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A Running Dialouge, Issue 6 – From the Sole Runners Mentors
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Sole Runners Head Coach
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
Free – The Red 11’s, My Band Made Up of All Runners, Plays T. Boyle’s Tavern in Pasadena Wednesday, July 28, 9 PM
The Red 11’s is an all runner band and the band I play in. We play at T. Boyles 9 PM, this Wednesday in Pasadena. Every member in the band is a runner and triathlete.
If you wonder how we got our name, well it had to do with running. If you have ever seen a guy that forgot Body Glide® and seen the red streaks down the front of his shirt, you can guess where we got the band name.
We play covers and have fun. T Boyles is in the alley behind the theater. Come join us Wendnesday. Directions to T. Boyles in Pasadena.
Play Focused, Steve Mackel Red 11’s Bass Player
South Pasadena’s Greenest Fastest Mile – July 4, 2010
This video features a new race in my hometown of South Pasadena, The Greenest Fastest Mile. It was an interesting race for me. I had seen some posters around town but I never read the fine print. I knew it was on the Fourth of July but I figured it would start early in the morning. I also didn’t really consider it because it is only a mile.
I was giving a Chi Running® lesson in the morning, then I went to the local South Pasadena 4th of July parade at noon. After lunch, I was riding my bike home and I saw some people chalking the local streets, so I had to ask, “What’s going on here?” One of the guys replied, “A running race.” I got back on my bike and rode to the starting line, where the registration tables were. I was told a 1 mile race started at 6 PM. It didn’t take long to decide I had to run it. What else was I gonna do? Plus, the fireworks show was a hours after the race.
Here’s what I knew, I had to warm up before I started this race. Even though I warmed-up I still didn’t warm-up enough. Second, you have to train running fast miles to be competitive. Track workouts start in 2 weeks, 2 weeks too late. Third, there is no such thing as running slow in a mile race. I thought I was going to run an easy 8:30 min/mile but once we got going there was no way to run that pace, everyone was giving it their all. And how do you pace yourself in a mile race? Run as fast as you can until you pop. My heart rate was super high the entire race. I just pushed on, still slowing down in the final stretch.
In the end, it was a very good experience. Every race is a good race. Next year we’re going to have to get the word out about this race. Below is some data from my Garmin
Race Focused, Steve Mackel – RRCA Marathon Coach
Adidas Adizero XT Trails – Running Shoe Review
After 300 miles on this shoe, some of those trail races, street miles and trail miles, I love this shoe.
I haven’t used a trail running specific shoe for years. I’ve raced in regular running shoes because trail running shoes have been clumsy, heavy and stiff. Adidas seems to have listened to us trail runners that wanted something lighter, flexible, with feel.
In this video I review this shoe after logging some major mileage in them. Check it out and thanks for watching.
Special thanks to Run With Us Running Shoe Store in Pasadena
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Running Shoe Tester
Valley Crest Half Marathon – Sunday, June 13, 2010
It was my first time running the Valley Crest Half Marathon. Below is the data from my Garmin.
I grew up riding my bmx bike on dirt Mulholland Dr., now, 35 years later I got to run it. There are few flat spots, but it is a nice wide dirt road. The day was the first hot day of the year and the field had many seasoned runners, so the heat didn’t slow them down.
In this video I interview runners, show the course but by mile 10, I was racing hard trying to catch Marvin. He was able to use his ChiRunning® training to hold me off. I think I finish 4th or 5th in my age group. Not bad for running and filming on a challenging course.
Overall, I had a good race and a great time.
Thanks for watching
Train Focused, Steve Mackel, ChiRunning® Instructor
Run to Vote Today! California State Primary
I’ll make a new video before the the mid-terms in November but this video will do for now. Ok, I don’t expect long lines (due to apathetic citizens) but know who and what you are going to vote for before you go to your polling place. There are also a lot of important propositions on our ballot.
Please remember to Run To VOTE!
Vote Focused, Steve Mackel – US Citizen and Voter
Founder – Coach Steve
Running Shoe Store of the Month – Jan/Feb 2017
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