“Inwardly it is definitely a good morning.”
I am moving along with Stutisheel this morning at a pace that even by my standards is leisurely. For the great champion Stutisheel who is here for the 12th time it cannot help but feel that it is agonizingly slow.
Yet this is all he has right now as he starts day 28. Now with 1561 very hard miles yet to go and a rapidly diminishing window of time in which to do it.
“I am feeling the effects of a few very hot and humid days. So I am undergoing some kind of crisis. But life is life.”
As someone who has observed the race for a long time I cannot help but feeling awkward at asking these kind of questions of a man who is bravely facing one of perhaps his greatest ordeals. Yet he says this experience is not new, it has happened many times.
“For 3 days we had high humidity right from the beginning of the day. 90% at 6 a.m. and the temperature was rising. “So the conditions were not easy.”
“I am very eager to run and when I am not able to run it creates a pressure that you can say is a kind of discouragement. But inwardly I feel very solid and positive. Everything is okay.”
“I believe that this is my source. When you are well balanced inside then the miles will come. But it doesn’t work the other way around.”
Stutisheel had recently been asked by someone what he had learned over his many years running the race. “It is not about understanding. It is not about describing particular qualities.”
“The vision of the race is way beyond our comprehension. What Guru put into this race is beyond description it is beyond words.”
“So what I am learning here is, to feel more, to become more, and to give more.”
There are so many
ways to please God.
The easiest way
is to SMILE at
God.
Sri Chinmoy, My blessingful and pride-flooded dedication to the indomitable runners of the 3100-mile Self-Transcendence Race, 2007, Agni Press, 2007
The board
Vajra testing out the yogurt
The van arrives
Vasu arrives
Yuri checks the board
The boys
7 minutes to go
Kaneenika working on her shoes
Start Day 28
First steps
Despite the heat and humidity Atmavir ran 68 miles
He now has 1864 miles
He is 112 miles ahead of last year
Through the fence
Yuri ran 64 miles yesterday
He now has 1813 miles
“Honestly, Yuri told me he didn’t want his sandwich today.”
.
Just a cup
Ashprihanal ran 68 miles
He now has 1795 miles
Receiving mail at 10 in the morning
A new day
Abakash and Databir doing the Saturday 2 mile race
Vasu managed 51 miles
He now has 1773 miles
Across the road
Surasa did 57 miles
She has had a problem with shinsplints for nearly 5 days. Running is painful and so she walks.
Her total for 27 days is 1723 miles. She is 55 miles ahead of her pace from last year
She remains very positive
A lion, a sheep, and Surasa
Behind Kaneenika is Jamaica High school.
This is how this same scene looked in 1927
Kaneenika ran 64 miles
She now starts the day as the same mileage as Surasa 1723 miles
She is now 105 miles ahead of her pace last year
She is running very well
Golden light along the service road
“I need to reach jusssssst a little further.”
The fountain is on
Sopan did 51 miles
He has 1571 miles
A little green
Baladev did 58 miles
He now has 1543 miles
Very close
“Honestly, how many pictures of squirrels do you really need when you already have a dog around.”
Stutisheel did 46 miles. He has 1543 miles
Clover
Ananda-Lahari did 46 miles
He now has 1459 miles
The green
“I think there are so many metaphors for the 3100 mile race. For all the different trials that we have in life.” Abanna has been visiting the race regularly the past couple of days. She is visiting from Seattle.
“I have tremendous affection and admiration for the runners.”
“I feel that they are a bright beacon of light, as they run. And it is just spreading out across the whole world. And it all pin points back to this tiny little unimaginable brilliant spot in Jamaica Queens NY.”
Click to Play:
Abanna reads the Daily Poem
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
I do not want the vision
That swiftly vanishes
Into tomorrow’s nothingness.
I want only the vision
Of Eternal Now.
Sri Chinmoy, Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 9, Agni Press, 1981
My deep gratitude for the opportunity to be in a flow of this great race! It attracts more and more people, inwardly and outwardly. Thank you very much for highly professional job!
Nice