YHC joined F3 four years ago, and Ma Bell was the Q at my first workout. Back then there was only one AO per day, Monday through Friday, and he was Q’ing the whole week to celebrate his 50th birthday. Remember that number, it will be important later. I found the backblast from that first post and modified the workout for today, with Ma Bell’s assistance. It was a little tougher than a normal Disco Duck beatdown.
Warm-Up Ma Bell leads us over to the Community Center parking lot, circle up for good mornings, side straddle hops, imperial walkers, mountain climbers, and FIDDY standard merkins.
One of our new guys, Heehaw, shows up to a Ma Bell workout wearing a tarhole t-shirt, so let’s do five penalty burpees and hand off to Disco Duck.
One of our new guys, Heehaw, shows up to a Disco Duck workout wearing a tarhole t-shirt, so let’s do five penalty burpees and mosey.
The Thang Mosey across the street and bear crawl down the hill to the kiosk, and while we’re here let’s knock out some copperhead squats and copperhead merkins.
Mosey over to the boathouse parking lot and split into two groups, one going clockwise, the other going counter-clockwise. Bear crawl to the next corner, then mosey and meet up at the corner next to the shelter.
Into the shelter for step-ups, dips and derkins x20, x15, x15 (FIDDY total).
It was at this point four years ago that Ma Bell led us down the greenway and got lost. The same greenway where I almost stepped on a copperhead a couple weeks ago. So instead we mosey back to Kiosk Hill for sevens, with Ma Bell’s favorite (merkins) at the top, and YHC’s favorite (burpees) at the bottom.
Knock out some monkey humpers while we finish up, mosey back to the Billy Run Line, Billy Run back to the flag.
Mary Go around the circle for pax-led Mary, capped off with four burpees.
COT Count-a-rama: 44 Name-a-rama: 7 RESPECT, 35 meh, 2 HATE Prayers / Praises: Prayers for Sooey’s co-worker Dan as he struggles with anxiety, prayers for Chinese Downhill’s brother (F3 Gilligan) and his heart valve operation, deep appreciation from YHC for four years of F3 brotherhood BOM: YHC took us out
NMS Four years ago I was a sad clown who didn’t know it. Then one night I was the neighborhood pool watching swim team practice with the other parents when I noticed my neighbor Mike wearing a race t-shirt. He seemed like a good dude, the kind of guy I might enjoy running with, so I asked him if he still ran.
“No, I do this thing called F3 now.”
Four years later, Mike is Saban, I’m Disco Duck, and that Sad Clown is gone.
Back then I had friends, but could count on one hand the number of guys I could truly depend on. Today I have more brothers, men who love me and have my back when I need them, than I can count.
In the gloom they encouraged me to run up that hill one more time, do one more rep, do whatever we were doing the best I could do it. And when I was totally spent and just couldn’t keep up, they walked with me, let me catch my breath, then pushed me to do just a little bit more.
Relationships are formed in the gloom, but it’s out there in the real world that they blossom. Whatever I’ve dealt with, family, job, health, whatever, my brothers have been there. Reaching out, checking in, offering me an ear to listen, a shoulder to lean on, a hand to help me up.
Thanks for four great years, you men have enriched my life in a way I didn’t expect, and didn’t know I needed. I’m excited to see what the next four years bring.