This was the eighth straight Regional that I have either coached or competed in. As the sport of CrossFit has grown, so has the talent level. Ever since our opening in 2012, Precision CrossFit has had a Team at Regionals. With all the changes and the rise in talent levels, we have continued to qualify and compete in the most competitive Team Region in the world each year. What a privilege this is. Although we sometimes want to see better performances out of our team, that is a reminder of just how lucky we are.
Smiles shined brightly and tears were shed throughout the weekend. TEAM PRECISION had its ups and downs. There were triumphs, and there were disappointments on the roller coaster ride that was the 2016 California Regional. But what always remained constant was the fight that each athlete had. The will to succeed was evident. Things do not always go your way in sports. However, we must always learn from our failures more than our victories. We finished 17th in all of California and 8th in all of So Cal. We also beat every other team that qualified from L.A. or Ventura County. All in all, I am very proud to have coached this team. They stuck by each other. Sure, frustrations occurred, but they never stopped battling. The six athletes that represented the Wall of Blue…bled blue. They were excited and hungry to get out there each day. They remembered to have fun with each other and they kept it loose. In the end, regardless of outcomes, what was most important was that they made the supporters of Precision CrossFit proud. I truly believe in the statement: “Together We are One.” Because we are one we can accomplish anything. I saw this team on several occasions come together as a unit and when they did, they became very hard to beat. I am going to chalk this Regional up as a win. It is a win because our community and the people that we love and represent were proud of us. In the end this is all that truly matters.
As far as Chelsey Grimsby’s performance, we both could not have been any happier. I trained her all year to get through the fire academy. This was life changing for her. CrossFit was secondary. When she decided to compete, it was 5 weeks before the Regional. She was going though her brutal final exams and managed to train maybe 3 days a week. Her programming often fell by the wayside. Throughout the academy she had lost more than 10 lbs. of muscle with her lifting numbers dropping as a result. When the wods were posted, strength became a significant worry. To see her take 8th place in the heaviest regional to date was just remarkable. She truly competed with all heart, grit, and determination. Her genetics and will put her in contention for a spot in the CrossFit Games. Not her training. My hat is off to her. I look forward to going back next year with a significantly stronger much heavier Chelsey. It will be game on then.
On a personal note, it has been an amazing past couple of weekends. I can’t thank my athletes enough for allowing me to lead them. I had a lot going on at home in regards to my wife’s health over the past few months. One of my saving graces was having these athletes to distract me for a few hours when I would work with them. Also, having Jose Cobian as my assistant made my life that much easier. Leaving the team in his capable hands to attend to personal matters gave me all the confidence in the world. I truly can’t thank him enough for his efforts. Now, it is time to get ready for the CrossFit Games, to focus on my weightlifters, and to start preparing the athletes that will represent TEAM PRECISION next year. Things will, of course, change. Athletes will come and go. Programming will change and we will continue to grow as a gym to keep up with the times. Other athletes will step to the plate, much like Dominick Cognata did this year. Will it be you? I am looking forward to finding out who.
Fitness – Stength – Community
WARM UP:
500 M. Row
3 Rounds
10 Pass Throughs
10 Good Mornings
10 Inch Worms
10 OHS
Then:
Shoulder Mobility
SKILL:
3 Rounds (At a Walking Pace)
Adv. / Int. = 5 Wall Facing Handstand Negatives (5 Sec.)
Scaled = 2 Wall Walks
Right Into:
30 Hollow Rocks
WOD:
“OPERATION”
AMRAP 20
10 Cal. Row
10 KBS (70/53) (53/44) (44/35) (35/26)
4 HSPU
*Scaled = 8 H.R. Push Ups.
POST WOD:
Roll & Stretch
