It's that time! The Reebok Crossfit Open. The Open is a time for crossfitters of any skill level to have a go at qualifying for the Crossfit Games. This is my very first time to sign up. I was brand new last year when I first learned of the games and had no idea what was going on. But this year, I know what's up!
Do I think I'll qualify?
No.
Is that stopping me?
No!
If you know me, by now you have realized that I have fallen in love with this sport. It's not because I'm super good at it. I'm not. It's not because it makes me look like a super model. I don't. I love it because it makes me a better me.
People can say what they want about this sport. Injuries. Egos. Overly competitive. Whatever. I don't believe a word. I passed by the box near my house hundreds of times and always saw the athletes running, and working out. And I wondered...
What the hell is wrong with them?!! It's freakin' summer!! My sweat is sweating!
Day by day, I drove by. And still they were running. And lifting. And jumping. And there was a lot of them!! My interest was peaked. I had recently been going to a weight lifting class at my local YMCA. Which was wonderful. But no one ever talked but the instructor. If I said hi, most times I was ignored. If I felt like I couldn't do it, no one really cared. And when class was over. Class was over.
So spring of last year, (when my sweat was not sweating) I called this box and set up an appointment to check things out. The owners showed me around. The gym was full, people came in for the next class hugging and greeting each other. Athletes were smiling! Someone almost done had a buddy cheering them on! It was surreal, and exciting.
My younger years consisted mainly of dance. I would have never dreamed that I would have fallen in love with a sport where I'm lifting heavy weights and doing push ups and sits ups. I didn't even know what a burpee or a box jump was. Don't even get me started on running. But here I am, almost a year later. Ready to try my best at participating in the open.
There are many, many things in crossfit that I cannot do. But I use modifications. Go as often as my crazy schedule and crazy family life will allow me. I try to complete the full workout every time. AND I DO MY BEST.
As corny as it sounds, what these coaches have instilled in me have become a metaphor for my life. In times where I feel like things around me are impossible to do, they have taught me to go at them my very best. Take each set back as a learning opportunity and keep going. I've learned a lot about camaraderie and what it truly means to support one another. While things are not always sunshine and rainbows for me. I definitely go at them with a different outlook than I did before since being a part of the crossfit community.
So. What happens next? Sometime before the weekend is over, I will be trying the first workout which is called "14.1". The 14 is the year and the 1 stands for the first week of the open. This first work out has one of my major weaknesses. Double Unders. A double under is where you jump rope but the rope passes around your body twice with each jump. In the past year, I've only been able to get two. So here we go. The past two nights I've been jumping like a crazy woman in my garage trying to master these things. For me 14.1 will be all bout the the Double Unders. I will be super stoked to even get one round in.
I will do what I would expect my own children to do when they have a new challenge. Give it all they've got. Try their very best. And be proud of the accomplishments they make.
My name is Eliza. And I can't do a Double Under........Yet.
Where do I crossfit at? http://www.c4crossfit.com/
A taste of what's in store for us this week: http://games.crossfit.com/video/open-announcement-141-archived-footage
