On The Turn


I went to bed on Saturday night thinking Sunday was going to be a bust. The National Weather Service claimed rain, and I’m not one to doubt the Masters of Meteorology.

Luckily, they were wrong.

It was clear and cool at the Pond when we arrived. The grass was freshly cut and slightly wet, perfect for getting a taste of chlorophyll mid-burpee. Patrick and I hung the rings amid a hail of acorns, standing under a turning oak tree. The AF Bar was mounted down by the shore, and we were ready to go.



We split into two teams, holding sway over two thoroughly shuffled decks of cards. Sam, Thor, and I took on Josh, Pat, and Ilene, each team responsible for 96 Overhead Squats, 96 Beck’s Burpees, 96 V-ups, and 101 pull-ups. A lone Joker sat in each deck, signifying a bonus round of “Cindy”—5 pull-ups, 10 pushups, and 15 squats mid-melee.



Ilene and I pulled the first two cards, launching into a half-hour of nausea-inducing bodyweight exercises. EC looked on, simultaneously coaching, taking pictures, and entertaining one very hung-over bystander. 106 cards hit the deck, each one bringing us closer to victory.


We finished just before 9:00, high on endorphins and soaked in sweat. In the post-workout haze, I began cranking out kips on the AF Bar, while EC “filmed” for a super-low-budget commercial. My ancient digital camera breathed its last on Sunday, but we managed to get some footage before it died.



Thanks for coming out, guys. We’ll be at the Pond next Sunday, less than 24 hours after the semi-apocalyptic Fight Gone Bad Fundraiser.

Fitness waits for no man.

Go faster!