FNG-1 = Swamp Fox
YHC woke up way too early with an allergy attack. It looked like a murder scene, except with snot instead of blood. Well, might as well do a very rare (for me) standard. Joined by Tugs, Enron, Slingshot, Cousin Eddie, Don Ho, Auto, Jobe, Frodo, Ducky, Anchovy, and probably someone else who I've already forgotten about (no offense), we masterfully debated various philosophical topics on a 2 mi jaunt through Birkdale.
Everyone showed by 0530. Is this what start on time, end on time looks like? After a quick demo of proper WWII form, we embarked on competition-laced journey.
The Thang
Start running down Birkdale Commons. Left on Devonshire then your first left all the way to the end of the cul de sac (Covington Point).
Feat 1: WWII AMRAP for 1 minute. Tugs won (get used to me saying that).
Feat 2: 300 meter sprint. Gee, lookie that…it's 300 meters back to Devonshire. Was that planned? Whatever…GO! YHC came out hot. Around the time I felt sure of victory, I realized that 300 meters is a little longer than a 100 yd dash. Math is hard, especially for an engineer. Tugs comes screaming by about 200 meters in, hurling taunts like "don't slow down just so I can win man, come on". Tugs won.
Feat 3: AMRAP pushups. I couldn't keep my eye on everyone, but it appeared to be an intense battle between Tugs, Swamp Fox, Jobe, Auto, Cherrybomb, and Ramrod. In the end, I think Cherrybomb's form held out the longest.
Feat 4: 1.5 mile run. Go to second intersection up Knox Hill and back to clubhouse. Tugs won.
Feat 5: AMRAP pullups. Form was on the honor system here. Good thing the battle came down to two honorable men in Tugs and Swing State. In the end, Swing State pulled it out.
Feat 6: Run to bridge. 10 Carolina Dry Docks straight into bear crawl 1/3 of the length of the bridge then 10 burpees. And repeato! Here Swamp Fox shined. Dude crushed it, and is a welcome addition to the school of "do hard things".
Feat 7: Return to launch, 1 mile (for a total workout of 4 miles). I was sucking wind too far back to know what really happened, but I'm told Tugs and Ducky both took home the FKT today.
Final Score
- Tugs: 3.5
- Cherrybomb: 1
- Swing State: 1
- Swamp Fox: 1
- Ducky: 0.5
Moleskin
- Doing hard things: FKT isn't for everybody. OH WAIT, YES IT IS. Let's say you came in dead last on all 7 feats. Did you win? If you pushed yourself beyond what you thought your limit was, then yes, YOU WON. You won because you strengthened your body, your mind, and your bond with your brothers. Everybody can do it. We say "you against you" and "pick up the 6" for a reason. All this stuff above about Final Score and whatever is just non-serious fun and stupidity.
- Not just some AOs: Hard things aren't just reserved for the AOs or Qs that are known for being "hard". All AOs and Qs can bring the hard (and often do!). Get comfortable being uncomfortable. (Shameless plug: Embody that mentality by joining the Quarter Ruck. I'll pay your entry charge and a bunch of guys will help you find a ruck, so those aren't barriers to entry.)
- Everyone pushed themselves. Even Frodo, who's coming off a long, nasty bout of sickness. Great job men.
- I threw up in my mouth once. Fortunately it was only a little bit of nachos, not a lot of nachos.
- Jobe seems to be embracing the term Soft Serve. Name change?
- Swamp Fox is here and crushing it. Strong EH by Soprano. Looking forward to seeing what more he can do. Soprano should probably make the quarter ruck a work assignment for him.
- And finally…Tugs. We'll miss you bud and hopefully you'll be back. I'm green with jealous rage at how good you are at everything you do (including humility and bowel regularity), but we're all thankful for the constant push that came from trying to keep up with you!