It’s “Open Eve”, y’all. Like I mentioned in our last blog, we’re starting something new this year with the great “306 Class Open Showdown”. I’m going to throw it out there right now, that this is for fun to fuel the community through a rough five-weeks worth of Open workouts and help push each of us to be our best selves.
Now that we have all those warm and fuzzy “disclaimers” out of the way, let’s get to the meat and potatoes here. The man behind the keyboard (that’s me, Coach TJ) is torn between the classes he coaches and the class he participates in to pick for a clear winner of the whole thing.
Team “Six On The Beach...and Maybe 7”. First, we have the people of 6am. For the rest of you out there, yes, the gym is open at 6am and there are living souls in the building (sort of; fuelled by caffeine and oatmeal). These people make it to the gym while the rest of you are dreaming about what evil scheme #JCainTrained has cooked up for you later that day. From there, all be it small, the 7am class is mighty. The familiar and friendly faces who grace this class like to start their day off on the right foot but aren’t quite as insane as the people who get up at 6am. They manage their time wisely and stay for coffee in the lobby “after” the WOD so they can sleep for that extra 6 and a half minutes.
Our second team, “That’s My Spot” is made up of our FitOver50 and 10am classes. For a lot of the FitOver50, this will be their first Open appearance. They are fierce and feisty and as competitive amongst themselves as any class. I won’t mention any names but “their spot” needs to be closest to the bathroom yet that bathroom door needs to be closed (with no one inside it) before any physical fitness is allowed to commence. Don’t ask. The 10am class still hasn’t quite clued in that the Open starts tomorrow. They didn’t listen to that part of my classes for the last eighteen weeks. While they might not be in the loop yet; trust me, once they find out it’s the Open, the competitive level gets set to 11 and their ain’t no way anyone is out working them, out cheering them, or outdoing them. If you want to see a special class (I mean like “really awesome”), come on in for a 10am workout and find out for yourself. They’re amazing!
Next, the noon class or “#CEO”. As a participant in this class, I have to say I’m not too sure where the name came from. Before it was even noon on the day naming took place, the class coach chucked that up on the board. No one in the noon class even bothered to notice because we work too freaking hard. Nuff’ said. This team has some serious potential, provided they can show up for class before the Open is over.
The people at 3 and 4pm, or Team “Jay’s Favourites” (there’s a “U” in there) are hoping to put together a very strong performance this year. They are also lead by the fearless leader of our gym who promises to talk a very big game (from a very small package). While some of the people like to make guest appearances at other times of the day, I’m predicting the allure of victory will be enough to keep them together as a solid wolf-pack to post some very good scores.
At the 5pm class we have Team “Shawn’s Angels”. I am not sure who this Shawn guy is but I’m fairly certain Beyoncé already sang that song. I also have to address, I am not sure if there were ever any male “Angels” as part of that franchise. While Shawn promises to be a fierce competitor posting some monster scores throughout, I feel the other men who show up at 5pm may start a mutiny as a result of the label. I see this not working out wonderfully for the team dynamic. There’s also the potential for the surplus of flowing long hair, blushing eyelashes and bootylicious music to distract and derail their performances. This is a wildcard team! Stay tuned.
Lastly, right around the time I go to bed, the 6 and 7pm classes hit the gym. Team “P’s New A-Team” are what they chose to call themselves. The verdict is still out for sure on who (or what) “P” is, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s for “Coach Polina”. Bold move going with simply a “P” as the abbreviation (double unders anyone?). The community is strong with this team, boasting members of all ages and multiple different family elements to bolster the team atmosphere. While the families have potential to bring an amazing group dynamic to the competition, their is also the possibility of sibling rivalry and feuding to throw things out of whack. Ultimately, I feel the allure of victory will be enough to keep them working as a complete unit and no one will have to sleep on the couch at the end of it.
So there it is. If nothing else, the promise of five awesome weeks of friendly competition and banter are about to begin. I look forward to hanging around the gym and watching all the teams put together their best efforts. That is, after all, what its all about. Our amazing community is built on the people that grace 306 with their presence throughout the week. Let’s keep it going and see what we can do throughout the Open. I’m looking forward to a very good “Friday Night Lights” finale on November 8th. Details to come on that one.
Best of luck to everyone! Lend that extra bit of encouragement and love. See everyone on the floor! :)
