August 11, 2020
QIC: Chernobyl
The PAX: Sleepy, Beretta, Ron Swanson, Rocks, Mr. Emcee, AOL, Mickey, Jefe
Nine men gathered in the calm of the morning to reflect on current circumstances in a COVID-19 themed workout while seeking perspective in a weary world burdened by a pandemic.
LORD’S PRAYER
WARM UP
Stretches focused on legs
Roll Call
Mosey to the center of the hourglass to set up for duration of the workout
THE THANG: Perspective on COVID-19
Perform a series of exercises in rep counts of 19 with a lap around half of the hourglass between each set. Using the acronym “SARS COVID VIRUS” to determine each exercise while including COVID-19 facts and figures after each lap.
S = side straddle hops: SARS-CoV-2 is the actual virus name
A = alternative shoulder tap merkins: 4 sub groupings of coronavirus with 7 known viruses in family that can infect humans
R = reverse crunches: coronavirus is also one of the viruses responsible for the common cold
S = squats: COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2
C = crunches: spread primarily through close contact and respiratory droplets
O = outlaw (flutter position but with both legs together moved in a big “O”): symptoms can appear 2-14 days after exposure
V = vurpees (made this one up on my own after struggling to find “V” exercises in the lexicon – basically a standard burpee but with an extra step of spreading the legs in a V shape before performing the merkin): fever, cough and shortness of breath are the 3 primary symptoms identified thus far, with the latter also being a common symptom in an F3 workout…
I = imperial walkers: loss of smell is a unique symptom of COVID-19
D = dips: up to 40% of those infected may be asymptomatic with a potential transmission to others of 75% estimated (https://www.sciencealert.com/40-of-people-with-covid-19-don-t-have-symptoms-latest-cdc-estimate-says)
V = v ups: Leon County cases at 5,005 with 25 deaths
I = iron hulk (like Jack Webbs with 1:4 ratio of merkins to air lifts): Florida cases at 537,000 and 8,276
R = ranger merkins (hands back towards ribs): Florida is #2 in the nation for number of totals cases, with CA in the lead followed by TX, NYC (yes, the city, not state), and GA)
U = up downs (high knees followed by chest to ground, like an old football workout): Cases in US now top 5 million with 163,000+ deaths
S = slurpees and sit ups (rather than a full 19 slurpees, QIC was feeling benevolent, and extremely tired, so split up the set with 9 big boy sit ups at the end): World cases now exceed 20 million with 732,000+ deaths
* quoted numbers from Google as of 8/10 (https://www.google.com/search?q=covid+statistics&oq=covid&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0l3j69i60l3.2766j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
Mosey to Flag. Total run 2.3 to 2.65 miles depending on who you’re asking and what watch you’re using…
COT
Despite the weight of the numbers mentioned during the workout, we live in a unique time full of information, misinformation, and daily bombardment of news and figures that can appear overwhelming and rather exceptional with respect to the history of the world. However, sometimes we need to step back and put things in perspective relative to the experience of others before us to realize the true reality of our circumstances. A recent FB post by a friend helped QIC do that, and he shared that post with the group:
For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900. When you are 14, World War I starts, and ends on your 18th birthday with 22 million people killed. Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until you are 20. Fifty million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million.
When you’re 29, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, global GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy. When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren’t even over the hill yet.
When you’re 41, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war and the Holocaust kills six million. At 52, the Korean War starts and five million perish.
At 64 the Vietnam War begins, and it doesn’t end for many years. Four million people die in that conflict. Approaching your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, could well have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening.
As you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? A kid in 1985 didn’t think their 85 year old grandparent understood how hard school was. Yet those grandparents (and now great grandparents) survived through everything listed above.
Perspective is an amazing art. Let’s try and keep things in perspective. Let’s be smart, help each other out, and we will get through all of this. In the history of the world, there has never been a storm that lasted. This too, shall pass. (Instagr.am/historic)
The review of these events over the last hundred years was a reminder of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
The fact is some things may not pass or at least leave a long-lasting scar, and there’s not a guarantee things will always get better, but we live with an eternal hope that makes these events of our lives an opportunity for us to grow and look towards the unseen eternity that lies before us.
Sleepy was reminded of a family member born in 1899 that showed the type of resilience these circumstances create in an individual and hoped we would all become the type of person that is better as a result of these times.
Several prayer requests for unidentified illnesses for others, in particular Mickey’s dad.
AOL called Q for Friday, no takers yet for next Tuesday, and Jefe the following Friday.
PRAYER
Ron Swanson
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE