First thing, TClaps to Shutty for nailing the COMZ Q and restoring my access to F3Nation.com. Can any older gents tell me if forgetting passwords at 38 is normal? I will keep it brief today, a welcome relief, I know. Anyway, before we can even make all the good mornings, the shovel flag (poorly planted as it was) falls over and we’re due some penalty burpees. For the ACTUAL workout, short story is, today is the 38th celebration of my birth. I thought about just going through the lexicon in alphabetical order and calling 38 of everything, but that seems boring. So, since 2017 - 38 = 1979…
Beaker’s Beginnings (The Warm-Up)
Jog around the lot, down the dark path, back into the light and circle up for
19 x SSH
79 x squats
And I think everyone was warm by that point
Round it out with some Sir Fazio Arm Circles and Willie Mays Hayes
Beaker’s Beatdown (The Thang)
Continue our jog up the road to the big lot, with a little karaoke mixed in to break the monotony
Today began with a celebration of vacations..via island hopping
Bear-crawl (or crab-walk, or lunge-walk, or squat-walk, or broad jump) from one side of the parking lot to the next island, then plank it out until all have arrived. At the other end, jog between islands and then perform 10 tuck jumps at each island.
Line up in the order you finish the return trip (sort-of…PAX have trouble hearing directions when the Q is out of breath. Yeah, it’s not that they just didn’t listen). Count off from last to first, and that is the number of Burpees you are awarded for your hard work. Oh, that and an additional five because Open-Out thought we were on Churham time. Although Churham starts at 0530, so he was late even by their standards.
Jog back to the TOC rock pile for a good set of curls, tricep extensions, rows, and then presses all at 15 apiece. Leave the rocks and line up at Abbey Road for intervals (light post to light post) up the hill to the TOC small rock pile (that’s a pile of small rocks, not a small pile of rocks, in case you were confused). Grab one for each hand for Cadre Phil overhead claps. Khakis wisely chose smoothened and VERY solid looking rocks
Jog back down to where we left our rocks for a merkin/plank/shoulder spectacular. 5 merkins, hold it, 10 right arm Bobby Venturas, 5 merkins, hold it, 10 left arm Bobby Venturas, 5 merkins, hold it, 10 right arm up, right elbow to left knees (this needs a name…thoughts?), 5 merkins, hold it, 10 of the thing which shall be named, 5 merkins, stop holding it
Beaker’s Belly Blast (The Mary)
Grab the rocks for hammers and flutter kicks, then drop the rocks for Freddy Mercurys, LBCs, and Hello Dollys. Done
COT
16 names and 16 PAX, pretty good
Announcements included the May 6th convergence, a[nother] new AO (Bounty Hunter, April 27th at Hunter Street Park in Apex at 0545; but since it is Open Out, maybe starts at 0600?), and the need for Qs in the region. On the last note, we’re growing like crazy, with lots of new AOs, but each one adds to the need for Qs. So, if you haven’t Qed, GroupMe me, text me, email me, comment on this post, throw something at me at the next workout, or whatever it takes to get my attention, but let’s work out a co-Q.
Prayers were heavy today
Highlighter’s Dad, Mark, is battling cancer
Katniss’ brother-in-law recently lost his father, and around the same time the first youth he mentored through YoungLife (17-ish years ago) ODed
McCants friend succumbed to cancer on Good Friday, leaving behind a wife and three children. While we can’t meet every need in this world, this is one we’ve been called to attend to. McCants set up a crowd-funding site for the family (https://www.youcaring.com/inmemoryofoliver).
A final note as I reflect on today’s COT and what life has taught me in 38 years. Life is hard, as in break your back everyday to scratch out a meager existence out of the dust, hard. Compounding that, and multiplying those effects, the world is full of hurt, grief, cruelty, and every other imaginable affront to happiness that will break even the most resolute and stalwart people. If that was all there was to it, I would cash in my chips now and be done. Who could face that? Thankfully, the world overflows with intangibles that make all the difference. For some of us, it is faith in a loving and redeeming Creator who works “all things to the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28)”. For others, it is the joy of family and the desire to break our backs a little more to make this place a little better for our heirs. Whatever it may be for you, lean into it, and let’s continue to lean into each other as men who want life to overflow with the intangibles as a shield against the inevitable and inescapable attacks on peace, contentment, and happiness.
As always, it was an honor.