Date: 2024-06-29
AO: #ao-squirrel-city
Qs: So-crates, CK, Oodles, Bigfoot
PAX: Bigfoot, ElCapitan, Drapes, Coal-Train, Spinach, Scooter, Waterboard, Package, Oodles, Socrates, CK
FNG: 0
Total: 11
Eleven intrepid PAX answered the call to post for the first F3 North WA CSAUP, aka, “The Flying Squirrel CSAUP.” The occasion was to celebrate the third anniversary of AO Squirrel City, get pumped for the re-launch of F3 Bellingham in Boulevard Park (F3 North Star?) on July 13, and of course create the conditions for deeper second and third F gainz that come from slogging through a whole lotta first F together.
The PAX mustered at 0600 at the Little Mountain Park Main Parking lot for brief intros, name-o-rama, and the usual disclaimers. Since F3 North WA was planted by guys from Seattle, Oodles from F3 Puget Sound did us the honor of being our guest Q for the warmup and initial beatdown right there in the parking lot. He quickly demonstrated how he got his name by piling on oodles of arm circles, merkins, windmills, and squats (a warmup set of 100). Then we got into See-Saw (CSAUP?) burpees with two facing lines of PAX trading burpees in cadence in “we go, you go” fashion, right up to 80. CK did yeoman’s work keeping up the mumblechatter, but after the first 50 burpees it wasn’t clear whether that was raising spirits or the rep count. However, Oodles related that the number 80 was significant because an inspiring PAX in his AO was 80 years old and still showing up on the regular, doing what he could and getting the most out of all three Fs. A great reminder that if he can do it, what’s our excuse for not showing up and putting out?
Thus fortified and thoroughly warmed up, the PAX next moseyed from the parking lot up the road to the park gate, which was unfortunately locked, putting the kibosh on YHC’s plans for the next stage of the CSAUP (more on that below)…
While YHC figured out a workaround, @CK led the PAX up a quad crushing climb right up the side of Little Mountain (“Up Only” and “Drop Down” on the map below) to the viewpoint overlook. F3 North WA OG @Bigfoot took over as Q at that point, and put the PAX through a 15-20 minute beatdown including a Jack Webb pyramid of merkins and overhead arm presses (1-10 and 10-1), with healthy helpings of monkey humpers and arm circles thrown in for “recovery” from the upper body thrashing. By then it was about 0700.
Being within 50 yards of the top of the Mountain, the PAX moseyed up to the lookout where they were divided into two teams. Each team received a map of the Little Mountain trail system that marked 5 different locations on the trails with an “F3”, unique for their team, where there would be an object, a challenge, or some other set of instructions marked with their team color (black or white duct tape).
Black team:CK, Spinach, El Capitan, Waterboard, Scooter, Bigfoot
White team: So-crates, Package, Oodles, Drapes, Coal-Train
The mission was to navigate as a team to each location, complete all the challenges and return every object to the collection point marked with a star on the map (i.e., YHC’s truck). However, with the park gate locked down below, YHC had to park the truck right at the gate, almost back at the entrance parking lot where we started. This increased the distance that things would have to be carried, but that’s what CSAUPs are all about, right?
As the teams set out on their missions they discovered they each had two “coupon recovery” stations and three “pain stations” with instructions stapled to wooden stakes that aligned with each of the three Fs.
White team coupons: 100 pound 6’ heavy bag @ East Trailhead and 3 standard coupons @ Eagle Rock Challenge Course
Black Team coupons: 75 pound 4’ heavy bag @ Eagle Rock Challenge Course, and 3 standard coupons @ the main entrance parking lot.
Pain stations (three for each team):
First F: 50 burpees for each PAX, team picks up the 6
Second F: A ziplock bag containing F3 North WA business cards, F3 stickers, and an AO squirrel city flyer. Mini-mission was to hand out cards and stickers to non-F3 people encountered on the trail, and post the flyer on a billboard at one of the trailheads. Buy in was 20 squats in cadence.
Third F: A ziplock bag containing trash bags to pick up trash on the trail; 20 burpee penalty per PAX if bag is returned empty. Buy in was 20 monkey humpers in cadence.
The long (and progressively slower) walks between coupons, pain stations, and the truck allowed for plenty of quality second F along the way:
We had originally planned for a third team, and planted additional coupons and pain stations for them, but decided to go with two teams since it would be pretty rough with 3 guys per team. The badasses on the Black Team picked up the extra coupons as they found them along the trail so that it wouldn’t be necessary to retrieve them later—solid!
Both teams got back to the truck with all their coupons and challenges completed around 9:15–not to far off the original estimate of 3 hours for the CSAUP. With other PAX congregating at AO Squirrel City for the 3rd anniversary celebration, we decided to return there for COT so that everyone could participate. Special thanks to @Spinach, @Crash and his 2.0s, @Flop, @Smokebreak and for setting up the feast at Hillcrest (and to @Drapes’ M for making the killer s’mores cookies!). @CK delivered some inspiring words at COT to cap things off for our first CSAUP, including a reading of Chief Tecumseh’s poem that eloquently expresses values in alignment with F3: make yourself of service to others; strive for excellence; be grateful for what you have; respect others and yourself; live without fear or regret
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8909397-a-poem-by-tecumseh-so-live-your-life-that-the
YHC would like to give a special shout out to @CK for his help in putting the CSAUP together, and for sharing his experience and leadership with our AO over the past year even as he’s been down range in Portland supporting @Richie Rich and his dreams for rowing glory. As he’s headed downrange for another 6 months or so in August this seems like a good place to express our thanks for inspiring us with your example and experience!
Overall this CSAUP was a great way to cap off a year of increasing momentum for F3 North WA. Not gonna lie, there were times this winter when things were looking a little bleak for this AO: two workouts where the PAX ghosted the Q and they had to go it alone. Since that low point we’ve added new guys, had more consistent posting from everyone, and some great VQ’s. We’ve had an AO bookclub led by @Spinach on Freed to Lead and another bookclub coming up. Getting after it together on Little Mountain for a CSAUP was a great way to celebrate our past and build momentum for the future. Upward and onward!
