Does this sound like you? You get done with a great WOD in which you pushed yourself to your limit, put away all your equipment, record your results, grab your bag, and leave the gym to continue on with your life. Most CrossFit athletes I know do this exact thing.
Most athletes ignore one of the most important things…MOBILITY! After your have completely fatigued and exhausted your muscles and other connective tissues around the joints, it is important to make sure you keep those tissues loose and mobile. Take 10-15 minutes to roll out or stretch the areas that were used during the workout. In doing so, you are more likely to keep the necessary mobility around your joints, which will enable you to do the next WOD just as aggressively. When you neglect mobility work, the muscles start to tighten up and over time cause compensations and then injury.
Even with mobility work, the body does need occasional maintenance work to loosen up muscles that have developed trigger points in them. If pain is keeping you from doing what you love doing, contact me for information on how I can help you.