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pic by WF Master Student Kavík:  fr(om) L-R;  your feeble teacher of no-thing, Dewachen Ilg, and René Garcia Reyes.  Since Dewa couldn’t defend Her Adult/Child Title with me due to Her broken thumb (still in a cast),   ilg reached out to long-time Winter Warrior Brother From Another Mother, the much younger and faster than ilg, René, to contest the Adult Open 60-minute Competition.

 

Purgatory Ski Resort, March 7, 2021 –  Uncle Clydes Run & Slide 

This race now holds poignant placing in feeble ilg’s feeble mind, cuz it was one year ago – during this race  – that Durango Nordic Center had closed due to this mysterious Coronavirus…we had zero idea of what has happening.  No Face Masks were yet required in last years edition of this race.   Dewa and i won the Adult/Child Competition and shortly thereafter?  This race would be the last of – for me – a lifetime of taking for granted the gathering of athletes to innocently race with – not against – each other without a whole new world of anxiety placed upon us via a global virus that is still killing 1,500 Americans per day!

If you’ve been following my Vlogs (PLEASE SUBSCRIBE to Steve Ilg’s YouTube Channel), then you’ll know that Dewa broke Her thumb during the Coke Race #2…abruptly ending Her amazing podium streak since September across 3 different sports!   So,  i reached out to René Garcia Reyes;  a long time Winter Warrior and we teamed up to contest the Adult Open Competition at Clydes today and dedicate our effort to Dewa.

 

Clyde’s logistics:

This year’s new Course featured a shorter yet far steeper course up the Columbine Ski Run (reckon it was a 38% gradient before the Run/Slide Transition).  Last year when Dewa and i won the Adult/Child category, the course was longer, yet less steep.  We would crank out 39 laps as c(om)pared to René’s and i’s winning 34 Laps.  Steepness matters!

René and i worked like a well-oiled engine together;  we knew how to pace and ultimately?  it was our descending skill set on the highly hard-to-control inner tube down the steep ski ski run that ultimately paid off for our Podium.  Remember;  Smooth is Fast!    Most of our competitors would sail down the ski slope without biomechanics managing their speed.   Many would end up crashing into an inappropriately placed huge snowman, or capsizing… remember Noble Sangha;   Smooth is Fast!

 

Clyde’s spirituality:
Follow ilg on Strava.   Examine the data;  we were spinning sub 2-minute laps for an hour gaining over 853′ vert.   If you’re PINNING your MAX HR by running point blank up a 300-meter ski hill with a 30% gradient for over an hour with less than a 2-minute Recovery Interval?  Try it s(om)etime!   Add the skills of how NOT to slip while running UP such a steep hill, let alone managing the logistics of downhill careening on a virtually uncontrollable huge inner tube!??!  The spiritual Teachings of Clydes is Aparagraha;  Non-Attachment.   I had less than 2-minutes to LET GO of how ‘bad’ i thought i failed my Teammate before having to PIN IT again for him!   Clydes is ALL ABOUT what we ALL NEED TO PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE:   STAYING PRESENT!

 

Clyde’s summary:
ilg’s summary is GRATITUDE!   For Dewa (who couldn’t race with me yet chose to be my coach, my support, my crew) and to Purgatory Ski Resort for keeping this event on the schedule, and to Race Director Matthew Krichman, and to WF Master Student Caroline “Kavik” Eastburn for shooting both vid and stills for ilg’s YouTube Channel and SM!

 

Get OUT and DO,

SO AS TO BE!!!!

 

TOE THOSE START LINES!   NO MATTER HOW SCARY THEY MAY SEEM!  YOU WILL SPIRITUALLY GROW!

 

NEED HELP?

 

HIRE COACH ILG!

 

head bowed,

spirit vowed,

 

 

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