02/03/2023: Golden Spike, Humidity 79% and 1degree- but felt a hell of a lot colder.
QIC: Vandelay
I arrived early to set up the field for the Thang – pretty simple today. It was great to have a field as I have tried this Beatdown a few times before here and each time there was an event, or we were locked out or some other crazy stuff. I also checked out the stair to determine if we could use for the Pre-Thang and determined the east side was passable at least. When finished, I headed out to greet the pre-run crowd.
Pre-run went off with no issues. I dropped off early to greet early arrivals and to test my speaker/ phone in the cold. You can’t honor Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper without tunes, but this would be a test of my technology management during a beatdown and on a damn cold day.
As we arrived back at the flags, a pretty sizable group was assembling. With a VQ and Week of Farva going on – I wasn’t sure what our crowd would look like. We had 22 Total.
PAX: TC (Respect), Lansbury, Tuner, Tugboat, Doppler, Merch, Almost Famous, Blackflag, Dirty Bird, Z-Bo, Folsom, Spacebar, Oompa, Wonder Boy, Barn Door, Cadbury, Cheap Seats, Chiclets (Respect), Biff, Slow Pitch, FDIC
As I presented the mission, core principles, and disclaimers, I started with a selection from the Big Bopper- so far so good. We completed one lap of the track and arrived at the field center circle.
Warm-A-Rama
I had started a playlist from Ritchie Valens and La Bamba as the background music for Warm-A-Rama.
It was cold so I audibled from original plan and started with Side Straddle Hops and High Knees to get the blood flowing and to get warm. Then continued with:
Back Stretches and Yoga Poses for stretching.
Pre Thang
I had everyone get into a single file line and we snaked through the east bleachers completing 3 rounds of complete run of the stairs, alternating tactics as we ascended different flights. I peeled off early to prepare music for the Thang.
The THANG
Honored music here was Don McLean’s American Pie about the tragic loss of lives on this date in 1959. Now this song is almost 9 minutes long, but I believe we got about 3 minutes before my speaker indicated it was now too cold to continue its performance so the Music Actually Did Die today to commemorate this past event.
Thang consisted of pairing up in groups of 4-5. As a group westarted at the south goal line and ran 10 yards and did Bernie Sanders back, then 20 yards and back, then 30 yards, etc. til you reached the other goal line. Exercises were at each 10-yardmark in quantity of line marker:
10 – Alarm Clocks
20- Monkey Humpers IC
30- Merkins
40- LBCS IC
50- Air Squats
40- Flutter Kicks IC
30- Mountain Climbers IC
20- Bobby Hurleys
10- Bonnie Blairs IC
1 Oh Yeah
We pretty much got through it and a few groups were able to R and R another set or two.
6 MOM
Heals to Heaven- 20 IC led by TC which is always entertaining
LBCS- 15 IC led by Cheap Seats
Box cutters – 15 IC
American Hammer – Rancid Style.
Name-A-Rama
No major issues except for my frozen hands.
Announcements & Prayers:
• Freed to Bleed – Check Slack
• Polar Plunge – Check Slack
• Heartland Hope Mission Service 2/11
• Inner Rail lunch today
• Second F activities for West O will be ramping up – check Slack
• Prayer requests for:
o Tugboats Sister Greta and his sister Sally
o Merch’s son, Peter
o Wonder Boy’s brother, Nate
o Biff
o Prayers not mentioned but, in our hearts
Message from the Q – Vandelay:
I have been reading a book by John Maxwell and he ties a lot of things to his faith. Mostly that if you are open to God’s influence in your life then you will notice more when it happens. Like when you learn about a new car- for example. Suddenly you may see it all over and it really was there before, but you never had it at the front of your mind. Allow and be open to God’s grace and influence in the daily occurrences in your life and be prepared for when you may be that vessel of delivering an important message to one in need.
A lot of times we question things like the tragic death of people taken at an early age, but it is God’s plan for a greater good. One which we may not see or necessarily have the right to see.
God puts us into situations to be influential and do his will. Are you open to the challenge, or opportunity? If you are not paying attention, you may miss it, or it will miss you.
YHC closed us out in prayer. Thanks, Oompa, for the chance to Q at one of my favorite sites.
Special shout out to Biff who gave me his hand-warmers as we were picking up. That probably save me from some uncomfortable procedure.
Aye!
Vandelay