The Magic of the Open Isn’t Magic at All
I want to share an interaction I had with a member after 26.2.
First and foremost, this athlete did very well. But they weren’t totally satisfied with their result. Their reflection was, “Well… I haven’t been working on muscle-ups.”
I responded, “But that’s more ring muscle-ups than you’ve ever gotten before, right?”
“Yes.”
“So you’ve gotten better. Stronger. Your gymnastics has improved over the last year.”
“Yes,” they said with a humble grin.
And that moment stuck with me.
Because although we all want to do better in these Open workouts, many of you don’t realize how much you’ve improved day to day over the course of weeks and months. It isn’t always obvious in the moment. It’s easy to see progress when numbers go up on a squat or a press. But the other improvements—the capacity, the skill, the resilience- those are harder to see until moments like this.
Moments like the Open.
Moments like Summer Slam.
It’s my anecdotal observation that most people don’t like doing the hard work.
Most people don’t like straining.
Most people don’t like being uncomfortable.
Most people don’t like waking up early to train or coming in after a long, crappy day at work.
But you’ve been doing it.
Every January, people say they’re going to “get back on it.” For a few weeks, they do… and then life creeps back in and consistency fades.
But you’ve been consistent.
You keep doing the hard things.
You keep showing up.
Yes, people say there’s “magic in the Open.” And there is something special about it. But the truth is, the magic isn’t the workout.
The magic is the reveal.
It’s the reveal of a year’s worth of quiet, consistent hard work.
You’re elated when you get your first pull-up (Gail, Melissa, Andrea… you know who you are), and you should be. You worked for that moment. You earned it.
But the real magic for me is seeing the equal—sometimes even greater—excitement from everyone else in the room when it happens.
When someone gets their first muscle-up.
Their first pull-up.
A big clean and jerk PR.
The room erupts.
That’s the magic.
The magic is in the community.
The magic is in the atmosphere.
The magic is the room exploding with excitement for someone else’s accomplishment.
And when you really look at it… it isn’t magic at all.
It’s the bond that forms between people who show up day after day, working hard beside each other, and then getting to witness that hard work pay off right in front of their eyes.
That, my friends, is why I love the Open.
That is why I coach.
That is why we opened CrossFit 8 Mile.
Good people.
Working hard.
Consistently.
Becoming healthier.
Pursuing a better version of themselves.
And it’s a much more enjoyable ride when you’re doing it together.
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for being part of CrossFit 8 Mile.
Nick Carignan
CrossFit 8 Mile
