Are you a competitor or are you competitive?
You don’t have to be either.
But the answer to this question should dictate a lot about the way you go about things in and out of the gym.
To ask this question means there must be a difference other than a few letters to finish the words. A competitor is a broad stroke of a word describing anyone who throws their hat into the ring of competition. It might be the CrossFit Lando In House, it might be the Opens, it might be the ultra competitive and Miami-esque exclusive East Coast Championship. If you have competed through signing up for a competition then you call yourself a competitor. This is purely for categorical purposes, as you may surely describe yourself as a competitor because you compete in some way every day you enter the gym. Either way the fact that we can call ourselves competitors of any sort is one of the beautiful things of CrossFit.
The competitor in you tries for new things, sets goals, and gives a damn even though you might be past your prime (by many years or decades) because you don’t give a damn about prime. The competitor is what gets you up at 530am, or drags you in at 730pm, despite what the day serves you. In a sense we are all competitors, hat in the ring or not.
Being competitive is a totally different story. Being competitive means being relevant. Whether it’s at the local competition, or the Opens, or the ECC, being competitive means when people walk away from that competition they remember your name. Not every competitor can be competitive. In fact very few competitors end up being competitive. Just because you aren’t competitive doesn’t mean you can’t be a competitor. But the difference lies in how you approach your CrossFit life in and out of the gym.
A good real life example is right in your fearless leader(s). I am a competitor. I do a local competition here and there, I do the Opens, I eat pizza, Mentos, and drink, sometimes more often than I get workouts in. I came in 600th in the Opens this past year. Not so competitive. But I still take CrossFit seriously, love it when I do it, and work hard at it when I can. I like being fit, but I also am realistic in my aspirations to compete on the bigger stages . My perspective on it is just different: what I get from it, what I want from it, and what I put into it. All of this is tied together and is relative to my ability, and my ability is tied to my desire to put the work in.
Coach Kroon is a competitive competitor. She dominates local competitions, destroys the Paleo Diet like it’s her job, does many workouts a day, and devotes her life to being competitive. She came in the top 10 in the Open. She has a shot at the Games every year. She is and will be a professional athlete. Her life revolves around what she does here at the gym because she wants it at another level. Stacey is competitive.
The beauty of CrossFit is these definitions are not categories. You can move between the two at any point in your life. There is nothing wrong with just being a competitor that isn’t necessarily competitive, just the same as there is nothing wrong with going for it and trying to be competitive at the highest stages.
Many of us watched Coach Kroon and the awesome athletes at Regionals. I know many of you shared the feeling I did of wanting to get more representation for CFL on that floor. Not that Coach Kroon isn’t more than enough awesomeness for us, but it would be great to get a team out there next year. The work for that has to start soon. The SkWAT Team is going to take on a bigger form here at CrossFit Lando. If you fall into either category of competitor or competitive, or aren’t sure which one you are or want to be, we are having a “not mandatory but really important” competitor meeting on Saturday, June 28. It will start at 8:30. We will be talking about our somewhat competitor program that will run along with regular classes. All are welcome. I will also be available to any and all to meet about your personal development as a competitor anytime after this weekend.
The meeting is for anyone not just people who may or may not be thought of as a potential Team Operation Lando member come 2015. The purpose of a competitor program is to develop people as athletes to the best of their competitive ability and make them competitive to the level they want to be. This can be as a local athlete, Regional athlete, or Games athlete. The path will be dictated by the work you put in.
TUESDAY
Strength: Press
5-5-3-3-3-3
SkWAT Team: 3 weighted + 5 kipping CTB pull-ups between sets
WOD: 3 Rounds
:90 Max Effort Overhead Squat 95/65
:90 ME Toes to Bar
:90 ME Burpees
Rest :90
*115/80
