The Open is a once in year experience of competing with your friends, celebrating victories, and embracing all the CrossFit has to offer. The Open is an opportunity to challenges yourself, push your limits, and see how much you have improved. It only comes around once a year, and it’s not to be missed. The Open features three scalings, so athletes at all levels can compete and enjoy the Open experience. Your ticket helps cover some of the costs with judging, event planning, and additional time required to plan and host the open.

The CrossFit Open 2023

Affiliate Cup Teams

Person	Level	Team
EJ	Beg	Blue
Janel	Beg	Blue
Jenny	Beg	Blue
Jen	Beg	Yellow
Nicole	Beg	Yellow
Alex	Int	Blue
Dawn	Int	Blue
Stephen	Int	Blue
Walter	Int	Blue
Andrew	Int	Yellow
Elga	Int	Yellow
Sean	Int	Yellow
Logan	Int	Yellow
Jose	Rx	Blue
Doug	Rx	Yellow
Paul	Rx	Yellow

Friday Night Lights at 6PM

We are looking for at least 6 people to register by February 10 to host this class. If less than 6 people register, you’ll be credited back your registration fee. You’ll then have the option to do the CrossFit Open at 8AM Sundays or in Open gym.

8AM Sundays

Firm commitment on this time option — we have enough people registered already.

Sunday Brunch at 10AM (Open to All)

We have a shower in the gym if you want to shower before brunch.

Brunch Locations:

• First Watch Bailey’s Crossroads. Feb. 19 at 10AM.
• Murphy’s in Old Town. Feb. 26 at 2PM.
• Café 44 Old Town North. March 5 at 2PM.

Burn the Brunch (Open to All)

Sand & Steel Trail Returns Sundays at 10AM (leave from the gym)

For those of you in our Weight Loss Challenge and worried about eating a couple extra calories at brunch, Sand & Steel will be leading 4-7 mile trail runs at 12PM. These will be recovery, base building runs for those of you who haven’t been running much over the winter. For those of you training for Spartan Races, the back-to-back experience is exactly the kind of training you need for the Spartan Race. Build the capacity for upper body training and running on the same day. As a bonus, by structuring our runs on Sunday after the Open, you don’t need to worry about being sore going into the Open.

• 3.5-8 Mile Run at Great Fall Virginia.
• 5.8 Mile Out and Back at Fountainhead with middle water break
• 5-10 Miles Out and Back at Cabin John

Sand and Steel Patch

Choose the registration option “Member + Patch” to receive a coupon for 100% discount on the Official Sand and Steel Patch. You’ll receive the coupon code automatically. Then order the patch electronically. You’ll receive your patch during the CrossFit Open.

Patch Sand and Steel

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Top 10 Concerns New Members Have About Signing up for the Open

1. Myth 1: I am not in good enough shape. The CrossFit Open features beginner and intermediate scalings. The Open is deliberately designed so that all members can do it.
2. Myth 2: I can’t do handstand walks, muscle-ups, etc. Again, advanced techniques like this only apply to the Rx scaling. You will have appropriate alternatives available to you.
3. Myth 3: I am just doing CrossFit for my health. Community is a big part of why CrossFit works. Being part of a community helps you improve your mental and emotional health. People that participate in community events get better results and are more satisfied with their experience.
4. Myth 4: I can’t win the Open. That’s probably true, but you shouldn’t worry about winning. You should think of the Open as motivation to train this year and the next. It’s the same reason people register for a race. People run to get into shape, they signup for races for additional motivation to run.
5. Myth 5: The Open is too hard. The Open is only as hard as you make it. Running a 5K can be very easy or very hard depending on how hard you push it.
6. Myth 6: I’m not competitive. The Open isn’t about competing with anyone. It’s about working together a community and supporting each other’s successes. You are part of a community and you should be here to support your friends.  Start paying it forward and supporting others, and you’ll find CrossFit will pay you back 10-fold.
7. Myth 7: It’s too expensive. Really?  Sand & Steel dedicates about 60 hours collectively to prepare and host the open. We pay for a judge’s course every year to be qualified to judge the Open. We pay our own registration fees to compete in the Open as well. We host the Open for you – so you can experience everything that is special and wonderful about the Open and the Community. 95% of members who signed up the Open last year, are already signed up this year. It’s 10 bucks for the best 3 weeks of CrossFit you’ll experience all year.
8. Myth 8: I can’t commit to coming 3 times. The Open is hosted everywhere if you are traveling during the Open. Plus, let’s be honest, it’s unlikely you can’t make Friday nights or Sunday mornings. If you really can’t come to one of the classes, you can upload a video of your workout to CrossFit.com.
9. Myth 9: I’m not ready to do the Open. Everyone can do the Open. Truth is, you’ll always feel like you aren’t ready. You can always be in better shape. I feel that way too. I should be better at cleans, better at bar muscle-ups. I’m slow on burpees and slow on box jumps.  SO WHAT? I will do the best that I can. I know that I have a whole team of people doing it with me. My friends will be there to congratulate me and celebrate with me afterwards. That’s the magic of the Open and that’s why I do it year after year. You should too!
10. Myth 10: It’s just not for me. What do you mean “it’s not for you?” Having fun is not for you? Working out is not for you? Supporting your friends is not for you? You joined CrossFit precisely for the same reasons that we host Open. It’s 100% for you!

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The Open is a magical time of year for the CrossFit community, uniting affiliates all over the world as we persevere through each workout and celebrate every success — big or small — along the way.

Whether you’re brand new to CrossFit or a seasoned veteran, the Open has a version of each workout that is just right for your current ability level — everyone can play!

• Hoping to advance to Quarterfinals? Great! Let’s start training hard to prepare for the Rx’d versions of each workout.
• Just looking to challenge yourself? Awesome, Keep showing up to class and when the Open workouts get announced, it’ll be like any other day in the gym.
• Pursuing accountability and commitment? There’s no better way than signing up and making it official.
• Eager and proud to represent your affiliate community? Get on that leaderboard!
• Just want to have FUN? You’re in the right place.

Whatever your reasons are, participating in the Open not only shows support for the larger CrossFit community, but it builds up our unique affiliate community, too. When you sign up for this global event, you’ll inspire others to do so, too, pointing us all in a direction of improved fitness.

Taking on new challenges, pushing your limits, and testing your fitness are big parts of CrossFit, and there’s no better chance to do all three than the CrossFit Games Open.

So have you signed up at games.crossfit.com yet? Talk to your coach if you still have questions — we’re looking forward to seeing your name on our affiliate’s Open leaderboard!

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The CrossFit Open 2023 is For Everyone!

When people think of the CrossFit Games they think of men and women that are in impossibly good shape doing workouts that are not even approachable by most people.  The CrossFit Open isn’t like that.  Yes the Rx variations are very challenging (with complex techniques like muscle-ups and double unders.)  However, CrossFit provides scaling based on age (so those of us other 40 or even 30 get an easier version.)  Additionally with the addition of the foundations class, everyone will be able to participate.

Register at CrossFit.com

Just select “Sand and Steel CrossFit” as your gym.  If you don’t have a CrossFit.com account you’ll need to create one. Registration with CrossFit is also required if you’d like to receive an official score and ranking.

3 Epic Workouts

Join the Fun of the CrossFit Open. It only happens once a year. CrossFit.com tracks your progress against athletes across the world. The Open is Back and we are excited to again be an Official 2023 CrossFit Open Host. CrossFit Open Workouts will be hosted on Sunday Mornings at 8AM. Your registration covers all three workouts.

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CrossFit Open 2023 Event Info

Three Scalings to Choose From

• Rx: best for very experienced athletes that regularly complete Sand & Steel workouts at the Rx Level.
• Scaled: best for intermediates athletes that regularly complete Sand & Steel workouts at the Intermediate Level
• Foundations: best for new athletes and anyone isn’t sure they are fit enough to complete the Open.

The CrossFit Open is for Everyone! We will help ALL members of ALL fitness and skills levels participate and enjoy the Open. So register today and let’s do this together! -Sand & Steel Fitness