I wonder what a Pecial is. Must be possessed by Today.

Reebok CrossFit Fitness Championships

Last weekend I traveled with the "A-Team" from CrossFit Hove to compete in the Reebok CrossFit Fitness Championships in Birmingham, UK. There were two rounds of cuts prior to this event, and the qualifying workouts were pretty tough, so I was a bit nervous for what was in store for me.

It turned out awesome. There were four grueling workouts in the course of one day, with hardly any time in between to strategize and rest. It was by far the most physically demanding day of CrossFit I have ever had.

Each workout had its own challenges. I took first place by a almost a minute in the second workout of the day, which was rather surprising seeing as how the wod didn't involve the beloved barbell at all (push ups, wall balls, box jumps... who knew I could win something that wasn't heavy)! I stayed within the top four for the other workouts as well, and went into the final event (the fourth workout) in third place. It was really exciting to be in the finals (and my teammate Kat made it to the finals too!), but the workout itself made me rather nervous. It was a combination of pull ups and snatches, followed by a sand bag carry run. Since half of the final workout was pull ups, I wasn't expecting to bring home the bacon. But I actually did. Right off the bat, I smashed snatches, allowing myself enough time to power through the pull ups, and coming in first place by over 30 seconds. I tied in first place for the overall Championships, and walked away with some awesome prizes and cash... who knew CrossFit would help make a dent in my student loans?!

Eurosport television covered the event, and I got a bit of a taste for what it's like to be interviewed (check out one here), stalked by a camera when you're unable to breathe, etc. However, I used it as an opportunity as well to try and make a few contacts in the field. CrossFit certainly has the potential to become a mainstream sport, and when it finally does, I want to be in on it still!