Real sportspeople are sportspeople all year round. There’s no holidays in their concept of training or, maybe there is, but only in the context of the person doing what they always do, just in a new location.
This is a well-known phenomenon, especially when we’re talking about people who are hooked on one of today’s most popular sports – CrossFit. This athletic discipline involves high-intensity exercises designed to achieve constant physical improvement. It’s very demanding and requires continuity and discipline to truly achieve the desired results.
CrossFitters know exactly what we’re talking about – if you snooze, you lose or, at the very least, getting started after a break will be very hard. Anyone who hasn’t tried probably thinks we’re addicted (and it sure gives us an addiction-like high), but it’s true – we’re mad (for CrossFit)!
Maybe you’re a CrossFitter going on a trip where the journey is a sporting achievement in itself, you’re travelling to take part in a competition or race, or you’re staying at an active resort, but even if none of these options apply to you, you can still keep in form on your holidays by fitting in a few CrossFit sessions. The drop-in is the perfect solution – once-off entry to a box for a period of 1 – 3 days, so there’s no excuse for neglecting your training.
What do you need to bear in mind to do this? Read on:
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Find your box
Once you’ve picked a trip, set the dates, and chosen a destination, you need to find out if there is any box or space near where you’ll be staying. Use to find this out easily.
From the results in your area, you can pick the most appropriate. Have a look at their website, check out the timetable, class schedule, and their requirements for people dropping in.
Sometimes the box will ask for a minimum requirement in terms of CrossFit experience or knowledge or will ask that you come when it’s less-busy.
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Bring the equipment you’ll need
When you’re packing, don’t forget to bring the training equipment you usually use, stripped down to the minimum to make sure you fit within your luggage limitations on the plane.
For example, you can bring some shorts that you can wear throughout the holiday, a comfy t-shirt, your CrossFit shoes, and the essentials – gloves, wrist wraps and some tape.
Don’t forget to include a skipping rope if you plan to do a WOD on your own time.
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How to access the box and how much you’ll pay
If you’re heading off to a box, make sure to leave plenty of time, since you don’t know where you’re going, and any kind of delay could pop up. Find out what public transport you’ll need to take, or ring the box and ask them how best to reach them. They might even be able to tell you if there are any once-off problems you’ll find on the way there, like a strike or roadworks. If you’re driving, make sure you know where to find parking, at the centre or nearby.
We find that this kind of once-off access usually costs between €/$10 and €/$30, depending on the box, but it should never be more. Sometimes it will even be free, but if you find it is, it would be nice – and polite – to make a small purchase while you’re there. How about a commemorative t-shirt?
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Once you’re in your “holiday box”
It’s always a good idea to arrive 15 – 20 minutes before the class in case we need to fill in some paperwork or health disclaimers before we start.
That will also give you time to change calmly and check out the atmosphere in the box or even meet the coach which would be a great idea, especially if you are planning on going more than once.
If that also gives you the chance to meet a few of the other CrossFitters, even better – it will make your visit much nicer. Remember to do the same for any newcomers or visitors once you’re back in your home box – they’ll always be grateful.
If the class is going to be in a different language, you’re going to need to pay even more attention. Ask questions if you have any doubts, even if the asking is in itself a bit of a linguistic challenge.
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When you’re leaving
Once the session and cooldown have finished, it’s always a good idea to tidy up and collect the equipment and have a chat with your classmates about the session (when it comes down to it, they’re just Crossfitters like us). If you had a great session, you might want to take a selfie with the group and share it online with a comment about the box – it might become a good resource for others who find themselves in the same situation as you.
Doing a drop-in session at a box far away from your home box is usually a different, interesting experience. After all, beyond just being classmates that have a different culture or language, they’re sportspeople like you and understand that in Crossfit, there’s never really such a thing as a holiday!
