Your Coffee is ready.
Good morning from Madison, WI and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by Paleoethics, the Official Sports Nutrition Sponsor of The CrossFit Games. Think you’ve got what it takes to ride a bull? Stop by the Paleoethics tent in Vendor Village Thursday through Sunday, and see how long you can do #BullForTime.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“People die in bed. And so does ambition!” — Joseph Fielding Smith
CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES
GAMES WATCH
One man and one woman will be taking home a $285,000 check at the end of this weekend. The CrossFit Games demo team runs through the obstacle course for teams. Live on the “Books”…Athlete check-in. Warm-up area. More warm-up area.
Dave Castro during last night’s athlete dinner…“I’m not big into welcomes and big kumbayas at this stage because at this stage I view each and every one of you as subjects. Subjects that are going to go through tests. Tests that will find the fittest man and fittest woman alive.”
Castro revealed details for Saturday’s muscle-up clean event: 8 Rounds of 4 muscle-ups and 2 cleans (any style) increasing in weight — 225/145, 245/160, 265/175, 285/190, 305/205, 320/215, 335/225, 350/235. WORTH NOTING…When asked whether muscle-ups were strict, Castro responded “some details have not been released yet.”
The most Googled word today…Cyclocross. During last night’s athlete dinner, Castro revealed that the bike event would be held on a Cyclocross course, including 4 speed bumps, a couple of logs to hop over and a sand pit. The event will be three laps for time. HOW IT’S PLAYING OUT…Athletes will get Wednesday to work on the course and each will complete an individual time trial to seed their placement. There will be two heats of 20 riders. WORTH NOTING…A professional Cyclocross racer completed one lap in 5:17.
FUN FACT: Cyclocross is a relatively old sport, dating back to the 1960’s, and its name derives from the fact that racers can receive mechanical assistance or even change bicycles during a race. In this way, this sport resembles motocross.
FUN FACT (via CrossFit Games): Each athlete receives 43 pieces of clothing, including bras, shorts, compressions, leggings and more. That’s a lot of gear.
Meet Wisconsin’s only CrossFit Games qualifier...42-year-old Jeb Simmons, owner of CrossFit Fort Atkinson, underwent shoulder surgery last May after deciding to give the Games one more shot. How’d he get started competing? He started entering local competitions – and beating the younger guys. Then Simmons attended his brother’s CrossFit competition in San Francisco and got inspired.
Jason Khalipa reflecting on eight years competing at the CrossFit Games and the valuable lessons learned…“Winning and losing, both, left lasting impressions on me that have proved to be very valuable over the years…Looking back on passing out in 2009 or doing ‘burpee bar chasers’ in 2010; I wouldn’t change it. Those experiences have played a critical role in my ability to overcome adversity. As I have learned in real life, challenges come in all different ways….learning how to handle them through sport is a great way to develop the skill. Taking a big test, playing a pick up basketball game, hitting a new Fran PR, or competing in a professional sport have an unknown outcome and failure may be possible, but the feeling of success and the lessons you learn are well worth the test. The work has been completed, enjoy the experience, and rest assured you are developing more skills than you probably realize. See you in Madison.”
AROUND MAD TOWN
NOW POURING…head down to the bar at the Edgewater Hotel to try some of Margaux Alvarez’s wine which has just been released. Here’s our guide to the fun events brands and companies have planned today through Sunday.
THINGS TO…
WATCH: Road to the Games, EP. 7
The final episode before the CrossFit Games kicks off, follows Katrin Davidsdottir, Tia-Clair Toomey, Sara Sigmundsdottir and Sam Briggs as they make final their final Games preparations.
WON’T WANNA MISS.
WON’T WANNA MISS.
HEAR: Putting Character First
In this episode of Chasing Excellence, Ben Bergeron discusses why he always starts with character, the value of spending time in silence, and what most people are missing in their training.
TUNE IN.
TUNE IN.
REMEMBER: Transformation Tuesday
Alexis Johnson has one of the most unbelievable transformation stories. It truly is hard to believe how much this girl has grown over the past four years. You almost can’t recognize her.
STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL.
STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL.
EAT: Tomato Basil Cauliflower Salad with Salmon
This recipe from Bacon & Squats is light, refreshing, and takes two minutes to throw together because there’s zero cooking involved. Which is sometimes exactly what you need after a long day.
SUPER FRESH.
SUPER FRESH.
BUY: Get Your 2Pood Fix 15% Off
2Pood is celebrating the CrossFit Games with a sale on their entire inventory. Just use code “MORNINGCHALKUP15” and you’ll get 15% off your entire order.
START SHOPPING.
START SHOPPING.
CHALK UP AFFILIATES
Their daughter would have been 21 on Saturday…
Jessie Caudill was killed in a motorcycle crash last month. Her parents Marshall and Celeste honored their daughters memory at a memorial WOD at CrossFit 941 in Bradenton, FL. “In many ways, our CrossFit family translate to Jessie, in that they have unconditional love for all of us here,” Marshall Caudill said before the WOD started. Almost daily trips to the gym since his daughter’s death have helped him through the grieving process.
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Yesterday, all the CrossFit affiliates in Norway did a WOD in remembrance of Marie Skuland, who tragically lost her life recently. She trained out of CrossFit Kvadraturen in Kristiansand.
Over the weekend, nearly 200 people at seven CrossFit boxes around Maui participated in WOD for Wishes, raising more than $9,000 toward granting wishes for Maui children with life-threatening medical conditions.
One year ago, San Diego police Officer Jonathan “J.D.” De Guzman was shot five times and killed. Four local affiliates put together “GS 24 Memorial WOD Partner Workout” to remember and honor Guzman.