The dates of the 2019 CrossFit Games are…

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by FITAID, the Official Beverage Sponsor of the Morning Chalk Up.

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“Success is usually the culmination of controlling failure.” — Sylvester Stallone

A Different Kind of School Club in DC

The story.

If you do CrossFit, you know that the benefits spill over into everyday life. The same diligence shown to finally master double-unders can be used to study for a big test. The perseverance of doing heavy thrusters can help us get through sticky points in relationships. The dedication of showing up to a community that expects your presence applies, well, everywhere.

So, imagine if you had found CrossFit sooner?

Like, in middle school.

Well, that’s just what CrossFit DC is doing with their “Lift and Learn” club. CrossFit DC member Caitlin Maxwell is the School Leader at KIPP DC Northeast Academy and noticed that there was no formal organized program for young men that used fitness to address the
social and emotional issues they face in the DC area. So, in true CrossFit fashion, she made one herself.

Like a boss.

Every week twelve middle school boys from KIPP DC Northeast Academy meet at the U-Street location of CrossFit DC for a WOD. But not just any WOD. The mission of Lift and Learn is to give DC middle-school boys the opportunity to have fun through fitness, learn how to set goals, and to reflect on how efforts and experiences in the gym can be applied to school and beyond.

Each class is themed, using quotes like “It always seems impossible until it’s done,” by Nelson Mandela. After the WOD, the boys discuss what they learned through the WOD. One boy, Jamal, shared  “When I saw all that work written, I thought this is going to be impossible. But now it’s done and I did it.”

We love that.

Coach Thom Szymanski wrote on the CrossFit DC website, “Already after the first couple of sessions, the boys in Lift and Learn have been drawing their own analogies between workouts and schoolwork or chores. We sincerely hope that they continue to apply the confidence and empowerment forged within the walls of CFDC to the rest of their pursuits after the workout is done, AMRAP style.”

GAMES UPDATE

The dates of the 2019 CrossFit Games are…

Tell me. Tell me.

Start booking your hotels, Airbnbs and plane tickets folks, the 2019 CrossFit Games will be going down from July 31 – August 4, 2019 in Madison, WI.

For reals?

Appears so. We noticed that the Alliant Energy Center published the dates on their website the other day. And just in case they take the page down, you can see it here and here.

There’s been a lot of speculation around how the 2019 Games will pan out with the increased number of participants and elimination rounds. Details remain scarce at this time, however, according to the Alliant Energy Center, who confirmed these dates in an email yesterday, the Games will continue to be a five-day event starting on Wednesday, July 31, 2019.

You can see the full 2019 Games season calendar here.

OK cool. Anything else?

Yes actually. Last night, CrossFit HQ released the names of two 2018 CrossFit Games athletes who failed drug tests: Kelli Holm and Shawn Ramirez.

A four-time Masters champion of the 40-44 division, Ramirez has been a staple at the CrossFit Games since 2014 and widely considered a model athlete for an aging community showing that age is just a number.

Ramirez took to Instagram last night to defend himself, saying: “I would NEVER take anything to jeopardize everything I worked so hard to achieve these last 5 years. The only thing that makes any sense is that there was a contaminated substance that I was taking. All the products I was taking are 100% natural. I am personally paying out of my pocket to continue my appeal, and have all the 8 products I was taking tested. I will disclose all of these, which I already did to CF which they stated were all legal and be 100% transparent with everyone this week.”

Ramirez, who took second in the men’s 40-44 division behind Neal Maddox, will be stripped of his medal and receive a four-year ban. Holm, who took fourth in the women’s 35-39 division, will be banned for two years. Both tested positive for GW1516, aka Endurobol, which is one of the drugs Ricky Garard also tested positive for in 2017.

Things To…

WATCH: CrossFit Sanctify’s First Member

When CrossFit Sanctify opened eight years ago, Jodi Marino was their first client. Her son had been encouraging her to try CrossFit and improve her overall health. “I didn’t want to sweat though,” she laughs. But she went in and signed up, and has loved it ever since.

ANYONE CAN DO THIS. 

HEAR: Fixed Mindset or Growth Mindset

On this episode of the Nasty Girl podcast, Amy and Olivia cover all things mindset. What does a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset look like? More than likely, you probably struggle with having a fixed mindset more often than not and you don’t even know it. So much of it lies in how you handle challenges, so how can we change this?

WE LOVE A GOOD CHALLENGE.

EAT: Double Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

A healthier double chocolate pumpkin bread made with vitamin packed pumpkin puree, shredded coconut and whole wheat pastry flour. Tastes like a slice of chocolate cake except it’s not. 

BAKE YOUR HEART OUT.

BUY: Noah Ohlsen’s Stars, Stripes and Camo Knee Sleeves.

EXO SLEEVE’S Reversible compression knee sleeves designed by 5x CrossFit Games athlete Noah Ohlsen improve blood flow, reduce strain and swelling. Built to keep your knees safe so you can WOD for longer.

SUIT UP.

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

Chalk Up Community

• NEW CROSSFIT IN TOWN — CrossFit 11:24 will open its doors in Marietta, GA on November 26. The owners are Callie and Tyler Cooke, who will lead the grand opening festivities alongside the CrossFit 11:24 coaching staff.
• TEAM CROSSFIT MOUSTACHE — For the month of November a team of gents from MVMT42 in Worthing, UK are taking part in Movember, growing their finest moustaches as well as taking part in four gruelling workouts, one each weekend.
• NAME CHANGE — CrossFit Tuebor West, the longest continuously running CrossFit gym in the Fenton, MI area, has changed their name to CrossFit Fenton.

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

Congratulations to Olivia Vollmar on her two year transformation • Kelly Friel gets a 243 pound hang clean PR • Chase Long gets a 320 pound power clean PR • James Hobart does a Wodapalooza WOD with a literary twist • Jason Carroll gets a 275 pound push jerk for 5 PR • Spencer Murphy deadlifts 705 pounds • TBT to when Kara Saunders got to casually meet the Duke
and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan • Happy first birthday to Quinton, son of Kyle Hyde who owns Kraken CrossFit.

…and the next time you want to complain about kettlebells, think about Jacob Heppner.

Launched Midnight — LIFEAID Beverage Company launched a new website at midnight this morning. The popular beverage maker also launched IMMUNITYAID a few weeks back. With the new site, they’re giving 10% off for life to customers who start a subscription delivery of any LIFEAID product.

Team USA at 2018 IWF World Championships — Nathan Damron and Jason Bonnick both lifted late Tuesday night. Bonnick made his opening snatch of 152kg/335 pounds. He made his second lift of 157kg/346 pounds but missed 161kg/355 pounds on his third. He made all three of his clean and jerks, hitting 185kg/408 pounds, 191kg/421 pounds and 196kg/432 pounds.

— Nathan Damron made his opening snatch of 155kg/341 pounds but missed his second and third snatch attempts. His opening clean and jerk at 187kg/ 412 pounds was redlighted for pressing out, but he made 188kg/414 pounds on his second attempt. He missed 195kg/430 pounds on his third attempt.

— Lifting Today: Jenny Arthur (81 KG) at 4:25 AM PT.

“Talking Ourselves Out of Good habits,” by Katie Sullivan, Working Against Gravity 

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to talk yourself out of a good habit?

For example, let’s say you’re new to tracking your food and want to make it a daily habit. You’ve been going strong for two full weeks now, tracking every single food you eat successfully and you’re feeling great!

But then one afternoon at work, your colleague announces that it’s his birthday and has brought in your favorite cake from that amazing bakery you love.

You think to yourself, “I have been so good over these last two weeks. It’s okay for me to have some cake.”

The thought process you just experienced is called a “moral licensing” loophole (from the book Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin).

With moral licensing, we give ourselves permission to do something “bad” because we’ve been “good.” We tell ourselves that we’ve earned it or deserve it.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking any of the following statements?

Continue reading…

11/9: Veteran Games ABQ (Albuquerque, NM)

11/10: The Battle at Branded One (Las Vegas, NV)

11/10: Emerald Coast Honor Games (Destin, FL)

11/10: Patriot Games (Rochester Hills, MI) 

11/10 – 11/11: Extreme Games (Piauí, Brazil)

11/10 – 11/11: South Loop Games (Chicago, IL)

11/10- 11/11: Southie Showdown (Boston, MA)

11/10 – 11/11: Florida Grid League Championship (Fort Myers, FL)

11/10: Metcon 4 Hope (Reno, NV)

11/10: Best of the Wurst (New Braunfels, TX)

11/10: Warrior Affiliate League Delta Force (Duarte, CA)

11/10: USA Powerlifting Veterans Day Championship (Philadelphia, PA) 

11/10: Blue Cooler Throwdown (Deland, FL)

11/10: Bromageddon 2018 (Chandler, AZ)

11/10: Garage Games Masters Tour 2018 (McKinney, TX)

11/10: First Annual Sergeants Fitness Patriot Games (Caldwell, ID)

11/10: Boobs and Bells (Schaumburg, IL) 

11/11: Bonsai Brawl (Philadelphia, PA)

11/11: CFF Team Marathon Row 2018 (Metuchen, NJ)

11/15: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ Hybrid Athletics Bridgport (Bridgeport, CT)

11/16 – 11/17: Veterans Day Bash at CrossFit Wild West (Lubbock,TX)

11/17: MetCon Mashups CrossFit Lubbock (Lubbock,TX)

11/17: CrossFit TIG Turf Wars (Brighton, MI)

11/17: 2018 Energy Games (Houston, TX)

11/17: MetCon Mashups (Tulsa, OK) 

11/17: Green Valley Clash of the Fittest (Green Valley, AZ)

11/17: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ Invictus Boston (Boston, MA)

11/17: North County Fall Brawl (Watertown, NY)

11/17: BCF for Homeless Kids Kettlebells4Kids Fundraiser (Derry, NH)

11/17: Team SuperFit Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)

11/17: 2nd Annual Well Seasoned Masters Competition (Burlington, MA) 

11/17: Guardian Games National Championship (Ashland, VA)

11/17: Femme Royale (Raleigh, NC)

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)

12/8: 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)