All right Ladies, in the past few weeks I’ve been approached by quite a few of you with questions regarding the Women’s Competition this summer. The consensus seems to be that ya’ll are very interested in trying to compete but don’t really know where to start, how to prepare, or what to expect so one of Crossfit Katy’s experienced competitors Lezlie Reeves and I decided to put together this article to hopefully answer some questions and ease some anxiety. I will address some of the common questions and Lezlie will give you an idea of what the actual event is like.
First I want to address the myth that you have to be “ready” for a competition. In case ya’ll have forgotten, one of the primary tenants of the CrossFit Methodology is that CrossFit prepares you for any athletic task necessary. Every athlete that works out at CrossFit Katy comes into class not knowing what the Workout of the Day is going to be. Sometimes we do movements and rep schemes that are very familiar. Sometimes we do workouts that we’ve done before….hello “Fran”! Sometimes we do workouts and movements that we’ve NEVER seen before. But you know what…we do them, we finish, and we succeed. A competition is like going to the gym…except it’s in a different place and you get to compete with different people, but it’s still just a workout! The best thing that you can do to prepare for a CrossFit competition is to keep coming to class regularly and keep working hard!
Next, I think people forget the fact that there are “scaled” categories in almost every CrossFit competition. The Crawfish Team WOD in April and the Women’s Only challenge this May will be no different, there will be scaled divisions. Remember, another of the primary tenants of CrossFit is that it is scalable to all levels of fitness. This concept is not forgotten when it comes to competitions. Most likely that means that whatever movement is required, whether it be thrusters or KB Swings, the scaled category will lift or swing a lighter weight.
Last, I highly recommend that everyone that is thinking about doing CrossFit competitions (and even those of you that are not) take a good look at your diet! That’s right, look at the food that you’re putting into your body. I know you’ve heard us talk about this a lot before but stop and really think about it. If you’re going to ask your body to go through multiple workouts and perform for you at a high level, you need to be treating and fueling it right. What does that mean? That means plenty of meat, veggies, and delicious healthy fats like avocado. Lay off of the sugar, grains, alcohol, and dairy. As for supplements you need to get some quality fish oil like the Stronger, Faster, Healthier brand that we sell in the office and start taking it on a regular basis. The fish oil will do wonders for your recovery as it minimizes inflammation in the first place. Also remember to drink plenty of water, especially as the temperatures start to rise this spring and summer. ~Leah
So how do you prepare for game day and what is game day like? The night before the event get a good meal and be sure to get a minimum of eight hours sleep. Your body will not be able to perform properly on insufficient sleep. The morning of competition you need to get up and eat a balanced breakfast of protein, carbs, and fat that you know will settle well. Game day is not a time to try something new. You should pack a cooler with sufficient food and drinks for the day. Make sure you bring lots of water. You will also want a small snack of protein and fat prior to each workout and protein and carbs immediately after each workout to aid in recovery. I like to pack lunchmeat, eggs, and/or protein powder, orange slices, sweet potatoes, nuts, avocado slices, and coconut flakes. I like a variety because I don’t want to have to choke down something I’m not in the mood for because it’s my only choice. You should also bring other things that will keep you comfortable and relaxed – a tent (depending on venue), lawn chairs, a blanket to nap or stretch out to rest, an Ipod, iced towels, and sunscreen for the outdoor events.
Each event is run a little differently. All of them have a packet pick up. This may occur the evening prior to the event or early the morning of the event. Your packet often (but not always) contains the workouts, your heat (order in which you compete), and your T – shirt. The morning of the competition the host usually meets with the athletes to go over workouts and movement standards, be sure to get there early. The first heat starts shortly after the athlete meeting. Just like any workout in the gym, you need to warm up before your first WOD. Depending on the competition and heat schedule, you may have an hour or more between WODs and anywhere from 2-5 workouts in a day. After the last event there will be an awards ceremony and many hosts will post the event standings on their website within a few days.
In March of last year, we traveled to Austin to cheer on competitors from Crossfit Katy in the South Central Sectional competition. My emotions were mixed – it looked like a lot of fun but did I have the mindset to compete?!?!? The itch stayed with me and I registered for my first competition in April. Then I competed in May, July, August, October (twice). I’ve never been near the podium, but being in a competition is still a lot fun. It helps you recognize your strengths and weaknesses as compared to the field…especially helpful if you have a desire to participate in the Games circuit. Even if you aren’t interested in becoming “elite”, knowing your strengths and weaknesses helps you to set goals for yourself. One of the best experiences of competitions doesn’t happen on the mat but in the tent. We cheer each other on and really get to know one another in a way that doesn’t happen during the week at the gym. Competitions develop our community. It’s also a time to show off to yourself and your family. For those of you with kids (or husbands or friends and other family), have they ever seen you lift heavy stuff or jump on a box or swing a kettlebell? This is a great way to share your Crossfit experience with them. ~Lezlie
I hope this article helps for those of you who are thinking about competing. It is an amazing experience and I hope we can have a really good turnout for some of these events especially the Women’s Only Challenge in May! Keep working hard!
Upcoming competitions –
Open sectionals @ Crossfit Katy beginning March 15
Team competition (2 divisions) @ Bayou City Crossfit April 23 (sign up on the whiteboard to join a team)
Women’s only @ Crossfit Houston May 7 (this filled up fast last year so go ahead and make up your mind so you can register as soon as it opens)
