**Published on https://morningchalkup.com 4/25/17**
Lessons from my 1st CrossFit Open
"You signing up for the Open with me?"
Me: "No. I'm not making The Games. Why would I give them $20?"
A week later my husband convinced me to sign up for the Open in order to compete in the internal gym competition. He also convinced our 14 year old son to do it.
It was my first CrossFit Open. I've been doing CrossFit only about a year and I didn't consider myself a "CrossFitter". I don't look like a sterotypical "CrossFitter". I don't lift heavy weights. I am a boxer.
17.1 -
Friday 5:30am - there was a new energy in the gym. I had never felt it before.
Okay, I thought. Burpees and box jumps are 2 of my favorite exercises and I even like dumbbell snatches. This will be fun and maybe I can even RX it. I don't RX anything that involves weights.
Then I picked up a 35lb dumbbell and didn't even try to snatch it. I put it back down. A woman from class, Amy, sees me and tells me that I can do 35, but I decide that I can't. I scale the workout. 20lb snatches are too light and I am able to fly through it. It felt good, but I was disappointed that I couldn't do 35lbs.
On Monday morning I see Amy again. She tells me that I am strong enough to do it RX and for a second I believe her. I do 17.1 again.
With my husband judging and Amy and her husband cheering for me I painfully and loudly get through each rep and officially RX 17.1!
I hadn't known Amy very well and it felt really great to have her encouragement. I learned that I should not automatically scale everything. RX can be within my reach.
17.2 -
With my newfound RX confidence I went for it again.
I need to do more weighted walking lunges. My butt hurt for days!
I am motivated to learn muscle-ups before next year's Open.
I loved this workout because I got to watch my husband and son compete together in our box's Friday Night Throwdown.
Damn You 17.3 -
I was humbled by the weights of the squat snatches so I had no choice here but to scale it.
I got a few rounds in and unfortunately the last few snatches I squeezed in were VERY ugly and I hurt my right shoulder pretty badly.
17.3 taught me that I am not invincible. If I lose my form the reps are not worth an injury.
17.4 -
I had to scale this one as well due to the weight of the deadlift. This made me mad and motivated to work on my deadlift for next year because I actually love handstand pushups and I didn't get to do them in the scaled version.
As I judged my son I challenged him to beat my score and he did! I've never been so proud to be beaten. It has been really fun doing the Open with him. It has given us a new connection.
17.5 -
I had really been hoping to end the Open with an RX performance, but I don't have double-unders yet. Another goal to add to the list.
So why did I give them my $20?
To make new friends. Amy C. now holds a special place in my heart for believing in me like she did.
To strengthen connections. It enriched my relationships with my teenage son and husband. Doing this together we coached each other where we struggled and celebrated our successes. It gave us a lot to talk about.
To have fun. We had an internal box competition - morning classes vs. evening classes. Friendly trash talk is always fun.
To build community. Our box held a couple of Friday Night Throwdowns where members did the Open workout in heats and everyone was invited to come watch, hangout, eat, drink and cheer.
To be a part of something bigger. After each workout I texted both of my sisters-in-law to see how they did. My son found out one of his teachers was doing it, as well as my husband's co-workers - and they talked about the workout each week.
To measure up. It is interesting to see where you stand in your age group - in your box, in your region, and in the world.
To be inspired. Seeing the elite athletes' scores, watching them workout and move on to Regionals and The Games is inspiring. Seeing athletes from our own box move on to the next level is motivating.
To learn. I will no longer compromise form for reps.
To grow. Sometimes it takes a competition or an audience to push you to do something you have never done before, or didn't know you were capable of doing.
To fail. I now have new goals and a plan to achieve them. I will be better next year.
...and I'll be happy to pay $20 for all of this again.
- UPDATE: The power of CrossFit is that I was better the next year. I was able to Rx all of the Open WODs (not necessarily well) and 35lb snatches are no big deal anymore. Everytime I do them now I think of my very first Open and Amy and smile. Oh, and I'm starting to think that I might be a "CrossFitter" now. :)
