(12.30.20) Nothing but Burpees


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Sandbag (guest Q from South Gilbert, AZ)

PAX: > Danish, Bunny, Milli Vanilli, Lumbergh



CONDITIONS

> 45 degrees, wet but not raining. 5 HIMs tackled the LR, ready for a down range Q from South Gilbert, AZ by none other than Sandbag.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • No warm up

The Thang

PAX was told it was a grind but something the South Gilbert AO completed the night before and challenged Portland….

  • Burpees (x 100)
  • 30 second rest
  • Burpees (x 100)
  • 30 second rest
  • Burpees (x 100)
  • 30 second rest
  • Burpees (x 100) – only completed 61 in time for completion

Moleskin

Sandbag closed us out speaking about his personal journey with F3. Message was strong and motivating. While he began back east, it wasn’t till his time AZ that he fully committed to the mission. In fact, stepping up and VQ’ing was the first step toward truly becoming a leader within F3.

PAX got thoroughly beatdown but immediately picked back up. Thanks, Sandbag!

> That’s a wrap, Lumbergh

Last DoD of 2020


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Walkman

PAX: > Bunny, Herbie, Danish



CONDITIONS

> Sub 40 cold and windy, but dry and relatively clear. Nice quiet morning in the gloom, all PAX on time and ready to roll after the long holiday weekend.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

> Mosied to 62nd and back to the ‘Rod. Slow High Knees x 10, Third Graders x 10, Arm Scissors x 10.

The Thang

> Deck. Of. Death.

Hearts – Burpees (duh)

Diamonds – American Hammers on the hard count

Spades – Jump Squats

Clubs – Plank Jacks on the hard count

Jokers – jog around the courtyards

Pax pushed hard to finish this one with 15 seconds to spare! YHC messed up some calls early, but we got it sorted out and everyone dug deep for the that last 8 of hearts.

6MOM

> Pushed through the DoD!

Moleskin

> Q1.6 Shorties

  • They’re the only relationship you can’t sever, you’ll always be their father.
  • The Quality of this relationship defines the rest of their lives – think of how much your character, perspective, etc was set by your parents.
  • Your presence, and relationship, centers them, gives them a solid foundation upon which to grow throughout their lives.
  • This gives them freedom to grow into who they are meant to be
  • HIM’s keep this in mind in all interactions with their shorties.

>Walkman

Lines Lines and more Lines!


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Walkman

PAX: > Lumbergh, Danish, Millie Vanilli, Herbie



CONDITIONS

> 45 degrees and high overcast was actually quite balmy today. No rain was a nice touch! Rather quiet group as we all rolled into the holiday week with a great start.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

> Mosied to the tennis courts and ran the length and back, Windmill x 15, squat x 10, ran the length and back, Third Grade exercise x 10, slow high knees x 10, ran the length and back merkin x 10, scissor arms x 10.

The Thang

> Lines! Ran to each tennis court and back, adding exercises at each turnaround point. Each set had an exercise that increased by 1 rep per line.

Started with 5 merkins, adding one each time and finishing with 12

Ran a set of lines with no movements.

Set 2 was squats – started with 10 and ended with 17.

Ran a set of lines with no movements

Set 3 was peter parkers – started with 15, YHC realized at 18 that this was too many, and made it a flat 12 for the PAX moving forward.

Ran a set of lines with no movements.

6MOM

> LBC x 30, 2 minute pushup, LBX x 30, 2 minute squat, Plank x 15, 2 minute ‘6 inch’ leg hold, Plank x 15, Big Bois x 20.

Moleskin

>Spoke about the difficulty of choices this time of year – holidays, who to spend time with, how to do it safely, and the amount of Stress most are under due to COVID impacting all of this. Reminded the PAX of the good old saying ‘first seek to understand, then seek to be understood’ as a solid place to start as a leader right now. The value of adding context and perspective to our understanding allows us to make the right choices for ourselves and our families.

>Tomorrow’s soreness brought to you by Walkman

M


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Walkman

PAX: > Herbie, Lumbergh, Danish, Bunny, Millie Vanilli



CONDITIONS

> 44 and gloomy. High overcast with wet ground but no falling water. Pax seemed pretty cheery, everyone arrived on time with some light chatter to begin.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

> Mosied to 58th and down to Division, stopping for a public display of warmup between the HS and ES.

Third Grade Exercise x 15, Squats x 10, windmill x 10, scissor arms x 10, merkin x 10, monkey humpers x 10, slow high knees x 10

Then mosied to the tennis courts.

The Thang

> Cave dweller ascending ladder. HR Merkin x 1, bear crawl across 1 tennis court, mtn. climber x 1, bear crawl back. Repeats increasing by 1 each round, finishing at 10 of each. Great push by the PAX to finish this one!

Mosied to the bathroom walls for Wall Sits. Cherry pickers x 15, forward arm circles x 15, overhead press x 15, backward arm circles x 15.

Finished with a circuit at the playground. Pull ups x10, decline merkins x10, shoulder taps x10, step ups x7, box jumps x10, and LBC’s x20. One round of each.

6MOM

> U x 10, LBx x 30, Plank x 20 with alternating leg up, superman x 10, Plank Jack x 10, Superman Jack x 10, LBC x 20, Big Bois x 7 took us home.

Moleskin

> Shared the five tenets from Q1.5, M.

  • Maintenance = deceleration
  • The culture is a jester
  • Your spouse is not your best friend
  • There is no 50 yard line
  • Joy trumps happiness

Took a moment of silence for each of us to reflect on a point that might hit home for our most important relationship and shared with the PAX.

> Tomorrow’s soreness brought to you by Walkman

Gotta Squat to Trot


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Lumbergh

PAX: > Bunny, Danish, Milli Vanilli



CONDITIONS

Warm day the Lightning Rod, relatively dry coming in at 48F degrees. 4 PAX rolled in strong ready for a beat down.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • SSH x 25
  • Windmill x 15
  • Scissor Arm x 15
  • Monkey Humpers x 10
  • Slow High Knees x 15
  • Butt Kickers x 15
  • SSH x 25

Mosey to the track

The THANG

First Round (start with low and slow squats (easy count x 30) line up on end zone):

  • 10 squat jumps, run 10 yards
  • 10 reverse lunge (each leg), run 10 yards
  • Alternate each exercise till at the other end zone

Second Round (start with wall sit (x 30), then line up on end zone):

  • 10 single leg deadlift (each leg), run 10 yards
  • 10 alternating leg raises (each leg), run 10 yards
  • Alternate each exercise till at the other end zone

Third Round (**Skipped due to time**start with glute bridge (x 30), then line up on end zone):

  • 5 fire hydrants (each leg), run 10 yards
  • 10 monkey humpers, run 10 yards
  • Alternate each exercise till at the other end zone

Back to the Lightning Rod

6MOM

> Ran out of time, finished with COT

Moleskin

With a new member to the PAX (Milli Vanilla), opened up with education around the resources available on F3nation.com, discussed the invaluable leadership tools, namely the Q-source. While we currently have a group of HIMs around and in the same life journey/moment, this understanding and awareness is to key to how you pour into those around you and how you also make yourself available to allow others to pour into you.

Hard looks and straight talk (tempered by love) get results

Because the desire of an older man to pass on what he has learned to a younger man is natural, the vertical relationship between Stone and Blade has existed since men first sought the Advantage of gathering together into Communities. But like all relationships, it takes skill and effort for the Whetstone to work. To obtain that skill, a HIM does not wait until he is retired to begin practicing it. He is about the business of Sharpening younger men even while he himself is being Sharpened.

Sharpening does not happen by accident. It must be done with Deliberatude within a vertical relationship between two men who set out to see it happen. It works best between men who are not at the same point of their journey. For a Blade to be Sharpened properly, the Stone must be the harder of the two, at least for a season.

Like the Shield Lock, the Whetstone is a relationship that is subject to the 3P: it must be Proximate, Purposeful and periodic to be Effective.

Remember –> Plant, Serve, Grow.

> That’s a wrap, Lumbergh

A Whollata Tabata


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Lumbergh

PAX: > Bunny, Danish, Herbie



CONDITIONS

> 4 PAX arrived with ideal PNW weather, 39 degrees with a few puddles from a nightly rain. No better way to close out the week than with a good old Lightning Rod beatdown. Herbie showed the squad how to never be late, being the first to arrive. Followed by Q, Bunny and Danish, who shoulder the load and helped bring the coupons to the LR. Get after it time!

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • 5 minute Mosey
  • SSH x 10
  • Windmill x 10
  • Third Grade Exercise x 10
  • Monkey Humpers x 10
  • SSH x 10
  • Scissor Arms x 10
  • Slow High Knees x 10
  • Butt Kickers x 10

The Thang

Tabata Challenge (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off x 8 rounds)

Round 1

  • Merkins
  • Body Squat

Round 2

  • Shoulder to Shoulder Block Raises
  • Curls

Round 3

  • Plank Jack
  • Seal Jack

Round 4

  • Mountain Climber
  • Skater Hop

Round 5

  • Plank Alternating Arm Bench Taps
  • Plank Alternating Foot Bench Taps

Mosey for 5 minutes

6MOM

> Big Bois x 15 (EC), Leg Raises x 15 (EC), Raised Arm LBCs x 15, Outlaws x 15 (each direction), Star Plank x 15

> MUMBLECHATTER: ‘Friday, Friday, Friday’ was yelled out to help push the idea that we almost thru the week! Quickly followed by Bunny saying he was earning his pizza tonight…which lead to a ‘Pizza, Pizza, Pizza’ war cry. Then in our best announcer voice shouting ‘Lightning Rod’. Classic Portland, things got weird as we pushed through the pain.

Moleskin

Jim Valvano’s 10 anniversary of ’83 Championship Speech, his last public speech

“Let me tell you what the ‘83 team means to me,” he began. “They are special not because they put that banner up there, they’re special because they taught me and the world so many important lessons.

“Number one, hope — hope that things can get better, in spite of adversity. The ’83 team taught us that when Dereck Whittenburg went down and everybody said there is no way we could win. A kid named Ernie Myers stepped in and we lost a few, then we won a few and then Dereck came back.

“One sportswriter said — I remember my favorite quote was that ‘trees would tap dance, elephants would drive in the Indianapolis 500, and Orson Welles would skip breakfast, lunch and dinner before NC State figure out a way to win the NCAA Tournament.’

“Well, this team taught me that elephants are going to be driving in the Indy 500 someday. They taught me to hope.

“The ’83 team taught me about dreaming, and the importance of dreams, because nothing can happen if not first a dream. If you have someone with a dream, if you have a motivated person with a goal and a vision, if you have someone who never gives up, who has great hope, anything can happen. That team taught me that persistence, the idea of never, ever quitting.

“Don’t give up! Don’t ever give up!”

Valvano spoke individually to every member of the sell-out crowd, whether he knew it or not.

“The ’83 team gave you hope, gave you pride, told you what hard work was about,” he said. “It gave you the meaning of believing in a cause.

“And lastly, what they taught me, which is so important, is to love each other. We don’t talk enough about that in sports, but I can tell you, if you ask me what was said along the line as we went down the row [to greet each player], that word love was used most of the time. As in, ‘Coach, I love ya.’ As in me saying, “Thurl, I love ya.’ And ‘Terry, I love ya.’ And ‘Whitt, I love ya.’

“They taught me what love means. When you have a goal, when you have a dream and when you throw in that concept of never stop believing and loving each other, you can accomplish miracles. And that’s what the ’83 team taught [us].”

> That’s a wrap, Lumbergh

The Jester and Pearl Harbor


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Walkman

PAX: > Danish, Bunny



CONDITIONS

> Chilly and clear at 38 degrees. Danish and YHC showed up a bit early, Bunny showed up just as we started our warmup.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

> Side Lunge x 20, Windmill x 20, Slow High Knees x 20, Forward arm circles x 20, Backward arm circles x 20, jog down to 58th and then mosy to the track.

The Thang

> We did a descending ladder of Squat Jumps and Real Peter Parker’s as we ran around the track. Every 100 meters we stopped and performed an exercise, starting with 20 RPP’s, 100 meters, 19 SJ’s, 100 meters….repeated down to 1 and finished with a few minutes to spare. Completed wall sits with 15 cherry pickers, 15 overhead press, and 15 Morrocan night clubs.

6MOM

> U x 15, LBC x 30, Superman x 15, U x 15, LBX x 20, Superman x 10

Moleskin

>Shared about the Jester, and how chaos and lack of planning is what invites him in. For YHC, it’s the mental chaos of the time and some things going on in our lives that caused him to rear up this weekend. Consequently, I sacrificed my Queen and ate like a trash panda, and spent more time playing video games than I would have liked. The Jester makes his way in when you feel chaotic, and don’t plan for him.

> Tomorrow’s soreness brought to you by Walkman

Bye, Bye Legs


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Lumbergh

PAX: > Bunny, Danish, Dockers



CONDITIONS

> Another beautifully gloomy day in the PNW, 43 degrees, with a little moisture to keep us a cool and ready for the Thang!

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

  • SSH x 25
  • Windmill x 15
  • Scissor Arm x 15
  • Monkey Humpers x 10
  • Slow High Knees x 15
  • Butt Kickers x 15
  • SSH x 25

Mosey to the track

The THANG

50 Squat Jacks

Slow n low squats IC x 40, mosey across the field (stay together)
SnL IC x 30, mosey across the field and back
SnL IC x 20, mosey across the field three times
SnL IC x 10, mosey across the field there and back twice

wall sits x 40 IC, run the length of the track
x 30 IC, run the length of the track and back
x 20 IC, run the length of the track three times
x 10 IC, run the length of the track there and back twice

50 Skaters

Back to the Lightning Rod

6MOM

> Finished on the 6, Flutter kicks x 15, Spread Eagle x 15

Moleskin

First one start with a song that I listen to to help shape my mindset and aid me in my approach for the day. The song is ‘Revolutionary’ by Josh Wilson

Maybe you’re not like me
Maybe we don’t agree
Maybe that doesn’t mean
We gotta be enemies
Maybe we just get brave
Take a big leap of faith
Call a truce so me and you
Can find a better way

Let’s take some time, open our eyes, look and listen, yeah
And we’re gonna find we’re more alike than we are different, yeah

Why does kindness seem revolutionary
When did we let hate get so ordinary
Let’s turn it around, flip the script
Judge slow, love quick
God help us get revolutionary

Not only is the message strong, this song reminds me that we have so much to be thankful for. And while the wait of the world hangs in the balance, there are so many struggle under it. We should showcase our gratitude, especially as we lead into tomorrow’s holiday and it’s core principles.

“The only guarantee in life is death, and the only guarantee in death is its shocking unpredictability.” ― Brian Herbert, The Machine Crusade

While the weigh of this sentiment is not lost on me, the intention is simple, encouragement to live for the moment. The end of our days will come, but have a profound opportunity to seize the time in front us and make the most of it. I lay this break b/c I recently lost a colleague unexpectedly. She was amazing person and gave her most day in, day out, and sadly she past away of the weekend. This came as a big shock to many and just wanted to speak into a little bit of what has been on my heart lately. We don’t know what tomorrow brings but do know what we can do with our day today. Pour into yourself, your family, and others. Be a beacon of light that draws people near and be grateful for it.

Remember –> Plant, Serve, Grow.

> That’s a wrap, Lumbergh

Creative ways to Strive


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Walkman

PAX: > Bunny, Lumbergh, Angus, Danish, Dockers



CONDITIONS

> Wet and Cold. Pax showed up just before 530 ready to rock and roll in the rain.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

> Jog to 62nd and back to the corner of 52nd. Step ups Left leg x 15, Merkin x 10, Step up Right leg x 15, Merkin x 10, Third Grade exercise x 15. Mosy to the track

The Thang

> Started in the end zone. Frog Merkins to the other endzone, stopping each 20 yards to complete 25 LBC’s on the hard count.

Gorilla walk squats back to the original endzone, stopping every 20 yards to complete 25 Freddie Mercuries on the hard count.

Touchdown lounges to the 40 and back, stopping every 20 yards to do 5 merkins.

Mosy back to the Rod.

6MOM

> Superman x 15, Plank x 15, Superman Jacks x 15, Plank Jacks x 15

Moleskin

> Started a conversation about intentionality and how difficult it is to find adult peers who are also striving in their lives. Most of our relationships are on ‘autopilot’ like much our lives – functions of convenience and history rather than intention and future. F3 helps us realize there is more, starting with our physicality and expanding into the fellowship with men who are also willing to push and try to ‘wake up’ more and more. We may not be striving for the same things, but to be close to other men who I know are working to be their best, to accomplish their goals, to be be leaders is encouraging and appreciated. We thanked Angus for starting this AO as he will be out of the state for a few months.

> Soreness brought to you by Walkman

Gratitude on Veterans Day


AO: > Lightning Rod

QIC: > Walkman

PAX: > Lumbergh, Angus, Bunny, Danish



CONDITIONS

> 40 degrees and wet. No falling water and surprisingly clear skies. PAX was all early with some early morning chatter.

Warm Up (Circle of Pain)

> Jogged to 62nd, down 62nd and back to the bottom of the hill. Looked for Good Morning Merkins but didn’t come across anyone – most of PDX chose the fart sack apparently. We did hill sprints and jogged back down between exercise sets. Slow High Knees x 20, Third Grade Exercise x 20, Arm Scissors x 20, Squat x 10 and then mosied to the track.

The Thang

> In the spirit of Veterans day we moved between workout stations on the track as a PAX, alternating Jogging and Skip Jumps between stations, in a line together.

Station 1 – Wall sits with Cherry Pickers x 15, forward arm circles x 15, backward arm circles x 15, overhead press x 15.

Station 2 – Plank x 20, Left/Right Plank x 20, Shoulder taps x 20, Peter Parkers x 20

Station 3 – LBC’s x 30, Flutter kick x 30, Freddie Mercury x 30, Box Cutters x 20. YHC had a hard time breathing/counting those LBC’s again.

Station 4 – Wall sits with Can Can x 15, Morrocan night club x 15, Seal clap x 15, Overhead clap x 20 to let the lone jogger pass us (we got his GMM’s at station 1).

Repeated Station 1 and 2 before heading back to the Lightning Rod.

6MOM

> No time. In hindsight should have completed 1 LBC.

Moleskin

> Commenting on Veterans day itself felt inauthentic for YHC, but allowed for a good conversation around gratitude. Both that which we express (to others), and that which we carry around with us. We spent time sharing in CoT the things that we are all grateful for on a consistent basis. Danish shared a wonderful gratitude practice that he uses. Whole PAX took time to reflect on the areas of life they are constantly grateful for. We acknowledged that gratitude is often manifested by contrast – the things we’re most grateful for tend to be those that we have the most awareness around how their absence feels. These acknowledgements of contrast, and our abundance, serve as a ‘fill up’ for our piggy bank of good will and grace. It’s very challenging to extend grace with an empty piggy bank, and very easy to refill the bank by exploring gratitude.

> Today’s sore shoulders/kneck brought to you by Walkman