The Crossfit Open is over (almost)! For the last five weeks, Crossfit (boxes) gyms across the world have been competing in the same workout each week. Every Thursday night a new workout was announced. Each person had from Thursday at 5pm PST until Monday at 5PM PST to do the workout and submit a score.
Five weeks ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. This was my first Open. And along the way I learned a few things about myself, my gym and this crazy thing called Crossfit.
Crossfit isn't a cult. It's a family. For years I was that girl that knocked Crossfit because the people that participated in it told everyone they did Crossfit, never stopped talking about it and always tried to get you to come and try it out. If only I would have opened my mind a few years earlier. I would have realized these people are just plain passionate. They have a drive to get the work done, be around pretty amazing people and see awesome things happen every. Single. Day.
My gym mates are one of a kind. They put themselves through these crazy difficult workouts and then stay after or come back to the gym the next day to cheer on the rest of our peers. We all have different skills, strengths and weaknesses but we all know exactly what the other one needs: support. A little encouragement goes a long way!
We are all competitive and maybe a little crazy. Some of the workouts we went through over the last five weeks were NO joke. They were 30 minutes long. They were heavy lifts. There were millions of burpees. And some how on most weeks, we did the workouts twice. Just to get a better score. With the possibility that we may or may not get a better score.
The Open pushes you to do things outside of your comfort zone. Trying a skill or a weight that you've never done before is very nerve wrecking. But in the end it only makes you stronger. Whether you got a new skill or didn't, you pushed yourself to be more than what you were the previous day. That's what we should all want every day. Try new things and do not be afraid of the unknown. You'll be surprised how far you can actually go.
I have one more year to prepare and get ready for the next Open. Because we do not know what the workouts will be next year, you have one year to work your arse off, practice skills you may not necessarily like and face those struggles head on! Now I know that skipping a workout that has a skill I'm not to fond of doesn't make me any better but makes me a little bit weaker.
I'm so glad I decided to do the Crossfit Open with my gym this year. We made it a friendly competition by dividing our participants up and making teams; pushing us even further to put in the work and submit a score. I'm thankful for the friendly competition, the constant support, and the things I've learned that have helped me in the real world!
Signed a sore and happy Crossfitter,
Kayla
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