CrossFit Regional Athlete – Stuart Bready on Regionals 2016

Stuart finished 25th out of 40 for the Atlanta Regional on the weekend of May 20-22, 2016. Below he gives us the scoop on training, the athletes and how he copes with being nervous.  

What was the most surprising thing about competing? 

It all moves so fast. Your head to head with great athletes and it just goes by in a blink.  Television just doesn’t capture how fast it really was. Time from event to event was fast, the workouts seemed like they went fast and the whole weekend just flew by. 

If you competed again how would you prepare differently? 

I would focus on my speed, technique and just becoming more efficient on movements.  I would focus on not stopping during my endurance training. 

How were the other athletes during competition? 

It was a mix.  Most of them were very nice, helpful and talkative.  Some were a bit standoffish but that’s probably just their way of focusing on the event. 

What was the hardest thing or workout? 

Definitely event #3 – 104 wall balls, 52 pull ups with a 6 minute time cap; Follow by one minute rest. Then 4 sets of 15 power cleans at 115 pounds and 14 one legged squats with an 8 minute time cap. 

How do you deal with the anxiety before your heat went onto the floor? 

I get nervous right as I approach the starting line so I just take a deep breath say a prayer so I can focus on what’s next. 

What is the difference between those who finished in the top 5 and you? 

I think it really came down to efficiency.  The top five athletes weren’t stronger than me but all their movements were just so efficient and fluid.  They moved so quickly through each workout.  

What movements do you need to practice? 

Wall balls, pull ups, and handstand walks are what could be improved the most.

What was your biggest learning or take-away from the whole weekend? 

I noticed just how much small things like rest, nutrition, recovery, movement, flexibility and all of the small aspects of training add up in a big way.  Each portion of training adds up to overall performance.  If one area is neglected, it impacts every area of your performance..

Any final thoughts or comments?

I would like to thank everyone.  If I had to workout and train on my own each day, I would have never made it.  It took everyone’s help and support to make it as far as I did.  
 
goPerformance and all of the people involved have helped foster a community of hard work, dedication, and support that creates an environment where we can all grow and develop into the best versions of ourselves.  If you aren’t striving to better yourself, you’re simply going backwards. 
 
I just want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has helped along this journey. 

For photos from Regionals including one of his supporters from goperformance, check out our Instagram and Facebook.