March 10, 2026March 10, 2026
/Half Murph Into the Fire
- Run 800m
- 50 Pull-ups
- 100 Push-ups
- 150 Air Squats
- Run 800m
- — Then, in remaining time: Max Calorie Assault Bike
- Tom: 220 Calories
- Rusty: ~300 Calories — Belt Winner
The deal today was straightforward on paper and brutal in practice. Sixty minutes on the clock. Do half a Murph — run 800, 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 150 squats, run 800 again — and then spend every second you have left grinding calories on the Assault Bike. The only number that matters is the bike score.
I went non-partitioned. Ran the 800, then knocked out all 50 pull-ups in a row, hit the push-ups, and went straight into 150 squats before the second run. The theory was that big unbroken sets would be faster than the five-ten-fifteen partition cycle. In theory. In reality, 150 squats in a row right before an 800-meter run is a different kind of punishment. My legs were cooked before I even got to the bike.
Rusty ran the whole thing the smart way. Fast first 800, partitioned the work, fast second 800, and he was on the bike with over 40 minutes to work. He put up close to 300 calories and took the belt today. Well earned. I ended up at 220, which is honest work, but the strategy gap was clear. Ethan, Will, Card, and Kyle all showed up and got after it.
Sometimes the lesson is in the losing. You try something different, it doesn't pan out, and now you know. That's the deal. Six guys at 5am on a Tuesday doing half a Murph and then sitting on a bike until the clock runs out. Nobody had to be here. Everybody chose to be. Coffee hit different after that one.
The Red Rocket Lounge meets at 5am in Chattanooga. We're fathers, business owners, and community leaders who show up before the sun to get better. Drop in for a visit or join the brotherhood.
