Why we do it.
For some of us at CFP, we are entering our second decade of Open Workouts. Which of course begs the question, why do we keep doing it?
Aside from the late and great Larry Froede, no one in CFP history has made it past the "open stage" and the majority of us aren't seeking the spotlight of playing with the big boys in Madison for the finale of this international competition.
So what's in it for us? Why do we dive into the boiling mystery-stew of Dave Castro's AMRAPs cauldron to feel the pain of daggered thighs and hot coughs for 3-5 straight weeks?
When opening up your SugarWOD app, you've been able to see some individual responses to "why I do the open," but let's summarize with some common reasons.
To bring our community closer together
It's part of the prescription model. #findyourRx
Most of us are in the fitnessRx category at CrossFit Petoskey. We've surpassed the point of "Couch to CrossFit," and we've entered a realm where working out is a lifestyle. Among many, many reasons, we do CrossFit to stay healthy. We do it because it's a fun and enjoyable way to be fit. We enjoy the accomplished feeling of completing a workout when we leave the gym, and we love how being strong makes us feel and look! We look forward to learning new things and improving upon lasting and transferrable skills. We love the efficacy of the CrossFit protocol.
In addition to the physical well-being we seek, we do it because we've developed an amazing relationship with the people around us. The community is the greatest thing CrossFit Petoskey has to offer. The Open teams, the cheering, the atmosphere, and the enthusiasm, brings us even closer together.
To test our current level of fitness
This one can be scary. Perhaps you feel that you haven't put in the work this year to really shine. At the end of these three weeks, you might even feel that you've performed worse than you have in previous years. However, this is rarely the case. Usually more experience is a beneficial piece, and will have you performing better than before. But it's so important to see where you are, and the Open gives us an opportunity to do that. Maybe your performance, good or bad, is exactly what you need to jumpstart your next training year. Maybe it's the performance that really makes you take eating seriously. Maybe it's the performance that proves your consistency has paid off. You didn't break records every day, but you showed up and went to work. Or best yet, maybe it's the performance you gave everything and your chin crossed that bar, you crushed your first handstand push-up, or finally hit that number in the clean.
You want to see how you stack up across the state, the country, the world
With the new hashtags and custom leaderboards, it's really cool to see really how fit you are compared to others who are the same age or even have the same occupation. Dave Trower might be the fittest 40-45 year old electrician in Michigan! We can probably find that out!
The T Shirt
All joking aside, CrossFit gear is cool. We drop in at boxes across the country to grab a T from a new and cool place. It is also a great symbol of 'yes, I did it,' I suffered, survived, and dominated the open.
The atmosphere
There's nothing like it! While we say it's just another workout (and really it is) you'll find yourself giving a little more of yourself to the performance. You'll push deeper into the pits of uncomfy, and you'll probably see how far you can really test your body. With the gym community pushing you forward, and your judge and cheering section beside you, you'll get the pre-game butterflies you haven't experienced since high school sports. Some of you crazy people love that.
There are plenty of amazing reasons we do the Open. What's yours?