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More Games Events Released

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by Red H Nutrition, a veteran owned and operated functional fitness nutrition company. Knowing which supplements to use and when can be a daunting task. There’s so much information out there. Red H’s supplement & training optimization guide is here to help you get answers to what to take and when to take it.

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P.S. How would you like us to cover the 2017 CrossFit Games? Take the 2 minute survey and share your thoughts.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Half effort does not produce half results. It produces no results. Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last.” — Hamilton Holt

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIT THE BOX

About 5000 Instagrammers couldn’t guess this WOD so Dave Castro released it anyways and we now have the run, swim, run event details. Here are our picks for which male and female athletes will finish in the top 10 and teams in the top 5. Serious question, how does one get one of these CrossFit Games throw pillows? Do you think you can beat Tennil Reed in a sprint up this hill? (P.S. from the looks of it, that’s the Phoenix area and the high of the day yesterday was 100 degrees). Master athlete Justin King hits a 355 pound split jerk. Masters events on Friday and Saturday that are located inside the coliseum will now be open to festival ticket holders too.

Quick! Call your husband. A Friday announcement you might have missed…The CrossFit Games Team Series will have a new format starting in 2017, moving from a 4-person to a 2-person team. Many of the same overall rules apply but now you only need your swolemate, and MM, FF and MF pairs are all welcome.

Emily Abbott to a Calgary newspaper“I’m lean, I’m confident, I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I don’t want to get too fired up but I’m ready to compete and feeling like I’m going to be on fire.”

2017 Pan Am Watch…Team USA landed on the podium again Monday as Caitlin Hogan (53kg) earning a bronze in the snatch, silver in the clean & jerk and a silver overall with 193kg, tying the current American record.

DID YOU KNOW…

Rogue Fitness ships a lot of steel to the CrossFit Games. Ever wonder how much? Here’s a look at what they hauled to Carson, CA for the 2016 Games.

  • 45 tractor trailers of gear, or 900 tons (1,800,000 pounds)
  • 50,000 pounds of Barbells
  • 150,000 pounds of Bumper Plates
  • 300,000 pounds of Rig Components
  • 25,000 feet of Rig Uprights, crossmembers and pull-up bars
  • More than 100,000 pieces of hardware to build the rigs

WHAT TO TELL YOUR FRIEND WHO’S LOOKING FOR A NEW SUMMER BOOK TO READ…

Look no further. Summer is for staying up to late, eating great food and reading books. We’ve been doing it since we were young enough to understand Summer break. We asked nine CrossFit influences, including Dave Castro and Ben Bergeron, what they’re curling up to right now. Take advantage of that Amazon Prime membership and pick up one of these great reads.

THINGS TO…

WATCH: Beachin with Brooke

Episode 2 is out, as Brooke Ence spends her final days at the beach house down in Encinitas, CA before heading up to the mountains.
BEACH LIFE.

HEAR: How to Qualify For the Games with a Torn ACL

With a what what? If this doesn’t solidify Cassidy Lance’s machine-like status, nothing will. The Nasty Girls Podcast heads down to Orlando, FL to spend some time with the Atlantic Regional champ before shipping out to Madison.
TUNE IN.

KNOW: Attacking Weaknesses with Carly Fuhrer

With CrossFit you’re never done finding areas of improvement, but when it comes to the CrossFit Games, athletes must limit their weaknesses or Dave Castro will expose them. Watch how Carly has been turning weaknesses into strengths with The Active Life.
WEAKNESS NO MORE. 

EAT: Avocado Power Breakfast

This recipe from Bacon & Squats is all the feels right now, and it’s unbelievably easy to make. Avocado + Eggs = Happy.
SAVE US SOME.

BUY: Your Favorite WOD Gloves 50% OFF

When your hands have taken a beating, you need a pair of gloves that are going to offer the protection you need without losing your grip. The RockTape Talons are exactly that and right now they’re 50% off with code “TALONS50”.
GET THE DEAL.

CHALK UP AFFILIATES

A Reflection We Just Had to Share…
“This morning I went to catch a workout at Singing River CrossFit in Pascagoula, MS and unfortunately instead of a great workout with great people and a great Owner/Coach in Vincent L. Jackson, I saw something that ripped my heart out, just as a Tornado had ripped off the roof of their precious box earlier this morning. I pulled up and saw his members standing around in disbelief just as I was, but not Vincent, he is true blue retired Marine that was in control of the situation, never wavered and was assuring his client’s….his ‘family’ that everything will be okay….he was comforting, but definitely in control. I’ve never met Vincent until today, but he had my respect in an instant and he even told me that he was sorry I couldn’t get my workout in today, that selfless. I know that his crew is in good hands, but it’s going to take a lot to get him and his box back on their feet.”
——
Two years ago, 64-year-old Royce E. “Rocky” Saunders and his wife joined CrossFit Cypher in Richmond, CA. While working out his coach suggested that Saunders enter a powerlifting meet. Three powerlifting meets late and he’s a gold medalist. In San Diego, he won after a 270 pound back squat, 235 pound bench press and a 385 pound deadlift.

CHALK UP READS

“Open Letter to Regional Athletes” by Josh Littauer, CrossFit Invictus

My presence in CrossFit gyms has been an interesting one since I started in 2012. When I first tried a CrossFit workout, I was told that I should compete, and that someday I could be one of the best in the world. Not knowing any better, I jumped right in began to do as much CrossFit as my body would allow. Within a few months I had competed in multiple local competitions and by the time I did my first CrossFit Open in 2013, was told the following year I should try to make the Regional Competition. From there I began training multiple times a day, doing extra skill work, more squat cycles, working with lifting coaches, and pushing myself as quickly towards progress as I could. Sure enough the following year in 2014, I qualified for my first Regional.

From here my fitness took a different turn. I definitely was no longer a normal class attendee, I had special programming, supplements, therapists, and diets to help me achieve a goal of going to the CrossFit Games. This carried on for two more years as I became increasingly isolated from the rest of the CrossFit community and most often was the only one in the gym for either of my training sessions. I was caught up in myself, my own progress, my needs, what I “needed”, often at the expense of others. This carried on through the 2016 Regional Competition, until I decided I needed a change.

“Tia-Clair Toomey: CrossFit and the Olympics” by Lessons in Badassery

In 2015, after barely two years practicing the sport, Tia-Clair Toomey stunned the CrossFit world (and herself) by taking 2nd place in her rookie year at the 2015 CrossFit Games. Proving it was no one-off, the former track athlete went on to repeat her success with a second place in the 2016 Games, officially earning herself the title of two-time ‘Second fittest woman on earth’.
And if that wasn’t impressive enough, Tia competed in both the CrossFit Games AND the Rio Olympics in the same year, representing Australia in Weightlifting less than two years taking up the sport.

Super-humble considering her major achievements, Tia took time out of her prep for this year’s upcoming CrossFit Games to chat training, lifting and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

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