“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw
RV LIFE IS A JOB. My trip lasted 3 weeks: 1 week to get to Madison, 1 week at the Games and 1 week to get back home. And, I’m spent. In all, I drove 5000 miles in our new ’22 Toyota Tundra Hybrid and a 30′ trailer with my 18yo daughter, Alana. It was an incredible experience and a cool opportunity to further bond with Alana. But, damn, it was work.
We chose to travel through Utah on the way out so that we could visit Arches National Park in Moab. Moab, like all other National Parks we’ve visited, was incredibly beautiful and easy to access. We timed our arrival in Madison to be able to pick up Yvonne, who flew into Chicago on Saturday, July 30. Thus, we had to drive 7-9 hours a day, with the exception of one day off in Moab to hike the park. Once we arrived in Madison, we were able to unpack and get comfortable for a 6 day stay at the Games RV park. On the way back, we chose to visit Yellowstone and again, had to drive 7-9 hours a day to return by Saturday, Aug 13, allotting for an extra day stay-over in Yellowstone.
Every day on the road in an RV means an early AM wake up (6AM), a fast breakfast, packing up and securing everything in the trailer (stuff likes to move around!), dumping the tanks & disconnecting from water & power, and finally, prepping the truck for a road trip, connecting the trailer, drinks, snacks & listening content and finally, fueling up. Each day we’d scramble fast to be on the road by 9AM to beat the heat. We’d take 2-3 short breaks to walk the dog (our Chihuahua tagged along), each something & stretch our legs. On arrival, we’d spend 60-90 minutes parking, leveling the trailer, disconnecting the truck, unpacking our essentials and cleaning our the truck from the day’s travel. Then, we’d make dinner & plan the next day’s travel. We were usually cleaned up and ready for bed at 9:30 or 10PM. It literally is a full-time job.
RV travel is work, with some incredibly rewarding experiences intermingled. My IG posts of our trip were beautiful, but make no mistake, we were exhausted at the end of every day and we dealt with plenty of challenges like:
- Running out of gas in the RV Park in Iowa (thank God we made it into the park)
- Almost getting “trailer wedged” in 3 gas stations (some tight squeezes)
- Driving through a brutal thunderstorm that overturned 3 semi-trucks along our route in NE
- Inadvertently opening the black tank dump at night washing my feet & flip flops with shit
- Fridge failure the first 6 days of the trip requiring multiple coolers & daily ice refills.
The challenges were part of the overall adventure – and overall it was incredible and unforgettable. If you’re thinking of taking a trip like this, please, rent first – it’s worth the investment. Yvonne & I have been RV’ing for almost 20 years – we’ve learned what to expect and we’re still all-in. And, if you want more insight, reach out! I’d love to share our experiences.
HELP FIND KIELY – On the way home, we passed through Reno on Hwy 80. Just before the incline into Truckee, we stopped for gas and met a friend of Keily Rodni, age 16, who disappeared last week after attending a party at the Prosser Family Camp in Truckee. Keily’s friend asked for our help in finding Keily, who was likely abducted. I committed to sharing her story and information with our community. Please click here and send this information around to your family & friends.
TEENS. Diablo’s Teen Programs have new times and new structure:
- Teen Strong, with Coach Corey, is now MWF at 4:30PM – 5:30. The program is on-going and requires a Teen Strong MONTHLY membership. Email info@diablocrossfit.com to get your teen athlete set up! Space is limited in this popular program.
- Teen Sports Strength & Conditioning with Coach Jackson is now Wed & Fri at 6AM and Sunday at 8AM! This is an advanced strength & flexibility training program for teen sports athletes. Email info@diablocrossfit.com or, jackson@diablocrossfit.com for more information. This is also an ongoing program that requires a MONTHLY membership.
MUSCLE UPS WITH ALESSANDRA PICHELLI – SAT, AUG 27 @ 2PM. Coach Sandy will teach the progressions to improve your ring muscle-up efficiency and the skills for linking multiple muscle ups. This clinic will likely sell out. Please register on our app, or email us at info@diablocrossfit.com. Non-members welcome!
Tweet Of The Week: Heard at the CrossFitGames: “The CrossFit community is amazing because douchebags don’t like hard work”
The Week Ahead: Check SugarWod For Daily Workouts – August Calendar & Newsletter
- Progressions: Primary – Squat Cleans. Secondary – Snatch Drills. Skill: Ring Mups
- My Cherry Pick Workout of the Week: Sat 8/20 – for time:
> 1600/2000m C2 Bike, 3 Rope Climbs, 6 HPSnatch
> 800/1000m Bike, 2 RClimbs, 4 HPS
> 400/500m Bike, 1 RClimb, 2HPS
Barbell: (RX 95/135#) (M55-59 75/115#) (M60+ 65/95#)
Craig’s Roadtrip List:
The Tiger – John Vaillant – Alana and I listened to this one on the way out to Madison – wow! This is a true story of the hunt for a man-eating tiger in a remote village in far-east Russia in December 1997. Several villagers & trackers lost their lives to this tiger and tracking it was an incredible feat.
The Asshole Barrier – CrossFit Journal – If you enjoyed my “Tweet of the Week” – you’ll probably be surprised that it was based up on CrossFit Journal article from 2009. CrossFit affiliates and CrossFit events are full of really cool people.. for a reason.
Huberman Lab: Controlling Sugar Cravings & Metabolism (with Science-Based Tools) – This was a fascinating podcast that delved into the effects of sugar on the brain and how cravings (& hunger) are created. The key: AVOID processed foods – food manufacturers know how to hack our brains and the results are killing us.
See you in class! Make it an awesome week.
Craig
