must say…pensiveness runs rampant like the Tsangpo through my cells tonight…after 8 consecutive years and at least as many as double that over my lifetime, ilg is leaving my Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon Pilgrimage to the capable spirits of Julie “Padma” Mueller (2nd consecutive Mt. Taylor) and Tsidool rookie yet willing Warrior; Brad “bRad” Tafoya…
Take a conventionally-trained runner, for instance. As a typical coach, I would monitor his or her ‘hard days’ with either ‘easy’ or ‘off’ days. Trouble with this predictable, boring approach is two-fold; 1) the runner feels guilty when not training hard or worse, if there is a prescribed ‘off day’ which is enough to send the usually compulsive if not obsessive into conniptions and 2) as my friend and fellow Durangatang, Ned Overend (maybe you’ve heard of him!) taught me many years ago,
Durango, Colorado –
Legendary and seemingly ageless outdoor athlete/mountain yogi steve ilg increased his stock as the “world’s fittest human” by winning back to back races in rando (ski mountaineering) and nordic ski racing this weekend…
Beyond the clatter of my preciously busy hometown of Durango, up high among vanilla-coated pines and naked aspens there is arising another, albeit softer, clatter. The sound is from ‘sport snowshoes’ dancing across wintery landscapes like the mystical hooves of Santa’s reindeer…
Over 250 skiers, snowshoers, and winter sports enthusiasts attended the event, according to Race Director, Mary-Anne DeBoer. The event is growing each year under the guidance of DeBoer and the amazing course groomers – led by cycling’s Time Trial Champion Clay Moseley of Los Alamos – which magically transform a powder-snow alpine meadow near the top of Cumbres Pass into a nordic racers paradise for only 3 days. Former KOM Champion, Steve Ilg states, “This weekend is like the aerobic, winter counter-part to a Tibetan Sand Painting…”
Jnana Mudra; the Gesture of Strength and Wisdom…which i engage during snowshoe racing not only to Hook Up internal pranic orbits, yet also to soothe the hurt of not accomplishing what i tried so hard to do at Chama this weekend; regain my King of the Mountain title…2nd place for the 2nd year in row hurts…however…