AO: Paradise Island
April 5th, 2023
30 degrees, real feel 18, cold, windy, bullshit
PAX- Convoy, FDIC, SafeRide, Saul, Stella, Retweet, Hindsight, Low Flow, Skipper, Vandelay, Gunner, Honey Maid, Tight Lip, Tater Tot, Speed Bump, Big One, Black Lung, Slow Pitch
Q: Roadhouse
As I sat outside enjoying a Fairy Nectar on Tuesday afternoon, the temperature was 72 degrees. The sun felt warm on my skin and after weeks of up and down temps, spring was in the air. It made me excited about my Q on Wednesday morning and I was thrilled to be back at Paradise.
Paradise will always have a warm place in my heart. My VQ was there and it was as memorable a morning as I have had with F3. Coming back not just for a workout but to Q always feels important.
My alarm went off at 4:30. As I grabbed my phone to turn off the alarm, I thought I would check the weather. I hit the weather app and saw the number 31 degrees. That doesn’t seem right. It was 70 degrees a few hours ago. Then I made the mistake of scrolling down to the real feel: 19 degrees??? What the fuck! Now I was pissed. There is no reason for something like that to happen on a beautiful morning like this…
In full disclosure, if I was not on the Q this morning, I would have thrown my phone against the wall, crawled back into bed and slept for the next 3 hours. But, it is frowned upon to not show up for your Q so I spent the next 20 minutes layering on clothes. Once I was fully prepped, I was in my car and out the door.
I pulled into the lot around 5:05 AM. There were quite a few cars already in the lot and my negative feelings about the weather started to be replaced by excitement to have fun with the PAX.
I got out of the car and immediately felt the wind pierce through my body. It was a cold wind but for someone reason I started feeling warm all over. Especially in my shorts. I turned around the immediately understood why. Slow Pitch was standing nearby. He always has this effect on me. We shared our traditional long embrace and now I was ready!
Some PAX members started returning from the pre-run and others pulled into the lot. By 5:15 AM, there were 19 of us. I welcomed the PAX and limped through the intro. Three Fs. Five core principles. Forgot the mission. Dammit! I let the group know I was not a professional and we moseyed through the parking lot for Warm-a-rama. We circled up and got after it.
WARM-A-RAMA:
Big Ones 10 each side
Tappy Taps 10
Twisters 10
Side Straddle Hops 20
After WAR, we started our run. With so many paradise veterans, it was nice to be able to let them know where the next stop was and let them lead the way. I felt confident in my role as the 6 today. We took off towards regency and stopped in front of the clubhouse.
Stop 1:
10 LBCs
10 Flutter Kicks
10 Box Cutters
10 Freddy Mercurys
10 Heels to Heaven
After round one of some core, we took off around the lake. The group was very chatty and the energy of the group felt great, even on this cold, windy morning. We crossed the bridge and circled up in the parking lot near the lake.
Stop 2:
10 LBCs
10 Flutter Kicks
10 Box Cutters
10 Freddy Mercurys
10 Heels to Heaven
Having not Q’d since we changed the launch spot at Paradise, I wasn’t sure how to get to the hill from where we were. I consulted with my Paradise Guru, Slow Pitch, and he gave me a great idea. Head North up Regency parkway and hot the hill and then come down the other hill closer to thew flags. Brilliant!
We took off and crossed the street and then hit the hill. The pace of this group was impressive and we all stayed pretty tight throughout the run. At the top of the hill, we circled up. Before we started our exercises, Black Lung told me that he was going to have to leave to get to his Crossfit Class. What?? Was this just a warmup for him I thought as I struggled to find my breathe after the hill. What a stud! Great job Black Lung!
Stop 3:
10 LBCs
10 Flutter Kicks
10 Box Cutters
10 Freddy Mercurys
10 Heels to Heaven
After this stop, we headed South towards the top of the other hill and I started thinking about the time. My anxiety around Qing at Paradise is always making it back on time. I asked Saul the time but didn’t trust his answer. So, then I asked Vandelay. You can always trust Vandelay. It was a quarter to 6. We had some time for one more stop.
Stop 4:
10 LBCs
10 Flutter Kicks
10 Box Cutters
10 Freddy Mercurys
10 Heels to Heaven
After this stop, it was time to head back to the flags. We hustled down the hill and turned onto the main drag. We crossed Pacific and returned to the flags. It was 5:53. The timing was perfect. We had time for Mary.
Mary:
Hammers Rancid Style 18
NOR:
My phone was almost dead so I had to borrow Tater Tot’s for Name-o-rama. Thanks for the assist brother. And the smile.
Announcements:
5 Year anniversary on April 22nd ‘
Lots of 2nd F Opportunities coming up
Look for 3rd F opps as well
Prayers:
Swiper and Delilah’s family
All other intentions
COT:
I don’t like goodbyes. I never have. I have only had 2 jobs my whole like because I don’t like saying goodbye. I have never ended a relationship with a girl because I don’t like goodbyes. Instead, I act like an asshole for a few months and they break things off with me. It’s a brilliant and cowardly plan. When I moved away from Omaha, I cried all the way to Portland. And when I moved back, I cried all the way back. I don’t like goodbyes.
But one thing I am realizing is that sometimes goodbyes are necessary. Sometimes, they are actually a good thing. There are times in your life where you have to say goodbye to something in order to move on. To evolve. To grow. We have to decide what we want to focus on and be willing to say goodbye to the things that are not as important. Or say goodbye to the things that aren’t the right fit for us anymore.
There is a great quote out there about “burning the ships in order to take the island.” There comes a time when we have to burn some ships and commit to something new, something different, something better. A time that we need to be okay with saying goodbyes and that is becoming more and more clear to me every day.
So, my challenge to you is this, reflect on what ships you need to burn. Take some time to think about what you might need to say goodbye to in order to grow and become the best version of yourself.
I love you guys!
Roadhouse, CLB