You don’t have to read this blog very often to know I love CrossFit. Not just the sport, but the friends I have found inside the gym, the confidence I’ve built and the life I now live because of CrossFit.
This weekend was all about CrossFit, and prosecco, and jacuzzis.
(A fitness weekend really….)
Ten of us traveled from the south to the north to join Crossfit Staffs at their first ever competition. Such was our dedication that we got up at 5am and drove on the dark and deserted motorways until we arrived at just after daybreak at the Staffordshire box.
Again, as I walked in the door and saw a bunch of sculpted athletes in the building, I regretted the eating train I have been on since November.
But then as I patted my slightly larger than average tummy I realised when it came to doing three minutes of burpees I would have an advantage as my chest and stomach would hit the floor way before anyone else’s…..
My friend, Supersara and I were prepared to work out to the best of our abilities and we were sporting our Polar Loops to track our activity.
My aim was to burn enough calories to eat my body weight in chilli and chocolate later.
The competition was seriously good. Well ran, fair judging, and quick, sharp workouts designed to challenge but not exclude.
I have to be honest, I felt like dying after the first one. A combination of heavy dumbbell snatches and toes to rings….
I eagerly checked my activity tracker on my loop and was a little disappointed to see I still had 50% to go before I hit my daily activity target.
Sara, who had cleverly worn her heart rate monitor as well as her loop, gleefully informed me she was already over her activity target for the day!
End of day results
This did confirm what I already knew, the loop is far more accurate when used with the heart rate monitor.
We both did the same workouts over the same time, but look at the difference in our daily results….
Remind me to always wear my heart rate monitor, because if not it looks like Sara is smashing me…. And I hate to lose….
Speaking of which…
We didn’t win the competition. We never expected to, but after the first workout we ranked third. Possibly my highest ranking in a competition ever, so I clung to that as my glory moment for the rest of the day. My partner, Luscious Liz was awesome, carried my through all the wods and didn’t make me feel inadequate. We even did a burpee wod, three minutes of the bastards, just so you know, the extra weight I carry and hitting the ground with my extra body fat didn’t make burpees easier. The small, sculpted athletes made them look easy, I looked like an elephant bouncing on a broken trampoline.
The workouts had some great quirky moves, handholding over a kettlebell and lunging, junkyard dogs (google it), and some old favourites – toes to rings, clean and jerks, and box jumps.
Well worth the drive to Staffordshire, for any CrossFitters looking for a expertly ran competitions that are accessible to all – check out CrossFit Staffs future events.
At one point, I looked around the busy crowded room, saw people really pushing themselves, screaming motivation at strangers and friends. I saw my own circle of women who have gone from gym buddies, to mates, to my best friends and realised that there was no place I’d rather be.
Photos courtesy of the talented Active Stills
Later, post competition, as I sat with the same women around me, in a jacuzzi, with Prosecco in my hand, I realised I was wrong…. Now there was no place I’d rather be!
The night was as much fun as the day, but in an utterly different way. Rather than repping out weights for time, we focused on drinking as much as possible in a short space of time. We shared stories that can never be published online, didn’t drown in the jacuzzi – but had some near misses. And some of us, who just can’t keep up, fell asleep on the sofa by half nine and trotted to bed just after.
In my defence, I was exhausted and wanted to see how my Polar Loop would cope with a rare ten hours sleep.
Both myself and the loop coped just fine with a decent nights kip…..
As far as weekends go, this one was pretty special. Combined the perfect mix of exercise, laughing, sleeping and partying.
When I first signed up for CrossFit I had no idea it would impact so much and so positively on my life.
If Carlsberg made weekends…..
Disclosure: myself and Supersara are currently putting the Polar Loop and Heart rate monitor through its paces for a review piece.
More disclosure: I didn’t wear my heart rate monitor that is why Sara looks more active than me.
More disclosure again: Had I worn my monitor am sure I would be more active than Sara, despite the fact that her team finished six places above us….
Well done and 3rd is amazing – you all look so strong. Such an inspiration.