By: Leo Fontana
So, you booked that awesome trip with your family, you have been waiting all year for it and hardly can wait to go and relax. You can almost feel the ocean breeze hitting your face as you lay by the sea while sipping your favorite Zevia ;). Then your coach asks you if you sign up for the open, because it starts next week. You train really hard all year and would love to test yourself in this years’ Open. All of your friends are doing and you always seem to surprise yourself every year that this competition comes around. The schedule is out and you realize that 19.5 is the same weekend that you are going to be in Hawaii.
Now what, what should you do? You are not canceling your tip, but should you still do the Open? Well, my answer is of course!!! You can enjoy all the fun with your friends all four weeks and have the greatest time while challenging your body and mind to go beyond and then that 5th week you have some options.
Option 1: No do the workout at all and submit a Zero, if doing the Open workout or working out at all during vacation is something that will cause trouble and tension for your and your family then submit a Zero, no it is not fun but trust me, family always comes before the Open. You can always come back from your vacation still do the workout and compare to someone that got the same score as you, you can add how many points that person got on that workout to your current points and see what placement you’d have gotten if that is important to you.
Option 2: Anywhere you plan on going in the world nowadays has a Crossfit box. Most Crossfit Boxes do have all equipment necessary to perform the Open. You can call ahead and see where they do the Open and if they do drop ins for out of town people to do the workout. I personally have done the open workout in 2-13 in Las Vegas and it was great. I got to experience a different community but at the same time we were all sharing the same feeling. It makes you realize how big the Crossfit Open is around the world. It took about 90 min from the time I got there to signing waivers, paying the drop in fee and then warming up and working out. It is tim from your vacation but it is also not that long. You will get to experience what you love from a different part of the world.
Long story short, I am in this situation this year and I am super bummed I am missing the last week of the Open with my DE family and specially watching everyone throw down, however I am also super excited to perform this last workout in Hawaii in the unknown. No, I won’t have my favorite pull up bar or rings, or know exactly where I am going to be doing the workout at but havent the unknown and unknowable variable during something that is so special for everyone is pretty thrilling.
I will do my best to represent Double Edge in Kauai and hope everyone have an awesome time during 19.5!!!!!