Rich Froning set his front lawn on fire

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by nuyu sleep, a personal sleep system that helps your body cool off, so you can relax, go to sleep fast, stay asleep, and wake up more refreshed. They don’t help you sleep longer, just better so you recover faster and perform better. Find out how to set your perfect sleep temperature. 

We just launched a new series called “Letters to My Younger Self,” featuring journal entries from notable CrossFit athletes writing letters to a younger version of themselves. To kick it off, we invited Jamie Hagiya to share some wisdom with 17-year-old Jamie. 

“I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.” –– D. H. Lawrence

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES

Roundup — Nevermind that Colin Burns clean and jerked 418 pounds, look at those sick blue and red Nike Romaleos. Rich Froning’s front lawn caught on fire after his beat-up old Dodge Stratus went ablaze during a car race. Carleen Mathews dropped into The Strip CrossFit in Las Vegas for a group class and Margaux Alvarez brought in a few bottles of wine to share. Emily
Bridgers helps a 3-year-old with her gymnastics. Finley Amato, the genius behind the popular food blog Bacon & Squats, got engaged over the weekend. Alexis Johnson does snatches on her knees and shows you can still WOD safely even with a boot on your foot. A 14-year-old at CrossFit Krypton hit a 485 pound back squat PR.

With your secod cup of coffee…You’re realizing that you actually need this t-shirt.

Dave Castro announces Chyna Cho has joined his Ragnar Relay team for the December 8-9 race. We’re still feeling pretty confident with team Morning Chalk Up. 

Launched — Project:Elevation, a new project by Coach Ben Bergeron, is an evolution of the work Coach Bergeron has been doing for years, working to share the best practices he’s been stress-testing for a decade inside CrossFit New England. Through digital products like eBooks, in-person business seminars and immersion programs at CFNE, they’re building a resource for CrossFit affiliate owners and coaches who want to pursue excellence
in everything they do.

COFFEE BREAK CONVERSATIONS

What to tell your friend who lives in a place where it’s always summer…

You should signup for winter camp. And if you’re going to do that, why not make a few fitness friends along the way? At the end of January, Brute Strength is hosting a two-day winter athlete retreat in Salt Lake City, Utah for you to get the most out of your training and improve on some skills before the 2018 CrossFit Open kicks off. A little bird tells us you’ll be coached by an Amazonian warrior who’s name rhymes with Book Sense!…see what we did there?!

What to tell your friend who’s getting all festive…

CrossFit Santa says “no lift, no gift.” Faith Rx’d is gearing up for their annual “Naughty or Nice: Give a Gift, Get a Lift” fundraiser, which kicks off November 17 and runs for one month. They have a goal of getting 200 boxes involved to give more than 3000 gifts to children who otherwise might not get anything for Christmas. So if you’re feeling festive, grab the swole Santa at your box and click “register to host” to get your box involved. A little Internet elf shared this pro tip — “turn it into your holiday box party with a little boozey Almond milk egg nog afterwards.” Ahem…refill please.

THINGS TO…

WATCH: Healing the Spirit

U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Jose Luis Sanchez lost his lower left leg after stepping on an IED in Afghanistan in 2011. After returning home to Texas, he was depressed and wanted to end his life. He withdrew from others and turned to drugs to numb the pain. This is the story of how he got his life back. 

THE MOTIVATION TO RISE.

HEAR: A Healthy Body Image and Greater Self Discipline

Body image is a topic that comes up frequently but can never be discussed enough. Emily Duncan is a body building athlete. She joins the Brute Strength podcast to share her body image perspective in a sport that judges solely on subjective measures and the balance of living a happy and fulfilled life while trying to achieve great things.

TUNE IN. 

DOWNLOAD: Nom Nom’s Paleo Thanksgiving Guide

Because everyone gets a little antsy about their weight and what they’re eating around the holidays, Nom Nom Paleo has put together your complete guide to cooking healthy this Thanksgiving. Whether you’re hosting or just bringing a side dish, they’ve got you covered with a recipe for every course.

GET THE E-BOOK.

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STORY SERIES: How has CrossFit helped you achieve a goal?

“CrossFit has been my true lifesaver and has helped me grow not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. A year ago I was sexually assaulted and turned to CrossFit as my healthy coping skill and outlet. Physically, I feel confident in my body and healthier than ever. Joining CrossFit created a domino effect of positivity in my life when I needed it the most. Before I knew, I was emotionally and mentally getting back to where I wanted to be and I thank CrossFit and my box for that!” — Kristina S, Dinami CrossFit in Orland Park, Il

Share Your Story

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Quick Hits

• The Indianapolis CrossFit community lost a giant last Thursday. Artie Stevens was the owner of Artie’s Paleo OnTheGo, which delivered pre-made meals to more than 50 local area CrossFit Affiliates. A former drug addict, Artie turned his life around and committed his life to helping others. Crossfit Unbreakable in Plainfield, IN will be honoring Artie’s memory on Saturday with a fundraiser for Artie’s wife and two young children.
• Life RX Fitness in Berrien Springs, Michigan is hosting a special WOD on November 26th to raise money for Barbells for Boobs. 

“Diet Liars: “You’ll Never Believe What I Really Ate” by Emily Beers, CrossFit Journal

“How was your lunch?” Gil Brown asked his client. “Good. I had some fruit and some salad,” she replied.

“Really? I could have sworn I saw your car at Taco Bell,” replied Brown, the owner of FSC CrossFit in Roseburg, Oregon. A guilty expression came over his client’s face.

She looked down and shamefully admitted she had, in fact, eaten Taco Bell that afternoon.

While it’s not always so easy to catch people red-handed, trainers often suspect clients aren’t being truthful about food choices—especially when results are lacking.

What do you do to help a less-than-truthful athlete get fitter?

Do you call the client out as a liar? Do you let it slide to avoid confrontation and hope the person will eventually come around? Or do you show patience and compassion and try to get to the bottom of the lies?

11/8: WOD for Warriors (Nationwide)

11/11: Rush Club 012 (Phoenix, AZ)

11/11: Beach Assault (Gulf Shores CrossFit, Gulf Shores, AL)

11/11: Emerald Coast Honor Games (Destin, FL)

11/11: Battle for the Badges (UnCharted CrossFit, St. Charles, MO)

11/18: New WODs On The Block (Various Locations in US)

11/18: Downtown Throwdown (Prattville, AL)

11/30: CrossFit Liftoff (Online)

12/1 – 3: Atlas Games (Montreal, Canada)

12/2 – 3: Rogue Winter Classic (Cleveland, OH)

12/2: Anthem CrossFit’s Reindeer Games (Pensacola, FL)

12/2: Vekter Games IV (CrossFit ReVamped, Columbia, MD)

12/9 – 10: WOD GODZ 2017 (Shreveport, LA)

1/27/18: Winter Chiller (Fairmont, WV)