Sponsors
Featured Races
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
A Running Dialouge – Sole Runners Mentors’ Newsletter
Click on the photo above to download the PDF file of the newsletter
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 some 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.
Power Bar Brought the New Power Bar Ironman Perform Sport Drink to Our Thursday Night Trail Run
The Thursday night running crew tested the new Power Bar Ironman Perform Sports Drink after a hot 4 mile trail run. Jeff with Power Bar had them all iced down and they tasted great after the run.
From what I understand, it will be the on course drink at many of the big marathons like: LA, Long Beach, Boston, Chicago and others.
Now’s the time to test it out on some longer training runs. Thanks Power Bar and Jeff. I’ll let you know how I think it works soon, here on SoCalRunning.com
Drink Focused, Steve Mackel – Product Tester
The Second 16 Miles – More Data with the Sole Runners
Click Above to View the Details
Friday’s 17 miles were probably the most consistent 17 miles I have ever done. These 16 were more difficult because the legs were already well-trained. I did slow down and speed up to run with various Sole Runners. After the push during mile 13, I took a long walk break.
In the end it really felt like a breakthrough weekend. My legs felt better after the second 16 then the first 21. Breaking through one barrier at least.
Now it is time to prepare for the Red 11’s show this Wednesday night.
Play Focused, Steve Mackel -RRCA Certified Marathon Coach
Got ‘er Done – Ran 37 Miles in 37 Hours
I can’t download my Garmin until Monday but I averaged 9:14 min/miles in my 16 mile run today. But that’s because I took a long walk break. I wanted a sub 2 hour half (13.1) and had a 1:57 with some slowing down to run with Sole Runners. At mile 10.5 Matt went flying past me. I ran with Alex mile for a half mile until he dropped me. I finished running in with Weitze while he was pushing a 8:00 min/miles pace on me in the last two miles.
I ran 33 of 37 miles in 27 hours and it was a great test for my legs. Work to do but feeling good about it.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel Sole Runners Head Coach
37 Miles in 37 Hours – 21 Miles Down 16 to Go
Click to View Mile Splits
Sometime things just lay out in front of you and you realize you should give it a try. I just had a long talk with Peter of the LA Marathon and we were talking about qualifying for Boston the the importance of tempo runs. 4 – 8+ miles around 30 – 45 seconds faster than race pace. So that’s what I did 4 miles at 7:15 min/mile pace. I had run a fast 4 miles on the Thursday Night Trail Run.
This morning I woke up early to help pace Barry who is training for Ironman Canada. We were going to run 9 min/miles for 2.5 hours. I figured we should get about 17 miles in. Then I realized I am running 2 hours and 40 minutes with the Sole Runners tomorrow (Saturday) morning, probably a little slower. I’m hoping for 16 miles.
That will make 37 miles in right around 37 hours. It sounds cool so I’m posting my Garmin data from this morning for you to check out as I take on this quest. I would have posted last nights data too but my Garmin battery didn’t have a strong enough charge and quit on me when I started. Thanks to Richard who lent me his 201 but I don’t have that data. Tomorrow I’ll post the last 16. Please go easy on my as you watch the pace slow down, remember I’m working and I have to work with a lot of runners but I will be watching my Heart Rate. Plus, this is great training for my next ultra.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel Certified Chi Running® Instructor
A Typical Sole Runners Saturday Run – Join the Fun Before Its Too Late!
There’s a lot more information at
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Sole Runners Head Coach
15k Training Run Monday, July 5, 2010
Use the View Details link above to check out my data.
What an awesome morning to run. Pasadena was all it could be the day after the big Rose Bowl Fireworks show, cloudy, cool and only a few cars out on the road.
Today turned into to be a heart rate run. It started out as a 9 min/mile pace run but my heart rate was only 120 while I was averaging 8:30 min/miles. I figured I would enjoy this and work on my Chi Running® focuses.
I am mending a bruised patella, don’t ask how I did it, just know I am a dork. So, I ran until it started to hurt. Once going, I kept my eye on my HR, breath rate and perceived exertion level. I worked on relaxing into my form and cadence. I know this kept my knee from hurting. This was the longest, fastest run I have done since the injury.
The highlight was running down the middle of Colorado (suicide) Bridge without on car forcing me to the side. I also ran through an empty Old Town. It was interesting noticing the different smells of Old Town compared to the residential areas around the Rose Bowl.
In the end, I feel like I am starting to find my form again. Now how long can I run 8 min/mile at a sub 140 HR. It is the way I am going to one day qualify for Boston. For now, I just grateful for living in such a great area to run in. I love So Cal and a negative split!
Train Focused, Steve Mackel USA Triathlon Coach
A Running Dialouge – The Sole Runners Mentors Newsletter for People in Training
A Running Dialouge. Vol. 1, Issue 1 Click Here to Download Newslettter in pdf
There is some good information here. Please take a look.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel Sole Runners – Head Coach
Follow Coach Steve
Co-Founders
