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Happy almost Christmas!!!!! and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition was chalked up while drooling over Paleo Nick taking it really really paleo, from shotgun to stove.
P.S. You haven’t done burpees until you’ve done them in the snow.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I urge all of you to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have to spend each day with some laughter and some thought to get your emotions going to be enthusiastic each day…to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems, whatever you have, the ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to become reality.” – Coach Jimmy Valvano, before he died of cancer.
THANKFULNESS
THE DEFINITION
Webster defines thankful as “expressing gratitude and relief.”
OK THE ANIT-GRINCH, WHAT GIVES?
The quote above comes from legendary NCAA coach Jimmy Valvano, who battled cancer through the last minute of his life. Jimmy V was one of those larger than life coaches who taught the game of life to boys, hoping they’d graduate men.
He could often be heard telling them, “don’t give up, don’t ever give up,” words which traveled far beyond the basketball court. Jimmy V was a fighter. Jimmy V won, even when he lost.
SO WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS NOW?
Thanksgiving is the holiday most closely associated with giving thanks but it’s very often that the end of the year is the time when we do the most reflecting.
Even at the end, Jimmy V lived his own maxims: “I will thank God for the day and the moment I have.”
So here’s what your author is thankful for: four limbs and a heart that beats as violently as ever, a family, a place to call home, and the desire to never quit, to never give up.
— Merry Christmas
CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIT THE BOX
Here are 204 WODs you can do why traveling. Mathew Fraser makes Men’s Fitnesses‘ list of “Most Impressively Fit Instagrammers of 2016.” Alethea Boon hits an easy 185 pound power clean post Achilles surgery. Annie Thorisdottir’s 235 pound clean complex from the Dubai Fitness Championships. Find your swolemate and give this a go.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Holly Mata’s Dad who is going to turn 84 in February and he’s getting back on the horse (metaphorically) !!
Nick Paladino, Rich Froning, Dre Strohm and Angelo DiCicco play a little game of snatch knockout. By the way, Rich Froning won.
CHALK UP READS
“Don’t Kill My Vibe – Starting A CrossFit Gym Part 4” by Noah Abbott, Beyond the Whiteboard
After being a coach at CrossFit South Brooklyn in NYC for 6 years I moved halfway across the country to open my own affiliate, CrossFit Lumos, in Austin, TX. This series will chronicle my experience opening the gym and what I am learning along the way. This article is Part 4 of the adventure.
So, it has become clear that my initial, rose-tinted prediction that my gym would open within 2 months of getting started was woefully inaccurate. My delusions of a frenzied build out, with late nights and excitement and explosions were just that- deluded. Instead, its been a slow process of getting an OK (inspection carried out, permit approved, etc.) then working up to the limits of that approval, before submitting the next one. If that doesn’t sound like the most compelling process ever, its because it isn’t.
Compare the number of photos hashtagged #perfect to the ones tagged #real, and the 28.5 million post difference easily proves where society’s expectations lie.
If the age of social media has taught us one thing, it’s that women are supposed to be perky, pretty, pouty and most of all perfect.
But some athletes and fitness experts are beginning to speak out about the unrealistic expectations being served up in some of our favorite online feeds, especially for women.
CHALK UP AFFILIATES
A MUST WATCH for any affiliate with deaf athletes or who wants to learn more about how to prepare for any type of athlete walking through your door. DTV, a deaf television station, profiled CrossFit Upper Limit in Phoenix, AZ, who has a deaf coach and six deaf athletes. Their owner, who is not deaf, has even begun taking ASL classes so she can better communicate with her athletes and coach.