Open Perspective: Celebrate Your Fitness

The Sport of Fitness begins its official season with the CrossFit Open in just a few short days. For Games athletes, this means one thing…It’s time to throw down and show off the training you’ve been working on during the off-season. For the rest of the world, it’s five weeks of being put to the test to rise up and attempt new movements or weights that go beyond the perceived limits of the comfort zone.

If you’re like me, you might be feeling unprepared, nervous, and a tiny bit excited. When registration for the open came around, I almost threw in the towel. Then the reasonable part of my brain kicked in and said, “Why in the hell would you NOT sign up when great things ALWAYS happen during the Open?”

Instead of sitting there wallowing over your score, celebrate the fact that you’re a freaking badass pushing yourself to be better. Don’t be such a critic. Give yourself permission to celebrate the Sport of Fitness and enjoy it. That’s what signing up for The Open is all about.

The Open is tough – mentally and physically. Thursday Nights constitute coming together to stand in line like sheep waiting for Dave Castro to slaughter us with his latest concoction. During the course of the four days (Thursday-Monday) athletes will continue with the slaughter in hopes of beating their previous score before the submission deadline.

The Open is like the Wild Wild West, dark, scary, and sometimes unforgiving. It takes courage to not only sign up – but also post your score week-after-week. It can be intimidating to submit your score when you know it is 306 reps short of what Talayna Fortunato would submit. However, unless your goal is to compete at the CrossFit Games, you shouldn’t sell yourself short of whatever your score might be.

For the ultra competitive folks, getting lost in the leaderboard and monitoring other athletes’ performance is a daily obsession. For the rest of us, the Open is a quest of virtuosity and giving yourself permission to celebrate with the rest of the world your commitment to physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle (and one of the best communities in the world!).

The first open workout I ever did was 14.1, which is a 10-Minute AMRAP: 30 double unders and 15 power snatches. Up to that point, I could not do a single double-under.  I was so sweaty and nervous when the workout was announced; I thought I was going to puke. Low and behold, I finished two full rounds + 10 reps of double unders! Last year, I re-tested the workout and finished with five full rounds + 35 reps. I share this because if this year is your first time doing the Open, remember it is not about what you can/cannot do, it’s about mental fortitude and how far you’ve come. You will look back at this experience and remember these moments and how the adrenaline helped you overcome fear and attack the workout.

For those CrossFitters out there that are parents, executives, first-responders, professionals, students, or coaches, instead of sitting there wallowing over your score, celebrate the fact that you’re a freaking badass pushing yourself to be better. Don’t be such a critic. Give yourself permission to celebrate the Sport of Fitness and enjoy it. That’s what signing up for The Open is all about.