levels

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to cheer for fellow CrossFitters at a competition.  I also had the pleasure of spending the day cheering with two other fellow CrossFitters who were not competing.  Add the ebb and flow of people I haven't seen in a while and the athleticism and heart of those competing and a memorable day evolved. 

With the business arrangement that began last year between Reebok and CrossFit, combined with the growing anticipation for the CrossFit Open in just a few weeks, there have been a variety of interesting conversations regarding what might become of CrossFit.  For me, it's created many a schizophrenic moment.  On the one hand, I find I can get excited by the glitzy commercial Reebok has created, as well as the multitude of Facebook entries surrounding the upcoming competitions.  I can see an endless stream of the elite CrossFitters who inspire me.  On the other hand, while I love the competition, I also know that there are many levels to CrossFit that I hope won't be overlooked as Reebok gets more and more entrenched into the CrossFit world, bringing with it its corporate attitude.  I hope it is just a needless concern, and that if it occurs, there will still be time to pull the plug on the Reebok glitz.

I would never want to see smaller competitions like the one from this weekend become extinct.  There were a wide variety of competitors with a wide variety of skill levels, which is typical in most comps.  The heart and effort that EVERYONE puts into the comp is so energizing.  It encompasses physical and mental challenges.  I never tire of watching how hard everyone works, how utterly spent they get, and then in an instant a huge smile and happy chatter starts flowing again.  There is a need to talk about the WOD that they just finished and congratulate each other, not only from their own box (CrossFit's term for 'gym'), but from all the other individuals/teams from the other boxes competing.   

That is CrossFit.

People compete because it's fun...not for money or awards or swag, it's just a fun challenge.  You don't realize that until you've completed your first comp.  They are hard, but fun.  Oh, and they are incredibly fun! :)  You get to meet so many new people that the community gets smaller and smaller the bigger circle you travel.  You know how that is..."six degrees of separation"...we are all a pretty intertwined group of people.  You find that out quickly. 

Which brings me to another level of CrossFit, that being for those who don't want to compete but want to get an equal amount of joy in being as fit as they've ever felt.  They can fully appreciate, and are appreciated by those who do like to compete by being great cheerleaders or judges or event volunteers at these comps. Every level of CrossFit is supported by every other level.  It's really a pretty basic structure.  I hope that never gets lost as CrossFit grows.