Blackbeard Challenge

  • Saturday, May 29th, 2021
  • 0600-0800
  • 36.123039, -79.88063034565
  • 67 °F, 98% humidity

Pax

The 2021 Memorial Day weekend marked F3 Greensboro’s 5th time participating in the Blackbeard Challenge in support of the Matthew A. Pucino Foundation. Each year, the Foundation issues a new challenge featuring running/rucking + a diabolical combination of exercises. The men of F3 like to take the prescribed beatdown and mix is up a bit. This year was no different.

After a brief call to order, a debt of gratitude paid to Akron and Opie for their service to our country, and overview of  what was to come, it was time to introduce the addition of sandbags and a special coupon; after all, what’s Blackbeard Challenge without a Treasure Chest?!

Time to “Ruck Up & Buckle Up!” as we traveled along the ountry Park lake and up to The Guilford War Memorial. The pax was able to ground their rucks/coupons, pause, and reflect on the sacrifices made by the men and women of Greensboro and beyond.

Then it was off to Wicked’s Folly and the Slope of No Hope for Akron’s reading of Matthew Pucino’s biography before we took on the Beatdown designed in his honor and memory. And then it was time for:

The Thang

Pax counted off into two groups; Group 1 went to the top and Group 2 stayed at the bottom. Complete one round of the Blackbeard Challenge and then run up/down the hill accordingly. Rinse & Repeat until all rounds were complete.

  • Burpees x 10
  • Squats x 25
  • Plank x 1 minute
  • Crunches x 50
  • Leg Lifts x 25
  • Merkins x 10

Your Blackbeard Challenge playlist can be found HERE.

Recover! The pax then gathered the gear at the top of Wicked’s Folly so that they could #HopTheFence and mosey through the cementery to the Forest Hill Memorial to pay respects to those that paid the ultimate sacrifice while Hoosier read “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae

“In Flanders Fields”

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie
        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high. 
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

Mosey back through Copperhead Trail to retrieve our gear and ruck back through Country Park to the #endex for a group pic and a final sendoff before hightailing it to the Cornwallis’ Nightmare #ShovelFlag for CoT with the pax of the Memorial Weekend Convergence & CoT

#Tclaps to the men that make this annual event one of YHC’s favorites. It’s a bittersweet blessing to honor a man that laid down his life to defend our freedoms. One of which is the simple opportunity to show up each morning for a workout. Let’s repay at least a small portion of that debt by building the next 43 feet of road for our communities.

Grace & Peace,

Tommy Boy