Wholistic Fitness

Most Precious Sangha,

must say it was absolutely deeeee-licious climbin’ aboard my treasured MTB (Mountain Bike); Miles today for a supervised workout with New Student ET.  Due to a skiing-related double thumb-sprain,  ilg has not been able to ride my MTB this season due to an inability to thumb-shift my gears (my road bike does not require thumb shifting).   of course,  i’ve not taken Go(o)d care of it,  since my livelihood and provision for my family relies upon yoga teaching and massage/bodywork both of which keeps my priceless thumb from healing 100%.   however,  today i supervised a session with a most beautiful new local student and wanted to take you along for our ride…

Location:   Durango, CO

Trail:  Logchute with “The Nose” Direct Start variation

Stats: 16-miles, 2,500′ of climbing

Salient Features:  20 minute road warm-up into an abrupt byatch-slap up a granny gear climb into relentless uphill for at least an hour which equally abruptly drops you onto such a technically savvy downhill singletrack that it was once a National Championship DH Course (won by my student, Penny Davidson).   this route is an ilg classic and contains parcels of singletrack that i helped create with my childhood best friend; Bob Balliger on our dirt motorcycles in the ’70’s.   Do NOT miss it!  Rideable from Durango and is a waaay better option for Workout Warriors than the Colorado Trail which is jam packed with tourists this time of the year

Coaching Notes;  see below…

Student ET cranks up the hallmark feature of the start of this ride; The Nose.  average gradient must be over 10% for a 1.25 miles on a washboard gravel road.  ilg recalls when they started to bulldoze this sacred ground of my childhood (i grew up 800 meters northwest of this slope).  ilg was livid.  now?  love this road!  it’s one of my go-to training routes.  funny how we eventually accept, if not come to Love, that by which we first are repulsed…

ET cranks through the tough singletrack section which tops the gravel road pre-fatigue climb…when climbing technical singletrack some qualities to work on are;
* scoot forward onto the nose of the saddle
* increase pedal cadence
* draw inner eye of elbows midline and slightly pull BACKWARD on your handlebars
*  abide mentally/tactically in your rear wheel;  think/visualize TRACTION..stay seated and SPIN!
* firmly lift your front wheel over obstacles; strive to keep your front wheel true (not wavering back-and-forth)
* YANG ATTITUDE!  Dominate mentally the terrain in front of you!
* engage the hamstrings by pulling UPWARDS your heels, especially in crisis (about to fall) moments
* stay spiritually/mentally positive

ET encounters what used to be a very steep, technical, rocky headwall in deep forest…now, as you can see, it is less technical, less forested, yet still, this section comes after a good 40 minutes of brutal climbing…it’s important here to use the Mantra or mentally repeat my above Climbing Highlights to yourself,  stay soft through the shoulders and arms,  scoot your shoulder girdle down the spine, and keep the pedals turning over as quickly as possible.  Yoga asana truly helps in such slow-speed balancey/obstacle filled moments…then again, when does Yoga (especially HP Yoga!) NOT help us enjoying that which we  love to enjoy?!

Pedaling through a thicket of Aspen Beings and a creek crossing…here, i’d like to see Student ET’s shoulder girdle a bit more relaxed and a softer bend at her elbows…more overall forward lean from the hips…all-Ways things to work toward which is why we enjoy doing what we do!  See that smile on ET’s face?!   The mountain biker who wins is the one who is having the most fun!

Disappearing into another luscious Aspen/Fern Being grove nearing the end of ET’s hour+ climb…such mergence into Nature is another reason why mountain biking is perhaps superior for the spiritual athlete than riding the roads…then again,  “Without too much Attachment or too much Aversion,”  we must apply our passions whereupon our future spiritual work will provide most fruit…

Below pic of ET is well,  beyond words…Lewis Peak in background…

why don’t YOU come out for YOUR own WF Private Training Intensive?