What are we doing...training or competing? We all do it! We walk into the box and the first thing we do is check the whiteboard to confirm the workout we saw on BTWB the night before is the one we are REALLY doing then we scan for times, rounds, reps, and PR’s from the other members. We use all this information to help us to decide how we are going to approach each workout. We look for names of people we know finish workouts right about where we finish then we try to beat their times, reps, rounds, and even hit the same weight on strength days, if not more!. Does this help us get better? The verdict is still out on this. If nothing else, it definitely pushes us to work hard and it’s fun. Here’s the thing, every time we do that, we are competing. We are pushing ourselves to be better than the people who went to the earlier class. Is that bad? Not really. But this brings me back to my original question...are we training or competing? On a daily basis, as we enter the box, we should be focused on training. What does that actually look like? Well it’s not always hitting a PR, or running the fastest mile. It’s more about learning how to pace the workout, when to move faster and when to dial it back. It’s knowing how to transition without wasting too much time. It’s about choosing the correct weight so you can keep good form while cycling the barbell unbroken. It’s about knowing when to break up the reps into smaller chunks even if you know you can do them unbroken. It’s about knowing when to scale and when to go heavier. That’s training. Training to get better, fitter, stronger so when we do compete we can kick butt! Just before the Open this past year, Coach Mike told the class that if we were participating in the Open then all other workouts should be thought of as “active recovery” days. That’s because, in the Open, we are competing. The days in between are training days that should not wreck you. I took Coach Mike’s advise. Every workout I did leading up to the Open workouts were scaled and performed at a lower intensity than normal. It was “practice.” This was the first Open that I was able to do each workout as prescribed. I felt ready and confident that what I had done leading up to it was going to help be perform my best and it did. Coach Mike, you’re not just a pretty face in the crowd! You’re a man with an abundance of knowledge and sound advice and I thank you for that! So the next time you walk into the box, ask yourself...Am I competing or training? What am I trying to accomplish? How can this workout today make me a stronger, better athlete? Set your mind on training and winning will come! -Coach Liz
