New CrossFit VP Takes on His First Open

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • CrossFit’s VP of Global Affiliate and Operations does Open Workout 24.1

  • As the CrossFit Games season kicks off, plan out your nutrition for the season with Training Think Tank’s Tracy Tucker

  • The Pit Fitness Ranch in Three Rivers, MI, gets ready for a huge season

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It’s my first time doing the Open. I'm 47 years old. I'm playing the long game here. I really just want to have fun, and I'm definitely not looking to break into the Games, that's for sure,” Jay DeCoons, new CrossFit VP for Affiliates and Global Operations, on his first CrossFit Open experience

CROSSFIT OPEN

Photo Credit: Instagram / @amalleolo

CrossFit VP Jay DeCoons Takes on His First CrossFit Open

Among those who were anxiously awaiting the first CrossFit Open workout to drop last Thursday was Jay DeCoons, who also happens to be the new VP of Global Affiliate and Operations at Crossfit HQ. 

DeCoons was named the VP in October of last year, hails from a finance background, and has over ten years of experience in the fitness industry. While he’s only been in his role for a few months, he’s managed to set up an affiliate council and monthly affiliate roundtables where owners discuss specific topics. 

Remind me: The CrossFit Open started on Thursday, February 29 and runs every weekend through to Monday, March 18. The workout, which Dave Castro released during the Open announcement, was a straightforward cardio test of dumbbell snatches and burpees over the dumbbell that gave little time for rest. 

First reaction: “I went out too hot but hung on and got it done in 11:18. I was pretty happy considering my hot start!”DeCoons said to Morning Chalk Up, shortly after doing the workout. 

DeCoons started CrossFit in 2015 and trained for a couple of years. After a small hiatus where he trained in his home gym, a shoulder injury, and a move with his family, he picked it back up in the fall of 2023 and joined CrossFit Invictus Seattle. 

  • “Overall, I loved the experience. My favorite part was by far hanging with my local gym community. I did the 4 p.m. Open workout and then we jumped right into our Friday Night Lights event. It was so fun to connect with our amazing community of coaches, members, and owners,” DeCoons tells Morning Chalk Up. 

  • “In our gym, we do have some really competitive age group athletes. And we have just everyday people that are just trying to support each other and have their basic fitness needs met.” 

  • “I really wanted to participate in the community event. I want to be as competitive as I can, so I certainly have been ramping up my training for it and I'm excited about it.” 

“It’s my first time doing the Open. I'm 47 years old. I'm playing the long game here. So I really just want to have fun and I'm definitely not looking to break into the Games that's for sure.”

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SPEED READS

💪 Sign Up: Need more strength sports news in your life? Be sure to subscribe to The BarBend Newsletter to keep on top of the worlds of strongman, weightlifting, and more.

🚨🚨 New Film: “Identity,” a documentary film following Tim Paulson through his final season as a competitor in the CrossFit season in 2023, just dropped. Check it out now.

New Lab MGMT Athlete: Congrats to U.S. Olympic Weightlifter Mattie Rogers, who joined Lab Management last week. The athlete management company also touts Amanda Barnhart, Katrin Davidsdottir, Mat Fraser, Justin Medeiros, Annie Thoridottir, Pat Vellner, and many other CrossFit greats and up-and-comers on their roster.

Games Athletes Take on 24.1: Here’s a quick round-up of some of your favorite athletes taking on 24.1, in case you missed them over the weekend:

Emma Cary Out: Eighth Fittest Woman in 2023, Emma Cary announced yesterday in an Instagram post that she would be sitting out the 2024 season to devote herself to her faith and consider her future, competitively and otherwise.

The Mayhem Athlete’s Everyday Hero Games are back! This year, the top two athletes from each division on the online portion will be invited to compete at Crossfit Mayhem for a one-day in-person team competition where they will name The Fittest Everyday Heroes.

  • The online competition will run May 1-6, and the in-person competition takes place on June 22. Full details will be released following the Open

🚨🚨 Syndicate Crown Community Event: Sweat before you spectate! The Syndicate Crown (North America East Semifinal) announces a new Community Event that will take place concurrently with the Semifinal Event on Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2.

  • Community divisions will compete outside on Mary Costa Plaza, located directly in front of the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.

  • Registration will go live on Wednesday, February 28, at 12:00 p.m. ET.

  • Pick your format (Solo, Team of 3, Pair) and division (Rx, Scaled, or Intermediate) and get signed up now. Each format is scheduled to compete on a different day, starting with “Solos” on Friday.

Working with Larger Bodies Seminar and PRVN Fitness: Athena Perez and Scaled Nation will be joining PRVN Fitness at their new headquarters in Nashville, TN, to present the "Working with Larger Bodies" seminar. The event will occur on April 21, 2024, beginning at 9 a.m. Register now!

ICYMI: CrossFit Open livestream viewership continues to grow year over year.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Written by: Tracy Tucker // Photo: Instagram / @tracytucker_ttt

How to Plan Your Nutrition for Performance During the CrossFit Season

The CrossFit Games season has just begun, and whether you are pushing your competitive efforts this season or playing the long game, you are already starting to think about how to plan your nutrition for the next year. 

  • If you are taking on the 2024 season as competitively as possible, you may simply want to hold off on implementing changes until after your season is done. 

Either way, you can get started on some of these things right now!

CROSSFIT GAMES

Credit: Pit Teen Throwdown

The Pit Fitness Ranch Prepares for a Big 2024 Season as Teen Games Host and More 

As the CrossFit season kicks off with Open Workout 24.1, athletes across age groups and individual divisions are logging their Open scores and embarking upon a months-long process to chase down a ticket to the CrossFit Games. 

  • The youngest of the bunch, athletes aged 14-17, are competing for a chance to head to Three Rivers, MI, on Labor Day weekend to crown the Fittest Teen on Earth. 

The details: This year, the Pit Fitness Ranch will host three separate events for young athletes. Besides the Teenage CrossFit Games, the original Pit Teen Throwdown and the Pit Collegiate Throwdown will also take place. 

In addition to events at the Ranch, the teens will also compete a short drive away at Wings Event Center. In the Wings Center, athletes have access to a VIP lounge, vendor and media space, a large field of play, and a livestream. 

2024 Teenage CrossFit Games: Unlike in the past, the teenage, masters, and adaptive divisions will host CrossFit Games on separate dates and in different locations from the individual and team divisions in Fort Worth, TX. The Pit Fitness Ranch hosts the 2024 Teenage CrossFit Games from August 29-September 1. 

THINGS TO…
…PREP

Overnight Oats

They’re not a new thing, but they’re maybe the best thing. Overnight oats are healthy, portable, filling, and so easy to make ahead of time. Try different versions to make it your best breakfast, and mix it up each day to add variety.

…DISCOVER
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…TRAIN

Can’t Turn Over on the Ring Muscle-Up?

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HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.

  • 💪 Congratulations to Andy of CrossFit Noma in Italy on the 80-kilo/176-pound hang clean.

  • Congratulations to Kate of Babylon CrossFit in Babylon, NY, on her first muscle-up. 

  • Well done to 84-year-old Marge of CrossFit Infinity in Frankfort, KY, for her dedication to fitness. 

  • 💕 Congratulations to Alexandre Caron and fiancee Ariane on their engagement. 

  • Congratulations to Games athlete Kelly Stone on the 250-pound/113-kilo clean PR.