AO: The Trident | Sterling Ridge
October 19th – 54 degrees, breezy, a full moon in the sky.
PAX- Convoy, Slick, Mr. Pink, Wentworth, Static, Sparty, Drano, Chiclets, Flanders, The Big One, Buffett, Oompa, Vandelay, Skipper, FDIC, Shirt Sale
Q: Roadhouse
I arrived at the Trident at 5:03 AM. I have been on IR the last few weeks with a bum ankle, and I was so eager to get back into the gloom. It had also been a while since I had led a workout and I found myself excited and anxious. As I pulled into my parking spot, I noticed a single shovel flag planted in the center of the grassy area. I grabbed my Trident flag and moseyed over to plant it. When I arrived at the one flag, I saw that it was the Nugent shovel flag. A feeling came over me that was a combination of energy and urgency and importance. I knew right then and this beatdown and this COT needed to measure up to the man that this flag represented. This one is for you Nugent.
I took some time to get set up. The workout would consist of 4 stations, and I needed to get them ready. A strong breeze was present in the darkness, and I had a flashback to my Q at the Spike back in 2020 where all my sheets got blown around the field. Not this time I said to myself… not this time. I placed my weinkes at each station and weighed them down with dumbbells and coupons. Win or learn baby.
The moon was huge in the sky this morning. It was full and orange and lit up the western sky. Throughout the workout clouds would partially cover it giving it a real Karate Kid feeling. It was special.
By 5:25 the set up was done and the PAX started to arrive. After being out for a few weeks it was so great to see the men I had missed so much. I greeted them with hugs ands fist bumps, smiles and nods. A down ranger from Kansas City showed up and introduced himself. Mr. Pink was his name and we welcomed him like F3 Omaha does. By 5:30 there were 16 of us. By 5:31 there were 17. Love you Big One.
I ran through the opening and actually did okay this time. F3. Five core principles. Mission statement. Any FNGs? Welcomed Mr. Pink. We then moseyed to the east side of the lot as I shouted, “oh and I am not a professional….” Dang it. I almost got it.
We circled up and did warm a rama.
WARM-A-RAMA:
Big Ones 15 IC Led by Big One Himself
Tappy Taps 15 IC
Imperial Walkers 15 IC
Sun Gods 10 each
Goofballs 10 IC
After warm-a-rama, I asked the PAX to join me in a sexy pre-thang. Now full disclosure, usually when I do a sexy pre-thang it is for the PAX. To help them feel good, get their mojo back, to feel sexy. But this morning wasn’t for them. It was for me. After three weeks on the shelf, I felt like I had lost some of my mojo. I wasn’t feeling strong and when I looked in the mirror I wasn’t happy. I needed to feel that feeling in my loins again. And the only cure was a sexy pre thang.
Sexy- Pre-Thang:
15 Pickle Pushers
15 Pickle Pointers
15 Monkey Humpers
10 Oh Yeahs- each arm . The PAX turned and faced the Moon for this one. It was spiritual.
I need to share a quick PSA right now before I move on. During pickle pushers, I made eye contact with Chiclets. You need to know that if you do this in the future you will lose your focus, your concentration and control of parts of your body. When that beautiful man looks into the windows of your soul during a deep pickle pusher…. It will change your life. Make note…
After we got our mojo back, we headed to the west side of the parking lot for the thang. It would consist of four stations. One focused on legs, one on core, one on shoulder and one that was just Merkin Mania. We counted off into groups and moseyed to our stations.
THE THANG:
10 Merkins
10 Werkins
10 Ranger Merkins
10 Hand Release Merkins
10 chuck Norris Merkins
20 Copperhead Squats
20 Bonnie Blairs
20 Air squats
20 Slow Pitches
20 LBCs
20 Heels to Heaven
20 Flutter Kicks
20 Box Cutters
20 Carolina Dry Docks
30 Cherry Pickers
25 Overhead claps
40 Air Presses
After a couple rounds through the stations, Omaha was called at 6:07. We circled up around the shovel flags and did some Mary.
Mary:
20 Starfish Crunches
17 Hammers Rancid Style
And relax… We were done. The PAX was breathing heavy. My job here was done.
Name-a-rama:
We had a little hiccup in NOR that I need to take fault for. When I went to fist bump a PAX member is used my phone hand and it stopped the recording. That’s on me guys. That’s a rookie mistake. I will be better.
Announcements:
Sparty talked about a men’s retreat happening in January. See him or Birdman for details.
Vandelay passed Nugent’s shovel flag to FDIC. A worthy recipient for sure.
Prayers:
Keep Wait Time and Jamie in your prayers as they visit her sick mother.
COT- This week at the Trident there was a last second change on the Q and I had to “come off the bench” to fill in. It got me thinking about a story from my youth that also involved the bench. In 8th grade I was on a great basketball team at St. Pius. We went 25-0 and went down in the annals of history. I came off the bench most of the season but there was one game that stood out. Our coach was ill and our gym teacher, Mr. Brosius, filled in for our game. He didn’t know our team very well and we almost lost. At the end of the game everyone on both teams had played except me. This was an awful feeling and I was overwhelmed with embarrassment and sadness. Being the only kid still in your warmups is a bad look…
As I shook the last person’s hand from the other team, a big strong hand grabbed my shoulder and yanked me out of the gym. It was my dad, And he was pissed. I thought he was pissed at me. Embarrassed that I didn’t get in the game. We got in the car and he sped off. When we stopped at a stop sign in the neighborhood, my dad put the car in park. I looked at him. What was he going to do to me?? My eyes welled up even more and my dad opened the driver side door. Turns out Mr. Brosius was behind us…
He walked back to his car and tapped on the window. Mr. Brosius rolled down the window and my dad pulled him halfway out of car by his shirt. My dad had left his door open and I could here what he was saying. “Do you know how you made my son feel today?” “Do you have any idea what this did to him?” When he was done my dad folded Mr. Brosius back up and put him back in his car.
In the moment I was mortified, embarrassed, scared. But as I got some distance from this day, I realized that no one will ever have my back the way my dad does. Ever!
Now cut to later in life. When I got divorced in a very catholic family, who was the first person I went and talked to? My dad. When I got arrested (no details) who was the first person I talked to? My dad. And when I got divorced a second time in a very catholic family, who did I talk to? My dad. And it comes back to that day when he made it clear to me. “I don’t care what happens, I got your back!”
So, my ask of you is this: Do you make people feel this way? Do you make them feel safe to make mistakes or to come to you with problems? Do you make people feel like you have their back?
Because when you do, it is such a gift. Such an amazing feeling. Such a feeling of strength and power. So have people’s backs. It might be all they need.
I love you dad. And I love all of you!
Roadhouse.