Cole Sager’s secret project

Good morning and welcome to week 2 of the CrossFit Open. Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is powered by FlapJacked, our Official Breakfast Sponsor. 

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All 18.1 scores are due by 5 PM Pacific. 

“If I pass out, please note my time.” — Unknown, but really all of us.

COLE SAGER’S SECRET PROJECT.

The story.

After a couple months of teasing his new project, most recently in this training montage teaser trailer, Cole Sager is finally ready to reveal what he’s got up his sleeve. 

Introducing “The Impact Project”.

OK. So what is it?

In a word, it’s an Android and iPhone fitness app. But to Cole it’s his way of being the change he wants to see in the world. One of those ways is leveraging the platform being built around CrossFit to inspire others to live their life with intention and purpose and to live out their dreams and big goals.

If you know anything about Cole Sager it’s that he wants to live his life a mile deep. 

“I don’t just want to stay on the surface with people on social media,” Cole said. “I believe our lives were meant to benefit those around us. Our lives will go further together than they will separately or individually.”

OK, tell me more.

The Impact Project will come equipped with a workout journal, access to a community board which Cole will engage on, daily motivational quotes, Cole’s WODs with scaling options and yes there will be a podcast. Episodes 1 and 2 have already been recorded with Ben Bergeron and a local Spokane affiliate owner.

Everything above is totes free, and for those willing to pay a little extra (appx $20/mo) it’ll unlock a private Facebook group ran by personally Cole and Genessee as well as full training videos with strategy on how he approaches each WOD.

But more importantly, Cole wants to build a community that encourages people and supports others pursuing their goals.

I love that. So when’s it being released?

You can catch a few screenshots here and it’s tentatively scheduled to drop in the Apple and Google Play stores on March 12, two weeks from today. 

COFFEE BREAK CONVERSATIONS.

What to tell your friend who doesn’t think CrossFit is hardcore enough…

That’s just cray. If you’re like Nick Wishart, a new CrossFitter, who’s currently running seven marathons, on seven continents in seven days, then you’re part of the 0.01% who really loves a challenge. So here are the 17 toughest races in the world you can try out. Beware, most don’t finish and some (literally) died trying. 

What to tell your friend who hasn’t started their taxes yet…

File an extension, like 5.11 Tactical who just announced they’re extending their official partnership with the CrossFit Games for another three years. They’ll also be title sponsor of the CrossFit Games Europe Regional in Berlin, Germany. For those counting, that’s one year past CrossFit’s stay in Madison, WI which probably means we won’t be seeing the 5.11 Tactical CrossFit Games in the near term.

THINGS TO…

HEAR: Body Image and Training with Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

Camille is one of the most iconic athletes in CrossFit. Not only did she win the CrossFit Games in 2014, but returned to the Games seven straight years. Camille sits down with Girls Gone WOD Podcast to discuss body image and training, but also the values that drive her, her dedication to her Chemical Engineering degree, and what she hopes to pass on to the next generation of women. 

TALKIN WITH CAMI.

WATCH: Ro v Boz Live

You might have noticed that the annual Ro v Boz throwdown didn’t happen after the 18.1 announcement, that’s cause they moved it to Monday at 10AM Pacific, live on Facebook. We heard Bozman wanted more time to strategize.

TUNE IN LIVE.

KNOW: 11 Signs You’re Too Stressed

Work, WODs, lack of sleep, Open pressure, whatever it is that’s adding up, stress is the quiet killer of growth (and happiness). Here are a few tips for taking things down a notch.

DON’T STRESS OUT.

EAT: The Best Paleo Chocolate Cake

Absolutely incredible paleo chocolate cake made with almond flour and coconut flour and topped with a whipped paleo chocolate frosting. Once you make this, you’ll never need another chocolate cake recipe again.

PAIRS WELL WITH ALMOND MILK.

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

CHALK UP COMMUNITY

• $400K — Jason and Ashley Khalipa’s non-profit, Ava’s Kitchen, which exists to support families with kids living with cancer, raised a staggering $400,000 at their annual benefit. This money is going to help kids (and their parents) fighting pediatric cancer as well as help families make lasting memories during this tremendous battle. 
• LEGLESS AND IN THE OPEN — More than five years ago, Tiffany Lester lost both her legs after a tragic car wreck. It took doctors 43 surgeries over the next four years to put Lester’s broken body back together. But after finding Geaux CrossFit in Baton Rouge, LA, Tiffany feels more like a competitor than ever and she’s doing the Open.
• GRAND OPENING: KEKAHA — CrossFit Poipu is taking their successful program for kids and teens to the Kekaha community. On Saturday, they opened the new 4,000-square-foot location which will incorporate the same community outreach and completely free program for kids in that area. “This is another opportunity for the younger kids to have a good influence and do something fun and physical, be surrounded by people they can look up to. I’m stoked about it.”

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

Sara Sigmundsdottir predicted that dumbbells will be in every single Open WOD this year • Rogue Fitness now has a cell phone mount that can attach to any magnetic metal surface (think rig) so you can film your lifts and WODs • CrossFit
HQ released new posters for the new Fittest on Earth documentary coming out March 23 • Stefi Cohen hit a 507 pound deadlift triple PR #JawDrop • FWIW Sara Sigmundsdottir’s CrossFit profile says she’s registered in the Europe North region • Masters athletes from CrossFit Bozeman threw down on 18.1 Friday • Ben Bergeron’s “Chasing Excellence” is now an Amazon #1 bestseller.

…and this was every coach and box owner this weekend.

18.1 LEADERBOARD — We’re not going to highlight names and where they are cause it’s changing constantly. We’ll announce the winner and some notable names towards the top when the dust settles (tomorrow or Wednesday), but in the meantime have fun searching the leaderboard. 

“Remove ‘Deserve’ From Your Fitness Vocabulary” by Cara Kobernik, Breaking Muscle

Good angel on one shoulder, bad angel on the other. One little voice whispers to you that you can do something, the other that you can’t. One insists that you want something, but the other reminds you that you shouldn’t have it. We all face the internal struggle to make good choices while weighing the options. We all have this internal dialogue.

“I deserve” are perhaps the two most dangerous words in fitness. On the one hand, it can be the appropriate recognition of diligent work. But far too often, we use it as a license; a shield to hide ourselves from the consequences of choices that we know aren’t in line with our goals.

There are many athletes who have their nutrition dialed in. They may be tempted by the “I deserve” mentality, but they resist wavering from the nutrition goals they’ve set. How do they do this? They possess a high degree of discipline, which takes practice to achieve. Or perhaps they had an experience with weight loss that has permanently shifted their mindset, because the idea of going back to their prior weight is not an option for them.

3/1: CrossFit Open 18.2 (Worldwide)3/8: CrossFit Open 18.3 (Worldwide)

3/10: Women Who WOD (Barbados)

3/15: CrossFit Open 18.4 (Worldwide)

3/22: CrossFit Open 18.5 (Worldwide)

3/23: The Redeemed and the Dominant: Fittest on Earth is released (iTunes)

3/24: 4th Annual St. Paddy’s Day Competition (Norwood, MA)

4/7: Battle of the Badges (Anaheim, CA)

4/7: The Revolution (San Antonio, TX)

4/7: GenX Masters Comp (Salem, MA)

4/14: Battle for the Mountain (Dawsonville, GA)

4/14: Appalachian Games (Asheville, NC)

4/14: Deuces Wild by Warrior Affiliate League (Baldwin Park, CA)

4/14 – 4/15: Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Challenge (Columbia, MD)

4/14 – 4/15: WOD Wars Fitfest (Dunedin, FL)

4/19: Teens and Masters Qualifier (Invitation Only)

4/20 – 4/22: Athens Throwdown (Athens, Greece)

4/21: Festivus Games (Nationwide)

4/21: Mayhem for MSR (Cookeville, TN)

4/21: Loganville Lockdown (Loganville, GA)

4/28: Battleground SoCal (Wimington, CA)

4/28: Girls Gone Rx (Cincinnati, OH)

4/28: Salem Slaughterfest (Salem, OR)

4/28: 3rd Annual Appletown Throwdown (Cornelia, GA)

4/28 – 4/29: Walter’s Cup Throwdown (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

5/4 – 5/5: Tough As Nails (Lubbock, TX)

5/4 – 5/6: European Masters Throwdown (Budapest, Hungary)

5/5 – 5/6: Tribal Clash (Quarteira, Portugal)

5/5: Cinco de Mayo Classic (San Antonio, TX)

5/5: The Locomotive Games III (Youngstown, OH)

5/11 – 5/12: Beast Mode Games (Greenville, SC)

5/11 – 5/12: Midwest Monster (Joplin, MO)

5/12: Barbells for Bullies (Danbury, CT)

5/19: Raising the Bar for Recovery (Medina, OH)

5/19: East Coast Battle (Hanover, MD)

5/26: Beauty is a Beast 2 (Indian Rocks Beach, FL)