Tag: DownRange

  • The Salty Oyster

    Just a bit down range in the salty town of Chincoteague, the Old Salt rose early for a 5k with the 2.0’s. He tried desperately to wake them, but the appeal of the fart sack was too strong, since they crushed it at the beach yesterday. Undeterred, the Old Salt heads out on his own 5k adventure.

    The weather was 70 degrees and sunny with just the right amount of oppressive humidity. Rather than continue this awful third person narration, I’ll just say that this is where my head was at:

    I have an amazing wife and kids! I am blessed to have them! Blessed to be in better head space to appreciate them more:

    “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD.” Proverbs 18:22

    “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” Psalm 127:3-4

    I am so thankful for the difference F3 has made in my life! I am excited for what the future holds for the PAX. Time to go big!

    “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” Proverbs 15.22

    See you at the crossroads,

    Bone Thugs

  • Don’t You Dare Touch-a-Tree

    One PAX sallied forth into the first of several days of vacation in the mountains formerly known as Western Virginia. Dodging the occasional morning walker, YHC relished the sunny and 70 temps while doing:

    Do Not Even Think of Touching a Tree

    YHC loves directions. Complicated directions. Today’s workout was dedicated to Fudd, Wilson, and all the other PAX for whom YHC’s directions have proven elusive. Even when done the same way for 4 years. Or, when provided in writing.

    Today’s workout was simple: a) do it OYO, and 2) make it hard. With some fine print.

    Directions:

    Pick a section of the park in front of YHC’s cottage. A “section” is any grassy area bounded by a path (bike path, walking path, road, any asphalt, gravel, or YHC was just not sure, so YHC called it a path to get this show on the road). For any PAX not sure of what a “section” is, it is what you say it is. OYO. Make it hard.

    Mosey to a tree in that section to start. Do 5 or 10 reps of an exercise (mercans and any ab exercise were today’s winners as YHC’s knee continues to be balky). Generally, do 4-count exercises. OYO. Make it hard.

    Mosey to the “next” tree of choice in that section. 5 or 10 reps. Dealer’s Choice on the exercise. OYO. Make it hard.

    Continue until YHC visited every tree in a section, generally between 5 and 30 trees.

    YHC estimates 5-6 sections.

    Fine Print:

    Answers to questions that the PAX would have asked, if the PAX were present:
    Park benches are 20 dips.
    Light poles are a burpee.
    Funky looking ivy-like trees are 5 WWIIs.
    Make an honest effort to alternate mercans with ab exercises.
    A single mercan includes touching the ground with your chest.
    Curls with the plastic buckets in the kid’s sand box are optional.

    If the terrain is approached going up-hill, exercises are done “incline.”
    If the terrain is approached down hill, exercises are “decline.”
    Again, OYO. Make it hard.

    Finish an entire section before moving to the next section.
    Bear crawl across any asphalt, gravel, road, etc.
    Move only between adjacent sections.
    If this is not possible, bear crawl to the next section. OYO. Make it hard.

    Rule #1: Do not touch a tree, a branch, a leaf, a pine needle, or any other object naturally attached to a tree, other than the roots. Penalty is 5 burpees. Per branch or tree. No penalties were incurred.

    Rule #2: Do not ruin or break a spider web. (More challenging than it sounds). Penalty is 10 burpees. Some burpees were incurred.

    Rule #3: Do not leave a section without completing all required exercises. Penalty is 5 burpees, per tree or bench. YHC missed a set of benches hidden by bushes. Ugh.

    Number-am-a, Name-a-ram-a, YHC took himself out.

    NMS:

    YHC is ready for vacation. He’s been on the DL much of the spring/summer. A workout with light running, but solid intensity was what YHC needed.

    Today’s message to Self:

    F3 is fundamentally about Accountability. A lone PAX has to step up the Accountability. No cheating on the mercans. No moving on without doing the extra work when a penalty is incurred. No stopping with sections left in the park. No holding a contest and then not following through when you lose the contest (YHC sees you – and, you know who you are).

    Make a commitment to do the work. Follow through on that commitment. Accountability in Life is OYO. Accountability is hard.

  • Holden Beach

    The daily workouts on vacation included a 4 mile beach run with 6 rounds of 10 reps – – Pull ups – Incline merkins – Dips !

    Beach running sucks on these ole legs but much cooler down there than on the road… Was a quick week but certainly relaxing with way too much ice cream. Look forward to seeing you dudes in the gloom – sucks working out alone…

  • Shovel Flag Supremacy

    Brothers, YHC writes to you again from Papua New Guinea, proud to report we now boast a terrific PNG Shovel Flag and have been maintaining a solid three-member PAX (latest addition is “Cinco”, Dr Nathan Mason, father of five). Continuing the Tue/Thur/Sat bootcamps, this morning marked YHC’s 19th Q for F3PNG. It has been nice to start running some Triple Checks now that we’ve consistently had three men attending. While the headlock is steadily applied every day around Station, there seems to be an ongoing reluctance for most to escape the fartsack, or for those who have tasted the pain, to return. YHC has received a few messages from F3RVA brothers back home and it means the world to hear from you guys. Thank you! Honestly it doesn’t sound like YHC is missing much back in RVA, which is good because our return has been delayed another 6 weeks or so. We can all pray COVID soon becomes a weird memory, and we can reunite in the Gloom as in days of yore. Yours Truly, DTH

  • F3PNG “Ground Zero”


    F3RVA Brothers, Greetings from Papua New Guinea! YHC is writing to report on F3PNG which is making slow progress. Upon my arrival, a short invitation & F3 description was provided to all the missionaries here on Kudjip Station, declaring the new AO “Ground Zero” would be meeting at the Haus Bung Field every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, from 6-6:45am. This would provide YHC a total of 18 workouts during our stay to establish F3PNG. However, while “F3PNG” has a nice ring to it, YHC has been sorely missing the 2nd F. Despite a steady welcoming headlock on the various missionary and national men here, up until this morning’s workout, YHC has Q’d solo workouts. 

    A few conclusions have resulted: 1) Workouts seem to take FOREVER and are fairly boring without the 2nd F mumble chatter and camaraderie, 2) the solo-Q beatdown is absolutely exhausting …DTH vs DTH is a serious battle ground! – sufficient to produce the lactic acid shakes without tempting merlot spillage, 3) the Altitude at 5,254ft may also have something to do with feeling absolutely winded, and 4) apparently the moonlit gloom of 6am is too early for missionary men. So on Tuesday and Thursday, 3rd F alone carried 1st F to glory. 

    This morning, YHC arrived just shy of 0600 to find the Field once again empty. COP#1 ensued, followed by a Lindsey of Burpees and Lt Dans on either end of Love Hill. Around 0615 upon a labored return to the top of Love Hill, YHC noticed a young PNG man casually stretching and observing YHC’s progress. In passing, YHC asked him if he was here to workout, which he affirmed, and YHC’s little heart skipped a beat for joy, then welcomed the young man to join in. Over the course of the remaining 30minutes, YHC delivered a challenging but considerate survey of typical F3 exercises while providing an F3 history. The man’s name is Scott, age 20, and works at the local Health Center. His F3 nickname is appropriately “FirstMon”, and we closed with a solid COT. Perhaps next week we’ll see an influx of local guys and F3PNG can get some momentum going. 

    The work here is very challenging, but also very rewarding. Your prayers are welcome! Please read about it on my latest Blog post: http://hendersonsinmissions.blogspot.com/2020/03/back-to-reality.html?m=1

    I appreciate you guys more now than ever – the entity of F3RVA is something truly awesome and I’ll look forward to my return if only for that reason alone. Best, DTH

  • Down Range, Missionary Style

    Guatemala Medical Mission Trip 2019 – After a long clinic day in a remote jungle village, then a harrowing 4×4 trek across flooding rivers (had to tow the van stuck mid-river on one of them), we finally arrived back at the hotel and Seadoo joined YHC to cool off in the pool before dinner. No sooner had we arrived but the heavens opened and we swam a few laps while thick cold rain pelted us from above and drowned out the mumble chatter. YHC suggested a little Dora action might be fun, and Seadoo readily agreed. No sooner had we started but one of our translators, a young Guatemalan man named Danny Harrera, came out to the pool and watched us with that “whatever you’re doing looks awesome” look – so we naturally invited him to join us – and he jumped right in! So here’s how a few regular guys, thrown together with God’s perfect timing, chose to plant the F3 Flag on virgin Guatemalan soil…

    The THANG:

    COP #1 — Dora 1-2-3

    • Alternate swimming the length of the pool & back, while the following exercises completed:
    • x100 Merkins
    • x200 Squats
    • x300 LBC’s

    COP #2 — Triple Check

    • Dips, Flutters, and “Wet” Seal Crawl around inside circumference of kiddie pool – 30 yards of walking yourself by hand (legs dragging behind) in 1’ of water

    COP #3:

    • Hold Al Gore while providing F3 Welcome & Disclaimer (…better late than never)
    • Plank for Tempo Merkins
    • x10 Carolina Dry Docks IC
    • Holding plank, reviewed F3 Core Principles and then completed more Tempo Merkins, invoking a Swirly-style HOLD IT at the bottom each time! 🙂
    • APD’s x10 IC
    • Imp Walkers x10 IC
    • Crab Cakes x10 IC
    • Dancing Bears x10 IC

    COP #4 — Poolside Elevens:

    • First side – lift body up out of water pressing hands down on edge of pool…like vertical merkins
    • Second side – legs up on edge of pool performing sit ups for chest to touch thighs
    • Swim between sides of pool

    COT:

    • Counterama #3
    • Namerama (FNG Pacifico, 37yo)
    • YHC took us out in Prayer

    NMS: 

    • Life can be exhausting, and you might think that you deserve a little relaxation at the end of a hard day of work… but sometimes giving your body a good whipping is the best way to release stress! …especially in the pelting rain, especially with F3 brothers, and especially when you’re full of the joy of the Lord serving on a missions trip. But what really made this workout special was Pacifico, who didn’t hesitate one bit to jump in and try something entirely weird and exhausting, with guys he barely knows. And the COP was powerful! It felt great to share with him the essence of F3 which is such an integral part of YHC’s life now. May God grant Pacifico the desire to ignite F3 Guatemala! 
  • Wedding Singer Sighting?

    Two PAX once again showed up to meet in the gloom before another day of our Leadership retreat with LMR.

    Word around the resort is that there was a Wedding Singer sighting. Knowing that this was his anniversary weekend we figured he had good reason not to join the PAX this morning. Congrats Wedding Singer to you and the M on your anniversary.

    A 4.1 mile run though Kingsmill is not a bad way to start the day. Lots of mumble chatter about our weekend at the retreat and the people we have met. We were both excited to hear about everyone’s BRR accomplishments and can’t wait to hear the stories. Both of us agreed we never want to see Upgrades BRR outfit in person.

    Enjoy the day gentlemen.

  • IronPax Week 1 Downrange

    Two Davillians downrange in Richmond County part of the Rappahannock river got in this week’s IronPax Challenge.

    This is how it went down

    THANG

    Killer B’s

    5 Round of the Following:

    • Broad jump 10 yds, 10 Burpees, 10 BonnieBlairs, 10 BigBoi Situps
    • Broad jump 10 yds, 10 Burpees, 10 BonnieBlairs, 10 BigBoi Situps
    • Broad jump 10 yds, 10 Burpees, 10 BonnieBlairs, 10 BigBoi Situps
    • Bearcrawl 30 yards back to the Start line

    Rinse and Repeat

    YHC also added in a 8 mile run before hand

    MOLESKIN

    T-Claps to my father-in-law for support of this challenge this week. He didn’t try to complete the whole thing. Mainly made sure YHC was honest. Total time of 25.01 for YHC.

    SPIT ON THAT!!

  • Oyster Gumbo served up riverside

    Two PAX brushed off a day of leadership seminar training sessions and a few Kentucky Mules to post in the gloom (yes, at 0530) at Kingsmill to do what needed to be done…time to get to work.

    2.5 mile mosey around the grounds of Kingsmill. Find an open parking lot for 2 rounds of 4 corners with 10 merkins, 10 jump squats, 5 burpees and 10 WWII situps at the respective corners.

    Then find a ledge/step for 3 rounds of 20 dips and 20 box jumps/step ups.

    Mosey a little over a mile back to the lobby area.

    No need to name or number – we got it. Time to mentally prepare for 9 hours with 68 of our closest, newest friends today…the beatdown was needed.

    No More Gumbo For You!

  • Pre Evac Run

    2 runners arrived at The Village at Brunswick Forest for a little pre-evacuation run.

    YHC got the word last night that the coastal beaches Brunswick County North Carolina (where YHC is on vaca at the moment), have to be evacuated starting at noon today. YHC wanted to make sure he got at least one post at the Leland AO’s of F3 Cape Fear

    YHC arrived at 5:27 to a empty, worried he would be running parking lot repeats. Luckily Lasorda showed up shortly after

    We put in a little overtime and got in just under 6 miles Good to meet Lasorda and learn more about the Leland and how that area is growing in the F3 community.

    SPIT ON THAT!!