AO: Da Grizz
When: 03/18/2023
Number of Pax: 7
DR Names:
Number of FNGS: 0
FNG Names:
QIC: Picasso
Introduction
Yellow Pages was asking about the boot camp to bring his brother out. He will be one of us eventually. I sent him the plan I sent Betty Crocker last night and he decided it would be too much for his brother. I disagree. His brother rucks a good amount and is currently training for a 500 mile walk through Spain!…. That might be too much for me!
His name is Jeff. I gave him the 21 Jump Street. He was at Da Griz, walking around, and joined us for coffee. Every time we saw Jeff, I shouted, “My name is Jeff.” Look for Yellow Pages brother…. coming soon!
Warm-O-Rama
Welcomed people and introduced myself as Jeff on the surface. Began stretching and discussed how Picasso is a better man and exists slightly below the surface
Shoulder stretch, left and right, gave disclaimer. oyo… Talked a little about what you can gain on the surface and what can happen if you dig a little deeper. Provided Mission Statement.
Crossed legs for leg stretching left then right. Started discussing the 5 core principles.
Arm circles forward and backwards oyo to finish principles
Abe Vigoda’s In Cadence to 10.
Buy In – 20 Blockees – oyo
Provided Credo then we moved together and began the Pearls On a String.
The Thang
Coupon Mosey up the hill and over to a park district building on top of the hill. About 600 yards. Circled up for Colt 45’s.
Curl Carried about 300 yards – Circled up for Grady Corns.
Rifle Carried for about 200 yards to a fitness style playground by stairs. Didn’t think I’d make it all the way. Cowbell was next to me and I knew he was going for it. I made it with his help. Enjoyed listening to Chum Bucket recall, the song coming out of John Cusack’s boombox.
We worked on grip strength and coupon shrugs at the playground. Partnered up. I made myself the odd Man out and did Shrugs with Milleville’s oversized coupons. I counted 30 seconds of hang time, simply holding on to the gym equipment while partners did shrugs with two coupons. When we switched Milleville counted while the other half hung for 30 Seconds. – 5 Sets. Left coupons at playground.
Moseyed down the stairs and to the creek. Performed 10 Alligator Merkins to somewhat model what would take place on the stairs. (2 count bear crawl – 1 merkin, up to 10 merkins)
Got in line to perform Alligator Merkins up the stairs. We did Alligator Irkins to the top. (Don’t know if this is a thing but I’ve been wanting to do this at Da Griz for sometime) We climbed up the stairs with our hands leading, every third stair, our hands came together to perform an Irkin. At the top we held plank until 6 was in. We ran down the stairs, held plank until it was your turn to rinse and repeat. – 2 sets.
Ran down stairs to continue mosey. Did a slingshot run about halfway back to the flags.
Circled up for 20 burpees in cadence and 20 no surrenders in cadence. Ran a slingshot run back to the flags. Did a prisoner, slingshot run.
At flags I introduced a Champagne Style Slingshot Run. We ran this back to recover our coupons. 5 Second sprint off the front, performed 3 burpees and joined the back of the passing line.
Moseyed back to the flag with Coupons. Farmer Carry was the mode of travel. I took Milleville’s big Coupon again so that he could be more balanced with his partner. I riffle carried back and stopped for No Surrenders. If you were not farmer carrying you performed 3 No Surrenders, ran to your partner and relieved them. These became Air Squats because the ground was pretty hard and tough on the knees.
At the flags we started Mary with a buyout of 20 Blockees. Alternated between big boys and mountain climbers until 7:30.
Circle of Trust
C.o.T. Was motivated by my acknowledgement of who my hero is and by the 3Fs, two of which I believe, only exist below the surface.
The surface of who we are is somewhat important but not nearly as important as what lies below.
Leadership starts with what’s on the surface. How beatdowns are designed. How beatdowns push men but lasting leaders are built from the ground up. What is below the surface is what makes for quality leadership. Leaders can initially lead physically. Leaders that are worth following lead with the head and the heart.
My first heartbreak in life happened when I was 19. The first people I actually know I love are certainly my immediate family and my grandparents. The first person that I thought I loved and fell in love with was named Jacqueline. She broke up with me. I found myself crying to my maternal grandfather James Donaldson. Without realizing it for some time later, he taught me about vulnerability, empathy, and leadership within a few statements. (1. Empathy and Leadership) I was concerned about myself, was young and not really thinking. As I was crying and being consoled by one of my greatest heroes the thought dawned on me so I addressed it…. What am I doing? I am getting advice from someone about a 7 month relationship within weeks of him losing his wife of 50 years and my grandmother. He kept the conversation about me. Part of me realized that as he helped me heal and identified with my pain, he was healing as well. I was looking down and he said. “You are going through pain and part of giving your heart to someone is to be vulnerable and be willing to go through pain for someone and if you decide to never give your heart to someone you won’t have to go through this and you won’t have to experience pain.” For a second I decided that’s what I needed then. As I looked up at him, somewhat surprised for saying that, I found a slight smirk on his face. He said, “If not giving your heart to someone is how you want to live I will support you but I also must tell you that you would not truly be living.”
I realize that the most important part of CoT is exactly this. The willingness to become vulnerable. The first F and fitness is great. It makes you feel good. We joke up the summer coming and trying to get that “Beach Bod” ready…. This is the buy in. It is somewhat important however, it is just the surface of who we are.
My second and probably my first actual heartbreak was when my grandfather, James Donaldson, died. It was the next year. I remember resting my hand on his and staring at him and thinking this is not my grandfather. His hand felt rubbery and cold. He didn’t look all that much like himself. He resembled my grandfather. I knew instantly that I was staring at a shell. I was looking at the surface of someone and that was all that was there. I knew that my grandfather was gone. We all experience heartbreak. We all experience loss. We all experience pain. We never have to go through anything alone. As Mr. Brubaker, I teach Junior HIgh kids and am constantly around this, “Woe is Me” mentality and “No one understands me” way of thinking. As soon as I get these kids to see the importance of opening up, perhaps expressing themselves, or simply just communicating and relying on each other, is also the same moment that they realize others do understand and have been through a struggle that they initially felt was unique to them. The only good thing is that we have each other. We have our own heroes to help us through our trying times. We have our brothers. This is the beauty of the second F and our brotherhood. Speak up and lean on your brothers for help and advice.
We all experience pain but we all have the capacity to transform. You don’t have to believe in the afterlife. I can be a practical, matter-of-fact, sort of thinker. I do believe in God but I also believe in Science. I think it is interesting that both religion and science have attempted, and continue to do so, to answer the age-old question of our origins. Who are we? and Where do we come from? I don’t think it is possible, at least in this phase of existence, to get a practical answer. I think Albert Einstein is brilliant. I especially enjoy thinking that he helped me realize that transformation has to happen. The electrical signals that exist in my head and fire over my dendrites will eventually stop firing. My heart will stop working. My muscles will eventually fail. Einstein had a theory that he tested, proved to be true, and turned into a law. E=MC2 – Energy cannot be created or destroyed. I might not ever know where energy came from. I do know that while my organs function, energy exists. When they stop functioning a transformation will happen. This is a fact and scientific law. It is faith that labels a destination. Believing in something bigger than the practical matters is our 3rd F.
On the surface, my name is Jeff. Slightly below the surface you will find Mr. Brubaker, you will find a father, you will find Picasso. In the center of my being you will find my heroes. My name is James Donaldson.
I got into a brief prayer and moment of silence. Brother’s, when we can remember, recall, and live like our heroes, we become who we are destined to be.
Love and Respect!
Naked Man Moleskin
I wanted to have a hard boot camp that started at ended the same. I also wanted to scratch the surface of something that is existing currently in the F3 community in both Plainfield and South$ide and start to dig a little deeper with it. I tried to do this both physically and conceptually. I think all Men achieved this goal with me.