Competition...

This past weekend DCF had an inner-gym competition on Saturday and if you had a chance to come by and check it out, it was incredible.

There were three teams, the morning/AM crew, the midday crew and the afternoon/PM crew. Each team had a coach or two to take everyone on each team through the workouts and plan. Eleni and I were the coaches for the morning crew and it was an amazing experience.

Looking back on Saturday, I can see everyone's face and emotions, their mind running with so many thoughts... I want to do this workout; wait, can I do that movement? I don't know if I can do that movement, will I get a good score? I can feel the adrenaline running through everyone's body, the energy flowing with all the bodies in one area. People warming up, going through movements to get their bodies and minds prepped for the workouts ahead.

I spoke to many friends and they felt nervous and/or excited since this was the first time taking part in a CrossFit competition. I am in awe of all of this because even though some people had never done anything like this, they were there, in an environment to test themselves and see what they could do. But they were also there to have fun. To make the most of the day and event and enjoy what they love to do, to CrossFit.

As someone who has gone through numerous competitions of all natures, not just CrossFit, I see that there are so many factors and aspects that go into your competition/event. There is so much planning that is needed, especially with a team event with numerous people. Having a plan and a strategy is so important. It is also crucial to know that things may go wrong or not as planned and you have to be able to roll with them and keep going.

I wanted to deliver to my team; I wanted Len and I to be the best coaches for them and give each and every one of them words of support. I wanted to encourage and inspire them, so that deep down, they know they are capable of achieving everything.

There was a moment when we were doing burpees where the plan did not work. The strategy to count the burpees did not pan out and we ended up doing way more work than was needed. At that moment, my heart dropped, my emotions swelled up and over me like a huge tidal wave. A feeling of failure had emerged; I had let them down. The plan that was laid out to count the total reps had not worked and it landed right on top of me. Tears streamed down my cheeks because I did not want to let any one down; I wanted to have everything right for them, so they could move easily from one movement to the next and not worry about other details that the coach, me, was suppose to have figured out.

It was hard to hide the emotions and my tears rolled down my face. As we moved to the final component of the workout, Alex and others on our team reassured me that it was okay and that we are on to the next thing. It was hard to just let go of, but we were here to have fun and enjoy the experience. Thank you to Alex and everyone for believing in me.

I learned so much from this experience. As a coach, as a athlete; what is important - the timing, transitions, counting - it is all crucial. But the main thing to remember is to have fun, be calm and focus. They may seem like three different things, but they are all woven together.

Thank you to Diablo for putting on a great event; thank you to everyone that competed - you all did amazing! To my AM crew - thank you for letting Len and I be your coaches - you are a great group of people that are family and it was an incredible experience with everyone. Thank you to Len for being next me to coach everyone. Thank you to Alex for all your guidance, input, expertise and love - it means the world to me!

I hope you all know how much of an impact you make in my life. I have realized so much this past year and have become more awake and more alive - it is mind blowing to see how you can just go through movements and not really be awake. Be present and make the most of every moment!

~ MCA