Hey, what’s that blue line on the leaderboard?

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is built by Brute Strength.

Not lovin’ how you’re doing in the Open? We’ve got a program for that.

With Brute Body, you’ll look better, run faster and lift heavier, all thanks to a finely tuned, mobile-friendly program. Join the waitlist today (perks included).

“There are two kinds of people in this game. Humble ones and those who are about to be.” — Logan Gelbrich 

DATA DUMP.

What’s That Blue Line on The Leaderboard?

If you’ve been spending any time on the CrossFit Games leaderboard in the last week, you might have noticed a solid blue line hovering around 30th place.

This recent introduction to the leaderboard shows who would qualify for the 2019 CrossFit Games if the Open ended today.

The details: Athletes can qualify two ways through the Open — as national champion (fittest in their country) or top 20 worldwide. (See our detailed rulebook breakdown for more information).

• National champions take precedent over being top 20, so if a national champion is in the top 20 CrossFit will backfill their position.
• For example: If there are nine national champions in the top 20, CrossFit will backfill nine positions so the 29th athlete will qualify.
• Expect this to shift, a lot. Before 19.3 scores were finalized, the cut off line on the women’s leaderboard sat at 27th; today it’s at 31st. There are at least two scored workouts left.

As for Sanctionals: The Sanctionals number game gets a bit more complicated as we pointed out in yesterday’s report.

• Prime example: If the Open were to end today, 5th placed Roman Khrennikov would receive the invite from Dubai CrossFit Championship; 9th placed Taylor Streid would get the invite from Wodapalooza.
• Go deeper: Read the full list of Sanctionals backfills and how we got there.

And what about the 2018 Games athletes?

• Stat de jure: In the past four years only six athletes have come from outside of the top 50 after week 3 to finish in the top 30.
• There are 15 athletes, who sit 120th or worse who probably won’t be going back to the CrossFit Games via the Open.
• Read the full list.

The bottom line: Every single rep counts…now, more so, than ever.

BF GF.

From Boyfriend to Teammate to Coach, Speegle and Gordon More Than Make it Work.

Three weeks of the Open are all wrapped up, and Dani Speegle is on the path towards earning her first trip to the CrossFit Games.

She currently sits third overall, and if she qualifies there will be an added bonus of getting to share the accomplishment with her coach, training partner and boyfriend Alex Gordon.

The dynamic of having a significant other for a coach in sports can be complicated, but it hasn’t swayed Speegle and Gordon in the midst of a spectacular 2019 season.

“Obviously dancing around the boyfriend-coach dynamic can be difficult at times, like mixing business with pleasure but we’ve gotten into a good groove,” Speegle said.

Their relationship began years prior on the competition floor and in the gym, which is about as organic as you can get in CrossFit.

“We were on the same regionals team in 2017, which is how we met,” Speegle said. “We started working out a lot together which is where our relationship started, we trained together leading up to 2018 Regionals.”

Continue reading…

Coffee Break Conversations

What to say after your boss gives you an impossible deadline at work…

Try being an Olympic runner right now. The International Association of Athletics Federations issued a press release announcing that it had approved the entry standards for next summer’s Olympic Games. Conveniently, the press release didn’t mention that the standards had become significantly harder to achieve.

Things To…

WATCH: Inside Elite Fitness 19.3 Edition

In the latest episode of Inside Elite Fitness, Sean Woodland and Tommy Marquez take a look at the Open leaderboard after workout 19.3 and check in on who’s hot, who’s not and some new-ish names. They also discuss the changes they’ve noticed in Games programming and what they’re predicting.

WHAT’S UP HANDSTANDS?

HEAR: West Coast Advantage on Coast Range Podcast

West Coast Advantage podcast hosts Gabriel and Arielle were guests on the Coast Range podcast with Wes Piatt last week. They discussed their plant-based experience, their evolution as CrossFit coaches and what they’re working on now with nutrition coaching.

A ROOM OF HEAVY HITTERS.

TRY: Clean Eats and Superfood Snack Bars

The new Move, Think and Smile snack bars by B.O.S.S. Foods are cold-pressed, like your favorite green juice, to preserve living enzymes and nutrients. Each snack was developed for a specific function and are made with carefully chosen ingredients, are non-GMO and contain no caffeine, soy, grains, dairy, or whey.

BOSS SNACK BARS.

EAT: Nourishing Asian Chicken Soup

This nourishing Asian chicken soup with bok choy, green onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and fresh herbs like cilantro, mint and basil is fresh, flavorful and healthy. You can serve it with add-ins like noodles or rice or double that bok choy.

LOOKS SO GOOD.

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

Chalk Up Community

• WOD 4 Trent — WOD 4 Trent was established by Mycal Anders, owner of CrossFit PHX in Phoenix, AZ in honor of his best friend, Trent who passed away of oral cancer at just 28-years-old. The event will take place on Saturday, April 6.
• WILL RUN FOR TREATS — Silver Strike CrossFit is hosting a 5K “Will Run for Treats” event this Saturday, March 16 at Centennial Park in Carson City, NV to benefit the Carson Animal Services Initiative.

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

Happy birthday Margaux Alvarez and Sam Briggs • Congratulations to Alissa Brinkle on her first CrossFit class • School administrator Melissa Barry dropped in to her sixth graders‘ CrossFit PE • Happy birthday Hayley Murillo • Happy birthday Taylor Deering • Jason Carroll is hosting a giveaway with Hyperice and VIRUS • Eleven-year-old Mason Alderman snatches 95 pounds • Alec Turbett gets his first muscle-up.

…and the next time there’s a partner WOD grab the closest adorable CrossFit baby. 

19.4 Live Announcements — Here’s who will be hosting the 19.4 announcements tonight at 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET / 12:00 AM GMT +1 on Games.CrossFit.com. 

— CrossFit Italian Showdown at CrossFit Varese in Azzate, Italy.

— Brazil CrossFit Championship at inVicio CrossFit in São Paulo, Brazil featuring Elijah Muhammad v. Brazil’s Guilherme Malheiros.

— CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown at Mobilis CrossFit in Amsterdam with Team Vondelgym.

— CrossFit NCR in Ottawa with Paul Tremblay and Pat Vellner.

— The first live streamed Friday night lights at CrossFit Raid in Bensalem, PA is Friday at 5:00 PM PT/ 8:00 PM ET / 12:00 AM GMT +1.

Behind the Leaderboard — Don’t miss Behind the Leaderboard with Tommy Marquez out today at Noon PT.

Fitness Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Young Adults — The OUT Foundation issued a press release announcing it has launched the OUTAthlete Scholarship program to award year-long gym memberships to deserving LGBTQ+ applicants.

— “We are dedicated to nurturing, empowering, and celebrating LGBTQ+ bodies and minds to guarantee that our community thrives,” said Will Lanier, Executive Director of the OUT Foundation. “We believe that being part of a healthy, supportive fitness environment is key to leading a healthy lifestyle, and that’s why we’re so proud to offer these scholarships to deserving young people.”

“Battle Cancer is Coming to the States,” by Jessica Danger, Morning Chalk Up 

Battle Cancer is hitting Los Angeles with a tour of local gyms ahead of its first US event in May this year.

Since its inception in 2017, Battle Cancer has raised over $300,000 for cancer charities worldwide and is delivering seven events across the US, UK, Germany and Spain in 2019.

Battle Cancer is kicking off its launch in the US with a tour of LA CrossFit boxes and attempting 20 WODs in 17 gyms in just five days.

Co-founders Scott Britton and Pete Williams are on a mission to hit as many gyms as possible in the LA area to spread the word.

They’ll make an appearance at Paradiso CrossFit Venice, Dogtown CrossFit, Reebok CrossFit Lab and others to talk about their cause, hand out freebies and get a WOD in at each gym as they ramp up to Battle Cancer LA at CrossFit Trojan on May 11.

3/14: Open Announcement 19.4 (Online)

3/16: 2019 Shamrock Showdown (Pittsburgh, PA)

3/16 – 3/17: The Tactical Games (Burnet, TX)

3/21: Open Announcement 19.5 (Online)

3/23: Down for Donuts (Ocala, FL)

3/24: The Rockwell Championships Series Team Qualifiers (Online)

3/30: Game of Barbells (Houston, TX)

3/30: Row for a Reason 2019 (Nashville, TN)

3/30: Reps For Rescues at CrossFit Hanover (Hanover, PA)

3/30: Crossfit Redoubt Open Competition (Slovakia)

3/30: Cru’s Crusaders Fundraiser WOD (San Clemente, CA)

3/30: Burritt Built Throwdown (Port St. Lucie, FL)

4/5 – 4/7: Iron Sharpens Iron Camp (Nashville, TN)

4/1 – 4/8: Northern California Classic Online Qualifiers (Online)

4/1 – 4/11: The Liege Throwdown Online Qualifiers (Herstal, Belgium)

4/6: Feed, Clothe, Love and Lift (Amarillo, TX) 

4/6: St. Peters CrossFit Fitness Awards (Saint Peters, MO)

4/6: Powerstroke Partner Throwdown 2019 (Fallon, NV)

4/6: Metcon Meltdown (Flemington, NJ)

4/6: Two Peas in a POD Competition (Burlington, MA)

4/6: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Diversion (Williamstown, NJ)

4/6: Rise of the Machines IV (Austin, TX)

4/6: Bay Area Beatdown 2 (Webster, TX)

4/6: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Cornerstone (Cincinnati, OH)

4/6: WOD 4 Trent (Phoenix, AZ)

4/10 – 4/24: Granite Games Online Qualifier (Online)

4/11 – 4/14: CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown Online Qualifier (Online)

4/12 – 4/13: Capstone Caveman Clash and Cook Off (Lubbock, TX)

4/12 – 4/14: Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge (Washington, D.C.)

4/13: Capacidad De Dos Amigos (San Antonio, TX)

4/13: The Craic Throwdown (Norwood, MA)

4/13: Warrior Affiliate League Deuces Wild (Chino, CA)

4/13: Battle of the Ages (Pineville, NC)

4/13: 5th Annual Battle for the Mountain (Dawsonville, GA)

4/13: The Requisite Masters Classic (Philadelphia, PA)

4/13: HandSTANDUP for Haiti (Smyrna, TN)

4/13: WOD Wars Fit Fest (Dunedin, FL)

4/13: CFL Loganville Lockdown (Loganville, GA)

4/13: CrossFit Katy Team Classic (Katy, TX)

4/13: Rescue Road: Obstacle Course Event (Alpharetta, GA)

4/13: Quad Wars at CrossFit Adversary (Williamstown, NJ)

4/14: To Hill and Back 2019 (Albemarle, NC)

4/15 – 4/27: Top Of The Box Online Qualifier (Clarksville, TN)

4/19 – 5/1: CrossFit French Throwdown Individual Online Qualifier (Online)

4/20: The Wodfather VII 2019 (Keller, TX)

4/20: Rookie Rumble at Bucktown CrossFit (Chicago, IL)

4/20: Barnyard Throwdown (Ohatchee, AL)

4/26: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Nashua (Nashua, NH)

4/26 – 4/27: Gameday Competition (Mankato, MN) 

4/26 – 4/28: CrossFit Italian Showdown (Milan, Italy)

4/26 – 4/28: The Sun Coast Fitness Festival (Kwa-Zulu Natal, AUS)

4/27: 4th Annual Spring Fever Partner Masters Comp (Souderton PA)

4/27: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit KOA (Cranford, NJ)

4/27: The Gnardog Challenge (Reedley, CA)

4/27: Festivus Games (Worldwide)

4/27: Raising the Bar for Charlotte (Medina, OH)

4/27 – 4/29: Asia CrossFit Championship (Shanghai, China)

4/27: Autism Rocks and Rows (San Clemente, CA)

4/27: Garage Games Xs and Ys (Hiram, GA)

4/27: The Explode Individual Classic (West Chester, PA)

4/27: Fast Times at West Tech High (Las Vegas, NV)

4/27: Tyler’s Voice CrossFit Competition (Jefferson City, TN)

4/27: SWFL Sharks Semi-Pro Grid Combine (Cape Coral, FL)

4/27: Explode’s Independent Classic (West Chester, FL)

4/27: Festivus Games at Crossfit Sav-up (Petaluma, CA)

4/27: 4th annual Apple Town Throwdown (Cornelia,GA)