Tag: 45 Minutes of Mary

It is truly remarkable how quickly a group of middle aged men at 5:30 in the morning can turn nearly any topic into sex and genitalia jokes. This morning, it took about 34 seconds for these ten OGs of the gloom to do so, and it just kept on going. As for exercise, here’s what happened:

COP at the intersection of Commonwealth and Hanover. DQs, Ukrainian soldiers, etc.

Burpee Alley: Run all the way down Hanover to Shadwell, 3 burpees at every lamppost. From there, mosey down shadwell, west on grove, stop at the parking lot of Jenny Maraghy real estate.

Wall to Wall: Partner up. Round 1: P1 runs to wall and performs 10 donkey kicks, P2 Wall sits. 3x. // Round 2: P1 runs to wall and performs 10 Chicken peckers, P2 wall sit. 3x. // Round 3: P1 runs to wall and performs 10 dirty hookups, P2 wall sit. 3x. Mosey east down Grove to Lock Lane, then over to First Pres Parking Lot, stopping intermittently for 3 burpees along the way.

Triple Check: At some point after the last set of exercises Hitchhiker abandoned us, so numbers were perfect for triple check. P1: Squats // P2: LBCs // P3: run to the playground fence, bernie sanders back. Mosey back to the school, stopping along the way intermittently for sets of 3 burpees.

COP: ring of fire, sets of Freddie Mercuries, American Hammers, Crunchy Frogs. Finish with 3 Burpees.

NMS: What a great morning, we covered a ton of ground and worked every muscle. Lots of laughter, which is pretty much a guarantee with Saab and TYA in the mix. Great to have Vandalay back. Seymore broke up the COT with a serious stench.

SYITG!

Warm up SSH arm circles Helicopters Merkins Dead man hangs.

Decathlon  Run to football field 

Phase 1 4 sets of 25 step upsalternate with 4 sets of 25 Merkins

Phase 2 10 sets of 5 Partner 50  Pull ups 10 sets of 20 monkey jumpers 

Phase 3 4 sets of 25 squat jumps alternate with ww2 

Phase 4 full field sprint  broad jump goal line to 50

Phase 5 100 double count penguins  run around to flag

16 gladiators of the gloom joined together to celebrate YHC’s 10 year anniversary and the brotherhood that has led so many of us to better versions of ourselves. Hitch arrived at 5:29:45 and we were off for……

COP

SSH x 100 (10 for every year obviously)

DQ x 10

Imperial Walkers x 15

Dead Man Hang with a little bit of yoga

Rosalita’s x 20

The Thang

Mosey to the field for the Beast

Exercises were Merkins, Flutter Kicks, Squats, Rosalita’s, Burpees, and LBC’s

Mosey the north a bit for the Tunnel of Love

Mosey East for some Mary and stretching

Back to the SF for Numberama, Namerama, Seymour took us out.

NMS

TClaps and many thanks to the men that posted this morning to help YHC celebrate a decade of F3 and to raise money for Renewing RVA. Thinking back to that first workout, it seems so long ago……much more than 10 years…..but that’s just YHC showing his age and nostalgia. The valleys we’ve all had to cross in those 10 years have been numerous and deep, but as Proverbs 17 tells us, “A friend loves at all times and a brother is made for times of adversity.” YHC is eternally grateful for this F3 brotherhood and the support and prayers that you’ve provided through all of the valley’s I’ve walked through. Human nature guides us to seek comfort and security, but it’s only through adversity that we find out who we truly are. Adversity is the tool God uses to refine our character, strengthen our resolve and discipline, and show us what we are capable of. YHC is doing his best to embrace adversity, and I do that only through the grace of God and the love and support of my family, friends, and F3 brothers. Thank you for helping to shape the man I am today…..still a bit rough around the edges, but confident in the love that God has for us all and secure in the knowledge that no matter how rough the road ahead, my F3 brothers will be right there beside me.

Prayers for Upchuck (who graciously offered to match YHC’s donation to Renewing RVA), Fireman Ed, Roger Roger’s wife, and my sister Mary.

Never stop chasing the wabbit!

Fudd

You know that scene in Legally Blonde when the mean girls invite Elle to a costume party, and when she shows up she’s the only person in costume? That was me this morning. I was somewhat consoled by the fact that Choo Choo’s M tricked him the last 2 years with the same prank. Last year he was Rick Flair, this year he was a wizard. Imagine making small talk at a cocktail party and everyone is dressed normally, while you are in spandex or wearing a long grey beard. That was Choo Choo. This morning, despite my appeal to dress up, I was Bat Man and everyone else was just the plain old pax. I really wished Choo Choo or White Snake was there.

After handing out treat collection bags, we started our Trick Or Treat Beatdown with a short mosey to the corner of Westmoreland and Grove. Here’s what happened:

Treat #1: 11s. 10 dips at the picnic tables, run to the sidewalk, 1 merkin. 9 dips, 2 merkins, etc. After 11s, treat #1 was distributed: full length carrots, in honor of Ms Winkle who always gave healthy treats on Halloween and then we would egg her house. After receiving the long hard carrots many penis jokes commenced. Mosey to Westmoreland and Cary.

Treat #2: Run the tree line, stop and perform 5 squats at each tree. Run back, perform 5 WW2s at each tree. Treat #2 was distributed, a reeces cup and pack of gum. Jokes about melting chocolate in our pockets commenced. Mosey to tennis courts.

Treat #3: Triple Check. P1: Plank Jacks, P2: Jump Squats, P3: run to the end of the courts, Bernie sanders back. Treat #3 was then distributed, the original lemon lime gatorade. Complaining from Handshake commenced. Mosey back to the start.

Treat #4: 4 corners. 40 2x Flutter kicks / 30 Carolina Dry Docks, / 20 2x Imperial Squat Walkers, / 10 Burpees. Lunging and Bearcrawl between corners. Finish with a Ring of Fire, ab excercises called. Treat #4 distributed, PBRs. We tried to make our downranger shotgun the beer as a hazing tactic, but he declined.

Namerama, Numberama, YHC took us out.

NMS: I love this group because we know how to push ourselves hard and laugh and make fun of ourselves the whole time. Let’s keep doing it. Thanks guys for playing along.

SYITG

7 strong posted at Mary this morning and here is how it all went down.

6 of us took a little field trip over to the church parking lot for warm ups. Then mossy over to the other church and ran into Hitch who somehow tracker us down a mile from the flag – well done hitch !

Okay now we are ready – partner up run to the fence and back exercises – incline merkins, WW2’s, dips.

Mossy – partner up again – bear crawl around the circle – exercises – squats, lbc’s, ssh’s

Lunges across the driveway – mossy through the neighborhood – partner up 10 boyah merkins – mossy to the pull up bars. 3 pull ups – 3 rounds exercises – incline merkins, dips, ww2’s.

Native American run back to the flag – ring of fire dealers choice 10 merkins – quick mary – recover.

Great work guys, thanks for allowing me to lead this morning. Glad to know all those degrees you have includes tracking skills Hitch 🙂 Still not sure why BODO’s grabbed a pole during boyah merkins 🙂 And still trying to figure out Anthrax’s dad joke that nobody laughed at 🙂 Good effort though Anthrax I know you were trying to fill the void with Sabbski not there to tell a raunchy joke 🙂

Thanks for taking us out Lockjaw.

See y’all in the gloom!

Today marks 12 years since we lost my best friend, Shawn Hogan. Shawn was truly one of a kind—a rockstar in every sense. At just 28, he achieved more than many do in a lifetime. He excelled as an academic, soldier, and athlete. While I could go on about his many accomplishments, I’ll let you explore those details for yourself:

https://www.douglasandjohnson.com/obituary/2761295

https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=EventExt&ID=35867

https://www.instagram.com/jimbobroski/reel/CtrZItxA6P_

So in Shawn’s honor YHC decided to do a little memorial to him with some exercises inspired by Shawn’s athletic prowess.

Started out with some stretching and introductary stories about Shawn for the first 5 minutes. After 5 minutes was up for strecching every minute on the minute until the end we would do 2x burpees, so that’s 40 times, which is fitting because Shawn would have been 40 this year.

First round of exercises was a triple check after we moseyed on over to the tennis courts. There we all got into teams and did three rounds. Runner is the timer, and the two others did a mix of flutters and Freddie Mercuries. Next exercise was the big one.

Linked above is an Instagram video that explains some of it. So Shawn being the great solider that he was after he passed away CrossFit did a Hero WOD for him. The workout that Shawn made years ago which was inspiration for this consisted of running a total of 5 miles and every 5 minutes you do 50 merkins and 50 squats, all the while the clock is still going, for the five minute increments. The goal is to finish the merkins and squats as fast as possible so you can use the balance of that 5 minutes to pack on some more miles so you can get to a total of 5 miles. YHC modifed the workout to be 5 laps around the tennis courts with each lap stopping to do 50 merkins and 50 squats. This proved to be a bit too much and YHC had to do an audible part of the way through, but spirits were high, and by the way we were still stopping to do 2x burpees every minute.

After that it was over to the pull up bars for Shawn’s favorite exercises pullups and dips. Given his love of rock climbing Shawn could do an incredible amount of upper body exercises. Team up in threes for a triple check, timer does 5x pullups while other two do dips and side straddle hops. Finished with that mosey back to the flag for Abs Mary, which was inspired by a spring break trip to south beach Miami our senior year at VMI.

Finished out with names, numbers and announcements.

YHC took us out.

Thank you all for partaking in this little memorial for my dear friend Shawn, much appreciation for the love and support this group has offered over the years.

A mighty 13, including some long lost cotters, converged for 45 minutes of Mary on the 10th day of the 10th month of the year. After some happy greetings and mockery, the workout commenced. Here’s what happened:

COP on the blacktop. Standard fare

10 Rounds of 10 Sets of 10 Excercises

>> 1st round- Blacktop

10 merkins – 10 squats – 10 LBCs. 10 stations, mosey between stops.

>> 2nd round – Soccer Fields

10 SSHs – 10 plank jacks – 10 WW2s. 10 Stations, mosey between stops.

>> 3rd round- Field

10 Jump Squats – 10 Carolina dry docks – 10 2x flutters. 10 Stations, mosey between stops

>>Back to the flag for the Final Set: 10 Burpees.

Numberama, Namerama, YHC took us out.

NMS. Great to see some old pals like Slurpee, Sugar Sock, the Mayor, and Slippin Jimmy. We did not have time to do 10 rounds of 10 burpees at the end as planned. Everyone was very disappointed but all agreed enthusiastically to do 9 more sets of 10 burpees throughout the day. The highlight of the day was Gumbo describing Senor Frog’s Running style: “Burst then Hairball, Burst then Hairball…”

With everything that is happening in the world, every day without death or catastrophe in your life is a gift of grace. Receive it, enjoy it, share it.

A formidable 15 descended upon Mary to see what geriatric-friendly workout would be dispensed. After paying homage to the Esther Williams and the Land O Lakes butter lady, the pax partook in the following:

• Run out and back stopping for burpees while partner performs rotation of dips, derkins,and incline merkins.
• Triple check: balls to wall, WWIIs, Bernie out and run back
• Descending Dora’s: LBC’s (300), Flutters (200 2-count), Merkins (100)
• Courts: Bear Crawls, Crab Walks, Polar Bears, Crawl Bears…stopping in between the course for a few minutes of Mary (abs)
• Finish with some burpees

NMS: This is the most extensive BB YHC has composed in a long time given no one reads these. Why the change in heart you ask?, it is because Splinter guilted me into it.

Kotters to SugarSock…please stick with it and don’t be a stranger

Remember, nothing lasts but everything lingers

Saab abides

Men emerged from the gloom to see what “likely to lead” had in store for them. Off to the side yard grass for COP. The usual suspects plus some more intense yoga got us started.

Off to the pavilion for 11s – Abyss Merkins and Pole Smokers. Return the tables in their proper order and off to the blacktop.

Triple Check – P1mkaraoke out, 3 burpees, karaoke back. P2 does elbow plank and P3 does BTTW.

Circle up around the monkey bars. One person does 15 leg lifts while the Pax does the following: R1 flutters kicks, R2 squats, R3 Carolina Dry Docks. A round of arm circles for the Pax who have left us.

Back to the blacktop for some Mary. 10 APDs and 20 American Hammers. Hitch’s kid alarm sounded and we needed to head back to the flag.

YHC took us out.

Warm up SSH, DMHangs,cherry pickers, LBC, Suzanne summers, Listen to Saab talk about Ester Williams, Merkins, helicopters, arm circles F and R

Mosey to field. Run to tree, 5 WW2, bernie back, next tree 10 ww2, bernie back, loop until 45, last tree 45 2 count flutters.

Run to Hitchikers daughters classroom window at the school for a triple check: peoples chair, Jump squats, run

Mosey to chin ups, 5 chin ups while pax is doing incline merkins

Mosey to flag, Merkin ring of fire, Merkiner picks the type.

Circle up, Prayer, exit to change the world.