These colors don’t run, but these PAX do!

I love a good theme and didn’t realize that I was on Q for President’s Day. I was excited to see no HCs for a prerun (otherwise I could have been convinced to join) but did have high expectations for the beatdown with several texts and HCs on Slack.

Proper rhetoric was executed (1 minute warning, welcome, disclaimer, mission statement, etc) and a short warmup of SSH and windmills, then quick to go grab blocks because I needed all the time I could get!

THE THANG

Simple structure of sharing facts about presidents then doing exercises that coincides with numbers:

George Washington
1st President, one Indian run around AO
Presidents’ Day was originally a celebration of George Washington’s bday, then broadened to Lincoln (which the day falls between those two birthdays) and other presidents.
He was said to have wooden teeth, likely a rumor because his love for dark wine caused stains between the cracks in his fake teeth, likely made of hippo ivory, bone, and human/animal teeth
Washington is on 25 cent quarter, 25 burpees

Thomas Jefferson
3rd President, 3 burpees
Died on July 4th within hours of his frenemy John Adams
On nickel, 5 ladder- start w 5 reps of all, work down to 1 then done
Tricep, overhead press, curl

William Henry Harrison
9th President
Harrison lasted only 32 days in office, the shortest stint of any president. Died of pneumonia
32 merkins

Lincoln
16th President, 16 squats
In addition to being a tall drink of water, Lincoln also serves tall drinks as a bartender. He was also a really good wrestler. He won all but one of approximately 300 matches.
300 burpees- kidding! one cent, one lap

Ulysses S Grant
18th President, 18 Freddy mercury
Was invited to the Ford Theater by Lincoln but cancelled due to plans to visit their children in New Jersey

William McKinley
25 President
On 500 bill, discontinued in 1969

69 Merkins, ring of fire style, 5 merkins per person.

Theodore Roosevelt

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” —Theodore Roosevelt
On Valentine’s Day in 1884, both his first wife and mother died. A page from his journal from that day: “the light has gone out of my life”
While delivering a speech, Roosevelt was shot and had this to say about it: “I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot. I give you my word, I do not care a rap about being shot; not a rap!” He finished his hour and a half speech with a bullet lodged in his chest. Teddy bears were created to commemorate him mercifully putting down a wounded bear on a hunting trip
Bear crawls to bleachers and back

Franklin D Roosevelt
Only President to be elected for 4 terms, died in office
On the dime (10) served as President for 12 years, ring of fire of 10 PAX choice of 12 reps.

While living in Indonesia, Obama had a pet ape called Tata.
Monkey humpers

Some fun facts shared as well:

“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” —President George W. Bush, 2004 signing ceremony for a defense-spending bill

“There may be somebody with tomatoes in the audience. If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell—I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees.” —President Donald Trump, Cedar Rapids, Iowa rally, Feb. 1, 2016

”My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference.” — President Harry S. Truman 1962

”They misunderestimated me.” —President George W. Bush, Nov. 6, 2000, Bentonvile, Arkansas

Blessed are the young, for they will inherit the national debt.” —Herbert Hoover

People say I’m indecisive, but I don’t know about that.” —George W. Bush

My esteem in this country has gone up substantially. It is very nice now when people wave at me, they use all their fingers.” —Jimmy Carter

”I was under medication when I made the decision to burn the tapes.” —Richard Nixon

When the President does it, that means it’s not illegal.” —Richard Nixon, 1977 interview with David Frost

Dwight Eisenhower ordered the assassination of squirrels
Our 34th president, an avid golfer, got sick and tired of squirrels messing up his game by digging up the green to bury their acorns. He ordered his valet to shoot the rodents, but the Secret Service forbade the use of guns on the White House grounds, so groundkeepers trapped and released the animals instead.

Billy Possums” was meant to replace “Teddy Bears”
President Theodore Roosevelt inspired the name “Teddy Bears.” Roosevelt chose not to shoot a bear on a hunting trip, asking to put down the already injured bear humanely instead. Newspapers made cartoons of the event and Morris Michtom, a candy shop owner, asked Roosevelt’s permission to sell stuffed bears in his shop and call them “Teddy Bears.” Once William H. Taft became president, toy makers worried that the bears wouldn’t be as popular. They came up with an alternative toy to name after Taft—”Billy Possums.” In 1909, the president ate possum in Georgia, inspiring this rival toy that never came close to the popularity of the Teddy Bear.

MOLESKINE: Probably not the toughest beatdown ever, but it was fun to put together and I hope everybody enjoyed a little change of pace. If you hated it, consider yourself encouraged to sign up on the Q sheet / calendar!