PAX: Wait Time (Respect), Ketchup, Boji, Tonight Show, Yodel, Smelly Cat, Gator, Long Neck, Golden Pond, Lincoln Logs (Respect, Respect), Barn Door, Crab Cakes, Stapler, Fine(st of) Print(s), Vandelay (Respect), Cadbury, Tardy, Maaaac——anudo, Da Fridge, and…
Your Q – Ozark (YHC, Respect)
A 57-degree, 54% humidity morning with a 10 MPH SSE breeze. Obi Wan and YHC performed a site swap today! YHC swung by The Labyrinth on the way down and arrived to a lonely parking lot with one unfamiliar vehicle. Crowd Source was awaiting some pre-runners at 4:45 am. Having not pre-run The Labyrinth before, and not knowing who will show for the pre-run, YHC gave him directions down to the Maize. No need though, several pre-runners emerged and brought Crowd Source with them.
YHC got to the Maize and, under a clear, moon lit sky, planted the shovel flag, unloaded coupons, found Gator’s lights, then set up the field for the pending grinder.
A bevy of pre-runners and ruckers showed today, including Barn Door, Cheap Seats, Blades of Glory, and Gator whose cars indicated they were already out on the course. Nice job gentlemen! At 5:00, with The Labyrinth pre-runners in full force, the PAX departed for the lake.
YHC cut the full route short to finalize details at the flag and welcome the PAX to The Maize. The Pre-runners made it back to the flag around 5:27-5:29 whilst the PAX trickled in.
Mumblechatter abounds…
At 5:30, YHC welcomes the 19 other PAX to The Maize.
Then covers the mission statement, core principles, and unprofessional disclaimer. No FNGs. Quick description that today’s events will include a small taste of what The Labyrinth has to offer, which was followed by several bemoans. Let’s Mosey.
YHC led the PAX northwest up the street, meandering through the neighborhood. Dodging our only vehicle brought us to the first 4 way stop which provided a great spot for our first exercises. But first, a 5 count. Fine Print, will you…? Uh, yeah. Please count off ALL of the numbers, not just 5. Thank you. Oh, that was a pause. Hmmm. Next, 20 Merkins called by YHC and Vandelay calls for none other than…box cutters! Mosey.
Up the street we go until we arrived at The Labyrinth parking lot. Good Lord! They nearly required valet parking?!?!?!? Obi Wan certainly brings a crowd!!! We make our way to the shovel flag. YHC welcomes everyone to The Labyrinth! This saunter up the hill with a stop for exercises? It’s what we do. Next up? 20 Merkins 15 slow Air Squats, then Lincoln Logs calls for Frozen Freddies. However, it was noted that LL is clearly thawed from the winter as his FFs were NOT frozen. Lots of movement there. Mosey.
The PAX made their way south, then east down Atlas to The Maize parking lot, but veered to the basketball court for Warm-A-Rama. While trying not to interrupt happy mumble chatter, YHC led:
Modified Runner Stretch (On one knee, other leg extended in front, forehead to extended knee); then Switch legs (mixed mumblechatter and moaning)
Pigeons – each leg
Downward Dog, then Upward Dog into Howl at the Moon.
Mosey to…
Thang – Four Man Grinder on the Soccer Field
Count off 1 to 4. Ones are the push group. Groups 2 – 4 are assigned one of three stations. One station each positioned at one of the goal lines, another at the 50. Ones will run from goal line to goal line. Ramp up speed the first 25 yards, then sprint 50 yards, then slow for the last 25 yards and make your way to the next station at the other goal line and push Group 2, who pushes Group 3, who pushes Group 4 to the run. Repeat. (Several questions around this organization)
Station 1
(AMRAP)
Round 1- WW1s
Round 2 – Merkins
Round 3 –Flutterkicks
Round 4 – Carolina Dry Docks
Round 5 – Box Cutters
(Rectangular Shaped)
(Not Round. Or Oval)
Station 2
(AMRAP COUPONS)
Round 1 – Blockies
Round 2 – Block Presses
Round 3 – Clean & Jerks
Round 4 – Kettle Bell Swings
Round 5 – Block Curls
Station 3
(AMRAP)
Round 1- Big Boy Sit Ups
Round 2 – Werkins
Round 3 –Frozen Freddies
Round 4 – Plank / Chill Cut
Round 5 – Rosalitas
We were on Round 4 when Omaha was called. That last run included some actual sunshine, so good to have it back. Beautiful sunrise and moon combo this morning. Mosey back to the flag. Don’t trip on the grass seed netting.
No time for Mary plus we did a fair amount of core throughout.
Name-o-Rama then:
Announcements – Anniversary next weekend, sign up. Link on Slack. Bring food to the event, details on 3rd F slack channel.
Blood drive on Friday the 21st. (Good luck with that back-to-back)
New site opening in early May at George Russell Middle School at 172nd and Q. It’ll be on Thursdays and shall be called…The Iditarod! Led by Boji. Congrats brother!
Prayers – For Louisville in the aftermath of the recent shooting.
For Big Unit’s friend in desperate need of a heart and kidney transplant. Age 37 with kids.
Da Fridge mentioned prayers for friends that just miscarried after struggling to get pregnant.
COT:
YHC started by explaining that it’s been 7 months since posting, i.e. – Q-ing, at The Maize. And when doing so, YHC mentioned two books that impacted me. Younger Next Year and Born to Run. At that Q, I was nearly at my 1 yr anniversary. What a transformation year. F3 changed me physically, emotionally, and psychologically in ways I hadn’t anticipated but in ways I hoped I could at some point in my life. And the growth keeps comin’.
During this past lent, I was reflecting on a book I’d read 20 years ago, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I recalled a passage and concept that really moved me at the time and wondered if it read the way I remembered it. Turns out it does. Lewis’s concept is termed “The New Men”. Essentially, it’s the term he used to describe people who were transformed through Christ. After re-reading it, I realized it meant something more to me now.
The New Men – C.S. Lewis
“Already the new men are dotted here and there all over the earth.
Some are still hardly recognizable: but others can be recognized.
Every now and then one meets them. Their very voices and faces are different from ours; stronger, quieter, happier, more radiant. They begin where most of us leave off. They are, I say, recognizable; but you must know what to look for.
They will not be very like the idea of ‘religious people’ which you have formed from your general reading. They do not draw attention to themselves. You tend to think that you are being kind to them when they are really being kind to you. They love you more than other men do, but they need you less. They will usually seem to have a lot of time: you will wonder where it comes from.
When you have recognized one of them, you will recognize the next one much more easily. And I strongly suspect that they recognize one another immediately and infallibly, across every barrier of color, sex, class, age, and even of creeds. In that way, to become holy is rather like joining a secret society. To put it at the very lowest, it must be great fun.”
Don’t know about you, but this feels a lot like the PAX of Omaha F3. So, thank you men for who you are and what you do. And thank you Obi Wan for letting me lead this morning and leading The Labyrinth today.
Enjoy this beautiful morning gentlemen.
YHC took us out in prayer.
Shalom Out – Ozark