Warm-O-Rama

• Side Straddle Hop x 25 (jumping jacks)
• Little Baby Arm Circles F / B X 15
• Imperial Walkers X 20 (Standing, hands on head as if you’re doing a sit-up. Lift your knee to the opposite arm’s elbow.)
• Don Quixote x 15 (windmill)
• Monkey Humpers x 15 (A half-squat performed while grabbing the inside of one’s ankles. This restricts movement to a half-squat type exercise but increasing the burn.)
• Daisy Pickers X 15 (in standing position, legs spread past shoulders, bend at waist slowly and tap the ground in three spots stretching as far as you can behind body. Done in cadence)

The Thang

• Group run mile 1 together    Stop @ Taylor Park                                    One legged-burpees x 30
• Group run ~3/4 mile to Kenilworth Ave/Horace Mann Elementary  Partner Derkin x 15 each
• Group run 1 mile south to Lake/Unity Temple                                         Russian Twist x 30
• Group then headed E ~3/4 mile on Lake past OPRFHS back to start  Failure to Launch x 15
• If finished with any of exercises early, hold plank until group is finished
• One legged burpees – like a regular burpee, but with one leg that stays off the ground through the entire set. Best to do two balanced sets or one split set so you don’t look like a #Yepremian.
• Partner Derkin – Merkin performed with your feet up on your planking partner’s back.
• Russian Twist – While on six in partial sit up position with heals just off the ground, twist at the waist so that both hands held together almost touch the ground beside your waist, alternating in cadence from side to side. Often times done with bricks in hand.
• Failure to Launch – Hold Al Gore while Q counts down from 10. At Lift-Off, explode up into a tuck jump, immediately returning to Al Gore upon landing. Repeat until unable to leave the ground (usually around rep 8 or 9, depending on count speed)

Count O’Rama & CoT

It’s been well documented to this point, and very much confirmed by our time in Oak Park recently, that yes – it’s fall.

Personally, this is my favorite time of the year. For me, October in particular is the absolute best month. Temperatures locally have highs in the mid-50s, which couldn’t be better for outdoor activities. As many of you know, I’m a sports fan, and for those of you who also fall into this category (no pun intended), October provides high-stakes conference college football games, the NFL is in full swing, MLB playoffs are ramping up and the NBA/NHL kick off as well. Of course, we can’t forget about the beautiful foliage that takes over most of the country this time of the year, from Vermont to North Carolina to Chicago to Seattle, and everywhere in between.

While October is a month that fills my cup with so many things that bring joy into my life, this is also a season of change. The weather is great now, but as we know (especially for us in the midwest) that will soon give way to polar vortexes, snow and subzero temperatures. Those beautiful leaves will lose their color and die soon, falling off the trees and giving way to the barren branches underneath. The MLB playoffs will wrap up and my beloved Cleveland Browns’ dreams of finally winning a Super Bowl will once again go unfulfilled.

For me, October always serves as a reminder to be present. Change can be scary, intimidating, and downright overwhelming. The leaves will soon fall off of the trees, but for now, let’s enjoy their sheer beauty. Let’s enjoy the hope that a new sports season provides (there’s always next year, Cleveland), and the brisk autumn air accompanied by your warm beverage of choice. Sure, winter is coming. But it can wait. Let’s enjoy today.

As you move into the third full week of the best month of the year, I encourage you all to be present – with your family, your friends, the weather, your favorite sports team, your colleagues and yourselves. Savor this moment, and as always, Go Browns.