Death, then CrossFit

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is built by Brute Strength, the Official Online Training Sponsor of the Morning Chalk Up. Interested in a little physical and mental self-improvement? Brute Strength’s Athlete Camp in Miami will be packed with sessions that strengthen your muscles and mind. Get in on it. (P.S. Pricing goes up Friday, hint hint).

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” — Henry David Thoreau

RICH, MAT AND JOSH ALL NEED PARTNERS FOR THIS COMPETITION.

Say what?

Every year, Rich Froning and CrossFit Mayhem throw a giant competition fundraiser called Mayhem for MSR and all the proceeds go to support Cookeville, TN based Mustard Seed Ranch, or MSR for short.

MSR is a Christian non-profit ministry that takes children out of unsafe, unhealthy environments and provides for their complete care and needs. This is the fifth year of the fundraiser and they’ve raised an astounding $495,000.

That’s pretty awesome, but what about those athletes you mentioned?

Ah yes. Well to make this year extra special, CrossFit Mayhem is auctioning off the chance to have Rich Froning, Mathew Fraser or Josh Brigdes as your partner for the competition going down on Saturday, April 21.

That’s basically my dream come true.

We thought so. The e-bay run auction kicks off today at 12:00 PM CT and will last for 10 days. The bidding starts at $2,000 and 100% of the auction will go to Mustard Seed Ranch. Here’s the best part, it doesn’t matter if you’re going RX or scaled, male or female — you win, you’re in.

If that price tag is a little out of your league you can always find another buddy, pay the $400 registration and make sure you’re team is always in fourth place so you’re in the lane next to one of those good dudes.

COFFEE BREAK CONVERSATIONS

What to tell your coworker who needs a little food before that pre-lunch meeting…

Nothing in the vending machine fits my macros, which is basically “story of my life” right? But thankfully someone on this planet of 6 billion people is doing it right thanks to The Byte Wholesome Foods to Go vending machines. They stock their frigdes with Chicken and veggie Buddha Bowls, salads and snacks, and drinkable yogurt. It’s basically a dream come true for anyone working at one of the 500 companies in California who have one. Everyone else, add that to the suggestion box till the bosses get on that. 

What to tell your friend who’s never afraid to speak her mind…

Have you met Grandma Heckles yet? She was hanging out at the Arnold Fitness Expo heckling bodybuilders in the way only a savage grandma can do. 

Serious question…What would you do if someone told you there was no coffee ever again? Like it’s all gone. Seriously though, we wanna know. 

THINGS TO…

WATCH: The Dangers of Weight Cutting

Not CrossFit but an insightful look inside the world of UFC and weight cutting. UFC fighter Paige VanZant discusses the methods behind weight cutting and the dangers involved.

TUNE IN.

KNOW: What are Ultra-Processed Foods?

Ultra-processed is a term used to describe food like mass produced packaged goods, packaged sweet and savory snacks, instant noodles, chicken nuggets, and frozen meals. These are foods you likely already know aren’t great for you, but if you wanna learn more about ’em, we got you covered.

HERE ARE THE DEETS.

EAT: Honey Mustard Pork Roast

This Honey Mustard Pork Roast is on a mission to win back a great reputation for pork dinners. It’s FULL of flavor and results in a tender pork that the family will love.

FED AND FIT.

BUY: Barbell Apparel Sweats

From the company that brought you jeans your legs can actually fit into, comes your new favorite pair of athletic sweatpants. And if you use code “CHALKUP” you’ll get 10% off your entire order.

COMES IN FIVE COLORS.

 

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

CHALK UP COMMUNITY

• OVERHEAD MOBILITY TIP — For most of us, overhead mobility isn’t our strong suit. Rather than force our shoulders into unhealthy and unstable position during overhead squats, try the standing windmill. You can scale the weight as needed and it has the added benefit of totally blasting your score. 
• THAT’S NOBULL — NOBULL donated enough shoes to outfit all three Colorado chapters of Steve’s Club. Steve’s Club is a non-profit program that uses CrossFit to help at-risk kids get off the streets.

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

If you saw something truly spectacular that we should highlight in our weekly “things from the CrossFit Open that made us smile” post, then send us a link • Cole Sager’s new iPhone and Android app “The Impact
Project” just launched this morning • Turns out that Sara Sigmundsdottir can do the worm really, really well • CrossFit Villa Albani in Rome, Italy helps their athletes learn to handstand walk in the most community way possible • As Many
Reviews As Possible does a side-by-side comparison and rowed 14 cals on both a Xebex and a Concept2 within one second of one another • Colleen Fotsch hits a 260 pound clean PR •

…and Katrin Davidsdottir’s transformation photo is pretty unbelievable.

Maddy Espinoza responding to outpouring of encouragement and support…“First, I want to start off by saying THANK YOU to everyone who has taken time out of their day to message me or comment on posts saying all of your kind words because it really does mean a lot to me. It warms my heart knowing that people not only stick up for me, but also for other people who are being bullied. Out of @youngtonym and Morning Chalk Up’s posts, I have read every single comment, and reading them has been absolutely amazing. Even the people that I don’t know had such kind words to say to me. I love seeing how all of us are there for each other, to bring everyone up when times aren’t the best. Because we all all here for each other.”

— If you need a refresher, click here.

Exclusive Peek — In this quick clip from The Redeemed and the Dominant, Dave Castro offers an exclusive peek at how he programs WODs for the CrossFit Games. 

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet on what it feels like coming back from soldier surgery…“6 months ago just the idea of lifting my arms would make me cringe… just being able to do all the movement required in 18.3 is an insane victory and being able to compete is just the best!!! I am so stoked and happy to be part of the Open again this year!”

— At the time of writing this, Camille hadn’t posted her 18.3 score but with a 2nd, 4th and 2nd place finish in the South West Region, she’s looking strong. 

“Death, Then CrossFit” by Jessica Danger

My father was an alcoholic. Most of my childhood memories are of him in varying states of intoxication. I spent the majority of my early adulthood trying to help him get sober just to watch him relapse again and again. I analyzed everything. Had I said something wrong? Was this my fault? Would things be different if my parents hadn’t divorced? Does he drink because he thinks I am an embarrassment? And the ever-famous, Why can’t he just stop? It’s easy! Just quit!

As his addiction worsened, so did my confusion. I was tired. At eighteen, fresh out of high school, I had a child of my own. I was taking classes at the community college and waitressing, my swollen ankles propped up on the chair beside me as I studied late into the night, checking on my son’s every fuss and whimper until I fell asleep in my chair. My physical stores had been depleted. I had to choose: take care of myself and my infant son or care for my father while he destroyed his own able body. I told my father he was a worthless drunk and that he could call me when he was sober. I thought that would be enough. That the relationship with me, his only daughter, would be enough.

For those first few weeks, I sweated wine, cheap food, depression, and self-loathing all over those gym mats, and the coach pretended not to notice. One morning, the workout consisted of burpees…Immediately, you begin to talk yourself out of the exercise, out of the gym, into your car, home, and back into bed where you can grieve your father and your lack of self-confidence in peace.

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)

4/13 – 4/15: The Railyard Games (Albuquerque, NM)

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: Atlas Blarney Stone Competition (Denver, CO)

4/14: RISE of the Masters (Statesboro, GA)

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)

4/21: FoxWOD (Panama City Beach, FL)

4/21: Swamp Challenge (Gainesville, FL)

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: Beastette Bash at CrossFit Ananda (Arlington, TX)

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

4/28 – 4/29: Battle of the Bluffs (Council Bluffs, IA)

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

5/4 – 5/5: No Gutz No Glory (Denver, CO)

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)

5/5: Granite Games Throwdown (Southaven,  MS)

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

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

5/11 – 5/12: Reebok’s Ready for Action – Fittest in Israel (Israel)

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

5/12: The Mountain Meltdown (Parks City, UT)

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

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

5/19: Barbells in the Burbs (Carol Stream, IL)

5/18: The HAMMY (Hudson, OH)

5/19 – 5/20: GameDay Mankato (Mankato, MN)

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