Author: Dr Tryhard

  • Union Jack loves on Sandy

    Sunny and Seventy at The Crossing tonight, with 8 HIM’s eager to shake off the workday. Welcoming FNG “Ian” to the PAX, YHC decided a well rounded beatdown was in order. Here’s the synopsis:

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey to the grassy slope near the entrance and return to the flag via: Bear Crawl, Lunge, and Broad jump Burpees
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Variable IC Reps to get the muscles warm top to bottom
    • Fetch SANDY from the truck

    COP #1: 

    • PASS THE SANDY 
    • PAX circle up holding Peoples Chair
    • 60-lb sandbag passed shoulder to shoulder around the circle a couple times utilizing a sandbag hand-off technique that goes: shoulder to shoulder, back to back, unload. 

    COP #2:

    • OLD HUNDRED
    • PAX mosey around the church property, taking turns who’s shouldering Sandy, stopping at intervals to complete descending reps 100–>10
    • Exercises were: LBC’s, Rapid Alt Toe Touches, SSH’s, Freddie M’s, 60-sec plank (Reviewing F3 Mission, Credo, 5CP’s), Monkey Humpers, Incline Mericans, Dirty Hookups, Lunges, Burpees

    COP #3:

    • SANDY CARRIES
    • PAX circle up and complete variable core reps OYO while two PAX fireman carry the 60-lb sand bag between them running around the lot and back
    • Return Sandy to truck

    COP #4:

    • BLOCK WORK
    • Collect concrete wall blocks from pile and circle up to complete variable upper body reps

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 8
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • SEADOO took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Awesome work men – this was rapid fire with lots of reps and you guys CRUSHED it! Welcome to UNION JACK (Ian Read), a brother from our church (WEAG), who sports a lovely British accent and is super stoked for F3 to save him from the stress of work, 4 kids, and all the usual life hurdles we all face. Keep putting in the work fellas – and remember your presence is more for the man next to you than for yourself – and we WILL get stronger together! 💪 Yours, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • VQ WEEK April 22-27
    • GTE weekend May 3-5

    Prayer Requests:

    • Meatball – M has a new job adding a little stress, and his grandmother’s health is failing

  • 17 Days Remain

    A squad of six SOJ ruck maniacs took to the Stratford Hills for a few laps around the hood, and to assist YHC in shifting the GTE logs closer to the load & launch area. Only 17 days remain until GTE #47 and conversation abounded with log lifting strategies, footwear and sock tips, knot tying methods, and other useful preparedness knowledge. Knowing is half the battle. Let’s GO! 😎💪 ~DTH

    PRAYERS for our brothers suffering injuries and illnesses. 🙏👊

  • Gonna Make You Sweat

    13 SOJ gloom bangers circled up at Rockwood and were immediately inspired and vitalized by the groovy moves of their Q shaking hips to La Bouche’s “Be My Lover” – YES, it’s back to the 90’s night club for these lucky MC Hammer wannabe’s. Here’s why they kept singing “don’t hurt me”… 😎🎸🎤

    The THANG: 

    • Moseyrama lap around the lot and circle up in a grassy area for the Welcome & Disclaimer
    • A few stretching reps IC with A-ha’s “Take Me On”

    WHAT IS LOVE, by Haddaway

    • Squats to the beat
    • Burpees for every “Don’t Hurt Me” (total of x20 completed)
    • SSH’s for instrumental parts

    (Shake it out with a lap around the lot)

    I’M TOO SEXY, by Right Said Fred

    • Flutters to the beat
    • WWII’s for every “Too Sexy”
    • Crabwalk 360 degrees for “Catwalk”

    (Shake it out with a lap around the lot)

    BLUE, by Eiffel 65

    • Plank up for Shoulder Taps to the beat
    • Merican for every “Blue” (total of x30 mericans completed)

    DIRTY McDEUCE:

    • Mosey over to the grassy slope
    • x4 Sets separated by crossing the space, each set with x3 exercises (chest, legs, core), x12 reps for each exercise
    • Bear crawl up/down the hill to cross about 30 yards
    • Exercises: Merkins, Ball Dippers, & WWII’s

    PULLUP LADDER:

    • Mosey over to the Workout Station and partner up
    • P1 sets pace with descending Pullups while P2 Donkey Kicks on a tree – each partner descends from 7 pullups to 1

    WOODS RUN:

    • Run the paved trail, stopping for some lunge walking up a hill

    PARKING SPACE LADDER:

    • Bear crawl between 10 lines, increasing merican reps 1 to 10 at each line

    PLANK REVIEW:

    • Moseying back around the outside loop, stop to wait for the SIX curb planking
    • When all present, review the F3 Mission, Credo, and Core Principles 

    CAPTAIN THOR:

    • Mosey back down the middle lot to circle up in the grass
    • x1WW2 then x4 AmHam …escalate 2:8, 3:12, 4:16, 5:20…all the way to 10:40!!!

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 13 (plus a beast-mode shirtless State Farm)
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  Nothin like adding reps to thumpin beats to drive muscle groups to exhaustion. Appreciate the PAX humoring YHC’s little 90’s night club flavor this morning. YHC noticed the various routines had a fair percentage of the PAX modifying, so we can assume they were sufficiently challenged. Also, we had a bold visitor “Donny” who YHC earlier noticed running the AO and called out an invite to join, but then didn’t see him again until he joined our COT. He’s given his HC for coming to R&R next Saturday! That said, it’s ALWAYS worth going out of our way to invite those solitary men you see making an effort at/near your AO – you never know what bringing them into your PAX might mean for their life! Let’s GO! Yours, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • 10 Mile Rucks! Tomorrow (Sun) at 4am from Dogpile, and 8pm from Timberwolf! 
    • VQ WEEK April 22-27
    • GTE weekend May 3-5

  • Lakeside Reflections

    10 Morning Wood ruckers burdened with over 400 pounds of steel and sand embraced a beautiful morning on the Rockwood back trails. Big Rig forgot his ruck and opted (like the warrior he is!) to carry all 60 pounds of Sandy for the 55 minute, 2.8 miles. Mudslide was kind enough to lead the PAX along a quaint lakeside trail and we enjoyed deep conversation and a purple orange sunrise over the misted lake. Many MANY reasons to be thankful. 🙏 Yours, DTH

  • Migraines Make Musical Memories

    At 04:59 a distress signal from Chaplain suffering a Migraine got the DTH gears churning for how to bring the Forge PAX a decent beatdown. But YHC needed help having woken up feeling bone weary after a 72hr whirlwind of other beatdowns. Inspired by the presence of Handshake, YHC looked back in the Q-annals and chose the first Forge beatdown of 2024 to replicate. So, YHC handed off the Q to a very energetic January 2024 virtual DTH, put on some slammin beatdown beats, and we got to work!

    The THANG: 

    LOVE HILL WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey to the bottom of Love Hill and circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Variable IC Reps with a run half way up and down the hill between sets

    COP #1: 

    • BATTAN DEATH MARCH 
    • Line up at bottom of handicap ramp, Lunge walk length of ramp with last man doing x3 Burpees then running to front

    COP #2:

    • BAR BUDDY
    • Partner up and complete x3 Rounds of:
    • x10 Jerkins each
    • x10 Cliffhanger Mericans

    COP #3:

    • Mosey up to the school awning
    • Circle up in elbow plank to review the F3 Mission, Credo, and 5 Core Principles 
    • MUSICAL MARY – Complete a wide variety of core exercises to the beat of the music, including all 5 minutes of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

    COP #4:

    • Mosey around to the Amphitheater
    • BOX JUMP LINDSEY
    • Incline Mericans on the bottom step 30-25-20-15-10
    • Groiners at the top 10-15-20-25-30
    • Box Jump steps between
    • ABC’s for the SIX

    COP #5:

    • Begin to mosey BTTF
    • Stop for the ECHO CHAMBER
    • People’s Chair
    • Hoedowns IC
    • BTTW, Hip Slappers IC if you’ve got it
    • Milkers IC
    • Donkey Kick-Off’s (up to 20)

    Mosey BTTF for COT:

    • Counterama # 12
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Below)
    • DTH took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:

    • Many thanks to January DTH for leading today. That level of beatdown would certainly not have happened without him taking the reins. YHC really needed the accountability after NTB’s smokefest ruck bootcamp at NoToll, yesterday mornings heavy-duty OTB ruck, and Meatball’s COP-fest at the Crossing last night. Also appreciate Handshake crossing the river, and TClaps to Snip posting twice in his first week! And now, YHC is going to go hibernate until Rockwood. Love you guys, DTH

    Prayer Requests

    • Chaplain – Migraine today
    • Handshake – niece Charlotte bone cancer 
    • Last Call – tough life at present, deep thx to PAX for the camaraderie and laughs
    • Bone Thugs – knee meniscus issues

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

  • Lovin’ on the Shaved Log

    With GTE#47 close to 3 weeks away 9 HIM’s beat the fartsack to wrap their arms around a shaved log and get a little better prepared for the unexpected. Here’s what we did:

    • 0530 Kickoff from The Forge location
    • Down Love Hill, Lunge a Bit, Bear Crawl one of Mt Chaplain’s hills, Ruck back up
    • Embark into the Hood to DTH’s house we go
    • Discover large shaved log and shoulder it out to the back yard
    • Brief review of log carry methodology and safety
    • Shoulder log for an uncomfortable loop around the property, trading places as needed
    • Leave the log and move out for 30+ min left of rucking
    • Hit the BIG hill on Stratford a couple times up/down, then complete two hilly neighborhood loops before heading back to Huguenot SH
    • Similar to the start – down Love Hill, Lunge a bit, BC up part of Mt Chaplain
    • Stop for some Mary – rucks off, in hands, for x15 Sit&Press OYO
    • Shoulder carry rucks in small loop BTTF
    • BTTF for COT (#9, Names, Announcements, Prayer)

  • 9 share the Hoebag

    The Growruck gang converged for another Rock&Ruck CSAUP with Sandy making an even 10 heavy weights for gloom glory. The PAX started with a wide loop detour around the AO to observe the Latina Market getting set up (oh goody, they’ve got a coffee truck!). Sandy was passed around the PAX like the good little hoebag she is, and there were a couple stops to stretch. Halfway through our time, the PAX were directed to remove their rucks and carry them in some other manner – baby cradle, over head, single shoulder, etc. Carrying both Sandy and an untethered ruck proved a formidable 100+ pound challenge. Photo shoot completed with single file rucks overhead. For the last half perimeter, State Farm suggested we restore rucks to our backs and army shuffle run to the end. Awesome challenge, enjoyable chatter, and decent warmup for the Big Rig slaughter fest to come. Welcome aboard to RODEO CLOWN who’s now registered for GYE#47, and MELVILLE is one step closer to registration! Love being with you guys! Yours, DTH

  • A Dozen Flowers for our AO’s 5 Year Anniversary

    The most beautiful 12 roses an AO could possibly ask for showed up as a fragrant fifth anniversary gift. The AO reciprocated with a lovely walk down memory lane as DTH re-created the very first Forge sweat fest from April 4th 2019. Here’s how you properly feed a bouquet:

    The THANG: 

    WARMERAMA: 

    • Mosey a few lot laps with variable movements then circle up
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • x5 Burpees – Happy 5th Anniversary!
    • SSH x10 IC
    • DQ’s x10 IC
    • Ball Dippers x10 IC
    • No Cheat Merkins x10 IC
    • Freddie M’s x20 IC
    • DR. W’s x10 IC

    COP #1:

    • Mosey down to the handicap rails
    • x5 Burpees – Happy 5th Anniversary!
    • Partner up for x3 rounds of x10 Jerkins & x10 CliffHanger Merkins

    COP #2:

    • Indigenous Peoples Mosey to the cul-de-sac, last man Karaoke’s to the front 
    • x5 Burpees – Happy 5th Anniversary!
    • Circle up in Elbow Plank and review the F3 Mission, Credo, and Core Principles …about 30 mericans awarded for failure to recite properly…
    • Sweat Angels x15 IC
    • Crab Cakes x15 IC
    • Partner up to complete x3 sets of: x15 PLT’s & x10 Squerkins each

    NEED AN EASY WAY TO REMEMBER THE 5 CORE PRINCIPLES? Just remember the FORGE!

    • FREE
    • OPEN TO ALL MEN
    • RAIN OR SHINE
    • GUYS ROTATE THE Q
    • ENDS IN A COT

    COP #3:

    • RUN (not mosey) the straightaway, then Bernie up to Mount Chaplain
    • x5 Burpees – Happy 5th Anniversary!
    • Partner up for a DORA
    • x100 Merkins, x200 Squats, x300 LBC’s
    • Moving partner Bear Crawls up the hill, then runs back down to switch

    BTTF:

    • RUN (not mosey) BTTF
    • 1 minutes of High & Low Flutters
    • x5 Burpees – Happy 5th Anniversary!

    COT:

    • Counterama #12
    • Namerama
    • Announcerama (see Comments)
    • YHC took us out in Prayer

    NMS:  Apart from YHC, today’s Forge Anniversary party hosted an entirely different dozen than 5 years ago – amazing how many PAX have enjoyed the Forge over the last 5 years! Lots of positive commentary about the rapid fire pain fest, and a few raised eyebrows bringing back the Squerkins. YHC is extremely thankful to such an amazing band of brothers that regularly attend and help lead the Forge. Let’s keep the momentum going to grow SOJ! Yours, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • TwinTeam tomorrow with PFT training
    • FERGIE has his VQ at Dogpile Sat 0600
    • Next Ruck opportunity will be 6am at Rockwood prior to a Big Rig Beatdown
    • TUE 4/9 NTB Ruck-friendly Q
    • TIE 4/9 SOJ Town Hall – 8pm at Cap Ale off Midlothian – bring your ideas/concerns/updates
    • RUDY has hosted VQ 4/25 at Timberwolf, and we’re actively recruiting to get EVERY AO doing a VQ that week! 

    Prayer Requests:

    • Warby with a new eye diagnosis

  • Huge Logs

    Nine GTE brothers converged for a short OTB ruck and to do some experimental hefting of new logs. We brought Sandy and passed her solid 60 pounds around the PAX while rucking a big neighborhood loop. The PAX ended up in the woods behind Casa de DTH to discover a freshly felled dead pine tree with 16’ and 19’ trunk segments waiting for a ride. The PAX shouldered the 16’ segment and carefully maneuvered her out of the woods into the back yard. The PAX were ordered tallest to shortest and each PAX had 1-2 guys to rotate with, leaving 5-6 guys shouldering the log. It was manageable, but some good lessons learned just taking the log for a walk around the property. The PAX then made an effort with the heavier 19’ log but didn’t get it fully off the ground. The plan is to chainsaw off the bottom 5’ to see whether 14’ of this thicker piece of trunk might serve as our 2nd GTE log option. TCLAPS to my brothers showing up to help assess the log situation. We’ll do this again real soon. Yours, DTH

  • Vertical & Hairy

    The night watch nine assembled at the Bell Isle parking lot just as the last light of day descended to the West and the skyline of City lights welcomed the night. With a refreshing Spring breeze stirring our spirits these GTE HIM’s conquered the following terrain:

    The THANG: 

    RUCK-FREE WARMERAMA: 

    • Form up at the base of the Grass Hill
    • Variable movement up and down the hill a few times – run, burpees, run, bear crawls, lunges, run, bernie, etc
    • Rucks ON
    • Welcome & Disclaimer
    • Let’s GO!

    THE INITIAL RUCK:

    • Quick march across the swinging bridge to Bell Isle and proceed 1.5 times around the broad gravel outside loop

    COP INTERMISSION:

    • Rucks Off, Stretch
    • Don Q’s & Imp. Squat Walkers IC
    • Variable Upper Body reps holding rucks

    THE VERTICAL & HAIRY RUCK:

    • Biodome led the PAX up some steep treacherous muddy rooted trails around the central heights of Bell Isle – no hobos or psychos encountered, and no PAX slipped into the quarry. 

    RETURN RUCK:

    • On the double back around the island, over the bridge, stop for pictures, and back to the parking lot.

    THE GRAND FINALE:

    • Find a tiny rock at the bottom of the hill with “John 3:16” painted on it – verse recited for the PAX 
    • Run up the hill, walk around the pond, run up the 2nd hill, cross the road, run up the third hill to the war memorial, take a Rocky style picture of the conquering warriors
    • Stopping time at just over 90min total

    COT:

    • Counterama # 9
    • Namerama
    • Meaningful words shared by YHC regarding patriotic and religious freedoms, the power of CSAUP bonds, and enthusiasm for the GTE to come
    • YHC took the PAX out in Prayer

    NMS:  It is a powerful experience to be accompanied by such a faithful band of brothers enthusiastically achieving new heights together. And just think, this amazing 90 minutes was just a fraction (about 1/8th to be precise) of the real deal happening in 32 days! With the right men beside you, nothing is impossible. Yours, DTH

    Announcements (SEE SLACK!)

    • Wed 0530 RUCK from Huguenot HS – among other rucking fun, we’ll be hefting a large log a short distance. Come on out… it’ll be fun… 😎💪🔥