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An Interview with Coach Gary – His first 10 Days in India
My guide and my porter. The porter carried a lot of weight on his back and was very very strong. The going rate is 300 rupies a night about $7 a day for that hard work.
Steve: What’s up
Gary: Sitting out the monsoon rain in an internet cafe with lots of hippy Israelis. It rains every day here
Steve: Are you in hippie land? I saw your epic hiking pictures and you had to walk through a pot forest.
Gary: Such hippie land, its like the dead shows of the 80s.
Steve: What do you do?
Gary: Not smoke, be of service.
Steve: Cool.
Gary: Meeting lots of interesting people.
Steve: What are you plans for the next couple of days?
Gary: Chilling, I am in Baghsu
Steve: What message can I relay from you? People are always asking me.
Gary: I’ll have something good for you soon. I will see the Dalai Lama speak this Saturday and Sun on the diamond sutra, in Mcleodganj at his temple.
Steve: Are you going to get to Mt Everest base camp?
Gary: Hopefully I will fly to Nepal in a month soon as i finish this service work in the Tibetan refugee camp, teaching English for the next month
Steve: What is a snapshot of your day?
Gary: I wake up after about 10 hours of sleep pray/yoga long breakfast, message today, then meeting Tibetan students for conversation practice, then meeting former teacher to check out a new room, then some dinner and meet new people. I just had a long conversation with a Brazilian journalist who had just finished traveling asia for year last night, pretty simple life.
Steve: Do you get bored at night?
Gary: Not really, lots of interesting people around to talk to.
Steve: Has the food made you sick?
Gary: Sometimes very sick, diaherra.
Steve: What has been the hardest thing for you so far?
Gary: Diaherra and rain that’s the story around here during monsoon time. At least we are not flooding like China and Pakistan no, not that sick took local medicine which seems to work well and i avoid caffeine and spicy food
Steve: what’s the best thing so far?
Gary: best thing is….many things…
So I actually meditated in this Shiva cave for a while. Yes, I can now say I meditated in a cave in the Himalayas. The ideas that came to me:
1. Spiritual way of life demands discipline.
2. My life like Shiva’s is holy too.
Steve: How was meditating in a cave in the Himalayas?
Gary: well you can imagine, pretty cool. Shiva probably sat in that cave, cool things…
Steve: how was your 6 day hiking trip?
Gary: The views of the Himalayas were maybe the coolest thing because I dreamt of that coming true so to see it with my own eyes. The mountains are HUGE the sierras pale in comparison, and I have not even seen the big mountains yet
Steve: Tell me more about the refugees
Gary: I told them i went trekking for six days. These 22 year old girls told me that they crossed the mountains for 30 days!!!! Glaciers, high passes, escaping the Chinese no food for days, just the hope of freedom and a better life there. I was with a cook, porter, guide they arrive with NOTHING here these girls I am working with have not even had one day of school in Tibet.
Beginning of third day we had to take this hairy trolley across the Pavarti river. Pavarti was the mistress of Shiva. And supposedly fierce. Just like this river.
Steve: What’s your vibe right now?
Gary: I am on a weird spiritual vibe. It’s like whatever I imagine is coming true breaking through the illusions of maya as I realize what we imagine in our minds come true with prayer relaxation and blind faith in god as we do our karmic duties so I try to contribute
Steve: It was great talking to you. I miss you and take care of yourself. We’ll talk soon. IM me like this when you get a chance. People want to know about your journey.
Gary: Funny my life is soooo weird and that’s the way i think it should be not some sanitized packaged set of goods that you can buy at Costco the future is unlimited my good friend. Keep on creating your future in pictures do your karmic duty, pray to God, and it will come true, with a little work. God Bless
Last Trail Run and Runners Yoga of 2010
Tonight is the last Trail Run and Runners Yoga of the year. What a great summer, mostly cool, so we go out on a hot one. We meet at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center grassy ares at 6:30 PM for the Trail Run then 7:15 PM for Runners Yoga.
Afterward we will go to Donna Rosa’s for $1 tacos and cheap beer.
If you can’t make the trail run make the yoga. If you can’t make the yoga, meet us at Dona Rosa at 8:30
I’m gonna make the yoga challenging and fun. Come out and share the run/fun. Bring some extra clothes, it is gonna be a sweaty one.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Yogi in training
A Running Dialouge – Sole Runners Mentors’ Newsletter
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Sole Runners Head Coach
Sole Runner's Track Workout 800's – Working to Get Faster
Click the image above to see more details. The data does not include warm-up and the complete cool down.
Had a fun track workout last night as the Sole Runners took on 800’s for the first time this session. Our goals were, practice a fast pace, work on our Chi Running® posture while going fast, lifting the heels slightly higher, keeping our lean, swinging our arms and I always work on moving my internal energy (chi) up and out, so my feet land soft and quick.
I also was keeping an eye on my HR (heart rate). I know where it is going
to be in the last hour of my marathon if I am running close to 8 min/miles. The good thing was the intervals felt easier than I expected. I still have to work speeding up my long runs. Can I get past mile 16 before I want to start slowing down? The track workouts make going faster easier, that’s for sure.
As, usual we finished with some yoga at sunset. Another beautiful night in Long Beach. Oh, I forgot to mention $1 tacos afterwards
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Sole Runners Head Coach
Long Training Run Data
Click on the map above to look at each mile split.
The weather was pretty cool for Pasadena, with som
e cloud cover. I could have used
some more calories around mile 17. In fact, an aid station would have been great but by that time the run was coming to an end. You’ll also notice no real stops. Barry and I only hit 2 red lights at major intersections during all 19 miles.
The best part of yesterday was that I came prepared. It started with a Gotein as soon as I finished. Then I went for a 16 mile bike ride (not recommended) but I drank Clif Electrolyte and Coconut water the entire ride. I got home showered, went to lunch with my mom and had a nice big meal. I felt great. Good enough to run a short, slow trail run and lead a Runner’s Yoga in the evening.
What I am getting at is getting the proper ratio of nutrients in you right after your training sessions, especially if they are long and/or intense. I know on Saturday with the Sole Runners I grab some type of recovery meal/drink but sometimes I am outside that 45 minute window. I will start writing more on recovery nutrition as I am going through a nutritional programming certification course this month. Look for me to bring a cooler with more specific recovery nutrition and give Gotein a try.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Chi Running Instructor.
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