004 || Diaries of a Coach – Competiton

Two words.
CrossFit. Competition.
Alright so let’s be honest, what comes to mind? The Games? Untouchable athletic performance? Marathon rowing, snatch ladders and Murph?
Me too. And I’ll admit, a year ago I wanted nothing to do with competing. Never imagined I would be goodenough, brave enough or insane enough.
A year later, with my first local competition under my belt, here’s what I can tell you: there’s no such thing as good enough, courage is an absolute necessity and there is an element of this sport to experience and something you might miss out on if you avoid the competitive scene altogether. Competing is so much more than just the Games, it’s hard work and dedication, it’s pushing yourself, it’s community.
I was lucky enough to embark on my first competitive endeavor with three of my favorite CFA girls. Like most things in my life, they had to talk me into it. Historically, I don’t do well under pressure, especially when other people are depending on me. The anxiety about kills me. But also like most things in my life that I have to be talked into, I’m always glad I did.
This particular competition happened after an absurd amount of waiting and anticipation. Because of rain and flooding, it was postponed a month the week of. So you can imagine my anxiety and the time it had to just fester (I also spent that month trying to find a way out of actually doing it). In the weeks and months leading up, I’m pretty sure we read the workouts about 294859303 times to make sure we knew exactly what to do and when. We practiced, prepped and tried not to let our nerves get the best of us.
On the day of, hyped up on coffee and C4, we let adrenaline lead the way. Each workout brought nerves and laughter, disappointments and successes, but we did it together. Having those three girls there, cheering me on, was a complete game changer. Isn’t that what this whole thing is about after all? Pushing ourselves and each other beyond what we think we’re capable of?
Not only did we fair well for ourselves, we were ALL. SMILES. standing on that third place podium, we had a ball. (Yes a ball. And yes, that sounds like something my mom would say.) It wasn’t even about the placings or awards, it was about being proud of what we did that day. And we were. Overcoming the nerves and the pressure was definitely the hardest part for me. But on the other side of those nerves was a feeling of accomplishment I’m glad I didn’t miss out on.
So if you’re considering competing, or even if you’re not, my encouragement would be simply this: TRY IT. Dig deep for 60 seconds of courage and sign up for Night of Champions or another local competition that looks fun. You never know what strengths you’ll find buried deep, or what weakness will rise up to dial in on in your upcoming training.
If that’s all the convincing you need, and you’re ready to sign up for Night of Champions, click here!
If you need a little more convincing, did you know that 100% of profits from NOC registrations will go toward new gym equipment FOR YOU?
Did you know it’s a partner WOD, so you don’t have to go at it alone? (this was an absolute must for my first comp!)
Did you know the movements have already been released (link)? (so no surprises!) Stay tuned for the full WODs to be released Friday!
Whatever you decide, push yourself. Be crazy and brave. Grab some friends, compete and enjoy every second!

 

Coach E