Upper East Side

The Open is just about three weeks away. Still not sure if you should sign up? Here’s why Coach Nicole participates.

2016 will be my fourth CrossFit Open and each year the Open is the time I love to hate. The nervousness, anxiety, competition with myself, competition with my friends who I chase … I’m not always a gracious loser, but better to lose than not enter the race.

I’m experienced enough to know whats coming — maybe not the exact workouts per se, but I know in these five workouts over 5 weeks, the Open will indulge my strengths and exploits my weaknesses, and I have learned to be OK with that and stay the course. I’m not in the Open to remotely attempt to make Regionals; I’m participating in the Open because it helps me put my training into perspective. It helps me empirically see that the hours upon hours I’ve spent in the gym over the year have actually made me stronger, faster and better!

I don’t know what the Open will bring for me this year, but getting comfortable with that unknown leaves me in a better state of mind in and out of the gym. I DO know that the Open will leave me with at least one Fran lung, (possibly) a torn hand, and make me question my choice of CrossFit altogether. Simultaneously, the Open will prove to me that it made sense to train with a 20-pound wall ball, the endless frustrating double under sessions were not done in vain, and all those squats came in handy for all those thrusters. (We know they’re a-comin’!)

I urge all our athletes at EVF to register for the Open. See how you stack up against your peers in the gym, in the region, and across the world. Get out of your comfort zone, have some fun pushing yourself to your limits, and maybe even learn something about yourself at the same time. Now is the time. Register for the 2016 CF Open!

Warm up
3 rounds not for time:
10 single arm KB clean & jerk
5 pull-ups
1:00 plank

Strength
Every 2:00 x 5: (2) TNG power clean + power jerk w/ pause

Conditioning
Performance
12-minute AMRAP:
40 double unders
4 squat snatches (135/95)
8 burpees

Fitness
12-minute AMRAP:
80 single unders
4 hang power snatches
8 burpees