The Hobby

13 Pax, took the Daily Red Pill (DRP) this morning and got better.

The Pax: T-Bone, Napalm, Aruba, Beano, Neo, Flying tomato, Bluegrass, Josey, Rifleman, Chitwood, Mandela and Meat sweats (Q: Squirrel) 

The Scene:  Low 40’s, about right for this time of year.  Rain held off for us

WarmUp:  Abe Vigoda’s, SSH, grass getters and trunk twists  

The Thang:  Taking note of what Colt threw out (who BTW didn’t show up) we kept it straight-forward today and did a timed workout focusing on form and repetition of the same things.  

The Pax Moseyed over to get a coupon as each exercise in sets 1 & 2 were done with them

SET 1 (LEGS)

• Squat – Jump Squat – Squat – etc.     60 sec
• Rest 15 sec
• Forward Lunge (L)                              60 sec
• Rest 15 sec
• Forward Lunge (R)                             60 sec
• Rest 15 sec
• Wall sit w/ alternating knee lift       60 sec
• Rest 15 sec

SET 2 (ARMS)

• Curls                                                  60 sec
• Rest 15 sec
• Overhead Press                               60 sec
• Rest 15 sec
• Dips                                                   60 sec
• Rest 15 sec
• Cross-hand Upright Row               60 sec
• Rest 15 sec

SET 3 (CHEST)

• Up-Down-Out-In Merkins             60 sec
• Rest 15 sec
• Incline Merkin                                60 sec
• Rest 15 sec
• Decline Merkin                              30 sec
• Rest 15 sec
• Merkin                                            30 sec
• Rest 15 sec

Again, following Colt’s sage wisdom….rinse and repeat starting with Set 1.  The Pax got through three sets

We finished off with a focus on the core: Cirque du Soleil abs

Announcements/Prayer requests:

1. Prayers for Sparky as medical results come in

2. Saturday, Dec 3 from 8:30 AM – 10:45 AM at Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church Bluegrass is leading CPR training.  For “special” One-One sessions DM Bluegrass

3. THE F3 Christmas Party – Mark your calendars and tell your M! (Let her know you won’t talk the entire time about F3).  7 January, 5-9pm

 

Beano prayed us out and reminded us how truly blessed each one of us are.  We receive grace from above which we are given, yet do not deserve!

 

MOLESKINE:  The Hobby

This past weekend Your Humble Correspondent (YHC) had the opportunity to make Moore County just a bit cleaner by participating in the F3 Roadside clean-up.  Beano assigned us our lanes of responsibility and I found myself alongside Early Bird.  

As we walked, we talked about 2.0’s, where we grew up, my M, his girlfriend, work and hobbies.  When I threw out the socially acceptable question, “So, what keeps you busy when you’re not here, at a meeting or at work?  What’s your hobbies?”  

His response has given me pause for the past two days – “I don’t really have any hobbies, I just work.”  

Let’s put that in the parking lot for now and come back to it.

 

If you have a hobby, you probably love doing it.  If you don’t love your hobby then you’re an idiot.  Why would you voluntarily do something you don’t love?  Geeze.  

Hobbies get you involved in activities that you enjoy.  A hobby can be anything; F3, woodworking, running, whittling, knitting, reading, hiking/rucking, camping, skydiving, gardening, golf, etc.  Taking, NO…making, the time to indulge in what you love doing boosts physical and mental health. 

There have been many, many studies showing that investing time in hobbies reduces depression and overall makes the hobbyist happier and more relaxed.

I like to think of F3 as a hobby.  I’ve found like-minded people who enjoy doing the same activities.  So what if the ‘normal’ world thinks that my friends are strange for doing Burpees, Murder Bunnies and the like at 0530.  Doing these hard things has been my Guardrail for seven years now.  I’ve seen it create leaders, build true relationships, bring smiles…and sometimes grimaces.   This “hobby” of F3 has helped men overcome a sense of loneliness and has reduced the chances of mortality by as much as 50%.  Don’t believe me?  Look at T-Bone and Flying Tomato…they are OLD and because they have hobbies they look… 

         Maybe Colt is a better example…..  Maybe not.  

Well, no matter how they LOOK, they feel great 😉

 

Back to Early Bird’s comment on not having a hobby.  He did eventually recant a bit and said he does like building things and he does cabinetry.  The thing about Early Bird’s comment that hit me is that hobbies take time.  Time not at the job.  Time not tending children. Time not doing the chores. or…or…or.   I have taken moments within these past couple days to stop and realize just how blessed I am to have the time to fritter away on such a thing as I call “hobby”.   

 

Count your blessings men…it could be otherwise!

 

Aye!