Guess who’s not in first place after day 1

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by Rx Smart Gear, the official jump rope of serious athletes.

Can you bust out consistent crosses with your jump rope? Learn some tips to improve technique with our lead instructor, Nate KG, on the Rx Smart Gear’s online coaching page.

“When everyone is moving forward together success will take care of it itself.” — Henry Ford

Her CrossFit PR is Walking Without a Cane

Some background.

Jessica Gomez has been living with Multiple Sclerosis for thirteen years and walks using the assistance a cane.

A few weeks ago, Jess and her coach James Simonelli made a deal that Three Danes CrossFIt would be a cane free zone. So, every day Jess would walk into the box and place her cane up against the wall by the rig. Then when she was done she’d go back to get it and go about her day.

But then this little thing happened.

On Friday, November 30, Jess was walking back to her cane after finishing up a workout when Coach James called out across the floor to her: “Hey, why don’t you just leave it there and pick it up tomorrow?”

No answer from Jess. Thinking he made her uncomfortable, he added “It’s all good. We can do that another day where you leave your cane here.”

Without turning or missing a beat, Jess said “Nope, I’m gonna leave it here today.”

And so it began.

She did it. She made it the whole day without her cane.

Jess came to class the next morning. She took the 8:00 AM class, on a Saturday at that, and left her cane in the gym again.

She came to open gym on Sunday. She left her cane again.

Two weeks later, her cane is still there. Jess hasn’t used it since that fateful Friday.

She must feel amazing. 

She told us in an interview that it was about a year ago she needed to use the cane on a daily basis. “It wasn’t until then that it hit me. I had to start planning for my future, because I would need more complex mobility accomodations. Every day I pictured the day I wouldn’t be using the cane again. But never did I actually think that meant I would walk without it.”

Coffee Break Conversations

What to say when your Mother asks if you’re bringing anything special for Christmas this year…

Yeah, the wine. Margaux Alvarez has a sweet holiday bundle of her wines, saving you some serious cash and also helps a family in need this holiday season. For $140 you get three bottles of Gaux Zin, three bottles of Cheers Tin, and six bottles of Moderation. It’s only one cent shipping for this special bundle and she’s donating 20% back to families that need it. You can get it here just get behind us in line, okay? Thanks.

And while you’re out there supporting some CrossFit friendly companies…

You only hav until noon PT today – that’s a couple of hours here folks – to get one of our limited edition flag tees and muscle tanks. We repeat. The last day. Not even a whole day. So get to it. 

Things To…

WATCH: Productive Application of Force

CrossFit Level One instructor Chuck Carswell lectures a group of students on the productive application of force in CrossFit using a muscle-up as an example and explains the difference between defining strength and applying force.

EVERYONE WANTS A MUSCLE-UP THOUGH.

HEAR: What it Means to Have a Meaningful Life

In this podcast, Amy and Olivia talk about the four pillars of meaning from Emily Esfahani Smith’s book, describing what it truly means to be “happy”. They also dive into the difference between being happy and actually having meaning, and the difference between chasing happiness instead of purpose.

IT GETS SO DEEP. 

EAT: Maple Almond Collagen Cookies

Would it be cool if we just posted cookie recipes all month long? It feels like that’s pretty much all we’re eating right now anyway. So here’s this super simple recipe for maple almond collagen cookies that are gluten, dairy, and egg-free and also stinking delicious.

IT’S COOKIE SEASON.

WIN: Hang out with Mat Fraser and let Sammy Feed You 

Ever imagined what it would be like to hang with Mat Fraser on a yacht, and eat a meal made by the one and only Sammy Moniz? Well, now you can. And they’ll fly you to Miami, house you, give you three-day VIP passes to Wodapalooza, and clothe you in signed Mat Fraser apparel and footwear. Right now, donating to Barbells for Boobs gets you tickets to win.

A GOOD CAUSE ALL AROUND. 

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

DUBAI CROSSFIT CHAMPIONSHIP.

Day 1 Recap

Two events at the beach for Individuals and Teams were on tap to officially kick off the 2019 CrossFit Games season. Below is a recap of the big stories from Day 1.

Out of Competition

Ben Smith, Dean Linder-Leighton (injury) and Hilary Steele (personal reasons) all withdrew from competition before event 1. They join Annie
Thorisdottir on the sidelines. 

Women

The big surprise for the women was the performance of former team athlete at the Games Harriet Roberts. Roberts finished the first event in 4th, then took home and event win from an earlier heat in event 2 to finish the day in 2nd overall ahead of some of the sports biggest names.

The top spot however, belongs to none other than Sam Briggs. Briggs finished both events in 2nd place and sits in 1st place overall, 5 points ahead of Roberts.

Jamie Greene rounds out the top 3, and favorites Laura Horvath and Sara Sigmundsdottir sit in 5th and 6th respectively after day 1.

Men

It’s still early but three-time reigning CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser is NOT in 1st after day 1. Instead it’s a pair or relative unknowns, Alex Kotoulas and Matt McLeod, who sit tied for the overall lead after day 1. Both notched a pair of top 3 finishes behind strong performances in the water.

For Fraser, the day started strong as he won the opening event but some struggles with the lifeguard buoy in the water meant a 9th place finish in the 2nd event, dropping him down to 4th place overall heading into day 2.

Defending Dubai Champion Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson had a strong start, finishing the day in 3rd just one point ahead of Fraser. He finished both events in 4th and was never outside of the top pack of athletes throughout.

Teams

Invictus (not to be confused with Invictus X) dominated day 1 going 2 for 2 in event wins. The pair of Regan Huckaby and Rasmus Anderson smoked event 1 before Lauren Fisher and Tommy Vinas kept the team perfect for the day by winning event 2.

FUN FACT: Emelie Lundberg of Team Super Hero Project, finished her portion of event 3 in 10:38, which would have been good enough to place 6th in the individual division.

Standings

— Men: 1). Alex Kotoulas (190), 2). Matt McLeod (190), 3). BK Gudmundsson (170), 4). Mathew Fraser (169), 5). Willy Georges (155), 6). Connor Duddy (153), 7). Travis Mayer (153), 8). Streat Hoerner (142), 9). Lazar Dukic (142), and 10). Bauden Brown (126).

— Women: 1). Sam Briggs (190), 2). Harriet Roberts (185), 3). Jamie Greene (175), 4). Karin Frey (163), 5). Laura Horvath (160), 6). Sara Sigmundsdottir (155), 7). Bethany Shadburne (144), 8). Dani Speegle, 9). Mikaela Norman (136), and 10). Chantelle Loehner (132).

— Teams: 1). Invictus (200), 2). Team Sweden (185), 3). Cassidy, Jen, Adrian, Lukas (175), 4). Invictus X, 5). Team Omnicide, 6). Training Think Tank (158), 7). Central Beasts (147), 8). Super Hero Project (146), 9). CrossFit Pro1 (140), and 10). Team Butcher’s Lab (136).

Schedule

Day two is a short one as athletes only complete one event, which will be streamed live on Dubai’s YouTube page.

Individuals

— Event 3: 4X4 (8:30 – 8:45 AM GMT+4 (Wed. 8:30 – 8:45 PM Pacific)

8K Desert Run

4K with 20/14 pound weight vest

4K without weight vest

Teams

— Event 3: 4X4 (8:30 – 8:45 AM GMT+4 (Wed. 8:30 – 8:45 PM Pacific)

8K Desert Run

4K with 20/14 pound weight vest

4K without weight vest

Chalk Up Community

• WOD FOR DOGS — CrossFit Raeford held a WOD For Dogs fundraiser over the weekend. They had over 50 people show up and workout with dogs. The WOD included 200 meter runs with the dogs and air squats while holding a pup. A truck full of donation supplies were collected and all of the pups went home ready for a nap.
• ON THE MINUTE — Epidsode 4 of “On the Minute” with Morning Chalk Up and Armen Hammer TV airs tonight at 5:00 PM PT. You can watch it on the Morning Chalk Up Facebook page and you should. 
• CROSSFIT AND RECOVERY IN VERMONT — The Phoenix, a national nonprofit organization that fosters a sober active community for individuals in recovery, has partnered with Green Mountain CrossFit over the weekend and it’s open to anyone that has been sober for 48 hours or more.
• LADIES LITCATION — Join Sage Burgener and Aimee Everett for their first ever Ladies Litcation in Bend, OR for three days filled with Olympic lifting, mental training, and fun. Takes place January 25-27 and email Sage for more info. 
• KID FIT PROGRAM — Everest Training Centres in Winnipeg and CrossFit 204 have teamed up to offer Kid Fit, a fun way to get kids and teens introduced to CrossFit and started on the path to a healthy life. January class registration is now open for ages six to 17.

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

Happy second anniversary to CrossFit 4982 in Loveland, CO • Kristine Kitayama gets her first muscle-up • Sarah Wallace crushed 413 thrusters for Project Purple and Pancreatic cancer • Alec Smith is now being coached by Michele Lentendre • Invictus athlete Maddy Myers
cleans 260 pounds • Cody Anderson hits a 275 pound snatch PR • Jacob Heppner backsquatted 420
pounds for 5.

CONFIRMED — Willy Georges is confirmed for the Rogue Invitational. He’ll compete alongside other invite only athletes like Mat Fraser, Josh
Bridges, Cole Sager and Pat Vellner. 

Brazil CrossFit Championship Tickets on Sale — The Brazil CrossFit Champiosnhip, an official CrossFit Games sanctioned event, will take place in São Paulo May 17 – 19, 2019 and tickets are officially on sale now. 

Rogue Fitness Was a Contender for Inc. Magazine’s 2018 Company of the Year — While they didn’t get the actual title, Rogue Fitness was a contender for Inc.’s 2018 Company of the Year. “Rogue’s commitment to American manufacturing, its employees, and investing in the local economy made it a contender for Inc.’s 2018 Company of the Year,” they wrote.

— After struggling to equip his newly opened CrossFit Gym, “Henniger saw a problem and decided to build a business to solve it. Using only his own money, he launched Rogue Fitness as an online-only distributor, creating a convenient one-stop shop for outfitting CrossFit boxes of all sizes, from garages with a few dumbbells to larger studios’ rowing machines and racks.

— Owner Bill Henniger on keeping everything in house, “I can walk to any area of the building and talk to the welders, machinists, painters, sewing staff, medicine ball builders, assembly team, and distribution team,” he says. “Our product designers can work hand in hand with the fabrication teams. If we need to make a change, we can do it on the fly.”

— “Where Henniger takes the most pride, though, is in his company’s commitment to hiring local labor at a fair wage. (Rogue Fitness factory workers make about $16 an hour, according to Glassdoor.) The company’s core philosophy reads: “Keeping our manufacturing operations in the U.S. and hiring skilled American workers results in higher quality products and more economic growth within the local community. Paying our employees a fair wage instills a sense of pride in their work and a sense of security in their lives.”

“CrossFit Games Rulebook Won’t be Released in time for Kickoff,” by Justin LoFranco, Morning Chalk Up

The 2019 CrossFit Games season officially kicks off tomorrow, but there won’t be an official rulebook for the season opener in Dubai, a fact which has alarmed top athletes and coaches trying to plan for the season.

The only clear indication CrossFit HQ has given regarding the release date is before the 2019 CrossFit Open.

Perhaps even more alarming is the fact that publicly over the past three-and-a-half months, HQ has done little to publicly assuage concerns, fears of rule changes, or provide answers to some of these basic questions.

No athletes or coaches were willing to speak on the record for this story for fear of putting a target on their back, but privately several expressed concern over the lack of an official rulebook.

“Nothing is set in stone until we have the rulebook,” said one top CrosFit Games coach, who asked to remain anonymous.

That uncertainty has also caused several in the elite community to sit back and remain on the sidelines rather than dive in only to find the assumed rules changed once the official ruling is released.

However, according to a Sr. CrossFit aide involved with sanctioning events, CrossFit HQ is taking into consideration the sanctioned events that will take place before the rulebook’s release “so that there’s nothing in the book that would retroactively harm or disqualify them.”

Continue reading. 

12/12 – 12/15: Dubai CrossFit Championship (Dubai, UAE)

12/15: Masters Mania (Oklahoma City, OK)

12/15: Team Luke Fundraiser (Marlboro Township, NJ)

12/15: Santa Slam Toy Drive and Community WOD (St. Petersburg, FL)

12/15 – 12/16: Nightmare Before Christmas CrossFit Competition (Albuquerque, NM)

12/22: The Flanders Throwdown (Zedelgem, Belgium)

1/10 – 1/13: Feats of Strength Online Meet (Online)

1/11 – 1/13: CrossFit Fort Vancoyver Championships (Vancouver, WA)

1/12: Granite Games Throwdown at New Ulm CrossFit (New Ulm, MN)

1/19: New Year New Throwdown Event (El Mirage, AZ)

1/19: Battle For The Axe (Baxter, MN)

1/27: Big Dawgs Athlete Development Camp (Letchworth, England)