The CrossFit Games Has Me Burning Inside

Sheesh, CrossFit has me rethinking the severity of the bad decisions I made when I went out for a jog the last two days. One run was 3.5 miles and the other was 5 miles. I completed both but neither were easy. The difficulty was completely my fault because I chose to do the following:

1. Running after dinner. Like that country song says, I know what I was doing, but what was I thinkin’? My stomach was topsy turvy most of the run. And the cramps. 🥴
2. Running in the heat. It’s a Florida summer and even when it’s hot, it’s actually hotter. The weather on my phone showed mid-90s with a feels like temp of 109.

I’ve made smarter decisions in my life, this I can tell you. But these two run exercises were not part of my best moments. On the hot 5-mile run, I remember thinking “Just don’t stop,” because I really, really wanted to stop. My method at this point in the run (starting about halfway through) was speeding up in the sun and in the shade, slowing to a slight jog to maximize the cooler shade of trees and buildings.

So those are a few examples of decisions I considered bad… until this morning. The scale has been reset. You want a real bad decision? Look up the 2024 CrossFit Games that were held in Texas recently. Long story short, the geniuses in charge thought it would be a good idea to put a half-mile swim after a 3-mile run. I’m still pretty new to triathlons and endurance-type races but I *think* everyone and their mom knows how hard it is to swim. There’s a reason swimming is the first event in every triathlon. It’s a full body workout and can be very taxing on the cardiovascular system and the lungs. I’ve thought a lot about how hard a race would be, and how idiotic it would be, to start with any of the other events in a triathlon (bike, run) and THEN do the swim. It’s virtually a death wish. I’m exaggerating, of course. There are many athletes that would be able to do that, but it’s still a high risk and here’s why: If you get exhausted cycling or running, all you have to do is literally stop. Swimming doesn’t afford you that option. That’s why it’s best to have this event first when athletes are most energized and capable.

So what does CrossFit do? The exact wrong thing! This buffoonery cost a man his life yesterday so someone needs to be fired, sued, and thrown in jail. Such a harsh conclusion but it should probably be harsher. How much is a life worth to you, CrossFit? On the first day of the event and after a 5K run, there was a half-mile swim. The guy had the finishing shoreline in sight but I guess his strength was giving out. He was flailing in the water and no one came to the rescue. It’s sickening. He drowned and I’m burning with anger about it. CrossFit needs to face a severe punishment for this.

CrossFit sucks and I’m ticked off.

-Out of the Wilderness