A lot of things on my mind the past couple of days as I watched the documentary No Greater Love. So as I jogged in the gloom to meet up with the Pax, veterans were heavy on my heart. The pavement was wet from the rain in the middle of the night, but temps were perfect. I have to say that I’ve been missing the gloom and haven’t seen a majority of the Pax in quite some time. The F3 disclaimer was given as we had an FNG (Pigeon), and we were then off on a jog to the opposite parking lot to warm up.
Warm-Up
- Side Straddle Hops x 25 IC
- Imperial Walkers x 10 IC
- Hillbillies x 10 IC
- Air Squats x 10
- Merkins x 10
- Mountain Climbers x 15 IC
After the dynamic warm-up, we moseyed on to the playground and partnered up for some dora-type fun!
The Thang
100 x Squats/Lunges Combo (1 Squat, 1 left leg forward lunge, 1 right leg forward lunge = 1 rep) –> While P1 completed reps of the exercise, P2 ran to just before the tennis court and back. Flapjack and continue until reaching 100 in total.
75 x Man Maker variation (squat thrust, push-up, left shoulder tap, push-up, right shoulder tap, stand up = 1 rep) –> While P1 completed reps of the exercise, P2 ran to just before the tennis court and back. Flapjack and continue until reaching 75 in total.
50 x Burp-ups (burpee then jump up into a pull-up = 1 rep) –> While P1 completed reps of the exercise, P2 ran to just before the tennis court and back. Flapjack and continue until reaching 50 in total.
Mosey on to the tennis courts for some Mary.
Mary
20 Hail Mary – P1 planks while P2 does dips with feet on P1’s upper back. Flapjack
Flutter Kicks x 10 IC, Leg Raises x 10, Box Cutters x 10 IC (with no breaks)
Butterfly sit-ups x 12 (WW2s with bottom of shoes together)
Closing
I shared a brief summary of the No Greater Love documentary with the Pax. It is essentially about an Army battalion called No Slack. Army chaplains do not carry weapons, and the army chaplain of No Slack decided to take a video camera with him on a combat deployment to Afghanistan in 2015. This is emotional to watch as it discusses losses, injuries, and struggles through the soldiers’ eyes. The documentary is titled after John 15:13 – “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We truly do not understand the sacrifices the men and women of our armed forces face – the emotional turmoil and struggle within. For those that do make it back from war, the transition to civilian life is such a struggle that they often lose their dearest relationships as they deal with the dark cloud that surrounds them from their experiences. As we go into the long weekend and going forward, please shake the hands of and thank the veterans that you meet along the way. While we can not understand their internal fight, we can surely try to bring them a sense of normalcy and appreciation for what they have done to give us and our great country the freedom that it enjoys. Continue to push each other in the gloom. We are blessed to be able to do this.
I took us out in prayer.
Thank you for allowing me to lead. I’ve missed you guys and the gloom.
Pats on booties,
Your Puerto Rican Papi, Bernie
