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Believe it or not, CrossFit isn’t all about PRs and building muscle but creating a sense of well-being and maintaining good mental health. We have all felt a sense of “WTF” when we look at whiteboard or hear about the workout but how pleased do we feel after we have completed it in the company of fellow CrossFitters who so often provide much needed encouragement?

How much harder would that WOD be if you were on your own, no one to push you or motivate you. Without those elements our head game wouldn’t be as strong and focused.

It’s said there are five steps to mental wellbeing; connect, be active, keep learning, give to others and be mindful. I believe that these reflect CrossFit and our BECC Community perfectly. We are always learning new skills from the coaches. We communicate and connect with those around us especially when we complete workouts with a partner. We encourage, are mindful of and give to each other constantly, particularly when things get tough. There is banter, shit talk, friendly competition and challenges. Who doesn’t enjoy the pre and post workout chats with people who have become our friends? Hands down our Community is very Organic and I for one am proud of it.

I only speak for myself but when I started CrossFit in 2006, it was to recover from a physical injury, as time went on I found it helped out with a much larger issue, one that I really wasn’t aware of and had ignored, my mental health. Almost 15 years in the military with deployments had, and from time to time “does” take a toll on me mentally. CrossFit however has given me the focus to keep moving forward, the workouts to keep me distracted and focused and most of all the Community to keep me going.

“I choose to keep my demons and problems by my side instead of them hiding behind me, it’s easier to give them a reality check if they’re within reach” (Romeo Sierra Delta)

So what’s my prescription for daily mental health and clarity? A daily coffee, good friends, community support and regular profanity laced WODs! 🙂

So now that the Open is over and for some reason I never received my invite to Regionals what do I do now Coach?

Well, what do we do now? Focus, Recalibrate and Focus some more. Now that the Competition season is fast approaching, for some of us it’s a good time to focus on setting some goals. Now most who did the Open already know what they need and or want to focus on. Now this doesn’t mean focus on moving from one division to another, This should mean, setting yourself up for success, start no repping yourself on some of the easier moves you can perform so you can be more successful at performing for performance and efficiency instead of a better number on the whiteboard.

Here are some rules and guidelines I like to use to base my own personal performance off of:

• No Rep the moves you think you’re good at. Wall balls, Chin over bar, HRPU.
• Avoid “Shaving”. We all shave a lot of things….don’t make your reps one of them. Be humble and honest, sets you up to be a better athlete.
• Give yourself small goals and sensible ones. Can’t string pullups and strict dips together? Than odds are you won’t be getting those ring muscle ups anytime soon.
• TECHNIQUE !!!! Ask the coach to watch you, video yourself, just don’t assume your technique is bang on because it feels like it!

We need to be particle in our training and expectations. If I know I can do it, I will, if I know I can’t I wont….Simple as that.

Give yourself some goals between now and the Fall. Sign up for that comp, get out of your comfort zone, try something new that challenges you and most of all scares the f*ck out of you. Before you know it the 2019 Open will be here, be prepared to do better than 2018, and be prepared to add new numbers to that white board!

When in doubt ask for help, doing your own training is fine, but without the help and guidance from a coach, you may be holding yourself back!

#KTA,

Coach D.