Wholistic Fitness

Two Tricks of the Cycling Yoga Studio;
when recon’ing a new route, especially out here in the rural southwest, you want to be as bright as possible on the road. This is my Recon Mission outfit; not only does the bright yellow of Manipura Chakra allow you to be seen by wild animals and car addicts, it sends an unseen Message of strength and power. Upside; you increase your chances of not getting hit by cars or killed by Sasquatch. Downside; you becoming the rolling Pied Piper of all flying bugs and birds who think you are a most luscious and juicy flower. Especially when you apply my:

Cycling Yoga Trick #2:
i am holding an AromaTherapy bottle in my left hand (click photo to stop squinting, it’s bad for your eyes!). I spray some chosen oil upon the snot wipe surface of my cycling gloves, thus allowing my neural and nadic systems to enjoy a rejuvenation of aromatherapy as i spin down the red earth roads! For most training rides i use Lavender. For racing? Well, i could tell you. But then i would have to kill you. It’s a Secret!

Here is a group pic of my new racing teammates; The Red Rock Racers. i will more than likely be working for the young lad, Ian, shown top row, 5th in from the left. Ian finished 3rd in this race last year and he told me that he is “waaaay more fit than last year.” This kid can climb like there is no next moment and will make you suffer like a chicken salad sandwich at high noon if you try to follow his wheel. We also have Steve Sanchez, bottom row second in from the left. Steve’s form is superb right now, he is flyin!..so i will be spilling my sweat for these two great cyclists more than likely. Bike Racing is a very noble sport; much sacrifice of ones own sweat and spirit must be continually laid down in order for a Team (Sangha) Win. In classical yoga, such personal sacrifice for the Sangha is known as Apariagraha.

With Steve Sanchez behind me, John (a Cat III) with his wife and new baby; Zoe…Ananda gave Zoe her first ever experience of a fresh Watermelon…ooooooooh! now THAT was a clinic in RASAS! Zoe literally BECAME that Watermelon!!!

sipping a brewski with one of my training partners, Rob. Rob does yoga and we talked the Dharma beneath a wonderful setting sun at Buffalo Park at the club picnic.

Though i love the first few sips of a cold beer after a hot ride, i cannot drink beer. it makes me instantly fat and totally fucks with my nadic flows. bummer. hey, the Masters warned the aspirant, “The Path narrows.” however, this brew felt perfect for earlier in the morning i had solo ridden the 48 mile “Perkinsville Road Race” course near Williams, AZ. Oh shit. Why IS IT that Race Directors feel so sadistically obligated to friggin’ try to KILL US on their race courses? Jeeeezo! This race course, the 2nd event of Day One next weekend consisted of a, get this; 24 mile, 3,000′ descent at which point, you turn your high spinning ass around and….THUNK!!!! climb back UP! Oh, this is gonna be just DANDY!!!! i averaged 22.3 mph on the descent. On the climb back up? 9! it’s like trying to climb your way out of a cosmic tea kettle at full boil…this is gonna HURT! Sad thing for me is that it is primarily a Big Chain Ring climb; my weakness isolated on Day One! at 148 lbs, i have not the firepower to turn over a big gear on gradual uphills…especially a 14 MILE UPHILL! oh well, anyway, i am visualizing playing a helpful role for my Team Leader on that day.

Discussing race strategy with Chris, Steve, Ian, and John (back is facing us, unfortunately). John is an ER doctor here in Flag who was a big fan of my first book, THE OUTDOOR ATHLETE, back in the mid eighties. Upon meeting me he said, “You’re Steve Ilg, right? Jesus, i knew you from the old rock climbing era! I can’t believe you are still alive!” I don’t know if that was a compliment or not! I look forward to seeing John in my HP Yoga� classes…it is a great reConnect when we reMember with WF Tribal Warriors!

all photos by Ananda