All The Cross Things.

So! Cyclocross season is finally underway and I have my second race this Sunday. My first race went pretty well (3rd place) but damn, I forgot how HARD racing is. It's so hard! Cyclocross races are 30 minute sprints with some technical sections that require running/hill climbs/jumping over barriers while pushing or carrying your bike. Oof.

But, you know what has made that better? My other cross - CrossFit. CrossFit is still going well and it's lots of fun (except when it's not) and the running, broad jumping and burpees have helped so much with the non-cycling parts of cyclocross. Also, sometimes you're forced to dress up like a superhero and shut up David Bowie is too a superhero:

ANYWAY. I had a reader request that I talk about what I wear for CrossFit. Gladly! First, here's a list of stuff I've bought since I started CrossFit:

- Foam Roller. My own personal painful massage tool.

- Lacrosse Ball. More painful massage. This is especially good for smushing your shoulder muscles into submission. And feet! And calves! Ow.

- Jump Rope. I read somewhere that in order to master double-unders you should have your own rope. So far this has not proven true but any day now, you guys.

- Inov-8 F-Lite 195. These are amazing, you guys. I got my pair on sale from Sierra Trading Post as linked (though 6pm.com has good prices as well) and they're a game-changer for CrossFit. Something about the flat, sticky sole makes me feel much more stable when I'm lifting heavy and they're super light-weight. They're also great for short runs and whatever other craziness your WOD throws at you. Plus they're wicked cute. Definitely check them out.

Inov-8 F-Lite 195

As for clothing? I go to a small CrossFit box that isn't all crazy buff women in booty shorts and Lulu bras. (Not that there's anything wrong with that other than it sounding SUPER intimidating.) I find that I prefer wearing tight fitting capris (these are a favorite) or shorts (love these for the high waist) and wicking t-shirts or tanks. I generally prefer more boob coverage because I hate doing wall walks or squats and feeling like I'm flashing the room. Sometimes if we're not doing something super-sweaty I'll just wear a regular t-shirt which is something I thought I'd never do at the gym again.

I still like Lululemon for the fashion-forward designs (though it's really hit or miss and I fear their quality is never going to be what it was) but Under Armour has come out as a surprising favorite - it's not too expensive and the fit is great. I bought this UA "Fly By" tank at the beginning of summer and was really pleased at how well it performed. 

On a final note, if you're doing CrossFit or thinking about it or just want a fun new fitness-related podcast to listen to on your commute, check out Girls Gone WOD. I have been listening to all their back episodes and it's highly entertaining. 

The World is HERE.

I've been super lame about updating this of late but there's been a lot going on. Cyclocross training for one, but much more importantly, the Road World Championships is being held in my hometown this week! It's completely surreal and I can't even wrap my head around it. It used to be that nothing good ever happened here and now it feels like EVERYTHING is happening here and it's really become a cycling destination. I mean, Paul Sherwen is talking about Richmond! Eep. We're all geeking out hard. I've been posting bits and pieces of it on Instagram:

Team Astana

spectating

Lupus Racing Team

To keep things on (blog) topic I should mention that I bought these stars and stripes Defeet socks because I thought my sock game should be tight for Worlds:

My teammate Paula's cool color block socks are by The Athletic. I totally covet them but I don't want to be a jerk and buy her special socks. Maybe I'll get this pair instead. It's important to have the right socks for the World Championships, don't you know. 

More to come! 

Review: Summer/Fall CycleBox

Another great CycleBox from RunnerBox. It's always so much fun to get a box full of great surprises. This one was pretty dang good:

Most of the edible bits are long gone. I drank the Organic Valley - Organic Fuel protein shake after a particularly hard ride and it was fantastic. I recommend. My other favorite was the Glukos lemon gummies because they were super zesty and tasty and had no weird ingredients. The bag of white cheddar Ips protein chips were super tasty and basically vanished lightning speed. And oh, hey, look at that in the lower left corner! A postcard signed by Taylor Phinney! Eep! Love it all. 

RunnerBoxes are available in three varieties - Runner, Tri and Cycle. They come every other month and cost $19.95 plus shipping. Aside from the bimonthly subscription they also offer gift boxes and right now there's a limited edition Pepper Palace Pro Cycling box! Very cool!

Disclaimer: I am a CycleBox Ambassador. I have not received compensation for my review (aside from the box) and my opinions are my own. I'd never endorse a product I didn't truly like and use!

Review: Bombas Socks! Best!

Last December I stumbled across a coupon deal for Bombas socks, a company I'd never heard of before. They looked cute and I needed athletic socks so the next thing I knew four pairs were headed my way:

I am really picky about my socks - I don't want them too thick or thin, I hate the seam across the toes, and I don't want them to slide into my shoes. My existing workout socks were a sad mix of cheap cotton blends that basically all sucked. When my Bombas order arrived I was pleased - they were indeed very cute and looked well-designed, with an ankle cushion and no annoying toe seam bump. Also, the company does good work: donating a pair for every pair sold. But the true test was longevity and comfort.  Do your stuff, fancy socks:

Cute!

And here's what happened: eight months later they're the only socks I wear to the gym. I reach for them exclusively despite having a drawer full of other (lesser) socks. I lift in them, I run in them, I get mad when I don't have a clean pair. They've held up wonderfully and are still soft as all get out. I HIGHLY recommend from the bottom of my heart. Get you some Bombas, people. They come in a bunch of cute colors and a couple different styles and if you click here you can get 25% off your first order. (That's my referral link, by the way.)

Ride Supplies: What I Carry With Me.

Most of my rides are local-ish and almost all are under two hours so I generally ride pretty light. I haven't used my Osprey Pack in a year! I've switched to water bottles which means I have to carry supplies in my seat pack or jersey pockets. I've definitely scaled it down but not without some thought.

I do have a saddle bag that holds a multi-tool, tire levers, a CO-2 pump and two cartridges. In my pockets I carry a spare tube, my cell phone, a few tissues, my house key and the following:

This disreputable little bag is an official UCI World Road Championships cell phone pouch that I picked up at a bike event swag table. I wish I'd taken more because it's the perfect size for a jersey pocket and much stronger than a Ziploc bag. Anyway, I have shoved this bag full of the little things I might need on a ride. Things like this:

- Ice3 Cooling Towelette. This came in my Cyclebox and is more about emergency poison ivy cleanup than it is about being fresh and cool. I'm really allergic so this will come in handy if I know I've accidentally brushed up against some of the terrible weed. It would also be handy on a super hot ride.

- Gu Salted Caramel. My favorite flavor!  This is the item that gets replenished pretty regularly. No bonking for me.

- SPF lip balm. I'm just a lip balm addict and it makes me happy to know I have one on me at all times.

- tiny mirror. This may seem like vanity until you get something in your eye or you lose a contact lense. Then you'll be really glad you have one.

- velcro loop. This seems weird but it comes in handy if you need to strap down a cable or..something. I don't know.

- spare cleat screw. Cleat screws fall out all the time (the world's an imperfect place) and if your cleat is loose you can't unclip. I always carry a spare.

- hair elastic. Because sometimes they blow out and then you have sweaty hair sticking out all over the place.

- Band-Aids, antiseptic towelette. Mountain biking involves falling and thorns and whatnot. Ouch.

- Park Tools Patch Kit. This also came in my Cyclebox and I love how small it is! I run tubeless so I would hopefully not need to patch a tube, but always handy.

- Spare Contact Lenses. This also goes with the tiny mirror. Every now and then I rub my eye the wrong way and out goes my contact. I am rull blind so I can't just go on my merry way with one lense. Daily disposables are pretty amazing.

- my health insurance card (not pictured.) This is just good sense for when you accidentally go off the side of the trail and plummet into a chasm of rocks and kudzu. Just saying.

Sale Report: Athleta and Nordstrom!

There's a good sale right now over at Athleta! They're giving an extra 20% off of sale stuff with code EXTRA20. Also, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale just started and they have a lot of good fitness apparel on sale. I particularly like the (Zella “Live In” leggings.)

Here are my Athleta picks, including some sweet knee socks that would be perfect for cyclocross:

Review: Summer CycleBox.

Ooh, my summer CycleBox arrived last month and I just realized maybe I should talk about it before I've consumed everything. This was one of those boxes where, once I pulled everything out I couldn't believe it had all come out of that little box. It was a LOT of stuff:

So great! I love all the snacks and it's nice to be have a small stash of bars and gels to paw through before I go out on a ride. The Simply 7 Quinoa Chips I ate as a snack one day and they satisfied the salty/crunchy craving. I also ate the delicious Bare Naked Sea Salt Caramel Apple granola out of the package at my desk like an animal. I love snacks.

There's also a tiny reusable TheraPearl ice/heat pack in there! It'll come in super handy the next time I bash my pedal into my shin. (Ow.) It's like a little bag of peas but way better.  It's hanging in the freezer right now with the PowerIce frozen electrolyte bar that I've been saving for a post-ride treat on a ridiculously hot day.

I was also really pleased to receive a Park Tool patch kit. It's everything you need in a tiny little container and it was immediately added to my pocket emergency kit. (I'll be doing a post about that soon.)

RunnerBox also sent me an excellent koozie with a belt loop and clip, which, if I was able to run more than a mile would be very handy. So far I've used it at the beach and the pool with great success. Yay summer!

RunnerBoxes are available in three varieties - Runner, Tri and Cycle. They come every other month and cost $19.95 plus shipping. Aside from the bimonthly subscription they also offer gift boxes and right now there's a limited edition Pepper Palace Pro Cycling box! Very cool!


Disclaimer: I am a CycleBox Ambassador. I have not received compensation for my review (aside from the box) and my opinions are my own. I'd never endorse a product I didn't truly like and use!