Lost Coast Trail ’26 Misogi. CrossFit makes it possible at 63.
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
Epictetus
DO HARD THINGS
Last week, I completed the 24-mile Lost Coast Trail with my daughter over three days. It’s a spectacular hike, but not an easy one. Much of the route crosses soft-sand beaches and rocky terrain, with several sections that must be completed within tight windows dictated by the tides. I carried extra weight so we could make the trip more comfortable, and I felt confident that I could help my daughter or another hiker if something went wrong (more on that..). Here’s a summary of my thoughts on the trail:
- CrossFit is awesome for backpacking (and life). My entire prep for the trip was CrossFit 3-4x a week and daily walks with my dogs. No issues with the load or the hike. The only thing that sucked was my early AM mobility… gotta stretch more.
- Plan, test, and expect the worst: backpackers know this. Fortunately there’s tons of apps to help and plenty of Reddit forums for advice. But…I rented high-end air mattresses from Sports Basement and one of them was defective and unusable. That sucked. I failed to test it BEFORE we left.
- Comfort is killing us: I had this thought when I woke up very early on the 2nd day. Our “tide window” was early and tight – so we had to eat fast, pack up and go before 7:30A. It was a cold morning and a sandy campsite. There was no time to relax & have coffee. We had a “job” to do in order to stay safe and achieve our daily travel goal – much like our early ancestors. It was stressful, tiring but, very rewarding at the end. We ate minimal calories, walked until 4PM – and were sleeping in our tents by 7:30P.
- Its easy to make friends doing hard things. After the first day, any backpackers we came across on the trail were very friendly and eager to offer advice or support. They pointed out the best tent sites and fresh water sources and offered up gear to help. Doing hard things breaks down barriers & egos and creates a common ground – ie, CrossFit.
- Being vigilant can save your life and your dignity: on this trip the biggest danger was the ocean. It would be easy to get trapped on the beach by rising tides with nowhere to go. We read the charts and watched the waves. There was also a lot of Poison Oak on the upper trail sections, cliff edge trails and reports of snakes. There’s also NOT a lot of private places to do your business. Your shit is literally out there for anyone to see. So, you gotta find your spot and move quickly. Oh, and bring a trowel.
- You never know when you may be needed: on the 2nd day, while taking a rest, a lone female hiker confessed that she was very nervous about the hike and asked if she could join us. We gladly accepted and really enjoyed the rest of the journey with her. At the end of the trail she told us that we “saved” her trip and turned it into an awesome adventure.
#itsup2us
OG Of The Week – Sam Mendes
One of the very cool things about being a 20year CrossFit Affiliate is that we have a LOT of members who have been here with us for most of the journey – and are still showing up. Every week, I’ll post up an OG – in no particular order – so you can give them a fist bump when you see ’em at the gym.
This Week: Sam Mendes. 16 years at Diablo (since 2010) – still coming 3-5x a week. 1900+ visits. Back in the day he competed at the Regionals as an individual and on a Diablo team. He’s competed in every CF Open. He started at Diablo as a single man – now, married with two awesome kids (his wife, Krystina, trains in the eve.) His feelings for CrossFit? .. well, according to his FB profile he’s “Training for the 2012 CrossFit Games”… if you know Sam, that about sums it up.. 😉
CrossFit describes health on a continuum from sickness to wellness to fitness. Health markers such as blood pressure, body fat, strength, cardiovascular capacity, and blood sugar generally worsen as we move toward sickness and improve as we move toward fitness. Wellness is not the finish line—it is the midpoint.
The farther we move toward fitness, the greater our buffer against illness, injury, and the natural decline associated with aging. Fitness cannot prevent every setback, but it gives us more physical capacity to absorb one—and a better chance of remaining independent, capable, and active throughout our lives. Read more here.
AUGUST COMPETITONS: COMMUNITY CUP & FALL CLASSIC
The Community Cup is all month long in August, in-affiliate competition running August 1–31. It includes four workouts, all of which have already been released. Diablo will incorporate the workouts into our regular daily programming throughout August, so everyone can participate, even if you didn’t register for the CrossFit Open.
REGISTER FOR THE COMMUNITY CUP ONLINE (and support Diablo!) – $20
The Fall Classic will be held at Diablo CrossFit on Saturday, August 22nd. It is open to all USAW-registered lifters and will feature athletes of all ages and experience levels taking the platform at Diablo. Members, come watch some big lifts, cheer on the competitors, and experience the excitement of an official Olympic weightlifting meet!
PROGRAMMING THIS WEEK:
- Mon: Strength: Power Cleans. Metcon: FS&Row – Amrap 7m: 10 FS & 20/30c Row. (95/135#)
- Tue: For Time: 2nds 9 Snatch & 15 Pull Ups (Weight #1), 2x 6Sn & 10C2B (W#2), 2x 3Sn & 5BMU (W3)
- Wed: Strength: Front Squat. Metcon: Air Bike & KB – 21-15-9: Cal AirBike & Heavy KB Swings (53/70#)
- Thu: Skill: Dips & Chin Ups. Metcon: Burpee-T2B-BJ – Amrap 9m: 2/2, 4/4, 6/6… Burpee, T2B, BJs
- Fri: CrossFit “Girl” Benchmark: “Emily” – 10 Rnds: 30 DUs, 15 Pull Ups, 30 Squats, 100m Sprint, Rest 2m
- Sat: Strength: Hang Snatch. Metcon: HPS & Run – 3RFT: 15 HPS, 200m Run (75/115#)
- Sun: Rope Climb-FC-DB Press: E5MOM (rest 1m): 1 Rope Climb, 12 FC Box Step Ups, 12 DB Strict Press (35/50#)
| CRAIG’S LIST: Stuff I’m Watching, Reading, Using or Listening to… |
YT: The Diablo Way Podcast: Bill Leeper Volunteers At The CrossFit Games..Bill gets a brutal 6 day workout and an awesome life experience. Check out the podcast! Jamie Lee and I had a blast hearing Bill’s behind-the-scenes stories.
YT: The Craziest CrossFit Games Team Workout Ever – Frantasy Land. In 2014, Teams consisted of 6 athletes. In this wild event, all 6 team members pushed a loaded 6 person Bob Sled down the field, stopping every 20 meters (3 stops!) to allow 2 athletes to do a version of Fran. Yes, the sled had a pull up bar attached! Each version of Fran got heavier and harder.
