written by Chris Anderson:

You’ve already begun your work for the 2014 Open and Games Season. You carve out space for yourself in the double wide, trying your best to hit workouts during off peak hours.  Your programming is researched but scribbled on the nearest dry erase board or note pad.  You are one of the beasts of the gym, a real fire-breather.  When you look up after a tough set, you see people avert their eyes so as to not look as if they were just watching you.  You are chasing one more rep, the slow-but-constant tick of the clock, and one more pound.  You are driven by the opportunity to represent yourself, your team, and your box at the Crossfit Games. You are a competitor.

You’ve been crossfitting for well over a year if not longer.  You arrive early for WODs to do strength work and you stay late to work on sucks. You prefer to hit class but you dabble with other blog programming or a strength cycle on the side.  You’ve had one-on-one sessions because you know that great coaching leads to success.  You’re a fixture at the gym, someone people expect to see.  You seem to know everyone and that’s because some of your closest friends workout here.  The pages of your WOD book are weathered and creased as you reflect on your progress, recounting fast times and recording improved scores.  You relish any opportunity you have to write PR next to a lift or workout.  You are a competitor.

You’ve been crossfitting for a year or less.  You hit class regularly, but you realize that your definition of “regularly” has incrementally increased from 3 to 4 to sometimes 5 times a week.  You arrive early and stay late for additional mobility work.  You began crossfit for one particular reason but it’s become, over time, something more to you.  Your time at the gym is as much about fitness as it is about friendship.  You have goals.  You tell yourself that you are going to hit more Rx workouts, practice your gymnastic movements, and improve your Olympic weightlifting technique.  You are a competitor.

You joined ACF within the last few months. A recent Boot Camp graduate, you’re starting to become acclimated to the lifestyle.  You’re not only seeing improvements, you’re talking to more people and starting to make friends.  You’re getting more proficient at the movements, you’re scaling has evolved, but at times you’re overwhelmed by what you see others doing.  You’re happy with your progress but you are by no means satisfied.  You’ve lost weight and gotten stronger but you want more. You are a competitor.

 

Crossfit is “the sport of fitness”, and for all of us, it’s a chance to embrace our competitive spirit.  Whether it’s preparing for the Open or preparing for a healthy future, our workouts require us to grow, to push, and to compete.  Embrace the chase for faster times, higher scores, and heavier loads and, while you’re doing so, remember: you are a competitor.