August 4, 2023

Overview for this week.

1. We start this week’s Flock with a tribute to a longtime friend and fellow endurance athlete, Ken 'Cowman' Shirk, who passed away last weekend in Kona. The Flock would like to dedicate this issue to his memory, and we have structured it largely based on his interests.

2. We look at the early years of the Ironman and the off-beat individualism Ken brought to the event.

3. Beyond the Ironman is the Ultraman, a double-Ironman started in Hawaii

4. Ride & Tie is a relatively new multisport that is growing in popularity and was one of Cowman's favorites.

5. We remember the good times we had with the Cowman hiking Hawaii’s volcanoes.

6. In Reaching High we give Kristin Harila and Tenjin Sherpa another nod for their record smashing ascents of the 8,000-meter peaks.

7. In Wellness we look at the nutritional needs of high-altitude adventurers.

8. We then share Flocker Cita Scott's thoughts on the art of baking bread.

9. In the Heavens we look up to August's two supermoons and the coming Perseid meteor showers.

10. In the Book Corner we feature a New York Times bestselling book on the enigmatic owl.

11. We finish with a summer recipe for Key Lime pie.

Now, to this weeks Flock.

Cowman was a close and dear dear and valued friend. This week he has left his earthly body. Tears welled up when Mike and I learned this sad news. He was a great man and a forever friend to myself and to my beloved Michael. They were Kona triathlon competitors. We will miss our friend until we too pass over the rainbow!  

Ken, known for wearing a helmet sporting fur and large bovine horns was an ultramarathon runner who in 1976 was the ninth person to complete the course of The Western States Trail Ride on foot. In 1977 the Western States Endurance Run was officially established on the same course. As of 2006 he also had raced officially and unofficially in every Ironman World Championship except the first one.

In a 2006 article in the Tahoe Daily Tribune wrote this about Ken:

No matter what the description, and no matter what the event, there are never any dull moments when Cowman shows up. And that’s every bit as true today as it was three decades ago when this endurance athlete – also known as Ken Shirk – and his famous set of buffalo horns literally streaked into the limelight at Lake Tahoe and, in time, worldwide.

They also listed many of his accomplishments up to that time.

He has finished the Boston Marathon more than 15 times and the Honolulu Marathon more than 25 times and has made it to the finish line more than 22 times at the Kilauea Volcano Marathon, billed as the world’s most difficult marathon.

Cowman tries to pass on a message when possible. For example, he ran the Boston Marathon earlier this year and carried a sign calling for “World Peace” over the 26.2-mile distance.

More recently, he continued to compete in nearly every race that fell in the islands of Hawaii, finishing the Aloha run just last year.

Cowman was one of a kind, a friend, a father, and an unmatched athlete.

Goodbye my friend.

photo: Lois Schwartz

From: Triathlete.com, April 4, 2014

The year was 1985 and Scott Tinley (“S.T.”) was leading the eighth ever Ironman Triathlon. By the finish, Tinley’s gap over Chris Hinshaw would end up being about 26 minutes. I was in a convertible covering the event while chatting with S.T. as he cruised the marathon with his huge lead. Next to me was Lois Schwartz, the lead photographer for the magazine we both worked for, Running and Triathlon News. As Ken Shirk, aka Cowman, approached on his bike, Schwartz captured this classic image of Cowman heading toward the finish of the ride with Ironman champion Tinley running toward the turnaround.

We didn’t think much of it at the time, but the photo symbolizes what the Ironman had always been about. The Ironman’s creators had always envisioned fast guys and gals up front battling for the win while average, everyday folks joined them on the same roads simply to do something they thought was impossible.

In 1983 Curtis Tyler, Alex Smith, and Conrad Will created the Ultraman Triathlon on the Big Island of Hawaii for athletes who wanted more of a challenge than the Ironman offered. The Ultraman is a three-day multisport race that covers 320 miles including a 6.2 mile swim, 261 miles of biking with a net elevation gain of 10,000 feet, and culminating with a 52.4 mile double-marathon. In the early editions of the Ultraman, Ken 'Cowman' Shirk competed alongside Mike Kasser and Rick Robinson. There is no prize money for winning the Ultraman. The Ultraman was created with the goal of having more than just a competition but an event which focused on the guiding principles of Hawaiian culture.... "aloha" (love), "ohana" (family), and "kokua" (help).

From: Triathlon Magazine, By: James Sutherland, November 21, 2019

For many in the world of triathlon, an Ironman is thought of as the pinnacle. The longest, most grueling test of will the sport has to offer.

And while that is the case for many (it is essentially the longest single-day race out there), there are several other events that make a full-distance race look small. One of those is an Ultraman. Here are five things you need to know about the event.

Ken 'Cowman" Shirk was from a family of horse ranchers in the Sierra Nevada and grew up on a ranch himself. In addition to his dedication to distance running and triathlons, he was also an early competitor in ride and tie races. Ride and Tie is a different kind of duathlon, combining running and horseback riding instead of running and biking.

From: rideandtie.org

Ride and Tie is a fun and challenging sport combining running, riding, endurance and strategy. Teams consist of two runners and one horse who complete a 20-100-mile trail course by “leapfrogging” one another. Partners do this for the entire distance and each team learns to maximize the different members’ strengths and weaknesses to their advantage.

Cowman loved journeying to the rocky lava strewn summits of Hawaii's volcanoes. A few times Mike and I journeyed up the Hualalai with the Cowman. We snuck in some years ago. The Hualalai summiting trails were blocked by Kapu (Do Not Enter) signs. The trails were easy, but the sub-craters are not roped off, therefore they are quite easy to just walk off of the moss and tree lined edges into. Once you are above tree line, you are safe, just barren red lava rock.

Superlatives abound when describing Mauna Kea: the highest mountain in the Pacific Rim; the tallest sea mountain in the world, rising 33,000 feet from the ocean floor; the highest lake in the Pacific Rim and the only alpine lake in Hawai’i; the highest mountain in the state of Hawai’i and the Big Island. Mauna Kea, literally white mountain, is actually a shortened version of Mauna a Wakea, which links the mountain to the sky god Wakea. Mauna Kea rises to an elevation of 13,803 feet above sea level and is comprised of many cinder cones near its summit. While there is a road to the summit (4WD) and several astronomical observatories there, most of this mountain is untamed and wild. Hiking to its summit requires substantial effort and above average hiking skills, although the trail is relatively easy from a climber’s perspective.

Kristin Harila and Tenjin Sherpa. photo: Prabin Ranabhat/Getty Images

From: Outside Magazine, By: Anna Callaghan, July 27, 2023

On July 27 at 10:45 A.M. Pakistan Standard Time, 37-year-old Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila and Nepalese climber Tenjin Sherpa (Lama) reached the summit of 28,251-foot K2, the world’s second highest peak. Just 4 days before, on July 23rd, they summited neighboring Broad Peak (26,414 feet). By reaching those summits, the pair set a new record: climbing the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters (26,246 feet) faster than anyone in history.

It took them just three months and one day. Their time smashed the previous record, which was held by Nirmal (Nims) Purja, who became a celebrity mountaineer after climbing the mountains in six months and seven days.

Record-breaking mountaineer Kristin Harila hopes to inspire more girls.

7. WELLNESS: High Elevation Nutrition

Breckenridge’s Christopher Fisher climbs the ridgeline of the Mosquito and Tenmile mountain ranges while attempting to claim the unsupported fastest known time over the 40-mile, 34-peak traverse. After failing on his first attempt due to malnutrition, Fisher claimed the fastest known time by nearly six hours in September 2022.

From: Summit Day, By: Cody Jones, March 24, 2023

Perched thousands of feet above the town of Breckenridge on Peak 10, Christopher Fisher found himself debilitated after pushing his body for 15 hours without thinking much about nutrition. 

As he was navigating the rocky spines of the Mosquito and Tenmile mountain ranges in pursuit of the fastest known time for the route, his legs felt like jelly and his mind became clouded. 

8. BAKING: Cita Scott Shares Her Thoughts on Baking Bread

Frequent Flock contributor, artist Cita Scott has shared her thoughts on baking bread with us this week. She understands the art of baking bread at home and treats each loaf with unique care and attention to its own personality and that of the lucky recipients who will get to enjoy her efforts.

The magic of sourdough is that it only requires two ingredients to wave a wand and create the deliciousness of a spongey crusty loaf of bread. Each kind of sour dough bread, depending on the amount of starter, the kinds of flour, the hydration ratio, the method and the ambient temperature, has its own personality. Many require stretch and folds, coil folds, lamination and/or the Rimbaud method to guide the dough to its glorious finale, after specific proofing times and hours in the frig.

But not focaccia. For me, hands down, the happiest, most obliging, undemanding and versatile sour dough bread is focaccia. You can give it minimum attention, use all-purpose flour, skip any elaborate folds, make it in a day without overnight proofing time, then dress it up in any way with seasoning and toppings, or nothing at all, and what does it do? It bubbles! And jiggles! And comes alive when poked by your fingers and bubbles some more, a living organism delighting with joy. Piled up, squares featuring its colorfully decorated crust and peek-boo pillowy interior steal the show on any charcuterie platter. It's a match made in heaven with pesto, cheese, cold cuts, herbed olive oil, or just by itself, enjoyed by next gen and current gen alike. Hail to the humble focaccia.

9. THE HEAVENS: August Celestial Events

The sturgeon supermoon rises behind the Basilica of San Bernardino

in L'Aquila in Italy's Abruzzo region, on August 12, 2022.

From: CNN, By: Jackie Wattles, August 2, 2023

Big, bright lunar displays will bookend August as the moon nears its closest point to Earth. When the moon reaches this position in its orbit while also appearing full, the result is a supermoon — and there will be two this month.

photo: mLu.fotos/flickr

From: Big Think, August 2, 2023

Each year, as planet Earth revolves around the Sun, certain things remain relatively the same with each orbit. Our planet’s axis remains tilted at 23.5° relative to our orbit around the Sun, we orbit in an ellipse that reaches its closest point to the Sun in early January and ventures farthest from the Sun in early July, and the other planets also continue in their elliptical orbits around the Sun, all orbited by their own systems of moons in the process. And — even though we don’t notice them frequently — there are also comets and asteroids zipping around through our Solar System, typically on orbits that are much longer than one Earth-year.

In 2023, on the nights of August 12th and 13th, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak, giving Earthly observers a chance to see upward of 100 meteors-per-hour. – The meteor shower peaks on the weekend this year, while only a waning crescent Moon graces the skies, making for nearly ideal viewing conditions. – Although the Perseids are slowly getting weaker over time, this year's show should be the best in several years, and the second weekend in August is the best time to view it!

10. BOOK CORNER: What An Owl Knows

Today's featured title is A New York Times nonfiction best seller.

For millennia, owls have captivated and intrigued us. Our fascination with these mysterious birds was first documented more than thirty thousand years ago in the Chauvet Cave paintings in southern France. With their forward gaze and quiet flight, owls are often a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and foresight. But what does an owl really know? And what do we really know about owls?

11. RECIPE: Summer Key Lime Pie

From: once upon a chef, By: Jenn Segal

I use Persian limes, otherwise known as ordinary supermarket limes, to make my “Key lime” pie. Unless you live in the Florida Keys, key limes are near impossible to find. Furthermore, they’re so tiny that you’d need to juice at least twenty of them for this recipe. No thank you! Ordinary limes make an exceptional Key lime pie, and they are a much better alternative to bracingly tart bottled Key lime juice. This pie tastes every bit as authentic as the real deal — plus it’s easier to make.

• You’ll need 8 to 10 limes total for this recipe. Choose plump limes that give a little when you squeeze them; they will be easier to juice. You should get about 2 tablespoons of juice from each lime. Be sure to zest the limes before you squeeze the juice from them, as it’s near impossible to do afterward.
• Sweetened condensed milk is canned milk from which water has been removed, and sugar has been added. Be sure not to confuse it with evaporated milk, which is usually sold right alongside.
• Plain Greek yogurt (2% or whole milk)
• With no eggs, it may be hard to believe that this pie will set, but have faith — it will.

photo:Cita Scott, visit Cita's website

Goodbye Friend

Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories!

I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our second year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story.

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

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