To the tune of “Take me out to the Ball Park”:

Take me out to the Hogg pen,

Take me out with the PAX;

Buy Bishop some Kotters and Cracker Jacks,

I don’t care if Cruiser throws out his back.

Let me root, root, root for Inferno,

Orange Whip and Tulip from Down Range.

For it’s one, two, three F’s, you’re in,

At the 100 burpee game.

27 PAX posted at #TheHogg for YHC’s 100^th F3 posting #spreadsheeter.

After posting for 99 workouts, YCH had never solo Q’d. Yet. Camo convinced me to co-Q one time. Thanks bro! But I never led alone. Why? See the Naked Man Moleskin.

Disclaimer

YHC tried to lead the PAX from the parking lot to the shovel flag before delivering the disclaimer. The Bishop provided a gentle reminder that the Q had skipped an important step. #MumbleChatter. For my first Q life lesson, I shouted “shut up” at one of our Houston founders. Not a very resilient start to my Q. #CollisionLearning See the Naked Man Moleskin for a little insight.

Second Q life lesson. I tried to read the entire online disclaimer from http://f3nation.com/disclaimer-and-notice/ off my phone. Note to self: 233 words is too many words in the gloom. #FollowTheLeaders Our other Houston founder, Duggar, prompted YHC for an appropriately abbreviated disclaimer after I stumbled through overly two long sentences. #PracticePracticePractice

#RoughStart

Conditions

Despite impressive morning lightning in the distance, no precipitation. #ThanksSkyQ. Mid 70s and humid.

The Thang

Circle around the shovel flag, AKA home plate, for:

• 1 Burpee #NoCadence #ConfusedThePax
• 10 SSH IC
• 2 Burpees #NoCadence #ConfusedThePax
• 10 Windmills IC
• 3 Burpees #SomeCadence
• 10 Grass Grabbers IC
• 4 Burpees #BetterCadence #PaxCatchingOn

First Base

Mosey a little more than 90 feet to just beyond the first swing set, and circle up.

• 10 Big Arm Circles (accidentally reversed)
• 10 Burpees

Bringing the Cumulative Burpee Total up to 20!

Second Base

Mosey a little more than 90 feet to around the big tree, and circle up.

• 10 forgotten exercises IC
• 10 Burpees

Bringing the Cumulative Burpee Total up to 30!

Third Base

Mosey a little more than 90 feet to around the big tree, and circle up.

• 10 Partner Burpees – split the PAX into two groups. Partner 1 demonstrates 2 burpees, Partner 2 provides constructive feedback and encouragement. Flapjack. Rotate x5.

Cumulative Burpee Total at 40!

Home Base (the Shovel Flag)

• Baseball Burpees – Mosey to the shovel flag, and circle up. Divide PAX into four groups. Try to explain baseball burpees. Each group starts at one base. That base is your home plate. When I call “exercise!”, run to your first base. Do 1 Burpee at first. Then run to second for 2 Burpees. Continue with 3 at third, and 4 at home. (1+2+3+4 burpees)
• Rinse and Repeat (1+2+3+4 burpees) with backwards mosey between bases.

Cumulative Burpee Total at 60!

Pitcher’s Mound

Mosey to the center of the baseball diamond.

Asked PAX to point at someone with great Burpee Form. Looked like Duggar had significant votes. I asked Duggar to demonstrate his Burpee. Maybe I should have picked someone who isn’t allergic to Kryptonite. Duggar breaks a burpee into two smooth motions. Impressive, and more difficult of a demonstration than I intended. #TAPsForKrypton #SuperDuggar

• 10 Hand Release Burpees

Cumulative Burpee Total at 70!

Baseball Burpees (Second Inning)

• Divide PAX into four groups. Another round of baseball burpees (1+2+3+4 burpees). Instead of running to the bases, duck walk.
• Rinse and Repeat (1+2+3+4 burpees) – with recovery mosey between bases.

Cumulative Burpee Total at 90!

Pitcher’s Mound

Jailbreak to the shovel flag

• 4 Burpees IC
• LBC x10 IC
• 3 Britney Box-jump Burpees IC
• Freddy Mercury Bicycles x10 IC
• 2 Partner Burpees #Accountability
• Last exercise: 1 Slow Count Burpee IC

Cumulative Burpee Total at 100!

Water Challenge:

Q challenged the PAX to drink 100 oz of water today. Six bottled waters.

CountORama and NameORama:

27 PAX, 0 FNGs, 2 DR. Kotters to The Bishop.

COT:

Announcements: Britney’s shirt order. Cheech shirts benefit his family. F3 Houston shirts re-ordered.

TAPs:

Praise for Fire & Ice’s granddaughter’s recovery, Cheech’s family

BOM:

YHC took us out. A true Ball of Men, not a circle. #ShouldersPlease Prayers for those in recovery and recovering. Prayers for calm hearts, clear minds, to be better men, leaders. Led an echo prayer where the PAX repeated:

“As iron, sharpens iron, so one man, sharpens another.” #Proverbs27:17

“God first, others second, I am third.” Amen.

NakedManMoleskin – long and rambling #SorryNotSorry

Nerves got to YHC this morning. I arrived at the Hogg around 4:40 am. Too early. Just me and one of Houston’s finest police patrolmen. I walked around the bases, tried to plan my workout, and practiced calling cadence out loud. With the lightning in the distance, I started to worry about the weather. I worried that my Weinke was too complex. I considered asking someone else to lead. Fear took over my head.

I felt better when Cruiser arrived. I calmed down some as we talked about muscle stiffness and new shoes. More PAX arrived. Glanced at my watch and felt good about time.

Joked with Leprechaun about my plans for a long run. Just ask Beta, I’m not a runner. Honestly, I’ve never been very athletic at all. #Shocker No brag, I am currently in the best physical shape ever. Thanks to you brothers. My job is very sedentary. I sit all day. F3 is slowly changing me. I don’t post nearly enough to F3. On a great week, I post 3 times. When I compare myself to HIMs who have posted over 170 workouts this year alone, I am humbled. Three workouts a week is a lot for me. Plenty. My first F3 workout in Charlotte was in 2014, and I only posed 19 times that year. In 2015, only 10 times. The Charlotte workout was literally five blocks from my house. No excuse to skip. #WhyOhWhy Since we started the Hogg in October, I’ve posted an average of 10 times a month. Breaking records is not my goal. I against trying F3_250 this year. It is much more important to me to post regularly than to overdo it and quit, like I have before. I can’t easily express how much better I feel from simply three weekly workouts. I’ve lost weight. I have tons more energy. In October 2016, I could barely do 10 push-ups in a row. I still get winded and side splints when we Indian Run back from the track. But I can feel progress. I look better. Not great, but better. #HumbleBrag Nine months of regular posting has made an incredible difference in my fitness.

Even better, I get so much from being around this great group of men. I’ve moved out of state twice in the past 5 years. As an introvert, making friends is not easy for me. I am pushed and inspired by you, the men in the Houston PAX. I’ve learned something from every workout. Duggar teaching us how to count cadence last November. Cannon taking us on the three-mile Memorial Trail run. Beta hanging back with me at the six, teaching me to concentrate on one toe and set a pace that works for me. Caddy Shack jokes with Whiskey. April fools parking tickets from Inferno. How to lose your shoe in the muck, and laugh it off from Leprechaun. Vacation tips from Hookup. Laughing over drinks at TTT with Jackrabbit, Cruiser, and the PAX. How to tough it out when railroad ties are leaving splinters in your back from The Bishop. Meaningful public prayer from Camo. So many other little lessons that I couldn’t begin to list them all here.

Despite all these benefits, I had not led. Camo let me co-Q on March 20. My excuse has been that I’m not in good enough shape to Q. That is kind of true. During the co-Q, I had trouble remembering my plan. The combination of adrenaline and effort had scrambled my brains. This morning was worse. My voice cracked. Someone called out “Army training sir!” #HaHaa I forgot my plan. I rambled in my instructions for Baseball Burpees. The PAX was confused about whether to run then do the first burpee, or vice versa. I told The Bishop to “shut up”. Ouch. Not the calm, cool, Q I aspired to be. I was sweating so much I couldn’t see out of my glasses. Inferno challenged me to keep up with the burpees, isn’t the Q supposed to set the pace? My mind was so overwhelmed by attempting to Q that I can’t even remember which exercises I called. I’ve just guessed in the backblast. Please post corrections, it you remember.  I didn’t follow my Weinke very closely.

But I learned. I failed in several minor ways this morning. I failed within the safe and low consequence environment of the gloom. The lexicon calls this collision learning. See http://f3nation.com/2015/12/17/king-of-the-world/ There were also successes. We each completed 100 burpees. Everyone I saw was drenched in sweat at the end. We snatched success out of the jaws of failure. I know better what to do next time. I won’t be perfect then either, but I’ll have a degree or two less of fear. Thanks so much for the opportunity to learn about my own character. I pushed my limits this morning and feel amazing. I can hardly wait to do it again.

After the COT, Leprechaun offered some great advice. He suggested that next time I break the PAX into four groups, I should assign squad leaders. This idea would have kept the baseball burpees in order. Another great lesson. I would never have understood how much better that would be, without trying it my wrong way first. I need to fail, in small ways, more often.

Quick Reminders

Houston Tough Mudder > Nov 11-12th, 2017 >5 Miles, 13 Obstacles, 1 Extraordinary Experience. Even dirtier than the Spartan Race, but just as much of a 2nd F team building experience.  More info here.#CSAUP

Houston Spartan Sprint > March 24th, 2018 > 3-5 miles, 20-23 Obstacles. The Reebok Spartan Sprint: This is our shortest distance. It is perfect for athletes of all levels; from Spartan first timers to seasoned racers. The race is a fantastic test of your physical ability, but an even better 2nd F experience.  More info here.#CSAUP

Twitter/BAND: Join the PAX for extra mumblechatter on F3 Houston via Twitter and BAND.   Inferno or one of the other PAX hooked you up.

GrowRuck – Q1 in Texas. Details forthcoming over the next few months. It’s never too early to start getting ready.

Lexicon:

COLLISION LEARNING: Non-classroom education through Failure, Argument and Adversity.

Thank you for the opportunity to lead. I learned more about myself in 45 minutes this morning than I have in years. #Introspection

If you have not been a Q, my advice is don’t wait like I did, take the plunge and do it right away. Email Inferno and he will put you on the calendar. I’m psyched to do better next time! #ISI

JR Ewing