Top Gun: The Trilogy
Wednesday, June 28th, 2023 | Danger Zone | Papillion South High School
69 degrees, partly cloudy, lightning in the western sky. Threatening rain.
PAX- Little House, Tony the Tiger, Dozer, Shocker, Whale (FNG), Toto, Black Tuesday, Uncle Jessie, Dundee, Cobra Kai, Flip It (FNG), Nene, Icy Hot, Convoy, Truck Stop, Big Rig, Razzle Dazzle, Longboard, Rayban, Lady Bug, Swiper, Low Flow, Jean Claude, Baby Shark, Rooney, Schrute, Stranglehold
Q: Roadhouse
It was that time of year again… summer in Sarpy could only mean one thing! It was time to slide into some tight jeans and head south to the Danger Zone! This would be my third Q in as many years at DZ and I was excited to get back. I love the Sarpy crew and they always welcome me with open arms and curious hands.
While I was excited, I was also anxious. Had the novelty of Roadhouse in jeans at the Danger Zone worn off? Was it still funny? Was it ever funny? Would anyone show up? Would the PAX be able to tell that I had put on some pounds recently in those snug denims? So many questions…
I thought about famous trilogies that came before me. Some maintained their greatness and even got better like Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Human Centipede. Others fell short on their third effort like The Godfather III and Jaws 3D… Which category would today fall under… Only time would tell.
I arrived at 5 AM to a parking lot full of cars. These pre-runners are straight beast mode! I sat down under the shovel flags and started to stretch. This proved harder than I expected in my jeans. Slowly, the PAX started to arrive or get back from their pre run. I saw Convoy first. It had been a while and it was great to see him. His skin was tanned and his head, shinier than I remembered. Then I saw Little House and was reminded of something my grand pappy once told me… “Houses stick together!” By 5:15, there were 26 of us circled up and ready to get weird.
I stumbled through the intro. Got the 3 Fs, nailed the 5 core principles, forgot the Mission statement and even forgot to ask if there were any new guys. Which was a big deal because we had 2 of them! That’s right baby, 2 FNGS this morning. Sky and Jonah. How exciting! I loved having FNGs at my workouts but was also a little worried about scaring them off with some full eye contact pickle pushers…I guess I could cut them out BUT then it would not be a Roadhouse Special!
We headed down to the field and circled up around the 50 for Warm-a-rama. Or as I like to call, DANCE-A-RAMA! I turned on my Bose speaker and turned it all the way up! It was time to dance. I hit play and “Playing with the Boys” from the Top Gun Soundtrack started to blare. And it felt fucking good! The music coursed through my body and as Gloria Estefan warned, the rhythm got me..
DANCE-A-RAMA.
Should Shimmy Sumo Squats
Imperial Walkers with a leg kick
Air presses with a pelvic thrust
Pickle Pushers with Eye contact
Imperial Walkers with a leg kick.
After Dance-a-rama we did a lap around the track and then lined up on the West wall of the stadium. It was time for some Wall Work!
THE PRE-THANG:
10 Donkey kicks
10 chicken peckers
10 Australian mountain climbers
10 count Balls to the Wall
10 Donkey kicks
10 chicken peckers
10 Australian mountain climbers
10 count Balls to the Wall
I don’t know why I often do wall work at my beat downs. I hate it and it hurts. I think it’s because of something Slow Pitch always told me. He said, “Do one thing each workout that you hate.” Well I hate wall work so mission accomplished.
After the Wall, we headed to the South goal line and spread out across it. It was time for that THANG!
THE THANG:
The THANG was going to be simple. We would do one exercise at the goal line, run to the other goal line, and then do another exercise. This would continue until Omaha was called. The key was we would do it together. As one!
North Endzone:
Merkins
Carolina Dry Docks
Cherry Pickers
Moroccan Nightclubs
Chuck Norris Merkins
Air Presses
Ranger Merkins
Sun Gods
South Endzone:
Heels to Heaven
LBCs
Freddy Mercurys
Starfish Crunches
Big Boys
Flutter Kicks
Planks
Box Cutters
We went nonstop, endzone to endzone with lots of mumblechatter until Omaha was called at 5:50. Then we circled back around the 50 for Mary.
MARY:
Guantanamo Bay
The beatdown was over. We did it.
Name-a-rama:
Name-a-rama went fairly smooth. The FNGs did well and the sunset was gorgeous.
FNGs:
We named Sky “Flip It” and we named Jonah “Whale.” We are better because they decided to join us.
Announcements:
Freed to Bleed this Friday.
Prayers:
Whale’s father in law, Rob, is recovering from a stroke.
Nene’s Uncle Marty passed away. Keep that family in mind.
COT:
When I was growing up in a house full of men, we watched lots of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sly Stallone, and Bruce Willis movies. (We also watched a lot of Patrick Swayze movies…) In those movies, the heroes do it alone. They don’t need help from anyone and are lone wolves saving the world. But one thing I have learned in life and even more so in F3 Omaha, is that in reality, we are better together!
As men, we need to get comfortable leaning on each other and asking for help. When I went through a rough divorce, I leaned on PAX who had done the same. When I struggled with doubts about being a dad, I leaned on PAX who had done the same. Whether you have lost a job, a loved one or simply hope, I encourage you to lean into the PAX because there are guys here you have been through it.
I was talking to my son Bodhi last year and we were butting heads at the time. I told him just as he is new to all this, so am I. This was my first time being a dad and I was going to make mistakes. He was new to this world and he was going to make mistakes. Its ok. As long as we are getting “better together.”
So when I mess up we say better together. When he has a tough day, we say better together. Every day, better together!
So I encourage you to reflect this week on how you can ask for help, how you can help someone else and how you can get better together! Because getting better together is a far greater journey than one alone!
I love you guys!
Roadhouse, CLB