Why I Am Doing the Open

I wasn't going to do the 2019 Open because the 2020 Open is taking place in October 2019. Will we even call it the 2020 Open? Will it be 2019B? With two Opens this year, my plan was to sit this round out and focus on my upcoming Strongman competition. But then I was asked to be a team captain for the CrossFit Identity Open Intramural Competition, and how could I say no to that? This will be my sixth consecutive Open, and I'm glad I'm signed up because it's the last February/March Open we are going to have.

As much as I have loved participating in the Open for the past five years, I have never been thrilled with its timing. I had business travel every single year. I think I may have done more Open workouts as a drop-in my first year than I did at my home box. This year 19.4 falls over my Spring Break, so I will have to do the workout at 5:30 AM on Friday before my flight, but otherwise I am home. I am looking forward to the season changing to October. Hopefully it falls over Halloween so we can wear costumes.

For those of you who have not been motivated to become a CrossFitter from reading this blog, the Open has traditionally been the start of the CrossFit Games season. Everyone can participate, from the very new beginner to the most elite CrossFitters in the world. Performing well in the Open got you invited to Regionals, the competition that qualified you for the CrossFit Games. Regionals are gone, the season weirdly started in back in December with the new Sanctionals, and rumor has it that the CrossFit Games will not be broadcasted so unless you are able and willing to travel to Madison, Wisconsin to watch them live, you are out of luck. The Sport of Fitness might be crumbling before our very eyes, but we can still benefit from the magic of the Open.

Some members of the Grey Leopards. Please note that I already owned grey leopard socks.

CFID Strongman Competition

Last Saturday I competed in my first Strongman competition and I won the women's novice division. Andrew Hanus coaches a Strongman class at CrossFit Identity and he put on this competition. He is super strong and super awesome.

I've talked about wanting to get into Strongman. Coach Chad had Strongman Saturdays when I went to CrossFit Central LI and I really enjoyed learning how to pick up heavy oddly shaped instruments. I figured I'd be relatively good at it because I'm pretty strong and there doesn't seem to be much holding your own bodyweight on top of a pull-up bar. I had such a good time at the competition and I left really jazzed about learning more. I went to Coach Andrew's Strongman class last night and had the best time.

The competition had five events.

Event 1: Press Medley (60 seconds): Log Clean & Press -then- Axle Clean & Press Away
Competitor will have 60 seconds to complete the medley. Competitor will begin with the Log Clean and Press to overhead. The competitor will wait for the down command from the judge. Once a successful lift has been completed they will move to the Axle Clean & Press Away. The competitor only has to clean the bar for the first rep, once in the front rack they will complete as many overhead presses as possible with the time remaining. If the competitor drops the bar they will be allowed to clean it again if time permits, however, only overhead presses count as reps. Most reps conducted in the time frame wins.