Five weeks of competition in the books as the 2017 CrossFit Open has officially come to a close. As CrossFit athletes of any skill level, we have a unique opportunity to put ourselves on a level playing field against athletes from around the world. In most boxes, The Open is a social event that allows us to come together as a community, encouraging and supporting our fellow gym members. There’s nothing else quite like it.

Now that it’s all over (until next year!), it is the perfect time to reflect on your performance. Did you do better or worse than you expected? Did you get your first bar muscle up? Do you still have a love/hate relationship with dumbbells? These are all valid questions, but before you dive too far into your reflection, here are a few important things to remember.

You vs. You

Sure, The Open is designed for athletes to go head to head with each other as a qualifier for Regionals for the elite, however, it’s also designed with the individual athlete in mind. Maybe you weren’t the top performer at your box, but you pushed yourself harder than you ever have before. That’s awesome! Maybe you feel like you could have given more; that’s okay, too. Regardless, you should be proud of what you accomplished and use that momentum to continue to grow as an athlete.

You Are A Role Model For Someone

Whether you know it or not, chances are someone at your box admires you. Maybe for your physical strength, or your gymnastic abilities, or your drive. You may not have even finished the workout, but gave it everything you had and created fans because of it. That is so much better than your score on the board.

You Know What To Work On

One of the benefits of The Open in is that there are strict standards to follow. After completing the Judge’s Test, the role of a judge is clear. It is their job to hold you to the standards as a way to measure overall athletic ability (hand stand push ups anyone?). Chances are you got no repped a few times or were forced to scale a WOD because you couldn’t perform a movement to standard. This reality is actually a good thing because it exposes what you need to work on, and you have a whole year to improve!

You Are Definitely Not Alone

During The Open, Thursdays at 5pm PST have never been more exciting, exhausting, or extreme. When Dave Castro announces the week’s crazy WOD and you’re first thought is, “What the F*$%?!,” yet you are secretly excited to dive in…yeah, there are millions of people around the world who are right there with you. Then, the day comes when you jump in and are surrounded by your mates and you all bond over how much pain you’re in. It’s all worth it in the end.

As you review your results from the open keep these things in mind. The Open is not for the faint of heart. It’s challenging by design, but you did it! Use the momentum to figure out what you need to work on and acknowledge yourself for what you did accomplish.