Wall balls: don't blow up at the last station

Wall balls come last, after 8 km of running and seven stations. They're often the longest station in the plan, and the one where gaps between athletes blow wide open.

Choose your sets before the race

The worst case: going to failure, then doing sets of 3 with long breaks. Short fixed sets with short breaks beat that every time.

• Racing fast: 5 sets of 20, a few breaths between sets.
• Finishing clean: 10 sets of 10, regular breaks.
• First timer: sets of 8, and hold that rhythm to the end.

Don't sacrifice run 8

Run 8 is the slowest of the race, and it leads straight into the wall balls. Running it too fast to save 20 seconds can cost you a minute at the station. Your plan gives a time for both: respect the order.

Count your no-reps

A rep that misses the target doesn't count. Aim for the middle of the target and hit full squat depth: a no-rep is an effort you pay for twice.

In training

Do your wall balls after a run and a heavy station, not fresh. That's the only way to find your real set scheme.