AO: The Enterprise
QiC: Purple Cow
Pax Count: 2
Pax List: Purple Cow
FNG Count: 1
Downrange:
Warm up:
So, my plan this morning was to eventually make it to Terminus, where we planned a convergence this morning. But being the responsible Site Q that I am, I thought I should swing by Enterprise first just in case there was a Friendly New Guy (FNG) or Downranger.
As I pulled into the parking lot, lo and behold, a vehicle and FNG in workout attire. I started my warm up solo: SSH, Merkins, Mountain Climbers, Lunges and Imperial Walkers. All the while, I’m thinking, how do I EH this guy when I’m the only one here.
But just as I was getting ready to shift gears—both mentally and vehicularly—this FNG struck up a conversation about security at Westside park. Apparently, we share a pet peeve about their gate-opening schedule, which is unreliable for early risers. That was my opening for the F3 hard sell.
And then it happened. He nonchalantly mentioned hill sprints on the hill. That hill. I decided to be a good sport and offered to join him on this uphill adventure.
The Thang:
First sprint up, I was feeling optimistic. Second sprint, my legs began to sound the alarm. By the third sprint, systems were critical, and shields were failing. I still haven’t measured the distance, but these are 8 of those Westside Park markers (P08 to P01)! All uphill.
So while I’m bent over trying to maintain my composure, FNG is chatting away like these hills are child’s play. Meanwhile, my internal monologue is: “Sure, we’ve used this hill to initiate FNGs/Downrangers before, but is this FNG initiating me?”
Nothing wrong with being vulnerable, my fellow PAX. Especially when you think you’re going to pass out. “Let’s go from P08 to P05, going forward,” I muttered. He agreed.
Somewhere around sprint number five, I questioned the life decision to agree to run this hill ten times. On the tenth sprint we ran all the way to the top. By the time we stumbled back to the parking lot, I had to come clean. I confessed to the FNG that he had pushed me to levels that I could not have done by myself. And what does he say? “Oh, I was gonna do three hill sprints by myself.”
And so, my friends, that’s the story of how I learned that running hills with an FNG can turn into your own initiation as a Site Q.