Like thousands of other CrossFitters around the world, I have openly proclaimed my desire to qualify to the CrossFit Games as an individual in 2012. I’ve competed at the Home Depot Center twice with CrossFit Vancouver, but I haven’t let go of the individual dream.
At the elite level, it seems CrossFit has pretty much become a professional sport. It’s not uncommon for top athletes to hire multiple coaches—strength coaches, Olympic-lifting coaches, etc.
As for these CrossFit coaches, it seems every month there’s a new alleged programming expert who takes the stand on the soapbox, loudly shouting to the CrossFit masses about the best way to train. CrossFitters listen to these experts for a while, until a new one comes along with even more expertise, creating a fickle but continuous cycle.
In the process of figuring out how to train for the Games, I have met elite CrossFitters who train three times a day, five or six days a week (I used to be one of them); athletes who cut out even the slightest sip of alcohol for months at a time; athletes who meticulously weigh and measure their food, and athletes who put their careers on hold for a chance to compete at the Games.
I’m torn. I don’t want to devote my entire life, dawn to dusk, to CrossFit. However, as an aspiring Games competitor, I wonder whether this devotion is a mandatory sacrifice. I often feel lazy that I’m resistant to this lifestyle in the first place.
In light of this, I decided to talk to some 2011 individual Games athletes to find out what exactly they’re doing to prepare for 2012.
To read the full article, go to the CrossFit Journal.
