If a workout is Off the Books – is there a rule about the timing of the backblast? I’m hoping, no.
Due to a nagging injury (that is still nagging) YHC needed to make up a Horseshoe or two. Blackbeard was a hard commit with the traveling Mall Walkers and I had some additional interest after posting the pre-blast. Shaken’s commit came tied to a promise of a HOLIDAY/HOLIDAY start time of 0630.
0625: THE PAX assembled and were informed that Kid Rock was an HC and was probably on the way.
0629: There was much Horse Trading (equine reference intended) as we laid out the 5 exercises. If I’m being honest, it quickly became an exercise in accommodating Omega. He didn’t want to lay on the ground, he had to have varied exercises, he questioned the order of events, blah blah blah. And then it happened – we told him that in order to hit the 200 Merican Challenge Exercise 1 and Exercise 5 would both be Mericans. He asked if we were “allowed” to do that. Once confirmed – Omega’s demeanor changed. He was visibly glowing. There was a reflexive swelling of his pecs. He unleashed the Pythons and gave everyone a ticket to the gun show. The promise of 200 mericans meant that everything else was gravy. He even agreed to laying on the ground. The gravy came in the form of exercises 2-4: Squats, IST, LBCs
THE THANG
The workout was fairly typical for a Horseshoe Workout. We had a drive by parade of encouragement from Suds and Fullmoon. Then Fullmoon met us at coffee for some quality 2nd F.
Blackbeard’s Mall Walkers – became a Mall Walker singular – and he did a series of clockwise circumnavigations of the Horseshoe trail as the rest of us ran up hill both ways.
SECRETARIAT MOLESKINE:
- You’ll come for the Horseshoe, but you’ll stay for the coffeeteria. There were several quality belly-laughs during our 2nd F. A really good crew and it’s always nice to have Kid Rock back in the Isotope stomping grounds. Some of the Starbuck’s highlights:
- Not sure how this even started – but Blackbeard brought up that Cher recently got engaged. Someone said she was still hot. Others asked if she was ever hot. And then Kid Rock mentioned that Sonny Bono had died. He casually said something to the affect that “it has to have been at least 5 years”. The collective response was visceral in nature. “5 YEARS?!?!?!? – Are you kidding me?” Sonny died in 1998 – and trust me, Kid Rock will not soon forget that. Apparently, Sonny Bono’s death struck a nerve with this group.
- A certain PAX, who will remain Fullmoon, tried to convince us that a car with a sunroof is basically a convertible. No one was having any of that.
- And speaking of cars, the PAX got a full download on my car, which remains in the shop after I hit a deer on October 27th. They agreed that my working relationship with the body shop was somewhat strained after I shared with them the most recent text that I got from said bodyshop:
- ”Come and get your car asshole – and fix the headlight on your own. And be mad at the deer not me!”
Kid Rock took us out in prayer. I’d be doing his words an injustice if I tried to accurately quote him – but one phrase that has stuck with me was “God – help us to be an instrument of your peace.” Not – thank you for peace, not – God give us peace. But – help us to be an instrument of your peace. As in, we are an active, not passive part of the process. That sums up a lot of what F3 means to me. Whatever you are doing – find the strength from God and in many cases – the support of the PAX around you, to be an active and positive part of the process. AMEN.
From the category of “just under the wire” – I’ll be doing my 12th and final Horseshoe on 12/31. All are welcome. The coffee afterward will likely be better than the workout. Exact details to be pre-blasted elsewhere.
Thanks to Outlaw for running the Horseshoe. 2022’s version of the IRON HORESHOE started with an icy January running and for me will commence tomorrow. I’m glad that the third Tuesday of every month has a highlight on my calendar. My 2023 goal is to run through the tape and not limp through it – either way I’ll be there 12 times.
Peace,
HOLIDAY