Have you had a chance to meet Lance Armstrong?
I’ve always been a big fan of Lance, but I haven’t met him yet. I was really close a few times, but I got a little shy. He did sign a jersey for me.
located a glorious 7 miles and a thousand-plus feet higher than my riverfront home lies a special – if not hallowed – yes, c(om)e to TAF it…it IS hallowed – training ground…i’ve known it since a kid borrowing Lorie Worthan’s automatic clutch, 3-speed Honda trail bike, upon which i swear to Lord Shiva, i’d take up to these trails among the wild Turkey, Coyote, Fox, Deer, Elk, and Bear Beings and strip my ass butt naked, and motor around on these trails fast as i could…pressing my little scrotum against the wide, sweaty vinyl seat seeking new dizzying heights of pre-orgasmic bliss…flash forward to me today, 40-odd years later; same trails, same nearly orgasmic sensations…the only difference? i ain’t naked (though i’d like to be), and i’m either running or mountain biking…or, like earlier today? i’m doing both…c’mon; welcome to The Logchute Trail System!
one day, i’m writing another book; The Healing Energies of Singletrack…
whatever ails thee, a go(o)d dose of singletrack, taken consistently and without iPods, will heal.
i promise…from over 3 decades of direct experience. don’t complicate healing. just get out, breathe, and be.
and here, at mile 26, i felt…. fine. i had a full tank of pranic gas in my legs. my core was lifted, my head high, the integrity of my divine structure uncompromised, even after the grueling hills, the dramatic fall, the miles of effort. for someone who, seven months ago, had never run more than 10 miles in his life, to be in this state after an uphill marathon at altitude was absolutely remarkable…. and i attribute it all to you.
the journey we have taken together has quite simply redefined what is possible for me as a human being. and within the beauty that is the divine alchemy… my whole life is physically and spiritually transformed. i cannot thank you enough.
I set the intention of running the Jemez Mountain 50k trail marathon last October. I had recently returned from a series of devastating mudslides in Ladakh, India where over 1,000 people lost their lives. I came back in a difficult place, needing some time to heal and reconnect with friends and family. I also came back keenly aware of the preciousness of this life, and with a renewed sense of what is possible for the human being, how much brilliant potential we carry around with us every day.
Enjoy this clip with HP Yogi Gaige Sippy, Director of The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic – one of the Three Sacred Sweat Pilgrimages of Wholistic Fitness™! (i’m getting a little nervous about riding over that crazy bridge during the mountain bike race!)
“Uh…i’m supposed be bike racing in this next weekend?”
Thank go(o)dness us Wholistic Fitness™ athletes are versatile…to hell with sitting on a trainer or pedaling today…i’m going skiing! When God gifts us snow? Dance in it! Dance in it until you shatter yourself, as Rumi might advise! And today was perfect for an uphill ski effort among my Sacred San Juan snows…new daddyhood, teaching, and coaching was wearing on me…i needed to feel again the rush of soft while velvet caress my skis again. As yogi’s we are trained to accept things as does Mother Earth; without condition. We should welcome difficulty with a soft and open mind, like snow itself. When our thinking is soft, we abide in a state of awesome receptivity instead of chronic reactivity. Such imperturbable thinking is as stable as Shiva yet as seductively fun as Shakti. Come ski with me today…you won’t believe the beautiful pics i took for you!
can you say…”YEAH BABY!!!” this morning, scoring First Tracks at Purg with my visiting Wholistic Fitness™ student and devotee from North Carolina; Karl! now…a short Mountain Bike Skill Clinic into; HP PROP! See you in the Cave of Warriors at 5:30pm!
Search
Coach’s Teachings
Most teachings are for Wholistic Fitness Members only. Some are complimentary.
These teachings are the "Rasas" or "sap" of Wholistic Fitness. You’ll find insights to ponder, student chi to keep your own chi topped off, and plenty of proven training techniques to test on your own body, mind, and spirit! Also, you’ll find my very popular Race Reports, and news of our Sangha’s (community’s) latest transpersonal fitness adventures!
You have access to thousands of posts going all the way back to 2002. The Archives makes for ideal Svadhyaya, and if you don’t know what that important term means ... all the more reason to dive into these amazing WF Scriptural Recordings!
Checking out one or two archived teachings every day or so is an AMAZINGLY EFFECTIVE way to stay connected with your Tribe AND maintain consistency and motivation in what matters most: your own practice.
Note: We'll be fixing broken image links, and cleaning up the categorization of archived posts, over time.
Photo of Coach and daughter Dewachen, living the Path (upside down!) by www.jamesqmartin.com