12 pax gathered in the gloom on a chilly arctic blast morning ready to embrace the day. YHC came as the Q on this his 7th F3 manniversary to honor the importance of F3 Nation in the lives of men across the globe. Here’s what happened:

Conditions: Clear, 11 degrees with a feels like of 1.

The Thang:

Warm o Rama…

• Kodak kicked things off with Side straddle hops, assuming YHC would fartsack his own Q. Clock in the car still said 5:29, so a little pre work one supposes.
• YHC resumes command of his Q, 21 side straddle hops IC
• 14 Imperial Walkers IC
• 7 Mountain Climbers IC

Main Thang…

• Head to corner of Cuyler & Harvard to explain the workout
• Route for the day…S on Cuyler, E on Fillmore, N on Harvey, W on Harvard
• Pax will do this Mario Kart style:
  • First to each corner performs 21 reps of an exercise, 2nd does 14, 3rd does 7, all other pax proceed on the route
  • The order of the exercises will be SLAB
    • Squats at corner of Cuyler & Fillmore
    • Lunges at corner of Fillmore & Harvey
    • Apollo Onos at corner of Harvey & Harvard
    • Bonnie Blairs at corner of Harvard & Harvey
  • Continue route for 35 minutes of running (lead group finished 7 or 8 laps, trail group finished 6.5 or 7.5)

COT

• On this the 7th anniversary of YHC’s first post at F3 Columbia Scramble, thoughts returned to the many blessings F3 has offered over the years:
  • Initially an opportunity to continue pursuing fitness goals after discovering my previous running partner (my M) was pregnant with our first child
  • A community of men from all different walks of life (though an over sampling of lawyers in Columbia) outside of Higher Education for this nomad
  • Deeper and more meaningful friendships than YHC had experienced since college
  • 20 or so men who dropped everything in Fall 2015 to help remove a tree from YHC’s roof after the 1000 year flood
  • A greater commitment to the service of others in the community
  • Opportunities to take on leadership roles within the group, first as a Q, next as AO Q for Scramble, then as Weasel Shaker for Columbia, then as an AO Q in Oak Park
  • A deeper connection to faith and prayer through meaningful readings and dialogue within F3 Columbia and then Oak Park
  • The loving embrace of a community after the still born death of YHCs son
  • A second community of embrace when moving half way across the country to F3 Oak Park
  • Countless Relays, Mud Runs, Grow Rucks, Rucks
  • And so many more
• With these thoughts in mind, a challenge was given to the men of Eagles Landing this morning, who in your life needs F3 in their lives. Do not always look to the man who is most fit, F3 has a place for all men, from the Uber-fit to the just getting off the couch. All men could find the benefit of this community in their life. As the COVID-19 pandemic (hopefully) begins to wane, a greater pandemic in our world stands ready to be challenged. The men of this world have forgotten what it means to have true connections in their lives. Men who will challenge their bullshit, because they love them, Men who will lift them up, because they love them, Men who will celebrate their wins, because they love them, Men who will push them to be the best version of themselves, because they love them. Let us not stand on the sidelines of life and watch our fellow men struggle with depression, alcoholism, abuse, loneliness, and manny other ailments. Invite those you see into our circle, share what you have gained.

Announcements:

• Tee Times for the F3 Oak Park Open are still available. Find your F3 foursome and sign up for an epic beat down. See Cutter for more details.
• A New February challenge in being cooked by the Leadership team. Details to come.
• A potential Tuesday morning 5:30 workout to be launched soon. 30 minutes of work, 30 minutes of coffeeteria and dialogue. See Fogger for more information.
• Ragnar Wisconsin 2022 has been announced and a team is forming. September 22-23, 2022. This was an awesome time last year. Would love to see Oak Park represent with at least two teams this year. Pax of all fitness levels are welcome to participate. See RA for details.