I just came back from the 2013 Games, where our very own Joy Bruening took 3rd in the 50-54 Masters competition. It was a tremendous weekend and I’ll have more to say about it in a few days, but I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about something that I see affecting brand new beginners to Games athletes:
I think that as athletes we sometimes lose focus on the position our accomplishments put us in.
We are constantly striving to improve, and as driven athletes, we often don’t take the time to realize how far we’ve come. That’s destructive, and athletes need to stop it
Lebron had Kobe, Kobe had Michael, Michael had Dr. J and so on and on so forth. These guys owned the game when they played. One thing that these athletes all possessed is the knowledge that regardless of the days performance they were in fact great at what they do. It’s that’s unshakeable belief in themselves that set them apart from the other players.
Owning our ability that’s been earned through sweat and hardship is part of the reward of being an athlete. In times of trial we need to draw upon that confidence in ourselves and rise up to meet the challenges that confront us. Joybok did just that at the Crossfit games; she had her highs and her lows and ultimately learned that she does in fact belong at this level of competition. She had a roller coaster weekend, with great performances and some not so great. Along the way she learned to embrace the challenge, and trust in her training and conditioning. Well done! The heart of a true fighter is getting up after getting knocked down, and Joy was able to pick herself up, and finish the 3rd day with a 1st and a 3rd place finish in the WODs, and 3rd overall.
We learned this Games that staying even keeled is crucial to success in Crossfit – it’s a long weekend and each WOD needs to be addressed and then forgotten. We earn our places in Crossfit and we earn the chance to earn those places, by simply being at the Games. One should recognize that they indeed belong, own it and seize it: WOD by WOD, rep by rep, second by second. Great learning for both the Reflexion coaching staff and Joy.
Be present
-Shawn