Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by FNX.



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“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” — Abraham Lincoln

THE ENGINE.

Sam Briggs is Having a Record Year

Sam Briggs has already solidified herself as one of the fittest athletes in the history of the CrossFit, the 37-year-old Engine from England has shown up this season in epic fashion.

• Briggs’ record so far: Won Dubai CrossFit Championship, won Australia CrossFit Championship, crowned national champion of England, placed 20th in the Open worldwide, and placed first at the Reykjavik Crossfit Championship with Team JST.

The Triple Crown: Having won a Sanctional as an individual and on a team, while notching a national championship amounts to probably the most impressive performance of any athlete this season.

• Briggs has also qualified for the Age Group Online Qualifier to compete as a masters athlete. If she decides to do the five workouts, her score is due today by 5:00 PM PT.

Bottom line: Briggs is the only athlete to qualify for the CrossFit Games by every means possible.

She’s slated to compete in the Rogue Legends event May 18-19.

MADISON BOUND.

Big Names Win, New Names Earn Invites in Iceland

At the close of the Reykjavik CrossFit Championship Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson, Jacqueline Dahlstrom and Team JST Compete stood tall amongst a field of 29 men, 24 women, and 15 teams in a competition spanning 10 scored events for individuals, and 11 for teams.

With Gudmundsson and Dahlstrom already receiving spots to the CrossFit Games through the Open, the official invites from the event will end up in the hands of fifth placed Hanna Karlsson and second placed Hinrik Ingi Oskarsson.

The team with the Engine.

The addition of CrossFit legend Samantha Briggs paid huge dividends for Team JST Compete, as the crew from U.K. led wire to wire en route to earning themselves the coveted team invite from Iceland.

On the men’s side.

In perhaps the most fitting result of the weekend, Iceland’s favored son Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson ran away with a men’s competition that included eight other current and former Games athletes.

Contine reading…

Things To…

WATCH: Behind the Scenes of Dottir

Katrin Davidsdottir and Annie Thorisdottir went head-to-head at the Reykjavik CrossFit Championship, introducing a new benchmark WOD “Dóttir,” inspired by Icelandic women who have changed the face of the world. Morning Chalk Up went behind the scenes with these two champions before and after the WOD.

I DARE YOU TO.

HEAR: How Elevate Found Incredible Growth in a Year

In this episode of Box Talk, box owners Taylor and Nicole Race discuss how they’ve been able to hire more staff, step out of the gym’s day-to-day and define clear roles. The couple share the steps behind their incredible growth and how to apply the lessons they’ve learned.

KNOW YOUR ROLE.

KNOW: Krill Oil vs. Fish Oil

Krill oil, which absorbs up to 68% better than fish oil, requires only ⅔ the same serving of fish oil. Krill oil also contains astaxanthin and tocopherol which help to prevent oxidization and remains shelf stable even in high temps. Now you can get your Omega-3 essential fatty acids from krill oil too.

KRILL OIL VS FISH OIL.

EAT: Healthy Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

These fluffy healthy pancakes are naturally gluten and dairy free and contain no flour or added sugar. Get ready for a simple yet delicious breakfast that you can make right in the blender. And because there’s no flour, butter or sugar, these pancakes are perfect for anyone, including kids!

IT’S PANCAKE TIME.

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

Chalk Up Community

• RHONDA’S BURPEE CHALLENGE — CrossFit Hydro in Omaha, NE held the 6th annual Rhonda’s burpee challenge for colon cancer awareness. Owner Justin VanBeek has held the event every year since losing his mother, Rhonda, to colon cancer. This year they raised $12,057 for the Great Plains Colon Cancer Task Force.
• GRAND RE-OPENING — CrossFit AG just celebrated their grand re-opening in their new location in Coraopolis, PA.
• NEW BOX OPENING — SF Health Tech and Shivfit have opened their first Shivfit Cross-functional workout box in Udaipur, Shivfit Vajra, with fitness trainer Shivoham.
• NEW AFFILIATE — CrossFit Hickory in Hickory, NC is opening this week. They will host a grand opening party on Saturday.
• LADIES CLASS BEGINS — CrossFit Khanjar in Muscat Governorate, Oman is now offering ladies CrossFit classes on Tuesday and Sunday. 

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

Noah Ohlsen and Joann Leigh are engaged • Kristin Rynd gets her first muscle-up • FlapJacked released soft baked cookie bars • Annie Thorisdottir has partnered with NUUN • Thuri Helgadottir has joined the Foodspring Athletics family • Logan Collins clean and jerks 315 pounds • Fifteen-year-old Morgan McCullough clean and jerks 407 pounds • Kelly Slagh gets a 130 pound snatch PR • Jenn Dancer broke a toe playing double dutch.

…and this is probably what your non-CrossFit friends think you do all day.

Deadline for Individual Athletes to Register for the CrossFit Games — Today, at 5:00 PM PT, is the deadline to register for CrossFit Games if you received an Individual Athlete Invitation.

Age Group Online Qualifier — If you were eligible to compete in the Age Group online qualifier, your scores are due by 5:00 PM PT today.

— If you had issues validating your athlete’s score over the weekend, try again. CrossFit has fixed the bug.

— Fun Fact: Chris Cunningham just competed on Team Prepared at Reykjavik CrossFit Championship in Iceland, while also completing the Age Group online qualifiers this weekend.

On the Road with Rory McKernan — Rory McKernan just launched a new YouTube series yesterday, covering his travels around the world covering the fittest athletes on Earth. 

— “Since 2010, I’ve traveled the World as the host of the CrossFit Games. This year everything has changed, offering unique challenges, and new opportunities. The first thing on the horizon is a trip around the Globe, from San Francisco to Shanghai, then Reykjavik and back home. The goal is to maximize experiences, meet new friends and cover the Fittest Athletes on Earth at the Asian CrossFit Championship and the Reykjavik CrossFit Championship.”

Covering the Reykjavik CrossFit Championship — Morning Chalk Up’s Senior Games Analyst Tommy Marquez caught up with Annie Thorisdottir who revealed how she planned the event to best represent all the things she loves most about Iceland.

— Tommy Marquez also spoke with Will Moorad to discuss what it’s been like to compete again after a career-ending autoimmune diagnosis.

— If you missed any of our coverage from Iceland, you can catch up on all of it, including athlete interviews and daily live blogs, on our Facebook page or stay up to date on all the Sanctionals with the Morning Chalk Up Games portal.

Consistency Then Intensity — Armen Hammer spliced together all five of Tim Paulson’s snatches from the Reykjavik CrossFit Championship. “Consistency before intensity. This a splice of five snatches from Tim Paulson ranging from 110kg/242lb to 125kg/275lb and they all looked exactly the same.”

A Trip Down Memory Lane — David Newman, CEO of Rx Smart Gear, posted a picture of athlete coasters from the 2015 CrossFit Games. “These cardboard coasters were on display throughout the Marriott at the CrossFit Games after party in Carson. This was one of the coolest things Dave Castro did for the athletes. I spent most of my time hunting through the stacks of coasters looking for athletes that were part of the Rx family.”

For Your Health, Get Up and Go For a Walk — Time Magazine reports that, using data collected from 2001 to 2016, “screen time increased from 43% to 56% among children, from 53% to 57% among adolescents and from 29% to 50% among adults.”

— “Many studies show that TV or video watching time is most strongly associated with chronic disease and increases risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and overall mortality,” says Cao. “We found that a lot of people, around 60%, are watching two hours or more [every day].”

–This might be why some schools in Finland are considering removing desks from classrooms.

Ten Reasons You Can’t Do Bar Muscle-Ups — The bar muscle-up is an elusive skill for many athletes. Even athletes that have it long mastered still struggle sometimes. Or, when tired, athletes often fall into the “chicken wing” pattern. Here are ten reasons why this might be happening. 

“Invictus X’s Chantelle Loehner Tests Positive for Banned Substance,” by Justin LoFranco, Morning Chalk Up Team 

Chantelle Loehner today revealed that she tested positive for a banned substance during a drug test at the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Championship.

“This week I received an email notifying me that I tested positive for a banned substance at the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge,” Loehner said in a statement. “I am shocked and devastated. I have never knowingly taken a performance enhancing drug.”

Loehner and Team Invictus X — Maddy Myers, Sam Dancer and Holden Rethwill — won the Mid-Atlantic Sanctional back in April. She also qualified for the CrossFit Games as an individual after placing 23rd worldwide in the Open.

Loehner has requested that her B sample be tested.

“I have requested testing of my B sample and hope it will prove the first test was an error,” she said. “I understand that it’s my responsibility to know what goes into my body and would never intentionally jeopardize the integrity of this sport, nor would I ever risk disappointing my teammates, coaches, friends and family. I will trust the process and pray for a fair resolution.”

If Loehner’s B sample also tests positive, Invictus X’s performance at MACC will be invalidated and Team MisFit will receive the invite.

If Chantelle’s B sample is also positive, Invictus will be the first to agree that any competitive result to which she contributed should be invalidated — whether she knowingly or unknowingly ingested the substance.

5/2 – ⅚: Age Group Online Qualifier (Online)

5/10: Beast Mode Games 2019 (Greenville, SC)

5/11: 2019 Moco Throwdown (Bethesda, MD)

5/11: Butchertown Cleaver Classic (Louisville, KY)

5/11: Girls on Girls X (Bridgeport, PA)

5/11: Battle of the Gulf Coast (Port Neches, TX)

5/11: Femme Royale So Cal (Orange, CA)

5/11: Squat for Guate (Hickory, NC)

5/11: Southside Showdown (Jenks OK)

5/17 – 5/19: ACA Throwdown 2019 (Johannesburg, SA)

5/17 – 5/19: Down Under CrossFit Championship (Wollongong NSW)

5/17 – 5/19: Brazil CrossFit Challennge (São Paulo, Brazil)

5/18 – 5/19: Big Impact Games (Kaukauna, WI)

5/18: 2019 Barbells in the Burbs Team Comp (Carol Stream, IL)

5/18: 2019 Tough Temple CrossFit Super Total (Bethseda, MD)

5/18: Mad Hatter Games (Danbury, CT)

5/18: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Chester Springs (Chester Springs, PA)

5/18: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit PTV (Redmond, WA)

5/18 – 5/19: Shred Fest (Orlando, FL)

5/18: Cindy-a-Thon (San Leandro, CA)

5/18: Fallout in the Falls (Wichita Falls, TX)

5/18: East Coast Battle ( Hanover, MD) 

5/18: Meshugge CrossFit Summer Melee 2019 (Overland Park, KS)

5/18: Backstreet Brawl 3 (West Bend, WI)

5/18: Flower City Throwdown Women’s Division (Rochester, NY)

5/18: Warriors Hope (Greenwood, IN)

5/18: WODding to Hear (Elizabethton, TN)

5/18: Fifth Annual Guns N Hoses Competition (Anaheim, CA)

5/18: Barbells and Beers (Berkeley Heights, NJ)

5/18: OUTWOD Morristown (Morristown, NJ)

5/18: 2019 Triton Spring Throwdown (Wallingford, CT)

5/18: 6th Annual Murph for Mutts (Peachtree Corners, GA)

5/18: Fire & Ice Competition at WildFire CrossFit (Phoenix, AZ)

5/18 – 5/19: Rogue Invitational (Columbus, OH)

5/18 – 5/19: Beach Town Throwdown (Myrtle Beach, SC)

5/19: Heroes and Heroines Team Throwdown (Pawtucket, RI)

5/21: Brady’s Border2Border Ruck March (Beach, ND)

5/24: 24 Heroes in 24 Hours (Ardmore, PA)

5/27: ValorFit Community Murph (Urbandale, IA)

5/30 – 6/2: Granite Games (St. Cloud, MN)

5/31: OUTWOD at Roy CrossFit (Roy, UT)

5/31 – 6/1: The Rockwell Championship Series Main Event (Woods Cross, UT)

6/1: Warrior Affiliate League Terrible Two (Murrietta, CA)

6/1: Warrior Affiliate League Terrible Two (Victorville, CA)

6/1: The Burn Out 4 Person Team Competition (New Ber, NC)

6/1: Battle of the Vikings (Frederick, MD)

6/1: The Hound and The Mountain Team Competition (Sudbury, MA)

6/8: The Mountain Meltdown (Park City, UT)

6/8: Battle In The Basin 2 2019 (Joshua Tree, CA)