Wednesday’s workout is Dallas. It’s part of the Yearly Benchmark Series and it looks like this:
Dallas
1 mile run x 3
Rest between efforts for as long as the previous mile time.

STOP! Before you rush to your computer to early cancel out of class or vow not to come to the shop on Wednesday, we need to talk.

As many of you know, CrossFit is a GPP training program. GPP stands for general physical preparedness and CrossFit – constantly varied, functional movements, executed at high intensity – is the training method we use to achieve this state of readiness. The overarching goal of CrossFit is to increase work capacity across broad time and modal domains.
There are many facets to increasing work capacity and two that stand out in the case we’re about to make are – training to become a well-rounded athlete and working your weaknesses.
Training to become a well-rounded athlete means you have to continue to train the elements that you’re good at, but especially the ones that you’re not so good at. The ones you’re not so good at are often referred to as weaknesses. We train weaknesses on a daily basis at CrossFit Roots through the constantly varied program dosed up in group classes. You’re familiar with this as some days you jump out of bed with joy knowing you are good at the movements posted and some days you roll out of bed knowing you still need to go even those are NOT your favorite movements (side note: just jump out of bed either way!).
CrossFit states:
A weakness is a certain skill that is lacking relative to an athlete’s proficiency in other areas. By improving one’s capacity in these weak areas, the athlete’s overall fitness increases. Effective CrossFit programming by itself is weakness development. With well-varied, unbiased combinations of loads, time durations, movements, etc., clients inevitably see improvements in their fitness for years. Over the months and years, just performing the elements one struggles with will improves one’s proficiency in these movements. Source. 
I bolded that last statement because it’s so important. Over the months and years, just performing the elements one struggles with will improves one’s proficiency in these movements. Simply showing up to class on a consistent basis over years and years (not cherry picking your workouts) will deliver a level of fitness you can not imagine.
In short, if you are planning to avoid Dallas and running is one of your weaknesses – or something you just don’t like doing – you’re not going to get everything you could out of this program even on days that suit your strengths.
That’s because there is transference across all movement patterns and capacities in a GPP setting. Without biasing a training element, working to develop a weakness will improve your fitness in all areas.
Finally, there’s the notion that this workout does not require a group class setting. Yes, while it’s true that you could go to the track on your own and run 3 1-mile repeats, I will bet a lot of money that you will not push yourself anywhere NEAR the effort level of doing it alongside other like-minded and focused individuals and in a structured and accountable setting. And that small detail plays into another element of gaining everything we can from this training program – intensity. We are looking to find the greatest intensity in each effort and a solo effort falls short of getting everything you can out of this workout. So yes, we want you to come and mooch off of everyone elses’s energy and adrenaline for your own personal fitness benefit!
So sure, maybe you’re nervous, scared, not sure you can do it, worried you’ll be last, or fearful that the sidewalk might end. Whatever the reason, we understand and we’re here to support you. We believe in this training method at our very core and know that the individuals who thrive over years and years are the ones that come on 3×1-mile repeats days.
We’ll see you Wednesday!