Made the commitment to VQ BiB a few weeks ago. Since then…body has fallen apart. Left ankle injury, neck strain at the Super Shield Lock BiB AO, and then my right ankle started feeling really dodgy after my Tuesday run. Several rounds of PT with Erin and plenty of needles. This AM my body is only being held together by pills, creams, and strong black coffee. Come hell or high water, this thing is going to go down.
Show up a few minutes early. Greet and fist bump the PAX as we wait. Full House JITs the shovel flag into the ground…intros; F3 mission, principles, credo; no FNGs; pledge; and we are away for a mosey.
Mosey Out
I am still weighing in around 195 pounds and I’ve never been a Sugar Ray. Regardless, what I later found out was the “Q-drenalin” started pumping because I could feel no pain and before I knew it the SOP was starting to string out. Slow down to a much more reasonable pace, land the PAX into a nice large parking lot in Regency Forest, and we assemble the COP.
Handball the leadership to my Co-VQ Lookout for a warm-up.
Good Mornings
Side Shuttle Hop
Imperial Walkers
Fist bump, thanks brother…let’s do this thang.
Thang 1
I state that we are at the end of Culture Month and it’s a good time to reflect. I then mix in that it’s October and the high performers I know start thinking about the goals they want to achieve for the next year now given that November and December tend to be very short, busy months. Hermes asks, “You know this is supposed to be a workout right?” to which I explain we are going to have a little “guided” mumblechatter for the AO. I direct the PAX to pair up. For the first exercise, we are going to take a lap around the closest building, do a little reflection first, and I ask them to discuss a goal they completed in 2021, relative to F3, that they feel was a good accomplishment for the year.
We start our lap. I check the watch, we are a full 5 minutes ahead of my schedule in Excel…so we execute on an EC idea I planned. “We are going to take this hill” I yell and up the grassy knoll we go…little bit of chatter behind me…and then back down with a whinging comment that “my shoes are wet” from one of the biggest Clydesdales at the AO. I think it was Cauliflower but cannot confirm? Sorry about that boys. Given the overall positive, encouraging, and loving nature of F3 Carpex, I bite my tongue and push way down in my gut an automatic response I picked up in Australia – “Have a cup of concrete, and HARDEN UP”…I think to myself. Perhaps, in time, I’ll break that out for the next time I decide to Q.
Back to the COP and I call out the next exercise of Merkins. As I write this blast, I am pretty smoked as its around 6:30pm. I am not sure what I said but I believe it was “in cadence.” Unfortunately, when we assumed the starting position, I said “down” which was in my mental plan. I honestly don’t remember but what I do know is Franklin let me have it. It’s cool…we held that plank position while he and I yelled back and forth at one another…and then resumed on “down.” Feedback is a gift, I’m learning!
Thang 2
I introduce the second question. Having reflected on this year, now I ask the pairs to discuss a goal they would like to accomplish next year for F3. We start our lap…the Q-drenalin is surging after my shouting with Franklin and the pearls string out again. We come back and are doing squats while waiting for the rest of the PAX to join. Somewhere in there, Hermes notes that one of the buildings has the company name of “MicroMass” across the top and asked another PAX if that was named after him. Nice. Maybe that concrete comment would have been ok?
Unknown to everyone, I call a mental audible and decide the next exercise is going to be dips. Unfortunately, the curbs are a little lower than I expected. I set the exercise up correctly and yell at Franklin to confirm I got it right which I believe he confirmed but we are so far apart I have no clue. On my “down” for what turns out to be maybe a one inch, let’s call it “precision” dip so we knock out 20-30 of those bad boys pretty quickly. In hindsight, you need a rail and not a curb for that exercise.
Thang 3
I now introduce the final question. I launch into how Dredd and OBT noticed that once a man gets the first two F’s sorted in his life, he starts to turn outward wanting to serve others. With that thought in mind, I ask the PAX to consider what they would like to accomplish from a 3rd F standpoint in 2022 for another brother or all of Carpex that would be in service to others but also FUN. For example I say, I haven’t seen anyone kidnapped on Slack yet which raised a few chuckles as I believe this method might be known to a few. The question is delivered, and we are away for our third and final lap…coincidentally around the best building with the best name on it for those that were paying attention. Oofta and Dozer are in the know. I am asked during this lap if I have anyone in mind for a kidnapping to which I give a quiet “yes.” A conspiracy has begun.
Come back to the COP and I ask Franklin if he would like to lead a few exercises to which he obliges. Thanks Franklin. Mountain Climbers followed by the one that’s like a jumping jack mated with a downward dog – Plank Jacks?
Mosey Back
Start the mosey back to the flag and I try to slow my pace. Unsuccessful. I’m surging and it feels good. We are the most strung out of the entire workout. Gotta improve this next time. We circle back to pick up the six and I humbly bring them in to COT.
Correction, COP. I still need to kill a little bit of time so we hit the Merkins again. Finally, I take a comedic risk and with a little bit of an introduction, I state we are going to do calf raises or what I call the “Hermes Implant.” Hermes doesn’t look happy and I am wondering if I have crossed some sort of invisible line that I didn’t know existed. In my experience, it’s typical to see guys that are built upstairs but then only have crack-head legs. Hopefully and in time, Hermes takes it as a compliment. I suggest if you want to do a slight modification to work the inner or outer calf, you can put your feet in a triangle shape for the “Amway Modification” who also appears to be a sky-walker. On my “up.”
COT
I call that the end…little bit of procedural disagreement with Full House on the official time but I am sticking to a comment from Captain Jack that you complete everything through the COT in 45 flat. Announcements. Apparently, we are renting Dorton Arena for the F3 Christmas Party. Not bad for an organization that is completely free. Prayers Praises. A couple of prayer requests from Snip. I take us out with Ball of Man which had just been re-instated.
From my side, it was a great first Q and I was glad to fulfill my commitment…especially given how my body had been tracking. I was not expecting the Q-drenalin and was extremely thankful for it. As expected, a few things to improve and I enjoyed the gentle ribbing (and patience!) I received throughout the workout. It was also extremely nice to have a few brothers from Apex – Dozer, Two Factor, and Charmin – come out in support for this special event.
In closing, a special thanks to Lookout who I knew for probably a total of 2 minutes before he graciously asked me over to Captain Jack’s house to drink other people’s beer this summer. It was there I met a bunch of guys with questionable nicknames…you know who you are…that encouraged me to come out to what honesty sounded like a cult. First post was not too long after and as I have told many legacy and work buddies, F3 has been one of the best things I have done since college and it was much needed by me after living on the other side of the world for so many years. Thank you boys and make it a great evening.
Fantastic BB. WELCOME TO THE CULT.