Who’s Next?

15 rounds for distance of:

Sprint 20 seconds

Rest 40 seconds

Start each round at previous round’s end point.

Post distance to comments.

We had 8 athletes compete in their first CrossFit competition this past Saturday.  For some, it was their first time in years and the first in a lifetime for others.  In response to my questions about their thoughts on the event and whether they would consider doing it again in the future, here are a few of their responses:

“I would say it was amazing to have everyone cheering us on as we went through the WODs…Oh and I’d totally do it again!

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“It was amazing having everyone come out to cheer us on…and looking at rankings after the fact is excruciating.”

“Competition adds a very dynamic and humbling aspect to the whole CrossFit experience. Everyone who participates is appreciated and respected…after I struggled to get that 6th and 7th rep done; push-jerked to half-extension; slowly pressing to full (for the 20# bonus) the crowd erupted in cheer for the second-lowest men’s front squat score of the competition…It could have been the lowest score, and it wouldn’t have made any difference. Doing well is subjective to the person competing. If you try and come in last, you have still done well. If you try and win, that’s even better. The only prerequisite for respect is trying.”

“First and foremost, thank you everyone for your genuine support and love. I would have been upset with myself if I hadn’t competed. I am very glad that I did and I certainly would love to compete in the upcoming events, so as long as I am healthy, I will. This is a very good way to test myself, overcome the “fear factor”, review my goals, and reestablish news ones.

More importantly, I got the reconfirmation that positive thinking really matters…Henceforth, I want to stop telling myself that my progression is slow and that I don’t have “the talent”. From now on, I will continue training hard, do my best, and I want to stop my negative thoughts so that can truly enjoy this unique voyage.”

“So many thoughts and emotions whirling about – both heights of elation and depths of frustration. There are numerous images that flash through my minds eye when I think about the day – wonderfully simple moments like the perpetual smile on A-trains face (no matter what excruciating insanity was happening within the workout) to the florid elegance of Sean Milar’s chain of unbroken Chest2Bar pull-ups to the straight up goofiness of two individuals having a double-under tie-breaker for 26th place! (whack jobs) For me in a way it was like stepping back to those first days of walking into the box.

I was once again the new guy struggling just to force air into my chest, trying to keep up with these behemoths of fitness. I took my victories where I could find them…I learned some invaluable lessons (and not a little humility) about myself and what it takes to be a CrossFitter. Probably the largest was to take my ego out of it and remove expectation…But by doing so I was able to immerse myself and fully appreciate the experience of what was going on around me. And what was going on around me was actually kind of beautiful in its own way – granted it was a sweating, grunting, shared agonizing way. Of course there is much more I could describe of the experience but I’ll end by answering the question – would I do it again? Hellz-to-the-frakking-Yes!!!!!”