Open Testimonial (Dixita)
It’s that time of year again! All month (and in reality.. all year) CFCH has focused on Open prep to get us in tip top shape for CrossFit’s annual worldwide competition. For those of you uninitiated, here’s the quick and dirty on how the Open works.
Anyone (yes really.. anyone!) can participate in the Open! Sign up online at games.crossfit.com to join in on the fun. Thousands of people will join in on the fun from across the world, so trust us when we say you’re not alone! This year, the Open will be three weeks long. Now, like most of life, this piece of information often propagates more questions than it truly answers. In years past, the Open consisted of five workouts, each typically getting progressively more skilled, but there’s no telling what they’ll throw at us this year! The top athletes from each country are invited to further rounds of competition, finally culminating in the select few who compete worldwide at the CrossFit Games.
Now whether you’re a seasoned athlete, stringing ring muscle ups, or a beginner mastering the foundational movements, the Open is for you and here’s four reasons why.
Yes, I promise you, you are good enough. Something I worried a lot when I first joined CFCH and my first Open was placing dead last in my first Open. But here’s the thing. The Open is about competing against yourself, wherever you may be. You are stronger and more determined than your mind lets you believe. You can pull it off, no matter what skill level you are at. This year is the most inclusive Open yet with three competition levels: RX, Scaled and Foundations along with an equipment-free option. In the 2020 Open, I had never done any workout as prescribed… ever. In fact, I was the first person to ask what the scaling option was (and tried to worm my way out of runs as much as possible LOL). Halfway through the Open, I decided to throw myself into the spirit and attempt the RX wall ball/rowing challenge. I had never ever picked up a 14# wall ball before and wouldn’t you know it, I got 73 of them! And while I KNOW you won’t be dead last, isn’t it better to be last on the competition floor than first on the couch?
Competition can be fun. And let’s face it, there is no better foe than yourself. Don’t you remember how fun it was to get a trophy? And wouldn’t you know it, CFCH has given out trophies and a prize for the winning team in the past! So the way it works, all registered athletes are assigned to a team. Everyone can collect points for a whole number of things including how well you fared against other CFCH members in your division, participating in the sprit theme of the week, judging other competitors and being an all-around good person (which I know everyone is). Beyond the team competitions, the thrill of physical competition brings out the best in us and motivates us to do our best year-round. It also is a great chance to meet other members, especially those that come in other class times than you! The atmosphere is electric and with every single person rooting for you, it’s pretty hard to believe that you won’t be the best if you only try.
It helps you identify your weaknesses to improve on for the following year. I remember feeling so frustrated during the fourth workout of the 2020 Open because I just couldn’t clean 85 pounds. At the time, my max was 65 pounds, which was the starting weight for the workout. I remember just staring at the barbell, willing it to float higher so I could get at least one rep. I had Grace and Teresa (along with many other members) coaching me and giving me tips. I must have given about 50 solid attempts at that clean weight but I just couldn’t do it. And honestly… that’s ok! It’s ok to “fail”. All my life, I’ve been taught that failure is not an option and we must do our very best to succeed. But this mentality, while definitely motivating, can hold you back from the attempting to be better. And really, isn’t that the reason why we joined CrossFit in the first place, to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. While we all want to improve, doing “better” is such a vague goal. From the Open, I found exactly what my weaknesses are (too bad it’s pretty much most things lol) and have been working to no longer have them hold me back anymore. In the year (or so) since then, I’ve gotten significantly better at gymnastics movements, stronger, leaner, fitter and (hopefully) whip myself less with the jump rope. I’m excited to see how much I’ve statistically improved over time this year and what my next twelve month plan should be.
It’s fun. No really, it is. For one, you get a snazzy (and VERY SOFT!!) free t-shirt through CFCH when you register. And really.. why wouldn’t you? You’re going to do the workouts anyways (they’re often programmed as the Friday workout) soo… ya might as well get credit for it. It’s also exciting to see other people get their first movements! Ashley got her first handstand pushup to an audience of a cheering gym! Victoria Curtis deadlifted her PR max (at the time) amidst cheering fans. We also keep it fun with music, food trucks and vibrant atmospheres.
By registering formally for the Open, a month of fun, possibly some new personal bests and raw statistical data on how you fare year after year. For me, I know all of y’all will be there with me this year and I’m so excited to be there for you!