Reflections on the Open

Just like the Open, the blackout is over!

Contrary to what some of you are thinking, the blackout was not solely due to cherry picking.  In fact I would venture to say that the issue presented itself in less than 5% of wods that had been posted.  I'm sure it was totally a coincidence that whenever running was posted, attendance dropped by half.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!

But seriously, there was a reason for the blackout and it was this:
For those that participated in their first Open this year, you probably experienced a range of emotions; fear, anxiety, depression (hello muscle ups), more anxiety, and general mental breakdownedness (it's a word!).  The biggest barrier in the open in your own stupid brain.  You agonize until thursday and then double agonize/strategize/visualize while trying to sleep and ALL of the next day at work.  Then you freak a little bit or throw up a little bit (or pee a little bit) when that timer starts.  And then you get to work.  And you bite it off one piece at a time, and YOU DO IT!  And most of the time (for me at least), your stupid brain is telling you all the reasons why you can't / shouldn't do it, never mind finish it.  But when you do finish, and you sign that card, and you flip your brain (or the wall, or the rings...) the bird, you are UNBREAKABLE.  That feeling carries forward into your next day/week/month.  You will face tasks every day that seem insurmountable and scumbag brain will tell you that you can't and then you will say I CAN AND I WILL AND I DID!  And THAT, ladies and gents, is what makes you stronger.  And this game (and life) is all about the mental side.

SOOOOOO............for those that didn't get to experience this exquisite torture, we brought the blackout.  Preparing you for the unknown and unknowable.  Making you click that fricken bookmark 73 times after 6 pm thinking " maybe NOW it will be up" until, defeated, you head to bed and start scrolling through what could possibly be coming.  Can we honestly be running a 5k EVERY SINGLE DAY THIS WEEK?  And then you start making deals with yourself and think of every reason in the book why you might not make it the next day.  And then you wake up, and you get up, and you show up, regardless of what's on the board.  You have made a decision to be strong.  And it's a good decision.  And then it makes the next one easier, and the next, and so on until it's not a big deal anymore.  Life throws you a curveball?  Bring it.  You're ready, because you know YOU CAN DO THIS!

So that my friends is what the blackout was about.  You know we love you, you know we have your best interests at heart, and you ABSOLUTELY know that we do things like this for a reason, even if we can't/don't explain it to you at the time (because that's part of it too sometimes!).  And in return, you continue to honour us with your trust and loyalty and that is worth everything to us.  YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!

Congrats on finishing the Open.  I saw things every week that made me so fricken proud, and sorry to say it, but you guys totally raised the bar.  And to anyone who missed the last friday night lights, Bob went tarps off and it was spectacular (GO BOB!!!!).  Silvers:  You got some big shoes to fill with Bob and Debbie trailblazing the way this year.  BIG SHOES.