The CrossFit Open is now over and if you're like me, you finished crawling. Speculating about which movements were going to be featured in this workout were fun. It was a build your worse/most fun workout activity and it came true. Going into Thursday (Friday stateside) we knew it was going to suck. Most of us thought burpees, thrusters and box jumps were going to be in the workout since those movements were historically in the open. Other movements like rowing and pistols were not as likely but we know Dave Castro likes to throw curve balls.

"27-27, 21-21, 15-15, 9-9"

When Dave Castro finished the rep scheme I was worried. Only two movements? Immediately I thought, burpee box jumps and thrusters or burpees and squat cleans. Then he announced calories on the rower and thrusters and it was for time. I was excited and dreading this workout at the same time. Excited, because no burpess, dreading because I know how much this workout is going to kill my legs.

I did my best and managed to finish in 15:18. I wanted to finish under 15 minutes but I am happy with my time. I was exhausted; I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before I decided to sit up. A few members were finishing their workouts and I decided to cheer them on. My legs were on fire but it died down after a few minutes. The soreness would be felt the next morning however.

I didn't participate in the open last year. I did some of the workouts but I didn't make it a priority. I thought I wasn't ready to compete with anyone. I managed to PR a score from last year by doing it Rx and with more reps. The open highlighted a lot of my weaknesses. Body weight movements have been my kryptonite and by next year I will be able to do at least one muscle up. I paid my $10 to HQ and I don't feel bad about it. I know I won't be going to the games but the open keeps me connected to the larger CrossFit community. I will be joining again next year and hopefully I will be higher on the leader board.

Loot Crate is a monthly subscription box for geeks and nerds. It has a variety of items that follow a monthly theme. February's theme was "Play!" which was very exciting since my gaming group started playing more board games.

What's in the Box?

Book, Cards and Dice

After finishing my last book "Skin Game" from Jim Butcher I've been wanting a new book to read. Thankfully Loot Crate put in "Ready Player One". I've heard a lot of good things about this book from friends and online reviews. I'm not a huge fan of the Dystopian future genre but I will give this book a read. I recently read an article about Steven Spielberg directing the movie adaptation, which makes me want to start reading as soon as possible.

A new card game called Super Fight was also included. My first impression of it was the nerdy version of Apples to Apples and Cards Against Humanity. A few of my friends have played it and said it was a lot of fun. Hopefully I will be able to break out these cards in our next gaming session. Also included is a pair of dice that is used to play a game. The Loot Crate box (not shown) can be turned into a game board. The dice come with rules and the monthly magazine has punch outs. I haven't looked over the rules but will update if I get a chance to play.

Figures and Bugs

The Munny figure is what I'm most excited about this month. I remember seeing these a few years ago in an art store and have been wanting to paint one. I've been painting miniature pieces for wargaming for two years now but this would be a new experience. Thankfully I can use my acrylic paints since I'm not that proficient with markers.

Also included were a Hex Bug, a code for the online game Firefly and a poster from Manny Peters. The Hex Bug looks cool but I haven't played with them. I've received a smaller one in a previous crate but it's still in its packaging. I've heard its very popular with younger children so I may give it to a sibling. The firefly ship code may get me to play this game. I didn't know they were making this game until a month ago but it's not too late to start.

Final Thoughts

My Nano 3s and Inov-8 Bare-XF 210s will not last forever. A year of CrossFit has taken a toll on them and the wear is starting to show. I was leaning towards the new Nano 4s but the design of the new Inov-8 F-Lite 235s caught my eye. I own a few pairs of Inov-8 shoes and I'm satisfied with their quality. My fiance purchased a pair for my birthday and I've been using them in the majority of my workouts ever since.


Looks, Fit and Sizing
The colorway and design of the 235s are very unique. It has a "yin yang" design with half the shoe being one of the two colors. The materials and construction feel solid and the Rope-Tec blends in well with the shoe. Using my 210s as a reference my fiance ordered the shoes in my actual size. The shoe fits well and better than my 210s. The toe box doesn't feel as wide as the Nano 3s but it has plenty of room for your toes. They feel lighter than the Nano 3s and slightly heavier than the 210s. The shoe feels flexible enough for running and stiff enough for lifting making it an ideal shoe for any WOD.



Performance
I decided to do some squats and deadlifts to test out how these shoes handle lifts. I used a moderate weight when lifting and didn't try to max out. These shoes were great and handle lifts well. They perform just as well as my Nano 3s. I didn't feel the soles compress during heavy lifts and the shoe felt stable throughout.

After running in the 235s for a few weeks I have nothing but good things to say. I used a couple of 400m runs to test run performance. The 235s have a zero-drop profile and with the sticky rubber sole provide a lot of grip. I was concerned that the shoes would feel like the Nano 3s, thankfully that was not the case. The shoe grips the pavement well, only felt a slight slip when running through a wet area. My box doesn't program rope climbs regularly and a rope is not set up at the box. I will update this post with any info on how the shoe holds up to rope climbs.

After using these shoes regularly for four months, I can say they are holding up well. The construction is solid, and the wear is not that noticeable. The quality is what I've come to expect from an Inov-8 product. The versatility of the F-Lite 235s is its strongest selling point. It does well in lifts and its a good shoe for shot to medium distance runs. I hope they release a few more colorways, black and red would look awesome.

If you have any questions, leave a comment at the bottom. Next on the review list is the Inov-8 Fastlifts and the Nike Metcon 1s and strength wraps.

I finished 15.2 this past weekend with a PR! Last year I had finished 14.2 with 60 reps. I had scaled the workout to 65 lbs. and pull ups because the movements were too difficult. I finished 15.2 with 63 reps RX! CrossFit works.