Horses Got Milk, Too

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is built by Working Against Gravity, the Official Nutrition Sponsor of the Morning Chalk Up.

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7 days until the CrossFit Games. 

“Will is defined as the power of control over one’s own actions. On the journey to the top, enthusiasm will get you started and keep you moving, and your aspirations will define how far you will go, if you have a strong enough will to get into the gym and do the work.” — Tommy Suggs 

Got (horse) milk?

Honey, can you pick up a gallon of milk?

That’s now a pretty loaded question.

If you scan the milk section at your local grocery store, you’ll find that there are far more non-dairy milk selections than ever before. In fact, you may even have to look hard to find the good old fashioned cow’s milk between the almond, coconut, cashew, soy, oat, hemp, and rice milk. There are so many milk alternatives Mashable created a comprehensive guide to help light the way.

Horse’s milk…you game?

Sooo, it might sound unusual to us here in the West, but drinking mare’s milk isn’t fresh news. It’s been a staple in central Asia for some time, but what’s the benefit?

Peer-reviewed studies suggest that mare’s milk may relieve eczema or improve immune responsiveness. Some studies even suggest that it may be a good substitute for infants or children that are allergic to traditional cow’s milk (although it will probably be years of testing and regulations before that becomes a gold standard).

Milk with love.

Getting milk from a mare isn’t quite as easy as it is from a cow, though. Julie Decayeux, the only European producer selling fresh, pasteurized mare’s milk, explains that “horses are not genetically programmed to produce milk like a cow. You need a relationship with them for them to share their milk with you.”

We think that’s really sweet.

Coffee Break Conversations

What to tell your running partner who always complains about dying of hunger on each and every single dang long-distance training run he ever agrees to do…

Be more like Ultramarathoner Patrick Sweeney, who once finished the Chicago Marathon and then ran from there to New York City in 22 days in order to make the New York Marathon. He runs in sandals, and eats mostly avocados, potato chips, and beer on his longer runs. He says that at these distances, it’s just about getting the calories in. If the man can go for hundreds of miles on that, we figure we can make one single Sunday run without a snack. 

What to tell that man in your book club with an uncanny knack for odd bits of trivia…

Almonds do not lactate. We repeat: almonds DO NOT lactate. The FDA tried to take aim at all those other white fluids sometimes referred to as “milk,” such as almond milk, oat milk, and even soy milk. Lest anyone think that a product labeled “almond milk” or “soy milk” came from an animal, a bill was recently introduced called the Dairy Pride Act, which aims to “protect the integrity of dairy products by enforcing existing labeling requirements.” It didn’t pass, because holy cow man. We should know this stuff. 

Things To…

WATCH: Laura Horvath Trains for the Games

Paul Tremblay, Michele Letendre, and Laura Horvath head to the beach for some Games training. While they’re swimming, Michele reveals what it’s like to coach Paul and Laura. 

LOOK AT EM’ GO. 

HEAR: Nutrition, Intensity and Scaling

Amy and Olivia from the Nasty Girls Podcast sit down to discuss nutrition and the importance of weighing your food. They also cover scaling and how even pros need to know when and how to scale. 

TUNE IN. 

KNOW: What do Games Athletes Eat for Breakfast?

The fact that Games athletes train hard is kind of a given, but what do they eat? And do they change their nutrition up before a big competition like the Games? Reebok was wondering too, so they asked.

MOST IMPORTANT MEAL. 

EAT: Perfect Overnight Oats Three Ways 

Oatmeal is a go-to carb that keeps you full for hours. It’s versatile, so you can add whatever kind of fats or carbs you’d like. Here’s three ways to make overnight oats that fit all your nutritional needs and keep you full all morning.

WAKE UP HUNGRY.

BUY: Best Road Trip Snacks

Driving to Madison for the CrossFit Games? Don’t get hangry out there on the open road. Nobody likes that. Instead, stock up on the 15 best road trip snacks to satisfy those mid-trip munchies. 

WE LOVE SNACKS.

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

Chalk Up Community

• PRO-TIP — If you’re a box owner looking to host your first CrossFit competition, Box Pro Magazine has five key steps to ensure it’s success. 
• SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE — CrossFit 406 in Great Falls, MT is hosting a school supply drive for the Cameron Family Center. You can drop off supplies until August 17th. 

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

Wes Piatt trains his daughter JoJo to roll the snail • Hunter McIntyre recaps his mock Regional experience • Kirsten Pedri tries hard to pull a sled • Alessandra Pichelli tries rock climbing as she trains for the CrossFit Games • Regan Huckaby is just fine not going to the CrossFit Games • Lindsey Valenzuela does accessory work while her son sleeps in the car next to her • Sara Sigmundsdottir gets one last bike ride in before the CrossFit Games.

…and please be more like Ben people.

Where Are All the 2018 Event Hints? — Dave Castro and the Games team are playing the 2018 CrossFit Games very close to the chest. In comparison to 2017, we know far fewer details than last year. In 2017, the first event was released in full on July 4, whereas we didn’t know the details for a single event this year until July 21. In fact, CrossFit had released partial or entire details on five individual events, one team event and the demo team roster by this time last year. We do now know partial details for Event 1, partial details for Event 2, that the obstacle course will be back and two team hints.

Hunter McIntyre Goes All In — Yesterday, Morning Chalk Up and FITAID live streamed OCR champion Hunter McIntyre as he did the final two Regional workouts. Hunter finished Regionals Event 5 in 14:24 which, unofficially, would be 3rd worldwide. He completed Event 6 under the time cap, coming in at 6:24. Overall, Hunter completed four of six workouts under the time cap, and in his recap video he revealed he’s going all in on CrossFit and training to compete against the fittest athletes with the goal of making it to Regionals in 2019.

The Panchik Brothers Are on the Road — Scott and Saxon are headed to Madison and are documenting the drive and want you to follow along. “Our story, family and community is something we want to share. We will be posting a video every day leading up to the Games beginning today to highlight this process and the people who make it possible!”

Bridgers Keeps Counting Down — Emily Bridgers, who is preparing to retire from competing after the 2018 CrossFit Games, has been counting down with her twelve favorite Games memories. Memory number four is performing the Open announcement 15.2 alongside Michele Letendre.

Turned His Life Around with CrossFit — In 2008, Pat Crosby was the president of two technology companies. He had money, houses, and a boat. He also had an alcohol problem. He went to rehab, which lasted literally one day. He realized he had to change his life, and in 2009, he found his purpose, starting CrossFit SISU, which has since grown to two locations. Now, at 51, he’s in the best shape of his life, happier than ever, and headed to
the Games. Talk about a game changer. 

She Found CrossFit on Accident — Chloe Smith was waiting for her mom to finish her CrossFit class and feeling a bit bored, decided to try to climb the rope. She made it. So the coaches at CrossFit Unlimited Crowley let her start taking classes with her mom. Now, at sixteen, Chloe is headed to the Games. 

WODathon for Blake — Blake Hall was born on October 23 2014, weighing just 1 lb and 1 ounce. He was 24 weeks premature at the time and had to stay in the hospital for six weeks after birth. He’s defied all the odds and a year ago he was given the all-clear from the doctors, a year earlier than they expected. His parents wanted to give back to the hospital that helped them through these last few years, so they planned a 24-hour Wodathon at Crossfit Sweet Tracks in Glastonbury to raise money for the NICU at Southmead Hospital.

CrossFit PB Expands — Crossfit PB has been a staple in San Diego since 2010, and now they’ve moved into a bigger space on Garnet Avenue, hoping to engage even more members of Pacific Beach community. They have more room now to engage with their community, which is exactly what they’re hoping to do. “We have so much room to grow and can bring so many types of people in to unite under one roof,” said owner Jenny De Veaux.

“CrossFit and the Diabetes Epidemic in Canada” by Emily Beers, The CrossFit Journal

Rainier Ward was brought up believing sugar meant love.

“My mother, who tried her very best to raise us, showed her love through feeding us carbs and sugar. We would emotionally eat when we had a success, a failure, when there was a loss in the community, or a celebration. Everything was centered around food, and pretty much all high-starch, high-sugar food.”

Pasta and bannock—fried bread—were staples in his community.

“They’re all heavy foods, but they’re cheap and can feed a lot of people,” he said.

He wasn’t alone.

Rates of Type 2 diabetes in Canadian indigenous communities have reached epidemic levels. In some indigenous communities, as much as 26 percent of the population had the disease in 2013. 

In February 2017, he turned to CrossFit Pound, an affiliate located on the Eel Ground First Nation reservation—Metepenagiag’s sister reservation—just outside the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick. He started training four or five days a week. Today, Ward has lost a total of 145 lb.

7/21: Second Annual Summer Showdown (Nicholasville, KY)

7/21: Swole Wars II (Burleson, TX)

7/21: Sacred Pines Invitational (Ladson, SC)

7/21: Battle at the BallPark (Peoria, IL) 

7/21: Summer Partner Throwdown (Hammond, LA)

7/21: The Freedom Games (Greenwood, SC)

7/21: The Duel: Competitor vs. Cancer (Nevada, IA)

7/21 – 7/22: The Rubicon (Centerton, AR)

7/21 – 7/22: Fit Nation Thunderdome (Fort Myers, FL)

7/22: Iceland with VoyEdge RX

7/27-29: CanWest Games (Coquitlam, BC)

7/28: Garage Girls Hard Core Fit (Watkinsville, GA) 

7/28: Garage Girls CrossFit HardCore (Boca Raton, FL) 

7/28: AZ FitCom Competition (Phoenix, AZ)

7/28: Summer Knights Showdown (Springfield, IL)

7/28: Savage Wolves CrossFit Classic (Nazareth, PA)

7/28 – 7/29: CF Summer Circus (Des Moines, IA)

7/29: Summer Sizzle (Wadsworth, OH) 

7/30: Legends of Lebo (Pittsburgh, PA)

81 – 8/5: The CrossFit Games (Madison, WI) 

8/4: Lumberjack Lift Off (Buckley, WA) 

8/4: G-Town Throwdown (Georgetown, MA) 

8/4: US National Parks Tour with VoyEdge RX

8/4: War at the Shore (Neptune City, NJ)

8/5: Sure Shot Shootout (Greenville, OH)

8/11: Red Raider Backyard Brawl (Coatesville, PA)

8/11: 2018 Rimrock Ruckus (Billings, MT)

8/11: Survival Games 2018 (Wooster, OH)

8/11: The Warhorse Games (Kansas City, KS)

8/11: War of the Roses (Pasadena, CA) 

8/18: Bladium CrossFit Fossil Games (Denver, CO) 

​8/18: The Revolution: Articles of Confederation (San Antonio, TX)

8/18: Summer Slam Royal Rumble (Oakdale, CA)

8/18: CrossFit Krypton’s Compete for a Cure (Chesapeake, VA)

8/18: CrossFit Endure Granite Games Throwdown (Windsor, CO)

8/18: MKT CrossFit Granite Games Throwdown (Columbia, MO)

8/18: Rocky Mountain Throwdown (Fort Collins, CO) 

8/18: Crossfit Krypton’s Compete for a Cure (Chesapeake, VA)

​8/18: Mayhem on the Mountain (Pelham, AL)

8/18: Crossfit Charlevoix Granite Games Throwdown (Charlevoix, MI) 

8/18: Battle in the Boro (Washington, NJ)

8/18: Troy CrossFit Granite Games Throwdown (San Diego, CA) 

8/19: Battle on Broadway (Garnder, MA) 

8/25: Iron Belle and Femme Royale Women’s Competition (Austin, TX) 

8/25: CrossFit Sua Sponte Summer Slam (Raleigh, NC) 

8/25: AMRAP For Autism (Waxhaw, NC)