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To the Games Part 11 (Final)
As is the usual custom the last work out is a sprint.
This year is no different…20 calories on the Echo bike, 15 Burpee box “get
overs” (it’s a 42” box), and 10 70# sandbag ground to shoulder. There’s a 5-minute
time cap.
All I must do is finish and 2nd place is
mine. The facts are these: Cal Cherrington has a lock on first place. I have a
lock on second. Something bad would have to happen for those two places to
change. Only third is in question. This is often the case in these contests…the
point total is just too high to be surmountable.
The bell rings and we are off. Of course, neither Cal
nor I are going to slack off. It’s fast and furious to the end. When the dust
settles Cal wins another (6 of 8 this weekend) and I end up 4th. And
with that another CrossFit Games has ended.
Standing on the podium was a thrill. To be crowned
the 2nd fittest 65+ man on the planet really hit the pinnacle of
achievement for me. My first CrossFit open was 2012, and I finished 53rd.
That was when I decided I was pretty good at this CrossFit thing and wanted to
earn a trip to the big show. 10 years later, 4 trips to the games here I am. What
a long, strange trip it has been!
The question gets posed almost immediately…are you going
to try again next year? Why not make it 5 trips? The answer is complex…the stress
and anxiety and intensity of competing at this level isn’t fun. I am
competitive by nature, but maybe I’ll wait for a 70+ division!
The fact of the matter is this…before the CrossFit
games I “chopped wood and carried water” and after the CrossFit games I “will chop
wood and carry water.” In other words, life hasn’t changed much. A new banner
on the wall, a smile of satisfaction and a year of bragging rights…and that’s
all!
John Mariotti
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
775-338-2412
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