11/22/2021 - Iron Lion - Curt Clark WOD
AO: Iron Lion
When: 11/22/2021
PAX:
Number of Pax: 7
Pax Names: Backdraft, Cousin Eddie, Ebeneezer, Glass Joe, Goldberg, Riunite, Sulley,
DR Names:
Number of FNGS: 0
FNG Names:
QIC: Cousin Eddie
Introduction
“This will be a day long remembered.” – at least for me. Every year, today and the next day, are days of remembrance for my father.
Circa 1988:
Curt R. Clark of Midlothian died Monday, November 21, at Ingalls Memorial Hospital, Harvey. He was employed by Metra, was a part-time Midlothian police officer and a former Crestwood policeman.
On the morning of November 22, 1988, I was awoken to the news. Tomorrow morning’s plan is still in flux so bring your coupon just in case, be prepared for multiple surfaces and join YHC for a CE special. HC in the thread.
The Scene: Cold and clear. Low 20’s, wind chill in the teens. Arrived right before 5 to see the Black Diamond crew take off for Benedictine University. No set up today. Made sure I had a 60’s rock playlist ready to go.
Welcome & Disclaimer given.
Warm-O-Rama
Motivators from 11
The Thang
11-21-88
Prisoner Run to the bridge on the far side of the AO. This was farther than I thought. Next time I think we’ll cut through the field or go to a different bridge.
11’s – Burpees and No Surrenders. YHC split the group to use both sides of the bridge so that we wouldn’t be all jammed behind one another.
Bear crawl across the bridge. This bridge is much longer than I thought. After we reached 7 burpees, I told the PAX to just run between each exercise until the end.
Mosey to Baseball Field. This wasn’t far.
Super 21 – Merkins and Squats – do 1 Merkin, 1 Squat, 2 Merkins, 2 Squats, etc… until we get to 21. Originally, we were going to run the bases between each one, as we approached the field, I thought I should split this up and run the bases after every 7th. After we did 7 merkins and 7 squats, we ran the bases. When we reached 10 merkins and 10 squats, I jumped ahead to 21 merkins and 21 squats because of time.
Regular Rebel Run back to flags.
Mary – 8-8
American Hammer, Leg Lifts, Heel Touches, LBCs, Crunchy Frogs, 100s, Freddie Mercury’s, Flutter Kicks – 8 exercises – 8 reps each IC (4 count)
Circle of Trust
Announcements
Blood Drive – Sunday, December 12th
Ragnar 2022 teams
Concierge Services
Prayers
Thank you Lord for this day and for getting each of these men out here to become better. Thank you for lifting me up and carrying me through the tough times in my life. Please find those in need today and lift their burden so that they can keep moving forward. Lord, bless all the men of F3 as they go about their days and bless each person with whom they come in contact. In your name we pray, Amen.
Naked Man Moleskin
The motivators from 11 and the 11’s were for the 11th month. We went to the baseball diamond because my dad loved baseball. He was a south side White Sox man, even though his father loved the Cubs and the Yankees. The Super 21 (merkins and squats) are two exercises that showed up in police officer recommended workouts when I googled it yesterday. Mary was 8 exercises, 8 reps each to represent the year 1988.
I was 12 years old in 1988. My biggest problems were older step sisters, wearing glasses and trying to be cool in Junior High. That all changed on November 22, 1988.
It was pitch black when I woke up. I felt a presence in my room. Since my eyesight was not great, I didn’t know who it was until she spoke. My step-mother told me that my dad died last night.
For years I was in denial. I remember at the funeral, as I looked at him lying in his coffin that he looked fake. This wasn’t real but why did he leave me?
Fantasies of my dad being a secret agent and that he faked his own death permeated through my consciousness throughout my teens. Not until college did I start to really realize the truth but I had to find out why.
My father died of Hodgkin’s Disease, a relatively curable cancer, even by the standards of 1988. While in college in the 90’s, I had to create my own research project. So I decided to research my father’s death and the steps that were taken to try and save his life before that.
There were cancer treatments in the 80’s that used blood platelets from next of kin to battle the cancer. That was a procedure that was never done. I don’t know why because I’m O positive, the universal donor. Could I have saved my father’s life?
For so much of my life, I held onto the past, wanted to change the past, obsessed over what was done to me in the past. At some point, you really do have to let it go.
Today’s workout was my way of taking ownership of this day and honoring the man that I loved and idolized so much.
In Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. My father became a steward of God in Heaven at the age of 37. In my heart, I know he has watched over me and my family. But the sadness of him not being here never goes away.
Peace,
Cousin Eddie