Four of our solar system’s planets are readily visible in the predawn sky on this 51st anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s small step for man and giant leap for mankind.  Great day for some Planetary 4 Corners and a Merlot Moon Mission at the Clinic.

We moseyed around the back parking lot and around the stage to circle up in plank position, while each of 8 PAX listed F3’s 5 core principles.  We switched to an air chair circle for some brief instructions, and then headed off for 4 rounds of 4 Corners, Planetary Edition.  YHC chose 4 “corners” where viewing was best for Venus (20 V-Ups), Jupiter (20 Jump Squats), Saturn (20 SSH), and Mars (20 Merkins).  Ran a victory lap, then circled up in air chair for further instruction.  Part 2 of the morning was a mission to the moon.  This day in history, July 20, 1969, NASA’s Apollo 11 crew reached their destination in the lunar module, and Neil and Buzz romped around on the moon for a few hours.  Really an amazing feat!  We launched and rocketed up the amphitheater stairs into close orbit of the moon (aka the city fountain).  We simulated the lunar landing and the space race with a crab walk race across the Park and City Center, used the gravitational pull of the moon to slingshot us over to the gazebo while we recovered, and then we kept the intensity going with some M.O.O.N. exercises.  Three rounds of Monkey Humpers, Overhead Press, Overhead Claps, and Newton’s Cradle had me so dehydrated and dizzy, all I could do was lead the boys in a mosey down the hill and hand the reigns to Gut Check while I merloted in the drain grate.  Always a success when the PAX are working out while the Q is on his knees heaving.  I’m sure GC kept the intensity up for the last 5 minutes.  I really don’t know, as I was incoherent until the COT.

Men – thank you for posting this morning.  Thanks for letting me nerd out and incorporate astronomy and history into a workout theme.  Great to see Sgt. Slaughter out of the woodwork and back at the Clinic.  Great to see Lifeboat continue to crush workouts like a seasoned pro – when is your VQ, bro?  Office Party – pumped to hear about your dad.  NesQuick and Foosball – kudos to you fellas for recognizing the value of men’s fellowship in your Friday morning groups.  Hope the new one is awesome, Foos.  Thanks to Gut Check for your situational awareness and willingness to volunteer and Q the last 5 minutes.  Thanks to Butterfly for not letting me fall off the stage – way to look out for your brother.  Thanks to Foosball for bringing me water and holding my hair back.  We all need to brush up on the 5 core principles of F3: not so that we can rattle them off in a ring of fire, but so that we can ensure we are operating by them.  I’m confident we will.  And as we do, we will ensure the continued growth of High Impact Men through the planting, growing, and serving of men’s small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership.  Lord, give us the grace to grow in fitness, fellowship, and faith, that we may be all we can be for our families and our community.  Keep your head out of the sand, and your eye to the sky. Aye?