So as this year’s open draws to a close and marks the end of another CrossFit season it’s time for a lot of us to reflect on our performances and set goals for the coming year.
The Open is the pinnacle of the CrossFit season and , love it or hate it, as a CrossFit athlete/ enthusiast/ follower/ participant – however you see yourself – you cannot help but get swept up in the atmosphere, enthusiasm and pure determination that it creates.
This year saw the introduction of a scaled option allowing beginner athletes to compare themselves against the best athletes in the world. But at Sarum it did more than that, the flexibility to scale a workout one week and RX one the next meant individuals could continuously push themselves at a level right for them. The grit, resolve and pure emotion that we saw from our members was second to none.
For those able to RX workouts (or determined to do so) this year was a unique test of skill not seen before at the Opens. For those with hopes of regionals the bar was raised even higher with qualifying spots reduced from 48 to 30. It was a true test of determination and spirit and we saw it in bucket loads.
For those not competing the atmosphere itself was contagious enough to egg them into trying the workouts for fun(!!) and to support their fellow training buddies. The strength we have as a collective is what makes us unique and makes us as coaches proud every day.
This is our recap of the Sarum 2015 CrossFit Opens;
15.1 saw the introduction of a two part workout, the first time this has been seen in the opens (and the first of many ‘firsts’ in 2015). The opens began with 15 toes to bar, a deciding factor for many in the decision between the scaled and RX option. For those that choose to do the workout twice it turned out to be choice between a score based on the met con or the weight they managed to shift in section A.

15.2, a repeat of 14.2. For those who completed this last year it was an opportunity to measure their improvement, for others it was the challenge of getting their first chest to barpull up. Hannah Adkins gave a brave and gutsy performance in a bid to get out of the third round, missing the time cap by one rep and improving her 2014 score by a massive 66 reps.

15.3 caused controversy in both the scaled and RX camps. Muscle Ups at the beginning of a workout?? Single skips for the scaled option!!
For those who had been working tirelessly all year to masterdouble unders but who weren’t ready to try muscle ups it was a disappointing announcement, but a gruelling workout never-the-less. Lynda Pennington-Whordley stole the show during her heat, ploughing through the scaled option baby and all! Skipping is hard enough on the bladder let alone when there is an extra little bundle bouncing on it!
The RX option for 15.3 caused uproar, how could Castro put muscle ups at the beginning of a workout!!??!! As it turned out this workout saw many athletes achieve a goal they’d been working on for months. Mark Lucas made a casual attempt at his first muscle up only to nail it and then go on to complete the workout, RX’d, twice, improving his score both times. Andy Oldham spent three days at the box determined to get just one rep, he succeeded at 5pm on the Monday and went on to complete 7 more plus some.

The Sarum video of 15.3 was certainly not be missed – do you know how long it took to make?!
15.4 saw another first for an open workout – HSPUs. Many people achieved their first HSPU in this workout and for others it was put to the top of the three month goal list. For some the HSPUs weren’t the problem, the cleans, set at 84kg for the guys and 56kg for the girls were the problem. Many were working at or close to their 1 rep max, for others it was a chance to set a new 1 rep max even if they didn’t make the RX weight.
15.5, the final showdown, a gritty, gassy workout for time that meant digging deep, holding onto that bar and surrendering the use of your legs for a good couple of days. There was no escape for either category on this workout, everyone had to grin and bare it. GI set the bar high, completing all his reps unbroken coming in at 6mins 45 seconds. Sophie, Mel, Janet and Grace gave an emotional and unforgettable performance giving it everything they had to complete the workout RX’d.

There have been lots of memories made during these opens and lots of goals set for next year. For us the opens brings together a group of individuals with their own goals, motivations and ambition and turns them into a collective standing side by side, to support, cheer and encourage each other. We’d like to thank all our members who took part, supported and judged ,and your families who together make Sarum so awesome.

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