Conditions:
Uninspiring rain. Just enough to ruin things, not enough to cancel life entirely.
The Scene:
YHC talked The Firm — a future brother-in-law and current F3 brother — into meeting at Forest Hill Park for a little early-morning pickleball. He agreed, likely trying to secure his spot at future holiday tables.
The Plan:
High-intensity pickleball. Friendly trash talk. Maybe some subtle flexing. The usual.
The Reality:
No one else showed up. Just the two of us, a stack of unused paddles, and a healthy amount of puddles. Turns out pickleballs don’t bounce in the rain. Physics wins again.
The Pivot:
Abandon the courts, hit the trails. Knocked out 3 miles through Forest Hill Park. Not fast, not slow — a classic “we’re doing this because we said we would” pace. Good conversation, no major injuries, minimal complaining. Success, by F3 standards.
Notable Quote:
The Firm, mid-run: “I’ll be back — I want to beat Oyster and Bodos at pickleball.”
Revenge-based fitness. We support it.
Moleskine:
Sometimes the gloom gives you 2v0 court time. Sometimes it gives you 3 miles of muddy trail bonding with your future brother in law. Either way, you take what the morning gives you and call it a win.
SYITG,
—YHC