An amazing 16 PAX showed up at the Vortex for the coldest morning of the winter thus far, a clear and windy 23 degrees. After the normal (light) warm-ups, we headed to the playground for some more substantial limbering up. We did two complete rotations of five stations: merkins, Australian pull-ups, Carolina drydocks, pull-ups, and dips. Timing was set off of pull-ups (each PAX did ten “perfect” pull-ups, dead hanging at the bottom). In order to compensate for the relative lack of legwork, we did twenty cadence-count jump lunges in between sets.
The main event was a variation of an old “favorite”—a relay race around the soccer field (just one field). We split into four teams of four. One PAX ran the perimeter, pausing for twenty merkins at the far corner; another did burpees; and a pair did the ab exercise in which one PAX attempts to throw the feet of another down to the ground. The finish came when all four members had done all four exercises, with rotations keyed off of the runner. The losing team ran to the playground for a “micro-Murph,” consisting of 25 pull-ups, 50 merkins, and 75 air squats. We did this cycle three times. Unclear why it was so challenging. Bean-O was a lightning bolt.
We then bear-crawled to the center of the field for an abbreviated Mary, which consisted of only two exercises. The first was a “circle of fire” of sorts, counting off by ten around the circle, holding a low plank (six inches) for every-other-PAX and a normal plank for every other PAX. Bushwood then did the honors with some flutter kicks before COT.
Each time my body resists leaving the house for a 5:30 a.m. beatdown, I feel like Sam-I-am, assuring it that it will be happy in an hour. Sure enough, yet again this morning, my body discovered that it does like green eggs and ham! “And I would do F3 in a boat! And I would do F3 with a goat… And I will do F3 in the rain. And in the dark. And on a train. And in a car. And in a tree. It is so good so good you see!” Thanks to the PAX who have made this such an important part of my life. Looking forward to a spectacular beatdown by Adolphus next week.
