🎢 Inside Arielle Loewen’s Rogue Rollercoaster

November 13th, 2025

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 How Arielle Loewen battled back fatigue, stayed composed, and walked away from Rogue with something more important than a leaderboard placement.

  • 🧠 Why that uneasy feeling before a brutal workout is proof you care — and how to use it to build real mental toughness.

  • 🇺🇸 Marine vet and CrossFit adaptive athlete Mike Egan set a new world record, covering 152.36 miles in his wheelchair in 24 hours, raising money for ValorFit.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
❝

I loved my mindset. This was the most fun I’ve had at a competition all year.”

Arielle Loewen on her 2025 Rogue Invitational Performance
PROFILE

Inside Arielle Loewen’s 2025 Rogue Invitational – Back Fatigue, Mindset Wins, and Perspective

Credit: @rachmorephoto / Instagram

Arielle Loewen joined 19 other elite women and 20 men at this year’s Rogue Invitational, marking her fifth appearance at the prestigious event. The veteran athlete and small business owner entered the weekend eager and optimistic, ready to take on a slate of challenging workouts.

  • After strong early performances — a third-place finish in Event 1 and seventh in Event 2 — Loewen hit an unexpected setback in “Event 3: Tax Collector,” finishing 19th, which she later called the worst performance of her competitive career.

It was an uncharacteristic result for the typically consistent athlete, prompting speculation that something might be wrong. 

By the time “Event 8: Double Bogey” rolled around, those suspicions grew stronger. Known for excelling in burpee-heavy workouts, Loewen was seen carefully lowering herself to the floor each rep, clear evidence that something was holding her back.

A MESSAGE FROM GYMREAPERS

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*This newsletter relies on our sponsors. Please consider supporting them.

SPEED READS

🎯🏋️‍♀️ Wall Ball Masterclass: From hand placement to hip drive, this CrossFit + HYROX tutorial breaks down how to fix your depth, stop wasting reps, and make wall balls feel (almost) effortless.

🤢💪 The Definitive Guide to Burpees: Invented in the 1930s, refined in the 1940s, and turned into a training staple today, this guide from CrossFit delves into why burpees are brutal and brilliant.

💸🏋️‍♂️ The Fitness Market Is Getting Jacked: A new industry report projects the global gym and health club market to more than double, hitting $235B by 2034. Hybrid models, wellness tech, and recovery-focused memberships are fueling the surge, but traditional gyms will need to adapt fast to keep pace.

🎥🔥 James Sprague’s Rogue Redemption: Between coach-corner pep talks (feat. dad, Pat Sprague), pacing lessons, and confidence checks, the 2024 Games champ’s Rogue vlog tracks a healthier, sharper Sprague turning pain into momentum for Copenhagen and the WFP Finals.

ICYMI: 🏋️ From a childhood built on grit to nine straight World Championships, Mattie Rogers doesn’t practice resilience; she lives it.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

The Equation That Changes How You Handle Hard Workouts

Credit: @benbergeron / Instagram

You're standing in front of the whiteboard. Today's workout looks brutal – the kind that makes your stomach drop and your brain start negotiating. 

  • Should you scale? Maybe you'll do the Rx’d version next time? Perhaps you start thinking about how you didn't sleep well last night, or that work has been hectic, or that the kids have been sick.

Here's what's actually happening: you're misreading the signal.

That uncomfortable feeling isn't a warning that something's wrong. It's proof you're exactly where you need to be. And once you grasp the simple equation behind it, every tough workout becomes easier to face.

We recently spoke with Trevor Ragan from The Learner Lab on the Chasing Excellence podcast, and he shared research that could change how we view discomfort in training. The implications extend far beyond your next training session.

POLL

👕 Be honest — what’s your winter gym fit?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Last week, we asked: 🕯️ Winter Motivation Check — The days are short, the coffee’s hot, and your bed feels like the best place on Earth. What actually gets you to the gym this time of year?

  • 🔥 Habit — I don’t think, I just go. Discipline > motivation. (64.97%)

  • 🎧 A new playlist that hits just right. (9%)

  • 💬 My training crew — they’ll roast me if I don't show up. (8%)

  • ☕ Pre-workout + caffeine = non-negotiable. (2%)

  • 🧣 Holiday stress therapy — I lift so I don’t lose it. (8%)

  • 🏋️ Goals don’t hibernate — 2026 prep starts now. (8%)

  • 🧦 Honestly? I’m hibernating until spring. (1 vote)

“Habit” won in a landslide, and we weren’t surprised at all.

COMMUNITY

CrossFit Games Athlete and Marine, Mike Egan, Breaks World Record

Credit: @adaptivetraining / Instagram

On Veterans Day, Mike Egan set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance covered in a wheelchair in 24 hours – 152.36 miles – all for charity. 

Egan, a U.S. Marine veteran and CrossFit Games adaptive athlete, made the ambitious attempt to support ValorFit, a nonprofit organization that unites Veterans and fitness communities. 

All the money raised was donated to ValorFit to support the entire Veteran community. 

  • “I spent a year training for this. I did a lot to make sure I came out here and not just set a world record but made a statement,” said Egan, in a post on Instagram. “And that statement wasn't to set a really high world record it was to prove your pain isn’t your story it's just a chapter to turn the page and that’s it.” 

The previous world record for this title was 149.42 miles completed by Carlos Roberto Oliveira dos Santos in Brazil, according to the Guinness World Records.

HIGHLIGHTS

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

  • Happy birthday to Betsy Vanderburgh.

  • Congratulations to Mat of Australia on this 230-kilo/507-pound deadlift at the Global Revl Team Games.

  • Congratulations to Jeremiah of Core City CrossFit Kids in Detroit, MI, on these four deadlifts at 45 kilos/100 pounds.

  • Well done to Vanessa of Ruckus Fit in Australia on this first-ever box jump! What a community!

  • Adaptive athlete Mike Egan just set a world record, traveling 152.36 miles in a wheelchair in 24 hours - full story above!