Can you start a fire from coffee beans?

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by MobilityWOD, your daily performance and recovery videos followed by the All Blacks (New Zealand’s National Rugby team). Use code “CHALKUP20” to get 20% off an annual subscription. You can also follow along with their new MobilityWOD iOS app.

“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” — Abraham Maslow

Seven Years in Prison Led to Success

The story.

When Drew Pollner found himself serving a seven-year drug trafficking sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, NJ, he did what he always did; he got creative.

“Anything I do, I do it kind of excessively,” Pollner admits. In prison, he used that excessive focus on his physical fitness and educating himself and his fellow inmates about exercise and nutrition. In prison he discovered CrossFit and began following it the best he could in prison. He folded rocks into bed sheets to form makeshift weights and roped sheets around a basketball hoop to do muscle-ups.

Six months after his release, Pollner qualified for the 2014 CrossFit Games regional competition.

That is time well spent.

Now, Pollner is putting what he learned into Project Fitness, which opened last month.

Project Fitness has classes, including nutrition coaching, for every level of athlete, “We very much take one step at a time, only change one habit at a time, and make lasting changes,” Pollner says. And he’s still learning, taking correspondence courses with Ohio University.

He’s got a team of supporters behind him, including the 35 members that followed him from their last CrossFit gym to Project Fitness. White, who credits Pollner for her 100 pound weight loss, says he doesn’t shy away from his CrossFit origin story.

“He developed this program in the worst possible conditions, and he was in a place where, sadly, most people go to become better criminals, and he went there and became a better person and focused on helping other people, which I think is just amazing.”

Fueled by Caffeine, Literally.

The buzz.

Have you ever wondered what coffee shops do with all the used and leftover coffee grounds? I mean, there’s got to be a TON, right? An insider’s secret: usually, baristas dispose of the used coffee grounds separately from their regular waste because wet coffee grounds tend to make taking out the garbage quite the feat (unless you do CrossFit).

Fuel your fire.

The good news is that now all these used coffee grounds are easy to collect, and bio-bean is doing just that.

Bio-bean is a clean technology company that has industrialized the process of recycling used coffee grounds into advanced biofuels and biochemicals. They collect coffee waste and turn it into either “coffee logs” or bio-mass pellets.

The coffee logs are briquettes that can be used in stoves, fires, and chimineas. The bio-mass pellets are a sustainable alternative imported woody biomass that’s used to heat buildings.

Two thumbs up.

Sustainability sure makes that first sip of joe in the morning that much sweeter, huh? Bio-bean is really giving “fueled by caffeine” a whole new meaning, and we love it.

Coffee Break Conversations

What to tell your father the next time he says, “Well we all know you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” when you invite him to WOD…

You sure can. Just check out this entire class of senior citizens at CrossFit LifeBox in Sweden. They get after it every week in their own class. They’ve learned all the CrossFit foundational movements and are looking towards health and longevity to stay out of the nursing home. Make sure you gently remind Pops it’s you that will have to care for him when he’s older. He’s got two choices.

Things To…

WATCH: Adrian Mundwiler Documentary

“I am not going to stop until I have been on that podium,” Mundwiler says. See what a day in his life right now looks like, how he trains, and how he is working to get to that podium.

ON A MISSION. 

HEAR: When CrossFit Comes to the Hospital

In this episode of Pursuing Health, Julie Foucher sits down with guest Steve Tenhouse, Kirby Medical Center CEO and owner of CrossFit KMC to discuss his new venture; bringing CrossFit to hospitals. 

A HUGE FACTOR OF HEALTH.

EAT: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Veggies

It’s fall, which means pumpkin season is upon us. The options are as plentiful as your Thanksgiving table, from pumpkin muffins, cereals, and lattes. While those things are fun in moderation, here’s another healthier way to get your pumpkin on.

GORGE ON GOURDS.

BUY: RXBAR Fall Flavors, Finally

Gingerbread, Pumpkin Spice, Apple Cinnamon, or all of the above? You can order the RXBAR fall flavors now while they’re still available. Buy two or more fall flavors and you get 10% off. And don’t worry, if you can’t bear to pick just two, they’ve made a variety box full of all your fall favorites.

FALL IS DELICIOUS. 

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• PRO-TIP: PULL AND PUNCH — Coach Mike Burgener explains the most common fault people make in the snatch is a failure to pull and punch. Drills like muscle snatches and tall snatches can help. 
• TRAGIC ACCIDENT — Amongst the 20 victims of the limo accident in upstate New York is Mary Dyson, a coach at Star Spangled CrossFit in Watertown, NY. Her husband, Rob, was also killed in the crash. A memorial WOD in her honor will be held today at Star Spangled CrossFit. 

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

Christmas Abbott arrived at the hospital to deliver her baby • Morning Chalk Up got to visit the Ranch • Coach Angie McCord practices her handstand walks on vacation in Hawaii • Willy Georges is planning a trip to Iceland • The University of Birmingham Medical School Football Club dropped-in for a WOD yesterday.

…and this couple takes their training very seriously.

Wodapalooza Week One Recap — The first week of Wodapalooza Online Challenge and Qualifiers are done. Here’s how the leaderboard looked as of last night.

Elite Women — 1.) Dani Speegle, 2.) Hayley Murillo, 3.) Michelle Kwak, 4.) Kristine Best, and 5.) Garbiela Migala…7.) Rachel Garibay…9.) Colleen Fotsch…11.) Chelsey Hughes…13.) Tori Dyson…25.) Kelsey Kiel…32). Lindsey Valenzuela…36.) Pip Malone. ..44.) Kaela Stephano.

Elite Men — 1.) Samuel Cournoyer, 2.) Mitch Barnard, 3.) Jake Frye, 4.) Ryan Reeves, and 5.) Drew Wayman…15.) Paul Castillo…19.) Nick Bloch…27.) Chase Smith…39.) Anthony Davis…50.) Mitch Sbjut…55.) Julian Alcarez.

— 20: The one number that really matters here. The top 20 athletes from the qualifier will receive invitations to compete in the Elite sanctioned division. Athletes will have two more weeks and at least as many WODs to get underneath that number. 

— Where are all the Games athletes? You’re not going to see the names of any 2018 CrossFit Games athletes on the leaderboard because they were all invited to bypass the qualifier and go straight to the competition in January. 

What’s next — Wodapalooza Week Two workouts are annoucned tomorrow along with Dubai CrossFIt Championship Week Two qualifiying workouts. 

“Overcoming an Eating Disorder,” by Brittany Power, Fuel Your Fire

Growing up I was probably one of the most active, happy and outgoing little girls you could ever meet. I was always busy with sports, hanging out with friends and finding new ways to drive my mom a little crazy with my fearless antics.

I was a competitive gymnast through high school and amongst the top in the northeast in Track and Field. This led me to secure a scholarship to the University of Connecticut to be on their D1 Track and Field Team. It was a dream. I loved being a part of a big team. I loved the freedom to go out as late as I wanted and do whatever I wanted.

Fast forward three years: I was now the captain of the track team for the second year in a row, on a full scholarship and had a 4.0 GPA. Sounds pretty great doesn’t it? I thought so at the time, until my doctor told me I was dying.

I weighed 122 pounds then. That’s 26 pounds less than when I entered college. I know that might not seem like a low weight to many people but at 5’8, I was very underweight. I was working out twice a day and then sometimes even going for an extra run on top of practice, all of this while eating 1,100 calories a day. I didn’t see an issue with losing “a little weight” especially because “Fat Doesn’t Fly” on the track (yes, that was an actual mantra on the team). I refused to seek help until my team doctor barred me from competing.

He said, “Brittany, your blood test results are back and there’s no other real way to put this other than ‘You’re dying.’”

10/12 – 10/14: Faith RX’d (Denver, CO)

10/13: Barbells For Boobs 2018 (Sutton, MA)

10/13: WOD for a Cause (Bloomsburg, PA)

​10/13: C4 CrossFit Co-Ed Classic (Brunswick, NJ)

10/13: 2018 War in the Woods (Norton, MA)

10/13: The Festivus Games (Online)

10/13: Grand Games 2018 (Westfield, IN)

10/13: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ Red Island CrossFit (Smithfield, RI)

10/13: Barbells for Boobs (Steamboat Springs, CO)

10/13: Older, Wiser, Faster, Stronger (Plymouth, MI)

10/13: The Greenville Games (Greenville, SC)

10/13: Reps For Recovery (Hickory, NC) 

10/13: Kal-Haven Trail Ruck (Kalamazoo, MI)

10/13: Fall Brawl (Saint Michael, MN)

10/13: Sweat for Georgia Mae (Wendell, NC)

10/13: Barbells For Boobs (Southaven, MS)

10/13: Wodtoberfest Co-ed Team Competition (Owosso, MI)

10/13: OUTWOD (Atlanta, GA)

10/13-14: Central Florida Throwdown 6 (Lakeland, Fl)

10/13 – 10/14: Box Wars 3 (Fort Valley, GA) 

10/14: CrossFit for Kayden (Fallsington, PA)

10/20: BCS Classic 2018 (Bryan, TX)

10/20: Head 2 Head in Hamilton (Hamilton, NJ)

10/20: Fittest on the Valley VI (Lahaina, HI)

10/20: Crossfit Bona Fide Third Wheel Throwdown (Portsmouth, NH)

10/20: CrossFit Katana Samurai Showdown VI: Trio of Terror (Mansfield, OH) 

10/20: SE Texas Masters of CrossFit Fall Classic (Cypress, TX) 

10/20: Barbells For Boobs (Stamford, CT)

10/20: Filthy 150 Irish Competition (Dublin)

10/20: CFT’s METAvivor Fundraiser (Carol Stream, IL)

10/20: WOD for the Fallen (Columbia, SC)

10/20 – 10/21: The Independence Games (Florence, SC)

​10/20 – 10/21: The Lincoln Invitational (Spokane, WA)

10/21: Chalk It Up 2018 (Akron, OH) 

10/21: Me Jane, You Jane (Santa Rosa, CA) 

10/26 – 10/28: JAKTRX Atlas Games (Montreal)

10/27: Tough Temple Invitational (Rockville, MD)

10/27: Rock Your Box Throwdown (St.Cloud, MN)

10/27: Halloween Havoc (Harrisburg, PA)

10/27: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ CrossFit Trumbull (Trumbull, CT)

10/27: Saberspook Throwdown (Minneapolis, MN)

10/27: Monster Mash (Ann Arbor, MI)

10/27: The Foundry 5K (Steamboat Springs, CO)

10/27: Rock Your Box Throwdown (Saint Cloud, MN)

10/27: Beartown Halloween Beatdown (Lebanon, VA)

10/27: 9th Annual Fall Brawl (Gibsonia, PA) 

10/27: Boo Bash (Cleveland, TN)

10/27: Crush Cancer at Dogtown CrossFit (Los Angeles, CA)

10/27: Sin City Championships 2018 (Singapore)

10/27: Barbells For Boobs at CrossFit New Albany (New Albany, OH)

11/2: Wodapalooza Qualifier – Team (Online)

11/2 – 11/3: Women’s WOD Jam Individuals (Denver, CO)

11/3: The Battle of Port Royal Sound (Okatie, SC)

11/3: Battle for the Badges (St. Louis, MO)

11/3: PPS CrossFit Fall Throwsdown (Portland, OR)

11/3: CFT’s 2018 Strongman Classic (Carol Stream, IL)

11/3: WODamania (Riviera Beach, FL)

11/3: Barbells For Boobs at CrossFit Florian (Norwood, MA)

11/3: Bar Wars 2018  (Harker Heights, TX)

11/3: Masters Of The Midway (The Hills, IL)

11/3: Dynamic Duo Deathmatch 2018 (Southlake, TX) 

11/3: Inferno in the Forge (Lawrenceville, IL)

11/3: Perimeter Rowdown (Atlanta, GA)

11/3: Central Texas Showdown (Seguin, TX)

11/3: Rookie Rollout 3 at Troy CrossFit (San Diego, CA)

11/3: Masters of the Midwest (Greenwood IN)

11/2 – 11/4: Reignited Games 2018 (Wilmington, NC) 

11/3 – 11/4: Charlotte Throwdown for Mental Health Awareness (Charlotte, NC)

11/04 – 11/05: WODNATION BR (Vinhedo, Brazil)

11/10: Emerald Coast Honor Games (Destin, FL)

11/10 – 11/11: South Loop Games (Chicago, IL)

11/10: Metcon 4 Hope (Reno, NV)

11/10: Best of the Wurst (New Braunfels, TX)

11/10: Warrior Affiliate League Delta Force (Duarte CA)

11/15: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ Hybrid Athletics Bridgport (Bridgeport, CT)