F3 RVA The Forge visits F3 Alpha Starting Line

Preamble:

Ever since our father-son “Ultimate Civil War History Tour” one month ago took us (Janeway & Komrad) through Virginia Military Institute, Lexington VA, Appomattox, Richmond VA (where we posted DR with RVA The Forge “Where Iron Sharpens Iron”) and Washington, DC… Starting Line Site Q Script Kiddie has been asking YHCs to replicate the BD we received at The Forge “to see how AOs in other Regions get it done.”

Despite remembering The Forge BD to be particularly brutal (we were warned in advance: “When we know we are going to have visitors, we intentionally ramp it up a bit!”), we determined to oblige our Site Q’s request and replicate their BD as precisely as possible, having mapped out in advance our site’s territory to find similar areas for the three stages of the RVA BD (they meet at a school; Starting Line at a Park beside a school / Lanier College).

Interestingly, the weather was somewhat similar (misty in VA, post-rain humidity in GA) and it was definitely dark and in-the-gloomy.  Upon arrival of the PAX, we took transported them back in time to Thursday, May 26, 2022 and welcomed them to F3 RVA’s BD entitled “10 Slices of Coping Cake” with YHC#1 (Janeway) serving as the doppelganger for Dr TryHard (my role was essentially to call out all the exercises and explain new-to-us exercises using my Weinke) with YHC #2 (Komrad) serving as the doppelganger for Snuff (his role being executing the exercises by demonstrating and calling cadence).

Because there was no background music at the RVA BD, there was no background music at our BD (as we usually have), to which a couple of our PAX took vociferous exception.  Nevertheless.

Before the Warm-up, we opened with the exact same reflection presented before the warm-up at RVA, word for word, and it seemed remarkably applicable to some of our PAX due to recent family realities (and this served, in some way, as an opening rather than closing Acceleration Point):

“A couple of days ago my wife was taking pictures for a woman who developed a cake recipe inspired by the grief she felt when she lost her infant son. Cashew cardamom coping cake.

Then yesterday I was getting one of my own 2.0s ready for school and we talked about some of the things that happened in Texas [a school shooting]; it was heavy. I gave him a huge hug before he got on the bus and I went inside and had a giant piece of the coping cake.

A few minutes later my wife got a call from a dear friend in Sweden in the late stages of brain cancer. She said how happy she was to live every moment of this life. Afterwards I went back to the kitchen and had to get a second helping of cake.

We all process our different kinds of grief in different ways. But the most clear to me this morning was that in times of tragedy (especially in times of tragedy) the fellowship we feel out here in the rain and the gloom and in the COT… that is own special recipe.  A way through and forward.  That’s the kind of energy we respond with, for each other and for our communities. Bad things happen but we have the 3 Fs.

For that, I’m grateful.”

Warm-O-Rama:

Quick mosey to The Spot (TM), followed by:
10 SSHs
10 DxQs (Don Quixotes) – which is equivalent to our “Windmills”
10 Imperial Squat Walkers (somehow this should have been easy, but we got discombobulated)
10 Merkins
10 LBCs

We then formed a Team of 2 and a Team of 3 to complete the 3 STAGES of The Thang.

The Thang:

Quick mosey from The Spot to The Stairs.

STAGE 1: DORA
One PAX of each team ran up The Stairs, paid a toll of 5 burpees at the top, then ran back down The Stairs while their mate worked on completing the exercises at hand.  If the Team of 3 finished the exercises before the Team of 2, the Team of 3 assisted the Team of 2 in completing the required number of exercises:
– 100 WW2s
– 200 Dips
– 300 Jump Squats

RECOVERY: Just as at this point at RVA, Komrad lead us in some of his signature breathing exercises while we did a slow mosey to the next stage located at the Little Brick Building across the street at the school.

STAGE 2: PIGSKIN SPECIAL
Round 1:
10 People’s Chair (air chair with back againt the wall) Arm Raises
10 Balls to the Wall (BTTW) Toe Taps (ALPHA count)
15 Donkey Kicks (kicking both feet up against the wall at the same time above your body) OYO
Some PAX commented “this is not how we do Donkey Kicks…”  Nevertheless.

Round 2:
10 People’s Chair Milkers (like milking a cow, ALPHA count)
10 Balls to the Wall (BTTW) Australian Mountain Climbers (ALPHA count)
15 Donkey Kicks OYO

Round 3:
10 People’s Chair Lalannes (4 count exercise alternating heal slaps with wall slaps above head)
10 Balls to the Wall (BTTW) Hip Slaps (ALPHA count)
15 Donkey Kicks OYO

RECOVERY: Komrad lead us breathing exercises while we did a slow mosey to the next stage located at school’s football field stands.

STAGE 3: TRIPLE CHECK
One PAX of each team ran up the stands, across the top row of the stands, down the stands, and across the bottom row of the stands while their partner did either continual SSHs or a Plank of their choice.  When the 1st team mate returned to the field, the next team mate ran the stands while their team mate took over continual SSHs or a Plank of their choice.  We continued this until 5 minutes remained until time was to be called.

RECOVERY: Komrad lead us breathing exercises while we did a slow mosey back to the flag for the COT.  Some PAX commented, “that wasn’t so hard, it’s just that it was some exercises we weren’t used to…” but I remained unconvinced based upon the signs of our performance wearing down as the BD wore on.  Nevertheless, a good discussion about incorporating fresh exercises into our BDs and not getting stuck in a rut was on point.

COT:

A PAX ended our time with a quick Acceleration Point encouraging the group to not allow circumstances around and bearing down upon us to derail our stability and progress emotionally, relationally, spiritually, and physically.  A number of PAX shared about matters for prayer, including a mentor getting a true BD as he endures his first week in training to become a Marine; many of our 2.0s travelling long distances for current and upcoming trips; a looming drastic drop of income for the M of one PAX; and for significant recent losses of family members for one of our PAX.  We created a Ball of Man and lifted all these significant needs up to Sky Q and left them in His capable hands.

This is where we broke from our experience at The Forge, as we remembered to bring the coffee (wink wink, Dr. TryHard), and we took our customary post-BD photo (which is not a tradition at The Forge), as we find great value in being able to look back over past BBs and visually see our progress as a group as we strive to become HIM.

Naked-Man Moleskin:

Komrad and I (Janeway) have had, I believe, the best time of our lives together as father and son over the past number of weeks after this past spring semester ended Riverside Military Academy.  We were deeply priviledged to be hosted by the Site Q of The Forge while we were in Richmond, VA one month ago, as well as Dr. TryHard’s amazing parents while we were in Lexinton, VA.  They demonstrated to us hospitality without limits.  Komrad and I were also deeply priviledged to share some of F3 RVA The Forge with F3 Alpha Startling Line this morning with our local brothers who we know would also do anything for us in the world that they could (and likewise).  As Snuff summed it up, “We have the 3 Fs.  For that, we are grateful.”