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These 10 Athletes Are Headed to the Games

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition was chalked up while relaxing after watching approximately 17 hours of straight CrossFit this weekend. One week down, two more to go.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Nothing in training will hurt as bad as not qualifying for the 2016 Games. Never forget that.” — Dani Horan

EAST, SOUTH REGIONALS RECAP

WHO’S HEADING TO MADISON?East

  1. Carol-Ann Reason-Thibault  |  Mathew Fraser  |  Team Back Bay
  2. Katrin Davidsdottir  |  Patrick Vellner  |  Team CrossFit Milford
  3. Kari Pearce  |  Tim Paulson  |  Reebok CrossFit One
  4. Dani Horan  |  Cody Mooney  |  CrossFit Queens
  5. Chelsey Hughes  |  Michael Palomba  |  Ocean States Finest
South
  1. Tennil Reed  |  Logan Collins  |  Wasatch Brutes
  2. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet  |  Travis Williams  |  Salt Lake City CF
  3. Margaux Alvarez  |  Dakota Ragar  |  Bigg Friends
  4. Bethany Branham  |  Elijah Muhammad  |  CrossFit Omnia
  5. Alexis Johnson  |  Tommy Vinas  |  Pillar CrossFit
2016 veterans not returning…Candice Wagner, Sean Sweeney, Alex Vigneault, Lucas Parker, and Albert Dominic Larouche.

THINGS TO KNOW, THINGS TO SHARE.

Dave Castro explains the thought process for Event 6 and allowing athletes to use their hands on the box jump overs: “We decided to allow the hands to touch [the box]…so we can speed it up and increase the intensity.” Mathew Fraser closed out day 3 with two event wins to rack up his 15th career Regionals event win. The Worm weights 435 pounds. This is how the first Latin American team to qualify for the CrossFit Games since the introduction of the new Regionals format reacted. A Regionals volunteer thanks Dave Castro for making her better.

For a laugh…when you’re trying to recover and get in your morning coffee at the same time.

WHAT ABOUT LAST YEAR’S BUBBLE ATHLETES?

Last week, we looked at the sixth place finishers in the 2016 East and South Regionals. Of the four athletes who just barely missed a trip to the Games, three qualified for the Games; two as individuals and one on a team. Only Chase Smith was unsuccessful after sustaining an injury in Event 2 and withdrawing after Day 1.

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIT THE BOXFitAid unveiled their new FitAid RX at the East and South Regionals; be on the lookout, these are hitting affiliates soon. Circuit Plus CrossFit Shuwaikh in Kuwait built their own worm to practice for Regionals. Dmitry Klokov snatches 132 pounds while only gripping the bumper plates. These two women at CrossFit 616 and Grit Life are dispelling myths about working out while pregnant. Dr. Julie Foucher-Urcuyo is now officially a Doctor. Lindsey Valenzuala uses her baby stroller as a chess piece during mock Regionals Murph. Maddy Myers hits some clean singles at 264 pounds. PurePharma, now Puori, founders explain why they changed their name.

FOR WHEN YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE YOU’RE DOING WORK BUT AREN’T…

Take Reebok’s quiz: what type of gym-goer are you?

WHAT TO SHOW YOUR DAD AND GRANDPA WHO’VE BEEN RESISTING JOINING YOU AT THE BOX…

Take a look at this 90-year-old WWII Veteran doing a set of five deadlifts at 55 pounds. His 71-year-old wife joined him for sets of ten. Age is just a number.

THINGS TO…

WATCH: The Art of Wellness

This is the story of Connie Arismendi, who’s prescribed medication caused her body to gain weight. She began to develop asthma and her doctors noticed she was showing signs of bone loss. After they recommended weightlifting, she found CrossFit Central Downtown and signed up. This is her story.
WATCH.

HEAR: Jason Khalipa

Jason Khalipa joins Mark Bell’s Powercast for episode 200 to talk about moving on from competitive CrossFit, the demands of a growing business, and the special considerations involved in caring for his daughter as she’s undergoing a long course of treatment for leukemia.

LISTEN IN.

EAT: Slow Cooker Turkey Tacos

Tacos pair well with hot weather and it doesn’t get much easier than this recipe. Besides, who wants to wait until the weekend to have some tacos.
TACOOOS.

CHALK UP AFFILIATES

AFFILIATE STORIES  |  CrossFit 1310 — Richardson, TX

So how’d you come up with your affiliate name?

“Prior to running/being an affiliate, we were simply a neighborhood detached garage where my buddies would come over and see how we could torture ourselves that day. Multiple times, they would be out there before I walked out and could never get the garage door open. The code from the previous owner of the house to get it open was 1310. They’d always forget it. I gave the garage the nickname ‘1310 Strength’ and they still would forget. Then we added a FaceBook page. As people joined us and it grew, we decided it was time to affiliate and change the code to the garage door.

So, CrossFit 1310 it is now. What used to be the code to get into the garage to workout, is now the affiliate name…and no longer the code…”

Want to share the story behind your box’s name? Tell us and yours could be featured next.

CHALK UP READS

“Something Has Got To Give” by Katie Harper, Beyond the Whiteboard

This article is Part 1 of a new series we will be publishing that will consist of us following a CrossFit Games Regional Hopeful, Katie Harper, through her journey and progress over the next year…

I first found CrossFit in late November of 2012, mainly because I was seriously feeling those post-thanksgiving turkey gains. A friend had convinced me to attend an intro class, which I was very hesitant to sign up for. I will admit that I have always had some decent strength and speed at baseline, but I have never considered myself to be a gifted athlete. I wasn’t exactly the one that made the newspapers and my trophy case of accomplishments consisted of more “Most Improved” than “1st Place” awards. Confidence in my CrossFit-abilities wasn’t exactly there from the get-go, but sometimes you just have to feel like the kid who had to study way too hard in school to make that report card.

Between 4 years ago and now I have dedicated a respectable amount of time and effort and have consumed more than enough sweet, sweet delicious fruit punch pre-workout to get me where I am today. I am excited to say that this year I placed 175th in the North East Region and 62nd in New York State by the end of the 2017 CrossFit Open.

“9 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Started CrossFit 4 Years Ago” by SELF

Most people start CrossFit because they’re looking to get stronger, or lose weight, or “be in the best shape of [their] life.” Some people are already in great shape and are drawn to CrossFit as a new, measurable way to further challenge themselves and maybe showcase their athleticism daily in a group setting.

I started doing CrossFit in 2013 because I was bored. I had just stopped working in an NYC restaurant kitchen and started an office job with regular hours. I suddenly had way more free time, plus the energy (mental and physical) to spend it on things other than sleeping, eating, and watching TV. It took just a couple of months for me to realize that both my body and my bank account could survive only so many happy hours a week, so when my sister suggested we go to a free CrossFit intro class at a gym not far from both of our office buildings, I was game. To me, it was like agreeing to go to brunch, or a picnic, or a boot-camp class. I would do it, I would probably like it, and then it would be done.

Turns out, CrossFit is not a thing you just walk in and out of every once in a while; if it sticks, it really sticks.

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