What a great turn out for CrossFit Open WOD 20.1!

In the spirit of this long weekend, let’s give thanks for this great kick off to the 2020 CrossFit Open and Empower Intramural Team challenge.

First off, thanks to our great Empower community and thanks for the health and fitness that allows us to put on and participate in these great events!

Thank you everyone for all the great energy you brought out to this event.

There were cowboys and super heroes everywhere.

We had family members cheering our members on.

We had families working out together.

Thanks to Silk and Sprite who arrived early to help me set up.  It was a big set up for this event and I couldn’t have got it done without their help!

Thanks to The Touch & HeeHee who managed the BBQ most of the morning through sunshine and rain.

Thanks to all our great judges who cheerfully assisted our athletes.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to our BBQ and potluck table!

And thanks to CrossFit HQ for the suffering.

20.1 was a miserable 15 minutes.  For me it was a frying pan to fire experience.  From the pain of snatches to the agony of burpees.  Over and over again.  Pacing was key but it hurt to keep moving continuously.  Then in the last minute I just sprinted right into the nightmare zone knowing the real pain wouldn’t be felt until the moment I stopped moving.  Did not reach my goal of completing but I can’t say I didn’t give it my all.

But my all was not enough to win my challenge versus Sprite and for the second Open in a row, she sent me out to pay my penalty.

I did not have to run alone.  Other challenge losers joined me for a refreshing jog around the block.

We saw some great performances on Saturday from many of our members.

Our high performance training group executed the WOD with the calm, composed pacing we’ve been training them for and their focus on excellent form really paid off!

Hard Rock destroyed the WOD with 171 reps, only 9 burpees away from completing for the top Empower score!

Hard Rock, Denis and Motor all posted 20.1 scores that put them in or near the top 200 worldwide in their age categories.  If weeks 2 through 5 go as well for them they could find themselves invited to participate in the Age Group Online Qualifiers.

The real excitement this weekend was the Intramural team competition.  Thanks teams for giving it your all!

The Super FUNctional FITness Heroes made a heroic entrance in colourful masks and capes.  Their team video was simply fantastic!

Sandman’s Sandbaggers were on the scene in cowboy hats and Motor’s hot cowgirl look.  And their team video was hilarious.

The Athletic Dragon Victory Quest stumbled out of the gates with a lack lustre start.  Seems only Iron Man and Fury got the memo re: their team medieval theme.  Hopefully the team pulls it together in coming weeks.

Thank you to everyone who stuck around to help with the massive cleanup.  I’m sure I didn’t have the strength to do it alone.

In fact, both HeeHee and I collapsed into exhausted afternoon naps after we’d finally made it home.  Hope I can recover in time for 20.2!