CrossFit Open 2025 -- Check Please

Another CrossFit Open season ‘in the books,’ surprisingly enough. When I began in CrossFit in August 2018, I remember encountering the first Open season with a sense of dis-ease and aversion. I didn’t like how it brought a competitive energy into the gym. By the time 2021 rolled around, post-Covid and three years into my CF journey, I had begun to appreciate its annual rhythm and invitation to challenge, to perceiving one's own progress. Then the communal aspect kicked in with one particular WOD–I want to say it was 2023?--with an ascending rep-scheme. If you made it to a certain number of reps, you kept going, with increasingly higher weights for the power snatch reps at the end, time-cap 15 minutes. I did the WOD in my home gym, feeling into it fine enough. Then I went to the Friday Night Lights of the other CF gym I was frequenting, realizing there was space for me to do the WOD, that I’d have a judge, and so why not…? Not only did I better my score, I actually finished it, right on the buzzer, lifting way more in a power snatch than I ever had, cheered on by a crowd circled around me. It wasn’t a pretty lift, mind you, but it was a completed rep. I felt incredibly seen and shy in the circle that congratulated me the rest of the night. And I understood the CrossFit Open magic/invitation better than I had before.

CrossFit Open 2025 was a vastly different experience, for a variety of reasons--body, new community, new choices. I did a real number on my back on November 20th, which has meant an excruciatingly slow and gentle return to movement, to activity levels I crave. I’m still not keen on the after-effects of rowing on my back, for instance, though I know the movement specs to focus on, know that I am moving well for such a cardio thing. Instead, I have been consistently choosing movement that doesn’t leave an impact the day after, even as I continue to strengthen my core-muscles again, to balance, or even protect the use of back muscles. 

Another difference has been the culture of the box I now frequent, which is Open-attentive but not overly hyped about it. Brian had joked with me in late November–you need to be in a coached environment!--and I believe he is correct. It’s been a really good thing for me to be back in a box 3-4 times a week. I deeply appreciated the expansive way we did the Open. Friday Night Lights each week of the Open, each dedicated to a particular non-profit, social-service community of some sort, and plenty of opportunity to complete the WODs during class times on Friday. It was invitational enough that I actually did register for the Open, though I had supposed I would not.

I’m glad I did, if for the opportunity to choose for myself, my body’s needs of the day/week, in the face of usually-social-pressure to complete the final WOD, regardless of all that. Final WOD, there was going to be a 50 cals row before a slew of barbell movements and wall walks, ending with another 50 cal row (were I to get that far). I knew I could push my body to do a good slew of it. I knew I would pay for it the next 1-2 days as I recovered. Cherishing a gentler pace, a slower-wiser pathway for my bodyself, I chose the Foundations level for Week Two, then simply declined to submit a score for Week Three. I scaled 25.3 to a rep scheme and cardio/weight-progression that might-could take me 20 minutes. I knew myself well, as I only missed the final 8 cals on the bike-erg. Overall, the workouts felt good for me–just enough of a challenge (a LOT of jumping in Week Two, which challenged my back a bit), with yet enough ease to enjoy movement in the day and days after. Consistent activity and increased movement was the goal this year, not any rep-scheme or pushed outcome.

Given all the social-media and larger-corporate turmoil within CrossFit as Sport today, I’m glad CrossFit Open 2025 season is done. I’m glad to have registered, keeping my intention for the communal rhythm in place even as I extended it to prioritize my body’s needs of the moment. It was good to meet a bunch of people in my new box on the first Friday Night Lights–the main reason I went, as I had already completed 25.1 that morning. I’m seasoned enough to craft the WODs and spaces I need for returning to health-fitness journeying. The box is a good space for me to return to roots and imagine forward into new things…even as I am finding new ways to explore and move too.

I’ve been particularly aware of the “try new sports” mantra in the CrossFit in 100 words summary here. Alongside these Open weeks, I have taken a deep dive into the Peloton world, and begun a Beginner’s Mind yoga class at a studio close to home. I am LOVING IT ALL.

More next time…!