With the first workout of the 2017 CrossFit Open in the books, I found myself thinking about the next four weeks of competition. I thought about not only my own expectations but also that of my community at CrossFit Glendale and each of our members’ mindsets, perceptions, and thoughts surrounding the Open. This year, many of our athletes are competing in their first ever CrossFit Open. All of these individuals are coming in with a blank slate – no true understanding of the Open, its origins, its meaning, its value, and its potential for human accomplishment. It’s hard to truly explain the Open’s ability to amplify the camaraderie, energy, excitement, and determination of the CrossFit community. While the CrossFit gym is a motivating place day in and day out, these five weeks of global competition take the power of the communities and their members to another level.
The intensity around the Open is what fuels such great competition and pushes individuals to achieve things they may have not thought possible. There’s nothing like seeing someone push through a clearly visible wall of physical pain to finish a workout under the given time cap. Similarly, its pretty incredible to watch someone achieve a first milestone – a pull-up, a muscle up, toes to bar, a handstand push-up – with the help from those coaching and cheering them on in the midst of a grueling workout. But with that said, it’s also quite easy to get wrapped up in scores, times, and reps, regardless of your status as a competitor – elite, barely RX, scaled, master, teen, etc. Whether you are “competitive” or not, it’s natural to compare yourself to others. Essentially, this is what the Open sets out to do, but in actuality for the majority of us, the Open serves a greater and more beneficial purpose. The Open provides the opportunity to test our fitness in some of the most motivating environments many of us will ever experience. Over five weeks and five workouts, you are challenged to truly test your limits and see what you are capable of while being surrounded by supportive people who want to see you succeed.
For the first-timers, they are establishing a baseline – something they can look back on as they continue their journey for years to come. For others, this time of year allows us the chance to evaluate ourselves, our training, and our progress. It’s a time to put it all on the line and help the members of your community do the same. It’s not every day you have someone by your side for an entire workout counting your reps, reminding you to breathe, and encouraging you to keep pushing. So next week, when its your chance to attack whatever nasty workout Dave Castro has in store, take advantage of your community and your environment. And when you’re done, pay it forward – get loud, encourage and motivate your peers, and enjoy the experience. These five weeks go by fast so take it all in, give it everything you have, and help to inspire those around you.
“We don’t know who we are until we see what we can do.” – Martha Grimes
-Catherine
Just Enjoy the Journey 