I’ve been doing F3 off and on for just over a year now. With a two year old and a 4 month old at home, I’m not able to attend as regularly as I’d like, but this community has been an inspiration and a support over the past year. I don’t have time now to hit the gym after work like I used to, and my toddler isn’t fond of the running stroller these days. F3 gives me a more intense and more engaging workout than I ever experienced at the gym, albeit with more fart noises.

But more importantly, F3 has given me a community that’s striving to live with intention and effort. Instead of rolling out of bed to get my kids ready for the day in a lazy-parent haze, I begin the day by meeting challenges and pushing myself alongside others getting after it. I’m outside, enlivened by the crisp morning air and humbled by the stars above. I leave with focus and clarity.

Given that experience, I’m grateful to have led my VQ and grateful for all the faithful PAX who made it possible. Let’s get to it.

Warmup

25xSSH

15x arm circles / reverse

10x merkins

20x mountain climbers

(Halfway through warm-up, YHC realized that when you Q, you sure have to talk a lot.)

The Thang

Moseyed to the pull-up bars outside of some prissy over-priced fitness organization in town (that does provide excellent pull-up bars, for which we are grateful). We divided up into groups of three for the following rotation.

• 1 pax does merkins
• 1 pax spots
• 1 pax does 10x pull-ups or fail + 5x
•  Rotate through until everyone has done 3 sets of pull-ups

With everyone’s upper bodies weak and flimsy (or at least mine), we moseyed to the playground at Central Park, where we got destroyed by the following.

• 20x dips
• 10x irkins
• 20x dips
• 10x derkins

After a much-needed 10-count, we headed just above the playground to the grassy hill for some Jacob’s Ladder of a grueling nature.

• 20x burpees at the top
• 5x squat jumps at the bottom
• Repeat transferring the count by intervals of 5 (15x/10x, 10x/15x, etc.) until the starting count is reversed.
• Curse this deranged fool trying to do a VQ.

Modified Mary

To conclude, we stayed there and combined the Mary with motion. We divided into two teams for a little competition.

• One pax from each team runs the loop around the grassy knoll until each team members has run.
• The other pax alternate with each lap between LBC’s IC, superman, and bows-to-toes (thanks, Riggs).

Once everyone had run, we moseyed back to ReCity, arriving right at closing time. YHC’s great fears that he’d run out of material and resort to hopscotch and patty cake never materialized.

Moleskin

We heard from Nickeback about a second site in Hillsborough going public soon. Watch for it on the site and slack.

COT

Prayers for Loonie’s father awaiting a diagnosis and for SalPal’s great aunt as she continues to recover from heart surgery.

TClaps to Happy Gilmore for VQ’ing this week at the Dance, setting an example I could follow; to Riggs, for suggesting I give it a try; and to 2ply, for answering my email inquiring about F3 over a year ago and welcoming me to my first Q.