Reflections from the 2023 CrossFit Open: What's Next?

It feels like the 2023 CrossFit Open was so long ago! At CrossFit Petram, we love the Open for two big reasons - what it allows us to do for our community, and the lessons we learn about ourselves in order to keep moving forward and set goals. Before I share what I learned this year, let’s take a quick pause to recap on all that we accomplished!

During Week 1, we came together to support Faithful Friends, an animal shelter located in Newark, Delaware that works hard to give animals a “fur”-ever home and reduce shelter kill lists across the state. Upon dropping off all of our donations, the volunteers were shocked at just how generous of a donation we were making. Coach Gayle even saw one of her donated blankets make a social media appearance with a sweet, fuzzy face!

During Week 2, we teamed up with the Kindness Rocks project, to help spread positivity around the community with simple messages of love, hope, and encouragement. Not only did almost every team use most of their rocks, we even had some rocks found by folks around town! Week 2 was a great reminder for us all that kindness and smiles are free…so, let’s use them more.

Our final week challenged us to rally together in order to raise funds to support the Everett Theater. A good ol’fashion change wars took place, and we stepped up, per usual, in the spirit of competition! It was an incredible gift to be able to hand over the $1,202 we raised to the volunteers at the Everett, and spend the morning touring the theater. They were incredibly grateful, and even gave us a shoutout on their IG!

When I think about the workouts we all did together, coupled with my experience in Quarterfinals, I’m ending this Open season with a big smile and a lot of goals. Many of you know that my Open goal every year is to simply beat the version of myself from the year before. It is with great joy that I tell you that is getting harder and harder each year. This means I am getting stronger, faster, and my favorite, more mentally tough. I’m walking away with three big lessons, each of which I’ll use to keep my eyes on big goals for the year!

Lesson 1: Scaling Matters

I’m not quite sure when “scaling” became such an ugly word that when we talk about it, its almost as if we are saying it to take away from the hard work we’ve done. When, in reality, we’ve been really intentional about what we want to work on, and when. Most of you think that the coaches at Petram do every single workout as prescribed, and that’s simply not true! For me, being intentional about the weights in a workout, how I cycle the barbell, and my mindset towards lifting heavier things is where I need to focus most. I’ve been really intentional about aligning the stimulus of workouts to the weights I choose, and it paid off! I lifted weights during Quarterfinals with ease that I honestly never thought I would be able to a few years ago. Scaling is how we meet ourselves where we are in CrossFit, and how we propel ourselves forward. I scale workouts often, and I’m actually really proud of it, because its my effort that matters over time, not the number everyone else is looking at in the moment.

Lesson 2: Failure is a Window

Many of you know how I feel about the letters DNF, or did not finish - I really love them, when used correctly. There is such a fear and stigma about not finishing a workout. When we do not finish a workout, that “failure” is a window for us to look through and figure out what stopped us, and how to remove that barrier. And just for the record, we have ALL received a score of DNF….I mean, do we need to talk more about that snatch/handstand pushup workout?

One of my quarterfinal workouts required me to lift a barbell that I can’t (yet). That’s right…I COULDN’T LIFT IT. I mentally prepared myself to stand at a barbell for approximately nine minutes and never get a successful lift. But, I told myself that I would try. So, what did I find when I looked through the window? I learned that I actually CAN lift the barbell! There are a few pieces of my technique that need some time and attention if I want to successfully complete the lift at that weight. I learned that I am a whole lot stronger than I regularly give myself credit for. I learned that frustration can either motivate you or defeat you. But, my favorite takeaway from that workout is just how humbling this sport is. For all of the progress and gains I’ve made, I got stopped in my tracks. If we do this sport right, it doesn’t get “easier” - we just get to do harder things.

Lesson 3: Who is Watching?

If you haven’t figured it out yet, one of the best parts of CrossFit is the community it builds, no matter where you are. It’s a common way for folks who have never met to engage with one another and lift each other up. Each day, when you walk into the gym, you have no idea who you might be inspiring. I’m serious! Inspiring can be a heavy word, we hear it and we think it must mean we are the best at whatever we are doing, or that we are “perfect”…whatever that word means. This year, one of my Open goals was to cheer for an athlete I don’t get to regularly work out with. In watching some of you each Friday night, I need you to know that you showed me strength, determination, heart, and a lot of love for the people around you. Honestly, it was overwhelming. I carried that spirit with me through each workout, and I did a better job because of the example you all set for me.

Someone is always watching us. Someone is always inspired by our grit, our mindset, or our skill. It is important to remember that when we walk through the gym doors, we are all trying our best to just be a better physical and mental version of who we are. I encourage you to pause and look around the room the next time you stop in. We’ve got some incredibly inspiring members who could teach you something.

Overall, I’m really proud about how this year went, especially after spending last year’s Open with broken toes and feet - eek! I had FUN, and really surprised myself! Each lesson I am taking away is only going to help me become a stronger, faster version of myself. And while the physical improvements matter, the one I am most interested to see is what takes place between my ears. What we think and say to ourselves matters just as much. So, what’s your call to action?

Set some goals. Share them with a coach if you’d like! Watch those around you. And most importantly, have fun! This sport is hard, challenging, and at times, defeating. But, it’s worth it. Keep going, friends. As always, I’ll see you at the gym.

Big Hugs,

Coach Kady