Friday 20 March 2015

So #elite right now...

Hey y'all.

I was informed by someone to whom I am married that my last post was a bit conservative for me.... So today I'd like to correct the imbalance by posting shit from my brain cavity without the filter button pressed firmly into place.

On Saturday 21.03.15 I did Crossfit Open WOD 15.4. I did NOT do the handstand push-ups and collarbone breaking stuff - I just did the good old 'pick things up and put them down' one (aka scaled). I nailed it. I did it in thongs, I ate a few grapes and half a banana, drank a few mouthfuls of coffee, changed my headband and still managed 60 reps in the allocated time.

Yeah I guess you busted me - I wasn't really trying - I was just getting a taste of the weight so I could give the girls from our box some support and advice as they did the workout.

I'll tell you why I was so half-arsed: I never really liked the Crossfit Open. I have just never seen the point. I'll admit I was attracted to Crossfit by watching the magnificent athletes at the Crossfit Games, achieving great feats of strength and wishing I was half as #elite as them.

But in reality, these athletes really are elite - they are representative of about 0.5% of the Crossfit population. They train 5-6 hours a day. They are born with natural ability. They are strong, tough and resilient but they are also genetically predisposed to physical greatness.

Now don't get your knickers in a twist. I am about to say why I LOVE the Open this year...

Last year I saw people gutted because one single movement undid them and they couldn't even post a score of '1'.  After all their hard work and commitment, one little rep broke them into pieces. I don't think this is a good approach to fitness.

Not only does it erode confidence in oneself, it defeats the purpose of exercise - to MOVE.  Let me be clear for a minute: IF YOU ARE CONTINUALLY PUNCHING ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT YOU ARE EITHER GOING TO HURT YOURSELF OR QUIT. If you quit you're hurting yourself too - mentally and physically.

So why do I love Crossfit then? I'm up here bagging out the main act of the show - what positive statement could I possibly offer? For me, Crossfit is about raising the bar. And I believe that GOOD Crossfit is about raising it in INCREMENTS. It's about the little wins that add up to a huge feeling of accomplishment. It's about trying and never giving up. It's about laying it all out on the floor (without compromising your physical health through poor form and technique). It's about getting faster through continuing to show up. It's about getting stronger by continually working on your form without chronically injuring yourself.

The Opens this year are inclusive! Hallelujah! The other 99.5% of us have a chance of moving, feeling a bit broken and actually ACHIEVING something! A sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment, a sense of being part of something bigger than our individual selves. We can compare notes, support one another and break a sweat.

F*#k your elitism. I'm here to have fun.

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