I did my first CrossFit competition with a friend of mine 6 months after starting CrossFit. We ended up competing in scaled as it was the division level that fit our skill set (at the time). What I remember from that day, very distinctly, is the last workout we had was a round of toes to bar, and I remember struggling to get the last five or so done… Before I knew what was happening, I had slipped off the bar and on to the floor; landing on my back. Besides being embarrassed in front of a huge crowd, my hands were torn and bloody, but the worst feeling was that I had let my partner down…
The first time members go to a CrossFit competition I can tell you that they are amazed by the skill set of the athletes and how vibrant the energy is. Going to competitions is the best way to get motivated again if you ever feel like you’re in a rut. The atmosphere is something I don’t think I could do justice by describing. Everyone there is motivated to win, but they are also there to cheer you on. The day is filled with fun, fitness, food, and friends. My advice to new members if you’re on the fence about competing is to sign up anyways and with a partner.
Coach Leanne has done three competitions with me, and I can say hands down the best part of those competitions are the memories that I made those days with her. Doing partner competitions is a great way to ease your nerves. For me, I can say having a partner made me work harder, it pushed me to do better because I knew that Leanne was counting on me.
Don’t worry about making mistakes. You will fail, you are going to fail. It’s all part of the process. The most important thing is that you learn from the failures. The first competition I ever did I fell off the bar, it cost my partner and I two spots on the leaderboard. In another competition, I fell during a truck push, which cost us one spot, and unfortunately, that spot was a spot on the podium. What I have learned, and what I continue to learn is that you have to let it go and promise yourself that you will learn for next time if you decide to compete again. Competitions give us a stage to highlight our strengths, but they also shed light on our weaknesses. When new members ask if they should compete, I tell them: yes, you absolutely should, at least give it a try, you never know what could happen. Even if you end up never competing again, at least you learned something that will hopefully shape you into a better athlete.
P.S.
The last competition my partners Leanne, Courtnee, and I competed in; we placed 3rd.
-Be You
