Mind Games

I signed up for the Crossfit Open, which I don't expect to complete successfully, but I know that it's an opportunity for me to push myself to my true strength limits. The Crossfit Open is a 5-week challenge designed to separate the highest performing athletes from all the Crossfitters around the world.  Each week is a new challenge of strength and stamina, and completing it successfully means you are allowed to proceed to the next week's challenge.  By the end, all the successful athletes will move on to Regional Competition, and finally, the Crossfit Games in July to compete for the titles.

I'm realistic knowing there's a good chance I won't make it to the second round.  However, for $25 I knew that I could at least TRY, and push myself to hopefully new PRs and possibly a new accomplishment.  Yesterday, I began the day wondering how Crossfit Frederick was going to scale me on the Rope Climb WOD.  I have attempted, unsuccessfully, the rope climb numerous times.  It's a bit scary to me, because I know what a fall from 15 ft looks like in a hospital bed.  However, yesterday, the planets were aligned in my favor, something clicked, and up the rope I went.  I hope you all have experienced this feeling, of something that has seemed so elusive and probably unattainable, come within your reach and allow you to conquer it.  It's an amazing boost of confidence, strength, and self-satisfaction. 

Evidence of my rope-climbing success.  This will look good later today in my flip flops in Florida.



For some reason, the instruction worked, and after multiple attempts, I made it to the top. I was in V-Tachycardia, partly from the exertion of pulling this body up 15 ft, and partly from being terrified when I got over 10 feet.  I repeated it a few times to seal the deal, and now I feel like if I was being chased by bad guys and the only thing between me and and safety was a rope, I would have a chance.  Except of course unless the bad guys are expert rope climbers, because then they would probably be much faster than me. 

The Open is the same way.  Crossfit HQ announces the challenge on Wednesday, and athletes must be certified in their completion by Sunday of each week.  I have a 50-50 chance of it being something I feel like I might complete successfully.  If there's pull-ups or hand-stand pushups involved, I'm pretty certain I'm going to get used to hearing the two words, "no rep." If there's enough "no reps" spoken my way, my journey ends there.  However, with the pressure of displaying my best ability, maybe I will get 2 or more pullups more than I have previously.  Maybe I will complete a total hand stand push up.  Maybe I will lift a weight I hadn't done previously.  I won't know unless I give it my best shot, under pressure. 

There are athletes in the gym who I will be so proud to watch in the Regionals.  These are people I have worked out with who have progressed and really have a decent shot of competing.  Everyone should take an opportunity to give something their absolute best shot once in a while, because I think most of us will surprise ourselves. 

If you haven't registered for the Open, go to  http://games.crossfit.com/ and sign yourself up.  Yes, it is for you.  It's for everyone that has done Crossfit.  Sometimes you have to put yourself out there to see where you land.  It's not always in the sweetest spot, but it may be better than where you were.  I haven't called myself an "athlete" for a long time.  For this weekend, at least, I'm an athlete.