This pic was sent to me yesterday – and it made my day (#74 is my younger brother Erik). This was a sack of Denver’s John Elway (Hall of Famer) by the NY Giants in the Super Bowl in 1987. The picture was also a Sports Illustrated magazine inside cover fold-out commemorating the Giants victory that day. In the picture, Erik, 22 yrs old, was in his first year in the NFL as a Nose Tackle with the NY Giants. His 11yr NFL career included 9 seasons with the Giants, including 2 Super Bowls and a ProBowl.
“Heroism is endurance for one moment more.”
George F. Kennan
A QUICK LOOK:
- Lessons From A Pro
- Mobility & Breathing
- 3 Moms, 2 Nurses, 1 Grandma & 1 Pro
- Plastics, Protein, AI Good & Bad
LESSONS FROM AN NFL ATHLETE Some people know that my younger brother Erik (now 60!) had a very successful career as a professional football player – including 2 Super Bowl appearances (and victories). Yvonne and I attended many of his games, including the Super Bowls and most of the playoffs. It was a surreal and awesome experience for all 11 years. And, I learned a lot about professional sports, pro athletes and life that influenced me and my career. Here’s a few take-aways:
- Short term goals lead to long term success. When Erik was in high school, he didn’t have a goal to be a pro football player. In fact, he was cut from his freshman team (Bellarmine, SJ) because, according to his coach, “he was too small.” Our father talked the coach into giving him another chance (in pads) and he made the team. His goal: make the starting squad. Then, it was: make the Varsity starting squad. When he was a Senior, it was “earn a college scholarship.” He didn’t think about being a Pro until late in his college career (WSU) when coaches started planting the seed.
- Hard work & persistence are required. Being “too small” in his freshman year likely contributed to Erik’s future success. He became obsessed with lifting weights and getting strong. He went to summer football camps to improve his skills. His off-season training mindset was established at a very early age and continued throughout his career. He never stopped training. In college he was the strongest athlete on his team. When he attended the NFL scouting combine in 1986 at age 21, he bench pressed 225# 44 times – a record that held for many years.
- Genetics Matter. I met many NFL athletes in my travels to watch my brothers games. One thing I learned: size, strength, and athleticism are largely influenced by genetics – and that’s essential for success in all professional sports, including CrossFit. I met several unbelievably talented pros who did very little off-season training – and some who didn’t lift weights at all. Now, this was the 90’s – and things have definitely changed. But, there’s no arguing that good genetics are essential for the highest levels of sports. Just attend an NBA game and you’ll understand.
- Play Through Pain. Erik suffered ankle, knee and worst of all, back injuries during his career. In ’90 he had 3 vertebrae in his low back fused and returned to play for several more years, including the ’91 Super Bowl. Pain was part of the process – but, he took his recovery seriously – doing all the work to recover as fast as possible. Pain (& injury) comes with the territory when doing hard physical work. Granted, the NFL is the extreme. But the lesson for me was: focus on the recovery and look to the future. Injury requires one step back so that you can take two steps forward.
Erik and his wife Jennifer have a home in Virginia and three awesome, grown children. He’s a real estate developer with his biggest project in Dripping Springs, Tx.
JAN / FEB CLINICS & EVENTS Our “Perimenopause/Menopause Therapy” event was well-attended (20!) and super informative. We’ll keep bringing in our resident experts if interest continues. Next up: Mobility & Recovery Mgt. with Dr. Mory. Details soon.
- FEB: Thu, Feb 20, 7:30PM – Mobility & Recovery Management with Dr. Mory – Beyond Chiropractic
- MAR: Thu, Mar 27, 7:30PM – Breath Work Techniques for Improved Performance and Mental Health – Richard Blake, PhD.
PODCAST WITH “BOZ!”– Last Thursday, Jamie Lee and I interviewed Adrian Bozman “Boz” – Director of the CrossFit Games. We talked a little about the history of the Open & the Games and what the 2025 Season looks like, including the new Community Cup! Check it out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube..
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DIABLO…
- Amy Zhou (left) is Mom and an Anesthesiology Nurse at Kaiser Medical, and likely the last person you see & talk to before you’re out cold.
- Jenny Banks, is a Grandmother(!) and an LVN Nurse in the Pediatrics Hospital at UCSF (and a Harley riding, “badassbitch”!)
- Alessandra Pichelli is a new Mom and a 9x CrossFit Games athlete and Diablo Coach.
January Focus: 1. Squat Variations 2. Technical Lifts 3. Skill: CFG Open Prep
– Calendar; – Newsletter
- Mon: Amrap 20m: 4 Strict HSPU, 8 T2B, 200m Run
- Tue: Back Squat. Metcon: E2MOMx4 – 4/6 Strict Pull-Ups, Max Cal Bike
- Wed: Out & Back – Amrap 18m – 50WB, 10WW, 150 DUs, 10WW, 50WB
- Thu: Snatch. Metcon: 5RFT – 9 Strict Press, 15 DL.
- Fri: T2B/BMU. E3MOMx3 then 2RFT: 10 DB FR Lunges, 15 V-Ups, 10 Burpees to a 6″ Target.
- Sat: 2RFT – 800m Run, 15 HSC & Jerks #95/135
- Sun: CrossFit Hero – “Jack”, Amrap 20m- 10PP, 10KB Swings, 10 BJs. #75/115
CRAIG’S LIST:
- GOOD PODCAST (26m): AMA Peter Attia: Microplastics, PFAS, and phthalates: health risks & minimizing exposure – This is a preview of a bigger episode, and its a nice summary. This will alleviate some fears and give realistic perspective on the plastics exposure that we face and the potential health risks (it’s not as bad as we think)
- MORE PROTEIN!! – IG Post. WOW! “A 100g dose of protein led to a muscle protein synthesis rate 40% higher than 25g.” Take away: spreading protein consumption throughout the day is not necessarily better. Total protein intake is what matters. And, if you’re exercising: more is better. (NIH PMID: 38118410)
- YouTube: ChatGPT Task Manager – incredible. I’m playing around with this and finding value already. It’s remarkable.
- YouTube: Protect Your Children – AI is getting incredibly good. This is an ad from Deutsche Telekom about the dangers of posting pictures of your children online. Food for thought.
Make it an awesome week!
Craig
