• Lunges (10)
• Imperial Walkers (15)
• Merkins (20)
• Plank Jacks (25)
• Copperhead Squats (30)

Each exercise was done together or in cadence, followed by a little mosey around the Tribunal. Repeat the process until time expires!

COT/BOM

“But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31

Being my first Q since returning from shoulder surgery (no more “Hill Rules” for B-Ball!), YHC was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs! Apparently, some of the PAX were just as apprehensive – only 5 posted for a light workout. Notably absent were DD, Donkey and the Pole Dancer. Those that did post were a little stunned to see YHC at the AO early, not arriving on 2 wheels during the warm-up! Speaking of;

WARM-UP (25IC)

• Penningtons
• SSH
• Windmills
• Partner Leg Lifts
• Pretzels

Iron Sharpens Iron - Tabatas (27sec AMRAP/17sec rest)

• Plank
• Low Plank
• Merkins
• Raised Leg Plank - Left
• Raised Leg Plank - Right
• One Leg Merkins - Left
• One Leg Merkins - Right
• Shoulder Taps
• Side Plank - Left
• Side Plank - Right
• T-Roll Merkins
• Low Plank
• Plank

Modified C25K - (1 min Jog/1min AMRAP)

• SSH
• Dying Cockroach
• LBC's
• Freddie Mercury
• Prison Squats
• Flutter Kicks
• Bear Crunches
• Capt. Thor (1:4 progressive) we made it to 5:20

Circle of Trust / Ball of Man

Know Your Enemy

"I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes." 2 Cor. 2:11

There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan. - C.S. Lewis

Conditions: 68 and Clear w/the trailing edge of Hermine just visible in sunrise

All of F3Nation was invited to Converge at the infamous "Lady in Black" for an "old fashion" throwback beat-down! The Lady did not disappoint.

Warm-up:

• 25 SSH IC
• 1 Rd of Roxanne

Thang:

As an added bonus, the PAX was instructed to "Indian Carry" a small bag of "bambi snacks" during the entire tour. This proved to be a challenge either because the concept was too vague or the IYAFYL mentality was too much for a few.

Mosey to the base of Pearson Skyscraper where Little Debbie lead;

• 25 Plank Jacks
• 25 Merkins
• 25 LBC's
• mosey to the top & Plank for the 6

Mosey down & over to the base of Tyler Tower

• 10 Merkins
• Sprint the steps
• 25 LBC's - air-chair for the 6
• Sprint to the next staircase - down,
• Mosey to the next staircase - plank on the 6
• 2nd verse same as the 1st - except 10 Derkins & 25 LBC's
• 3rd VSAT 1st - 10 Burpees & 25 LBC's
• 3rd trip ended with a short bear-crawl down hill (there was a wide variety of modifications)

Pax circled up and were lead by Donkey Lips in a round of Howling Monkeys. (YHC noticed that this above all other routines seemed to attract the most interest among the Sad Clowns in the area). Pax then took a short mosey thru the east tunnel onto Pit road for another round of Burpees and a quick photo op. Mosey back thru the tunnel and post up for the 6 - 25 quick flutter kicks while we waited.

It was near this stage that order and discipline began to completely break down. While moseying along to the next stop, one of the Pax demanded a quick stop for a photo with the "Rainbow Warrior" - not for him of course, for a family member. The entire Pax then photo bombed the "Skoal Bandit" before returning to the mosey.

Upon locating a semi-grassy area on souvenir row, the Pax circled up for 10 Bear Curls IC, YHC attempted a round of "Ol'Mountain Dew", however, tech problems and an Ironman interruption cut the fun short. The Pax then moseyed back to the start for the COT (which was pretty awesome with 27 manly shouts echoing off the stands) and the BOM. The small bag of bambi snacks was returned, but with visible signs of abuse. The "Lady in Black"  issued an invitation of "See y'all next year" as the Pax retired for Coffeteria. (or maybe it was a challenge!)

COT/BOM

"You heard then that Anakin are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the LORD will be with me and I will drive them out as the LORD promised" Joshua 14:12

Caleb's faith never wavered, he was one of two who did not doubt that the Israelites should enter the promised land. 40 years later, when it was finally entered and was being divided, most were asking for either the lush valleys or the grassy plains. Caleb asked for the mountains, the very place where all their enemies had been driven. Caleb asked for a challenge. He longed to see GOD at work and he chose a place where he would have to rely on God's power and strength - not his own.

If you always choose the easy way, asking for the peaceful valleys, you will never see God's power displayed to enable you to take a mountain. Seek out the mountains, and you will witness God doing things through your life that can be explained only by His mighty presence!