The queen of fire and ice is back

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is brought to you by RXBAR.

GIVEAWAY: Click here to enter for a chance to win a year supply of RXBAR…and then some. *US residents only*

“Everything is habit forming, so make sure what you do is what you want to be doing.” — Wilt Chamberlain 

Sigmundsdottir, Olenkowicz, and Central Beasts Earn Games Invites in London

Onward to Madison.

The first year of sanctioned event competition has just come to a close for the CrossFit Strength in Depth. After two exciting days of action at the ExCel London in the United Kingdom, Sara Sigmundsdottir, Bronislaw Olenkowicz, and the Central Beasts team have been crowned champions and earned themselves an invite to the 2019 Reebok CrossFit Games.

Sigmundsdottir is heading back.

Sigmundsdottir led the women’s competition wire-to-wire en route to a dominant performance reminiscent of the Icelandic sensation who burst onto the scene with back-to-back podium finishes at the Games a few years ago.

Sigmundsdottir has now podiumed at all three sanctioned events she’s taken part in, including 3rd place finishes in Dubai and Wodapalooza. More importantly, she’s earned herself the confidence that comes with winning, and can focus on the Open knowing she’s got an invite to the CrossFit Games in hand.

A new name on the men’s side.

Bronislaw Olenkowicz was the big story for the men in day one after he closed the day with back-to-back wins to grab the overall lead. The final day wasn’t looking good however, as Olenkowicz finished 10th and 14th in the first two workouts, dropping him into 4th place overall going into the finale.

Olenkowicz stood above the fray, and was the frontrunner from the opening bell until he crossed the finish line to win the heat. The entire arena was holding their breath until it was announced that Olenkowicz had catapulted himself to the top with a 3rd place finish in the final event, winning the weekend by just six points over Wayman and Shorunke who tied for 2nd.

For Olenkowicz, it was a “dream come true,” as he completed the comeback to earn his first trip to the CrossFit Games just one year after missing out by one spot at the 2018 Europe Regional. In doing so, he’ll be the first individual athlete from Poland to make the Games in the Open era.

Continue Reading. 

Coffee Break Conversations

What to do once you balance the budget post weekend shenanigans…

Great job adulting. Now go balance your nutrition budget next. Counting your macros and sticking to a food budget not only helps to avoid overspending your macros on empty calories, it also helps you tighten up that grocery bill. Here are some helpful tips from Working Against Gravity to curb your macro spending. 

And if there is room to spare in that budget…

Wait, that actually happens? Dang, good on you. Head on over to Paleo Bakehouse and order some baked goods without blowing your wallet or your macros. Live your best life, friends, while still meeting all those nutrition goals. 

Things To…

WATCH: Is Rowing Really That Good for you?

We know, the last thing you want to hear about after 19.1 is the rower, but Dark Horse Rowing has another helpful video out covering why the rower is a great tool for exercise and makes an argument that everyone should row and do so regularly. 

DON’T BE MAD.

HEAR: The Sassy Dietician on Girls Gone WOD

Laura Ligos, the Sassy Dietitian, joins the Girls Gone WOD podcast to catch up with some hot topics on her dietitian radar right now, the current fad diet traps and, most importantly, how to avoid them.

LET’S TALK ABOUT CELERY JUICE.

EAT: Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Still have wall ball legs from 19.1? Whip up a batch of this healing Thai butternut squash soup, full of anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric and garlic and a burst of flavor from coconut milk, garlic, lentils and peanuts.

RECOVER BY FRIDAY.

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is brought to you by

Chalk Up Community

• FUNDRAISER FOR CHARLOTTE — Root 18 CrossFit in Medina, OH is holding a fundraiser WOD for Charlotte, who was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Akron Children’s Hospital after she unexpectedly stopped breathing due to complications from croup, which led to significant brain trauma. All funds raised will go to her family as Charlotte
  continues to recover. 

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

Charlotte Burton did 19.1 just five weeks after giving birth to her daughter • Amanda Ferguson gets her muscle-ups back • The kids class at Sanctum CrossFit are in the Open • And so are the kids are CrossFit DCL • Bradley Cropp just didn’t want to come in
last at Strength in Depth • Sam Dancer teaches Rasmus Anderson how to braid Lauren Fisher’s hair • Ryan gets his first muscle up • Spencer Murphy deadlifted 670 pounds •  Sixty-eight-year-old Mary Duffy pulled 285 pounds from the blocks.

…and this is probably the best kick-off to the 2019 Open we’ve seen yet.

Speaking of the Open — Don’t forget to enter your 19.1 scores  by 5:00 PM PT tonight.

Dani Speegle’s Plan for the Open — Dani Speegle got her 19.1 score in thanks to Strength in Depth, where she took third place over the weekend. She planned to go “unbroken on the wall balls and the row I don’t want to go below 1,100 calories per hour pace,” said Speegle. And she’s mapped out the rest of her
Open too. Speegle will “always hit it Friday, retest on Monday if I feel like I need to,” she said. “Then in that final week, depending on where I’m placed, I’ll do it as many times as I have to.”

Although he competed at Strength in Depth long enough to log a score for 19.1 by completing Event 1, Willy Georges withdrew from the sanctioned event due to illness. “He got a virus last week and he thought he was going to feel better but that’s not the case,” coach Facundo Etchecolatz said. “He feels weak and doesn’t want to risk getting injured.”

…and if you want to get the full scoop on Strength in Depth, you can check out the event page on our Games Portal. We had a live blog for Day 1 and Day 2, a Day 1 Recap and Day 1 archived footage and the leaderboard.   

Margaux Alvarez On Her Termination — Margaux Alvarez, who was terminated from her seminar staff position with CrossFit last week, sent an email from her Vine Yard business addressing what’s next for her. Alvarez wrote, “Not much to say about the termination, I was prepared to help CrossFit fight the health fight, and thought that was the direction it was going. I wish CrossFit the best and hope they are able to accomplish what they are
setting out to do. I have a lot of friends in this organization that are extremely talented and intelligent so I know they will do their best to help meet the objectives of CrossFit.”

And Alvarez wasn’t the only one speaking out post-CrossFit. Rory McKernan made his first statement since being let go from CrossFit HQ in their last round of layoffs. McKernan wrote, “I leave with a full heart, a lifetime of good memories and a burning passion to continue serving this amazing community in
whatever shape they may take.”

— “The only sentiment that has consistently outshone the others is an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Seriously, I cannot shake it. I am so overwhelmingly thankful for the lifetime of opportunities, amazing people and good fortune I have been blessed with over 13 amazing years. This is where I am choosing to direct my focus and build the foundation I will build upon.”

— “We’ve all been handed the power to change lives and I’ve been given the opportunity to put that power to work, time and time again. I have felt the honor of true service to other human beings and assisted them in reclaiming their lives through fitness. I’ve come to believe that there is no greater gift you can give.

— “While my professional role will now evolve outside of the company I am still a supporter. I believe in the Affiliates and the power of this community with all of my heart because I’ve seen the magic that occurs there countless times.”

— “Having said all of that, I wouldn’t change one thing. What a ride…I’ll close instead by saying that I am excited for my next adventure. I am taking my time prior to making any decisions, but I will keep you up to speed on what is next. You can take for granted that I’ll be looking for new and creative ways to be at your service.”

“Why the Games was Never Part of the Plan,” by Jim Wild, Morning Chalk Up 

It was day 3 of competition and I was riding back to the Alliant Energy Centre with a former CFHQ media staffer. Our discussion had turned to the viability of the CrossFit Games business model. We had some down time between events and spitballed out some guesstimate numbers and what we’d do if we were in charge.

Neither of us could work out how it was profitable and most of our ideas to make it so seemed just too drastic. I’m not sure how much he already knew about the upcoming changes and his future at HQ.

Another friend told me “enjoy this while you can, because next year won’t be anything like this”. There was definitely a feeling of big changes coming, but everyone just carried on as professionals to get the job done. I had the time of my life in Madison and loved every moment.

Skipping back a few years, my first exposure to CrossFit was through a girlfriend at the time. I’d been doing functional training for a while and she’d recently joined a local box. I literally knew nothing about it other than some obscure pop culture references. After a few weeks of teasing her, I decided to go for a workout. I was literally hooked (and very sore) from day one.

My first box membership was at one the earliest affiliates to open in Sydney, they coached the methodology very well and it was highly accessible to anyone. I can’t ever remember having a discussion about the Games the whole time I was there. They were all about the fitness.

3/7: Open Announcement 19.3 (Online) 

3/14: Open Announcement 19.4 (Online)

3/21: Open Announcement 19.5 (Online)

3/24: The Rockwell Championships Series Team Qualifiers (Online)

3/30: Game of Barbells (Houston, TX)

4/6: Feed, Clothe, Love and Lift (Amarillo, TX) 

4/6: Powerstroke Partner Throwdown 2019 (Fallon, NV)

4/12 – 4/14: Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge (Washington, D.C.)

4/13: Capacidad De Dos Amigos (San Antonio, TX)

4/13: The Craic Throwdown (Norwood, MA)

4/13: Warrior Affiliate League Deuces Wild (Chino, CA)

4/13: Battle of the Ages (Pineville, NC)

4/20: The Wodfather VII 2019 (Keller, TX)

4/26 – 4/27: Gameday Competition (Mankato, MN) 

4/27: 4th Annual Spring Fever Partner Masters Comp (Souderton PA)

4/27: Festivus Games (Worldwide)

4/27: Raising the Bar for Charlotte (Medina, OH)

5/4: Battle of the Boro (Goldsboro, NC)

5/4: 5th Annual Desert Warrior (Scottsdale, AZ)

5/2 – 5/6: 2019 CrossFit Age Group Online Qualifiers (Online)