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Most CrossFit athletes know the cramping, burning ache in the forearms caused by Fran, but few have pushed through that to fire a gun at a target.
At a Nov. 16 competition in Florida, three-time CrossFit Games champion Rich Froning did exactly that as part of a five-event challenge involving fitness and firearms.
“I’m comfortable with guns. Doesn’t mean I’m accurate with guns,” Froning says.
The champ competed against a field that included J.J. Racaza, a practical shooting grand master and firearms instructor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Racaza has six months of CrossFit training under his gun belt.
Events included a 2-mile run, a firearms Fran and a multi-gun event with a host of CrossFit movements mixed in.
“You’d think it would be one of those two who’s going to win it because J.J.’s one of the best iron-sights pistol shooters in the world, and Rich is obviously the best CrossFitter in the world. It depends how much value is put on the shooting if J.J. can beat him,” says CrossFit Inc. Director of Training Dave Castro, who’s also a competitive shooter.
In the end, Froning’s fitness wasn’t enough to help him overcome Racaza’s accuracy, and the firearms instructor took first.
“It was such a good day, man. It was just shooting and working out. I feel great,” Racaza says.
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Additional reading: CrossFit’s Right on Target by Dave Re, published March 29, 2009.
