The Catamount Complex Launch (Dedicated to Mark & Taylor Kaipust)
Date: October 4, 2022 (10-4, Good Buddy)
PAX (45): Levy, Bayside, Korver, Fun Dip, Van Gogh, ICB, Wolverine, Mulch, Slow Pitch, Hard Hat, Knobs, The Plague, Griswold, Baby Shark, Escobar, Blue Chip, Sweet Roll, High Life, Tator Tot, Khakis (Respect), Precious, Larry Legend, Wentworth, Ditty, Speed Square, Re-tweet, Light Bright, Double Dip, Sweet Sweet, Truck Stop , Squeaky Clean, iMac, Schrute, G-string, Gobbler, Chernobyl, KOA, Bayside, Boss Hog, Feeney, Doll Face (Respect), Animal House, Low Flow, Girl Dad, Stranglehold
FNGs : None
AO: The Catamount Complex
Q: Farva (Beans)
Conditions: Clear, 54 degrees F, Feels like 54 degrees F, Humidity 80%, Wind 3 mph from SW.
I knew I would have trouble sleeping the night before the launch, not because I wasn’t prepared, but because I wanted everything to go as planned. Life never goes as planned and that is ok, but I always hope it does. Honestly, I had everything planned and fine tuned for over a month. This is just part of my personality and even my DNA. Right on schedule though, I awoke around 2:00AM and continued to wake every 15 minutes until I gave up and got out of bed at 3:15AM. I confirmed that all my accessories were packed and/or charged and ready to go. I fed our fish (Patriot) and took our new puppy (Maverick) out to potty and read him my COT to make sure it was ready to go. He was a good listener, but wanted to go back to bed. One last attempt to get all the Farva beans out ahead of time (not happening/never does) and I was dressed and out the door at about 4:05AM.
I arrived at Gross high school around 4:20AM and gathered my light up cones, lights, workout sheets, and Bluetooth speaker to head down to football field. This field is fairly new to the school, as it was a grassy/muddy disaster when I graduated in 1998. The field area is very dark (possibly in the running for the darkest AO?), so I was glad I decided to wear my headlamp as I headed down the stairs to the field. I set up 5 cones and lights with a workout sheet in the west endzone. I left the speaker in the middle of the big “G” at midfield. I decided to use the port a potty near the press box before heading back to the parking lot. I typically have a spot where I pee before each beatdown at every AO, this is not my normal spot at the cat house, but this day demanded more reverence. I headed back to the parking lot for the pre-run, but was still too early (4:35AM) for anyone else to be there.
I decided to stretch a bit where the flags would be planted. The pre-running PAX began to arrive around 4:40AM. Schrute, Double Dip, Girl Dad, Khakis, Tator Tot, Low Flow, Escobar, Baby Shark and Korver (His first pre-run!!). I warned the guys that the pre-run was a hilly one and there was an option for a 2 mile down and back (actually up and down and up and down). Schrute immediately decided that he was not going to run with me because he could sense my anxiety about the launch and knew it would be a torrid pace. Double Dip ran with me and I was able to express my feeling about the morning. Pre-runs are the best times to really get to know your brothers (IMO). I did stop at another port a potty on Bernadette Avenue, not sure what my deal was today, but it was needed. (maybe nerves) We maintained a decent pace and arrived back to the site around 5:08AM. The parking lot was packed, which sent me into business mode. It was game time and time to perform. I grabbed my phone, iPod Nano, and other property and headed for the numerous flags planted where the PAX were gathering. It was go time….
At 5:15, YHC welcomed the PAX to the Catamount Complex and recited the 5 core principles, mission statement, credo, and disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional, modify as necessary. The exercises are simply a suggestion.
Warm-O-Rama: The PAX moseyed to the center of the artificial turf football field and circled up around the big “G” at the middle of the field. The opening in the fence leading to the football field is fairly tight and Wentworth made the comment that it would be motivation for the PAX to get and stay thin. Warm-o-rama consisted of 1 side straddle hop. Tribute to my man Khakis (Respect).
Pre-Thang: YHC connected the Bluetooth speaker to his iPod and told the PAX that his favorite group was The Police (obviously). The song Roxanne was played while each man ran in place at their own pace. Every time “Roxanne” was sung the PAX would perform a burpee. The song is relatively short, but about 25 burpees were executed.
Thang:
The PAX partnered up and headed for the cones in the west endzone. One partner would AMRAP the exercises listed on the sheet, while the other ran to the other endzone and completed 7 Chuck Norris T-Merkins before running back to switch. The list was as follows:
M- Merkins
A- Apolo Ohnos
R- Rosalitas
K- Kraken Burpees (3 hand release Merkins at the
bottom)
T- Tie Fighters (Arm circles while doing lunges,
Forward=right leg Backward=Left leg)
F A- RVA beans (LBC’s while spinning clockwise and
counterclockwise)
Y- Your choice (Anything upper body)
L- Lt. Dans (Squat and then a lunge for each leg)
O- Outlaws (Flutter kick style, but keep legs together
and trace the alphabet)
R- Ranger Merkins (Merkin w/hands in line with ribs)
I was partnered with Van Gogh (Hate, but respect because my man drives in from Peru for beatdowns!), whom I had never met, and we pushed each other. The mumblechatter was plentiful and so were the Farva beans, luckily I was positioned near the speaker. This morning’s soundtrack consisted of the biggest hits of 1998 (The year I graduated from Gross high). I tried to go out of my way to encourage every PAX that was present as I ran down the football field multiple times. All PAX made it through the list once and most were close to 2 miles total. The magic 2-mile mark is something my mentor Swiper taught me to aim for. We all headed back to the flags around 5:51AM.
6MOM
45 Sarpy Slammers (Another Sarpy AO)
Prayers and Announcements
Tator Tot gave Wolverine the opportunity to present YHC with the shovel flag. Wolverine is one of my oldest friends and this was a special moment. Thank you, Wolverine, for the kind words and Tator Tot for your leadership. Wolverine is the assistant AD at Gross and was instrumental in getting the site approved. Wolverine ran off to get to early morning practice, but later he did share a message from one of his players. His player had arrived in the lot during the COT and stated that he was scared because he thought he accidently stumbled upon a scene from a horror movie.
Thank you, Folsom, for the beautiful shovel flag. Amazing job!
Prayer request for High Life’s sister’s family as they are grieving a miscarriage.
Prayer request for Truck Stop oldest friend as they also mourn a loss of a loved one.
Prayer request for Diddy’s friend Al and Al’s family. Al passed unexpectedly.
Prayer request for the Kaipust family and their friends.
Prayer request for Nugent’s friends and family.
COT
I wanted to first thank our leadership Tater and Plague, and also Jean Claude and Firewalker who could not be here, for trusting me with starting this site. I still remember when and where the site idea was born. It was on a run down Lincoln Street on the day KOA passed the shovel flag to Baby Shark at the Sandlot. It was just a passing comment to JC that I had this idea of someday having a site at Gross high and how I thought it would be a bridge to making F3’s influence even larger.
Before I could think too much about it, JC already started the ball rolling with me and to my surprise even at announcements that day said it was happening. That is one of the special things about this group, just sharing an idea or how you feel, and the men in this group will push you to accomplish it, whether you think you are ready or not. If we let go off the fear of change then great things can arise. I pray that great things come from this site.
During the COT at that same shovel pass, KOA talked about being nervous about leading a site because of his schedule and how he made it work because you make time for things that are important to you. I had the same reservations and needed to hear that, so thank you KOA.
Catamount Complex…Gross high, home of the cougars, another name for a cougar is a Catamount, which literally means cat of the mountains. As men we all go through peaks and valleys with our fitness, our mental health, and our spiritual well-being. Complex…The definition of Complex is consisting of many different and connected parts. That definition describes F3 perfectly to me.
This place and school will always be special because I met and became best friends with Mark Kaipust. This school also made me who I am today. DUX Esto (Be a leader) is the motto for Gross High. Is that not perfect for this group? I dedicate this site to the memory of Mark and Taylor Kaipust. The exercises this morning spelled “MARK + TAYLOR.” I know Mark would love this. I also want to acknowledge and praise Mark’s brother Jeff, excuse me Larry Legend, for not only being here but also starting to excel in F3 as well. Jeff, I am sorry Larry Legend (thanks Chernobyl) was planning on being an FNG today but he took the initiative to start early and posted at the Kaipust memorial run. Jeff is starting to accelerate and what to present him with the Catamount bracelet. Each week the Q will get one and will choose a leader from that day. The bracelet is inscribed with “TK + MK” and “DUX ESTO”.
Nugent also grew up not far from this site and went to high school right over the hill, he talked about always being a part of a team and how we need that in our lives. F3 is a team and I am lucky to be a part of it. Thinking about Mark, Taylor, and Nugent leads to my final thought….
Tell those you love them or what they mean to you because you never know when it is your time.
10,7 EOT…..From the Grossest AO in all of F3 Omaha
Farva