“The only thing we really have is nowness, is now…” “The most effective ski wax i know is Mantra sync’d up with Elbow Grease…” – Coach Ilg breaks out the Wooden Planks for today’s “Wooden Ski Classic” at Vallecito Nordic Area… “I’ll be channeling Snowshoe Thompson for today’s race!”
Pratyahara Time; i was isolated in 3rd place overall. it was windy and snowing. legs and lungs felt seared like chunks of ahi tuna at sushi happy hour. time to hit the ‘force quit’ button on egoic chattering… it was time for yoga; time to bathe within the holy waters of nordic endurance sweat. so, i began to revolve my mental waves like a lazy susan around the only things that mattered most if i wanted to climb onto my second Overall Podium in the young year of 2011… Here is what i focused on…
so santoshic was my demeanor during my Pre-Race Ritual which included EMR and a version of Wing’d Angel, that i was nearly late to catch a carpool with Noble Warrior Andrew Ferguson (who would finish 6th overall) and Miles Venzara (4th overall). on the 20 minute ride up to the venue, we chatted effortlessly about things like wax of the day, recent ‘gossip’ among the local nordic world of Durango, and generally i bathed in the sacred waters of being friends with such High Mountain Yogis as Andrew and Miles. deeper within, however, i wore a face of concern as does any New Daddy toeing a Start Line….let alone a Nordic Marathon reputed to be among the world’s toughest…
Snowshoes on my back (5)
Skis beneath my slip-slide feet (7)
Mind surfs sky-like snow! (5)
– coach ilg
after today’s ski training up La Plata Canyon, 1*29*11
photo essay of 15 incredible Colorado mountain shots…
one week after bringing home gold, silver, and bronze at the Chili Ski Classic – your coach attempts (note Word Choice: ‘attempts’) to switch physiologic gears at the 42-kilometer and 3,000′ of climbing at 13,000′; Durango’s homegrown, Tour de Ski…
Remind me again why the hell i should NOT raise my daughter to be a nordic ski racer? futilely yet steadfastly chasing last year’s champion, Clay Moseley – a world class cyclist – during last Sunday’s 10k Chama Ski Classic. elevation; close to 10,000’. remember, this the day AFTER racing a 15k Freestyle race at the same elevation! as you can see, i’ve at least manufactured a big gap between myself and third place…more importantly, i’m trying to put seconds between myself and anyone else in the King Of The Mountain (KOM) competition which goes to the fastest Classic 10k skier and 5k Snowshoer…as you’ll soon read, i would lose my KOM title by 40 seconds. photo by Pat Hogan.
i can do it, i can do it…i kept telling myself…up and over a short roller, we went..we passed a lap racer…Tim was in the finishing straight, the people were cheering, nordic bells were ringing…this is why we race…i stabbed my ski poles in a vicious manner, pumping out my V2 cadence with as much Warrior verve as i could muster.
i finished 2 seconds behind him, 7th Overall…3rd in my Age Group.
tomorrow would be another day; MY DAY TO DEFEND MY KING OF THE MOUNTAIN TITLE! could i do it…especially after wasting myself on this brutally beautiful 15k? hmmm….
‘If you’re not desperate for time to meditate, you are not desperate enough…yet.’ – coach steve ilg
…it’s a little scary how fast i return to my previous life as a solo sadhaka…delightfully, i built a fire in my cabin, got into my yogi birthday clothes, and immediately dove deep into a solo asana, pranayama, and meditation session…hours flew by like Ravens in an updraft as i merged sacredly into an inner pranic ocean of Himalayan cave like retreat…Blessed are we who crave inner-Attainment over entertainment…
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Photo of Coach and daughter Dewachen, living the Path (upside down!) by www.jamesqmartin.com
