BACKBLAST 12-30-2023 – The Mick’s 2023 Blowout at The Hub
F3 Mission – Plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership
F3 (5) Pillars – (1) Free of Charge, (2) Open to all Men, (3) Held outdoors, (4) Peer led in a rotating fashion, (5) Ends with a Circle of Trust (COT)
“Leave no man behind, but leave no man where you found him”
Weather – 29 deg F, cloudy, overcast
Pax – (17) The Mick (QIC), Lights Out, 45, HHH, Mufasa, Scarecrow, Class Act, Heisenberg, Rusty, FNG (Mulligan), The Count, Optimus, Dash (Little Minion), Mr. Incredible, Atticus, Trader Joe, Peyton
5am Pre-Pre Ruckers – (2) Atticus, Mufasa
6am Pre-Ruckers – (9) Atticus, Mufasa, Rusty, Lights Out, Heisenberg, Peyton, Trader Joe, Class Act, The Mick
Warm-up
10 Slllloooooowww Abe Vigoda
10 Slllloooooowww Bean Picker
10 Slllloooooowww Apollo Ono
10 Bonnie Blair
10 Campbells Dance Party
Count Off
Light Pole Lap – Get a Block – Move the Block up onto MO7 Hill
First Thang – Murder Bunny Blowout
• 4 Blocks were set-up on the long slop of the hill. The blocks were about 60 feet apart
• We did 5 rounds moving around the blocks (like running the bases) in squads
• We did and exercise at each block. When your entire squad finished the set you moved to the next block, thus completing 4 sets of the exercise
• The rounds went like this
Round | Mode of Travel around the square (block to block) | Exercise (10 reps at each Block) |
1 | Murder Bunnies | Overhead Press |
2 | Farmers Carry – Right Arm | Left Arm Row |
3 | Farmers Carry – Left Arm | Right Arm Row |
4 | Overhead Carry | Jump Squat |
5 | Murder Bunnies | Curl |
Second Thang – Murderous Dora
• Partner up – Dora from hell time on the west parking lot
• Pax 1 does exercises while Pax 2 was the timer
• Pax 2 the timer, run to the long parking lot marker – 1,2, or 3 burpees, run back to start, run to the second long parking lot marker 2, 4 or 6 burpees, run back to start, run across the parking lot 3, 6, or 9 Burpees run back to start
• Flap jack
• Exercises were: 250 SSH, 250 WWI’s, 250 Squats (skipped in the interest of time – had to do the iconic Merkin Core Complex)
Third Thang – Merkin Core Complex
10 Reps – CC – Each move
Merkin – Done with our Blocks | Core – with Block held overhead |
Right hand on block | Low Flutters |
Left hand on block | Leg Raises |
Inclined Merkin | Low Flutters |
Derkin | Leg Raises |
(we skipped the next 4 styles) |
Cool Down Thang
• Squaticide to 10 parking stripes
Mosey to the Flag
• 10CC – Dying Cockroach
• 10CC – E2K (elbow to knee each side)
• 10OYO – Side Crunch (each side)
Moleskin
Everyone was in a holiday spirit and the beatdown was solid but not grueling by any means. Instead we did more moves, more “Thangs.” Had we focused on the first Thang doing all planned 9 rounds, it would have felt tougher. Had we done all the planned Dora, it would have been tougher. Had we done all 10 rounds of merkin-core, it would have been tougher. But some of use did get 4 rounds of 18 burpees (total 72). And it was enjoyable to have some variety.
I am feeling the need for more rep driven, full set beatdowns. I feel a little out of shape, but that may bejust the circumstances of my own trials and tribulations this fall. As always, if we hang those trials and tribulations on our source of faith, we find we can overcome them. We also find that the fellowship of F3 helps pull a man through. Remember the motto: Leave no man behind. Leave no man where you found him. F3 Did that for me this fall as you all came to my aid with your prayers and well wishes. They always mean more than you know. And the trite “thank-you” is heartfelt and humble.
We had a good morning rucking. I was late, as I circled back in my neighborhood checking on a suspicious car (it looked like Pac Rat, but he was supposed to be away). Heisenberg tried to hold Atticus back and wait for me, but Atticus had to launch and off the Pax went. Following Atticus’ lead (just think how sad that is ????). I found them by rucking the course backwards (sorta). The F3 lesson of course is: “Early is on-time, On-time is late.”
Well, its New Years Eve and I need to submit this before you all are too drunk to read it. So, I am stopping. At least I am finishing this Backblast in the same week as the Beatdown. A rarity for me. HAPPY NEW YEAR men. May God richly bless you and your families next year and every year (He will, but sometimes you just must look a little harder to find those blessings)
Prayer (TAPS)
We prayed for The Mick’s father whose is home suffering with a long bout of congestive heart failure.
The Mick