Every runner who comes to participate in the 3100 mile race has to have a deep inner feeling and conviction that it is the right thing to do. It also goes without asking that they also need to be incredibly fit and well trained. Over 19 summers many runners have come, and each has had their own unique inspiration. One that was strong enough to shake them loose from a comfortable life back home into doing something that is the hardest thing in the world to do.
Grahak’s story of how he came to be here for the first time is particularly special. It also shows just how much Sri Chinmoy knew and cared for both the inner and outer aspects of each of his students.
https://vimeo.com/133917173
“In 2005 I had just finished a one mile race in Qingdao (Christmas trip in China). I got second, which was pretty rare for me. I was in the function room of the hotel. Sri Chinmoy was handing out the awards, and he said to me. Have you run our longest race?” Confused a bit he replied that he had done the race and come in second.
“Than he asked me again in the lobby of the hotel, the same question. Than it started to inspire me, or hit home, exactly what he was asking. After that it took me a year or 2 to get up the courage and I applied to do the race.
“It was definitely insightful by Sri Chinmoy because I had been thinking about the race. It was in the back of my mind after watching Rathin Bolton, the first Australian to run in the race.”
Up till then the longest Grahak had ever run was the 47 mile race. “I did the 47 twice before I did the 3100. But if Sri Chinmoy says you can do something, or asks you about something, it is there for the taking. Or he is giving you the capacity or you have the capacity, one or the other.”
“It took me a couple of years to get the courage up to apply, and to decide to really do it. It was full in 2006 so I waited until 2007. That was my first race.”
“You can’t really understand what the race is all about until you do it.” Grahak also describes the many emotions that he went through. Mostly he was eager to just start, since he had by then trained so much by then. “I just wanted to begin but I was definitely nervous, and a bit fearful as well.”
“It was one of the best things I ever did.”
Grahak describes the immense joy that he felt each time he ran. That in doing this extremely difficult thing he was not just transcending himself but also pleasing his spiritual teacher in his own way. “Even now you can see the pride in the runners faces.”
“When he came to visit the race there was so much encouragement. It helped get me through. I really looked forward to the times that he was coming. You could guess the approximate times he would come and make sure you were out there on the course. It was really special.”
While we are going on around the course I mention that Ashprihanal had just finished 2700. “I missed it.” (laughs)
“He doesn’t like talking about the finish. He knows that he is ahead of the record. I tell him, you know that you are beating your own best time by 3 days. That is amazing.”
“It is not about beating my time it is about beating Madhupran’s time. He knows what he is doing. I think he will get faster as he gets closer.”
Click to Play Interview:
Kaneenika getting ready and checking the daily mileage.
Board getting updated.
The boys relaxing
Start Day 36
The next 2 days are going to be typical New York summer weather, hot and muggy.
Ashprihanal ran 75 miles yesterday.
He now has 2683 miles and is 46 miles ahead of the record.
All that and a skit as well
Passing by the Japanese Maple
Galya ran 73 miles his best day since day 4. He has 2526 miles.
Across the road.
Vasu had 71 miles yesterday. He now has 2433 miles.
He is 180 miles ahead of last year.
Passing by.
Yuri had 69 miles yesterday and now has 2382 miles.
The early morning touches even the sleeping.
Atmavir had an incredible 72 miles yesterday. He now has 2259 miles.
Surasa had 63 miles yesterday.
She now has 2177 miles.
In the lap of the tree
Kaneenika had 62 miles yesterday. She now has 2110 miles
Everyone will need to drink a lot today.
Lots of this
“Can you pass one up.”
“Or I can come down.”
Not so beautiful.
Nirbhasa looks as though he has just played Rugby but in fact he ran 62 miles yesterday.
He started the day with 2100 miles on the board.
The 1000 miles he has left to run he now has 17 days in which to do it. 1000 miles is the distance from Dublin to Venice.
Time has come.
Stutisheel had 66 miles yesterday. He has 2092 miles and his daughter Alakananda has arrived to help him until the end.
2 by 2
Baladev had 52 miles yesterday and now has 1883 miles.
Not alone
Ananda-Lahari had 49 miles yesterday and now has 1860 miles.
Having a drink every lap.
This is Andy’s 2nd visit to the race this summer. It is not an easy commute as he lives 75 miles away in Connecticut and left his home at 4am to get here for the start.
Andy describes a number of reasons that pull him here. “The numbers the math of this race. That is why I was initially drawn to it. It seems both achievable and not achievable what these runners are doing. Andy says that the main thing he enjoys being here is the positive energy he feels here. “Part of the reason I am here now is that I want to give more than I take this time.”
“I also want to make some progress. I want to improve myself by seeing what other people have the capacity to do.”
“It is a math problem to do 3100 miles in 52 days. Or maybe it is a physics problem to get yourself around the course. Sometimes it is a biology problem. There is so much that can go wrong, and it is so easy to fail to achieve this high mark, all the runners need to achieve. To be able to focus for this long duration of time out here is simple but not easy to run around the block.”
“It is a team effort. The runners have the capacity to keep going but the helpers allow the runners to focus on the running.”
I ask him what the non achievable part of the race does he see in the race. “It is not that it is not achievable because they are doing it. But it defies comprehension that they can do it.”
“There are probably a few people in the world who could do this race by simply using brute force. As opposed to grace and surrender and harmony that the followers of Sri Chinmoy seem to have. But they would require so much more athletic ability. Madhupran is beyond a world class multi day runner. Yet Ashprihanal, who does not have the speed of Madhupran looks like he will be a day ahead of what Madhupran raced in 2006.”
*Andy wears the shirt from the 2006 race.*
Click to Play:
Shumshani reads the Prayer of the Day
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
There is no harm
In dreaming.
But do not forget
That dreaming is not
The best thing.
The best thing is
Reality-becoming.
Great interview with Grahak. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hi Utpal
thank you
Great stuff Utpal. We are all flowing the race from the Peace Run in Iceland. Yesterday we had our own challenges – 60 mph head winds and running up a mountain – officially clocked wind speed.
Please tell Ashprihanal we are absolutely inspired and amazed!!! All our best to all the runners.
Thx,
Salil, Natabara, Suren, Pierre