“Putting 100 percent into your life, your work, or sport, doesn’t give you the right to expect success at whatever you are trying to do – it just provides the opportunity.” Graham Lowe
INSPIRED. It’s the morning after. Yvonne finished her last workout of the 2022 CrossFit Games yesterday afternoon and is still asleep – almost 12 hours after getting to bed. She put in the work and gave it her all, finishing 4th in the world in the W60-64 division – her best finish in 5 years of competing at the Games. She also notched her first event win ever in an event that featured a new movement, no less.
The Master’s divisions at the Games are truly elite competitions. Most of the athletes have dedicated coaches & programming, nutrition coaching, and intense training schedules that include multiple workouts, skills training & mobility work. Yvonne went all-in this year with her training and nutrition. She overcame multiple illnesses and managed multiple life challenges including full-time work at Diablo and helping care for her mother in San Jose.
She has no regrets. She put in the work and gave it her all on game day. She has been competing against the same women in her age group – equally incredible athletes – for several years and achieved her best finish ever. It was an emotional blast to watch her perform and see the results of her work. I am grateful and inspired. Thank you, Yvonne.
MY TAKE ON THE ’22 GAMES: “WOW” I’ll post more on this next week, but so far I LOVE what Adrian Bozman has programmed for the Games. He has shaken up the leaderboard and challenged the athletes in ways that they did not expect. Despite the hiccups in the first workout – the tests of fitness, strength and athleticism have been exciting to watch. The “lift” event was INCREDIBLE – sandbags to shoulder! And, the “The Capital” workout will go down as one of the best CrossFit Games events ever, with unique, functional movements, multiple lead changes, men & women going head-to-head and an incredibly inspiring “last place” finish.
#roadtothegames2022 – Early this year my friend & fellow affiliate owner, Matt Shindeldecker of CrossFit Crave, invited me to join him in the RV park at the 2022 Games. We’ve always had an amazing time hanging with other owners, fans & athletes in the RV area – and it had been 3 years since our last trip so I agreed. And, I’m so glad I did. The trip has been amazing. I’ve got plenty of stories to tell – some funny, some harrowing, and some inspiring. I’ll start with inspiring:
The Ogallala KOA Campground borders Highway 80 in Ogallala, Iowa. Alana and I pulled in very late after driving through an incredible thunderstorm that overturned 3 semi-trucks along our route. It was a nerve-wracking 45 minutes of high wind & heavy rain. But that’s another story.
The next morning I stopped in the office/store to check out of our space and met the owners Matt & Kristy DuPierre. Matt had noticed our Diablo truck (surprise) and admitted that he “needed to start working out” and added that after a long day of walking and working around the facility he was usually too tired to exercise.
Then, Mr. DuPierre dropped a bombshell on me: “I was a trucker for 22 years, and retired last year. Since then, I’ve lost more than 100 pounds over the last year when my wife and I cleaned up our diet and started intermittent fasting” He went on to tell me he and his wife also do a 24hr fast once a week and a 72hr fast once a month! He’s very into bar-b-que and his smoker – and even gave me a couple of awesome tips for keeping meat moist at the end of a good smoke.
I told DuPierre that his nutrition plan was better than mine and thanked him for inspiring me to do better. I also told him not to stress about fitness, and start with some weightlifting when he has slow days. I added that his combined daily physical activity was doing well for him.
Given the state of health & obesity in our Country, Matt & Kristy DuPierre gave me hope. They Googled their way to an awesome strategy that will keeps them moving well and and living longer.
Tweet Of The Week: “As a CrossFit coach I feel most accomplished when a client achieves self-awareness and acquires a desire to be better. They self-educate and spread the knowledge to others with passion. I become a resource.”
The Week Ahead: Check SugarWod For Daily Workouts
- August Calendar & Newsletter
- Progressions: Primary – Squat Cleans. Secondary – Snatch Drills. Skill: Ring Mups.
Craig’s Roadtrip List:
Sevan Podcasts: Athletes & Affiliate Owner – Sevan is at his best when interviewing CrossFit affiliate owners, athletes and members. I loved getting to know many of the athletes via his very candid conversations. I also loved his conversations with Bozman and others on the Games, the workouts and expectations.
Jack Carr: In The Blood – Fiction is AWESOME for road trips in my opinion. And, right now, Jack Carr is my favorite. This is the author who wrote the Terminal List trilogy that is now playing on Amazon Prime.
The Glassman Chipper: Going back and reading several of these original and brilliant articles on CrossFit the methodology. If you enjoy CrossFit, please, take some time to read.
I TOLD YOU SO: Just 2 Minutes of Walking After a Meal Is Surprisingly Good for You – A new paper suggests that it takes far less exercise than was previously thought to lower blood sugar after eating. This is a secret weapon for fat loss! I urge you to incorporate this habit into your lifestyle – but make it 15-20min.
I’ll see you this week! Let’s make it an awesome one.
Craig
