At my local box we have Wodify.  It's this really cool tool that helps our athletes keep track of their performance and interact with each other.  It's like a digital white-board with a bit of a social network mixed in.

First of all, please hear me say that I LOVE WODIFY!

However, I personally find myself misusing Wodify frequently.

Let me explain.

When you enter your results in Wodify, you can enter a comment under your score for the WOD. 

In my mind, there are about 3 different ways you can use this section during CrossFit training routines…

1.  As a journal to help track your performance.

2.  To encourage others.

3.  To make excuses for your performance/keep your pride intact/to be petty.

As unfortunate as it is, I find myself using option #3 all too often.

Here are 3 statements I've typed (or almost typed) in the comments section that illustrate my secretly black heart...

1.  "Curse you HSPU!"

I posted this little gem after a chipper WOD that ended with 5 HSPU.  I got through everything but my handstand push-ups in about 12 minutes.  My final time (after recovering enough to do 5 HSPU) was over 20 minutes.

What I meant by this comment was that I would have destroyed the workout had there not been any HSPU.  I was making an excuse,  as if to say... "I'm just as fit as everyone else except for this one little thing!" 

The truth is, I wasn't as fit as everyone else.  I was extremely unfit in the area of handstand push-ups.  There was no way to explain it away.  It was just a fact, but somehow I wanted to make an excuse for a movement that I avoid working on like the plague.

2.  "Should have gone heavier."

This comment came after a 1 rep max of the "Bear Complex." Honestly, this comment would be a fine thing to say if I had any intention of looking at my comments again before repeating this workout.  Instead, I claimed that I "should have gone heavier" as a way to say "If you edged me out, or tied my score, don't be too proud of yourself because I could have lifted more."

3.  "Failed on second rep at 215."

Thankfully I resisted the urge to type this one in.  Again, this would have been a fine thing to say if I EVER revisited my comments during future CrossFit training routines, but I NEVER re-read these things before I repeat workouts, so the ONLY reason for me to post this was to say... "If anyone else also lifts 205 for their 2 rep max, please know that I got 1 rep at 215, so technically I beat you."

Are you freaking serious?  Am I this petty?  Have I wrapped my self-worth up in a workout so tightly that I need to make sure someone knows that I edged them out?  Apparently so.  I can be rotten to the core of my selfish bones at times.

Final Thoughts...

I hesitated to write this post because I don't want anyone who makes good use of the comments section to feel weird about using it, but I thought this full confession might help someone else out there who struggles with this.

If you share any of my ridiculously competitive tendencies, I hope you'll join me in using the comments section in a way that builds up your community from now on.

Let's sincerely write things like "Craig is my hero!" or, "Sarah must have eaten her Wheaties this morning :)"

If we do write things like "Failed on second rep at 215," let's make sure we do it out of the intention to maintain a fitness journal that can be reviewed and used to track our progress.

Let's stop making excuses, let's fail out loud, let's encourage people, and use every opportunity to build each other up during CrossFit training routines.

Who's with me?!?!

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P.S.  It's totally OK to mention your new Double Under Wonder rope in your comments next time you crush your dubs in a WOD :)