Patrick Vellner Bruised His Lung and Kept Going

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by Red H Nutrition, the Supplement Revolution. Be ready. 

Hey ladies! Do you want to lift heavier overhead? Improve your upper body definition? Crush pull-ups and push-ups? Conquer your upper body weaknesses in just two accessory workouts a week for just four weeks! Download the Upper Body Strength Program! And don’t forget, get more from your training with Red H Nutrition by using code “CHALKUP” to save 25%.

“You can choose to be bitter by looking at what could have been, or you can be grateful for everything you have. Happiness is a choice, so I will choose to be thankful.” — Brent Fikowski

Eat vertical, get shredded.

Do it for the ‘gram.

If we told you there was a new diet that’s all about building muscle and fueling athletic performance, would you be in?

Stan Efferding is the founder of The Vertical Diet, and he claims it will do just that. Efferding comes from a body building background and created this diet for the results.

So where does the name come from?

Picture an upside down “T”. The bottom represents small portions of foods like eggs, oranges, carrots, and low-gas veggies. The majority of your diet, the vertical part of the “T”, is made up primarily of red meat and white rice.

No poultry. No fish. No grains or legumes. The overall concept is to consume bioavailable micros and easily digestible macros. Seems simple enough.

But is it healthy?

According to the diet’s website, the focus on protein and carbs will optimize gut health, correct nutrient deficiencies, and boost energy, stamina, endurance, and recovery. Sounds good, right? Registered dietitians may not be totally on board.

Cutting out entire food groups and heavily restricting isn’t always recommended by nutrition professionals — as it’s not the most sustainable approach for long term health.

But the vertical diet could be a good temporary option if you’re chasing down a new #transformationtuesday pic.

Coffee Break Conversations

What to say when your coach waxes nostalgic yet again over the Reebok Nano 4’s he had back in the day…

Bro. They brought ’em back. Back by popular demand, Reebok is  releasing the Nano 4.0 for the first time since 2014. For a limited time only, you can buy one of CrossFit’s most nostalgic sets of footwear for $130 on Reebok.com.

What to say the next time you order your triple shot soy latte…

Maybe check the expiration date? A shipment of soy beans worth more than $20 million in protein-rich cargo has been bobbing aimlessly in the Pacific Ocean for a month, a casualty of the escalating trade war between China and the US. You thought that latte was expensive? Well, it costs about $12,500 a day to continue chartering the ship, which is idling in the Yellow Sea off the coast of China. That’s one expensive cup of coffee. 

Things To…

WATCH: Doc Says Call Me Coach 

Dr. Allen Buck is the owner of Little Harpeth CrossFit, and he’s doing his part to make health professionals fitter and healthier. His gym members might be confident doctors and surgeons, he says, but strength and fitness give them special confidence outside the hospital.

WATCH THIS. 

HEAR: You No Longer Have Diabetes

CrossFit transformed Eric Conklin’s life in more ways than he could have imagined. He was obese, diabetic, anxious and depressed. But two years ago, Eric decided to let CrossFit help him. He’s lost more than 150 pounds and his doctor claims that he’s cured of Type 2 diabetes.

TUNE IN. 

KNOW: The History of the Burpee

We know that maybe some of you secretly love burpees. But who thought this thing up? And for crying out loud, why? When did they become so popular among CrossFit? And, most importantly, is there any way to make them easier?

NOW YOU KNOW. 

EAT: Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Muffins

Delicious savory chicken sausage, egg and cheese muffins that are perfect for breakfast meal prep. Top these low carb, keto egg muffins with avocado, salsa, or hot sauce.

WAKE UP HUNGRY.

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is powered by Red H Nutrition.

Chalk Up Community

• PRO-TIP: SCALING THE PUSH-UP — Push-ups can be a great movement for any athlete because there is nearly an endless ability to scale the movement both up and down. CrossFit Training shows how athletes can use parallettes and rings for greater mobility and strength or play with elevation for volume and speed through cycles. 
• CAFFEINATED CROSSFIT MOURNS MEMBER — Rodrigo Castillo, a member of Caffeinated CrossFit in Atlanta, was found fatally shot on the side of the road last week. A Go Fund Me page was started to help his mother with funeral expenses. Rodrigo was 33-years-old. 
• CROSSFIT FOR KIDS — Join the CrossFit community on September 1 for CrossFit For Kids: Saved by the Barbell, a CrossFit Foundation workout in support of kids’ fitness and health. Register to get on the CrossFit btwb worldwide leaderboard, and support the growth of CrossFit programs for kids in schools, recreation centers, and communities everywhere! 
• A DECADE OF FITNESS — Happy tenth anniversary to Joust Fitness in Ann Arbor, MI. 

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

The Pumpkin Spice RXBAR is back • Tia-Clair Toomey and Shane Orr are selling CrossFit Gladstone • Congratulations Peter Burns on his transformation since starting CrossFit • Bailey Mezzullo gets a 95 pound snatch PR • Chandler Smith stopped by to train with Jacob Heppner • New mom Mallisa Mott got back into the gym yesterday • Puori is now offering free shipping sitewide on all products except samples and “a week’s worth” packs • All streamed events from the 2018 CrossFit Games are now available to watch on YouTube. 

….and we present your next best training partner.  

Three Woman Ready to Compete — Christy Baune, Kim Torkelson, and Athena Perez will compete in a Kill Cliff Granite Games Throwdown on Aug. 18. All three are relatively new to CrossFit competitions. By Baune’s estimate, the three have lost a combined 458 pounds through a commitment to diet and exercise. “I needed to use canes
to walk, and I was planning to have bariatric surgery,” Perez said. Now she no longer needs the canes, the plans for surgery have been shelved, and Perez says she is well on her way to changing her life for good.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat — Bryce Carlson, a high school science teacher from Cincinnati, just annihilated the record for the west-to-east crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. In late June, he set off on his own from St. John’s, Newfoundland, in his 20-foot boat, Lucille, and on Saturday — 38 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes later — he arrived at St. Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly. That’s 2,000 miles from Canada to England. It was all worth it, though, as the previous record was 53 days, 8 hours, and 26 minutes. Not only that, but he also is the first American to complete the journey.

Patrick Vellner Bruised His Lung When He Fell Off the Cargo Net — “I fell really hard and winded myself pretty good. In the moment I was focused on just finishing the event and feeling sorry for myself later. I had some sand and blood in my mouth which made the run back delightful. When I hit the finish I rinsed my mouth to find out where the blood was coming from and found it was only there when I coughed. Bad sign. I was swooped up by the medical team and spent the next hour being assessed and continued to cough up some blood so I was taken to the hospital for a CT scan. The results came back that I had bruised my left lung in the fall. Bummer. I had a lengthy discussion with the medical staff. I was allowed to conditionally compete, a similar situation to 2016 after tearing my bicep. Bottom line was if they saw any more blood I was out.”

Cast Your Ballot — For two years in a row, the CrossFit Games has been nominated by the readers of Sports Travel for a Sports Travel Magazine Award! Go vote for the 2017 CrossFit Games under the Professional: Multi-Discipline Event and Best Event of the Year categories on the awards ballot.

“Beyond Fitness: Taking care of your body is essential for tackling burnout” by Layci Nelson, The Yakima Herald

If I am not taking care of my body and I try to lift an amount I have done many times with ease, I struggle and sometimes cannot even move it once.

“What did you eat today? Yesterday? Are you drinking water? How much did you sleep last night?” My coach is not shaming me; he is helping me problem-solve why I cannot get the dumb bar off the ground when I got that same amount up two weeks ago.

What I just shared is a snapshot of what the burnout fast track look likes when it comes to the body part of the whole mind, body, spirit trifecta. I did not even touch on the networking happy hours, and how easy it is to drink more alcohol than water when we are stressed out and not paying attention. We go-getter types seem to forget that we actually have to take care of this body we have been given if we want to maximize the full potential of our productivity.

Taking good care of our bodies does not solve the problems, reduce the workloads, or make the difficult employees suddenly do an about-face. What it does do is allow us the mental clarity, empowerment and energy that is required to reach the next level in life and business. How much more surmountable do challenges feel after a good night’s sleep, or a long run to clear the head, or a few weeks of consistent healthy eating choices?

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: 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)

8/18: Babes & Bros (Grand Rapids, MI)  

8/18: ​CrossFit Shatter 2018 Summer Slam (Albany, NY) 

8/18: CFBD Summer Showdown 2018 (East Longmeadow, MA)

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)

​8/25: CrossFit Decathlon (Indianapolis, IN) 

8/25: Best of the West Summer Event (Bend, OR)

8/25: 2018 Firewall Frenzy (Holliston, MA)

8/25: The Hero Games 2018 (Farmington, AR)

8/25: 2018 Rivertown Throwdown (Cape Girardeau, MO)8/25 – 26: Battlegrounds Nevada (Reno, NV)

8/25 – 8/26: Battle at the Barn (Ft. Worth, TX) 

8/25 – 8/26: Battle of the Boxes Highland Games (Mt. Airy, MD) 

​8/31: Greece with VoyEdge RX

9/1: Tampa Bay Games (Tampa, FL)

9/1: Battle At The Base 3 (Oklahoma City, OK)

9/7: Koski Training Camp (Lloret de Mar, Spain) 

​9/8: Midwest Fall Classic (Tulsa, OK)

​9/8: The Sugar Skull Showdown (Agawam, MA)

9/8: I Can CrossFit Competition (Georgetown, TX)

9/8: Global Aftermath 2018 (Online)

9/8: The Catalyst Games (Bastrop, TX) 

9/8: BoxLife Games (Bunnell, FL)

9/8: Booties in Action (Wilsonville, OR)

9/8: Hookd2Hops 2018 (Newtown, CT)

9/8: Rumble in the Jungle 2018 (LaVista, NE)

9/8: 2018 Battle of the Bluegrass (Louisville, KY) 

9/8: Decima Throwdown (Littleton, CO)

9/8: First Timers Fitness Festival 2 (Burlington, MA) 

9/8: Girls Gone RX (Bridgeville, PA) 

9/8: BoxLife Games at CrossFit James Island (Charleston, SC) 

9/8 – 9: The Vermonster Team Challenge (Berlin, VT)

9/15: Warrior Affiliate League Three Amigos (Pomona,CA)

​9/16: 5th Annual North East Masters Classic (Plainville, MA)