16.3 the first time

So I gave 16.3 a go Friday straight after the WOD was announced.

I have had a pretty good training week. Hitting 3x180kg, 3x95kg OHS, 3x130kg RSq as well keeping my WODs going. Thursday I did a little grip killer - 2 rounds of 40C row, 8 BMU, 2 rope climbs with 60s rest between. I dont think it helped for 16.3 the next day!

I paced it fairly slowly but didn't break the moves. Got 1 MU short of 7 rounds. My grip gave out but I was pretty gassed as well. I'm doing it again tomorrow, as I think I need another 6-8 reps to keep me in the Top 10 (which would be nice). My plan is to Power snatch instead of muscle snatch and move through the MU's faster. Which means my grip should hold out, but I'll probably gass out earlier.

I asked Matt Swift recently what was the main thing he learned at the Games last year (he won the Men's 45-49 Age Group) and he replied "know your capacity'. For me, this has always been a strict guideline, and when I forget about it, I often fail.

What it means, is that when you approach a WOD, break it down and try to see where your strengths and weaknesses might lie within that WOD. Then make sure to take that into consideration when you start the WOD. For example, 16.3, for some people may a cardio wod, others their grip might give out, while others might have trouble with the technical aspect of the BMU.

So if you cardio is weak, you would pace the snatches, but push the MU. If your grip is weak then you might release the snatches every rep. Pacing a wod doesn't mean you do every movement at one pace. It means you move through the WOD so that at the end (right at the end - like in the last seconds) something gives out! If nothing gives out, then you haven't gone hard enough. If something gives out with time to go then you will need to have extended rests. 

So when you see the WOD, think where you can make up time and where you will need to control yourself a little bit. Learn to do this well and you will often beat better athletes. Don't learn it and you will find yourself resting way too much in your WODs.