Why it's important to test yourself.
Compete against yourself, enjoy the camaraderie of a team, and don’t worry about the leaderboard.
Those who take part in our annual Tactical Strength Challenge (TSC) and/or this year's 1st Annual FH Intramural Open, need to remember the sport is not about winning, but making yourself a better athlete and person, and having a boatload of fun.
I am not a competitive athlete but I do compete occasionally, and you should too. Remember we cater to all levels…. Advanced, Intermediate/Scaled, Bodyweight and/or beginning Foundations member for all classes and in-house competitions. (If you didn’t sign up for the FH Open we sure hope you consider our October TSC 2021.)
The last time I did an individual competition was the Tactical Strength Challenge in 2018. And every year for the past four years, I’ve done the CrossFit Open on my own, and I’ll do it again this year. Let me tell you why.
First, to challenge myself, against myself.
Your first thought might be that I’m talking about the leaderboard, but that would be incorrect. The leaderboard measurables for the TSC is straightforward: Max deadlift, Max pull ups, max KB snatches in 5 minutes. However, the CF Open is fundamentally vague and inconsistent year over year. There are always a different number of competitors and different groupings of competitors, a different test, a different set of circumstances and dozens of other different things year to year. The Open is always a surprise, but the constant is you!
It’s cool to look back at a leaderboard and see how I (or any other athlete) have done year after year in the Tactical Strength Challenge or the Open. But the far greater value is internal. The feeling of knowing that for one more year I have challenged myself regularly in the gym to prepare myself both physically and mentally for all kinds of challenges both in and out of it.
Keep it interesting.
Most people follow the same programming for a consistent period of time without ever stepping out of their comfort zone. It’s important to challenge yourself and the TSC and the FH Open give our members the opportunity to test their training and see how effective the programming has been. These tests allow us to see a challenge, process it and execute a plan better than we could the year before. The TSC and the Open help us recognise certain movements or movement combinations that have improved or need attention. Have you learned or earned a new skill since the last time you put yourself out there in a competitive setting? Have you discovered new areas of opportunity in a specific movement that you want to perform better in 90 days? The TSC and the FH Open will reveal these answers.
If you are a FUELer…
1- Your diet is probably better than it was beforehand.
2- You are almost definitely fitter and more capable in dozens of workout formats.
3- You have been and continue to acquire new skills which only allow you to execute the variety and intensity of workouts progressively more comprehensively.
4- You are a happier human. Your commitment to movement and being part of our community is a natural happy drug for your mental health, and, in our opinion, the most important part of the happiness puzzle.
5- You summon courage to do hard things. You play hard and you challenge yourself. You occasionally compete and test yourself in different environments. The Tactical Strength Challenge and the Open allows you to do all of the above, along with our seasonal small groups.
If one of the above does not resonate with you then let’s book a discovery session (HERE) and see if there are areas of opportunity that we can identify.
Although I am not doing the TSC or the FH Open to try and win anything, I take it seriously. I’ll dial in my sleep, nutrition, body work and recovery just a little bit more this month. I’ll prepare mentally and physically for a great effort on an unknown test each Friday.
And I’ll put forth my best effort, applying everything this past year has taught me, in an effort to show myself that the lifestyle works. I am healthier, fitter, and more mentally astute year after year. And in both obvious and subtle ways, the TSC and the Open helps to affirm that, because I do it every year.
Please help me in cheering on our 75 athletes who have signed up to be on teams for our 1st annual FH Open. We are excited and we hope you are too!