February 26th, 2020 By Spud

48 and foggy this AM, as 11 men ventured to the river Styx to bathe in fire.  QIC was there around 5:28, in a minor upset.

WARM UP

Mosey to parking lot next to Muckle Flugga

• SSH x 15 (ic)
• Hillbillies x 10 (IC)
• Downdog Hamstring Stretch
• Arm Circles

Stroll over to Mugga Flugga for…

THE THANG

Run down the foggy darkness to the hell that is bottom of Mugga, and then drag your way back up.  Exercises like so:

• Bottom of Mugga at bridge- 20 Merkins
• Run up to the bend
• 20 Star Jumps at the bend
• 10 Broad Jump burpees towards the top of Mugga
• Quadromania the rest of the way to the top of Mugga
• 10 Core Killers
• Run back down and repeato

Time called at 0606, plank until all PAX reach the summit and mosey back to

MARY

• Boxcutters/Ws x 10
• Low Flutter x 10 (IC)
• Pretzel Crunches x 10 (ic) each side
• Supermans
• Down Dog

COT

QIC discussed some issues addressed shortly in Moleskin.  Prayers said for all pax suffering through mental demons, and thanks for Him for bringing me to a group where I feel comfortable discussing some of these issues that men of a certain age rarely discuss.

MOLESKIN

So QIC decided to grab this beatdown after scaring off all the other Pax by identifying this one as a Mental Battle beatdown at COT.  The mental battle was started by F3 Louisville as a way to recognize and identify how mental illness, whether it be as innocuous as minor anxiety, to depression, to eating disorders, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts.  YHC decided to use the beatdown to honor that thought, as we ran down Mugga, it’s super easy to get dragged into your daily life, not of comfort, but of complacency and acceptance, that general feeling that shit is how it is, so you just wear it.  What YHC has learned is that being an F3 man and a leader isn’t that.  When you get pulled down by the mental demons you do what you have to do to get back to the top, even though the obstacles in your way will be plenty, and the way back down will be easy.  All Pax got in 3 trips to hell, and some 4.  We totaled around 2.5-3 miles and I didn’t drop a paver on my dome, so that was a plus.

Now I’m sure you all may be wondering…”Spud…how can someone as cool and tough as you know what it’s like to deal with mental struggles?” Years ago, I was stuck in a job where I felt underpaid and underappreciated.  My wife told me she was pregnant with our son, which was exciting yet anxiety inducing.  I was snowed under at work, sitting in my car until the second I needed to be in there because I couldn’t bear to be in the office a moment longer than I needed to be.  When I left the office on Fridays, my first thought was to count down the hours until I would have to be back.  Home time was spent thinking about upcoming tasks, rather than the real life things that really mattered.  Anxiety takes a hold of us all, but I rose above, took a hold and found the main stressor in my life and changed it, because I couldn’t like life that way, but it still took a lucky stroke to find a new position.  Not everyone is as lucky as I am.  I’ve been in my current spot since 2018, have changed jobs, have a 3 year old boss of a son, have become more involved in my church, and my community, and of course, F3.  Things will work out as long as you take the steps needed, but that first step is often the hardest and most soul crushing.

I’m sure everyone remembers Chicken Strip’s excellent Opus from November, which is well written, powerful, and from the soul.  This isn’t that.  Instead, this will just acknowledge that we’re all ducks on a pond.  Some can coast with minimum effort while others are churning as fast as they can to keep up, but we’ve all got something going on underneath the surface, and a life of perfection is not necessarily the life you perceive.  If you don’t see a pax for a few weeks, give them a shout, if you’re concerned for a family member or coworker, check on them, if you’re feeling down, talk to someone about it.  We’re all here for each other, if you’re down, talk about it with a spouse, with a professional, with a friend, or with an F3 brother.  Compassion in leadership doesn’t always come easy, it’s downright tough to exist in this world sometimes, so answer that bell especially when called, because it’s not easy for a man at our stage of life to take that step.

Keep it 100 bros.

AYE!

-Spud

“The path to paradise begins in hell.”- Dante Alighieri

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