Why We Do The Open
The 2015 CrossFit Open is in full swing at ChalkDust CrossFit. Our members are in the mist of 15.5. We have learned that the CrossFit Open really serves two purposes:
To be all inclusive, helping to build the ChalkDust and worldwide CrossFit community; and of course, to find the fittest person in the world.
Let's face it, CrossFit HQ caters to the elite athletes, those who will be going to regionals. This year, that elite pool of regional candidates has gotten small. So CrossFit decided to add a scaled division to reflect the all inclusive philosophy. Some argue that the scaled division is too easy. Some say that scaled is bogus because athletes can do some, but not all of the movements or weights of the prescribed workouts. ChalkDust CrossFit believes the scaled version of the open actually puts athletes on a level playing field (good athletes who maybe can't do a muscle up) and allows for a true test of fitness. Certainly, we can all throw a ten pound wall ball and skip rope. But can we last a whole 14 minute met-con? Difficult for anyone. At the end of scaled 15.3, no one was saying they wished they would have had a heavier wall ball or that the workout would have been just a little longer. In fact, we gave our heart and soul for 14 minutes and ended up flat on our backs at the end of that workout. We have found that the scaled division will test you physically and mentally. And 15.4 brought no breaks from the bar.
The Open has been amazing. And for the record, the scaled workouts are no joke. They are just as taxing as the RX workouts. In the end remember the Open is all about testing your fitness against the other 300,000 participating athletes that are participating, and most importantly, improving yourself. What's the point of doing the Open if you can't submit your scores and compare yourself to your fellow CrossFitters? The Open is a test that will identify your weaknesses and highlight your strengths. Your ranking will drop and soar based on these strengths and weaknesses.
The scaled division also gives you extra motivation to work on the movements and weights that kept you from prescribed this year. The movements that take you to deep dark places and haunt you. And when you actually submit a score, you can look back next year and say, "Wow, I couldn't do a chest to bar pull-up last year and now I can."
We can't wait to high five EVERY single athlete who submits their scores, whether prescribed or not, for you were brave enough to do the Open in the first place.
