Why you should sign up for the 2019 Open…Both of them.
Amidst all of the changes to the CrossFit Games season, the start of the season itself is upon us and it has several of us wondering: What’s the point of signing up for the Open this year?
Unlike previous years where there was one 5 week span where the Open took place, this year we have two 5 week spans: one starting in February and the other in October. Ten whole weeks of Open workouts and all of the mental “torture” that goes along with it. Thoughts racing through your mind like “What’s the workout going to be?”, “Hope muscle ups don’t show up this week”, “This one is DEFINITELY going to be something heavy”, “_insert any horribly wrong guess at Dave Castro’s instagram posts_”. It’s no wonder that people don’t want to sign up for the Open twice this year, especially with the elimination of regionals and the new Games season format. However, I’m here to tell you that if you are one of those people thinking that way: you should think twice about it…and here’s why.
For starters, as a CrossFitter, you welcome these challenges. You consistently put yourself through WOD after WOD to prepare yourself for the unknown and unknowable. We didn’t know that this year would call for two Open competitions, but it does and you’ve prepared yourself the best way that you know how. So, embrace the suck, get outside of your comfort zone, and put yourself to the test.
The Open is a test of fitness and that test needs to be put out in a consistent time frame to give yourself accurate data for how far you have come in a year. Therefore, this February’s Open is your last chance to keep your personal growth data consistent if you have done the Open in previous years. This October’s Open will reset the clock, setting a new timeframe for you to test your fitness each year; therefore, it is just as important to take part in that one as it will lay the foundation moving forward.
If this February would be your first time taking part in the Open, it’s even more important for you to sign up! It sets the baseline for you to track your progress with a well-rounded, consistent test. Then you get to retest in October to see how far you’ve come in just seven months!
Having a second Open to fall back on leaves a great excuse to say “I’m not quite ready for it right now, but maybe I will be in October”. Don’t be that guy or girl. That’s a loser’s mindset, and you are NOT a loser. Go for it now and ask questions later.
Lastly, the Open is the one time of year where the entire CrossFit community around the globe rallies together to suffer through the same workouts for five weeks, showing and proving the fitness that they’ve worked so hard for over the past year and encourage others to reach levels of fitness and mental toughness that they never thought were possible. It’s a special five weeks where amazing things happen, and this year we are lucky enough to see these amazing things happen twice.
Sign up for the Open…you won’t regret it.
