YHC, not having posted at Vortex before, showed up 10 minutes early and scouted out the AO. I could not have asked for a more excellent place, or for more perfect weather.

The Warmup

YHC, not have posted at Vortex before, stuck with the Tobacco Road and Piranha tradition of warming up in the parking lot, which drew some funny looks and mumble chatter. But to the PAX credit, they followed me around the gravel, skipping and butt kicking cheerfully.

• Side Shuffle hop IC x 25
• Hill billies IC x 12
• Slow squat IC x 10
• Slow merkin IC x 9
• Mosey around the parking lot throwing in some high knees, butt kicks, and skips, ending in the field

The Thang

Introduction to the “Teddy Roosevelt”, which until today had only ever been done at the Tobacco Road AO. Named for Teddy Roosevelt, both a physically powerful man and also a literary man, this routine hits all three F’s—the third F by building our souls with selections of manly literature. One PAX starts reading a quote/poem, which acts as the timer. The reader holds a squat, while the remaining PAX complete exercises. When the reading is complete, rotate readers, and switch to another exercise. Alternate exercises until everyone has read.

Appropriately, we started with a quote from Theodore Roosevelt (the Patron Saint of Manliness, if you didn’t know, fitting into Brick’s “reading from” theme)—the Man in the Arena, alternating Carolina Dry Docks and Bobby Hurleys.

Mosey over to a soccer goal where we found a conveniently placed paper with a quote by William Barclay, where we learned about the need to act on our fine emotions while alternating All Americans and High Knees.

Mosey over to a mini soccer goal and read “If” by Rudyard Kipling, while alternating high and low plank. It became necessary to read only two verses at a time given that everyone was modifying about halfway through each reading.

We left the soccer field and mosied down to a grassy patch between fields and read about being men fit for adventure, as described by Raymond Chandler. Assisi pointed out the perfect sunrise and majestic falcon that we were enjoying free of charge while completing WW2’s and Homer to Marge (somewhat less majestic movements than our surroundings).

We mosied over to the picnic tables to toil upward and achieve great heights while doing step ups and low kicks to the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The reading took a distinctly Dead-Poet’s-Society turn when PAX starting standing on the picnic tables to read. We watched some ravens chase off a hawk through the parking lot and it was mentioned that we should read some Poe next, to keep our telltale heartbeats beating, but alas, time was not on our side. We had to skip the tennis courts and a final reading in favor of some Mary back on the soccer field.

Mary and CoT

• Heels to heaven IC x 25
• Box cutters IC x 25

The Bull, October 26! Durham F2 event this evening (check slack for details). No specific prayer requests.

What a great AO!