I had so many witty things to say about Frisco and my competitive, can’t let things lie, defensive, out-to-prove-something nature that led me to Q Claymore. It’s inconvenient, unfamiliar, and starts at 0545. BUT, DANG-IT, I CAN Q WITHOUT RUNNING! However, we discussed “being known” beyond the superficial this morning, so I will try to live up to that. Here’s the snapshot of me circa 10pm on 05Feb2019: I am thoroughly exhausted after having worked 24 hours in the last 48 – after late nights in the lab on Saturday and Sunday; hoping I can make results by force of will and struggling to be a positive mentor/manager under the incredible stress of just needing s**t to work; coming home to an equally exhausted wife who has one child in bed early for punching his sister in the face, the second child in bed early with vomiting, and the third child (the punched sister) still up an hour and a half past bedtime clamoring for back rubs and screaming that she is having spooky, spooky, spooky, spooky, spooky, SPOOKY dreams (False – you’re not asleep) (UPDATE: M is now sleeping in her bed).
All that being said, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. This moment and this place is where I am called to be and where I will pour every last ounce of my strength to fulfill my calling and support those around me. And, I really think it is where the “knowing” and “being known” aspect of F3 plays such a crucial role in lifting men up in their families and communities. It is all too easy to believe the lie that your life would be so much better, if only… Or, that you are the only one who struggles with exhaustion, fatigue, anger, inadequacy, doubt, hopelessness, fear, etc. Don’t. We’re all better off when we’re honest about life’s challenges. And, not just by comparison (“Whew, at least I’m not like insert your favorite PAX to pick on here – mine is usually Callahan, or Shut-In, or Hi-Liter, or Nature Boy, although Frisco is gaining momentum”). We’re better off because we’re no longer going it alone, we’re forging ahead together. With that in mind, here is what we forged at Claymore.
Beaker’s Beginnings (The Warm-Up)
I promised limited-run, and intended to deliver. But, but, the pickle! We went round it and back down to the lot to cover 89.27% of the distance I had planned. We circled up for:
– SSH–>Seal Claps–>Overhead claps, 20 each in cadence , no recover in between
– SFAC, 10 each forward and reverse, some. got. big.
– Windmills x 10
– Imperial Walkers x 10
That was sufficient for a 45 degree morning, so we walked the 24 feet over to the bleachers for
Beaker’s Beatdown I (The Thang I)
– Alternating Left-right step up in cadence x 20
– Derkins in cadence x 20
– Irkins in cadence x 20
– Dips in cadence x 20
We thanked our bench and asked for another – repeato
Beaker’s Beatdown II (The Thang II)
Head up to the tennis court fence where I had placed all the coupons I had been collecting this weekend. We lined up on the fence, performed AMRAP exercises (see below) while one PAX did 5 burpees, then lunge-walked the entire length and then everyone rotated down. We made it through 3 cycles (in order of next in line for burpees on down):
– People’s Chair
– Truck Driver (35lbs: a PAX favorite)
– Left-right Merkin Rows with double bricks
– 10lb wood chop left
– 10lb wood chop right
– 20lb isolated left bicep curl
– 20lb isolated right bicep curl
– 10lb chin raises
– 25lb swings
Shockingly, that got us to just a few minutes to time, just enough to put coupons away and circle up for
Beaker’s Bellies (The Mary)
– Flutters, not low, not slow x 30
– LBCs x 20
– Have a nice day x 5 seconds
Beaker’s Benediction (The COT)
COR/NOR
– 10 (3 respects and 7 mehs)
Announcements
– Plans to crash Ausfart’s house to watch ‘Canes games, pending M approval
Prayer
– Lifting up other regions losing brothers and realizing how desperate some of the men are (all of us?) who find themselves in F3.
– YHC and Hi-Liter both stressed the importance of knowing and being known. You can pay to go be anonymous in a gym. Let’s not let men do that here. Posting is a commitment to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Physically, yes. But also to be a part of other men’s lives. Especially the not-so-good parts (see above) when your presence is desperately needed, but not always sought. Let’s strive to be a group where no one feels rejected for being known but unloved, nor superficial for being loved but unknown, but rather accepted for being known and loved. So, try to get to know the guy next to you – chances are you’re already carrying him in some incredibly awkward way, so how much worse could it get?
Beaker’s BS (The NMS)
– Frisco’s and Hi-Liter’s Seal Clap Straddle Hop was epic. It took all my focus to avert my eyes and maintain cadence.
– I will definitely have to Q Claymore again – I had three additional items in my pocket that we didn’t have time for
– That’s what she said
– Not even half-way into the second set of bench work, Frisco commented that there was a whole AO to work with. Mission accomplished. Although a lot faster than I thought.
– That’s what she said
– “That’s what she said” featured so heavily today, that I lost track of the references, which is probably for the best
– Don’t complain to Bartman if your arms happen to be sore while doing swings. IT. IS. A. BACK. AND. LEG. EXERCISE.
– That’s what she said?
– “Limited-running” was almost put to the test by an un-leashed rottweiler that thought Press-on looked like a tasty early morning snack. Jokes of “you don’t have to be faster than the bear…” ensued
– Frisco carries a butterfly knife at all times in case he needs to sever your achilles to escape aggressive rottweilers. He doesn’t leave anything to chance – he will cut you. However, once the danger passes, he laughs nervously and says, “joking?”
– WWW carries nothing, but is even scarier
– Press-on occasionally refers to himself as Snap-on, we’re all assuming in front of the mirror…naked…as a power move.
– That’s what….never mind