Breaking: Michael Rock is NOT an Elite Crossfit Games Athlete

The Crossfit Games are back. Just ask any Crossfitter about it, and they will probably be able to tell you their world rank. For a minute, I was among the elite, but only for a minute.

The best part about participating in the Crossfit Games is that it gives you an opportunity to test your fitness level against yourself. How fit were you last year, or the year before, compared to where you are now on your fitness journey?

Each Thursday night, Crossfit releases its next "Crossfit Open" workout. It's the same workout at every Crossfit "box" around the globe. Last week's workout was 19.1 (2019's first workout). It just so happened to center around rowing (one of my only strengths in Crossfit) and wall balls.

I was a little optimistic heading into the competition. Sometimes, it tends to feel like the cards are stacked against a "regular" guy like me who tries to compete with some of the best in the world, but I was thinking I just might be able to hold my own on this one.

I gave it my all, and (sparing you the boring details) I was able to row for 95 calories and throw up a 20-pound wall ball 101 times over 15 minutes for a total score of 196. My goal had been to break 200, but at the end of the workout, I collapsed on the gym floor knowing that I could have done no more.

After I entered my data into the Crossfit Games app, I was shocked to see that I was ranked in the 88th percentile among all other athletes in my age division. That seemed super high to me, but it didn't stop me from sharing it with my family and some of the people here at the radio station.

I quickly realized as the weekend went on that my elite status was going to be short-lived. Each hour that went by, my rank dropped as more and more people entered their scores.

By the time scoring was closed last night, my rank had dropped from 88th percentile to a modest 43rd percentile. Instead of being a Crossfit elite, my reality was to be a below average athlete in my division.

The truth is, I don't care. The spirit of the Crossfit Games is amazing, and I'm able to do things I never dreamed I'd do. It's a ton of fun.

Author's note: My rank has dropped down to 40th percentile since I started typing this article.

Crossfit continues to be one of the best things I have done to enrich my life.