Back Blast: Chris Gradoville, 38, Nugent
Date: September 30, 2022
AO: The Farm
Pax: 13 Nugent
QIC: Obi-Wan (YHC) & Taxman
Conditions: 53°, breezy
Taxman welcomed the PAX to F3 at 5:15 AM and stated our credo, mission statement, five core principles and disclaimer. No FNG’s in attendance. Obi-Wan mentioned to the group that he was at a beatdown the day after Nugent’s passing last year that was a recreation of Nugent’s VQ. Shoutout to Bird Man… YHC can still remember that beatdown and it’s impact on the other PAX members.So to honor Nugent, we’d be doing the same… recreating some of Nugent’s VQ.
Our original plan was to mosey up to the city park baseball field and do Warm-o-rama exercises at certain locations along the way. A PAX member made a Casey’s stop after the pre-run so we decided to stay at the shovel flags for Warm-o-rama.
Warm-o-rama:
20 IC Side Straddle Hops
20 IC Tappy Taps
20 IC Cherry Pickers
20 Air Squats
Prior to the last warm-o-rama exercise there was an SUV pulling up to park and possibly join us. The PAX started to mosey East towards the baseball field. Our man Ozark was the PAX in the SUV so YHC circled back to pick him up and we moseyed to the baseball field. Like several of us going to The Farm for the first time, we don’t always remember the beatdown starts at 5:15 and not 5:30!!!!
The PAX arrived at the baseball field for The Thang.
The Thang:
There were 5 lights setup in the outfield. 4 corners and 1 in the middle. The PAX started at the middle light and then proceeded to each corner, stopping back at the middle each time prior to proceeding to the next corner. Exercises were as follows:
Middle Light:
1st time through: 20x Merkins
2nd time through: 20x Carolina dry docks
3rd time through: 20x Squats
4th time through: 20x Monkey Humpers
Light 1:
1. 15x Bobby Hurleys
2. 15x Reverse Lunges
3. 15x Pickle Pushers
4. 15x SSH
Light 2:
1. 15x Plank Jacks
2. 15x Merkins
3. 15x Alternating Shoulder taps
4. 15x Hand Release Merkins
Light 3:
1. 15x Big Boys
2. 15x LBC’s
3. 15x Oh Dollys
4. 15x American Hammers
Light 4:
1. 15x Gas Pumpers
2. 15x Copperhead Squats
3. 15x Mountain Climbers
4. 5x Burpees
We were able to complete all of The Thang and at 5:44 the PAX were asked to head towards home plate at the ball field. Once all the PAX were there we circled up (ball o man style) around home plate and Schrute let the PAX know that along with us, the other F3 Omaha PAX members were taking a moment to think about Nugent at this very moment. He mentioned if any PAX members had memories of Nugent to share please go ahead. Ferdinand and KOA both shared impactful words about Nugent or those he affected during his life. We honored our brother Nugent and then moseyed back to the shovel flags.
Once back at the shovel flags we did a quick count and moved right into Name-o-rama. Today to continue honoring Nugent we all stated, ‘Chris Gradoville, 38, Nugent’.
Announcements & Prayer Requests:
Prayers for Nugent’s family
Squeaky Clean’s fundraiser – donate if you can
Project Pink’d upcoming events in October – check out Twitter or Slack
Prayers for KOA’s co-worker’s mom
Prayers for Schrute’s parents
Prayers for Huhot’s brother Chris
COT:
Taxman started the COT letting the PAX know he had just completed 75 hard and how it would not have been possible without the support he received from his family and the PAX. To summarize (my apologies Taxman, I’m likely not getting everything!), it was outside of his comfort zone and it’s okay to challenge ourselves to do that. Congrats Taxman!
By the way, Taxman started F3 the same time he started 75 hard… T-claps brother!
I ended our COT with reading the following. This was Nugent’s VQ COT.
“First off thank you for having me Q and lead this great group of men today and be a part of the F3 brotherhood. I’ve always been a part of teams in my life. Playing multiple sports since a very young age, I’ve always been a part of a team. Playing from youth leagues, into high school, into college athletics, and even professionally for 5 years. There’s always been a team I have been a part of. I was even a captain on many of those teams leading us into the competition.
Post playing days after retirement I worked in a chiropractic sports injury clinic on a medical team. I opened a sports performance gym for 5 years and had 10 employees and was a part of that training team.
I tell my wife all the time. We are a team. Her and I together going through life as one unit.
But there has always been something missing from all of the teams. Something that takes us a while to figure out. A while to grow up and find your path. And finding F3 I feel I have found what I am looking for. As I strive as a personal goal of mine, to get more involved with F3 from the other 2 F’s outside of the Fitness F. The fellowship, The faith, and the community leadership is what I have longed for. It’s what I have been missing. This is the team I have been looking for and yearning for. True and real Male friendship and leadership and community involvement. Not only because of the multiple Creighton baseball teammates that are involved with F3 who are my buddies (many are here today) but because of all of you other men I am getting to know and be with on a consistent basis.
Teams deal with adversity of all sorts, and on this team, the adversity and challenges we face are the everyday world called life! And I want to thank you all personally for letting me be a part of your team, as we tackle the challenges of this crazy ass world together, helping each other, and leaning on each other, to be better men, be better leaders, and be better lights of God. To wrap this up and end my COT the question I leave you with is, What team are you on? Who will you surround yourself with to make a strong powerful team to dominate life day in and day out? I ask myself this every day and I hope you do too!”
Ferdinand took us out in prayer.
SYITG!
Obi-Wan