guns and barbells

It’s finally here. The 2015 CrossFit Games Open is upon us, and I’m sitting here a huge bundle of nervous excitement with nothing to distract me from the adventure that lies ahead. Visions of toes-to-bar dancing in my head, literally. Seriously, of all the days NOT to have ADD, I’m laser focused on this thing…

Anyways, in an attempt to get the nervous energy out through my fingertips, here are 5 reasons why I’m competing in the Open, and you should too!

1. It’s fun! No really, it is. I know, I know, on paper, there’s nothing exciting about 9 minutes of toes-to-bar, deadlifts, and snatches – especially if, like me, you’re sworn enemies with T2B. But there’s a certain amount of fun to be drawn from sizing up the challenge, breaking it up into bite-sized chunks that you can handle, getting after it, and watching your nemesis crumble at your feet. Victory!
2. You WILL succeed. You’ve spent the last year doing hard work, day in and day out. Now is the time to trust the process and let that hard work rise to the occasion. Unless you’re injured, you WILL do better than you did last year. You WILL get more double unders. You WILL lift heavier weights more easily. You MIGHT find a muscle up. You probably won’t make it to Regionals, but you WILL win at being a better you.
3. It forces you to grow. In CrossFit (as in life), growth doesn’t come in the easy times. It comes during those moments that you have to dig deep and try harder than you ever have before. It comes when you go to that scary place where you find out what you’re really made of. So dig deep and push hard, because there are few things more rewarding than growing together with your CrossFit family.
4. The atmosphere is electric. Every weekend for the next 5 weeks, the atmosphere at CrossFit gyms around the world will be the same: completely electric. Both heart rates and music volume will be a couple notches higher than usual; palms will be sweatier; and cheers will be louder. The excitement of the Open crosses language barriers, geographic boundaries, and religious differences. At a time when the world is so broken and divided, you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity for true global unity.
5. Community is forged through shared experiences. By definition, a community is a group of people having shared characteristics, interests, or beliefs in common. What better way to build the community atmosphere within your gym than to do the Open together, struggle together, succeed together, and celebrate together? Open your heart and bring your camera – you’re going to want to remember this!

Now before you try to tell me that it’s not worth your $20 because you can just do the workouts at your gym anyways without having your scores posted for all the world to see, you and I both know that’s just an excuse. For one, you probably spend close to $200 a month on your membership, so it’s not like you can’t afford it. Second, you will try harder (and do better!) if you’re signed up and are accountable. And third, let’s be honest – nobody scrolls through and looks at the scores down on page 50 anyways, so quit caring about what other people think.

It’s not too late. You can sign up at games.crossfit.com right now and get on all the fun, success, and community!