Many of us who participate in CrossFit are never surprised when we end up on our backs, leaving our sweat souls on the mat. But at times, I am sure we are surprised when our times or performances are not what we expect, or the rx’d weight is too heavy. I think there is more to consider than just you and the barbell!
There is the anticipation of learning what the WOD is, followed by the anxiety of whether or not you can do it rx’d. Then the internal struggle begins. How long will it take for me to do it?… and then you start breaking down the WOD movement by movement, rep by rep. You enter the shed with the idea that you know you will perform just the way you broke it down in your head. You get warmed up, you do a few reps of the rx’d weight, and then… next thing you know, you hear “all hands on the bar… 3…2…1… GO!”
Round 1 goes as you anticipated, and your are beaming with confidence and adrenaline. Next round is a bit more challenging, the weight feels heavier, and your breathing is on the brink of uncontrollable. Round 3 approaches and the internal struggle becomes reality. Doubt becomes an option, your mind starts to take over, and all you can hear is how hard you are breathing. Your inner athlete is struggling to battle against the forces of human nature. You hear encouraging words like, “pick up the bar”, or “you are 10 seconds off the bar, pick it up!”. You struggle to continue on, losing count of reps and rounds, and battling the urges to take longer breaks. As you enter into the fourth round, and you know you have been here before and survived. Yes, the barbell is heavy… but you can lift it! Yes, your chest is heaving, but you can handle it! You have come this far, now it is time to finish it! You pick it up, and you do it, knowing that there is only one more round to go.
All of the sudden, the tides turn… the internal struggle is no longer with doubt… it is with the clock! Last round is heavy and hard, but you battle through it. The exertion is extreme, but you are moving as if on auto-pilot. You finish strong and yell out “TIME!” before finding a spot on the floor to leave your sweat soul.
As you lie there, with your heart pounding its way through your chest, you know you have won the battle, but not the war. Doubt was there, and human nature put up quite a fight to remind you who you really are. How long did you let it linger before crushing it with your will to fight? How long will it take for it to show up next time, and how long will you let it hang around?
This stuff is the real deal.
It not only prepares us physically, but mentally as well.
So for the next challenge, we will be a little bit tougher… in body, mind and spirit.
