A Post Open Letter to Athletes

The final winter CrossFit Open is in the books. What a crazy five weeks it’s been around the gym. You all had special moments that were unique to each of you, but each of those moments were celebrated by all. Let’s look back at this worldwide, five-week competition that you all took part in.

For some of you, this was your first Open. Maybe you didn’t really know what the Open was, but you decided to do it anyway. Or you’ve participated in the Open before, and you knew exactly what was ahead for you. Whichever group you fall into, one thing is the same: You all welcomed the challenge and pushed yourself/each other to higher levels that wouldn’t be achieved by yourselves.

There is no debate: The energy in the gym during Open workouts is unlike any other. Everyone got to experience their own shining moment. Those moments came in the form of a PR lift, number of reps (pull ups/bar MU/snatches etc), completing a workout, or completing the Open itself! There are two large reasons you got to experience those euphoric feelings. The first is that you had the guts to show up. Step one to greatest is always START. The second reason is that you put the time in through committed hours of classes. Great moments under the bright Open lights don’t happen without sometimes grinding through the mid-week mud. They don’t happen without commitment, especially on the days where you really don’t feel like getting your fitness in…but you know it’s best for you long term. (It helps that you know that you have coaches and friends waiting for you that want you to achieve your goals day in and day out.)

As many personal victories as you experienced, you also experienced struggles. Your legs were heavy. It felt like you were breathing through a straw. You didn’t have pull ups or bar MU. Strict handstand push ups weren’t something you had in the arsenal YET. You wanted to stop. Good, use it for fuel. If you have negative emotions when you think about those memories, do something to change that. There were so many decision points that came during these tests over the last five weeks. Time after time your coaches took watch with a curious eye as to what decision you would make. Time after time you chose to push FORWARD and test limits. Inspiring. Do it again. Create goals for yourself. If you truly want it, you have all the tools to make it happen. You have your commitment, your mindset, your coaches, unlimited gym time with Hybrid, etc. Without that, it’s just a “wish”, and there are plenty of sayings about wishes. But let’s keep this PG.

What you do inside the gym is far more than a workout. It’s creating a mindset that you are tough. Waking up at 4:30am to go workout isn’t easy. Working out after an eight/nine-hour day isn’t easy. It’s creating a mindset that you are resilient. You might fatigue mid workout. You might get your ass kicked and wake up real sore. But you bounce back. Take what you’re learning and apply it in any aspect of your life that you want to dominate! You’re proving to yourself every single day that you are capable of being committed, tough, and resilient.

 

Your coaches are so proud of you all.

 

P.S. the Open is this October…plan accordingly.