I feel like the backblast only needs to be a gif of Denzel Washington from Training Day saying "BOOM"
Either that or Oprah with her favorite things giveaway: "You get a convergence and you get a convergence and you get a convergence!"
– – – – – – – So let's give this a shot – – – – – – – –
3 AO's and 1 OTB pairing trianing for an event all converged. 47 (give or take, it was hard to accurately count) + 1 FNG. ****Not all pax are listed here, as I only was able to capture the pax at the namorama. Soundoff in comments and I'll add you.
The thang: 4 mile route for the #4Bangers (Q'd by YHC). 5 mile route for #Odyssey (tclaps Jaws for the Q there). and a 6 mile route for #CandyShop (tclaps Mr Holland for the Q there).
COT: happened for most. Not all. Pax matriculated in at different times and started #Coffeeteeria
Pre-moleskin background and commentary ….
The #BoatGusters had found a hidden gem in the Friday $0.50 coffee at Lowe's Food and decided to start running there instead of #Odyssey or elsewhere that would require at $3.95 cup of lesser quality coffee. YHC found his way there and they embraced him, though he couldn't run as far nor as fast. The second week I purposely showed up a few minutes late so they would take off without me and run at their pace not having me hold them back. They waited anyway and launched a few minutes late and ran at my pace. #HIMs doing #HIM things *fistbump*
This run however was #OTB. I'm not sure anyone was really committing to it, but rather enjoying the run and coffee while the cheap prices lasted. But some scuttlebutt happend on the twitterverse and the #CandyShop was born. **Rightfully so it needed to be official so all would be welcome.
Fast forward another week or so and there was a complaint about leaving the 6 at Odyssey. This is YHCs account so it isn't all accounts, but I was present frequently at the onset of Odyssey and it was always a run that had pax of varying paces. The pax were free to run their pace. But there was always someone watching the 6. I can't speak to the past few years as I wasn't present, so perhaps the known or stated expectation at Odyssey was that each man runs his pace and so be it. Now take #FKT for example. FKT was always touted as a "get after it" work out and has always clearly stated the pax is not going to circle back for the 6, and therefore it is legit and no complaint is valid. But Odyssey was never designed for that.
So YHC took the Q and converged it with Candy Shop for this week only. In spite? Yeah I think a little bit. Wanna be mad at me? That's okay. But I knew two things that have held true in my 9+ years of F3: 1) we are creatures of habit and therefore AOs tend to get "regular" and groups do too. 2) if you bring groups together in F3, the best always comes out and a good time is always had.
What happened turned out in my opinion (no longer humble correspondant) was pretty kick a$$ today. #4Banger converged. #Emmaus (a bootcamp) converged. YHC started to design a KB workout for #Cauldron in the parking lot but by the time they tweeted like Adelle singing "hello from the outside" it was too late for me to #PB that.
Strayvergence moleskin: this is the stuff that made it epic
- the spontaneous convergence. What makes an F3 Isotope man different from a male representative of North Mecklenburg? We freaking show up. We like to go big and go all out. We will make something bigger and better than anyone else can.
- three separate routes and distances. But in the end I think about 8 routes were run. The most common phrase heard: "what, we're just straying the course" *fistbump*
- the pax wanted a word in COT. YHC has been intentional on this week of stray. Each day had a theme and a message. #Qfail again today (an unintended theme of each day). I didn't prepare anything as I anticipated we would all be ending at different times (which we did). But over half the pax hung around for COT. That was awesome. So here is the COT lesson……
- ?9 Lives got the $10 starbucks gift card to use as he wishes. Why? He EH'd me. You say, so what we all got EH'd and have EH'd someone. True and that is the point: we can all do this. 9 Lives didn't see me in a dumpster or throwing my life away. He saw me, happy with life and okay with it. He still saw that this could expand the frontier for my life even more, through this group, a group I was unaware and unconscious of. And he was right.
- ?Find you someone like 9 Lives. Someone who will encourage and honor the life you are living — because you are doing it well — but someone who can provide an outside perspective and shine a light on opportunity and possibility that you do not recognize from your frame of reference. Not just with F3, but family, work, health, spirituality, etc.
- We hold things in. We want others to see that we "have it", that we are all good. That's not a sin, that's not necessarily a problem. But find that person who will at least give you an honest look and say "hey, are you seeing what i'm seeing"; but at the same time if you don't respond, will still be there walking life with you anyway. And you too, you go be that guy to someone. Be a 9 Lives.
- ?9 Lives got the $10 starbucks gift card to use as he wishes. Why? He EH'd me. You say, so what we all got EH'd and have EH'd someone. True and that is the point: we can all do this. 9 Lives didn't see me in a dumpster or throwing my life away. He saw me, happy with life and okay with it. He still saw that this could expand the frontier for my life even more, through this group, a group I was unaware and unconscious of. And he was right.
- Be a Burgoo. He doesn't want any credit, but most of you didn't recognize that Burgoo went up to Nancy at the counter and said "I got this" for any pax yet to order their coffee. No fanfare. Just #HIM.
- I know he wasn't alone. YHC asked Nancy at the end if we were all square and she and her co-worker were taken care of. She had a big smile and replied that yes she was well taken care of. Several pax dropped some serious tips in there; again without fanfare and without acclaim. THAT IS ISOTOPE. *hands*
- Tclaps to Omega. He provided any pax who wanted one with a Puma Homes hat.
- Omega also brought an FNG. I hope it was a great first experience for him and that he will soon become assimilated in our cultish-non-cult.
- Lastly, you need to know you are never alone. If 50 men will show up on a whim to run and have coffee, know that there are even more out there in Isotope ready to put you first and themselves second, when you need something for real.
- Thank you for the opportunity to lead today, and for trusting me as a steward of a couple hours of your morning. Thank you to the Odyssey Q and Odyssey regulars for allowing me to stray the location.
- Odyssey is complete and week of stray rolls on to a virtual AO. Pick any AO and post if you can. I encourage you to check out #TheBridge at Blythe Elementary and keep up the momentum from last week’s Anniversary. But the Week Of Stray element is this — do something special for someone. A gift, spend time with someone, offer a compliment to someone, inspire someone. Stretch yourself in this. It is the culmination of all the workouts……. Get out of your comfort zone; recognize even a small act will generate a tremendous result; do it for someone else and give it away. Post about it on twitter with the hashtag #straythecourse and that will be our #F3Counts.
- #straythecourse