A Pirate Looks at 43

Preamble:

It was YHC’s last day of being 42 so I invited some friends to come out at 5:30a in the gloom to laugh and have some fun. What ensued was not exactly that, but there was some laughter (and pain).  Since today was not my actual birthday, but I did get to reflect upon me turning 43 tomorrow, it got me thinking about the number 43 and where I am in my life in relative comparison to other things, especially in F3 context. More on that later in TNT. I named the beatdown A Pirate Looks at 43 after one of my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs, “A Pirate Looks at 40”, where he reflects upon his life at his “midway point”.

After a quick disclaimer, off we went.

Warm-O-Rama:

Head to the Dam for a normal routine of SSH, Imperial, Weedpicker & Smurfjacks. Arm circles front and back to get them loose as we would need those.

Gather the PAX to let them know what was coming…

The Thang:

One of my favorite things at the Windjammer is the Merkin Mile up Lake Windward Dr to Clubhouse. And considering it was my birthday Q, I wouldn’t pass up the chance to make the PAX enjoy it today. It is a grueling uphill journey with about 7 stops for merkins along the way. We would alternate between regular, wide, diamond and stagger.  On the way back down we would replace merkins for squats.

Once we gathered back at the bottom near the boat launch, we moseyed across the street into the Sports Park for my other favorite exercise, which is Balls to the Wall. Hold for 45 seconds and add another 15 second bonus for those interested.

Now, back to the Dam for the main event… 43 Feet (more on this in the TNT message).  Grab a coupon and a partner. For this, partner A would be doing burpee broad jumps (10) going approx 43 feet ahead of partner B who was working with the coupon doing Colt 43, which consisted of 15 curls, 15 overhead press & 13 rows. Once partner A finished his burpees, partner B would rifle carry the coupon and takeover in his place, with the objective to get all the way across the dam, which seemed daunting at the time considering the length ahead of us. With time running out, a few groups made it all the way across.  Now, drop the coupons and perform my favorite warmdown exercise, the Morning Wood. One hand raised laying on your back, get up to your feet without using your hands. 5 reps each.

Back to the flag for 3 minutes of Mary called by Maytag, Sparkie and YHC.

COT:

Prayers were spoken for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Praise was given for Daddy Daughter dance participants tonight and other nights recently. Announcements included the Heartsaver CPR class today at 9AM and other CSAUP events coming up.  Coffee and TNT followed.

YHC’s TNT message:

As I embark upon 43, I thought about how that number alone wasn’t very exciting like say… 40 or 50, etc.  However, when I started to think about 43, I realized that there are lots of references to this number in F3 including the leadership books Freed to Lead, Q Source and even the Podcast 43 feet. For instance in Q Source, Dredd talks about how the virtuous leader stays 43 feet ahead of his organization’s movement. Or that a good leader builds a leadership road 43 feet ahead of the people driving on it.

In Freed to Lead they talk about the number 43 in relation to when F3 was founded in 2011, it seemed everyone was 43 during namearama.  It became an inside joke. And that number was no coincidence. This was the age of the mid life crisis after all. Dredd does a good job in the book breaking down a man’s life into 4 quadrants and giving context to why F3 strikes a nerve with this age group. Birth to college graduation is the sprint. College to 40 is finding your flow in life, marriage, kids, career. The 4th quadrant from 60 to death, a man could choose his pace, glide to the finish or going balls to the wall, his choice. And finally the 3rd quadrant being 40-60.  Like in many sports, the 3rd quarter is when it is won or lost. It’s also the most common phase of life for F3’s solution to be effective. Too many men get lost here at the midpoint. We sometimes ask in the stage, what is my purpose in life? It is here that men can easily be lost to sadclown syndrome. Divorce, temptations, complacency, etc. When they go looking for authority they realize it’s not there anymore. They have to look in the mirror for that now. It is now his hand on the wheel of the ship and his responsibility to see that the ship doesn’t sink. This is where F3 fills a need the most. And so it is no coincidence that 43 is the average age for lots of F3 workouts. At this age, we need it more than ever.  And boy, am I glad I have it.  Couldn’t be more grateful and blessed for you men and the gift of F3.