Your Coffee is ready.
Good morning from the Cascades in Washington State and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Your author is off climbing a mountain and wrote today’s edition on Friday so if anything is slightly out of date blame Mother Nature for not providing wifi.
Today’s edition is powered by O2 Natural Recovery drink. They’ve dropped the word “formula” from their name and are sporting new branding, but the liquid you love is exactly the same. Non-carbonated, high in caffeine/electrolytes, and low in sugar/calories, O2 helps you recover from everything you give your all – your workout, your job, your tribe – so you can get back out there feeling refreshed, revitalized, and reborn. Affiliate owners interested in selling O2 at their box can get FREE samples of each flavor of O2.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The legs feed the wolf.” — Herb Brooks, 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Coach
CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIT THE BOX
The Dave Castro Team Series saga continues, this time with Sara Sigmundsdottir turning him down. Dan Bailey and Kara Webb drop by to play some basketball with Kristi Eramo. Annie Thorisdottir kicks off 2018 training with some traditional bodybuilding. Mathew Fraser has been lounging on a floaty in a Canadian lake.
FIRST LOOK: O2 Natural Recovery’s new can.
BEN BERGERON SHARES HIS TOP 10 MOMENTS FROM THE GAMES…
#9…Brooke Wells…If you grew up riding bikes, you don’t have to think about things like dismounting quickly, when to change gears or pedaling through turns—your body just instinctively does it. Not so for Brooke Wells. Before the Games, Brooke had been on a bike a handful of times, most of which were during Games training this summer.
…Afterwards, I rented some bikes and took Brooke to a empty construction site to practice…Her confidence improved, but she still finished the event near the bottom of the pack on Thursday…I don’t care how mentally tough you are—three near-bottom finishes in the first four events of the CrossFit Games is rough. After a year of training harder and smarter than she ever had, it was the last place Brooke expected to find herself going into Saturday.
…Brooke’s attitude immediately following the award ceremony was one of my favorites moments of the Games…I told her it’d be easy to compare last year’s leaderboard (where she finished 6th) with this year’s (where she finished 14th) and conclude she’s less fit…She surprised me by shaking her head. “I’m not worried about that AT ALL,” she said. “I know I’m fitter than I was last year. I learned so much this year, I can’t wait for next year.” That’s the attitude of a champion.”
THINGS TO…
WATCH: Finding Vitality at CrossFit Roots
Welcome to the 55 and older program at CrossFit Roots in Boulder, CO. The program is specifically designed to help masters athletes increase their quality of life through functional fitness, strength, balance, flexibility and coordination — and these athletes are showing that being active doesn’t stop at retirement.
LIFE AFTER 55.
HEAR: CrossFit Games Recap
Didn’t get to catch the entire thing or wonder what you might have missed that wasn’t broadcast on the live feed? Blair Morrison recaps Madison in all it’s glory in this episode of Beyond the Barbell.
TUNE IN.
EAT: Mediterranean Avocado Chickpea Pasta Salad
This 20 minute vegetarian avocado chickpea pasta salad with mediterranean flavors and a bold lemon basil dressing is refreshing and perfect to bring to parties or just as a side dish for when you need a snack at work.
START COOKING.
CHALK UP AFFILIATES
“A lifetime of weight issues and PCOS haven’t kept Alex back from living her best, most active life.”
When Alex Goldman turned 18, her mother made her go see a cognitive/dialectical behavioral therapist before she’d take her on a dream vacation. Seemingly uncomfortable at the time, it turns out it was one of the best decisions she could make. Alex has now shed 95 pounds and lives a fit and active lifestyle, competing in triathlons, running a marathon and working out at CrossFit Potrero Hill in San Francisco, CA.
FUN FACT: Alex bikes around seven to 10 miles to and from work every day.
——
STORY SERIES: How has CrossFit helped you achieve a goal?“My friend Katie tried for over a year to get me to try CrossFit. But at 54, I thought I was too old, too fat, with a bad knee, ankle and hip. And I am not athletic. But I finally got fed up with being overweight and out of shape, and wanted to keep up with my younger friends, so I tried it. And fell in love. CrossFit is for everyone, no matter age or condition. And I’m proof. When I started, I could barely manage a 35 pound training bar. And now I’m doing back squats at 110 pounds.” — Karel Lea Biggs, CrossFit Clarksville in Clarksville, TN
——
A Community that Rebuilds…On July 24, a tornado ripped through more than 150 buildings in Anna Arundel County Maryland, leaving destruction in its wake. This Saturday, CrossFit Kent Island, Baydog CrossFit in Severna Park and True Core CrossFit in Annapolis came together to raise money for the community and the three families left without a home. You can donate and help support them by visiting here.