"I train the way I train because I love it."
2008 marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey for Jason Khalipa. He graduated from Santa Clara University in June, burst onto CrossFit’s competitive stage with a dramatic, come-from-behind win in the final event of the Games in July, and opened his first CrossFit affiliate in August.
Since, he has competed in every CrossFit Games, finally returning to the podium in second place in 2013. He is now one of three athletes—along with Chris Spealler and Becca Voigt—making their seventh appearances at the Games.
“No matter how good he is, no matter where he finishes, he could win the Games by a landslide and still not be satisfied with how good he is. He’s always going to be pushing to be better,” said NorCal CrossFit coach Alex Rollin. “And that just tells you the kind of dedication (he has) and his ability to adapt to how the CrossFit Games has changed over the years.”
Khalipa has learned from his CrossFit experience.
“Over the last seven years I have a lot of competition experience, and every time I compete I feel like I get better and better at knowing what I need to do,” Khalipa said. “I compete because I want to compete. I don’t compete for money or fame. We have a very successful company—I don’t need to compete … I do it for me.”
He writes his own programming, and has “people contribute things that I should be doing that are special, but in general I do my own thing.”
In preparing for the 2014 Games, Khalipa worked with endurance coach Chris Hinshaw, gymnastics coach Carl Paoli, weightlifter Kendrick Farris, physical therapist Kelly Starrett and chiropractor Karo Isajan.
Pacing
Going into the 2014 Games, Khalipa is a completely different athlete, reaching a new level of competitive mindset and ability, Hinshaw said. The multi-day competition requires Khalipa to pace his effort appropriately for each event.
“One of the main things that Jason has really struggled with is patience, and understanding the importance of pacing, to not go out and hit it hard and hope that he hangs on to the very end,” Hinshaw said. “He’s really understood looking at the total time domain or the duration of the workout and selecting his intensity around that.”
Khalipa has developed a feel for the different levels of intensity that correspond to everything from a sprint to an effort of very long duration.
“When I run with him, he’s a real competitor, and that has come from his experience and knowledge. … He is really thinking tactically on how to win,” Hinshaw said. “He didn’t have that last year.”
Khalipa is more comfortable with the technical side of running, biking, swimming and rowing, but he’s also reached a new level of competitiveness.
“Jason has been able to open up his eyes and see that periphery—including weather conditions, terrain and fellow competitors—and that’s when I come in now and take him to the next level and really try and shake him up,” Hinshaw said.
Hinshaw does his best to rattle Khalipa mentally during their training sessions, challenging him to process more information and to make tactical decisions.
The Games
According to Khalipa, his greatest asset as a competitor is that he does not train only for the CrossFit Games.
“I train the way I train because I love it; I don’t train to win the CrossFit Games,” he said. “If I stopped competing tomorrow I would still be training, because I love it.”
Isajan added: “The scary thing is he’s still getting better… He’s not anywhere near the end of his athleticism.”
Hinshaw believes Khalipa can reach the podium again this year.
“He is incredibly well-rounded in his abilities. … If it’s just pure CrossFitting and typical of the Games in the past, in those movements Jason will win, he’ll dominate,” he said. “I really believe that. His performance growth has really been impressive.”
Khalipa is optimistic about his prospects. When asked about the events that have ben released, he was even-keeled and confident.
"I think I’ll be able to perform well. The goal is to perform well whatever is delivered,” he said. “These workouts seem fairly straightforward. If you’re a well-rounded athlete, you should be feeling ready."
He added: “The only thing I can control is going in to the gym, putting in hard work and let the cards fall where they fall. That’s it.”
