Out of My Element

It's strange how being nestled high in the Rockies like a John Denver wet dream can give you back your perspective. I had the good fortune of spending five days in the Aspen, Colorado area with some great people, most of whom are not CrossFitters. This gave me time to appreciate some of the simple things in life, and reflect on some deep poo that I'd lost touch with. 

Since our movement became the “sport of fitness”, many of us have had a paradigm shift away from one of the keystones of CrossFit Methodology. Specifically, “Learn and play new sports.” There's endless ways to test your fortitude, your mental toughness, yourself. Expressing fitness, both mental and physical is something we're accustomed to in CrossFit. As a group though, we leave a lot on the table. Some of us have lost sight of that which made functional fitness so unique and appealing in the first place.

Five words that punch like Mike Tyson on a drug-fueled hissy fit. Learn and play new sports. The “sport of fitness” is just a small outgrowth of a far, far greater concept. The mission many of us started with – training not to suck at life – is a tongue-in-cheek way of saying we're a broad, general, inclusive capacity. That's as badass as the love child of Cruella De Vil and Maximus Desimus Meridius.

Being “CrossFit” is being generally capable in all modes and domains of performance. In order to be “elite” at anything you have to sacrifice something – that includes CrossFit. Which is fine because that's not everyone's goal. Some people CrossFit to live better – they don't live to CrossFit better. Fucking crazy, right? It's true though, and it's not strange...it's AWESOME. I think most of us who aren't among the several hundred people who are headed to The Games need to step back periodically and remember where we came from.

I was exposed like a long-haired Pee-Wee Herman on that mountain...

I was painfully reminded of this during my Colorado adventure. One morning I was doing a team WOD with the awesome folks at CrossFit Bonedale in Carbondale, CO. The next, I was Hiking up to a mere (by local standards) 10,500ft. I was out of my element, huffing and puffing as if I rifled lung darts like the Rat Pack. I have some pretty decent numbers on CrossFit benchmarks. I'm an OK runner by CrossFit standards, and stronger than average.

This was a reminder that there are other metrics out there besides those we subscribe to. I was exposed like a long-haired Pee-Wee Herman on that mountain...humbled by the pace of a girl half my size who does not CrossFit. Granted, my level of fitness is what enabled me to survive this 8 mile hike on some challenging terrain, half of which was on snow shoes (which I'd never used before). Yes, it's fucking cool that we can do pretty much anything as a result of our fitness...but that doesn't mean we're going to be the best, or even competitive at anything – especially when compared to a specialist.

Staying focused on where we're going and living in the present is huge. Just remembering where we came from isn't enough. Finding that focus opened my eyes to things I've been missing. There are other sports out there, ya know, and Coach told us to learn and play them. Do I want to make it to L.A.? Or do I want to be able to complete adventure races on the weekends with limited training time? These are different paths. Along with that comes things such as dropping the elitist, bullshit attitude that has become all too common these days.

Phil has exquisite moobs.

Stop arguing with golf pro's about how your slice-bias programming which consists of snatch balance box jumps and thumb push ups is going to turn you into Phil-man-boobs-Mickelson. Cut the shit and quit arguing with Trail and endurance runners that turn in fifteen minute 5k times and three-hour-minus marathons about how your CrossFit Endurance training is more enlightened and effective at owning podiums at races across the land. It's not going to happen. These things are tools to us - it's their CrossFit. They're not going to best you at "Nancy", just like you're not going to beat them in a foot race.

Let me be clear about this, you're wrong...and you sound like an ignorant, pompous ass when you push the issue. It's like me telling an Olympic soccer player that coming to football practice is going to make them better at Soccer. First of all, that's not my goal. Second of all, the soccer player isn't trying to be a competitive CrossFitter. The way he/she eats being wrong for CrossFit, or health, or wellness, etc...is inconsequential because that isn't what they're training for. Just like me eating a cheesecake diet is not going to win me a bodybuilding competition. What we think of each others goals or passions is irrelevant.

If you're a CrossFitter then be a CrossFitter - not a "BetterAtEverythingFitter."

If you run like a giraffe on stilts with broken knees, CrossFit Running and Endurance will help you tighten your game – and make you a better CrossFitter (and a better runner, by CrossFit standards) – by closing holes in your GPP. If you're as strong as Kate Moss on muscle relaxants, then CrossFit Strength Bias (or Wendler, etc) will make you less of a pussy and make you a stronger CrossFitter.

These CrossFit methods are designed to make CrossFitters better at things we suck at. They're not designed to make you a world champion mountain racer, or Olympic lifter. The people who do compete at the highest level in any of these sports are no different than an NFL player, or a pro golfer. Sure, they aren't going to win the CrossFit Games. However, they will most definitely fuck you up in pass coverage, or beat your ass up and down the back 9 at Augusta. Even if they do CrossFit (as some do) they don't give a shit if your Fran time is four minutes faster. Their objective is a goal-line stop, or a hole-in-one.

If you're a CrossFitter then be a CrossFitter - not a "BetterAtEverythingFitter." If you're really a runner and just using CrossFit to aid your training, awesome! We welcome you. Keep yourself in focus. Know what you really are, and what matters to you.  If you are a CrossFitter though, respect those who have chosen other sports, just as they should respect that you've chosen CrossFit. We all have much to learn from each other.