Taking On The CrossFit Open: Year Two!
It’s crazy how time flies because I’ve been at my CrossFit gym for over a year now and it’s time again for the CrossFit Open! This year I knew what to expect and I fine-tuned my training to improve and build on last year’s performance.
What is the CrossFit Open?
The CrossFit Open is the official start of the CrossFit season. Every week for three weeks there is a workout that is announced. You get together with your gym buddies and give it your best shot. Most of us don’t advance from this step but those that are in the top 10% of division go onto the quarterfinals, semi-finals and finish at the CrossFit Games in August! Each workout has three difficulties: Foundations, Scaled, Rx (in order from easier to hardest). Last year I did all of my workouts Scaled but this year I wanted to push to Rx what I could.
The First Workout: 22.1
When this workout was announced Thursday afternoon, I was excited! It was a fairly simple workout and one that I could Rx! Each move was accessible to me and that meant that I could meet my goal in the first week! Plus, I don’t say this often but I actually LOVE Wall Walks. I think it’s a combination of my short stature and my love for being upside down. The standards for this movement did change a bit this year so it made it a touch harder for me but I wasn’t too concerned.
Due to travel that I had planned weeks ago, I opted to take this workout with my usual morning crew. My gym buddy was also doing it in the morning so it was extra motivation. We often compete with each other during workouts and this would be no different. The temps were in the 30s Friday morning and I’m not gonna lie. It was COLD. However, I prefer the cold over humidity for workouts like these.
I opted to go in the second heat so I judged one of the girls in the first heat. I love motivating others and it also gave me an idea as to how to pace the workout. 15 minutes doesn’t seem like a long time but with these three movements, it can feel like forever. When it came to my turn, I had a plan in place.
As the clock beeped, all the nervous energy built up washed away. I got moving on the wall walks and felt great. When I picked up the dumbbell, it felt oddly light. This made me feel really good. However, I got to the box jumps and I felt my life flash before my eyes. Somehow my foot clipped the edge of the box and I took a tumble. I was wearing leggings because it was cold but I immediately knew that my shin was bleeding.
It took about 20 seconds to regain my composure and get back into the box jumps. That’s right, I didn’t quit! I stuck it out and continued the workout with blood soaking into my leggings. The girl I judged in the first round was judging me and she kept me pushing. She told me to break up each workout just like I told her and it kept me in the zone. Around the third round, I hit that “flow” state where I could hear people around me but it was just a blur. I simply concentrating on counting each rep and continuing to move.
When the clock struck 15 minutes, I finished with 4 Rounds and 10 Reps! I was extremely proud of myself and also because I beat my gym buddy by a few reps. This was a first Rx workout for both of us and it’s awesome to accomplish goals as a team. Of course, after the workout was done I rolled up my legging and showed everyone my bloody shin. I didn’t feel any pain anywhere because I was too busy focusing on the throbbing in my leg. We joked that the pain in my shin distracted me enough that it kept me from stopping to catch my breath. Either way, I’m proud of myself for doing the workout and pushing through!
What’s Next?
Since this first workout was accessible to me I have a feeling the other two won’t be. There’s still a few gymnastic moves I can’t do at the Rx level and since those didn’t show up in week one, they’ll probably show up this week. The workout is announced on Thursday and I’ll be doing it again Friday morning with my usual gym crew. It’s going to be a hot and muggy morning so here’s hoping it doesn’t feel too awful. I’m excited to see what these two weeks hold for us!
Are you participating in the CrossFit Open this year? Have you ever gotten injured during an event and pressed on?
