CrossFit Open is for the fittest people on earth. It’s truly amazing the stuff they accomplish with their bodies. But at the same time CrossFit Open is for pretty ordinary, half-assed athletes, middle aged moms like moi. I can’t say that I’ve taken it so very serious but I feel like I want to finish what I started. Last year was a disaster, pneumonia first week of Open. And you probably know that it takes more than a few days to rest up. I am not very proud that I kept training with pneumonia but that’s life. Add a couple of tumors and surgery the months before and the mental part of life got very mental. And Ironman training on top of that, a stress that I didn’t get my 100 mile bike rides and long runs in on the right day because of nonfunctioning lungs. Sometimes you need to stick to your plan to keep your life on track. It all worked out and I was race ready, switched races and went to Alaska. Great decision.

This year’s Open is interesting. I am constantly worried that I will rip my shoulder out of place so I tend to be over careful. My inner athlete is stronger than the outside, it’s frustrating. And then I got some back issues during 16.4 because of bad lifestyle choices and french fries. Started 16.5 but had to stop after 5 minutes. Went to the chiropractor and straightened things out, rested for a few hours and went back to finish it. Phew. Closure. It is always good to finish something you started. A race is a race. Open is not like running a marathon or finishing a nasty adventure race when you finish exhausted but high on endorphins but I think it’s good to finish what you started. It’s a relief. Closure.

It’s easy to lose track and not see what’s around you. I just want to take a moment to say that I think you all are awesome. We all have different goals, backgrounds and lives but somehow we come in day after day and lift the same barbells, swing the same bells and stretch out on the same floor in our puddles of sweat. We all have our limits and barriers, mental or physical but we do the same thing. It’s all good. It’s more than good, it’s pretty amazing. A huge reason we all plan our life’s around class times is our coaches. I know we don’t always do what you tell us to, we drop empty barbells, we sometimes workout in a half assed way but we all appreciate all the work you do. But if you tell me to push my knees out one more time I will freaking explode.

Happy Easter

Charlotte