I’m really excited to announce the first Mindful Endurance Program Cycling Retreat is now open for registration here
. You can find the details and information, the amazing property we’re going to be hosted at, and the brand partners that will be supplying gear, tools and food for us as well. Thank you to Rapha
, Walden
and Holos
for support and the tool kit for exploration, and my co-host for the retreat Alex Dickinson.
—Ryan Willms
“The first MEP Cycling Retreat was conceived and designed to explore ourselves through movement, in community while in connection with nature. Through breathwork, meditation, yoga and cycling we’ll use our bodies to release, grow and connect to ourSelves and one another. It will be deeply intimate, sharing meals, long rides and practices of inner exploration through the breath and emotions alongside the outer exploration on two wheels. We recommend coming with an open mind, no expectations and of course, a bike. Base camp is set up in a beautiful forest in Marin, with a movement space, pool, plenty of grass and trees to help us re-balance our nervous system. You’ll also receive a full cycling kit from Rapha, a Walden meditation cushion, breakfast from Holos and more by joining us for this life-expanding journey inside and out.” 🚴🏼 ☯️ 🧘🏻
Oceanside Ironman 70.3, April 2nd…
I can’t believe after committing to this journey to racing a Ironman 70.3 it’s now only 8 days away. I have really learned so much throughout the last 14 months since deciding to embark on this adventure. At the time I signed up, I’d only been riding a bike for 2 months, still rehabbing my ACL in my left knee and basically did not know how to swim. My knee is better but still not pain-free, I’ve got much better on the bike and even into an aero position on my Specialized Shiv (thanks to The Pro’s Closet) and am marginally better in the water. Last week I had a 3000m session in a 50m pool and it was a real struggle, sort of shot all the confidence I’d been building the last few months. I was swallowing water, feet cramped on the last couple laps and just felt really un-fit in the water. Luckily on the weekend I rode for 2.5 hours with similar climbing to the course and ran 10km off the bike finishing with some 4min/kms and felt strong, surprisingly. This week the pool sessions weren’t much better and my goals of sub-5 hours feel a bit out of reach. It’s disappointing but one thing I learned from Matt Fitzgerald is to accept reality, one of the hardest things for us to do in life overall! For one, I remembered that no one else in the entire world cares what my time or place is for the race, good perspective. And two, it’s my first 70.3. The point is to do it, experience it, enjoy it even, and so my goals have changed over to more unmeasurable ones. It reminds of me a quote that came to me during a plant medicine ceremony; “Nothing measurable is real.” Only the experience is real, and no matter how fast I go, I will certainly have an experience 🏊🏼 🚴🏼 🏃🏽
This week’s MEP Compendium ♾
The Big Run Podcast featuring Ryan Willms on Mindful Endurance and plenty more (
Link
)Great photo series by Alexander Aguiar featuring senior NY handball players (
Link
)I finally got a pair of the Nike ZoomX Streakfly Proto’s after much stress, and I love them (
Link
)Reading: The Practice of Groundedness A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds,Not Crushes, Your Soul (
Link
)Damo Mitchell on ‘Kill Those Emotions’, listened twice and will again (
Link
)Love the simplicity of Emily Maye’s short film, The Last Interval (
Link
)Been listening to The Woo’s 2014 album, Into the Heart of Love on repeat (
Link
)
Really like Bulletproof’s new Greens powder for the mornings, use code ‘RYANWILLMS’ for %15 off ( Link
)
Playlist: Natural High
Find your runner's high with this playlist by Guillaume Berg
featuring a selection of 'tunnel' music. Starting off at 118bpm and working up to a smooth 123bpm, Natural High will help you find a state of mushin, or no mind, for your next run.