The BackBlast:

AO:

cheetah

Pax Names:

Smurfette, Wiggum, Ricky Bobby, Papa John, Doubtfire, Zillow, Jungle Love, Spock, Uncorked, Turtle Head, AC, Cuban, Trust Fall, Hooch

Number of Pax:

14

FNG Names:

Number of FNGs:

0

Intro:

Dodo Birds, Wonder Bras, and the Ring of Modification

Warm-o-Rama:

Each PAX selects one brick for each hand for the duration of the 45-minute workout, and we're off into the gloom. All exercises completed with bricks in hand – freeze the fingers, and feel the burn.
Warm-O-Rama Part 1: Mosey to cones at the southwest corner, which we'll call Point 1. Circle up for disclaimer, 20 SSH IC (SO MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE WITH BRICKS), 15 Dancing Bears IC, and 10 Brick Mills IC (windmill with bricks).
Warm-O-Rama Part 2: Mosey 1/10 mi to cones at the northwest corner, which we'll call Point 2. Circle up for 20 Dodo Birds IC, 20 Wonder Bras IC, 25 Squats in unison (yes, Smurfette and Doubtfire, make sure your bricks touch the ground at the bottom of your squat), and 25 Overhead Claps. We dubbed the juxtaposition of Squats and Overhead Claps "SOHC", not to be confused with the automotive moniker for a single overhead cam.

The Thang:

Mosey back to Point 1 for the Ring of Fire. It became apparent to the Q less than a minute in that these mumblechattering (read: whining) PAX were not going to put up with a reverse plank/crab walk Ring-of-Fire with bricks all the way around the ring of 14 men. And THANK GOD, too, because I don't think I could have endured it either. Hence, although there was still some fire, it became the Ring of Modification. As every third PAX started out on his journey around the rim (some, of course, modifying the crab walk to a bear crawl or a lunge walk), the waiting PAX alternated from reverse plank to forward plank to squats to air presses and back to reverse planks. The ring was noticeably tighter by the time we finished, and the chatter was lively as we covered up our pain with lots of smiles. Good work, brothers, and way to push yourselves. 140 frozen fingers trying to thaw out by holding a frozen brick. Peachy.

The main thang: Hundred Mercan Mile – mosey (with brick, of course) back and forth from Point 1 to Point 2 and flipsy flopsy with 10 mercans at each point until we finished 10 moseys and 10 sets of 10 mercans. We awaited the six with planks at the first three points, then squats at the next two, and then finished the hundred mercan mile OYO, picked up the six, and moseyed back to the flag.

Brick Webbs (Jack Webb with bricks) from 1 and 4 up to 5 and 20 mercans and overhead brick presses
No time left for interval climb, so we finished with SOHC at 5 and 20 reps

And MAN did it feel good to toss those two little bricks back in the bed of the truck. Something you carry for so long just seems to get way heavier than it actually is…

COT:

Lifted up many concerns for our brothers inside and outside the circle this morning including Trust Fall's daughter's procedure this morning, a brother confronted in his addiction who needs the courage and humility to seek professional counseling, and Wiggum's M and mini-2.0 during the pregnancy.

Spoke a word of encouragement about recognizing that there are some burdens we carry around far too long and without need. God calls us to take responsibility and bear some burdens in life for sure, but not without the proper perspective that He has it all in His hands. It's a challenge for a man to avoid isolating himself, holding things inside that really need to be spoken out loud, confessed, dealt with, changed… offloaded onto the capable shoulders of the Lord through the counsel and encouragement of our brothers around us. But it's a much greater and entirely futile/detrimental challenge to bear those unnecessary and toxic burdens into the future. Pray and reflect today and see if there's something in your heart and mind that you need to get off your chest. Talk to the Lord about it. And go find a brother who will listen. My cell is (770)715-4307. Anytime, brothers.

Naked Man Moleskin:

Grateful to each man who posted this morning – I cannot express enough how thankful I am to God for your fellowship. F3 continues to change my life every week and mold me into the man God is calling me to be. Let's bear one another's burdens as the Lord enables each one, and make sure you're not carrying something around that's just weighing you down for no good reason.