Wholistic Fitness

COACH NOT TO DEFEND FURNACE CREEK TITLE; Focuses on Nordic Season!

Above; yesterday Coach arrives back at the WF Temple after Inline Skate Skiing for an hour in an utter hailstorm that hammered Flagstaff with marble-sized hail and torrential freezing rain, “FANTASTIC nordic training! It was BEAUTIFUL!” was all our skin-welted, humble Coach replied upon his shivering return. Note the unique “ATB” inline skates that Coach uses to mimic skate and classic skiing for dryland training. He skates through forest trails and paved streets on these unique RollerBlades. coach was a member of the US Jr. National Nordic Combined Team as a teenager.

DL:
Coach, you’ve had a struggle in deciding whether or not to defend your current Course Record of the Furnace Creek 508-mile ultra bicycle race…a race with which you have become associated…and the WF Sangha loves to read about on DL. You were on the cover of the LA Times for this race last year…How come you have chosen not to defend?

ILG:
Yeah, well, i spoke with Ron Jones, one of my teammates from last year and my main partner for another attempt to defend. However, the race is expensive to train for and compete in and he and i are both moving through some crazy Outer World stuff trying to Teach what we teach and still make a living. It’s very, very tough to attempt to both Protect and Serve the Dharma as a profession. As you know, WF is a relentlessly steep and unpampering Path of Transformation through Fitness. Most students quit, leaving me and my staff without income. And, as you have read in DL, the WF Temple is being bombarded by a few greedy people who are trying to take the WF Temple out from my feet…so, the money i needed to train for such a demanding race through Death Valley is being spent on lawyers and keeping the Temple Doors open. It’s okay, though, Jonesy and i will allow someone else to have their moment on the top of the podium in Twentynine Palms {the finish line of Furnance Creek}. We will be back. I already have spoken to my other bro, Mike Longmire who just won the Montana State Time Trial Championships again and he is on board for an attempt next year.

DL:
so, with Furnace Creek off your schedule, what is going to focus your Training for the fall?

ILG:
well, Brahman {Absolute Truth} is what remains the focus and the point of my training for, and competing in difficult athletic events. secondarily, since moving to Kinlani {coach often uses the Native name for Flagstaff, AZ}, i am utterly stoked at the world class level of multisport outdoor training here! since returning h(om)e to my Beloved southwest mountain life this summer, for the first autumn in nearly a decade, i get to actually train for winter sports; nordic ski racing, extreme tele skiing, ice climbing, and of course my ol’ friend; winter du, tri, and quadrathlons.

DL:
You are also the current Team Champion of the Mt. Taylor Winter Qaudrathlon with WF Teacher Haku, will you be at Mt. Taylor again this february?

ILG:
(smiling devilishly); let me just say, that although i have not confirmed anything with Haku or Gram Man {See DL Archives; The Mt. Taylor Chronicles/feb, 2005}, the chances are likely. recently i have been gradually increasing my running volumes, something that must be very systematic once you’ve broken your back and still live with a smashed pelvis. i am so completely stoked to hear my feet running upon upon Ponderosa pine scented Earth again that i have registered for a couple of mountain running races like the old days…so, one of my personal goals is to once again finish Mt. Taylor as a soloist, however, that is not going to happen this Feb. i will take a training trip over to Tsidool {Tewa name for Mt. Taylor} with Ananda and see what the Mountain Herself speaks to me. I make all my athletic choices as a Listener, not a Doer.

Two Faces of Ilg; above, the ‘outer world’ face…

and the “Bardo Face” the face that faces chronic pain and a lifetime of intense physical and spiritual Practices, “Yoga is not about pleasantness and relaxation. It is the original Path of Fire that is used for radical Self Transformation of our weaknesses, restrictions, and negative habits. Most people cannot sustain a lifetime of Higher Intent for it requires tremendous fortitude and discipline of sweat and stillness. This is why WF remains an austere Path of inner-attainment in a glitzy, over-entertained society.” – coach ilg

DL:
with a 87-minute running ascent of Mt. Humphreys (12,633′) earlier in the summer, it sure seems like you’ve turned a corner on your spine injury?

ILG:
hey, you’ve seen my training stats on DL…the amount of solo HP Yoga practice hours i have poured into my hips and lower back are responsible for me being able to maintain a degree of suppleness and running prowess. that is all. a lot of hard, solo painful effort. WF is all about the Practice. all-Ways has been, all-Ways will be. even if i cannot sustain WF as a business in the future, i will still be evolving the WF Teachings and recording them in some manner for future generations to one day realize what you and the WF Sangha already know and love; Our Workout Is Everywhere!

DL:
finally, weekend before last you finished 4th place in a 2-Day high altitude road cycling event…seems like your altitude fitness is coming back after sucking the sea level “smuck” as you call it in LA.

ILG:
yeah, once it again it boils down to my abhyasa {steadfast Practice} in WF during the decade of WF Missionary work in LA…had i not done daily Pranayam and eat religiously the SUNRIDER herbs, there is no way i could just come here and in a couple of months be beating the local youngsters up at these altitudes. it’s all in my books, in DL…the Path Works, yet you gotta Work the Path baby! last weekend was all about Ananda’s first race which truly inspired me. it is great to “see” a sport that you’ve done a lot through the eyes of a beginner. she really, really cranked out a WF Warrioress effort…in fact, we have a Student interviewing her for a DL soon. my race was in-courage-ing enough to maybe sustain my road cycling over the next month to jump into the State Championships in September…just to get my feet wet. if things go well, i might go for a State RR Championship next year or the year after. yet, then again, i might go for the Mountain Bike State Champs…i want to upgrade my Silver Medal with a Gold one…(smiling).

DL:
coach, thank you. an amazing life you’ve had and continue to lead and share. thank you…i TAF what i learned from this conversation is, “WF is all about the Practice,” and also, i’ve got to get out and TRAIN more!

ILG:
Dharma Blessings to you and may your sweat endlessly feel what is Truly is;
Sacred, baby!