“Every day is a good day.”
I have unfortunately fallen into a bad habit. Without much exception, as far as I can tell. Nearly every day I ask each runner I interview whether or not it is a good day.
My reasons are simple of course. Because my own answer to that question is never as consistent or as generous as those of all the runners here. Who, on this the 37th day of the race have run so hard and for so long, that I personally cannot imagine how even any day here can still remain good.
Baladev now is here for the 8th time. Yesterday he ran 54 miles for the 3rd day in a row. He also completed 2012 miles as of midnight last night.
Does he have the time left to still reach 3100 miles in the 16 days remaining to him?
Probably not. But what he will do is savor and worship and enjoy as many of the moments and miles as he has left to him.
I describe for Baladev a hornets nest of adverse conditions that so often inflict their pain and torment relentlessly on the runners. He smiles as if the question is absurd. “Of course. I can die here and I will still be happy.”
“You can feel lots of pain and you can still be happy.”
“I think we are learning here how to be happy. We are learning who we are and what we have.”
“In normal life it doesn’t matter so much whether we are happy. There is no pressure. Of course when we have inspiration we can do anything. But we don’t have inspiration every day.”
“Here, if you want to run or to even move you have to find inspiration from somewhere.” Baladev then offered his appreciation for all those in the race who are still running well.”
“I don’t feel that I am a good runner. But I am trying.” Then he raises his hand and points up the block. He says what he so often has said before. “I am trying to get to the next corner. That is it.”
Baladeva also believes that someday a runner just might achieve God realization while running here. “I am positive that this idea will one day happen. This is the most significant event. The most amazing place, where you can make the fastest progress.”
“Guru did not create the race for competition. Many people think it is just a race and a competition. But it is not about results.”
“It is about something deeper. It is about spiritual progress. What we are doing here every year until to we reach the goal. Not just finish the race. We need to finish the inner race. This is why we are here.”
We have so much to learn,
Not only from the higher worlds,
But from the world
Where we are living.
The board
The morning starts with light showers. There is a tension in the air, it is humid it is electric
The van arrives
There is a light rain
Ashprihanal stretches
Kaneenika’s car arrives
A wet Baladev arrives
The boys
Ashprihanal through the window
The girls
Rupantar uses the light from his phone to read the race results
Soon
Start Day 37
Yuri had 65 miles yesterday. The most of all the runners
He now leads the race with 2448 miles
He is 9 miles ahead of Atmavir
He has been remarkably consistent despite the conditions
He is doing his best to stay cool. The rain will solve that problem late in the afternoon
Close
Atmavir had 56 miles
He now has 2389 miles. He is 71 miles ahead of last year
Bright yellow
Nada and Jadranka
Ashprihanal had 62 miles
The handball tournament was an intense 2 day weekend affair. The results are still here on Monday morning.
He now has 2377 miles
From what to what
Vasu did 64 miles. His first day over 60 in 5 days.
He has 2295 miles
He has 805 miles more to go
Service road
Kaneenika did 53 miles
She now has 2239 miles. 72 miles more than last year
She has 861 miles left. She needs to average 53 miles for each of her remaining 16 days
Akbota and Alakananda
Happiness angels
“My Doctor told me that sitting a little more each day would help my knees. But what do I do? Now my back hurts.”
168 st
Surasa did 53 miles
She now has 2184 miles. She has 916 miles left. She needs to average 57 miles for the next 16 days
“Why did the squirrel cross the sidewalk. I don’t know. Maybe the chicken knows.”
Past the school
Stutisheel did 64 miles yesterday
He now has 2013 miles. He has 1087 miles left. To complete the distance he needs to average 67 miles a day.
168 st
Baladev did 54 miles
He has 2012 miles
The storm system coming into the area late this afternoon
Baladev via the webcam early this evening
Not too far
Sopan did 46 miles. He now has 2000 miles
Service road
Ananda-Lahari did 46 miles
He now has 1864 miles
Not the end
Nirjharini and her awesome cooks
Uddipan updating the board
Bahula explains how the Enthusiasm Awakeners came to be singing every morning at the 3100 mile race.
“In 2006 Parvati had the inspiration, because Guru had already written thousands of songs. We began to sing in the morning near the beginning of the race that year.”
“There were a few different cars that Guru drove out to the race every morning, that year. A few times he would come and write songs. By 2007 we got more organized. Parvati made up lists of songs that were more specific.”
“It was such a thrill every morning. We would be singing and clapping and just always turning and looking towards the corner. To see when Guru’s car would come.”
“Every time Guru came it was a thrill. He would pull up to this spot, beckon Paree and Parvati over. Maybe not every day but on many many mornings he would write a brand new song right on the spot.”
“The girls would learn it and Paree would write it down. Then the rest of us would come along and sing the song right on the spot.”
“So spontaneous and so thrilling is the only way to describe it.
Vajra
Hridayinee reads the Daily Poem
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
In offering, we learn.
In learning, we become.
In becoming, we perfect
Humanity’s face
And
Accelerate God’s Grace.
Sri Chinmoy, Three hundred sixty-five Father’s Day prayers, Agni Press, 1974
I never thought of this perspective before on the race but it makes so much sense and gave me the chills when I read it.
…Baladeva also believes that someday a runner just might achieve God realization while running here. “I am positive that this idea will one day happen. This is the most significant event. The most amazing place, where you can make the fastest progress.”
“Guru did not create the race for competition. Many people think it is just a race and a competition. But it is not about results.”
“It is about something deeper. It is about spiritual progress. What we are doing here every year until to we reach the goal. Not just finish the race. We need to finish the inner race. This is why we are here.”
Wow!