Not gonna lie, the fact that it is now May 10th and YHC is still pulling out the long pants and layers is quite annoying and a little de-motivating. But, we cannot accelerate while lying in the Fart Sack, so we continue to proceed into the chilly mornings.

Conditions 40 degrees, dry and no wind

The Thang:

In the parking lot, circle up for:

• SSH x 20 IC
• Abe Vigoda fwd x 10 IC
• Abe Vigoda bckwd x 10 IC
• Slow count merkins x 10 IC
• Slow count squat x 10 IC
• Slow count flutter kicks x 10 IC

Grab the bag of goodies and head to the football field (What’s in the bag? What’s in the bag?)

Break up into groups of 3. Each group gets 1 jump rope.

Each set Partner 1 Jump ropes, Partner 2 runs a shuttle run (10 yd, back, 20 yd, back, etc), Partner 3 does max of an exercise all for 1:00. Rotate and repeat until all 3 have done each (jump rope, run, exercise). 0:15 transition after each movement, 0:30 recovery between sets.

• Set 1: Merkins
• Set 2: Squats
• Set 3: Sit-Ups
• Set 4: Wide arm Merkins
• Set 5: Lunges
• Set 6: Flutter kicks
• Set 7: Merkins (phoenix challenge prep!)
• Set 8: American Hammers

Mosey back to parking lot. Circle up for:

• Slow Count Merkins x 5 IC
• Slow count squats x 5 IC
• Slow count sit ups x 10 IC

Count-o-rama

Name-o-rama

Announcements:

• May 14 Fire Pit at Oak Park Friends School (M’s invited)
• May 15 Phoenix Challenge Kick Off, check slack for details
• May 22 LaGrange Beer Ruck
• 1 more open spot on the Oak Park Ragnar Team, 3-4 more spots open on the Evanston/LaGrange Team. Going to be a good time. Sept. 24-25 in Wisconsin. See RA for details.

Moleskin:

Today’s workout was low in total rep count, but high in cardio intensity. The constant movement from jumping rope to running to max effort of an exercise never really allowed the body to recover and lower the heart rate, thus it got harder as the workout prolonged. A good but different challenge from what we do.

Happy to step in for Kodak on this morning while he attends to early work requirements. Know he misses being out with us in the gloom.

Thoughts for the day from Ecclesiastes Chapter 4 Verses 8-12…

“There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless – a miserable business! Two are better than one because they have good return for their labor: If either of them fall down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up…Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

As we work in threes YHC challenged the pax to remember who they are working for and what they are working for. F3 exists as a a workout group, yes, but what we are truly developing are the meaningful relationships men need in their lives to survive. “Pity the man who falls down and has no one to help him up” we are not meant to be alone, we are meant to live with others and for others. Reflect on the places where you are investing your energy in developing relationships. Who will you be there for when they need to be picked up, who will be there to pick you up. The pax of F3 are here to lock our shields around our brothers, let us invest in the richness of relationship there and invite more men to join our brotherhood.