The Friday after an Open announcement has always been one of my favorite days. Despite being an avid sleep enthusiast, when my alarm goes off bright and early, I am actually excited to get out of bed, knowing a grueling workout is in my future.
On Friday, March 3, during the final week of the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Open, I put on my favorite matching blue workout set and hopped in my car, ready to take on Open Test 23.3.
While warming up the wall-walk standard, I struggled to get my hands to the tape but shrugged it off, blaming it on performance anxiety. I thought once the adrenaline kicked in, I’d be fine.
23.3 at Deo Volente CrossFit | Photo by Adam Bow
As the clock counted down from three, my heart hammered with anticipation. At the sound of the buzzer, I flopped to the floor, launched my legs onto the wall, and began to walk my hands to the tape. But it felt as if I were glued to the ground. I managed to get the edge of my left palm to the line, but my right hand lagged behind. It was only a centimeter away, and as I attempted to shift it back, my arms began to shake, and my body crumpled to the ground.
This happened about 20 more times.
Over a span of six minutes, I managed to fall on my face, start crying in frustration in front of a gym full of people, and accumulate a mere 16 reps in the Rx’d division.
I could use the excuse that I broke my foot … over six months ago. Or that I had just moved to a different country and was not acclimated to the Canadian winters.
But the truth was I hadn’t consistently practiced the wall walk since its Open debut in 2021. I’ve always turned my nose up to the movement, siding with my safety net of snatches and double-unders during my after-class skill work.
So, as I mastered my already-strong (and favorite) CrossFit movements, my wall walks just got worse.
When 23.3 was announced, I knew I was going to try it as prescribed. Double-unders and snatches were finally in my wheelhouse. How bad could a few wall walks be (famous last words)?
Although Mal O’Brien and Danielle Brandon made walking backward, upside down, and up a wall seem easy, the brutal truth was the opposite — especially when you don’t practice the skill regularly.
Danielle Brandon and Mal O’Brien during the live announcement of Open Test 23.3 | Photo by Charlotte Foerschler
In CrossFit, nothing comes easy. It requires consistent hard work and a focus on the movements you are bad at. And once we master those movements, we’re challenged with something else just as hard.
So after I finished sobbing on the drive home, I reflected on my emotions. Although incredibly frustrated, I only had myself to blame.
Instead of crumpling up my scorecard and throwing out my 16 reps, ending the Open on a low, I returned on Monday to retry 23.3. But I wasn’t going to do it Rx’d again. I already made that mistake once (and the thought of falling on my face for six minutes was kind of traumatizing).
I needed to do the scaled version. It was the best test for my current fitness ability — and what would ultimately bring me closer to having the skill as prescribed.
This time, I finished Open Test 23.3 with a score of 211 reps and a smile on my face.
Failing my first attempt at 23.3 forced me to take a step back and evaluate my progress. I have never felt so many different emotions in a matter of hours, from frustration to embarrassment to determination to improve.
But if the Open hadn’t challenged me in a way that put a spotlight on my flaws, I wouldn’t have been motivated to work on them. So, yes, I am thankful for those miserable six minutes. They made me a better athlete.
Cover photo by flsportsguy photography
Comments on How Six Miserable Minutes Made Me a Better Athlete
The Open is coming!!!!!
Crossfit does that to us. Cudos on the double unders! I have been doing this for six years and I am still struggling. I might be able to string three. It might be that I’m not coordinated enough or that I have had seven children and fear leaking that I do try harder. I have accepted that I am not going to be able to master all of the movements. Crossfit has helped me to know and embrace my strengths: physical and mental.
You are exactly describing my feelings by the 4th and 5th WWs. It took my an entire min to finish them with the worst performance. During this min, I hated the open and the idea of being tested. My trial had a more happy ending finished by 70 rep. However, this experience made my think about being responsible on my training the whole past year.
Great story, thanks for sharing and being vulnerable. Just started CrossFit, a year ago I was not able to jump rope (it intimated me) or lift… I finished my first Open, foundation but I finished. Next year I go for scaled. Practice, perseverance and ego at the door, cheers to all warriors out there, we got this!
This was me and how I felt after the open. This was my 1st open and I have only been in CrossFit for about a year. I’m 55 and over weight. I spent 4 1/2 minutes on my wall walks. My hands moved during our workouts but that was because my hand started under my shoulders. During the open my hands had to be above the line 55” from the wall which is my nose, yes I’m short 😂. I was upset… but then my daughter said next year if they have wall walks we will get me six inch heels. I had so much support and everyone was so nice… I will get those wall walks at 55” and I’ll be back next year. Thank you for sharing your story.
I am new to CrossFit as of last summer and this was my first open . Walk walks were the easy part for me and the snatch’s . The darn double unders took me forever because I simply didn’t work on them . Wasting so much of my precious 6 mins . What a wake up call for me . I ordered a custom rope and will make these a priority. I RX and took what I deserved . I made it back to the wall walls and completed just 1 of the second round . For sure I was disappointed but lesson learned .
This story relates to me so much even down to the one hand making it to the tape and other not but only a few cm’s off & feeling like it was clued to the floor! I legit only managed (2 wall walks)
I decided to do the scaled version and was 9 reps short of completion.(283 reps)
I'm was so proud that my body could have smashed out all those reps in 12 mins!
Well done Kelley!! Thanks for sharing x
WE SHOULD ALL HAVE YOUR POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND DETERMINATION.
GREAT JOB GETTING DONE SCALED OR RX'D .
This is the best possible attitude you can have. Way to go, Kelley!
Many ask,
“Where does mental health fit into CrossFit’s definition of health?”
This is where.
Forcing yourself to do hard things. Learning to fail and overcome. Every workout is an honest look in the mirror and when you put your name on the scoreboard you stand by who you are today.
Tomorrow, we will face our weaknesses to become better versions of ourselves!
Well said Pete! I will practice those more often to prepar myself for next year as I was not able to do one again this year and crushed the other workouts.
Well said Pete! I will practice those more often to prepar myself for next year as I was not able to do one again this year and crushed the other workouts.
Well said Pete! I will practice those more often to prepar myself for next year as I was not able to do one again this year and crushed the other workouts.
Definitely resonates. I struggled last Open and said I’d work on them. Did I? Nope! Do I regret that? Yep! 23.3 was my worst performance of the 2023 Open. A strong reminder that we need to work on everything constantly. Thanks for sharing your story.
Such an open and vulnerable story. Thank you for sharing. You’re an inspiration to us all!
In my first Open 2021, I managed to do them somehow. But there weren't many, and it was between double unders which I poked away at one-at-a-time, so I wasn't tired when I went back to the wall.
In 2022, I was much WORSE at them, because they were between snatches which I did fast which had me starting the walks tired.
Lesson learned - cover all the bases. In the last year, I got wall walk coaching and came to realize the importance of keeping the arms and shoulders stacked, so it doesn't become handstand pushing. Once tired, that falls apart bigtime - downward spiral. Instead, rock the hips back and forth, keep the arms straight, reduce the steps in to 5 and out to 4.
This year, I was ready - they felt easy, before and after the double unders! And my dubs are up to groups of 10. Now, I only need to improve that skill of the two!
How Six Miserable Minutes Made Me a Better Athlete
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