MUST READ - Mandatory gear list and other important stuff

Hello T3 attendees,

As we close in on the big event, the class no doubt shares a mix of emotions from apprehension, excitement and outright fear.  In fact, it is expected that a few candidates will get cold feet and simply not show up.  Now is the time to announce such intentions.  For those that wish to remain in the T3, this message is for you. As part of what was promised, you get the mandatory gear list earlier than expected. Normally big races out there feature a ‘race bible’ similar to what you are about to receive.  Since this event trains you for those kinds of events, it means it’s time to listen up.

Don’t be late.  This is crucial.  Prepare to get a flat tire, last-minute errands, your cat catching fire, or whatever else would cause you to be late.   For every 5 minutes somebody is late, the entire team must do 30 burpees.  If you are 30 minutes late, you will be disqualified from the event.  No exceptions, no refunds. Better to learn this lesson at a $49 event than to learn it at an event you paid ten times as much to get in to.  So if you plan on not showing up and you don’t tell anybody, you will be on many people’s shit lists.  In order for this to be easy on everyone, we’ve got to keep this chaos somewhat organized and on time.
Exact location of the starting point is at
1200 N Unser St
Mt Dora, FL 32757

7:30am

Bring water and nutrition.  Bring at least 2L of water with you to refill throughout the event.  You will not finish the event if you fail to replenish your lost calories either.  You’ve got a small break between laps to eat and refill.  If you don’t, you will not make it through this event.

Plan outside the event.  Are you riding with others?  If so, what’s going to happen if you DNF?  Will you sleep in the car?  Drive home?  What about when you finish?  You just went through hell and you plan on driving back home right afterwards?  Will you be awake enough to drive?  Plan for these things, please.  We’re not on the hook for your lack of prudence. Have a plan B.

Time between laps.  You will be awarded a 8 minute break in between laps, and a 20 minute break after lap 2 (the run).  If you’re lined up and ready to begin the next lap before your allotted time is up, those leftover minutes can roll over towards another lap of your choice.  Failure to be ready after the allotted time will have a deduction from future lap breaks.  So have your nutrition, changes of clothes, bug spray, etc laid out for you to access and be done with efficiently.

Bonus lap.  There will be an OPTIONAL bonus lap happening at 7:02am.  Sometimes people are rewarded for doing this, other times they are just punished for no reason.  It’s a gamble. 

Now, let’s talk about the mandatory gear list.

Each individual person must bring the following:

·         Gloves

·         Headlamp

·         Chemlight or reflective PT belt on the ruck

·         A blindfold that actually obscures your vision.  We’ll inspect each one.

·         A printed quote from somebody that you look up to

·         Index card with any medical issues that an EMT would need to know just in case something goes wrong, in addition to an emergency contact.

The team as a whole must bring the following:

·         A 15.5 inch strip of duct tape with everybody’s name and age written on it with a sharpee.

·         A soccer ball (you know why!)

·         A picture of Harambe with everyone’s name signed on it.

Getting closer!

The T3 is just weeks away, and only one or two more challenges remain.  The team has voted for the water PT to occur later in the day. As expected, the challenges without any due dates have drastically low participation rates.  This is by design in order to slow down the accumulation of points by the team. It has worked flawlessly.  Without the end goal in mind and without the instant motivation to complete the task, the team will suffer later. Perfect!

However, all is not lost.  For the next week from today, any new person registering for this event will add 5 points to the team total. 

Oh by the way

If four people register within a week from today, I will release the mandatory gear list.
Otherwise, you won't get it until a week before the actual event.  This should be an easy accomplishment, as about ten (not exaggerating) people are still on the fence.  

Pro tip:  You're never ready.  Embrace the challenge that awaits, and smile :)

Challenge 8 - Ruck Push-ups

You will no doubt be doing some bodyweight PT at the T3, so why not get used to it through a challenge?  The challenge is as simple as the title... you will be doing ruck push-ups.  Ladies, we do not discriminate.  You will be doing this without knees touching the ground as well!  You won't have a specific set of reps that you must do for this challenge.  We're not looking for that.  We're looking for your honest-to-god maximum effort in this thing.  If you're burnt out before the timer ends, then so be it.  Go all out.  That's all you got to do.  Here are the deets:

• Your ruck must have 18% bodyweight in it.
• Perform as many ruck push-ups (correct form!) in one minute and thirty seconds.
• Video submission due in the regular place - the event page on Facebook.
• No due date on this challenge (or any challenges from here on out).
• Completion earns you a point (and much respect if you go all-out!).
• Rest midway if you must.  So long as it's the two approved Army resting positions.

Challenge 7 - Rock the vote!

This is a first.  
The team will have a direct influence on how the T3 will be run on the 25th of next month!

But they have to work for it, first.

The team will get to vote on when the water PT lap occurs, since the originally intended pool has been reserved by another group on the morning of the T3.  In order to cast a vote as a team, we're going to need the team to chip in some mileage.  Here are the rules, and the vote that the team will be able to decide on.

• The team must accumulate 75 miles run.  In order for Neil not to get spammed with notifications, please keep the accumulation of miles in a single post on the event page on Facebook.
• Distance must be at least 3 miles per submission.
• This must be completed by February 10th.
• Everybody earns a point for completion.

Here is what you will vote on.

Water PT begins at a smaller pool at a nearby apartment complex about a mile from the venue as the first lap of the event, early in the morning.  The team will then have to drive over to the venue to begin the next lap.
Pros:  Less scary, since you won't be physically destroyed prior to getting in the water. 
Cons:  It'll be colder since it's in the early morning, plus there's the chaos of then moving to the event's original location while getting into dry clothes.

or...

Water PT occurs at around 5 or 6pm, likely before or after the camaraderie lap (Lap 3) at the olympic sized pool at the T3 venue.
Pros:  Warmer outside, plus everything you need is right there and you don't have to scramble.  There are also two lifeguards manning this pool in case people bonk out in the water.
Cons:  You'll be much more tired in the water this late into the day.

Perks are here!

Challenge 6 - Six.

More simple challenges!  Yay!

Since everybody knows that they will be running six miles at the T3, let's see how you perform when you're running fresh and not having done laps 0 and 1 prior.  On to the simple rules:

• Submit your six mile (non treadmill) run to the group event page to earn two points
• No due date, though if five of them are submitted before Friday the 20th, perks will be unlocked.

Challenge 5 - 30 burpees

Notice how these challenges are getting really simple?  

Enjoy it.

So this one is a pretty basic one.  Normally, burpee challenges are done where you have X amount of minutes to do however many burpees you can crank out.  Now we're going to reverse it.  

• Complete 30 burpees in however long you can.  No extra points for going fast.  So relax, right?  I mean, if you sandbag it now that means you got some wiggle room for another challenge that could ask you to beat the last time, right?
• No due date for this.  No need to rush!  You can procrastinate this challenge up until the minute before the actual event if you really want to.  So put it on the back of your mind.
• Submit your video to the event page.  Completing it earns you a point.

Challenge 4 - Your Biggest Challenge (so far)

Time to depart from the physical challenges for a little bit and focus on the personal side of things - you.

 

What motivates you?  What brings you to these kinds of events?  I'm sure you've had your concerned relatives and friends ask why you even pay to do these things (ugh), only to respond with a half-dismissive reply.  To many of you, this event will be the hardest event in your life... so far.  We stress time and time again that champions are NOT born atop a podium, but they are forged by overcoming an immense struggle that every other normal person would bow out of.  It's time to learn a little bit about each other.  Here are the rules:

• Post on your regular timeline what your greatest physical challenge was, including a photo of you and your finisher medal/headband/buckle/whatever.  Obviously tag Neil so he knows you did this.
• Let them know that this is for challenge 4 of the T3, and link them to the event description.
• Challenge is due Friday the 13th at 6pm.  Submission for this challenge earns you a point.
• That's it.  I just wanted to make another bulletpoint to make this challenge seem complicated.  Have fun! 

Challenge 3 - For real this time

So challenge 2 was simple.  This is going to be even more simple.

Since we had 100% participation in this, this'll be easy to orchestrate.

You know challenge 2?  Do that again, except that you must beat your previous time.  Even though you were asked to go for a PR, I guarantee you that you'll beat it.  Oftentimes people won't truly give it their 100% when asked for the first time.  Only when the motivation is truly there can you see real results.  

• If you beat your previous submission, you earn another 2 points.
• If you're new and haven't done challenge 2, simply do challenge 2 and submit for 2 points.
• Challenge due Sunday (1/8/17) at Noon.

Current point loadout to those who care:
Nate - 7
Scott - 7
Sarah - 6
Leslie - 6
Greg - 5
Donna -5

(completed challenges but haven't registered)
Kevin - 6
Alex - 5
Michael - 4

Once they register, they'll be added to the main roster and their points will be added to the team pool to unlock perks.  Speaking of perks... if everybody beats their time, I'll reveal the perks early!
 

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Trivia Tip - Listen up and listen well

So instead of making you guys pay for it, you're going to get the trivia tip... for free!  The subject for the trivia for the next T3 will be the first world war.  Key things to study include which countries were in what factions, any major historical firsts that occured in the war, the technology of the war, the after-effects of the war, important names and significant battles.  


It's still a toss-up weather you'll be given a geography test on lap 4, or a quote memorization event or a sadistic combination of both as a result of punishment.  

Quick tip: Where to post challenge submissions

If you would like to partake in the bonus pre-game challenges, please post submissions at the event page here.

Challenge 2 - Kill that 5k

Normally we like to torture you with overly-complex challenges with a bunch of rules and stipulations, but sometimes we just have to keep it simple.  This next challenge will be insanely simple.  Run a 5k.  That's it.  So in true challenge fashion, here are the bulletpoints:

• Run a 5k.  Like... really fast.  Go for a PR.
• No treadmills or pausing your workout.  Just go.
• Show the results on the event page.
• Do this by the January 4th at 10pm and get 2 points.

It feels weird finishing this post on such brief information... but yeah.  That's it.  Just run.

Merry Christmas

Those who register before Christmas morning will recieve an extra point!

Challenge 1 - Winter Burpees

Happy Holidays!  

Now get ready for the T3.

Your first optional challenge is burpees.  The first challenges typically yield a treasure trove of points, so you definitely want to get in on this if you an.  Just make sure the camera doesn't fall down as you're filming it!

Here are your rules:

• You have 1 minute to complete as many burpees as possible.
• Get more than 15 burpees, and earn a point
• Get more than 20 burpees, and earn two.
• Anything above 25 earns you three points.
• Do it in temperatures below 65 degrees earns you another point.
• Do it while soaking wet earns you another point.
• Make sure you tag Neil in your video submission!
• Challenge expires January 2nd at noon.
   

Begin Transmission of the Mt. Dora Mayhem (part 2) T3

It has begin.  Traffic to this part of the website has spiked and the mind games will now commence.  Good luck to our brave aspiring and returning elites!

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Congratulations T3 Night Ops!

By far the most competent class ever.  They were always going above the required task and not a single point was spent!  Usually the larger the group, the more degraded the teamwork becomes, but this class certainly an exception to that rule.  The great triumphs and struggles were all validated with a patch that will tell a different story for each recipient, but through it's unique meaning will declare one simple but powerful statement:

I am Regiment Elite.

Done!

Exactly 13 hours