So, this past weekend I competed in my third CrossFit competition. Third! That's crazy to me. I am barely training 3x per week as it is right now, and I competed. And do you wanna know a secret? I really, REALLY didn't want to do it. Let's just say I may or may not have been tricked into signing up because there were going to be cool shirts. (What wouldn't I do when it involves cool shirts?!) But really, it helps me to have something to work towards - to have an end game, if you will. And plus, a bunch of people from EAD were doing it, so why not. DONE! Signed up.
But once I realized how soon after Christmas this competition really was, I got nervous. I got skurrred. The entire week before I doubted myself, wondering if my back would feel okay that day, wondering if I would even be able to put a presentable score up on the board to represent my gym. The night before I kept saying, "I don't wanna do this. I REALLY don't wanna do this."
Then, to make matters worse, I was in the 4th heat... out of 4 heats. I arrived on Saturday morning for athlete briefing at 7:45am, but didn't compete until close to 11:45am. That gave me FOUR WHOLE HOURS to dread that first workout. Sure, it helped that I was surrounded by supportive people, but... ya know. An insecure mind will go nuts given the time.
But you know what? That first out of three workouts came around, and I did it. And it felt GOOD. Did I have the best score for my division? No. But was I proud of my performance? Absolutely. And I went on to do workouts 2, and 3, and end up placing 12 out of 38. No finals-worthy performance, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud of how I performed.
And you know what the best part of the entire day was? Having that huge group of support by my side. All of us from EAD were there supporting each other, yes. But one of the coolest things about CrossFit competitions (the ones that I've been to, anyway) is the beauty of watching strangers completely support each other. From cheering and congratulating the hard-bodied guy who finishes first, to rallying around that newbie athlete who has slowed down, gasping for breath and fighting that mental battle deep within that we all know so well - we, as part of the CrossFit community, are there. We are there to tell them, "one more rep." We are there to give them that high-five when they collapse on the floor after yelling time. We are there regardless of which gym you represent, and that - that is what keeps me going back.*
So will I be signing up for another competition anytime very soon? Probably not. I'll probably want to train a bit more, but you wait- I'll be back.
*If you're looking for a CrossFit gym to try, you should experience some sense of community like what I've described. If you don't, please check out another gym! There are plenty of good & not-so-good CF gyms out there, and I hope you find one to love as much as I do.
