Right when you walk in the door to our gym, you can’t help but see the big PREPARE- PERFORM- RECOVER on the wall to your left. If you haven’t seen it yet, trust me, it’s there.
Now, as I describe to every new person that is about to start, TriForce is not a very competitive gym. The intensely competitive reputation is one of the reasons I hated CrossFit before. Sure, there are times when you will pick someone on the whiteboard and try to beat their time. But the main thrust of what we are focused on is inward. Rather we use the energy of the group to improve ourselves. “Can I beat ME today?” Essentially, “Am I getting better?”
BUT, it is really important for us all to track metrics to see what kind of progress we are actually making. Of course, subjective things like sleeping better, improved energy, decreased shortness of breath while climbing the stairs are all important. But objective measures like body composition, strength, and running endurance are also very important.
So, in this sense, every day that you come to the gym, you are performing. And as much as you can keep your mental space as such, the better. Yes, you are coming to the gym to have fun, laugh, enjoy time with friends… all those things are a huge part of why you are coming. But everyone is also there to get better in some form or fashion. So that means, when you hear “3,2,1…Go!” your head should be right. You should be focused on giving YOUR best effort.
Now, doing this day in and day out can be exhausting. Can you literally give 100% every single WOD? Not really. At some point you have to realize that you are training, and that tomorrow you want to train again. The phrase “live to die another day” comes to mind. But most people don’t know 100% yet. Why? Why can people not seem to achieve their full potential in a workout? Because it’s uncomfortable. It is really, really uncomfortable to leave it all out on the table.
This is why it is really cool to do an actual competition. Maybe that’s a 5K, or an obstacle race, or a local CrossFit competition. OR MAYBE, it’s just competing in the Open this year. Again, if you are someone who is concerned with how you stack up against others, you can sign up for the Open through Crossfit.com. But for most people, just doing the workout, and seeing just how amazing they are is the competition. The Open will provide you with the opportunity to find your 100%. Every Friday for 5 weeks, it will be a competition, and you will be performing at 100% (I promise to make sure of that.)
And guess what, it’s even fun!
So after leaving it all out on the gym floor…sweat, tears… you will have a new standard for your best. And competing in something is really the only way to ensure that you have done your best. Get ready for Open, where you will be ringing the PR Bell like crazy, because you have pushed to a new limit, and you will find out just how awesome you can do. And maybe you will be inspired by how fun it can be to compete, and you will sign up for something else to challenge you mind, body, and soul.
If you have wanted to compete in something, but you aren’t sure where to start, send us an email with “Ready to Compete” in the subject to get a free goal setting session.
