…it was always burning, since the world’s been turning.
It’s been 49 weeks since I last “officially” posted at an AO, March 20th 2020, with @Franklin at the helm at Gran Torino. Since that time, it’s been a helluva ride:
Well, Covid,
Black Lives Matter became a movement instead of just good damn common decency as humans
Kim Jong Un died. Then didn’t
Kanye West ran for president. Really, that happened.
Joe Biden got the nod for the Democratic party
Murder hornets? Really?
Biggest explosion I’ve ever seen happened in Beirut, and it was awful
Kamala Harris chosen as VP running mate
The west coast erupted in flames
RBG passed on, and left a hell of a legacy
Our President caught Covid and survived
Rock’s best guitarist caught cancer and didn’t
A new President was elected, and well, started doing things presidential, presidentially
Alex Trebek gracefully slipped from this world
Vaccines for Covid 19 were amazingly developed
Many of our pax got Covid, and survived
Some of our friends and family got Covid, and did not
Our country suffered, as did the world
So how about the good stuff?
OTB TRM (personal plug…it’s happening again in April)
Hill Climb Challenge. And Apex is still better.
Numerous new AO’s..I have no idea what we’re up to now
So many new pax I don’t even know where to start. Holy heck.
I celebrated 5 years in F3.
BRR rallied and happened
MFRFSP happened, and it was awesome
Duck Donuts Dash is a hit, and KKC is a flop.
Carpex stuck together, through a pandemic, racial tensions, ecological disasters, a hotly divided election, and a squelched uprising
And all the while, I was out there, becoming a sadder and sadder clown, trying to keep myself motivated and active, but dying inside. @Hotspot, @Hasselhoff, @Brexit, @Wild Turkey, @Webex, @Pickle Hammer all tried to keep me motivated, but work was burying me, and it became easier and easier to just “sleep in” or “go for a run tomorrow”…
I told myself that once I got my vaccine, I’d feel ready to come back. Then I felt that was selfish, as my M hadn’t gotten hers yet. Well, this week, she got dose 1, and dose 2 is coming up soon. My parents and her parents are vaccinated.
You guys have welcomed me back, no questions asked. I love you all for it.
It’s time to get moving again. So, let’s go.
I arrived a few minutes early to remind myself what Bond Park looked like. Check, not too many changes, should be good. Made sure the rock pile was still well stocked. Check.
5 Core principles recited, Disclaimer given, no FNGs, Pledge, and we’re off.
WU:
Run around the lot with various leg prep (hi knees, butt kickers, backwards run, carioca, pat @Denali on the head, head to the Community Center.
Circle up for Windmill, Merkins OMD, Imperial Walkers, Burt Jacks, more Burt Jacks (HEY!), then head for the rocks. Grab one you’ll like for about 45 minutes. Split into 1s and 2s (no partner work)
The Thang:
Indigenous People’s Run to the kiosk. 1s go, 2s stay.
1s rocks overhead and run to the top of the hill, 10 rock merkins, run back down with rock up or down pax choice; 2s stay for rock squat and rock your body amrap, swap, repeato
Off we go towards New Hampshire, and when we get to the peak of the hill, rocks overhead until we got to the spillway. Pause for recover, and curls for gurls
Continue to the T, where 1s will run up the steps, rocks overhead, do 10 heavy freddies, then run back down; 2s will stay and hit the Gorilla Complex (look it up), swap, repeato.
Now everyone up the steps, and across the dam to the spillway again, pause for some plank work, followed by some LBCs, then back on the move, rocks up. Pause at the end of the dam to recover. Low rock squats, then off to the amphitheater.
Park your rock, with a nod to @Riptide, let’s bear crawl this b!tch. Bear crawl up to the handrail, then crawl bear around the far side. Next lap is lunge walk up, walk lunge down. PAX threw in some ALRSUs and Box Jumps (mutiny!) while the 6 arrived. Grab your rocks, let’s go.
Back past the kiosk, and rocks up once more up the hill. At the top, recover (meaning let me not pass out), then mosey to the Community Center lot, where pax decided bear crawl rock push was a good idea. So we did for a bit. Then let’s put these boys back to bed. Oh, hmm, a wall…
People’s Chair down the line to 10, with all sorts of counting techniques. Spanish is not a natural second language for some. And yes, roman numerals did make an appearance. May as well use the wall for it’s intended purpose so BTTW down the line to 5, and time’s expiring.
Tried a double applesauce back to the flag, but that didn’t communicate well, so we just jogged distanced to a wonderful portico, that was nice and dry for some supermans. you’re welcome. Then chilcutt to chilcutt jack, and let’s finish this thing out.
Mary:
10 reps pax choice. I kicked it off with box cutters, then we had a bevy of awful calls. WWII, freddie mercuries, eskimo merkins (ugh), burpees (Ollie), then I started seeing black, and the rest is a blur…I think we finished with freddies? Apologies..
COT:
Countarama (still 10), Namearama (a hate, buncha mehs, and hail to our respects (2?)
Announcements: Hit up HGTV or VHS if interested in some 3rd F Bible Study; they’re motivated to get something moving.
Prayers: none spoken besides YHC’s own.
NMS
Well, the preamble to this post is kinda NMS, but I felt more during and after the workout that bears sharing. Today was totally more than a workout. It was a milestone for me. I rolled up, basically last to arrive after checking out the site, to find 8 or 9 other pax (of whom I did not know 4 or so), a flag planted, and a welcoming @Ollie, just like I hadn’t missed a beat. I of course was nervous as heck, and needed a weinke (I thought). I had a page of stuff to read so I started at 2 minutes. Even with that head start, after reading the 5 core principles, completely forgetting about reciting the mission, and then reading a brief disclaimer, we rolled at 0631. @Saban would’ve been unhappy.
But still, it was an awful Q. VHS even told me he would likely be walking, and I didn’t have a backup plan. I had what I thought was a fairly low-run quotient workout, and still it was almost 3 miles (per Ollie’s Strava…I forgot to start mine in a timely manner). And then I kept having to unlock my watch to see current time…and I was not keeping an eye on the six very well (fortunately site Q’s did)…and it was just a mess. I audibled on the last 1/3 of the workout, choosing to sacrifice distance for boot camp.
Today gave me something very good to look forward to. I enjoyed the challenge of meeting new pax, seeing what I could handle, and how much work I have ahead of myself. I very much appreciated the fellowship, and I look forward to posting or Qing again soon. I had a few F3 stickers that found new homes this morning.
My only complaint…where was the mumblechatter? I know I’ve been gone a while, but I expected to be harassed to no end. Oh yeah, that’s right, @Burt wasn’t able to make it.
See y’all in the gloom.
Old Maid