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[/caption] Competition is a big part of Functional Fitness, but there are many different ways to view that competition. For some, winning daily workouts is tremendously important. For others, winning local throwdowns and regional events is the main goal. For others still, the competition is with yesterday’s personal numbers and doesn’t have a lot to do with the numbers on the whiteboard at the gym. I fall into the latter category. My athletic competitions are with the numbers and times and dates I keep in a giant Excel spreadsheet stretching back into 2008. I want to beat those numbers and times more than I want to beat someone else’s. It’s nice to put a good number on the whiteboard every once in a while, but for me it’s more important to keep updating the records in my spreadsheet. I’m inspired by every athlete in our gym who does the same thing regardless of whether the numbers they report sit in top spot on our Scoreboard. A squat PR of 75 lb. fires me up just as much as a 400-lb. squat record. I’m excited every time I see “PR” on the board, and most of the time I don’t even care what number is beside it. “PR” is more than enough because it signals improvement. One of the things I love best is seeing athletes set personal goals and then chase them in competitions. They might not be trying to win the whole event; they’re just trying to prove something to themselves, get fitter and do more than they could before by testing themselves in a competition. They’re trying to be better than they were yesterday, and that’s pretty noble. We had a number of athletes set personal records at this weekend’s FrostFit competition, and it’s the kind of thing that brings tears to my eyes. I’m so proud of everyone who competed regardless of where they finished. Every new record, every personal accomplishment and even every rep with great form fired me up to get back to the gym. On the other end of the spectrum are those who care about personal improvement but also have performance goals that include winning or placing well in events. I’m just as inspired by those people. Their drive, determination, competitive spirit and grace fill me with admiration, and the things they do are unbelievable. I’m so lucky to be able to train beside these people every single day. They motivate me and help me get the occasional “PR” next to my own name. I particularly love how both groups of athletes supported each other throughout the weekend, and I can’t even say how impressive it is to see our top competitive athletes so invested in the success of all their teammates. I’m also proud of how our competitors cheered on their rivals in the spirit of competition. That kind of character is priceless. Finally, we have the 204 community that came out to support our athletes. We had a huge number of people there cheering all day, and many were there from start to finish.  I can’t thank you guys enough for coming to watch, and the athletes really appreciated the support. There’s nothing better than hearing a familiar voice encouraging you during a hard workout, and our voices were many on Saturday. Overall, the weekend of competition was proof that the strength of any Functional Fitness gym isn’t found by adding up the numbers on the whiteboard. It’s found by adding up the character of the people who represent it. I’m so proud of everyone who represented Functional Fitness 204 on the weekend. You guys truly inspire me.