Sam Briggs to Compete in Australia

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by RPM Training Co., a lifestyle inspired union of training, adventure, and design.

Black Friday is always our biggest sale of the year, but it’s even better for our subscribers. Get on our list to stay in the loop on new releases and exclusive deals this weekend!

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Looks Like Chicken, Tastes Like Chicken, Just Not Chicken

Some background.

Remember in July when we told you about mare’s milk?

Well the whole adding “milk” to the end of everything has jumped the shark. 

What do you mean?

The Food and Drug Administration has recently begun cracking down on the ways alt-foods, all those meat and dairy alternatives, are named and marketed.

That’s what kicked this whole thing off in July. The FDA called into question whether we can call non-dairy milk alternatives milk. As in soy milk, almond milk, and cashew milk. Soon after, yogurt got thrown into the mix, then butter. Now, it’s meat.

Why meat? And why now?

Some meat-alternative brands, like Beyond Meat, want to actually be called a meat product. Executive chairman Seth Goldman writes, “We source protein, fats and minerals from familiar, plant-based ingredients such as peas and coconut. Then, following the architectural blueprint of meat, we rebuild meat from the ground up. If our products have the same compositional structure, deliver the same nutritional values, and offer the same delicious and satisfying sensory experience, why shouldn’t that be called meat?” 

Okay…

But, the real reason all of this is being called back into question again is the new wave of sustainable, “cultured” meats being grown in labs by taking actual cells from an animal and turning them into actual beef and poultry. (Thanks science!) 

These meats aren’t on store shelves yet, but brands like Memphis Meats and Future Meat Technologies have plans to launch within the coming year.

So, while most people understand that almond milk is not actually milk, it may be trickier to identify meat from a cow versus meat from a lab grown from a cow versus meat that is not meat cultured in a lab.

What the?

Right. But back to the milks that are not milks. The FDA wants to hear from you. They want the public to weigh in on their understanding of plant-based dairy alternatives, which will help the agency decide how to proceed with the labeling question. (You have until the end of this month to send them your thoughts.)

And when it comes to meat, the FDA is discussing labeling standards for alt-meats, both the plant-based and lab-grown variety. 

See? If gets complicated. So, in the meantime, we recommend reading your labels closely. Very very closely. Maybe even bring a dictionary or a friend to help.

Coffee Break Conversations

What to tell your friend who has been hinting at wanting to go hiking with you but hasn’t actually asked yet…

C’mon, let’s get out there and get after it. We’re huge fans of using your fitness wherever you can, but we really love using it outside. It can be intimidating to start hiking or climbing or camping if you don’t know much about it, and that’s where Unlikely Hikers comes in.

Things To…

WATCH: Jacob Heppner Offers Some Advice 

Jacob Heppner is on some sort of mission to do all of the Online Qualifers for 2019 sanctioned events, even if he can’t go to them, like the Australian CrossFit Championship. Here he is offering his advice on pacing the workout and how to survive it.

SINGLES THE TURTLE. 

EAT: Sunken Black Forest Cake

Still haven’t decided what to take to Thanksgiving? Well here you go. You’re welcome. A fudgy-centered, puffy-edged flourless chocolate cake that sinks in the center after it bakes, making a little space for whipped cream and sour cherries in.This sunken black forest cake is not only beautiful on a table, it is delicious and not very complicated.

ONE CAKE TO AWE THEM ALL.

DO: The Iron + Mortar Summit

The Iron + Mortar Summit wants to kick off this season of giving with an opportunity for you to win an all access pass to the June 24th and 25th Summit in Portland, OR. Come join them this summer as Jason Khalipa, James Fitzgerald, Chris Spealler and  more come together to help gym owners learn to run better businesses. Because collaboration makes us better.

WE WANT IN TOO!

BUY: ButcherBox and Free Bacon For Life

This is a pretty sweet deal. All new subscriptions in November get free bacon for the length of their subscription. ButcherBox Bacon is uncured, free of sugar and nitrates, non-GMO verified, hormone free, made from pasture raised heritage breed pigs, and its whole30 approved. Makes a great gift, too. 

AND IT’S DELICIOUS.

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

Chalk Up Community

• HEROES CHALLENGE — The Heroes Challenge is a fitness challenge developed to raise awareness of Carry The Load’s mission to remember those who have served our country and encourage all Americans to participate in honoring them. You can register as an individual or a team and host a Heroes Challenge near you.
• 10K for $10K — For the second year in a row, the 10K for $10K Fundraiser is back. It’s really straightforward. You row (or you and a group of friends) 10,000 meters, post a picture or video online with your time, donate $10 to the GoFundMe and then nominate three more people to complete the challenge within the week. All proceeds go to Direct Relief, a nonprofit that supports disaster relief efforts around the world, including
  California and their current struggles with the Camp Fire. 
• COMMANDER’S CUP — The Commander’s Cup will hold its final event in Philadelphia on December 7 and feature an Army vs. Navy showdown. The winner of this event will be awarded the first CrossFit Commander’s Cup.
• COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER — Members of Bearfight CrossFit community came together Saturday to raise money for the family of Norfolk Police Officer Seth Amos, who died last month.

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

Happy six year anniversary to TFL CrossFit in Mount Airy, MD • Greg Glassman visited Pepperdine University’s Neuromuscular Adaptations to Exercise class earlier this month • Becca Voigt gets a cast on her still broken finger • David Charbonneau had wrist surgery Friday • Jacob Heppner just released the best holiday gift idea of the year • Dave Castro and James Hobart helped Jason and Ashley Khalipa celebrate the tenth anniversary of NorCal CrossFit • Congratulations to
CrossFitter Jeremy Byington on receiving the Distinguished Service Medal • Armen Hammer now sells t-shirts people • Mat Fraser prepares for
Thanksgiving with tomahawk steaks. 

…and we don’t know about you guys, but we’re sliding into this holiday week like this champ. 

925 Burpees — A few weeks back, when Carleen Mathews started fundraising for Phoenix Unbroken she committed one burpee for every dollar raised. Phoenix Unbroken is a fundraiser that went down this weekend at Per Ignem CrossFit, raising money to support their mission of using CrossFit to help address the addiction and overdose crisis facing the community. So when she showed up Saturday in Costa Mesa, CA, she had exactly
925 burpees to do on top of four events. 

Confirmed: Sam Briggs Invited to Australia — Sam Briggs will be competing at the Australian CrossFit Championship in Queensland January 25-27, 2019. The four-time individual Games athlete and 2013 Fittest Woman on Earth was invited to bypass the qualifiers and advance to the Championship. Briggs will be joined by Tia-Clair Toomey who was also invited. Briggs will also be competing next month in Dubai.

“You Coach Like a Girl,” by Emily Beers, CrossFit Journal

“Am I going to be doing all my personal-training sessions with you? Or will I have some of the other male coaches, too?”

Those were the questions a new client asked me on his first day.

A former college football player in his mid-20s, he had never been coached by a woman before. I could tell he was incredulous about getting stuck with a female CrossFit coach.

I’ve been a coach for almost nine years; this wasn’t the first time I’d encountered a client like this. I knew exactly how I was going to show him I was worthy of his time.

On Day two, I had him work up to some moderately heavy sets of five deadlifts. The final set at 235 pounds looked quite heavy for him. He kept his form but looked perturbed by the weight and was visibly fatigued after the fifth rep.

Though he was polite and listened to my cues, he was somewhat dismissive, almost aloof. I wasn’t sure if it was just in my mind, but it just seemed like he didn’t really care what I had to say.

On his last set, I noticed he wasn’t bracing as much as he should. This was my opportunity to gain his respect. So I stepped up to the bar, at 6:00 AM and completely cold, and busted out eight leisurely reps at 235 pounds as I casually spoke about breathing and bracing. Of course, I made sure I didn’t look even remotely fazed by the weight on the bar.

His eyes bugged out. I could almost hear his thought process: “Holy shit! This bitch is legit!”

11/20: Ben Marconi Memorial WOD (San Antonio, TX)

11/25: Carpathian Games II (Kosice, Slovakia)

11/30 – 12/16: Naughty or Nice Toy Drive (Online)

11/30 – 12/2: Rogue Winter Classic (Cleveland, OH)

12/1: Rock It CrossFitMas Classic (Fort Worth, TX) 

12/1: Barbells For Bootstraps (Beverly, MA)

12/1: Bro Down Throw Down for Cancer Awareness (Bridgeport, PA)

12/1: Push/Pull for Pancreatic Cancer at CrossFit Pawling (Pawling, NY)

12/1: Winter Throwdown 2018 (New York, NY)

12/1: Reindeer Games 2018 (Medford, OR)

12/1: Heroes Challenge (Dallas, TX)

12/1: Vekter Games (Columbia, MD)

12/8: Fittest Alive in the 845 (Poughkeepsie, NY)

12/8: The 2018 Reindeer Games Finale (Del Mar, CA)

12/8 – 12/9: WOD Godz (Shreveport, LA) 

12/8: Rampage Christmas Throwdown (Murfreesboro, TN)

12/8: A Very Krampus Kilofest (Hickory, NC)

12/8: Reindeer Games at CrossFit 321 (Topsham, ME)

12/15: Masters Mania (OKlahoma City, OK)