The season is upon us. The air is cold, everywhere you go, you’re bound to smell Christmas Trees and cinnamon. It’s times like this when we should all sit down and ponder the important, meaningful questions in life, like what should I buy for that cute girl in my CrossFit class? Well if you have a special someone in your life who has any inclination towards CrossFit or fitness in general, I’ve come up with a short list to give you some Ideas for that special Crossfiter in your life that don’t all lose their use outside of the gym.
First on my list is the magical beans that make up Death Wish Coffee. Since this isn’t targeted at just “fit” people, it makes a great gift anyone. This particular brand boasts the highest caffeine content around. I don’t know about all that, but what I do know is that I enjoy their roasts. They also come out with holiday and seasonal roasts regularly and have been experimenting with coffee in aged whisky barrels. Great stuff for a gift.
I knew I was growing up when I started looking forward to Christmas socks. If you’re an active person kickin butt at work and at the gym then you’re putting a lot of miles on your feet. Chances are if you look in my sock drawer, you’ll find several pairs of socks with holes so I always appreciate receiving a fresh pair as a gift.
As I already mentioned, I’m getting older, and this has changed how I feel about receiving certain gifts. One of these is a book. In the past, handing me a book at Christmas would be met with a forced smile and a flat “thanks” because I felt like you just gave me homework. As the sands of time slip through my fingers, I find myself enjoying a little quiet time with a good book.
For me this is a given. Protein can be expensive and while you can do without the powders by getting sufficient protein in your diet, I like to use supplements to fill in the gaps. This is my personal favorite, but I’ve never turned down any brand when I received it as a gift.
Along the vein of fueling your workouts, we have this miracle of fast food that’s actually good for you. Some people might thumb their nose at a gift card, but I would be thrilled if one from this tasty establishment made it’s way under my tree. I mean, we even have a burrito ornament hanging up.
I fought against the shoe equivalent of the Crossfit coolaid for several years. I wanted to be on the fringe in a fringe sport by buying shoes no one has ever heard of. Then after getting my first muscle up, I rewarded myself with a pair of Nanos. Dear baby , I see what all the fuss is about. I know getting someone a pair of shoes for Christmas can be expensive so here’s what I would do. Don’t run out and buy the latest version of Nanos. I’m my opinion, the nano 2’s are just as great as what’s on the drawing board right now and at about half the price. They add a few new bells and whistles each year but at a certain point, what else do you need?
I can never have enough tape. I may not use it the way this guy does, but if the day calls for a lot of pull-ups, or bar work I like to have some handy. KT tape is my favorite because it’s stretchy and I can use it on my fingers or to work its voodoo on an injured area. This is a good stocking stuffer since its so cheap.
These are just a few things I believe would go over well on Christmas day. Real talk though, are you strapped for cash, or is there a parent or other person in your life who doesn’t care about any of this silly shit? Then forget about this or any other list. The most valuable commodity you have is your quality time. Take your dad out to lunch and leave the cellphone in your damn pocket. Get some coffee with your mom and let her finish all those phone conversations that you ended so abruptly. At the end of the day, all these “things” are pretty much worthless compared to the memories you can make by spending time with someone you love.
Do you have any particularly great gift ideas or stories? If so I’d love to hear about them in the comments below. And Happy Christmas and Merry New Year.
Thoughts from an average Crossfit Athlete 