AWF Iceland Day 1

Workout of the Day

WOD – in the afternoon…

1400+ foot mountaineering (Church Mountain)

WOD 2 – in the evening…

5 minutes to complete the following:
200 meter swim
50 kb swings
AMRAP burpees

Day 1 of Anywherefit Iceland 2012 was pretty epic, to properly use what’s typically overused terminology.  Within range of the locally famous and mystical Snaellfelsness Glacier, our bus parked at the base of a towering spire aptly name “Church Mountain.”  As with most volcanic relics, this chunk of rock sloped abruptly upwards almost from our first step.  Our party of 26 quickly stretched to a series of smaller groups as the footing got less steady and the incline more severe.  Besides the strength and muscular endurance needed to hike this type of feature, you also need a ton of concentration.  There was shale and loose rock everywhere that would slide from under us without notice, making things precarious for those still climbing below.  Towards the top the only way to continue was to use a series of 1” diameter knotted ropes that had been anchored to the larger stones above.  This was an interesting bit for those in our group who hadn’t done much climbing.  It was also humbling to see how such a relatively small increase in elevation affected the psyche.  Fears of heights were reawakened, steps grew more and more cautious, and people were brought face to face with raw nature on a scale they rarely get to experience.  Of course, the view from the top was breathtaking.  One member of the group put it perfectly when he said, “This looks fake.”  It did, but that’s Iceland for you.  So beautiful that your eyes don’t know how to process what they’re seeing.

Later that evening as dinner was being prepared, I took the group over to the pool where we were staying for a shorter, more intense WOD to balance out the day.  First, imagine a 25 meter pool approximately 3 lanes wide.  Now imagine that pool in the middle of nowhere with nothing around it but green grass, a small creek of glacier water, and a sports hall.  This was our setting.  I lined up the kettlebells from 32 kg down to 16 kg on the grass beside the pool, and ran the group through the WOD in heats of 3-4.  Once again, it never ceases to surprise people how tiring it is to swim, even such a short distance as 200 meters.  Some used the full 5 minutes trying to finish this initial portion.  Others made it to the kettlebell with enough time to swing until failure.  Nobody was able to complete all 50 swings and get to the burpees.  I was certain I would make it, but lost steam in the 30’s and finished with 45 swings with the 32 kg bell.  The great part was that everyone, regardless of how far into the WOD they went, was smoked afterwards.  And happy.  It was a perfect end to a fantastic first day.  I will try to keep updating the blog as we travel and give everyone out there who couldn’t make the trip some updates as to what we are doing.