Good time from start to finish today.
Got the band back together, as Elf put it, with an EC 5K. YHC, Misery, Elf, Sweatervest, Juco and beloved, long lost 2Ply. Sweatervest indicated there would be an airing of grievances, but the closest thing was Elf voting with his feet to move to the front group when 2Ply, Misery and YHC started talking basketball. “It’s still football season,” the Clemson-supporting Elf grumbled. (*sotto voce* He’s an angry Elf.)
WARM-UP
Got back to base camp just before 5:30. Late arriving crowd was full of holiday mumble chatter, which YHC endeavored to squash with a 12 Days of Christmas warm-up, a not-new concept that nevertheless does afford endless opportunities for variations. (In fact, spoiler alert, our man Botched may be putting his own spin on it at HOP next week.)
We did the following in a cycle, so one man maker was followed by two burpees and one man maker, followed by three diamond merkins, two burpees, one man maker and so on.
1 Man Maker IC
2 burpees OYO
3 diamond merkin single
4 mountain climber IC
5 merkin single
6 Plank Jack IC
7 WWII OYO
8 High knees IC
9 squat single count
10 Overhead clap single count
11 Good Morning/Windmill
12 Willie Mays Hayes
Threw in stretches there at the end because, hey, it still was technically the warm-up. This took a good 16 minutes, but PAX were definitely warm.
THANG
Moseyed to grab our steel, then partnered up in the parking lot
One partner overhead steel run to top and back while other partner AMRAP bent over rows then switch
One partner backwards run up and back while other partner AMRAP shoulder + calf raise – switch
One partner mosey to top and back while other AMRAP curls – switch. PAX were encouraged to take their time up and down the hill for this one to give partner ample time to sculpt those guns.
Next plan was to enlist some bear crawl and crawl bear in a ladder up the hill. But a wise man once told me not to Q anything you’re not ready to do, and YHC was getting good and smoked at this point. So modified the plan.
1st island – 10 merkins
run to 2nd island – 10 merkins
backwards run to third island – 10 merkins
duck walk to fourth island – 10 merkins
lunge walk to curb – 10 burpees
caught our breath then headed back down
Lunge walk to fourth island – 5 merkins
Duck walk to third island – 5 merkins
Run to second island – 5 merkins
run to first island – 5 merkins
run to curb – 5 burpees
Props to Sawtooth, Driftwood’s 2.0, who showed up sans his IR’d old man to lead the way up and down the mountain.
Total ad lib to finish off
Steel Squat – 15 IC
Steel Curls – 15 IC
Steel Overhead Press – 15 IC
Squat – 10 IC
Curls – 10 IC
Press – 10 IC
MARY
20 Captain Thors
5 burpees OYO
20 OPEC-led Heels to Heaven
20 merkins OYO
25 WWIIs
This was YHC’s fourth Q – and fourth Q site! Always appreciative of the chance to lead you guys. My impulse is to be conscious of those who are fitter than me – which is pretty much everyone! – and push hard without going over my limits. Hopefully the fact that YHC is pretty dang sore and worn out right now means the OPECs and Loonies of the world at least broke a sweat!
COT
Announcement about the 2nd F tonight at Beer Study in Durham, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Prayer Requests for Mark and Amy Humphreys and for Toblerone’s son Jack.
YHC took us out.
WHATEVER THE F3 TERM FOR CLOSING THOUGHT IS
Talked during EC about the FIA PAX who lost her life yesterday in South Carolina, Dianne Wells. Going to belatedly offer up prayers here for her soul, and for her family and all her friends who are mourning her. It’s a reminder to us to always be sure we’re looking out for ourselves and one another, which isn’t to say that wasn’t the case when this tragedy took place yesterday. Sometimes bad things happen. Like when a dear friend of many PAX lost her life last week after an 8-year battle with cancer. We lifted up Amy Humphreys and her family in prayer this morning, and it was good to hear 2Ply and Misery during EC thinking of ways they could support the family not just in the immediate days but in the trying weeks and months ahead. Would expect nothing less from these true blue F3 men. Life is precious. Do as much good as you can while you can.