Category Archives: Crossfit

Things I learned from my first Crossfit Competition

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This past weekend, the Englishman and I participated in our first official crossfit competition hosted by our own box, Crossfit Vibe.  We “technically” participated last year, but had to do the workouts in advance as we were in Maui on our honeymoon on the day of the event.  It was an awesome, humbling and exhausting experience.  And while we finished nowhere near the top, we both felt proud at the end that we made it through.

Here are some things I learned from my first crossfit competition:

1. Prepare to be humbled.

first crossfit competition

photo cred: crossfit vibe

We registered for the “fun” division, and while I know I’m not the best crossfitter out there, I was incredibly humbled by all of the amazing athletes in the fun and RX division.  The way they flew through the movements with ease when I was struggling through my front squats was crazy.  I definitely have a lot to work on.

2. Doing 3 WODs in a day is hard.

crossfit competitionNormally at crossfit we do 1 WOD (work out of the day) at 6am and then we are done.  This was 3 WODs broken up over the course of a day and while all of them were quite short (12 min or less) it was still challenging to gear up to do your final workout at 1:30PM when you are used to working out first thing in the morning.  Not to mention by that point you are pretty sore!

3.  Resting and refueling is key.

crossfit competition

photo cred: crossfit vibe

When I run races, they are always first thing in the morning so normally I don’t each much and then refuel after.  When you are doing a crossfit competition, it’s an all day event so you have to time your eating in between workouts.  The Englishman and I still have a lot of work to do on this, but we experimented with protein shakes and easy digestible foods like eggs, granola bars and some fruit.  I don’t like having a ton of food in my stomach when working out so it was definitely a bit tricky.  Plus, in between cheering for everyone you had to make sure you were resting/warming up for the next event.

4. Having a good partner is crucial.

crossfit competitionI feel so lucky that the Englishman and I could compete together as a team.  We were able to brush off nerves and just have fun with it.  Communication was key during some of the workouts so we set up a game plan ahead of time so when we were in the thick of it we could just power through.  Also: coming up with a good team name is important (ours was Titus Andromedon).

5. The crossfit community is awesome.

crossfit competitionI was so inspired by how many people came out to cheer us on.  It was awesome to have the support from our own friends and box, but to have other people cheering for us during the workouts was great.  And fun!  It’s truly a great community and it’s so nice to know that people have your back, regardless of if you finish first or last.

So there you have it! Our first crossfit competition is in the books and it was a great learning experience overall.  Fellow crossfitters: have you competed before?  Any tips and tricks for competition day?

Class Pass

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Have you heard of Class Pass?  It’s an online fitness membership that gives you access to a variety of fitness studios for a monthly fee.  You can check out as many studios as you want, and can attend each one up to 3x each month.  Class Pass just started in Orange County and I recently had the opportunity to try it out for a month.

class pass One thing I noticed right off the bat was how easy it was to schedule and book your classes.  You can filter by date, location, or class and then just click schedule on the one you want.  Class Pass will automatically add a reminder to your Google calendar, and you have up to until 12 hrs before class to cancel (canceling any time after that will result in a $20 cancellation fee).

Since I already do a lot of crossfit and running, I wanted to use Class Pass for things I wouldn’t normally do like yoga, barre, and spinning.  Here are the classes I took:

Spinning at YAS:

One of the things I liked about YAS was the fact that it you didn’t have to rent shoes or pay for any extras which was nice.  However, I found the class to be a bit lackluster and the instructor not the most motivating, so it was a bit of a disappointment.

Vinyasa Flow at EKAM Yoga:

EKAM Yoga

I’m definitely NOT a yogi, but I love the way my body feels after a good yoga class.  The environment at EKAM yoga was warm and inviting, and I loved how my legs felt looser after the class.  I’m definitely planning on returning to EKAM Yoga in the future for some more classes.

Spinning at Full Psycle:

class pass full psycle

I’ve taken Full Psycle classes in the past and LOVED them.  I don’t spin there too often due to budget, but every time I go to class I get a killer workout.  The leaderboard can be a bit intimidating at times, but all the instructors are super motivating and deliver a kick-ass workout.  Plus, I love how they send you your stats after each class.

Pure Barre:

A few years ago I was all about the barre, attending classes 3-4x a week.  Then I got more into running and crossfit and barre kind of fell by the wayside.  It was fun to return to a barre class and revisit that all-too familiar thigh shaking feeling when you are pulsing in low squats.

Overall I really enjoyed my experience with Class Pass!  In the future I’d love to give it a go again, mainly because it got me back into yoga again which was much-needed.

Interested in checking out Class Pass for yourself?  Here are a couple of ways:

You can try a 1-week trial of Class Pass for only $10.

OR

You can sign up for your first month for $100*.

If you are interested in checking out new fitness studios or just looking to shake up your routine, then I highly recommend Class Pass!  It’s the perfect way to start spring off on the right note.

*Affiliate links included.  Thanks for supporting Sweet Potato Bites!

Me Like Bars

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There are a lot of healthy snack bars on the market.  Some are gluten-free, some are vegan, some are paleo, and then you have your old-fashioned Chewy granola bar.  But I have to say, there’s something special about Me Like Bars.

me like bars lineupMe Like Bars is known for being “the ungranola.”  The bars have a similar texture to granola bars, but are grain-free and paleo inspired.  I first heard of Me Like Bars at my crossfit’s spring fling competition last summer, and since then, I can’t get enough.  Plus, how fun is their name?

The thing that sets Me Like Bars apart from other healthy snack bars is their simplicity.  Just nuts, dried fruit, a little maple syrup and honey, coconut oil, cinnamon and sea salt.  That’s it.  In fact, these bars are so natural that the Me Like team recommends you store them in the fridge to ensure maximum freshness.

me like bars closeup

Me Like Bars come in four signature flavors: Blue Cherry, Cranberry, Apricot and Dark Chocolate.  The Me Like Bars team also creates seasonal flavors, and the Winter bar this year included pistachios which I loved.

My personal favorites are the Apricot which includes macadamia nuts (which you hardly find in snack bars) and the Blue Cherry which has a delightful blend of dried blueberries and cherries.

Me like bars trioThese bars make a great breakfast on the go – if you are crunched for time in the AM or have to eat in your car on the way to work (we’ve all been there) they are the perfect thing to pack in your bag.  Since they are full of healthy fats and nuts, I’ve found that they keep me satiated throughout the morning which is great.

I’ve also had these bars as a post-crossfit snack and have frozen them for a nice after dinner treat.  However you choose to enjoy these bars, you won’t be disappointed.

me like bars closeup

So how do you get your hands on these little gems?  Simply order through the Me Like Bars website, and from now until January 31st, the wonderful team at Me Like Bars is offering 15% off your order when you enter promo code SWEETPOTATOBITES at checkout!

Like I said, there may be a lot of healthy snack bars on the market, but if you are looking for a natural, grain-free bar with minimal ingredients and great flavor, then Me Like Bars is the PERFECT bar for you.

Beginner Yasso 800s

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Even though I’m not training for anything in particular at the moment, I am still running, going to crossfit and getting speed work in.  This week I decided to do a beginner Yasso 800s workout.

If you have been reading running blogs/magazines/message boards, chances are you have heard of the famous Yasso 800s.  The theory is that whatever time you run your 800s in is your predicted marathon time.  So if you ran your Yasso 800s in 3:30, your marathon time should be approximately the same (if on a relatively flat course).

Since I have no plans to run a marathon anytime soon, I just used the Yasso 800s as another way to get some good speed work in on the track.  The original Yasso 800s are 10 rounds, but since this was my first stab at it, I decided to go for 5 rounds, with a 400 meter recovery in between.

Let me tell you, these are no joke!  It’s a great speed workout and can be done on a track or on a treadmill!  I covered 5 miles with my workout, but the beauty of the Yasso 800s is that you can do as many as you want.

Beginner Yasso 800sI’ll definitely be repeating this workout in the future, and will hopefully be adding more rounds!

And just for fun, here are some race pics from the Renegade Santa Run last week.  I really need to work on my facial expressions.

Renegade Santa Run picApparently I like to look at the ground while I run?  And running with antlers rules.

Renegade Santa Run RaceWhy do I look so pissed off?  Also note that the antlers are no longer on my head as I apparently got sick of them.

Renegade Santa Run finishI really need to work on my finish line shots.  The photographer almost always catches me messing with my garmin too.

Renegade Santa Run 4The Englishman and I post race.  I might actually order this shot instead of just taking a screen grab from the site.

Has anyone else done Yasso 800s?  Any other speed work workouts I should try?