Workout Description
Why This Workout Is Very Hard
This is a 12.2 km mountain run with 1220m elevation gain—a continuous, unbroken endurance effort lasting 60-90+ minutes for average athletes. The brutal slope profile (40-46% grades mid-route) creates severe leg fatigue and metabolic demand. No rest periods, no breaks, pure aerobic/anaerobic suffering. The descent compounds quad damage. This exceeds typical CrossFit conditioning and demands serious trail running fitness.
Benchmark Times for The Grind Uphill
- Elite: <56:30
- Advanced: 63:30-71:00
- Intermediate: 80:00-90:00
- Beginner: >165:00
Training Focus
This workout develops the following fitness attributes:
- Endurance (9/10): Sustained 12.2 km trail run with 1220 m elevation gain demands exceptional cardiovascular capacity and aerobic output over extended duration.
- Stamina (8/10): Continuous uphill and downhill running for 45-90+ minutes exhausts leg muscular endurance and sustained force production against gravity.
- Strength (4/10): Steep slopes (up to 46%) require significant leg strength to drive uphill; descent demands eccentric strength control but not maximal effort.
- Flexibility (3/10): Trail running requires basic ankle mobility and hip range of motion; uneven terrain demands proprioceptive awareness but not extreme flexibility.
- Speed (3/10): Steady pacing strategy dominates; terrain and elevation prevent high-speed cycling. Downhill allows faster movement but controlled descent prioritized.
- Power (2/10): Primarily a grind workout; minimal explosive demands. Steep sections require sustained power output rather than explosive bursts.
Movements
- Run
Benchmark Notes
The primary limiter is sustained aerobic capacity and leg strength on the 40-46% grade sections (1.7–3.2 km), which force most athletes into a slow grind or hands-on-knees scramble. L5 (~95 min) reflects a reasonably fit CrossFitter who can power-hike the steep sections and run the moderate grades, with a faster descent offsetting the brutal climb.
Modality Profile
Run is a cyclical cardio movement classified as Monostructural (M). Single movement workout = 100% of that modality.
Training Profile
| Attribute | Score | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Endurance | 9/10 | Sustained 12.2 km trail run with 1220 m elevation gain demands exceptional cardiovascular capacity and aerobic output over extended duration. |
| Stamina | 8/10 | Continuous uphill and downhill running for 45-90+ minutes exhausts leg muscular endurance and sustained force production against gravity. |
| Strength | 4/10 | Steep slopes (up to 46%) require significant leg strength to drive uphill; descent demands eccentric strength control but not maximal effort. |
| Flexibility | 3/10 | Trail running requires basic ankle mobility and hip range of motion; uneven terrain demands proprioceptive awareness but not extreme flexibility. |
| Power | 2/10 | Primarily a grind workout; minimal explosive demands. Steep sections require sustained power output rather than explosive bursts. |
| Speed | 3/10 | Steady pacing strategy dominates; terrain and elevation prevent high-speed cycling. Downhill allows faster movement but controlled descent prioritized. |
12.2 km trail/vertical run for time. 6.1 km uphill with 1220 m of gained elevation, descent on the same path. Net average slope 19.5% Slope breakdown: 0–1.2 km: flat 1.2–1.7: slope +12% 1.7–3.2: slope +40 to +46% 3.2–5.7: slope +11 to +31% 5.7–6.1: slope +3%
A grindy aerobic engine builder — sustainable pace with clean transitions, not a sprint.
Pace your first round 5–10s slower than feels easy. Break the gymnastics before failure — small sets save big time across rounds.
Reduce the barbell load to maintain unbroken sets on the cleans. Sub jumping pull-ups or banded for HSPU.