Heading into the CrossFit Games, one of my biggest fears was that my body simply wouldn't hold up.

I figured I'd end up in a heap somewhere after Day 1, rolling around in physical pain. 

While I'll defend CrossFit to the death in terms of it being fundamentally safe (how can you argue against constantly varied, functional movements preparing you for life), I will say that CrossFit competitions - like any other intense sport, be it Tour de France, Ironman, or a gymnastics competition - are challenging on the body.

Like most sports, CrossFit can make you sore and sometimes you can (gasp) get injured. But that perceived risk is certainly nowhere near enough to kill a dream of making it to and competing at the Games. And really, what’s the option? Remain unfit and allegedly safer?

I digress.

I do not do CrossFit as a full-time job, and I do not do the volume I thought was enough to make it through the Games unscathed. I train hard and thanks to Chris Schaalo, I trained smart this year, but heading to Carson I was fearful that my poor body would come home in a heap of pain.

This did NOT happen.

The Friday of the Games, I could definitely feel my quads more than I would have liked - after the gnarly KB thrusters on loose sand on the beach - but Saturday felt more fresh than Friday, and Sunday I felt even more recovered than the day before. I truly felt like I actually could have done another 5 workouts - not that I wanted to!

Although I’m obviously not a top Games athlete, coming home injury-free and able to workout is a win after any major sporting event that challenges your body the way the CrossFit Games do.

Two things to credit this to:

1). CHRIS SCHAALO:

If it weren't for me having a mindful coach, my Games prep would have been scattered at best, and detrimental at worst. Chris prepared me intelligently for the volume, easing me into it so by the time the Games came I was as ready as I was going to be.

2). MIGHTY OMEGA FISH OIL:

I'm a skeptic when it comes to supplements. And I was a skeptic when it came to fish oil. But then two years ago during the Open, I wanted to repeat a workout that made me particularly sore, so I popped a bunch of fish oil -borderline overdosed on it - and I had not an ache in my body the next day. Since then I have dabbled with fish oil, going on and off it, but always hitting it hard before and during competitions.

The same was true of the Games. I took 4 to 6 pills each morning, and usually again in the evening, and I have no doubt in my mind that it helped me remain fresh. Other than two ice baths over the course of the weekend, I took nothing else to help with recovery.

While I don't recommend taking THAT much, especially as a day-to-day use kind of deal, upping my dosage before and during competitions has proved to work. Perhaps my evidence is anecdotal, but it’s enough to say that I’m a believer.