Make Hay While the Sun Shines

5 Pax showed up to the Crown to bale some hay. Conditions were soggy from a night of storms and fog was thick over the fields.

Warm-a-rama: side straddle hops, Abe Vigodas, imperial walkers, squat holds, runner’s stretch, and calf extensions. Then high knees, butt kickers, and a mosey.

The Thang: Balin’ Hay

Pax partnered up for 3 rounds of balin’ hay, a tribute to Combine’s agricultural roots. One square hay bale is about the same weight as a coupon. Probably a coincidence but maybe not.

Partners alternated carrying hay bales and putting in reps with the bales.

Round 1: 30 yard bale carry, sprint back. Each team completed 100 reps each of squat thrusters, shrugs, and lateral jump overs.

Round 2: 20 yard bale carry, bear crawl back. Each team completed 100 reps each of alternating block merkins, windshield wipers, and jump overs.

Round 3: 10 yard bale carry, burpee jump back. Each team completed 100 reps each of chest press, declined merkins, and flutter kicks.

Did some karaoke and reverse sprinting in between rounds.

Followed this up with two rounds of the hay bale elevator. Pax stood shoulder-to-shoulder and grabbed a bale, did a squat, and passed it to the Pax next to them. Ended with some Mary.

We got the hard work done first and put in some quality time in the fields.

In “The Peace of Wild Things” Wendell Berry writes “When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”

I feel most free when I’m out on the farm, and I loved getting to share of piece of that today. I also feel free when I’m surrounded by these Pax that let me do ridiculous-themed beatdowns such as this one. We all worked together to get through the grind, and from today’s QSource, we took away that “Pain is finite. The more it is parceled, the easier it is to bear.”

I hope all these HIMs have a place they feel free. Always an honor parceling the pain with these men.