YHC was not sure what numbers would be like today given MNF and temperatures dipping into the upper 40s. But the Q was hopeful given an early #PB, a few AO regulars, and a tweet from Crocs suggesting he might post just 2 days after running the Chicago Marathon. At 0525 Toxic pulled in. At 0530 … a pair began the workout.
YHC was not sure the original plan would work with just 2 men and so I started to alter the workout with quadrophelia up the entrance hill, but wait — what were those headlights coming through the traffic light? It was Amen joining us! Toxic and I finished our hill ascent and then moseyed back to the bottom where we met up with Amen and shuffled left and right to the corner of the parking lot behind the rectory.
MIND OVER MATTER?
Waiting for us there was a 4×4 grid of F3 cards. Our selections would determine the morning’s warm-up. And the warm-up may have lasted the whole workout had the Q not modified to use the short bus rules: leaving cards turned over as we took turns drawing new ones and matching anything face-up. Fifteen minutes into the workout, we threw in the towel and moseyed on to the main event (and the larger grid).
Grabbing a block for each of us, we pondered the 6×6 grid nervously. YHC had come up with a plan following the pitfalls at Cauldron two weeks earlier and shared it with the pax. With plan in place, we managed to knockout the larger grid with only one round of burpees and one lap around the lot. In fact, we did so well that we were able to get through another 4×5 grid for MARY — something that we had to forego at Cauldron. How did we do it? You’ll have to #S2K at the next round of Memory (and hope that either Amen or Toxic show up to share our memory hack).
Q MUSINGS
- Toxic usually posts at Fartlek on Tuesday, but opted to make up for a missed Monday bootcamp
- Amen typically posts at Fallout, but Etch and Frontier were not around to meet up with him
- Amen wasn’t going to post on his day off, but changed his mind last minute
- The MQ was MIA; I’m not sure he has posted at his AO in the past month
It’s a humbling experience to show up for a Q and have very few pax show up. The M and I often talk about coincidence vs “God-incidence”. I believe God inspired two pax who might not have posted at Gladiator under normal circumstances, to post at Gladiator this morning so as not to leave YHC alone in a parking lot.
It reaffirms my conviction that as MQ, I will be present for every man who offers to Q at my AO. Not all men are as popular as Uncle RIco or as fit as Jolly Roger (I may have those mixed up), but as an organization that strives to invigorate male community leadership, it is important that we provide opportunities for all men to lead — something that can’t be done without followers. There are several reasons for low turnout at a workout (late night, unexpected weather, family emergency, alternative options). But if possible, we should always try to support the men who step up to Q even if not a close friend or in top physical form. Most pax who have done F3 for more than a year would agree it’s not the #1stF that makes F3 special. A lesson I will keep in mind when choosing when and where to post in the future.