PHOBurpIAS

• THE SCENE:
  • Hump-Day Grump-Day.
    
    
• F3 WELCOME & DISCLAIMER
  
  • Particularly the “led by men who participate in the workout in a rotating fashion.”
    
    
• THA-THANG:
  • I had an undisclosed, but #VeryFair total rep count in mind (under 7 burpees/minute!).
  • The workout would end once ALL PAX performed AND counted ALL reps TOGETHER in cadence, or by 0615–whichever comes first.
  • Naturally, infractions reset the rep count to 0. A few times…
  • Final count: 173 burpees.
    
    
• COUNT-OFF & NAME-O-RAMA
  • Pre-ruck: (1.5 PAX) BAM! & Cujo
  • Bootcamp: (12 PAX, 0 FNGs) Bootheel, Carport, Choker, Esquire, Flobee, Granola, Gym Shorts, O’Reily, Orange Julius, Sleep Number, Wall Builder, Woodpecker
    
    
• CIRCLE OF TRUST/BOM:

  • Somehow, burpees have garnered a dreadful reputation. I’m sure at some point, every PAX has worried that one day, some idiot would try to Q 45 minutes of burpees. Personally, I prefer burpees to coffeeteria. I find exercise to be more comfortable than socializing (one of my many anxieties).

    Speaking of anxiety, I’ve been trying to help one of my kiddos learn how to navigate some phobias, which I define as an irrational fear that interferes with mundane activities. There is a huge difference between a natural disdain for illness and a paranoid avoidance of crowds–between a fear of skydiving and a fear of escalators. 

    I myself am incredibly needle-phobic. I know it’s a completely irrational fear, but needles still drive me crazy. I hate how often I let fear make decisions on my behalf. That’s why I try to get my blood taken as often as possible. It is always a terrible and humiliating experience, but I’d like to think that each time I choose to confront this fear, I weaken its power and influence in my life.

• MOLESKIN:
  • Mumblechatter was strong this morning. Ample disdain and threats of personal harm. I haven’t felt this much animosity since I handed back a bunch of marked up, sub-par papers to a class of undergraduate seniors. I’m very much looking forward to Sleep Number’s next Q.
  • Things could have gone far worse had Carport not been on top of the count. 
  • I wasn’t sure how this morning would go after yesterday’s Iron PAX challenge. Turns out, pretty terrible, but once we got over the hump it wasn’t so bad.
  • Some PAX struggled. Some PAX breezed through it. No man left behind. No man where we found him.
  • We had a lurker who watched us for a few minutes and then drove off. Cool. Cool.
  • I wasn’t sure if disclosing the target rep count would be more or less motivating. Maybe next time I’ll state the target.