I Am Invictus

by | Aug 3, 2019 | Houston

  • When: 8/3/2019
  • QIC: KY
  • The PAX: Prince, Corn Hole, Space Balls, Camo
  • FNG: None
  • Conditions: 78F and humid

Introduction

YHC has been sitting on the sidelines for far to long since “The Incident” and had resolved to fix that.  The past 2 months have been filled with sitting on the couch and using the “I’m in recovery” excuse to go easy.  YHC had a reminder that was not the path that we’re destined for when “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley casually popped up when scrolling through pictures (more about that in the NMM below).

After laying a formal challenge of a beatdown that would challenge the PAX’s fitness, 4 men stepped to the plate and followed YHC into the gloom. Each was challenged to bring a weight plate of their own choosing (plus extras for loaning cause #FreeForAllMen).  Mumble chatter started early for the PAX because the winkie started off fairly easy, but YHC quickly took care of that with some Burpees to get the heart going.

The Thang

CoP:

  • Grass Grabbers 10x IC
  • World’s Greatest Stretch On Q
  • Burpees 10x On Q
  • Imperial Walkers 10x IC
  • Burpees 10x On Q

The Goods:

  • Ruck Plate Rollers (6 ct) 10x IC
  • Ruck Plate High Pull 10x On Q
  • Ruck Plate Swings 10x OYO
  • Ruck Plate Lawn Mowers 10x each arm On Q
  • Ruck Plate Cusack/Duck Walk to the hill
  • 11’s (1st movement at the bottom of the hill, 2nd at the top)
    • Ruck Plate Overhead Squat
    • Ruck Plate Curls
    • Ruck Plate Farmers Carry between the stations
  • Ruck Plate Out Front Squats 5x On Q
  • Ruck Plate Thrusters 15x  On Q
  • Plank Lateral Ruck Plate Pull through w/ Merkin 15x On Q
  • Ruck Plate OH Presss 15x On Q
  • 11’s (same rules as above) – Called halfway through for time
    • Ruck Plate Lunge Twist
    • Ruck Plate Skull Crushers
    • Farmers Carry between stations

Mary

  • Ruck Plate V Ups 10x On Q
  • Ruck Plate American Hammers 10x IC
  • Flutter Kick w/ Ruck Plate Overhead 15x IC
  • Ruck Plate Hip Bridge 15x IC
  • Ruck Plate Boats & Canoes
  • Flash Abs 10x on Q
  • Ruck Plate BBSU 11x On Q
CountORama and NameORama

Pledge, COT

NakedManMoleskin

As mentioned in the Intro, YHC was was personally convicted after reading Invictus by William Ernest Henley. YHC truly encourages every person reading this to spend time with that poem and some serious self reflection.  To set the stage, William Ernest Henley was diagnosed with tuberculosis at an early age, had one foot amputated below the knee, and had gone through several surgeries to save the other when he wrote that poem.  The man had every reason to be contempt with life: a terminal disease, an amputated foot, undeniably in pain from multiple surgeries performed in the 1850s, and mental health issues to top it all off.  Yet he wrote a poem that speaks to self discipline, mental toughness, and following the path regardless of the circumstances of life.

YHC has been sitting in the night that Henley referenced, soul growing soft with all the reasons to stay there.  Then this poem popped up in YHC’s frame when scrolling through some old pictures.  YHC did some reading about the poem (really good analysis here) and Henley’s life, then spent some time in self reflection, and YHC’s soul laid a serious EH out.  Some truths YHC discovered:

  • YHC has been given a soul that is capable of withstanding anything
  • Life will challenge YHC and may deliver crushing blows, but YHC will not yield
  • YHC will life his life to the fullest extent, unafraid of the ultimate ending
  • YHC is the sole authority over his soul

We can all learn a lot from that short poem.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • August 9/10 – Extortion T/L
  • September 28 – F3 Houston 3 year anniversary convergence
  • October – 2 Year anniversary of F3 Katy and 90 minute beatdown

COMZ CHANNEL

For those few of you who have not yet signed on – get onto BAND today, either via smartphone app (links here: apple / android), or via the website. This is our new preferred Comz Channel going forward – download it and join the band called “F3 Houston” to get all the info on F3 Houston. Here is where you can learn who are the upcoming Qs, sign up yourself to be the Q, read our Backblasts for each WO, learn details of our next CSAUPs, and as usual, make fun of the guys in the Pax in general with some good ol’ Mumble Chatter.

Your Brother in the Gloom

-KY