Post Open 2015

If you’re looking for the cliff notes on this blog, the take-away is simple:  the CFD community has a lot to be proud of regarding our performance during the 2015 CrossFit Open!  Whether what we do or how we train every day is the same or not, we all train together as a community daily.  For the last 5 weeks, it was time to trust our training and fight the battle together.  Although we can probably all agree that we’re glad it’s over, looking back, it was a pretty great time.

We finished tied for 50th as a team in the region (out of over 300 affiliated teams).  CFD as a community is still young relative to the competitive community that exists in the midwest—just over 3 years old.  When I think about what is necessary to get enough people proficient enough at a sport that demands such a broad spectrum of proficiency in order to be competitive, I’m amazed at how far we have come!  I think back to just a few short years ago when certain feats (doing multiple muscle-ups, doing HSPU’s, lifting big weights) were limited to a very small number of us, and even then our abilities in those areas are greatly overshadowed by what a much larger percentage of us can do now.  it’s quite impressive to take that step back once in a while and see how high a level of fitness many of you have achieved in our community.  This might be hard to believe, and it’s taken me a while to swallow this pill, but I’m glad to have been passed up this year by younger athletes who have more genetic potential and a huge drive and willingness to work hard and win.  It tells me I’m doing something right as a coach, and I’m happy to pass my placing along to athletes who are truly better than I.

However, I must admit—my pride in our performance takes a distant second to what I think is even more valuable.  What I am most proud about with the community of people here at CFD is the willingness of being held to a high, strict standard.  Having worked alongside you all now for the 3rd Open season in a row, what I’m most proud of is the integrity of our athletes across the board, and our willingness to work together for the good of the whole.  I’m confident that you can’t take a rep away from any of us, and we train together holding one another to a higher standard than I would expect of an unbiased judge at a competition.  To me, the honor in that fact alone is worth more than all the points in the world on that leaderboard.

…So what’s next?

I have already started regrouping and working up a new course of action for the remainder of 2015 in regards to direction.  I have to take the tests given this year and our performances in each event as use that information to my strategic advantage.  Where did we excel?  Where are we deficient as a community relative to some of the other gyms?  What might YOU want individually to achieve with your fitness goals, or where are you wanting to focus in the months or even years to come?

What I love about this sport—the sport of fitness—is that there isn’t ever an end.  Whether your goals are to be competitive and throw all your chips on the table, pursue other sports, or train for meaning, longevity, and/or health, there’s something for you.  Whether you want to go all in towards a goal or simply have fun with your fitness, you can do that.  For those of you who are quickly rising amongst the ranks in the sport:  your time is now.  I want to give you all the tools necessary to unlock as much of your genetic potential as you are willing to work for.  For those of you will differing goals, simply enjoying the journey of training, wanting longevity in your fitness, or simply wanting to have a life:  you are the majority!  How you approach your goals and your mindset towards your training makes all the difference in the world.  I, for one, and looking forward to warm weather with the doors open and more months and years of training with such a great community.

Keep up the great work, CFD.  You’re pretty easy to be proud of!

RLTW <1>

—Coach Phil