The CrossFit Open

Good grief!  I've been horrible at posting!  Let's just say it's been a busy couple of months and move on!

So the CrossFit community participates in what they call 'The Open' - 5 weeks of workouts where you post your scores and the top athletes in the area go on to the 'Regionals' and the best from there compete at the 'Games' in Los Angeles in July.  The 'Open' is just that.  Open to anyone who wants to test themselves against the rest of the world and see where they stand.  I had no intention whatsoever of signing up.  Why should I?  I've never completed a workout at the prescribed weights - I've never done an unassisted pull-up - I've never accomplished a 'toes to bar'.  Maybe next year.
Enter Travis HoGlin -- owner of the box where I work out.  He successfully guilted the entire 5:30am class into signing up.  Way to go Trav!
The first week I was beyond nervous.. and then my dear buddy, Shasonta, told me "just treat it like any other WOD" and that made so much sense.  The first week was 17 minutes of burpees and progressively heavier snatch lifts.  With a ton of encouraging shouts from Travis, I completed the 40 burpees, 30 snatches, and the next 30 burpees.  The second week was 10 minutes of shoulder-to-overhead and deadlifts (75#) and 20" box jumps.  Week three was 12 minutes for 150 wallballs, 90 double-unders and, if you got that far, 30 muscle-ups.  Tossing a 14# medicine ball 9ft in the air 150 times just about did me in.  Again, it was the community around me that pushed me beyond what I thought I was physically capable of doing.  Pretty incredible.  Accomplished the dreaded wallballs and still had 30 seconds to stumble thru 6 double-unders.  Week four was short and heavy.  7 minutes to do a progressive ladder of 95# clean and jerks and toes-to-bar.  I walked into the box that morning not knowing what to expect - but was determined to try my best.  Shockingly, the heavy clean and jerks went well.  Then it was on to the bar.  For 6 minutes I hung there trying.  I would get so close, but couldn't get the toes to touch.  It was so frustrating and I could feel the tears building up.  Again, it's those crazy people cheering you on that won't let you quit.  With just 30 seconds left, I swung up and *BAM* my toes hit!  My partner (and the box owner's wife) screamed so loud I think it scared the hell out of everyone there, but we were so damn excited.  I cried, she cried, we hugged each other.. and then there's Dan the coach yelling at me that I still had 15 seconds left, so get up there and get another one!  I finished the workout with only 3 clean and jerks and 3 toes-to-bar, but I may as well have run my first marathon.  It was one of those 'you had to be there' moments.
So Wednesday they will announce the final Open workout for 2013.  Whatever it is, I'll walk in and try and my best and be proud that I competed.  That for the first time in my 45 years, I can call myself an athlete.