RJ

Five rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
15 ft Rope Climb, 5 ascents
50 Push-ups

As Rx'd: 72min and some change…


My loving, and devoted wife, and one of my best friends stopped the watch two separate times a little before I was actually done. It was taking me so long…and from their perspective it probably looked like I was done. I mean I had to sit down and tape up my fingers 3 different times on the last round of rope climbs due to hide coming off. I’m not too upset, I wasn’t setting any land speed records with this WOD.

The WOD soon became a test of will…after the first round my mentality switched to, “I just need to survive and get through this”. Metabolically I should have scaled it, but it is a hero WOD...and I don't think it truly honors them when you scale it. What is an hour and fifteen minutes of misery compared to sacrificing your life for God, family, and country? I wasn't even out of breath in the slightest at the end.
After the fifth 800m run I was at 56min. I was hoping to get it done under an hour, but I hobbled into the weight room and my left quad, groin, and hamstring all cramped up on me. It took me a good 5-8 min just to rub out the cramps enough to continue. I literally could not put any weight on my leg without the muscles seizing up on me.

Truthfully I almost didn’t finish this WOD…I mean all in all, by the end, my hands look like hamburger with several chunks of skin now torn or missing from 5-6 fingers, my left leg has a nice rope burn, and my groin, quad, and hammie on the left side feels like I was kicked repeatedly over and over from cramping up so bad…but I just kept saying this is a small price to pay to honor the fallen.

Sergeant Major Robert J Cottle didn’t quit on us…so I wasn’t going to quit on him. RIP Sergeant Major Cottle.