2025 Picture of The Year
This is my choice for Diablo’s picture of the year. It was taken in March at our last Friday Night Lights event for workout 25.3 – a brutal barbell & wall walk test that ended with a 50cal row. Athlete Nate Wantatah needed a strong performance to repeat his qualification for Masters Quarterfinals. Yvonne & Cynthia Miller were screaming in his ear to help motivate him to the finish. Meanwhile, Jackson & Cynthia’s son, Dax, was along for the ride, while I desperately tried to get video without my reading glasses. And Nate was “in the zone”, ignoring the pain and grinding to the finish. Epic shot, Erika Linden.
This photo captures so many awesome things that make Diablo great: the extraordinary effort of the athlete, the passionate support of the community, a super-fit Mom holding her child, the costume..and the two friends in the background, sharing the experience.
CHECK OUT THE YEAR IN PICTURES AT DIABLO
“Just start. Start slow if you have to. Start small if you have to. Start privately if you have to. Just start.”
James Clear
’26: ONE SMALL STEP EVERY DAY
Like many people, I’m going to set a few personal habit goals for the New Year – not sure what they are yet. I don’t like to call them “resolutions” but I suppose that’s what they are. The New Year is a universal marker: an end to some things and a new beginning for others. And, every year, many new habits don’t stick, and some bad habits return. I call it “habit homeostasis”.
So how do we make new habits stick and old habits fade? Well, a guaranteed method would be to radically change our environment to force behavior change, ie, sell the car and buy a pedal-only bike – and bike or walk everywhere. However, radical change is not feasible for most of us.
Preparation, small steps, and affirmation are more sensible tools for establishing new habits:
- Prepare by making sure you have all the components in place for success. If you’re planning to do a daily walk, decide upon the route, and have your shoes & clothing ready to go. Put the shoes & clothing in a visible spot. If you’re planning to stop drinking, remove the alcohol from your access. Box it up and store it somewhere difficult to access. If you’re planning to eat healthier, remove the foods you want to avoid and plan your meals in advance.
- Start with small steps (or, just show up)! This is a James Clear (Atomic Habits) strategy that works brilliantly for most people. Instead of starting with a 2 mile walk, begin your new habit by committing to putting your walking shoes on and walking to the end of your drive way – thats it. Do that for 10 days – and chances are, you’ll go a little further every day. But be sure to hit your minimum standard. James Clear tells a great story about a guy who set a goal of going to the gym for only 5 minutes – every day. For the 100 Days of December challenge, I committed myself to 10 squats and 10 push ups in the morning during my morning walk. 10 was an easy number – and I usually ended up doing quite a bit more, making 100 reps for the day a piece of cake. Just take one small step in the direction you wish to go. Often, you’ll likely go further.
- Assume your new identity with identity affirmation. As you begin your new habit, identify with it: ie, “I am a gym rat”; “I am a Hyrox athlete”‘; “I am a CrossFitter”; “I walk daily”; “I eat clean”; “I prioritize my health.”… etc. James Clear says: “behavior follows identity more reliably than willpower.”
So make that “resolution” and take one small step in the direction of your new habit every day. Oh, and if you need a little extra motivation, tell your friends & family what you’re gonna do.
#itsup2us
YEAR-END HOLIDAY HOURS
- Wed, Dec 31: First Class- 5AM. Last Class: 4:30PM. Gym Closes at 5:30PM.
- Thu, Jan 1: First Class: 8AM. Last Class: 12:00PM. Gym Closes at 1:30PM.
- Fri, Jan 2: First Class- 5AM. Last Class: 4:30PM. Gym Closes at 5:30PM.
PROGRAMMING ** THIS WEEK **
- Mon: SLIPS. Metcon: Row-Push Ups – E2MOMx3 200/250m Row + Max Push Ups
- Tue: Deadlift 1RM. Death by 10M.
- Wed: Run-Row-Pullups – Partner! Amrap 22m, Alt Movements: 200m Run, 10/15c Bike, 12 Pull Ups.
- Thu: WW-Carry-Situp-Bike – 3RFT – 5 WW, 200m FC, 30 Situps, 20/30c Bike
- Fri: Barbell-Burpees: Amrap 20m 4HSC, 5PP, 6 Burpee over Bar #105/155
- Sat: Run-Step Up- Snatch: 5RFT: 400m Run, 10 Alt DB Box Step Ups, 12 DB HPSn #35/50
- Sun: Air Bike-Row: Max Cals – 4rnds: 2min Max Cal Bike, 2m Max Cal Row, Rest 4m
CROSSFIT REGIONAL THROWBACK: NORCAL REGIONALS 2012
This is a replay of one of the most exciting finishes for Team Diablo at the Regionals. This is the LAST event of the weekend and Diablo needed to place in the top 3 in order to qualify for the 2012 CrossFit Games. Athletes Whitney Heuser, Alessandra Pichelli, Eleni Frediani, Jamie Lee, Ben Wise and Mark Kaiser started out in the middle of the pack, but continued to move up as other teams failed muscle ups or stopped to rest! Diablo Añejo finished in FIRST in this last event and 3rd place overall – qualifying for the 2012 CrossFit Games in Carson, CA!
Side note: immediately after this event win, Coach Jamie proposed to teammate Christy – and it was caught on camera!
CRAIG’S LIST: MY 2025 FAVS
Podcast: The Diary of A CEO – Steven Bartlett. I love his “Most Shared” segments – 15mins. Be sure to check out his recent podcast with James Clear for an awesome start to 2026! Also available on Apple & Spotify.
Movie: The Gorge – Apple TV. (2nd..Yvonne: Final Destination: Bloodlines – HBO)
Streaming: White Lotus – HBO (2nd.. Craig: Yellow Stone 1923 – Apple)
IG: @devin.the.one – all the (blunt) advice you’ll need in 60 seconds.
Eats: Prime Steakhouse – damn good steak house! Where Scotts Seafood used to be. @heraldh approves.
Make it an awesome week!
Craig
