Wholistic Fitness

photos by my Beloved Ananda; click to enlarge to get a WF Chi hit of the
deepest effect; the birthplace of all that is the spiritual rasas of WF!

i know many of you know this guy; my outdoor endurance sports hero and honored to say, long-time friend, Ned “The Lung” Overend. World Mountain Bike Champion, 6-National MTB Champion, Multi X-Terra Champion, and well, i don’t need to go further on my “fifty-something” old bro of the San Juans!

My point is, i know i am truly back h(om)e when – after 15 years – i come back to my Beloved San Juans (Southern Rocky Mountain chain) and i sign up for one of the most challenging athletic events of my childhood, The Durango Langlauf (prounced LONGluff) it is Old German; means long ski race) and suddenly i am surrounded by Blessed and Auspicious Signs and sooooo much Sacred Love all around me. I am engulfed in an Blessed Ocean of emotional memories as I see my old ski coach’s, friends, and mountain athlete peers.

For anyone who loves WF and her indescrible, seemingly unmarketable (thank God) CHI FORCE, then, sit tight to DL for the next days, cuz i am back home in Durango and i raced today the 30k Langlauf at 9,000′ and, well, to be gut honest with you, My Beloved Warriors of WF, i lost the fight of holding back my tears of Sacred Emotions…and this was BEFORE the Race even started!

In the next few days of DL, i want to introduce you to some of the very Roots of the go(o)d folk from which my spirit was steeped and transformed into WF. Here is an offical DL Tease:

Okay, you many of you know how many cycling champions live and train in Durango,
however, can you identify at least three National MTB Championships (along with myself) in this shot of our 30k Start at the Langlauf?

Here is a tasty morsel for those of you whom have actually READ my books instead of
looking at the pictures! Can you guess who this Teacher of mine might be?

Oh yeah, and the Results? Did i finish this brutally difficult race after spending over a decade in the smog and smuck of LA while my Durango bro’s were training up in this Pranic Punchbowl of the mighty and majestic San Juans?

Sit tight, Noble Warrior, cuz you are about to be treated to sharing with me one of my most profound experiences and you will meet some of the oldest Chi Roots of WF.

i gotta go now, let’s just say that i am deeply tired and deeply, deeply happy in so many Levels.

i will leave you with a few entries from my travel diary.

until we meet in the Silent Realms of Chi Intensity Within Our Molecules,

i shower upon Thee
San Juan Dharma Blessings…

and it is go(o)d to be a Part of this Path,

om so ti,
so be It…

coach ilg
from my childhood h(om)e
Durango, Colorado

***

Friday; skate skied 2.25 hours testing the CH 10 wax, 80% at Zone ½ with Ananda who championed her way around North Loop!.
Course perfect.
Environment Sacred in my most deepest of ways.

***

Race Morning;
Everything is peculiarly efficient and sattvic.
Something must be wrong; or very Blessed.
I feel Brave.

My confidence arises from my Intent: to ski this whole distance with Elegant Power.
Let the Result shift for itself.
To Embrace a pain of this magnitude, in this Sacred of an environment is deep privledge.
Honor the priviledge.

Embrace the Pain.
Embrace the Pain.
Embrace the Pain.

I am ready.

***

Ode to Langlauf; A Race Morning Soliqiuy From The San Juans To You

(to be sung to the tune of John Denvers Leaving On A Jet Plane)

All my skis are waxed,
I am ready to go.
The track is waiting,
Outside my door.
Already I am so nervous I could cry

Every k I ski
I will ski for you.
Every hill I climb,
I will climb for you.
And when I cross the finish line
I will put on our OM ring . . .