The Crossfit Open starts next week. The first WOD , 14.1,  will be done at our gym on Friday and also TBA on the weekend. This kicks off the road to the Crossfit Games!
The Open has had special meaning for us at Crossfit St. Charles. It is where Ingrid Hurley has for the past two years qualified for a spot at the Games. Its kind of a big deal. Only 20 women in the world in Ingrid’s age group earned a spot on the big stage. Do you wonder why you should participate? Maybe you have no aspirations of  competing in the games or at all. What is the benefit for the “regular” athlete to cough up $20 bucks and commit?
I’ve got some answers for you, a lot of answers.  In no particular order, find the one that speaks to you…

-Commitment to excellence/improvement. When you register for the open you will have committed to doing an unknown workout every Friday or Saturday for the next 5 weeks. You will have committed to giving your absolute best in these workouts. You’ve committed to being judged by your coaches who will ensure that every rep you do meets Crossfit Standards. Making a commitment will make you better. Doing a workout on the whiteboard is one thing but doing a WOD with a purpose is a whole different story. You will find out that you can do way more than you expected. YOU CAN DO THIS AND YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!

-Competition- You get to compete in your own box with all your class “team mates” Competition is exciting. Some of us competed in a sport “back in the day” and miss the thrill of the game. For some of us Crossfit is our first sport. Its a way to get your head into what you are doing. Get focused with the task at hand and do some hard work. Competition kicks up the juices and makes you better. You’ve been training for a while now, isn’t it time to play?

-Community- We all know our box mates and some of us have met new friends from other gyms (Ladies night, Mash up) but crossfit has a global community and an exceptional one at that. By participating you become more familiar with who else is out there. You start to learn about the big name athletes and how they are doing in competition. You find your favorites and root for them to excel. Its like watching the olympics without some of the silly costumes! If you’ve never watched the games you’ve got to give them a look. Watching the top men and women do the rope climb WOD last year was so exciting I was exhausted.

Most of all its fun. Watching the standings, seeing where you land. Getting to know the badasses that are from our region. Its just fun! There is nothing to lose by putting yourself on the leaderboard. You’ll never appreciate the experience until you jump right in. What are you waiting for?

WOD 13.5

MEN – includes Masters Men up to 54 years old
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 4 minutes of:
100 pound Thruster, 15 reps
15 Chest to bar Pull-ups

If 90 reps (3 rounds) are completed in under 4 minutes, time extends to 8 minutes.
If 180 reps (6 rounds) are completed in under 8 minutes, time extends to 12 minutes.
If 270 reps (9 rounds) are completed in under 12 minutes, time extends to 16 minutes.
Etc.

WOMEN – includes Masters Women up to 54 years old
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 4 minutes of:
65 pound Thruster, 15 reps
15 Chest to bar Pull-ups

If 90 reps (3 rounds) are completed in under 4 minutes, time extends to 8 minutes.
If 180 reps (6 rounds) are completed in under 8 minutes, time extends to 12 minutes.
If 270 reps (9 rounds) are completed in under 12 minutes, time extends to 16 minutes.
Etc.