6/12 – Rowing and Snatching

WOD

7 rounds

200m row

10 power snatches (50/30kg)

16:28 Rx

This was fun yet also challenging (aren’t they all?).  I was partnered with Tara and though she called me a bully for making her go first it was amazing and astonishing to watch her power through it – unbroken!  I knew it’d take me a little longer.  She didn’t kill herself on the row holding a solid yet breathable pace and then smashed out all the snatches – again, UNBROKEN.  Unbelievably awesome.

When it was my turn I started to get a bit nervous and also think what my plan would be.  I thought about trying to hold a 2:10/500m split on the row as long as it seemed manageable/ not too full on and then break up the snatches but as little as possible – was thinking 5-5 until T suggested that I try and hold 6-4 throughout.  Solid plan.

At the 3-2-1-go… I started on the row and before I knew it I was holding about a 2 minute/ 500m split.  I noted that I was only going 26 strokes per minute – steady and focused on my breathing – not too labored.  It felt okay so I went with it not sure how long it’d hold there for throughout the WOD.  I’m happy to say however that it held.  I managed between 1:55- 2:05/ 500m splits throughout with my stroke rate never going above 30 strokes per minute.  Solid.  Definitely happy with this even as my forearms started cramping up in later rounds.  I definitely didn’t grip the rower handle, just linked my fingers over it and went.  Again, I can’t say just how happy I was with this – I felt strong and this wasn’t hard for me to hold.

The snatches were hard.  I powered through 6-4 in the first few rounds with solid technique but then it started to deteriorate from there.  I managed to keep the 6-4 rep scheme except for I think rounds 5-6 in the middle where I broke it up to 3-4-3 and 4-3-3.  I really didn’t want to pick up the bar.  It was on round 5 that I asked where I was thinking it was my second last round, when T noted that it was round 5 and I knew that I had 20 more snatches after I’d finished the last few reps I almost cried.  It was definitely hurting.  It’s funny how quickly 30kg can feel really heavy.  It was amazing to have people cheering me on in the last few rounds.  I knew Steph was warming up upstairs – I was watching her during the row to change my focus on and could hear her when I was on the snatches (thanks girl!) and on the last round Cam also came around and was counting for me along with T.  Throughout the WOD I was neck and neck with Nadene and really wanted to catch her on the last round.  I banged out the first 6 then didn’t quite want to finish but saw her put the bar down and picked mine up.  Unfortunately she only had 2 reps to go and I had 4 so she just edged me out but we both agreed in the end that it was awesome to have someone pushing us.  Solid effort all around and so much hurt.  I can’t even describe how broken I felt afterward.  Definitely did not have the energy to do anything else.

I am glad I did it though – I know how far I can push myself and keep going especially knowing the end is in sight.  I gotta say though that 7 rounds is just painful.  Five would have been enough – it’s the limit and then the last two rounds feel like just holding on.  Happy to have finished within the 18 minute time cap too!