CROSSFIT SUFFOLK: Powered By SPARTAN PERFORMANCE

29
Mar

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK: Powered By SPARTAN PERFORMANCE

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THE 2016 CROSSFIT OPEN has officially ended as of 8 pm (EST) last night.  The Open was 5 weeks, with one new workout a week, of some of the best showcasing of CrossFit yet.  By this we mean the Open workouts, 16.1-16.5, were the best workouts since the Open made its debut in 2011, to display the level of strength and conditioning that CrossFit is all about.  Scores are still being verified so the official, final count won’t be in until later this week.

We had 39 athletes compete this year.  The most we’ve had since the Open began.  16 of those athletes were women.  Some athletes have dreams of reaching Regionals and higher levels of competition and many just wanted to test themselves.  Regardless of your individual goals Lisa and I are extremely proud of all of the athletes who decided to “throw their hat into the ring.”  We are also grateful for those who didn’t compete, but helped us out by judging, maintaining the gym or just cheering on your fellow athletes.  While it is impressive to watch how many of you were able to rise to the occasion or gut out a demanding workout while you were clearly in discomfort, it is watching the gym come together during the chaos of competition that really makes us proud, impresses us and motivates us to do The Open year after year.  We are fortunate, our gym (or “box”, if you prefer), is already legendary for it’s community, but while the Open is going on we pull together even more.  Allow me to give some examples:

At some point almost every competitor made mention of doing better because his or her peers were cheering for them to dig deeper.

Tara M. did 16.4 by herself in the corner of the gym.  She wasn’t competing, she just wanted to do it.  Toward the end of the workout John H. went over to encourage her.  He was soon joined by other Spartans encouraging her to keep going.  Tara went until the clock reached the time cap, but she wasn’t going to.  She didn’t think she had it in her.  It was through the support of the people that train with her that carried her through.  For a coach there is nothing like watching a person develop before your eyes.  There is nothing like watching a person you help train smash through barriers and limitations.  For an athlete there is nothing like accomplishing something you didn’t think you could do.  All this is made better when the teaching, the instruction and the training is coming from what started as a group of strangers and morphed into a “team”, a network of support.

We watched as competitors and non-competitors alike set up barbells or equipment for those getting ready to compete and nobody was asked to do this.

We watched ordinary people acquire, for the first time, the ability to do something difficult like a bar muscle-up or a handstand push-up, or use a weight they had never used in a workout before simply because a coach or another athlete helped them and believed in them.

We watched as ordinary folks faced difficult tasks while being observed by their peers.  It’s bad enough performing under the stress of the workout, but now each and every one of your reps is being judged by another, increasing the stress more.  Yet if it bothered any competitor at all it was not outwardly displayed.

While we are glad to get back to training and away from competition, for now,  we have a deep appreciation for the magic that occurs during the Open.  The competitors, whether they acknowledge it or not, have extended their personal comfort zone a little further.  Regardless of how they did they are now a little better.  They have come that much closer to mastering themselves and that is what competition is really about.  Those who didn’t compete, but got to watch, are better off as well.  They have seen, up close, their own potential and that has its own power.

Thank you all for making the 2016 CrossFit Open an exciting and rewarding experience for CrossFit Suffolk!–George and Lisa

WHEY PROTEIN FOR LESS MUSCLE SORENESS & FASTER RECOVERY AFTER MUSCLE-DAMAGING WORKOUTS

Workout of the Day
Clean & Jerk
Find your 1 rep max.

4 rounds for time of:
12 box jumps 24/20″
12 pull-ups

Optional:
4 rounds:
20 meter prowler push
10 slam ball, 40/20#

Post your scores to the Whiteboard.

14 Responses

  1. Ben B.

    Spot on, George!! What a great joy it was to stay late on Friday and watch competitors and spectators spur each other on, give advice, share the pain and discomfort and watch regular people become amazing athletes in their own right! Everyone who did these workouts is a bonified contender in my book.

    1. George Demetriou

      Thanks for the kind words John and thank you for being the night time/Saturday morning Ambassador of CrossFit Suffolk!

  2. Bevin

    It is such an amazing experience to be a part of. We really do have the best gym/box around. And not to mention the best coaches! Great job everyone!!

  3. Danielle

    I loved reading this entry this morning. Though I’ve only been a part of this family a short amount of time, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Everybody did such a great job, and it was so humbling to see fellow athletes both motivating others, and being motivated themselves. The only open workout I did was 16.5, but damn was it a killer, and I know I wouldn’t have been able to push through it the way I did without the cheers from the rest of you. I’m also so glad I stayed to watch and support everyone else – you all kick major ass! I’m so thankful to have found this gym, and be given the opportunity to get to know everybody – you are all so inspiring on so many different levels. And a big thank you to George & Lisa for giving us all our home away from home!

    1. George Demetriou

      Danielle–Sorry your post didn’t show up until now. I didn’t check until after midnight and you need to be approved once before it goes through automatically. Welcome aboard!

      Funny, hours before I realized you had posted here and just after you walked out of the gym today, I turned to whoever was standing near me and said, “Danielle is going to fit around here rather nicely. She’s already bonding pretty well.”

      Thank you for the kind words!

  4. Jenna r

    Me and Katy in the background both saying how much this wod was going to suck!

    Thank you so much George and Lisa! This gym is truly one of a kind! This was the best open yet.

    1. George Demetriou

      Richie–Can’t you see that everyone commenting was saying nice things about the gym. Now look what you did. How is anyone supposed to follow a 78 year old woman deadlifting 225 lbs.?

      Look! You made everyone go quiet. Man you sure can stop a good time. You didn’t even read what I wrote on the website or on FB. I bet you didn’t have time. You were probably too busy looking for videos of powerful senior citizens.

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