The Real CrossFitters of Insert Your Town Here-The Open is coming!!!!!

"The Open starts in February!!!  Should I start refreshing the page now?!?!?!?!?!"

The term Leaderboarding is on Urban Dictionary, Rich Froning was all glisten-y and glossy in People magazine and the Doctor's TV show did a variation of Fight Gone Bad that I called The Demise of a Dynomax-Don't slam me, bro.  The Open is going to be HUGE this year.  It's a reality show for CrossFitters.  And, you can be in the cast.

"F.U. Nicole. The Open is NOT like a reality show.  Stop calling attention to the Open.  The site will crash and it will be partly your fault.  You and Reebok.  I'm not going to read your blog anymore and I hate your analogies."   Hi, haters! 

It's a little like American Idol.  A bunch of people sign up and compete week after week.  Everyone from the Firebreathers to the noobs.  Mainsite highlights some Cinderella stories.  There will be some amazing athletes that come out of nowhere and by July, we will all know their names.  There will be some amazing and some very awful video submissions presented to the Games site.  And thousands of people will become the fittest judges on Earth.  Some of the videos will make you wonder "Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot".  People will leave comments.  CrossFitters love to comment as much as they love to squat.  Remember...Just because your shit is 100% grass fed paleo, doesn't mean it doesn't stink to someone else.  Be nice.

  And then we have Regionals.  Then, the 2012 Games.  The Golden Ticket.  And we will watch our CrossFit reality show.  Our Super Bowl.  Our stories.  And, it shall be good.

It's been a huge year.  We've seen what a little Reebok can do for our sport.  The uniforms didn't hinder the Games athletes and their awesomeness.  As it turns out, taking away the Luon wasn't like kryptonite after all.  They asked the athletes to swim and throw a softball-it doesn't make Reebok the Taliban.  So, we are a little more well known now.  TONS of people have started to CrossFit.  Affiliates are popping up everywhere, like Starbucks.  That's because CrossFit is freaking awesome.  The secret is out.  And, it is going to get bigger and more popular.   Then, it will level out.  That's how shit works.  Deal.  I've never understood that- "Oh, please Reebok, don't sponsor our sport.  We don't need to grow.   I can say this because my sub-4 Fran time makes me an expert on the entire CrossFit corporation and its innermost workings and financial information.  Tra-la-la."  Just trust that the people who've brought us this far know what the fuck they're doing.  OK?  OK.

We won't end up like this.

I promise.

Anyway, back to the Open.  People need to be open in our Open-not assholes.  We are supposed to be a community, right?  Not like this:

Like this:

A community. 

Be honest.

Have you drifted away from what someone was so kind to share with you when you started?  When you got your muscle-ups, did you lose something else?  Is this CrossFit 'serious shit' that most of the other people at your Box don't understand?  Have you forgotten what it is like to finish scaled and triumphant?  Or, just happy to finish-fuck your pr?  Have you forgotten what it felt like to fall in love with the total package.  MMMMmmmmmm....Kool Aid.   I'm going to tell everyone I know and meet about my CrossFit WODs.  My co-workers are starting to fucking hate me because I won't shut up.  Do you miss that? 

Because here is a reality check.  The average CrossFitter may never travel to other Boxes.  They may not ever go and watch Regionals or the Games or even a large CrossFit event.  This is their kick ass exercise program.  And, their social outlet.  That is it.  And, that is OK.  Are you a time or strength leader at your Box?  You may be the best CrossFitter some of your fellow athletes will ever watch in person.  You're their Mikko or Miranda.  Your athleticism is admired and so is your hard work.  People look up to you.  Please, don't be an asshat about it.  Pay it forward and strengthen our community.

Here is my suggestion, regardless of your standings in the CrossFit community.  We all entertain the thought of an Open relationship.

Get your heads out of the gutter.  It's not really a cult.  I'm not suggesting you start sleeping with the leaders.

 Sorry.  I couldn't resist that.

No, I'm suggesting that if this is our reality show then be in it.  Front and center, like a bad ass mother.   Find someone at your Box and encourage them to register with you.  Really make the Open a community event and make it an opportunity to help and encourage your fellow athletes.  Hence, Open relationships. 

  Discuss nutrition with each other.  Don't have a  "I just eat Kale, salmon and almond butter for lunch.  Then, I have a post WOD protein and Tabasco smoothie with my ultra elite supplements.  All organic and you suck" attitude.  Take the time to share what you've learned with the new guys.  Counsel each other.  Friend them on Facebook.  If you're old school CrossFit, make up the biggest pitcher of Kool Aid and share it. 

Oh, yeah!

What I'm saying, if you don't get it already, is that the Open is not only a chance to crush those fuckers that were on your tail last year.  It is not only an opportunity to leaderboard, get your nutrition back in check and buy some new, kick ass WOD wear.  The Open is a chance to fall in love with CrossFit again.  Build the community and make EVERYONE feel welcome. 

This:

                                                                               Not this:

If you walk into the Box and people are separated like a junior high dance-Elite athletes on this side of the room and everyone else on the other side- there is something wrong.  Fix it.  BTW, the new people's memberships pay for all the cool equipment that seems to be popping up at your Box.  It's not magic, it's $$$.  Money is the shit.  None of us own Boxes because it is lucrative.    

Look, I'm a realist.  I don't think I'll be moving forward till I can qualify for the Masters, but I still compete.  Why?  It's good experience and it is fun to see where you rank.  That's right.  I do the Open for fun.  It is supposed to be fun. You're allowed to still think this is fun AND crush that old pr.   I take it seriously and do my best.  Irregardless, it is the most fun under $20 you can have legally.

So go out and Forge Open Relationships with LOTS of people.  Share your stories and videos.  Be part of the story.  Someone will be following your progress.  Someone you may never meet will see your name above their name on the Leaderboard week after week and say "Fuck!"  And, your hard work will make them try harder, do better, be better.  Sounds pretty good to me.

Oh, and on a personal note, I turn 40 tomorrow.  And it feels awesome!