Do you have what it takes??

It's that time of year again guys. The CrossFit Games Open is quickly approaching. The first Open WOD will be announced on February 22nd. CrossFit athletes from around the world will be competing to be crowned "Fittest in the World"

I can tell you from personal experience that the CrossFit Games Open is an AMAZING experience and I highly encourage you to push yourself out of your comfort zone and join in the fun. Even if you aren't trying to be the next Rich Fronning or Annie Thorsdottir, it is a really cool way to see where you stack up against people around the world. 

CrossFit Forward will be teaming up with Rare CrossFit and performing the Open WODs every Saturday morning. I guarantee that it is going to be tons of fun. It is going to be so cool to come together as a community and cheer each other on. Even if you decide not to compete, you are always welcome to come to the gym and cheer on your fellow athletes. Your support is always greatly appreciated.

On the Reebok CrossFit Games website you can create a profile and log your weekly workouts. I was reading an article on www.sicfit.com and it stated 3 reasons you should compete in the Open. I thought they hit the nail on the head. 

1. Do it for you!  The Open is a great way to motivate and push yourself beyond normal limits.  A competitive edge is added when you are able to check your standings each week, and rankings daily.  Or, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself checking your ranking on an hourly basis!  The Open allows you to gauge where you are within the CrossFit world (literally!).  Find a name within your region, stalk their stats on their Reebok CrossFit profile, and claim him/her as your doppelganger during the Open.
2. Do it for your fellow CrossFitter!  Many affiliates incorporated the Open WODs into their weekly programming.  If this was your box and you technically weren’t registered, you still participated in the Open!  How is that possible?  Well, I’m pretty sure you didn’t take the WOD lightly because that’s not how CrossFitters operate.  In order to complete the WOD, you were probably busting your tail, which in return forced others to push even harder, which pushed you even more.  It’s a beneficial cycle that without you, your friends’ numbers or rankings wouldn’t have been as high on the Open scoreboard.  
3. Do it for your CrossFit box!  Last year’s Open not only focused on individual performances but brought in the team dynamic of the competition.  The top affiliates of each region were able to have some of their best members represent their “box” at Regionals with only the top three affiliate teams advancing to the Games.  Some affiliates held tryouts for their team while others used the individual results from the Open to determine who would be representing them at Regionals.  I can’t say this is how it will be this year as HQ could throw a curve ball at us.  However, I can say the team aspect of the Open and Regionals allowed many affiliates to highlight their athletes in a way that brought a stronger sense of pride and community to their box.

I assure you that EVERYONE can participate in the CrossFit Games Open and I have no doubt in my mind that you WILL surprise yourself with what you are capable of. C'mon guys, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. LETS DO THIS!