Coach Sarah: Why I'm Doing the 2019 Open

This year I’m doing the Open mostly because I really believe what we say each year: that the Open is a chance to benchmark our fitness in the context of our lives, and to reflect on our current level of fitness, and how we feel about our #gainz or lack thereof.

On the eve of Open 2019, I’m conscious of the monumental contrast between last year, Open 2018, when I was weeks away from delivering our brand new baby girl, and the year before, Open 2017, where I managed to earn the last spot to the California Regional (my sixth trip) and ended up finishing 13th despite there not being a barbell in sight. This year, I expect to finish somewhere in between after a year of reprioritizing nearly everything about my life - relocating and developing Arena Ready 3.0, finishing a Masters’ Degree in Nutrition & Human Performance, changing positions at Territory, and most importantly learning how to be a mom.

If I’m being honest, there is also a part of me that does not want to do the Open at all. This is the part of me that deeply misses the capacity I once had, the dreams I had of making the Games or the Olympics, the intensity of those competitive moments. Knowing there’s no possible way for any of that to be in the cards this year stings a little (especially because my original grand plan was to be back in the running for a spot in the Masters Games at this point). But, the reality is that this year I needed to create space to nurture our kid and our business with the same dedication I once gave to sports.

So, this year, I’m doing the Open to go back to the simple joy of having fun with my AR fam. I hope to exercise semi-competitively, to pace myself appropriately, to push myself a little harder than I normally do, and to see whether in any small way, I’ve still “got it”. I hope to find out whether I still have a muscle up, and I wouldn’t mind trying to set a current era PR or two. I plan to join in a little friendly banter, try not to get double lapped by Cassie, and to shoot a text or two about how many water breaks I took across the country to A. Woods. And when I put it that way, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

WOD For 02-21-19:

2 Rounds For QUALITY:

400m Run

40 ft Handstand Walk

8 KB or DB Turkish Get-ups @ pick load (4 Right / 4 Left)

*This is FOR QUALITY and not for speed or loading -- much like yesterday's Part 1, move with intent and focus on position. 

-then-

EMOM 12 Minutes:

MINUTE 1-4: 3 Power Snatches

MINUTE 5-8: 2 Power Snatches

MINUTE 9-12: 1 Power Snatch

*Climbing is allowed (but not required), however the goal is technical consistency with NO MISSES.

*Miss during any of the first 3 singles (Minutes 9, 10, 11) and you're DONE!