Competition Season

From Dan

It has been a busy month so far and it is only going to pick up from here.  The year started with the Remember Tucson Fundraiser and many of you came out to show your support.  It was great to show up that morning and see so many CrossFit NorthWest Tucson members already there volunteering their time to help the cause.  Many of you ran the 5k Fun Run, and for some, that was their first ever!  Sorry all of you weren’t given credit for your accomplishment that week, and to prevent forgetting anyone, I’m going to forgo naming you here.  Post your time in the comments! Great work all.

That same 5k was part of a CrossFit competition held by CrossFit Now.  Ryan, Steve and Susan took part in the competition. Immediately following the 5k, the competitors then took part in a Clean and Press ladder.  Athletes were given 20 seconds to complete a clean, followed by a strict press. If they made the lift, they moved on to the next bar of increasing weight.  Ryan PR’d his 5k run and put up a great number on the ladder.  There wasn’t enough weight for Steve who completed the ladder with a 205# press.  Once back to CF Now there was a WOD which was set up similar to Fight Gone Bad, most reps won. It was 3 Rounds: 2 minute Row, 90 second Burpee Box Jump, 60 second Shoulder to Overhead, then a 1 minute rest. The combination of the 3 WODs determined who moved on to the final WOD.  Top 16 men, and top 8 women.  Susan made it to the final WOD and did amazing!  The WOD was an 8 minute AMRAP with another ladder. Movements were Chest to Bar Pull Ups and Hang Squat Cleans (155/105). Susan was knocking CTB Pull Ups like she’s been doing them for years! It was a truly great event to watch.  Congrats to Ryan, Steve and Susan for all the great work you put in that day!

This past weekend saw many CrossFit NorthWest Tucson members out and about pushing themselves to the limit. 

Maria B ran her fifth half marathon Sunday. That’s very impressive considering the past week’s WODs were legs, legs, legs.  She also didn’t train specifically for it, just CrossFit. This proves how well our training works. If you CrossFit, you can enter almost any other domain and hold your own. Impressive work!

Many CrossFit NorthWest Tucsoners signed up for the Tough Mudder this weekend in  Mesa.  This was a challenge more than a race, as only the first 10 finishers were actually timed. TM consisted of 12.5 miles (10 miles well outside of my comfort zone) with 25 obstacles.  Most obstacles were there to test not only your physical ability, but also your mental capacity.  Participants had to climb a wall just to get to the starting line.  Then moral was boosted with the Tough Mudder creed, a safety caution, a bunch of hoo-rah’s, and the National Anthem.  From there it was ice baths, 15 foot walls, barbed wire, mud, electricity, mud, hay bails, more mud, balance beams, monkey bars, mud, a half pipe, cars, high dives and mud.  Oh, and running.  Two words got CrossFit NorthWest Tucson Mudders to the finish line...FIREHOUSE!!!  and CHARGE!!!

CrossFit NorthWest Tucson athletes once again showed how we come together to help each other get to that finish line.  Sometimes it was the physical obstacle that challenged us.  Where the guys had no problem scaling the wall, the girls needed to use their chicken wing, rockette kick strategy after stepping on Bob and reaching for Dan or Willy at the top.  Running up the half pipe needed to be greeted by the hands of Rob, Willy or complete strangers to get up to the top.  But since we CrossFit, we could handle the physical challenges.  For some, the running was the hardest part, for others patience was tested.  But the mental break downs to get through were what brought us together.  Tears rolled when faced with leaping from hay bail to hay bail, or crawling through`small dark muddy tunnels, or diving under water- ice cold, guacamole colored water, or stepping off the platform high dive.  We shared similar fears and overcame them together.  We pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone to reassure another that they too could do it.  The last line of the Tough Mudder creed says, “I overcome all my fears.” The CrossFit NorthWest Tucson Tough Mudders did just that this weekend.  And we did that with our teammates right by our side.  

There were tears, there was blood, there was laughs, and a lot of mud.  But even more, I (Dan) love that it (the running) is over. 

The next event is on January 28th at Urban WarFit CrossFit in Scottsdale.  

The CrossFit Games Open starts February 22nd.  This event is 5 weeks and is open to any and all skill levels.  All WODs will be done in house and we will also make plans to travel some of the weeks. Registration opens February 1st.