YHC is finally back in Hampton Roads, and the four other PAX in the gloom were a welcome sight this morning! Two weeks downrange was fun, and I was able to visit several other regions and AOs, but there’s no place like home.
WARMARAMA: 25x Side Straddle Hops, 15x Imperial Walkers
The THANG: A lap around the lake at your own pace, stopping at each bench along the path to perform 10 dips and 10 derkins. This worked well for the first three quarters of the lap, but a 5K getting started between the hill and the lake sent the PAX around the backside by the playground, and it turns out that there aren’t any benches between there and the end of the lap. Dreamliner had the good call of using the railing between the parking lot and the path on the interstate side of the hill. Dreamliner finished the lap first and doubled back to pick up the six. Once the PAX were all reunited we headed back to the flags as a group for some Mary.
COT: YHC has been down range for two weeks, and in that time I visited 8 different AOs in 5 different regions. The thing that struck me about all of them was how no matter where I was or what kind of workout it was, the local PAX always welcomed me as a brother. I was never treated as an outsider or an interloper, but as one of the group. We really are one F3Nation and we need to strive to make sure that when F3 men from other regions post in Hampton Roads we make sure that they feel welcome also. Additionally, it was interesting to see how in different regions, things are done slightly differently. Each region has its own unique flavor, whether that be the singing in the SandHills or the DORA up to 400 in Anderson. In F3GrandStrand, they have created a patch which can be earned by the locals by attending 4 different AOs within the region, Q-ing a workout and posting the associated backblast 3 times, EH-ing 2 new PAX, and taking a leadership role in at least one aspect. However, they also extend the opportunity to visiting PAX who come to their region and Q a workout while DR. Dreamliner and YHC each had the opportunity to earn a patch this month, and I also attended another AO where a PAX member from Lexington earned a patch. Dreamliner and I are in the first stages of discussing how we can put our own Hampton Roads spin on this, so that we can uniquely welcome visiting brothers from other regions. If you have any ideas let one of us know.
Long story short, it was fun to travel and be away, but I am glad to be back.