April 6
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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. The United in Movement fundraiser and competition is off and running, raising over $160,000 in its first 24-hours. And, we have updated our interactive affiliate closures map to reflect all the new data we received over the past week. Today:

• United in Movement kicked off with a huge 24-hour telethon-style event, and then seven minutes of burpees.
• Our interactive map of affiliate closures reflects the scope of the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing efforts.
• Take a look at NCFIT’s checklist of action items for affiliate owners seeking guidance on financial relief.

Keep those outdoor highlights, quotes, story tips and PRs coming. Hit us up at tips@morningchalkup.com.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“When we see ourselves in a situation which must be endured and gone through, it is best to make up our minds to it, meet it with firmness, and accommodate everything to it in the best way practicable. This lessens the evil; while fretting and fuming only serves to increase your own torments.” – Thomas Jefferson

24 Hours of Fitness, Fellowship, and Fundraising for United in Movement

The inaugural livestream for the United in Movement charity kicked off this past Friday with a collective media effort unlike anything seen in the CrossFit space before. The ambitious fundraiser — whose goal is to raise a million dollars — began with a 24 hour, round-the-clock livestream featuring celebrities, top athletes, and subject matter experts all over the globe. The scope and execution of the livestream set the stage for the rest of the fundraising week which includes livestream workout announcements and workout demos every night at 6:00 PM EST through Friday, April 10.

The logistics of the livestream were insane, the home base for the livestream was in the Netherlands where all the incoming streams would be collected and controlled accordingly, before being pumped out to the internet on the United in Movement YouTube stream. The location of the main hosts and production team made it that much more impressive.

• The production coordinator for the stream in charge of managing the content flow of the show was based in Tanzania, Africa.
• Rory Mckernan played host to the largest portion of the stream from his home in Cookeville, Tennessee.
• The Talking Elite Fitness crew of Sean Woodland and Tommy Marquez hosted more than 8 hours of the stream from their newly created studio in San Jose, California.
• Bill Grunder and Chase Ingraham were constant presences on the stream for quizzes, and programming discussion from their homes in Dallas, Texas and San Luis Obispo, California.
• Niki Brazier got up bright and early to host the stream at 4:30 AM local time from her home in Rhode Island.

That was only the beginning, as the full scope of content coming in from all corners of the globe was enormous by comparison, and featured 80 different guest spots, from more than 25 countries and states on 6 continents.

Continue Reading…

Starting Sunday: 8-Week Online Nutrition Program

Join an 8-week diet program starting this Sunday, April 12 as part of the updated Nutrition Essentials Masterclass by OptimizeMe Nutrition.

Commit to a sustainable plan that finally gets you the results you want! You’ll get access to a private Facebook group where EC will lead you through the same process used with her one-on-one clients. Get group accountability and your questions answered in real-time. It’s like having a one-on-one coach at a fraction of the cost!

Stop the pandemic stress eating and focus on something positive you can control. Sign-up with the code “CHALKUP” to get ~20% off (expires April 8).

UPDATED: 90% of U.S. Affiliates Closed, Nearly 80% Globally

A week after we first mapped the widespread closure of CrossFit affiliates globally, the number has skyrocketed as government mandated closures continue and gyms close their doors out of health concerns. 

• Globally this number has reached 78.8% of the 14,790 locations. 
• In the U.S., 90% of the 6915 affiliates are closed. 
• Interact with our full map of closures.
• To report your gym closed, please fill out this survey.

One big thing: Closures continue to mount and there’s no solid timeframe for reopening. How many of these gyms come back will be heavily dictated by the length of closures and how many members continue to pay their memberships. Already, two U.S. gyms have closed their gyms permanently. If economic conditions continue to worsen and joblessness rises, membership dues are going to start falling off. 

A U.S. Gym Owners Checklist to COVID-19 Financial Relief

CrossFit affiliates across the globe are facing unprecedented economic hardship with more than 11,600 gyms globally closed during the coronavirus pandemic. For the 90% of gyms closed in the United States, there are a number of resources available to support owners financially.

NCFIT founder Jason Khalipa, who recently closed 15 locations, sent this checklist to gyms in the NCFIT Collective to help them find ways to save money.

• “The following task list was created to assist gym owners in navigating through their gym closures as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. This is by no means an exhaustive list of every action we believe gym owners should take, but rather a summary of our immediate recommendations.

NCFIT also set up a number you can text to reach Khalipa is you have questions or ideas to discuss: (408) 484-4620

View the Task List…

THINGS TO…

…GET

Reebok Gear

Our exclusive 50% Reebok discount ends today. Shop now and use the code “APRILFOOLS” now throughout the rest of the day to score 50% off. Get all the gear.

LAST CHANCE.

…WATCH

Kara Saunders on How the Pandemic is Affecting her Training and her Affiliate

In this episode of her vlog, Kara Saunders discusses how her affiliate is helping their members and coaches. And, we get a good look at her home gym and how she is managing her training during quarantine.

TUNE IN.

…HEAR

Depth of Meaning and Motivation with Cody Mooney on the Misfit Project Podcast

On this episode of the Misfit Project podcast, OG Misfit athlete Cody Mooney breaks down the topic of staying motivated, something that is especially relevant at this moment of gym closures and quarantine.

MISFIT MADE.

SPONSORED

…DO

Get Into Ketosis — No Keto Diet Needed

Take your performance, resilience, and health to the next level with the world’s only Pure Therapeutic All Natural, 100% Human Identical Exogenous Ketones. No diet required. Improve your energy, cell signaling, respiratory rate, recovery, sleep, and body composition. One to two servings a day is all it takes. This is the only supplement you can actually test and know it is working via a simple blood test! Join the community of people seeking better today. Start your journey with the 10-day drink ketones challenge NOW.

GET ME INTO KETOSIS NOW.

…GET

NIKE Kicks

All NIKE footwear including the Metcon and Romaleos are 25% off. Shop now and the code “LOGIN25” through April 8 to get 25% off.

METCONS AND ROMALEOS.

…EAT

The Best Recipes to Make When you Have Ripe Bananas

If you’re like us, you’ve had a bit more time to bake over the past few weeks. Check out this list of the best ripe banana recipes for every snack and dessert occasion. It includes easy, healthy banana recipes, indulgent treats and plenty of unique ways to use overripe bananas. Smoothies, breads, pancakes, cookies and even tips for freezing bananas included!

TALLY ME BANANA.

HIGHLIGHTS…

• Cody Mooney back squats 400 pounds for 2 for a lifetime PR.
• Riccardo Nurcis pause front squats 385 pounds for a PR.
• Marie-Pier Bonneau cleans 205 pounds.
• Happy 6th anniversary Doughnuts & Deadlifts.
• Jenn Ryan back squats 295 pounds for a 5 pound PR.
• Jordan Grabinoski clean and jerks 253 pounds.

COMMUNITY

Community Roundup

Here are few cool things happening around the CrossFit community:

• Teen Fitness League: The Teen Fitness League, a competition designed specifically to engage the competitive teen fitness community kicks off on April 15. The series will be ongoing and is structured in a month-to-month format. Each month is its own competition, meaning that a winner will be crowned in each division each month. The first month begins April 15 and will end May 11, at which point athletes can choose to sign up for the following month’s competition starting May 13. The first month of this competition will be as inclusive as possible — meaning no equipment needed to participate! Boys and Girls divisions range from 10-11, to 16-18. Learn more and register.
• Fieldlab “Guide to Functional Health”: Fieldlab is a functional lifestyle brand seeking to give active people the tools and resources to live a life centered around health. In response to the global pandemic affecting communities throughout the world, Fieldlab created a “Guide To Functional Health” to help individuals connect the dots between their actions and their health and understand that creating a life centered around health is the only way to feel and function their best. The guide is full of scientifically rooted, yet easy to understand information and actionable tips to make significant, positive changes. At a time when people are thinking about their health more than ever,  this is a turning point and the Fieldlab guide is a great place to start. 
• Good Read: Hildy Augustin, a psychologist and long-time Crossfitter, and her sister Robbie Baxter, a membership/subscription economy expert, have co-authored an essay entitled “What can Subscription Businesses Learn from CrossFit — During this Time of Crisis, and Generally.” Check it out.