Every year as the CrossFit Open approaches, I end up Googling last year’s schedule, because I’m convinced it’s earlier this year than last. And every year, I’m reassured that the Open starts the same week it always has. It only feels like it’s creeping up on us.

On the show today to help us get ready for the 2018 CrossFit Open is our own Mike Tromello, master coach, programmer extraordinaire, and owner of Precision CrossFit in Agoura Hills, California. We cover how he’s getting his athletes prepared for this year’s CrossFit Games season, how the change to the Regionals format has affected his athletes, and why we probably won’t see a week added to the Open.

Then we zoom out and talk about what you should look for if you’re shopping for a gym this January, how he brings new members into his fitness family, and what he’s learned from the wide variety of coaching certifications he’s completed. Last, we talk about the lifelong mentors who continue to shape him as a person and a coach, and why his 2018 goals have nothing to do with the gym.