Author: Gypsy

  • Crazy 8s: Karens come a calling

    3rd F (Faith)

    • Thank you Greenbow for the powerful words to take us out this morning.
    • Next Virtual 3rd F will be hosted by BoBerry on Tuesday October 13th. Mark it on your calendar now so you don’t have any reason to not be there.

    2nd F (Fellowship)

    • Lots going on right now (See Slack for more details on the below)
      • Sit and Sip men’s retreat this weekend in Amelia Courthouse
      • 100 mile RVA relay run
      • October RVA shoe drive
      • Apparently everyone is looking for junior size golf clubs too??
    • If you are not on slack DM your email and i can send you a link to join

    1st F (Fitness)

    Currahee is a running AO so its pretty easy to plan but much harder to execute. Today’s route was a big figure 8 for 5.5 miles that allowed for a cut of to drop miles if needed. As the Q, you spend a lot of time ping-ponging back and forth to make sure the front crew knows the next turn and the back crew is hanging in there.
    Mubblechatter was ample this morning with discussions ranging from needing to get rid of excess CO2 to why Karens blow there horns at you in the morning while you are running to pax members looking to step up across the region to begin working out a SLT in RVA with a growth plan and regional focus.

    I look forward to seeing many of you this weekend.
    Friday is calling.. gotta go.
    SYITG!!!

    v/r

    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • What is missing: AO Pre-Blast

    Go into the national map for AOs. (https://f3nation.com/workouts/) Click on Wednesdays and you will see a glaring blank spot right there in front of you for the RVA region.

    There is not anything remotely close to the Short Pump area on Wednesdays. But the PAX of the West End have a remedy for that.

    Starting October 7th we will begin a dry run for the newest AO in RVA. The naming is still out there to be identified by the RVA PAX. But the format will lend itself to only the brave and fearless that are looking to accelerate themselves in the gloom.

    Pocahontas Middle School, 12000 Three Chopt Rd, Richmond, VA 23233
    5:15 there will be a Pre-Run.
    5:30 the main event.

    This AO will be a RUN focused AO, but not a Run only.
    Hands will hit the ground.
    There will be no man left behind

    However, the Q is charged with ensuring that the Wienke is set for a 3 mile MINIMUM (excluding pre-run). That is the only requirement of this AO. Everything else is dealers choice.
    Gear is allowed, Ruck sacks, Yoga mats, you name it.. so long as we hit that 3 mile min during the 45 mins, the rest is up to you.

    This AO launch site (anything with in 1.5 miles of launch point is part of the AO) has 4 shopping center parking lots for 11’s, Giant 4 corners, 1/4 mile long DORA’s, etc.. There is a track for track ladders with Merkins at the turns, Catch me if you can on a 1/4 mile loop, or flat out speed training.. There are quiet neighborhood roads for hill intervals with pain stations at the top before recovers back down.. endless opportunity.

    Basically, this AO was set up for this kind of work out.

    So if you are bat flipping your current Bootcamps and just going through the motions versus accelerating. Come out to this AO beginning 10/7 to help set the ground work and cadence for a midweek beat down that will have you knowing you put in a little extra effort!!

    SYITG!!

  • Your Tipping Point

    RVA’s virtual 3rd F men’s open faith discussion covered the book of Job.
    In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
    We read that Job did not have a tipping point to drive him away from his integrity and faith.
    Would you?
    What is it?
    Can you identify it and harden yourself against it now?
    Where is your Shield lock if you were to hit this tipping point event?
    Who will sit with you for 7 days in silence?

    6 men of RVA talked over these questions and personal tipping points.

    BUT

    1st Rule of 3rd F… What happens in 3rd F stays in 3rd F.
    You gotta show to know

    Follow the RVA 3RD F channel to gather start times and location

    v/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • RVA shoe drive

    F3: Our mission is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership.

    Fall is upon us and the cold months of Winter will be setting in before you know it. For many, life is comfortable, warm, and stable, the choices we have made along the road have led us to right here where we are being called upon to lead in a world that desperately needs leaders to step up and take action in the community.

    Starting October 1st the men of F3 RVA are being called upon to help those men of Richmond that are in need of a small gesture of help. Over the 31 days in October the challenge is to collect 62 pairs of new or gently used mens/boys shoes or boots that will be donated to a men’s shelter the 1st weekend of November before the cold Virginia winter sets in. For every pair collected, YHC will buy a corresponding set of new socks to go with them.

    Point of Contacts (POC)s have been spread out around the region with YHC tasked with collecting from the POCs every week at the Saturday AOs (Grid Iron and DogPile).
    SOJ: (South of the James) POC: Dr.Try Hard
    West End POC: HoneyDo
    Da-Ville: POC: Spit
    These #HIM will collect your donations at the weekly M-F AOs and bring them to the Saturday AOs for consolidation.

    Let’s make a mountain of shoes and socks men. I know you have pairs in the back of the closet just collecting dust and your 2.0s have outgrown a few pairs as well.

    SYITG!!!
    v/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • IPC final week: Murder Bunnies

    3rd F (Faith)

    • Thank you Boberry for taking us this morning in COT
    • 3rd F this upcoming Tuesday (YHC) on Q (focus on Job) Open discussion on what would your breaking point be.
    • F3 is Mens organization rooted in Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith.
      • Job is an example of Faith in the Qur’an, the Torah, and the Bible. Therefore our discussion will be on faith and not on a specific religion.
        • “Job (Ayub) was a prosperous man, with faith in Allah/God/Yahweh living somewhere in the north-east corner of Arabia. He suffers from a number of calamities: his cattle are destroyed, his servants slain by the sword, and his family crushed under his roof.

    2nd F (Fellowship)

    • RVA gathering on October 3rd will have a work portion of it that will start at 11am to help support the host family with various items.
    • YHC will be collecting used mens and boys shoes over the month of October. Gently used running shoes and other shoes go a long way in the cold months ahead for those less fortunate.
      • For SOJ please give them to Dr. Try Hard
      • For Westend please give them to either YHC or HoneyDo
      • For Da-Ville please give them to Spit
      • Working on a center city contact

    1st F (Fitness) Iron Pax Challenge (Murder Bunny)

    1 Round For Time

    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)
    Murder Bunny 25yds
    25 Thruster
    Return to the goal line with your block

    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)
    Murder Bunny 50yds
    50 Alternating block merkins
    Return to the goal line with your block

    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)
    Murder Bunny 75yds
    75 Curl Presses
    Return to the goal line with your block

    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)
    Murder Bunny 100yds
    100 Block Windshield Wipers
    Return to the goal line with your block
    10 Burpee Block Jump Overs (BBJO)

    Thank you Timberwolf for let me lead today.

    SYITG!! (or on Zoom at the 3rd F)

    v/r

    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • HBR Iron Pax Challenge Week 3

    3rd F: (Faith)
    Join us this evening at 8pm for the bi-weekly fellowship faith discussion. Zoom link is located in the 3RD F Slack Channel

    On going TAP for the Education staff, Students, and families in this new Virtual learning world.

    2nd F (Fellowship)
    Still time to signup for the Cornhole tournament at the Men’s Retreat on October 3rd.

    Runners: The Diamond is back open for the weekly Wednesday Run club. It starts at 6:15 PM and has both a 4 and 6 mile route. Food and beverages afterwards. Get place to EH future pax.

    Meet-up at Wilson’s house on Saturday night at midnight. He wants his house painted in Miami Dolphin logos and colors. Wants it to be a surprise for his M. 🙂 DM Wilson for details.

    1st F (Fitness) AKA: The Thang
    K.I.S.S.

    • Start
      • Run 400m
        • 100 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 90 squats
      • Run 400m
        • 80 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 70 squats
      • Run 400m
        • 60 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 50 squats
      • Run 400m
        • 40 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 30 squats
      • Run 400m
        • 20 merkins
      • Run 400m
        • 10 squats
      • Run 800m
    • End (Total work is 3 miles of running, 300 merkins, and 250 squats.)

    NMS:
    The IPC doesn’t leave much room for mubblechatter so the moleskin is typically hard to put out there… typically random ramblings of strange thoughts that happen when its 530 in the morning and you are oxygen deprived from doing something your body will hate you for later. I will spare you all from the wonderings i had this morning while trying to catch Probation on the track as to why i have the channels i do with the free to air antenna… but i can tell you that for some random reason.. i like Grizzly Adams again. 🙂 Another thing… does any one have any idea why the 1st Merkin is the hardest when doing a ladder. The set of 40; i had to talk myself into that 1st one like a drunk sailor trying to coach his 1st step after getting up off the bar stool… I would imagine after the 90 Squats we all looked like drunk sailors trying to run that track…. oh yeah… who thought it was a good idea to make a track out of tiny sand sized rocks.. that crap is like sandpaper if you get a piece in your sock. Glad i didnt get a piece in my sock, but sure thought of it while i was pacing Light House on the 1st lap. Wait a minute?!?!?! where is Handshake? he was on the text tread yesterday.. didnt see him at HoeDown either… Bet he was watching football to late. Dang… Is that Bodos and GomerPyle already on the other side of the track.. we just started??!?!?!? i wonder if they got rocks in their socks. Are spots normal when you are doing 80 merkins after sprinting a 400? I think they are.. it must be the oxygen i’m not getting and yet still think it is a good idea to keep going when the body is screaming stop.. ok.. maybe a little break… stop it self.. no breaks until you are done.
    OOOPs.. sorry about the random thoughts..

    Until next time.

    v/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • Are You Ready for Some Football?!?!

    3rd F: Faith
    The big one this week is TAP for all the teachers, parents, and 2.0s trying to work through this new virtual world of public school. Stay strong everyone. This will pass.
    Thank you Attila for taking us out this morning

    2nd F: Fellowship

    • Men’s retreat October 3rd: Sign up for cornhole tournament
    • Friday after work events: Who wants to step up and plan the next one. Its easy.. just name the place and time.

    1st F: The Thang
    Two rounds of the below
    Perform the following exercises 1 arm/leg at a time
    Count is 10 per called exercise
    Bicep curl count is 8

    • One arm Swing
      • Bicep curl
    • Romanian dead lift
      • Bicep curl
    • Lawnmowers
      • Bicep curl
    • Snatch
      • Bicep curl
    • Reverse lunge
      • Bicep curl
    • Tricep extensions
      • Bicep curl
    • Goblet Squats
      • Bicep curl
    • Seated 1 arm shoulder press
      • Bicep curl
    • Louganis
      • Bicep curl
    • Flutter press
      • Bicep curl
    • American Hammer
      • Bicep curl

    NMS:
    Not much time to be creative on the BB this week. Dang work is getting in the way of my day drinking and BB writing.
    As always, I want to thank the PAX for allowing me to lead this morning. I mean lets face it… if it weren’t for you guys, I would have been that crazy guy on the news in all black, panting, and sweating on the sidewalk of a kids school at 0615 in the morning making weird grunting noises and cussing myself. At least with multiples of us there we kinda look like we were supposed to be there. 🙂

    Todays theme was curls.. trying to get the pax ready for some 12oz curls as we enter football season

    P.S. If you read this far down. spend the next 30 seconds and text a pax, friend, uncle, dad, brother or son that you have not heard from in a while and just say Hello. It maybe just what he needed today.

    v/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles

  • RVA 2nd F: Drive Shack

    The RVA 2nd F is on the move again.
    This week we will be meeting at Drive Shack:
    Date:
    September 11th

    Location:
    1647 Four Rings Drive
    Richmond, VA 23233
    (Conveniently located off I:64 and VA-288)

    Time: 1800-2000

    RSVP required to reserve bays: Please DM Gypsy by September 10th.
    Cost per booth is 45$ can have up to 5 “Golfers” per booth.

    Bring the M and 2.0s as well.

    v/r
    Gypsy

  • You wont get this in a gym

    You wont get this in a gym

    3rd F: (Faith) The last will be 1st

    • T-Clap for Mudface taking us out in prayer this morning.
    • TAP for all those parents that are striving to maintain a sense of normalcy as their children are attempting to navigate the waters of virtual schooling.
    • Mr. Holland nailed it this morning as we were wrapping up and the sunrise was painted above our heads….
      “You wont get that inside a gym“
      Well said sir.. the natural beauty of this morning’s sunrise is something only the Great Sky Q could paint for us. YHC likes to consider those wonderful acts of nature as a gentle reminder from him to us that he is: all powerful, all loving, and all forgiving.
    • Next 3rd F virtual meet-up is 9/1 at 8pm. See slack 3rd F channel for Zoom meeting URL.

    2nd F: (Fellowship)
    Lots of opportunities in RVA for fellowship and just like the 1st F in the morning.. you just have to show up.

    • Friday HH is moving around the region and it does not always have to mean having drinks. Top Golf, new Restaurants, chips and salsa at Honeydo’s (Hint Hint), etc. lets keep them moving around so all pax have an opportunity to join in. This week it is at Ardent Craft Beer at 6ish.
      • Next week we are moving the show out to Midlothian with Florence to try out Steam Bell Beer Works
    • YHC is working with Disaster Ops to set up a trip down to the Gulf coast for helping our F3 PAX in that region that have been crushed by the recent hurricane. DM me if you are interested in going.
    • October 3rd is the Fellowship retreat. Sign up for the Cornhole tournament

    1st F: (Fitness)

    The Thang:

    • Easy warm up lap around the bus parking lot as we did some butt kickers and high knees to get us into the teacher parking lot for some COP.
    • COP: 1 round of BLIMPS
      • 5 Burpees
      • 10 Lunges
      • 15 Imperial walkers
      • 20 Merkins
      • 25 Plank Jacks
      • 30 Squats
    • 4-Corners (always a staple at YHC workouts)
      • Start in the center: 2 burpess then run to one of 4 corners and perform called exercise to a 15 count then return to center for 2 burpees.. rinse and repeat until all 4 corners are completed.
        • Round one: Merkins, Diamond Merkins, Wide-arm Merkins, Carolina Dry-dock
          Took the time after completing this round to talk over the F3 Foundation and Disaster Ops
        • Round two: WW2 situps, LBCs, Dolly’s, Flutter kicks
          Took the time after completing this round to talk over the Mission of: Speed For Need and tell a 1st hand story that changed my life forever with a SFN track commander
        • Round three: Squats, Wojo Squat, Sister Mary Catharine’s, reverse lunge.
          Took the time after completing this round to talk over the two F3 supported Missions in Peru and Africa.
        • Round four: Merkins, WW2, Squats, Burpee
          Took the time after completing this round to talk over the importance of following through with the 2nd and 3rd F in F3.. to make sure its not “Just Another Workout”.
    • Burn Out: Nonstop workout rotating who the timer pax is
      • Each location is assigned an exercise then one pax takes that position. One pax runs to a designated location and back (the timer) as the remaining pax continues to do the exercise at his location until the timer returns; then everyone moves down one exercise position.
        We had 4 pax this morning so we had 3 assigned exercises and 1 timer.
        • Exercises:
          Station 1 Plank (Hold in high plank until timer returns)
          Station 2 Donkey kicks to the wall.
          Station 3 People’s chair air presses.
          Station 4 was the timer.
      • Rinse and repeat.
    • Return to the AO for a cool down:
      • you cool down like you warm up. One round of BLIMPS.

    MoleSkin:
    1st and foremost, thank you to the men this morning for allowing me the opportunity to lead. I look forward to seeing you all in the gloom again very soon.
    Lots of good mubblechatter this morning. I am pretty sure we have convivence Mudface to sign up for the 1/2 marathon beer tour. Need the Da-Ville guys to keep on him for that. 🙂
    Best of luck to Mr. Holland as he not only takes on the adventure of being a teacher during this new learning environment. but also having two 2.0’s of his own at home that are also going through this from a student perspective. If you need to get away for coffee or lunch or to hide.. just give me a call and I will be on my way.
    Cornbeef is laying down the gauntlet this morning with regard to the upcoming team relay race. Sounds like his team is stacked and I might just have to put a wager on them taking the 1st place position on this one.

    NMS (Naked Moleskin)
    AS always, I challenge every pax member that has taken the time to read this far down the Backblast to spend the next 30 seconds texting an F3 pax you have not heard from in a while. Reaching out to someone for no reason is hard to do…but we are F3.. we do hard things every day. So just do it. It may be the quick hello your gloom buddy needed for the week.

    Next Challenge: Look at your F3 actions in the last 30 to 60 days. Have you signed up to Q? Why not? Have you come out to a 2nd or 3rd F event? Why not? The reasons and excuses are just as vast as that sad clown you had to convince to get out of the fartsack and post in the gloom (no time, not ready to lead, I get my fellowship somewhere else, etc…).
    F3 is a fellowship of men .. leaders leading and teaching peer leaders.
    Our mission is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership. Our mission is not to be the fastest, most fit, strongest guy out there in the gloom… Don’t fall into the trap of making F3 only about the 1st F.. there are 2 more F’s to explore and for that matter that you can bring FNGs to. There is no F3 rule that says your FNG has to post 1st to a bootcamp. Bring him out to a 2nd F.. or invite him to the virtual 3rd. The workout is just 1 aspect of the thing we call F3.

    V/r
    John (Gypsy) Boles
    SYITG!!

  • Call a missing brother

    It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day grind. It’s easy to get stuck in the rut and just stay on the path. It’s easy to follow the Status quo and just move through life.
    Good thing the men of F3 don’t do things that are easy.
    I ask each of you that read this to do something that’s not easy. I ask each of you to look through your contacts and find that one pax (or future pax) that you have not talked to in a very long time and call him. Sounds easy right?!? Just like the readings this week in the 3rd F study group lead by Tobit and how it should be easy of taking up the yoke..
    But the truth is it is not easy, its hard… and that is why you have not done it. That awkward moment when you are not sure what to say or how to ask how things have been since you have not called him. and yes.. I said since “YOU” have not called him. WE are F3.. WE are disrupters.. it is not on that fellow pax to reach out to you.. it is up to you to reach out to him. So I challenge each of us that meet in the Gloom to call a fellow pax you have not heard from in a while and just tell him you are thinking of him. It may be the exact words he needed to get him through the day.

    3rd F: Thank you Attila for taking us out in COT.

    • TAP: Johnsonville on a speedy recover (i cant image how you are in the gloom if you were injured today. Way to push through brother)
    • TAP: Farfanugan (Recovering from being hit by a cop car running in the Gloom.
    • TAP: The Brothers of F3 and Sisters of FiA that are personally recovering from COVID or helping family members that are.

    2nd F:

    • As things continue with work from home, is there anyone interested in 1st Friday F3 lunch at a common location?
    • Puppy Pile coming up. DM me if you have a 2.0 interested in needing a Speed For need chair.
    • 2nd annual F3 retreat on October 3rd (camp out)
    • Date is getting nailed down for the 10k/Half Marathon Brewery tour (November 7th) we will stop in on no less than 6 breweries for the half marathon and 3 for the 10k. Pre-blast and price will be coming out soon.
    • Bone Thugs 10k on 8/21. See the HIMs of W Dog or Corn Beef for details

    1st F: The Thang

    Not to much complexity to today’s Kettlebell workout. it was just plain ole’ putting in some work with a little bit of iron. Each pax removed a piece of paper covering an exercise on the whiteboard. We performed exercise with 15 reps. (If it was a one arm or leg exercise it was 15 each side.)
    Between each exercise was a 50 yrd waiter carry.
    This was repeated until all papers was removed.
    If we finished there was an extra credit Kettlebell burn out for us all.

    The exercises were:

    • The Clean (sorry for the mix up on the board guys)
    • Curls
    • Tricep extensions
    • Seated over head press
    • Standing over head press
    • Louganis
    • Flutter Press
    • American Hammers
    • Goblet Squat
    • Reverse Lunge
    • Romanian dead lift
    • Single arm Swing
    • Halo
    • Lawn Mower

    WE finished with 5 mins remaining so we got to do the burn out

    Without putting your bell down:
    7 up right rows, 7 Squats
    6 up right rows, 6 Squats
    5 up right rows, 5 Squats
    …
    1 up right row, 1 Squat

    and done!!

    Final exercise YHC carried a cooler of cold water bottles around for the guys to grab one before the COT.

    NMS:
    Great work by all today. Good to continue to see new faces and meet new pax.
    Solid work done by Pinto at his 1st Kettlebell work out. I hope you see you back out brother.
    Johnsonville, let me know if you need anything while you heal up brother. Just DM and I’m on the way. Bruised ribs isn’t anything to play with so TAP on you healing up.
    Not sure what White Deer ate for dinner, but down on our side of the line this morning he was seriously laying down some cover fire for an attacking army. (You might want to get that checked out brother. Just sayin’ something didnt smell natural there. ) 🙂
    I keep running into Light house in the gloom and beginning to think he might be just as much a gypsy as I am. I’m gonna have to get in contact with you Light House and go grab some lunch and 2nd F to hear more of your back story to that name.

    I want thank you all for coming out this morning. It’s the pax of F3 that has allowed me to celebrate my 3rd anniversary of not smoking today. Without F3, I would have never made it. Being able to seeing all your mugs in the morning is what has kept me motivated to stay with it.

    Thank you for allowing me to lead this morning.
    SYITG!!

    v/r
    Gypsy