The 2021 CrossFit Open is Here!

The last time that I penned a blog post about the CrossFit Open was in September. Of 2019. Can you believe that? It has been nearly 18 months since we last discussed this event. My oh my how the world has changed.

Anyhow, that doesn’t change the fact that the Open is here, in 2021, and we will be hosting opportunities for each of you to do these workouts if you so choose.

I gotta be honest, this year will look and feel different. But before we get to that, we need to be sure we’re all on the same page with what the Open is, as many folks probably don’t know.

The CrossFit Open is a world-wide event put on by CrossFit headquarters aimed at bringing together folks around the globe in an online competition of fitness. Workouts are not known until a day or two before they are to be performed, but they are done in such a way that allows for just about anyone to have a good time testing their fitness.

Is your participation required? Nope, not one bit. But I’d be lying if I said its not fun.

So, how does it work? Simply put: there are three workouts that CF HQ will release, beginning on March 11th. Although that is a Thursday, we will keep our trend of hosting the “main event” on Saturday mornings. So technically, for us, the first Open workout will be performed on Saturday March 13th. Week 2 will be March 20th and week 3 will be March 27th.

Veterans with a keen eye will recognize a couple of things:

1. The Open is just three weeks long this year.
2. We will only have the workouts programmed on Saturdays.
3. We will not be having Intramural Teams

Why? The easiest explanation is that we are still dealing with an enormous amount of restrictions. Not just locally, but globally. CF HQ recognizes this and has adjusted accordingly. We are doing the same – we simply do not have the bandwidth or freedom to do more.

Having said that, I am looking to leverage our participation in this event in such a way that it benefits our community. So, here is what I am proposing:

FITNESS + PHILANTHROPY

In lieu of (or in addition to) your normal registration fee to CFHQ, I am asking you all to donate clothing and non-persihable food items so that we can give back to those in need.

(If you have no clue what I mean when I say ‘registration fee to CFHQ’, just ignore that and bring food and clothing items on Saturday mornings 3/13, 3/20, and 3/27)

You may be asking yourself, “Ok…so what will this look like in practice?”

1. If you plan to do the Open, let your coach know! Marc and I talked about this on our last episode of the podcast, but it’s really the best way to make sure you can put your best foot forward.
2. We will release a link to a ‘Heat Sheet’ on Fridays before the Open workout. Your responsibility is to sign up for a time slot that is open and plan to get there at least 20 minutes ahead of that time to warm-up.
3. Judges…do you need them? If you are there on Saturday because you just want to get your workout in and get on with your weekend, then I say ‘no.’ If you want to “play the game” and compare scores with your friends then yes, you’ll need a judge. It’s the way we keep the playing field level.
4. We will have a designated area at the gym for you to drop off any food and clothing.

If you plan to participate, let a Coach know!!

Will I? Of course, I’ve done them all – this will be my 11th Open.