Our annual charity competition is on June 3 this year. Not only is it an important Alchemy event that raises money for The Children’s Wish Foundation, but it’s also an excellent opportunity for members to dip their toes in the competitive pool and participate in their first CrossFit competition. (FYI: It’s not too late to sign up!) If you’re one of the people who are testing your limits this year and participating on June 3, here are some tips to help you sail through competition day:
Get warm
With most competitions you can expect to wait anywhere from one hour to three hours between workouts, which means that you will need to warm-up before each event. That doesn’t mean do a handful of squats and stretch for 90 seconds before you plunge into the workout. To warm up effectively, you should feel sweaty and warm. Here is a six-minute warm-up you should do 10 minutes before the workout begins, which will still leave time to get organized.
Warm-up:
• two minutes of running, biking, or rowing
• two minutes of dynamic stretches that target the muscles and joints that are going to be used in the workout
• two minutes of the movements contained in the workout; you should practice the main movements of the workout to warm up your form and see how everything feels.
Go at your pace
Rookies—and even a few veterans—will often make the mistake of trying to pace their workouts according to how others are performing around them. This doesn’t really do much but ensure that you’ll either redline way too early, or fail to push yourself when you can. While it’s easy to be distracted when so much is going on around you, focus is key to staying on track so make it a priority. If you need some kind of aid, use the clock to time your breaks or rep scheme. It’s also a good idea to take a few minutes before the workout begins to create a plan of attack. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses in a specific workout will go along way in a tough WOD.
Keep the tank full
During a competition you will push yourself to the brink workout after workout. Most of us aren’t accustomed to that kind of stress, which makes fuelling your body after every workout key to maintaining stamina. The breaks between workouts will give you an idea of how much to eat, e.g., if you have under an hour, replenish with carbs (fruit or a sports drink), if you have more than an hour, take in a small balanced meal.
Remember why you’re there
The most important thing to remember on competition day is that you’re really there because it’s fun. The more you keep that in mind, the calmer and more relaxed you’ll be, which will only aid your performance. Competing in CrossFit is something that should make you feel good about yourself and bring you closer to your fellow competitors.