There are some HUGE changes this year in the CrossFit Games world. Lets take a look at the combination of the SoCal & NorCal Regional which is now coined the California Super Regional. Top 20 Men & Top 20 Women from each region come together to battle for 5 spots. Top 15 teams from each Region come together as well to battle for 5 spots. While there are less spots to the Regional there are more spots to the Games and I think we will see the best athletes qualify for the Games. Definitely a great improvement, in my opinion. Regionals last year seemed a bit watered down due to how many spots there were and how a lot of individual athletes went Team. This year should be much different and the NorCal/SoCal battle should be EPIC!

After going team in 2014 and missing out on qualifying for the Games by 2 spots I told myself, my wife, my teammates, and my gym that I was going to go Individual this upcoming year. I had the fire and really trained my butt off with the idea of going Individual and so did my teammates. Then HQ announced the changes to the Games qualification process. The announcement seemed to give me more hope and I trained even harder with the focus and goal of qualifying for my 5th appearance at the Games. For several months I struggled with some Patellar tendinitis and had a hard time squatting. Rather than resting I just worked through it. I don’t remember exactly when I decided but I realized the volume needed to qualify as an individual would be probably too much for my knee to handle. I stopped squatting a few weeks before the Open and only squatted when I had to for the Open workouts. I did fine on the squatting workouts and besides being sick the week of the MU/WB/DU workout I did fairly well. I still hadn’t told anyone but in the back of my mind I was thinking about Team. The idea of competing alongside my wife, and my amazing teammates is very appealing. Even though we all trained with the goal of going individual we trained more as a team and group this past year than the previous. The chemistry among our group is awesome. We all get along so well and push each other every day in every aspect of fitness, nutrition, and life.

By no means am I worse than I was last year. In fact, I am hitting PR’s on most workouts, my engine is better than ever (I just ran a 4:53 mile), and my biggest weakness (overhead stuff) has been crushed! And my knee is almost 100%. Going team had nothing to do with not being able to perform well enough. It was more of an issue with the amount of volume since I have not been able to squat as much as I would have. Going team is not a step back or step down. I am going TEAM because it is the best choice for myself, my gym, and my athletes. Our goal and our sights are set on the top of the podium at Regionals and the Games. We have the athletes and the heart and the drive. We have the desire and the programming.

So much to say and think as we lead into the California Regional. My focus is being the best I can not for myself but for my Team. I want to lead my teammates to the Games so they can experience what I have experience many times before. More to come…