---September,
2007---
MAYA
DAVIS: 21-MILE SWIM
WITH
MINIMAL TRAINING; THE POWER OF PURE AND CLEAR INTENT
A few weeks
ago, a tall slender woman dressed in a black suit and high heels
walked into High Peaks Cyclery. (How’s that for a great opening
line, huh?) I asked if I could assist her with anything. In a
soft, youthful voice she informed me that she was here to pick
up a wetsuit we had agreed to lend her. Two weeks prior,
Brian and I sat in his office pondering a card sent by this
woman asking if we would be willing to lend her a wetsuit for a
24-mile open water swim. It struck us as unusual that someone
about to swim such a distance did not already own and swim
frequently in a wetsuit.
We
introduced ourselves to each other and Maya began to tell me
about her upcoming endeavor. She planned to swim 24 miles in
Lake Champlain to raise money for a cancer foundation she and
her brother had started to assist families of cancer patients.
(Her mother is currently in remission from lymphoma.) In April,
Maya’s brother had set a world record in an office building in
New York City, climbing over 47,000 feet in 24 hours (using the
stairs to ascend, an elevator to descend). He used this feat as
the inaugural effort to raise money for their foundation. Maya
accompanied him for the second half.
Maya’s
training for her upcoming marathon swim seemed pretty minimal to
me. She had no real experience with ultra endurance swimming
feats, except for one 8-mile open water swim 2 years ago.
Her training in the current season was minimal, consisting of
pool swims no longer than 2 hours in duration. While swimmers
are often slender, Maya did not strike me as a hard-core athlete
by any means. I inquired about her fueling strategy, pacing,
escort craft, etc. I was surprised with her naivety and
inexperience, yet I felt certain she would accomplish her
mission – her intent was pure and clear.
I was grateful that we had to
drive to Brian’s house to retrieve his wife Karen’s 2XU Elite
wetsuit for her swim. I offered her a nutrition strategy, using
Hammer Nutrition’s Perpetuem and Endurolytes and figured out her
hourly amounts. I also suggested that her kayak escort tie a
long rope with flagging to the stern, so she could site without
lifting her head. The escort should also monitor her nutrition
to assure she was fueling correctly.
My final
advice to her as we returned to the store was simply to execute
each and every swim stroke perfectly, and not to extend or
project her thoughts beyond that moment. I told her that I felt
her intention was pure and clear, and that this would see her
through her endeavor. Finally, I gave Maya a copy of Zendurance
as my offering to her endeavor.
The day
after her swim, she left me a voice mail to let me know she had
completed almost 22 miles, despite windy conditions that
generated up to 3-foot high chop, and despite 7 attacks by
lamprey eels. Her first encounter with a lamprey occurred
just 20 minutes in the swim, when one attached itself to the
wetsuit on her right shoulder. Suddenly she had this “sea
snake” waving right in front of her face. She nearly ended her
quest right then and there. However, she thought about the
hardships that cancer patients endure and returned to swimming
after struggling to remove the slimy creature. All 7 of the
attacks occurred in the first 4 hours of her over 13-hour
endeavor – with 2 of them attaching to her skin, not the suit.
After those first 4 hours, she seemed to have survived her
“initiation” and was left in peace to finish her endeavor.
Maya had
originally chosen 24 miles, because 24 hours in open water
seemed too dangerous and logistically complicated. (It was her
way of responding to her brother’s quest.) Maya did this epic
swim without fanfare or accolades, and without much media hype
(just a newspaper article in the Burlington Free Press). She
received no medal, no T-shirt, and no M.C. announcement, as
there was no finish line. For me, her quest epitomizes the
transformation of aerobic fitness into spiritual fitness.
Loyal veterans of the endurance lifestyle realize early on that
our pursuit is not for fanfare, accolades, recognition or
bragging rights. Ours becomes a valid path in life towards
wisdom and heartfulness.
Quests of
endurance have a long history that pre-dates our modern
glory-seeking media-hyped “sport” versions. Consider the Native
American Sun Dance and epic spirit runs: Candidates preparing
for such ordeals do not follow a certified coach-approved
periodized training program. There are no base, build or peak
training phases in the preparation for a Sun Dance. (In
considering Maya’s marathon swim, how could she “train” for
lamprey eel attacks?) Rather, the preparation for a truly
spiritual endurance quest involves purifying and clarifying
one’s intent. There most certainly is a metaphysical
“science” to this, not recognized by our conventional scientific
model
This kind of
profound, deep inner preparation and training transcends our
crude form of physical athletic training – regardless of how
advanced and cutting-edge the scientific basis for our program
may be, and regardless of how meticulously we adhere to it.
Do not misconstrue this to mean that there can be no deep
and profound inner growth through a well-planned
scientifically-based endurance training program. Our
conventional methods of training and racing can indeed lead to
such powerful inner transformation – when our intent is pure
and clear!
What truly
amazes me is the power of pure and clear intent, regardless
of the nut-and-bolts physical training. Maya’s swim was a great
reminder of that for me, and I am grateful to her for this.
When one’s intent is pure and clear, then one’s mindfulness
– one’s capacity to be absolutely present in this moment, here
and now – leads to brilliance in performance and capacity that
defies our modern conceptions of possibility. (To read more
about the spiritual context of extreme endurance within and
outside the “sports” context, see my book Zendurance.)
I must be
clear with the reader: I do not profess any degree of
mastery in sourcing clear and pure intent and applying it
towards remarkable athletic achievements that defy modern
scientific models or our concepts of what is possible. Rather,
I have a commitment to acknowledging the power and the
possibilities that lie dormant in our spiritually based
endurance endeavors. I wish each of you divine guidance and
sacred sourcing in your endurance quests, on your path of
spiritual fitness, as well as aerobic fitness. May your intent
be always pure and clear.
Namaste,
Zenman
(To
contact Maya Davis: mdavis_05489@yahoo.com.)
---September 6, 2007---
24 HOURS
OF TRIATHLON
After a
mediocre performance at Lake Placid IM, in July, I was looking
for a unique endeavor to redeem that Type “A” element that seems
to lurk in my recesses (and excesses). I was receiving e-mails
about 24 Hours of Triathlon (24 HOT) and was familiar with the
format from the promotions last summer for the inaugural: Do as
many complete triathlons as you can in 24 hours, on a (this
year) 0.5-mile swim, 9.4-mile bike, 2.8-mile run course. After
completing the initial swim-bike-run sequence, athletes can
continue in any order or combination. No swimming after 6:30
pm. In the end, you receive credit for complete triathlons, so
you must even out the swims, bikes and runs.
You can also
get credit for an extra swim, then an extra bike, in that order.
Given the
prescribed distances, this course certainly favored swimming
over running over biking. For example: 10 complete tri’s added
to 5 miles of swimming, 94 miles of biking, 28 miles of
running. Compared to an iron distance the swim and run are far
greater in proportion than the bike.
This format
allows tremendous flexibility in the athlete’s strategy.
Frequent transitions meant less burnout in one event, but more
time in transition. Intrigued and curious, I signed up a week
after Lake Placid. (That left 5 weeks.)
At first, my
focus was on the National Championship 2-Mile Cable Swim, 18
August, here in Lake Placid (see previous blog). Aside from
2 sprint triathlons – the first 8 days after IM, the second 22
days after – my high intensity workouts were limited to swimming
to prepare for Nationals. I resumed lifting weights 10 days
after IM. Four days before the swim race (14 August), I did my
first of two event-specific workouts to prepare for 24 HOT – a
bike-run “volley”: 90 minutes bike, 30 run, 90 bike, 30 run, 90
bike, 30 run, 90 bike. This totaled over 105 miles cycling and
over 10 miles running. Four days after the swim race (22
August), I did my second: 40 swim, 30 run, 40 swim, 30 run, 40
swim, 30 run, 40 swim. This totaled 4.8 miles of swimming, 10
miles of running. During this workout, I discovered how
difficult it is to put on a wet wetsuit. I made the decision to
find a sleeveless wetsuit for the race. (Thanks to Chris Sinkovich at 2XU and Patty Stokes at WetsuitRental.com for
supporting me with a 2XU sleeveless for the race.) As much as I
love my 2XU Elite full suit, I left it at home.
The reason
for the volley workouts: My 24-hour strategy was based on not
running more than 1 run-leg consecutively. During the day,
after the initial requirement of swim-bike-run, I completed 1
more bike (to familiarize myself further with the bike course,
since most of my cycling would be at night.) Then I completed
2-4 of the 0.5-mile swims consecutively, followed by a 2.8-mile
run – repeating this sequence throughout the day. At 16 swims
(8 miles total), I had 7 runs (19.6 miles) and 2 bikes (18.8
miles). Not only did this strategy minimize leg damage by
avoiding sustained running, it also minimized heat exhaustion,
since the temperature approached 90 degrees. The greatest
challenge during this segment was exiting the water, running up
the sandy hill into the parking lot/transition area and back
down to the water. (Keep in mind that the race elevation was
5400’. I live and train at 1900’.) There were a few times
where I felt like I was in La-La Land.
The second
“phase” of this race began around 5:45 pm when I switched to
bike-run volleys. Transitions were quicker for this phase. I
varied between 1 and 2 bike laps coupled always with a single
run lap until 8:45 pm. After a short break, with a 20-minute
rest and enough time to mix more Hammer Perpetuem (I did not
have a handler or crew to assist me), I returned to the bike-run
volley, with more bike repetitions. As the night progressed,
the temperature dipped into the 40’s, with a steady wind. By 4
am, I was suited in my Hammer thermal jacket, a hat, gloves and
leg warmers. At 5:15, the sun began to rise into a clear sky,
as the stars faded.
In the end,
I had completed 16 swims (8 miles), 15 bikes (141 miles), and 15
runs (41 miles). I did not fully understand the “finishing
rules”, that allow the athlete to begin a last lap before the
8:00 am 24-hour cutoff. Even if the athlete completes the lap
after the official 24-hour time, it still counts. I could
easily have completed another 9.4-mile “noodle” on the bike, to
receive credit for an extra bike, since I already had the swim.
As it was, I went back to my pit area and began to disassemble
my bike and pack it for the return airline flight the next
morning.
Ian Adamson
and his wonderful crew did a spectacular job of putting on this
race. The level of organization was incredible, given that
there were several races going on simultaneously: the 8-Hour
race for solo, and teams of 2,3 and 4; and the 24-Hour race for
solo and teams of 2,3 and 4. The transition area was always in
a chaotic flux of arrivals and departures, not unlike an airport
or train terminal. This was a welcome infusion of energy each
time I returned, throughout the night. The time-keepers were
quite humorous and supportive.
Newton
Running served as a great title sponsor and gave each entrant a
free pair of their revolutionary new running shoes. (I love
mine.) I am also very grateful to 2XU and WetsuitRental.com, as
mentioned above. Thanks to Hammer Nutrition: I fueled
continuously on Hammer Perpetuem and Endurolytes, with
occasional doses of Anti Fatigue Caps and Race Caps Supreme,
with nary a glitch, dip or spike in my energy. (The only
exception to Hammer was a pack of Clif Shot Bloks with caffeine
that I dosed on throughout the wee hours.) I am also grateful
to Serotta Bicycles: My Niobium Steel frame CXII tri bike was
as comfortable at Mile 141 as it was for the first, even on the
grainy pavement at Cherry Creek State Park.
Although I
raced “solo-solo” (a solo racer with no support crew), I did
receive valuable support from J.J. and the other folks of Fast
Forward Sports out of Boulder. Scott Fliegelman, Executive
Director for Fast Forward, also soloed and placed 4th.
Thanks so much you all!
There is
something profoundly different about racing for a fixed time
versus a fixed distance. For me, it offers a more credible
metaphor for life. This format is more about making every
moment count for the duration. Life is not about how fast we
get to the finish line, it’s about how well we use the time and
how gracefully and generously we progress. Also, the frequent
transitions form one activity to another closely resemble our
lives more than a single long duration of swimming, then biking,
then running. Ian Adamson has invested tremendously to launch
this format and I do believe it is the best thing going for
long-distance triathlon. I feel fully recovered in spite of
flying back to Lake Placid the next day and returning
immediately to work.
Will 24
Hours of Triathlon ever rival the Almighty M-Dot? I hope not.
I enjoyed the intimacy of our camaraderie and the low-key
laid-back attitude we shared. While I enjoy the large-scale
energy of Ironman, I also love “Woodstock” live-in racing. (I
gotta get to Wildflower one of these years.) I sure didn’t
miss the stone-face seriousness you sometimes see at Ironmans.
This is
certainly a format that favors those who can drive to the site,
towing campers, bringing multiple bikes and wheels, a vast array
of friends, food, libations, clothes, etc. I was limited to
what I could stuff in my bike box and a large duffel. The
Denver location also favors all those Colorado folks who live
and train high. (By the way, they were all easy to spot,
wearing Newton Shoes and Newton shirts. As I write this, I’m
wearing mine too – a prospective Boulder wanna-be.)
Be well!
Namaste, Zenman
February, 2007
March, 2007
June, 2007
July, 2007
August, 2007
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