Trainers

When you book flights with Team FitFun to spend time in a beach resort in the Algarve, the image you may have is one of reclining on soft sand wearing sunglasses. You’re likely to beapplying suntan lotion, while the splashing waves and clear blue seas lull you into complete quiescence. For us, there were moments like this at Tribal Clash. They were precious moments too. However, for the rest of the time, the pace was much more of a frantic, ecstatic, and exhilarating drama show.

As teams, we were both performers and spectators (when observing others), we were also competitors and supporters to other tribes. We were all taking part in one captivating scene of physical, psychological and emotional prowess.

What is Tribal Clash

Now in its second year on Portuguese shores, Tribal Clash, in the organisers’ own words is “a competition designed to discover the most capable teams on planet earth”. In other words, the group of people who have the greatest ability to get stuff done, regardless of the challenge. Although Tribal Clash is rooted in Crossfit functional fitness principles and exercise style, personal and individual triumph is set aside. As a result, this leaves room for a cohesive, disciplined approach that places the success of your “tribe” uppermost in your mind. These are the shared values and qualities that drew us to this magnificent spectacle.

Team ‘Fit For Fun’

Team FitFun were very much Crossfit novices and not one of our team members had entered such an event before. However, we were willing to step forward into the unknown and hold our own against 131 experienced teams. Reading the list of names of all 132 teams and seeing FitFunActive, we are pretty sure people would have been wondering who on earth we were? Yes, we were “Fit for fun” as the judge referred to us, but we were determined not to just make up numbers. We were here to compete. Of course, we intended to have fun while doing it.

Round One: The Long Run

First up was the team 1km log run on the sandy beach. Each stride into the depth of the sand sapped our energy. With the weight of the log starting to take its toll; we immediately transitioned into a 5k mixed terrain run. Nevertheless, what an opportunity for Team FitFun to maximise our opening points. We knew we had strengths in the team running this distance. Our training covered this. The team knew that if we remained in close contention at the end of the team log run we could give our strong runners an opportunity to earn some valuable points.

Thankfully our tactics worked. We managed to get one team member into 2^nd place and another into 8^th place among 72 runners in our heat. A well needed nerve settling opening half to our first event.

Round Two: Sand Worm

Team FitFun would soon come to realise exactly why the stakes were set up in the Crossfit teams’ favour. Feeling exhausted from the team and solo runs we were plunged straight into event number 2. The result meant completing 12 ground to overhead lifts with a 200 plus pounds ‘Sand Worm’. In addition, we had to complete 6 total rope climbs as many times as possible within the time allocated. Working to this level of intensity under strict form and time constraints pushed the team to the edge.

As a result, we learned so much from this. We needed to regroup and recharge. However, time seemed to pass rather quickly, we only had a few hours to get over that event and prepare for the next one. The next event was the ‘Red Paddle Race’. Paddleboarding produced some more drama for our already discombobulated unit.

Community

Experience is an invaluable resource, something we learned this weekend in abundance. What became apparent this weekend was that this community of competitors had drilled into their psyche, a never give up, never quit, fight to the very end, way of being. This was not a mere competition on the beach but an expression of a philosophy. Tribal Clash provided the tools for redefining character.

King Kong

There was little time for team FitFun to wallow in self-pity and we discovered this really quickly. If ever we felt our previous performance was below par, the next event would either crush us or bring out the ‘beast’. The 4^th event then was the aptly named ‘King Kong’. We had to work in pairs- male/female, completing 9 x 90 seconds intervals jumping up and over an 8-foot high beam. Once over it, we had to complete as many ground to shoulder, synchronised atlas stone lifts as possible. The stones ranged from 42kg – 97kg.

What a test of strength, power, and sheer grit! Having never even seen an atlas stone before other than on TV’s ‘World’s Strongest Man’ we exceeded expectations beyond our wildeest dreams. At this point, we were so proud of our valiant efforts and performance. Yet, naturally, our competitive nature began to reflect on the points we missed out on. Definitely an emotional roller coaster Day 1.

Day Two

After mixed results and emotions from the first day, Day 2, was a chance to rise again. We left the arena the night before feeling somewhat despondent with the way things had gone. Some situations were out of our control and some very much down to allowing situations to overcome us as a team. Nevertheless, this is the nature of outdoor events of this magnitude, you will have to compete with the elements, equipment, crowd noise as well as the opposition.

With only 2 events remaining on that final day, it seemed as though the organisers decided to challenge as many aspects of fitness as possible as though we had just arrived. This time we were ready. We had learned from day one, and we had regrouped and began to strategise every detail of our tasks and our corresponding strengths.

And so into the Water Worm event 5: where we had to perform 10 synchronised log worm thrusters (deep squats to overhead lifts), straight into synchronised log lunges to the shoreline 50 meters away. This was followed with 2 swim laps into the sea holding onto a rescue board. As if that wasn’t enough, we had to repeat the lunge uphill to our start position. Finally, with time remaining repeat the thrusters (reps for time). We were beginning to earn the respect of our newly found Crossfit community. It seemed like we were in our element.

Gladiators!

With one event to go, this was it. This was our moment to shine in the heat of the day. We had one thing on our minds, to finish as high up the rankings as we possibly could. Stepping into the arena we felt like gladiators in the final scene. We had 12 minutes remaining. That’s 720 seconds, a 62kg tyre, 5x 60kg sandbags, 2 beams and 6 team members to get over and across one end of the arena. Another AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) event. All 6 objects and 6 athletes across once earned us 6 points. One stipulation- the tyre must not touch the sand.

For this final effort, we gave every fibre of strength and determination we had left. We had to muscle up even the tiniest of reserves to bear the weight of expectation. 26 points! That was our total for this finale. In total, we managed 4 complete rounds and 2 extra points for the few objects we retrieved at the end and getting all team members up and over the beams for the last time, with microseconds to spare.

We had finally arrived, although we were now leaving. A look up at the rankings and we finished in 86^th place. 86 out of 132 teams as a non-Crossfit outfit is something to be proud of. All the teams and staff who spoke to us were impressed with our team’s performance and efforts. We had definitely gained our entry into their circle. Fit for fun? Yes, but fit enough to compete with the best of them.

Having gained knowledge and insight into the training, preparation for and approach to the events, how much more could we bring to the party next year? Along with our aches, pains and bruises, we left with pride. We had accomplished our mission and gained an experience of a lifetime. This is what the FitFun team challenges are all about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQJg9ogiTGU