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78-year-old George Naas Rowed a Marathon For Fun

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by FITAID, the Official Beverage Sponsor of the Morning Chalk Up.

Ready for your chance to win a $500 Visa Gift Card? FITAID is issuing a #CFCallout challenge to all Morning Chalk Up readers. If you know a box that is not currently stocking FITAID, send your name and the affiliate’s contact info to [email protected]. We will choose one lucky winner at random from the pool of submissions who submit an affiliate that starts carrying FITAID! Winner selected and announced September 1st.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” — John F. Kennedy

15 Things This Volunteer Learned at the 2018 CrossFit Games

 

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to make the CrossFit Games go so smoothly? Sure Dave Castro does all the planning and then the demo team makes it look easy, but who does the things no one else thinks of? Who cleans up and sets up barbells? True to the CrossFit community spirit, it’s all volunteers (more than 800 actually), doing it because they love CrossFit.

Here’s a list of 15 things Dave Williamson, a volunteer on the Rogue team, learned during his week at the CrossFit Games.

P.S. Dave just started CrossFit six months ago. And here he is volunteering at the Games. We should all be more like Dave.

  1. Volunteering is hard work. Really hard work. Volunteers prepare, assemble, move to location, reset, move back to the warehouse and disassemble everything. Every thing. Every plate and every barbell.
  2. Things don’t always go as planned. Plans change regularly, sometimes on the field when resetting for the next heat, sometimes outback. You have to be ready.
  3. Chaos. It was chaos for volunteers too.
  4. We are appreciated. Almost all the athletes are overly appreciative for volunteers, acknowledge you and saying thanks. To be appreciated by your fitness idols is incredibly wonderful.
  5. It’s hard work. These are long days, with very little opportunity to take a breaks before needing to be somewhere else. Someone has to setup before that 8:00 AM heat, right?
  6. Volunteers are hard workers. Some of the craziest work ethic I’ve ever come across. No opportunity to slack. You have to be driven to ensure your responsibilities are fully taken care of.
  7. Stay in your lane. Stay in the lane you’ve been assigned and do the job your team leader instructs you to do. But as stated earlier, be prepared to be told differently on the field.
  8. It gets heavy. For some volunteers, you’re going to move some heavy things. Often times the weight is a number that’s unattainable or incomprehensible for many of us to think about moving. The volunteers have to move it, and get it right, with a time limit, while being looked on by people in the stands. Be ready.
  9. Efficiency is key. Be quick, but don’t hurry. Know your limitations but be prepared to be tested.
  10. Community abounds. The CrossFit community is real. People embrace the work ethic and the support of one another from athletes, volunteers, families and patrons.
  11. Have some experience. Some volunteers are former Games athletes (true story). With that said, you’re lifting and running all the time and it can sometimes feel like you’ve done 8+ WODs in one day.
  12. 110% worth it. You get free stuff and vendor village really hooks you up. There are shoes, shirts, knee sleeves, bags, food, and all the FITAID you could ever drink.
  13. Unknown and unknowable for us, too. Nobody receives any training prior to doing the job they’ve been asked to do. That could mean you need to figure out how to move the Bobs on the fly or learn very quickly how to pick up a Worm or the slug, which was just invented like a month ago.
  14. It gets gritty. The gear team used a lot of sand. Seriously. So. Much. Sand.
  15. AMRAP. Would do it again and again, absolutely. 

Coffee Break Conversations

 

What to tell your friend who spends money like it’s nothing…

Take me to dinner. The newest food trend taking us by storm is 24 karat edible gold. As in, golden basted chicken wings. Sushi with gold in it. Donuts topped with 24 karat gold. Yes, gold. And you eat it. Who’s free Saturday night? (Right here. We definitely are.)

If you’re nervous about meeting your girlfriend’s parents this weekend…

Just don’t do this. Charles, a teenager that trains at Buzz Fit in Montreal, Quebec was deadlifting when a total stranger thought he probably shouldn’t be. The dude walked over to him and confronted him. Talk about a terrible first impression. 

Things To…

 

WATCH: Brent Fikowski’s Thoughts

Brent Fikowski sat down with Armen Hammer to recap his thoughts on the 2018 CrossFit Games, having to talk about the tiebreaker for the next year, and what he learned in the process.

WATCH THIS. 

 

HEAR: Patrick Vellner on What it Takes to Win

Patrick Vellner sat down with the Muscle Mind Podcast to answer questions from fans, reflect on his performance, and what it felt like to get back on that podium this year. 

TUNE IN. 

 

EAT: Summer Peach Salad with Avocado

This fresh peach spinach salad with creamy goat cheese, heart-healthy avocado and crunchy toasted almonds is the perfect way to wind down a hot summer afternoon. Drizzled with an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette, it’s simple and delicious. 

MAKE SOME TONIGHT. 

 

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is fueled by

Chalk Up Community

 
  • CHARITY WOD FOR PTSD — CrossFit Praus in Fort Wayne, IN is hosting Cannonbrawl for Charity August 25th. The event includes a 22km hike, a silent auction, live music, food, vendors and many other family-friendly events that aim to develop a sense of connection and comradery among the attendees. All proceeds generated will be used to support veterans in need of support and assistance.
  • CATALYST GAMES SATURDAY — The 7th Annual Catalyst Games is Saturday at the Iceplex on the Monroy Community College campus in Brighton, MA at 10:00 AM. 
  • CROSSFIT OMAHA ADAPTIVE FITNESS CLASSES — CrossFit Omaha and QLI of Omaha have come together to form two adaptive fitness pilot programs. Each week Coach Addi Kahrs, Coach Dustin Tovar, and Coach Stacie Tovar take the participants through an hour-long functional fitness exercise routine. 

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES (a highlight reel around social media of CrossFit pros and average joes)

78-year-old George Naas was so inspired by the marathon row, he rowed one himself • Brent Fikowski is on vacation in Chicago • Dmitry Klokov behind the neck presses 140 kg/308 pounds • Meredith Teller does her first workout with rope climbs ever • Debbie LaHue survived her first CrossFit class • Happy birthday Kenzie Riley.

…and maybe we give these barbell burpee combos a try? 

Stronger, Faster, Harder to Kill — In August of 2017, Doug Tronzo suffered a horrible motorcycle accident. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and against all logic and reason, came back to life. It’s been less than a year since his accident, and he’s in the gym four to five days a week working hard and lifting more weight than he did before the wreck.

Kristin Holte on How She Won the Crit…“I wanted to try to stay in the top three the whole time and try to not be in the lead at all because its so much harder to be in front of the pack instead of being able to draft behind other people. I managed to stay top three into the last lap and I was able to sprint. I knew it was going to go down to the sprint anyway so, I just knew if I was in a good position I would have a shot at being able to sprint and hopefully win the race. It was just, go. In the end, you just get flying as fast as possible. Sprint as hard as you can, no regrets, finish strong.
That’s all I can do. Just go as hard as you can, all the way to the end.”

Learning Perseverance as a Teenager — Olivia Sulek is the fittest 14-15 year old Girl on Earth. “I am the 2018 Fittest 14-15-year-old on Earth,” she said, then laughed. “So weird to say that. If you put your mind to anything, you can do it,” she said. “I’ve become so much more confident. My work ethic is so much better.”

Scott Panchik on Becoming Better…“Our journey in this life is not pass or fail. It is not about getting everything we ever wanted. It’s about growing into something better than we once were. I have been so blessed to share this journey with my family and friends. They are the unspoken heroes throughout the year. The journey with these people is what I will remember and cherish the most. Thank you to everyone who has made this such an incredible year.”

Reads

CHALK UP READS

“Workplace Wellness Programs Don’t Work Well. Why Some Studies Show Otherwise,” by Aaron E. Carroll, The New York Times. 

This year, researchers published results from the Illinois Workplace Wellness Study, a large randomized controlled trial of a wellness program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Almost 5,000 employees volunteered to participate in the study.

More than 1,500 of these were randomly put in the control group, which basically received no services. About 3,300 were invited to receive a biometric health screening and an online health risk assessment.

They were then offered a number of wellness activities, including classes on weight loss, exercise, tai chi, smoking cessation, financial wellness and more. They were even offered financial incentives of various amounts for completing screenings and participating in activities.

Of course, not everyone given an opportunity to engage in such activities will take it, but more than half of those offered the program participated. The researchers followed everyone, in both the control and intervention group, for a year to see how the program affected their activities, their health, their productivity and their medical spending.

The results were disappointing. There seemed to be no causal effects.

Reads

CHALK UP CALENDAR

8/11: Red Raider Backyard Brawl (Coatesville, PA)

8/11: 2018 Rimrock Ruckus (Billings, MT)

8/11: Survival Games 2018 (Wooster, OH)

8/11: The Warhorse Games (Kansas City, KS)

8/11: War of the Roses (Pasadena, CA) 

8/11: War on Wall Street (Orlando, FL) 

8/18: Bladium CrossFit Fossil Games (Denver, CO) 

​8/18: The Revolution: Articles of Confederation (San Antonio, TX)

8/18: Summer Slam Royal Rumble (Oakdale, CA)

8/18: CrossFit Krypton’s Compete for a Cure (Chesapeake, VA)

8/18: CrossFit Endure Granite Games Throwdown (Windsor, CO)

8/18: MKT CrossFit Granite Games Throwdown (Columbia, MO)

8/18: Rocky Mountain Throwdown (Fort Collins, CO) 

8/18: Crossfit Krypton’s Compete for a Cure (Chesapeake, VA)

​8/18: Mayhem on the Mountain (Pelham, AL)

8/18: Crossfit Charlevoix Granite Games Throwdown (Charlevoix, MI) 

8/18: Battle in the Boro (Washington, NJ)

8/18: Troy CrossFit Granite Games Throwdown (San Diego, CA)

8/18: Babes & Bros ( Grand Rapids, MI)  

8/18: ​CrossFit Shatter 2018 Summer Slam (Albany, NY) 

8/18: CFBD Summer Showdown 2018 (East Longmeadow, MA)

8/19: Battle on Broadway (Garnder, MA) 

8/18 – 8/19: Barnyard Brawl (Albuquerque, NM)

8/25: Iron Belle and Femme Royale Women’s Competition (Austin, TX) 

8/25: CrossFit Sua Sponte Summer Slam (Raleigh, NC) 

8/25: AMRAP For Autism (Waxhaw, NC)

​8/25: CrossFit Decathlon (Indianapolis, IN) 

8/25: Best of the West Summer Event (Bend, OR)

8/25: 2018 Firewall Frenzy (Holliston, MA)

8/25: The Hero Games 2018 (Farmington, AR)

8/25: 2018 Rivertown Throwdown (Cape Girardeau, MO)

8/25: Cannonbrawl for Charity (Ft. Wayne, IN)
8/25 – 26: Battlegrounds Nevada (Reno, NV)

8/25 – 8/26: Battle at the Barn (Ft. Worth, TX) 

8/25 – 8/26: Battle of the Boxes Highland Games (Mt. Airy, MD) 

​8/31: Greece with VoyEdge RX

9/1: Tampa Bay Games (Tampa, FL)

9/1: Battle At The Base 3 (Oklahoma City, OK)

9/7: Koski Training Camp (Lloret de Mar, Spain) 

​9/8: Midwest Fall Classic (Tulsa, OK)

​9/8: The Sugar Skull Showdown (Agawam, MA)

9/8: I Can CrossFit Competition (Georgetown, TX)

9/8: Global Aftermath 2018 (online)

9/8: The Catalyst Games (Bastrop, TX) 

9/8: BoxLife Games (Bunnell, FL)

9/8: Booties in Action (Wilsonville, OR)

9/8: Hookd2Hops 2018 (Newtown, CT)

9/8: Rumble in the Jungle 2018 (LaVista, NE)

9/8: 2018 Battle of the Bluegrass (Louisville, KY) 

9/8: Decima Throwdown (Littleton, CO)

9/8: First Timers Fitness Festival 2 (Burlington, MA) 

9/8: Girls Gone RX (Bridgeville, PA) 

9/8: BoxLife Games at CrossFit James Island (Charleston, SC) 

9/8 – 9: The Vermonster Team Challenge (Berlin, VT)

9/15: Warrior Affiliate League Three Amigos (Pomona,CA)

9/15 – 9/16: CrossFit Myrtle Beach Coastal Clash (Myrtle Beach, SC)

​9/16: 5th Annual North East Masters Classic (Plainville, MA) 

+ Send us an event
Is there something we missed? Email us at [email protected].
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