I wrote the following on the CFR blog today. My goal was to encourage at least a few more CFR members to think about signing up for CFR's Spring Fling. I worry the tone comes off as preachy or like I take all this shit too seriously (maybe I do... or maybe I don't take it seriously enough), but I stand behind the sentiment.
Since this blog is where I write about my experiences with CrossFit, I might as well re-post it here.
What prompted it was a post by Robin.
Robin said:
CFR members, we have 8 men and 8 women already signed up for Spring Fling! If you want to compete, make sure you sign up at CFR TONIGHT! Registration will be made public tomorrow!
Which compelled me to write with my two cents.
Tyler said:
Re: Spring Fling – I encourage any CFR member who’s on the fence about this to sign up. Just do it.
16 participants from CFR is a good number, but I think it would be great if we could get some more out for a competition hosted by OUR OWN GYM.
Friggin’ Synergy in Saskatoon chartered a bus to so they could have, like 20-some people drive 8 hours across a frozen Prairie in January to FrostFit in Winnipeg. I’m sure they, and Function, and Brio and Flux and other gyms will have good sized delegations. We should too.
So, set aside those lingering doubts and sign up. If you are new and have to scale most of your WODs then sign up for Div 2.
If you’ve been doing CrossFit for a while and can do most of the WODs as Rx’d, then sign up for Div 1.
Look, I don’t have muscle-ups, I’ve never deadlifted more than 315, and I get winded just watching Lance and Shae and Leya and Tiff work out, but I still signed up.
Yes, I will not finish anywhere near the podium and you might not either because there will be some freaking crazy fit ninjas in the same division, but you know what?
It doesn’t matter.
You’ll get to push yourself in a fun, supportive atmosphere with people you know (and people you don’t) cheering you on and there is no pressure because even if you finish last in Div 1 or Div 2 or the Masters category, you’re still way ahead of everyone who didn’t compete.
I can virtually guarantee doing this will make you love CrossFit even more than you already do. Take it from the guy who finished SECOND LAST in 2012 (that would be me… and I barely edged out a new CrossFitter because I could do double-unders and he couldn’t)
Even with my ridiculously fragile ego (I get legit mad when my own 5-year-old kid repeatedly beats me in boxing on the Wii) I still signed up for Div 1 knowing that I could very well finish last this year.
I think it would be awesome if you signed up, too.
Okay… I will get down off my soapbox now.
Then Mike, one of the nicest guys at CrossFit or anywhere else, followed up with a post that struck exactly the kind of tone I wish I had. Dammit. No wonder that guy won CrossFitter of the Year.
Mike C said:
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I could not believe how much fun I had at Frostfit. Getting to know Tyler, Jenn and Tiff along with our CFR support team was an incredible experience. I finished 20 out of 25 in div 2 and I came away inspired, enthusiastic and focused on the things I wanted to work on. I won’t be able to compete with many of the athletes at Spring Fling, but if that mattered, how many of us would go to CFR every week other than the super-humans like Robin, Matt, Joel and the others Tyler mentioned? I kind of had the same reaction to other competitors that I do at our gym – amazed they can do what they do, humbled in my own abilities, but really uplifted by how accepting and kind everyone is and how they genuinely root for you to do well.
I have found that the competition was less about competing with others and more about testing yourself in a way you haven’t before – in other words it’s really in line with what makes CFR amazing every day. Sign up if you are hesitant, and feel free to slash Tyler’s tires if you don’t like it. (that’s ok, right Tyler?)