Two weeks after I got back from my honeymoon, I did 3 woman team competition called TeamFit. I knew my priority would not be to really train much for this one but I looked at is as a last hurrah for the summer with my girls. I also really like consistency. We thought of the chillest team name we could: Tea with Grandma. I think I felt so strung out with wedding stress that I wanted to have something following the wedding/honeymoon that felt familiar. See how skeptical of a person I am? (Hence, why I was blown away by the meaning I took away from my wedding ceremony). In moments of stress and change I always grasp for the familiar. The pain of repetitive thrusters is a familiar burn in my quads just like a heavy hang power clean consistently shows me a heave-ho pull in my traps. Training the physical body has always provided me with a calm and a familiar predictability. In high school and college, running was a way I calmed myself down and also a space in which I could work through emotion.
Three years ago, I competed in one of Proving Grounds first ever competitions at La Jolla high school on a 2 female/2 male team with some OG (original gangsta) Humanity members I continue to admire as athletes and friends to this day. And two years ago, our box, CrossFit Humanity, hosted the Proving Grounds first ever Stars and Bars. Since, then I must say I am super impressed at how far Proving Grounds has come.
At that first meet, way back when it was fairly confusing where we had to be when and there was so much time in between events. Due to the fact it was extremely hot that day, our team did the best we could to stay hydrated and learned the hard way that you need to bring your own shade to these outdoor competitions (not just a bottle of sunscreen). I remember the rig swaying when teams did their pull ups and us burning the skin off our hands and thighs as we went to do team burpees on the field made of re-purposed tire rubber. I was unsure of my abilities and motivated to not let me team down.
Stars and Bars was really exciting because it gave our little gym a lot of exposure. There were SO many competitors and spectators we were busting at the seams. Proving Grounds set up little barriers running parallel to the green so there was a spectator area and athletes competed on our platforms. Vendors and Athletes camped out in the back driveway under tents waiting for their time to warm up. I remember walking from the back driveway into the gym felt like entering a greenhouse. The humidity from the sweaty bodies felt like a hundred degrees and the smell in the air was RIPE. But we were so proud to be hosting no our own turf, it didn’t matter. Hitting the 95 lb snatch as the last movement of the final event was a highlight I’ll never forget.
The only constructive feedback I have for Proving Grounds at this last comp in Imperial Beach was a need for more consistency among the judges, regulations on who can enter what category, and steps for short people to get on the pull up rig. We had a fair judge, on overly strict judge and a checked out judge throughout the three events. It can be discouraging to see regional level athletes compete in the intermediate category just to sweep it and win cash money. If you’re a chick with a 12- pack warming up with 165 lb cleans I question why you’re in intermediate. Period. Lastly, us shortys had to expend a lot of extra energy output hoisting each other up cheerleader style to complete team pull ups. Would I recommend doing a Proving Grounds CrossFit competition? Absolutely! It’s a great way to test your metal and can really improve your skills if you train for it. If you don’t train for it, it’s a great way to reset and re-focus your training goals and a good way to get inspired by the athletic talent around you.
