Impromptu Endure Ants

Weather: temp 77F and dew point 74F. Yes, still FL humid, so let’s have fun and run so we can get to the beatdown!

Pre-run: YHC and Defib launched at 0344 for a speed workout at Mount UTC. We covered about 7.5-miles with 800m repeats and a 1-miler to finish us off. We returned to the tower parking lot to a convivial gathering of 18 unsuspecting pax with a few minutes to spare.

Welcome: At exactly 0515, it became apparent that no one knew who was on Q. YHC jumped in and pulled a proverbial rabbit from the hat and growled-out the 5 Core F3 Principles and the disclaimer, then launched the pax into a quick parking lot mosey that included lateral slides, a random burpee and butt-kickers. Then the pax circled-up for CoP.

Circle of Pain (CoP):

  1. SSH, x30 IC with a Ripken-style cadence progression
  2. Fast-fire-feet, for a while
  3. Imperial Walkers, x20 IC
  4. Strawberry Pickers, x15 IC

The Thang: Since YHC spent some time on the run last week contemplating potential beatdowns, there were several ready-made catastrophes to invoke. YHC settled on an Endure Ants beatdown. Since the Bible suggests that man observe the ant to understand hard work and diligence, today’s beatdown was tailored to convey similar traits to the pax. Accountability and teamwork play an important part in any fitness program.

After a quick beatdown intro, YHC called out Defib to start us up. Since accountability is important for one to accelerate in the proper direction, YHC deemed it fitting to have one pax perform 15 burpees in the center of the pax circle while the remaining pax conducted an exercise of the previous burpee pax’s choosing (for the first round, YHC chose LBCs). After the “center of attention” completed his 15 burpees, he then led the pax in a lap around the parking lot. Said burpee pax also was instructed to set the pace and no other pax was allowed to pass him, or all pax would suffer a 10 burpee penalty. Upon commending the lap, YHC sought out a volunteer to take on the burpee pax role for the next round. At the lap’s finish, the previous burpee pax chose the next exercise for the pax circle.

All told, some 9 pax entered the center and each completed all of the prescribed 15 burpees: Defib, Big Mac, Slater, Puck, Tree Hugger (FNG), Stagecoach, Ace, Houdini, and Goob were the lucky pax. Including the mosey, 2.25-miles were registered on YHC’s garmin.

Pax circle exercises were as follows: LBCs, Big Boy Situps, Shoulder Taps, Overhead claps, merkins, squats, Atomic Situps (thank you Tree Hugger), Freddy Mercury. There was no 9th exercise as we hit the tower because of our FNG (Tree Hugger).

Once at the base of the Tower, YHC communicated that part of Endure Ants training is to go anaerobic from time-to-time for maximum benefit. So the knock-out blow was 20 burpees OYO then a Tower jailbreak. It was gnarly, but all pax made it. Puck needed a little extra flat-backed recovery time, but he took it like man. Good to see young guys escaping the Matrix to work on the Temple.

Welcome FNG, Tree Hugger!

It was fun.

Announcements:

  1. Care2Tri 5K, need more F3 team members to regain top spot
  2. Ragnar Training ongoing, seeing lots of miles and doubles. Get your training in!
  3. Need pax to step-up and lead beatdowns some beatdowns, see schedule and sign-up for at least one

Prayer Requests / Praises:

  1. Jimmy Dean’s niece in need of prayer
  2. Mopar and Lonestar’s walk ending soon
  3. Injured and fartsacked pax
  4. First Responders

Great job to all pax for making this gloom fun.

“To do what others cannot, do what others will not.”

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