While „CHAMPIONS DAY VII“ is almost sold out…

Available Spots: Female Competition: 1 Spot Remaining, Female Fitness: 1 Spot Remaining, Male Competition: 1 Spot Remaining; all other categories sold out.
Still, if you want to compete send us an email and we will put you on a waiting list.

Registration for „THE AUSTRIAN CHAMPIONS DAY 2014“ opens tomorrow, July 1st.

 

Trainer Warm Up 10 Min.

Strength: Turkish Get Up (10 Min)

10 Min to work up to a 2RM Max.

WOD (23 Min.)

2 Rounds 

1 Min. Work, 1 Min. Rest

• BALL SLAMS 10kg
• PLANK HOLD
• OVERHEAD STATIONARY LUNGES 20/15kg Plate
• ROW FOR CAL. (sorry Guys…)
• ABMAT SITUPS
• TGU 24/16 alternating

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ROWING MARATHON IN THE BOOKS.

Congratulations to all participants for succesfully completing this challenge!

Finishers: Best time by CPT Niki Selner 2:57:29,1 followed by CPT Andi Diwald 2:58:55,7, CPT Gregor Herbst, CPT Rudi Landertinger, CPT Andi Loidl, CPT Mandi, CPT Tom Landertinger, CPT Ben Noffz and MVP CPT Günter Bayrhammer.

Honest thoughts on „Rowing a Marathon“ …

A lot of people asked me what it is about Rowing 42.195 meters. Well I could say it is even worse than it sounds but in fact it isn´t!

It is all about mindset. As CrossFitters we are constantly seeking for challenges. Every cell of your body has to be excited about bit, although every cell of your body shouts NO! when thinking about it at first sight. If a challenge asks for nothing than your very best both mentally and physically, it is accepted as a Challenge. . (After rowing a half marathon last year it certainly had to be a marathon this year, although we all agreed that it was a stupid idea and would never ever get back on the rower after finishing last years half-marathon.)

Well, here we are back again.

3-2-1 Go.

I decided to take fixed breaks every 10k starting at 30.000 meters. Being truly honest my butt complained the first time right after 2.000 meters. I expected that so I wasn´t shocked too bad.

Besides that the first 12.195meters felt really O.K. I got off the rower took a few sips of the water bottle stretched out my hamstrings and jumped back on it.

Wow, feels good now. I was even more surprised when getting close to the half-marathon mark how relaxed I felt. I thought this will be a piece of cake today. OK bring on the next 21k.

At that time you kind of sort out where you want to end since the monitor shows the projected finish time at all times on the button of the screen. Alright it has to be sub 3 hours.

The next fixed break was about to come at 20k. I always pushed a little harder before I got off the rower so I didn´t loose too much ground.

Back on the rower, for the next 10k. Suddenly the mood started to change when hitting the 15.000m mark. Little cramps showed up and my body started to refuse to go on. Now the mental game comes up. You set yourself a goal finishing sub 3 hours, you´ve gone too far to give it up. Keep Pushing. I kind of hold on to the next break at 10k. Somehow I make it there keeping the sub 3 hours pace.

10k to go. Last break, off the rower changing my shoes (from Oly Lifters to Nanos) took a few steps walking, felt like I haven´t ever walked before.

Now here we go last stage, 10k to the finish line.

Pushing the pace again to get sub 3hours. Now I feel like right in the middle of my worst nightmare. Every part of my body is yelling at me to stop and I am yelling back to shut up. No I am not backing off my goal now. I´ve come too far. The scars in my head would be bigger than the scars in my muscles.

At 7.500 my thighs feel like (Zitat)>>> „Wie a Paarl`Frankfurter des glei mal zreist“<<<. I am managing my stroke can´t extend the knees fully, fearing my left thigh to really cramp badly. This feels like driving a car with four flat tires.

5K to go.  …my thighs suddenly cramp and I simply shout out the pain.- to my surprise it worked. I shouted the cramp away.

3.500m to go. Now I am fighting hard to stay inside my sub 3 hours pace. From that moment on I can´t barely remember anything if I felt any pain at all. I just kept pushing and pushing and looked up the monitor with 300m to go,- my sub 3hours pace still in reach. Sprint through the finish line in 2hours 58minutes 55,7 seconds.

Bottom Line: Whenever you finish a brutal challenge it leaves you deeply happy after all. All the pain, all the suffering is blown away for the gift of having achieved a goal that asked for the very best of you mentally and physically.

This happy moments money can´t buy and never will. You feel humble and thankful for who you are.

I believe everybody gets his own reward from challenges but in the end it´s all about serving and inspiring others. Showing that impossible is just an opinion, not a fact. Showing that whoever is trying to talk your dreams bad is wrong and maybe just jealous because he couldn´t do it. Small people do that whereas the great ones will inspire you that you can become great, too.

Günter Bayrhammer is my MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the Rowing Marathon. He hasn´t rowed a distance longer than 500m before that day. He showed that no matter what, you truly can become great. Well Done Günther! Thank you for your Performance. You served a big duty to all of us. You are a true Inspiration of Fitness.

Andi

Tips for recovery:

• get in cold water
• Eat good foods
• get plenty of sleep
• active recovery i.e. run 40 minutes at 60% effort
• self-myo-fascial release like foam rolling 
• get a massage

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Michi Gehl, Hermann and Rosi representing CrossFit salzburg at „FrauenLauf“