Workouts end in “BOM” where we come together in prayer.
You may have noticed my Tweets have been talking ALOT about F3 in the past month or so. What can I say? I just got hooked and am finding myself wanting to let others know about it.
What is F3?
You can get the official information from the F3 Nation website and you can read a post by Wesley Donehue (to his F3 brothers, he’s “Jingles”) earlier this year giving “7 Reasons to Join F3 With Me” .
Or – maybe I can sum it up for you here with simply this: it’s a group of men (I’ve seen ages 21 to 60+ in my workouts) who want to better ourselves and our community in various ways.
I remember about a year ago, Sway, asked me to join the new group out in Irmo. I simply said “I don’t exercise and I definitely don’t get up at 5am each morning”. About a year later, I ran out of excuses. I started the last week of December and many friends told me “you won’t make it to New Year’s.” (Part of me believed they could be right; the other part of me decided I’d prove to them – and to me – that I could do this).
How I got roped into F3 (also called an “Emotional Headlock” or “EH” from current F3 brothers), was after a Facebook comment I posted late December that mentioned Karen was going workout at the YMCA while I was sitting home eating a PopTart. From there, it took off! Turns out guys like Napalm, Chaser, Sway, and several others I have never met, started “encouraging” me to show up and give it a try. I’m 43 and have MAYBE worked out ten times in my LIFE. I was also one that struggled to get up when the kids get up for school each morning. Nonetheless, the “EH” worked and I said I’d show up to my first workout – December 28th at FIVE THIRTY in the morning. Oh, did I tell you the workouts are OUTSIDE? Rain, shine…or snow?
Since then, I haven’t missed a workout at Depot (Ballentine Park). Saturdays we get to “sleep in” and don’t start til 7am. Tuesdays and Thursdays are 5:30. The “good news” is that Tues/Thurs are only 45 minute workouts. Saturdays are a full hour. Tuesday will mark my 20th workout without missing one – but then Karen and I will head for a vacation (missing my first workouts next week since I started!) There are also groups that meet Mon/Wed/Fri too. Any morning, any part of town, you have a chance to better yourself with F3!
I could go on-and-on about how this group has helped turn a couch-potato into someone who at least shows up and tries to keep up. By sharing this, I want to let other men out there know there are groups that can help you get out of the “fartsack” (F3 Lexicon for bed) each morning and start your day off with Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. If you’re like me and out of shape (I still am, but getting better), just show up and give it a try and stick with it. Last week one of my neighbors started and he’s 3 for 3 on workouts already! You do what you can and there’s plenty of encouragement. As they say (or I guess it’s “we say” now) the workouts don’t get easier, you just get better!
What are F3 workouts like and where do you meet?
Some groups are strictly running, others are boot-camp (cross-fit type)…regardless, there’s some running involved at all locations. Everyone’s skill-set varies from big guys who lumber around the field at a pace resembling mine…to the ultra-marathoners who literally get out and run TEN MILES BEFORE the morning workout even starts! Whatever your level, you’ll find friends and colleagues in the group who are your “speed” or who will stay with you so you’re not alone.
I very much dislike running; so I opted for the Boot-Camp workouts. Don’t think there’s NO running though…there’s just much less running with several calisthenics from start to finish.
F3 is not just out here in Irmo (“Strut”) and Ballentine (“Depot), it’s all over the Midlands , starting in Lexington March 1st , and also in Greenville and recently in Charleston!
Come join us! Where else can you meet men named Mungo, Major Pain, C3PO, R2D2, Gerrymander, A1A, Futon, Queenie, Crash, Slate, Neckbrace, No-Go, Rudy, Buuud, Ken Doll, Grout, Daable-check, Wolverine, Brother Si, Slim Jim, Enos, Uno, Lead Belly, Roommate, Plan B, Moonshine, Smithers, RX, Skinny Jeans, Smokey, Pajanimal, Jazz-Hands, Doublemint, Silverfish, Kernel with a K, Magoo, Ponch, Scooper, Good Hands, Yukon, Lobo, Floppy Disk, The Closer, Boweevil, Bullpen, Chernobyl…and the list goes on.
If you thought I was kidding about rain/sun/snow, below is a photo the day after it snowed in the Midlands. Yep, F3 was there….5:30 a.m. working out and fellowship together!
