Wodapalooza 2012: Beasts of the Bay
I finally figured out what I like so much about competing in CrossFit competitions. Being on stage. There’s something special about doing a physical challenge (I think of CrossFit events more as physical challenges and not just workouts) with a bunch of killer athletes, many of whom are your friends, and also having a bunch of your friends screaming in your face as you grind it out, sometimes from just a few feet away. That’s a huge rush and the energy of the group setting is…hard to describe. But it’s awesome and primal. In all of the other sports I’ve played, including some adrenaline sports, there’s nothing else that compares. Even in rowing, where the physical output is huge and the pain/rush is sharper, the emotional and spiritual rush of CrossFit is greater. Part of it is the crowd’s in your face whereas in rowing the crowd is on a distant shore. But my theory is that we’re hardwired to be on stage and perform, it’s part of our nature, and Crossfit is the ultimate type of sporting performance. It’s essentially a simulation of a life or death fight without the big drawback of actually, you know, dying.
It’s also fascinating to watch your friends work through these challenges during a WOD. It gives insight into their character and witnessing those revelations are enthralling. I like cheering on my pals almost as much as I like competing. It’s a profound thing to perform and be judged for our efforts.
