Tomorrow evening when Suprabha retires for the day she will have completed more than 2000 miles. It is almost impossible to fully understand the miracle of this 53 year old woman from DC and what she has done here and what she seems to be able to continue to do. Not only is she 14 years older than any other runner here, she is, and has been since the beginning, the only woman to do the 3100 mile race.
A few days ago I saw her running with Agnikana, a young woman from the Czech Republic who is a very talented runner in her own right. She tells me, “I count Suprabha as my hero. I think she is on a different level of runners.”
Agnikana is very fast over 2 miles and is in awe of what Suprabha does here. She says, “I could never do what she does. I admire her like anything, but you have to be somewhere else to do this thing. It is not in the legs. Of course it is 
about running but you need here something more than running. Running is just one part, but I think there is a bigger part behind it.”
She adds, “what I admire about Suprabha is that she is surrendered to everything. If it is raining, it is great that it is raining. If it is sunny, it is great that it is sunny. She is positive about everything. This is something I really love about her.”
Do not run with the mind. Even if today you fool the mind, tomorrow the mind will come back with redoubled trickeries to make your life miserable. You should say to the mind, “You stay with your trickeries. I want to play with my heart-toy, not with you. You consider your toys as beautiful, but I don’t agree. In those days I was a fool; I enjoyed you. But now I am wise. I want to enjoy my heart-toy. The heart-toy always brings me happiness and newness, newness and happiness.”
When you run, if you can make yourself feel that inside your heart Somebody is running or your heart is running or you are running with your heart, then tiredness disappears, the power of distance disappears. Only the power of oneness, oneness, oneness with God’s Will appears.
Excerpt from Run And Smile, Smile And Run by Sri Chinmoy.
Today Ananda-Lahari will be the next to pass 2000 miles. The air this morning is thick with humidity. It is your typical creamy hot summer soup morning and yet we will all be fooled in short order. By light dancing breezes, and a sun, that will boldly elbow its way through with its indomitable brightness.
Diganta Adhikari and his foot rash continue to be a matter of concern. He is still 75 miles ahead of last year.
As he begins his 35th day here Pavol has had by all accounts a miraculous day of running yesterday. He ran more than 62 miles which is a number he has not come close to since his second day. He has no simple explanation for this but is satisfied to say, “every day I feel better and better. I am more relaxed, no problem.” Now he says he feels better than when he first started the race.
A few days ago he had written a poem about coffee and today he wants to share another of his creations.
Now I am bad, but
In the near future I will be good
He passed Suprabha’s mileage yesterday which almost definitely assures him that he will now have the necessary time to complete 3100 miles before the cut-off. As his running became stronger over the past week, he knew that inevitably this would take place. She has been very consistent but now he seems able to do a few more laps each day.
It is also interesting to hear him talk about how surprised he is when another runner changes something in their schedule. He was amazed yesterday when Suprabha did not take her 6 o’clock in the evening break. His reaction to it reminds me how each of them is so interconnected with the others. When someone has a bad day or good one they can identify and recognize it almost from the other side of the loop. Each runner here is so distinct and so different yet the closer you look, you find that the 12 here are all one deep and tight knit family as well.
There are occasions when this family has its little bumps and bruises. Fatigue and the difficulty of the thing can frustrate and challenge even the greatest of heroes. Pavol shares with me a moment when he felt it was necessary to apologize for something and how relieved and inspired he was by this. It reminded him once again how important it was to remain focused on his own inner life and the miles he had only in front of him. His consciousness is his most precious possession. Perhaps he cannot always be in heaven but there is no reason to accept an invitation from hell. When you have the luxury of time and a patient perspective, hard choices can always seem a little easier to make. Here where you are always moving and always open to the world it is quite another thing to do the right thing in the right way at the right time.
Pavol says, “we runners are only a small part of this race. The biggest part I think is helpers and others who come. When runners are here alone it is much different. This year is so so good. All around this race is good. It is the top. The weather is good, all these things are helping us. “
I ask him if he thinks he can continue to have more good days. He says, “I only run, whatever happens, happens. I don’t think about this. “
This morning Ivana and Tirtha look as though they need to be handed a relay torch. They have arrived in their matching World Harmony Run clothing to practice running, run in the 2 mile race which will start in a few hours, and more importantly, to inspire and be inspired by the 3100 mile race.
Ivana has had much experience in multi-day running but a few days ago she and Tirtha were also enthusiastic participants in the World Harmony Run that took place in Iceland. She tells me, “this race cannot be compared to any other race. I receive so much inspiration from this race. Even if I don’t understand what is happening here. I have such a strong feeling.”
“Yesterday when we came in the morning, it was so beautiful to see how people put so much into the race. Not only the runners but all who came to help. It was so amazing. It is like a big family.
“I see just divine heroes here.”
Later in the morning Tirtha and Ivana will come back and perform music for the runners.
“By doing brisk walking I am getting benefits for my health,” says Mirja Islam who comes most days to the course to exercise. If one does this he says everything will feel sound. “I walk around here 6 times in the morning and 6 times in the evening.” He notices of course the 3100 mile runners and says, “they are doing excellent. They help me, they inspire me. He started his exercise program just 2 weeks ago. 
What your soul wants from you
Is something very simple.
It wants you to see always
The way ahead,
Never the way behind.