CrossFit Regionals 2014: Top Ten Take Aways

10. Stay humble. There will always be someone who can lift more, run faster and look better in booty shorts. Take Elisabeth Akenwale as a prime example. I watched this amazingly strong yet graceful athlete squat snatch 200 lbs then walk over 300 meters on her hands. Outstanding. Yet a reminder of the work and dedication it takes to get to that level. A humbling moment. One of several.


9. Celebrate the moment. Our team didn't finish as high as hoped. We had moments of desperation, missed reps, failures and frustration. But we had moments of success, smiles and high fives too. To say this weekend was one of ups and downs is quite the understatement. Event 7 was our peak. Our moment to celebrate. We finished 2nd out of all the teams in the region with a time of 16:16. At that moment the failures and close to last place finishes in other events didn't matter. We enjoyed a moment of solid all out team effort. High fives, butt slaps and all.


8. A solid support system can hold anyone up. Hundreds of spectators lined the bleachers to cheer on athletes from all over the north central region. Most sported t-shirts designed specifically for their athlete or team. Some even held signs and waved banners to show their support. I was surprised and grateful for the amount of 8035 athletes that drove clear to Chicago to show us some love. Seeing them yelling from the sidelines sporting their 8035 regional shirts was inspiring to say the least. Couple that support along with the support of my beastly teammates, there was no way to give anything but my absolute best. A smile and "have fun" reminder from my husband because I was sporting my "way too serious and kinda worried" face, a "remember to stick to your game plan" from my girl Rachel when she could see my wheels spinning on how to blow through the next movement to make up time, a text from JD when he saw how concerned I was for our team knowing my muscle ups weren't just there reminding me I was as strong as a Greek God (ha!), a "wouldn't want any other partner" from Luke when it was our turn in Event 7 to step up and go hard, and a pat on the back and "way to go" from Kayla after  95# thrusters made my legs turn to Jello.


7. Persist in the face of failure and you will succeed. We all had our moments where movements challenged our mental toughness. After hearing "failed rep" or "no rep" more than once, it can be hard to pick yourself up and try again. But we all did. And we all got through it. One rep at a time. I met a man in his 50's while waiting in line for a smoothie who told me it took him 15 years to get his first muscle up. He tried several days a week for 15 years!!! Now he cranks them out in the Master's division. His name was Mike. I wanna be like Mike :)


6. Keep your cool. Telling a head judge to get out of your way after he no reps your handstand push up attempt...ok...screaming at a head judge to get out of our way after he no reps your 12th handstand push up in what's supposed to be a set of 9, is no bueno my friends. I lost my cool. Then so did he. Lesson learned. Put your head down, regardless of how unfair, and persist on. Life isn't always fair, but yelling gets you nowhere.


5. Strong is beautiful. Walking amongst athletes and fit spectators alike, it was a display of quads, traps, biceps, six packs and well built backs. Muscles galore, male and female alike. Strong, confident, fit individuals. Beautiful. It made me hopeful that my daughter's generation grows up to idolize CrossFit women on the cover of The Box magazine and not supermodels on the cover of Vogue.


4. Rise to the occasion. 3...2..1..GO! The countdown heard at every CrossFit box across the world at the start of a workout. But 3...2...1...GO! during a competition can be much more nerve wrecking. It signals one shot to give it all you got. One chance to put years of hard work into a few minutes and hope it's enough to come out on top. Some crumble under the pressure, but some use it as fuel.


3. We all have an inner gymnast. Believe it or not I got my giant quads and freakishly large feet to balance in the air for a decent distance in a handstand walk. It took daily practice and daily tumbles on my tush to figure them out. I eeked out 2 muscle ups! One was no repped because one arm was slightly bent and the other because my wrists were bent funny. But in my mind, I got them. I strung together more butterfly pull ups than I ever have before and they actually looked graceful! When we were kids monkey bars, handstands, flips on the rings, they were all things we tried because we had no fear. Gymnastics is simply that. It's channeling your inner kid and releasing the fear. It just takes a helluva lot more practice when you're older!


2. I married up. Yes we spent our honeymoon slinging it out with the regions best...and it was perfect. Side by side with my best friend. He is my better half. He keeps me calm when I feel defeated or worried. He reminds me I'm tougher than the tears I'm fighting and stronger than I know. He knows when to push, when to hug, when to be firm, when to hold my hand and when to show me that smile from across a huge arena that tells me I'm loved no matter what. Couldn't imagine a better teammate, friend or husband.


1. I have a lot of work to do and an entire year to get after it. Can't wait for Regionals 2015! :)