Give it a Go!: Venturing into Competition

By CrossFit DC member Craig A.

A few months back, I decided to take a chance and try my first CrossFit competition.

I had been doing CrossFit over the last year but as a result of lots of work travel had not yet had the chance to enter the Open or Smackdown. The event, “Flex on the Mall,” looked pretty fun — a CrossFit-style team competition on the National Mall.

There happened to be a number of CFDC teams already forming, and I got lucky and got on to a super cool team with Rachel, Tammy and Steve. We were all entering for the fun of the event, but I of course didn’t want to let them down.

The workouts all looked pretty straightforward, but some of the required weights looked a bit heavier than I had been lifting in class. Prior to signing up, I had not really had any objectives, targets, and confidence or maybe just lacked the motivation to try. The competition set me those objectives and the motivation not to let the team down. A week prior, I swung a 53lb kettle bell for the first time, after always going for the lighter ones in class, and I got 135lbs overhead for the first time.

Arriving at the event (with a little competition nerves) we had five teams from CFDC arrive and a bunch of other supporters from both 14th & H Street. Our team successfully completed all of our events with all of us hitting PR’s at the 1 rep max round.

One of our teams made the final and it was super exciting cheering them on whilst having a well-earned beer!

Soon after, Kelly & Dray organized a team entry into the DC Spartan Race. Five miles of trail running, obstacles and strongman events. Again we had a great turnout of both first time and experienced competitors of all ages and levels.

Being able to successfully leap over walls, lift big heavy atlas balls, or pull your self along monkey bars gave a (relatively speaking of course) practical application to all the pull-ups, dead lifts and box jumps we do in class.

If you get a chance, and haven’t tried one of the events before, give it a try! Go for it — whether you’re looking to have fun, push yourself a bit harder, get more involved in the CrossFit DC community, let your competitive streak come out, bring a bit of focus or set some targets for all your in-class training at the gym… or just enjoy that post-event beer!

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If you find Craig’s enthusiasm as contagious as we do, and you’re thinking about maybe, just maybe, giving this competition thing a whirl, you’re in luck!  As you’ve no doubt heard by now, the 2015 all-gym, all-levels CrossFit DC Smackdown is coming your way on October 24, and registration is now live!  If you’re still getting your team together (or looking for a team to join), talk to a coach, ask around at the gym, or hit up the CrossFit DC Facebook group to connect with your fellow-gymmates — and sound off on other ways to get involved with upcoming races, local competitions, and more opportunities to put your fitness to the test!