With many pax out of town for obvious reasons, 4 of us gathered in a post-Thanksgiving paradise workout. We had a special visitor from Jax (Wrangler)…it was great to find out he knows my brother, We are all brothers! But this is my real brother – McDreamy (nantan of Racecoast/Daytona) who used to live in Jax. Cool to welcome any pax to paradise, but a bonus when it’s a close friend of a family member where cool stories are shared.

T-claps to Tagalong. He just moved from F3 Holy City (Charleston SC) a month ago, and makes a long drive on Saturdays from south Tampa to join us. No F3 in Tampa yet (a travesty!) but we are working on how we can use Tagalong to launch one day. Kudos for you for making the hike our way.

Bronto Parade: For a bit of fun, YHC brought (invented??….who knows with all the creativity found in F Nation) a new exercise: Brontosaurus Parade. On all fours like a bear crawl except fully stiff arms and legs (think what a Borotosarsus, Brachiosaurus or your fav sauropod would walk) and form a line like an Indian Run. The dino in back bear crawls to the front and repeato. I liked it and will try again with more pax and see how they feel. If they like it, I will keep it in the rotation. Of course, even if they hate it, that actually is more motivation to keep it in the rotation.

Indie/Psychadelic Indie rock meets St. Pete: YHC did play some tunes on our forays. First offering was Arc Of Bar (Japandroids). I posted in F3 Charlotte Metro for many years and in 2017 Sweeper Boy played this song at Big Hair Monday. Absolutely loved it then and still do! Also played tunes from The New Candys (Italian psych rock), Black Angels (very psych indie rock from Austin, Tx) and The Allah Lahs (California surf indie rock).

While YHC had a reasonably well planned workout scheme, I had to adapt to Plan B and then Plan C on the fly when several of the sub-AO areas we frequent were occupado.

COP: After reciting the 5 principles and mission, mosey to Hooker’s Pier for SSH, Abe Vigodas, Imperial Walkers, stationery high knees, mountain climbers then same adding a merkin in between reps. Short AYG to end of pier and back.

THE THANG: Short mosey around bay beach, then to beach wall next to beach volleyball courts for irkins, dips, wall jumps (or step ups if preferred) and wall lunges (Wrangler call…one leg on wall and one on beach for 10 lunges each side).

• Plan A: Original YHC plan was to head to large grassy area at Vinoy Park, but a large array of tents for Shopapalooza already had squatter’s rights. So a short stint for WWII’s and prison cell sit ups while a pax had a quick Little Pax room break.
• Plan-On-The Fly B:  Head to grassy area next to The Tropics, with a tour of The Tropics for Wrangler. We did Phelps Medley on the way next to aquatic center (butterfly, back, breast and freestyle segments as we ran), then carioca to The Tropics. Alas, there strangely was an early morning wedding going on. Being gents, we recalculated and moseyed on.
• Plan-On-The Fly C: NUR to 3rd option of open grassy area on other side of the start place of our AO. Then we executed a Ferris Wheel: each pax runs 25 yards on the spoke of the wheel, does a called exercise and returns to get next exercise (or in a couple of cases two called exercise then run the perimeter of wheel to next station).  Called exercises by YHC (each pax also was asked to bring up a fav) included Caolina Dry-docks, ski jump planks, surfees, star jacks. Apollo Ohnos, absolutions (Peach), Freddy Mercs (Tagalong), rowboats (Wrangler), and dolphin merkins.
• And then the Bronto Parade (see above). Sure it was a sight to see.
• Mosey about 1/4 mile to start, except we ended on bay beach instated of normal parking lot (the shovel flags fartsacked today). Had a few minutes left so did derkins, RosaDollys, and People’s Chair (added bonus of Muhammad Alis, toe/knee/waist/shoulder taps, and moroccan night clubs).

COT: Countarama, Namearama, Announcements and Prayers. Wrangler invited us to come to Jax CSAUP called The Kraken (14 miles of assorted running, biking, rucking…whatever you please….on Jax and Ponte Vedra beaches). I plan to go there with McDreamy. Will post details in Slack. No other major announcements were had, but Wrangler asked us to pray for his ailing Mom and Dad. YHC took us out.

Always a blessing to lead fine men in getting stronger inside and out,

Bird Hole