Backblast for "Caroling" on 12/20/2025
PAX:
Stark
Spaulding
Tarnished
Thor
Guardian
Photon
Casper
Meatloaf
Coconut (Q)
Stats: low 20's and light breezes at 0630 as we circled up at the shovel flag.
Intro–Mission, Core Principles, and disclaimer. We moved quickly to the adjacent field so guys weren't standing around in the cold.
Warm-o-rama
– First had a party where we rocked around the Christmas tree. For the duration of Brenda Lee's classic, we ran a serpentine path around the various spruce, fir, and pine trees nearby. Returning to the same point.
– Before going out caroling, we wanted to clear away the sins of the past hour/week/month/year etc. 10 Absolutions IC.
THANG: for each song, there are 2 exercises, just have to follow the song carefully to catch the triggers to switch from a to b. just like with Sally or Thunderstruck. if ALL PAX are able to endure the whole song, we get a tally on the nice list, and a gift. if ANY PAX are not, then the lump of coal is a penalty exercise.
1) Angels We Have Heard On High (by KING & COUNTRY)
– 2 trigger words–"Angels" and "Gloria". when a trigger word is heard switch to Aussie Snow Angels (for "Angels", of course), or Plank for "Gloria" continue until the next trigger word.
-Stats: 2 Naughty, 7 Nice. Lump of Coal is 10 air squats.
2) O Holy Night (by Josh Groban)
Owing to the line "Fall on your knees!" Of course we had to do No surrenders. The change up; anytime the word "night" is said, do a burpee.
Stats: 2 Naughty, 7 Nice. Lump of coal–10 squats and 10 merkins
3) Go Tell It on the Mountain (by KING & COUNTRY, with Gabby Barrett)
Mountain climbers during the Choruses, Al Gore during the verses.
Stats: 1 naughty, 8 Nice. Lump of coal–10 squats, 10 Merkins, 10 BBSU.
4) We Wish You a Merry Christmas (by Pentatonix)
Of course it had to be Puddin Scoops for the line "now bring us some figgy puddin" and what better to go with figgy puddin than some crab cakes?
Puddin scoops during verses, Crab Cakes during choruses.
Stats: 2 naughty, 7 Nice. Lump of coal–10 squats, 10 merkins, 10 BBSU, 10 Peter Parkers.
5) Up on a Housetop (by Forrest Frank)
Start in a 90-degree squat position. on the trigger word "Up" raise up, just a couple inches to a higher squat. on "Down", get low–past 90 into a low squat position. and on "click, click, click" stomp your feet.
Stats: there were some naughty! Lump of coal–10 squats, 10 merkins, 10 BBSU, 10 Peter Parker and 10 Burpees.
Final stats–9 naughty 🙁
After caroling and finding out who was naughty and who was nice, and to close things out, we moseyed to the sounds of 'Run Rudolph Run (by Chuck Berry) to the playground where all pax did 9 Pullups and 9 2:1 step ups to pay for the naughtiness of the group. Then Ran with Rudolph back to the flag for COT
COR/NOR and Tarnished was the 6.
In the LDP3 this week, discussion has been on slowing down, intentionally. Take the time to appreciate your 'now' today. Who you're with, especially. You never know when your last time to see that person–ever in life–will be. Try to treat them in a way that you wouldn't regret if this interaction were the last one you were ever able to have with them.