Tis the season!

Starting today, the 2018 CrossFit Games begins again in Madison, Wisconsin. All of us who regularly scrap and strain our way through daily WODs understand the skill, power, agility, strength, and speed necessary to be a competitive CrossFit athlete. That reason alone makes it worth the watch. Herculean athletes from all over the world compete in roughly a dozen events over five days. If you are unfamiliar with The Games, the week looks like this:

Wednesday: Dave Castro calls the 2018 opening day “the hardest day in the history of the CrossFit Games.” Forty men and forty women start with a Nascar-like bike race of ten laps around a 1200 meter track. This event is only one heat for men and one for women, so the sheer number of athletes vying for top spot at the same time will inevitably lead to some epic bike crashes. After the Crit there is a 30 muscle-up for time sprint followed by the CrossFit Total.

But in true Castro fashion, athletes aren’t done yet. The last event of opening day is a full-blown marathon on the rower. That means athletes row 42,195 meters with a casual four-hour time cap. Just let that sink in a bit, and keep in mind that it is still only Wednesday.

Thursday athletes get a rest day then are back at it Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, each day packed with two to three additional events per day. Also starting Wednesday and continuing through the weekend are the Teams, Teens, and Masters divisions. You can catch the individual and team events live on the official CrossFit Games website, Facebook, or on CBSSports.com.

If you decide that The Games coverage isn’t enough of a CrossFit fix, or if you find yourself sad and despondent Monday morning knowing your Games binge is over for the year, there are a ton of CrossFit documentaries on Netflix. Check out Decade of Fitness, Road to the Games, FronVIng, Redeemed and Dominant, and Every Second Counts.

3...2...1...go!