Welcome to the Games

I am sure some folks looked at my registration in the CrossFit Games and laughed, writing it off as “why is that guy doing it?”  And part of me felt that way at first, too.  I don’t see Rich Froning, Jr. consulting his coach, worried, because I have now signed up.  But so much of this journey I am on is about pushing yourself, stepping out of your comfort zone, and trying your hardest to go to the next level.

When I started CrossFit on March 31st, 2011, the Open was already in progress.  I remember coming in, just trying to have enough energy to walk back out at the end of the workout.  Before we got started I remember the trainer yelling “Alright Games people, over here…” and they were all setup in a special area of the gym, given prime real estate and the room needed to do the WOD as fast as possible.  It seemed so far out of reach.  I really had no idea what they were doing and didn’t care too much.  I had my own struggles.

As much as I hate to admit it when this dude is right, this quote he threw at me a while back keeps coming back to hit me right between the eyes:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do”.

Fast forward to this morning, my first CrossFit Games Open WOD.

I knew the intensity level would be at an all time high.  Nerves were going.  Adrenaline pumping.  Hell, I took a Hammer Gel before walking in.  We measured off 6” above our reach overhead (mine being the tallest pull-up bar on the rig) and I watched 2 guys go through it first.  There were non-Games people along with those who had done the Open WOD earlier doing an alternate WOD, but they seemed so distant.  We were in a small bubble, our own little painful world.  It was great watching them work and gave me a good idea of how to approach it myself.

When it was my turn, I was a little nervous.  I have never played organized sports and never really “performed” in front of people.  But there was something different about this and having people yell for you, encourage you.  If I had beaten any of their scores it would have been fine by them, and that is what everyone there wants.  The best.  It doesn’t matter that you may or may not beat them.  What matters is that everyone is there yelling, fighting, clawing, and pushing to perform better than they have.  And that is beyond exciting for me.

Over my headphones I could hear a buddy yelling for me.  Right beside me the entire time, encouraging, pushing.  “Good pace.“  “Don’t stop.” It made me not want to take any type of a break, despite the fire in my legs.  My friend Peto across from me, doing this at the same time, never seemed to pause.  While I can’t keep up with his pace, every time I glanced up he was working.  That meant I couldn’t stop.  There was just too much emotion and intensity around you not to. I mean, this is the Games, there is no stop.

What I expect is to find my limits during the Open and be pushed beyond them.  I am hoping for new PRs, new pains, new struggles, new challenges, new accomplishments.  I look forward to it all. For those of you competing in the Games, I wish you nothing but the best and to leave it all on the gym floor.

27 Notes/ Hide

  1. cyclingforever said: Great job just by participating you are expanding your life. How many people just let themselves go and accept their health deterioration and don’t do anything about it ?
  2. chrisbiketri said: Great post! Can’t wait to follow your journey.
  3. brooksylite said: Ya I drank the koolaid. Wish I’d thought of headphones. We had “visitors” would have loved to drown em out.
  4. notovernight said: Go get em champ!
  5. runningwithguts said: That’s totally what this is all about: putting yourself out there and leaving everything you’ve got out there on the gym floor.
  6. robownslife said: Amazing dude, you’ve come a long way!
  7. regainingmymoxy said: I am actually looking forward to following everyone’s participation in the games!
  8. ourtimetochange posted this

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