Today may well turn out to be the hottest day yet. The air is dense, and if there is any kind of a breeze about it has no power at all. It is able to push nothing and refresh no one. Yet everyone’s energy still seems high and it is perhaps because, if there is any real movement here, it is the quick disappearance of time itself. With the clock now perched precariously on day 42, if the end is not in sight for everyone, it certainly has to be for most. By tomorrow it will just take 10 fingers to count down the remaining days.
To add to the already dramatically challenging conditions a work crew showed up this morning and proceeded to swiftly tear up the sidewalk along part of the course. Like earlier in the week, the runners were obliged to move out onto the roadway which they prefer anyway. The asphalt just feels softer. They move with haste and the job is done quickly. But there is noise and there is dust and it makes everyone feel just a little topsy turvy. The truth is that it would take a lot more than this to upset the equilibrium of the runners.
Yesterday there was a tremendous thundershower in the evening. Pranjal says it was the longest hardest rain of the race, and yet it was over and done in little more than a half hour. He never even took out his umbrella or had to change shoes. The road is never easy and there still might yet be more joyous surprises and devilish torments that will spring onto the path of those who run here.
My Lord’s Compassion Eye
is my heart-home.
Poem of the day written by Sri Chinmoy July 24th 2007
First time runner Dharbhasana has just 11 days to compete the 700 miles he has yet to do. He has completed 2400, which is a tremendous achievement but in his current condition the math calculations of time and distance are working overwhelmingly against him.
His running recently has been on again off again. “After running 2 days ago. I think I did a little too much too soon, and ended up going back to a limpy walk all day yesterday.”
“Now today again, out of my Lord’s compassion eye. I reside inside his heart home, that I am able to have a little running experience again today. I am just taking absolute baby steps. I am going to stick with that most of the day. Easy does it. Nice and relaxed and patient.”
Start Day 42
“Most of the time the morning is the best time.” In the mornings Surasa runs so easily. She feels she runs well because it is a little cooler than and the nights rest is able to refresh her. She is tremendously experienced of course but still over the past 41 days she has covered an epic distance, 2162 miles. With the scant time remaining she has her sites set on making 2700 miles, a job that is not going to be easy at all. To this point she has been averaging just over 52 miles a day. It will take an average of 49 to get her all the way home.
Right now she is having a problem with a deep blister in the ball of her left foot. Earlier she had the same thing in her right foot but managed to take care of it. “I am sure the left foot is healing very soon. I hope.” She says that one of the girls has been doing some deep massage to disperse it but ultimately, “time is healing it.”
Conveniently she says, “As long as you run you don’t feel it. As soon as you stand than you feel it.” I make a joke that means the best thing than would be to never stop running at all. “It is a good idea, but only an idea. Very difficult to realize.”
She has been receiving many messages over the past month. Everything from jokes to more serious encouragement. “I like it of course.” That people think about her and are inspired by what she is doing here gives her joy. “They think of you, and you enjoy it, so you are happy.”
Her support crew has been almost always present. The important job they do for her she is says is that they tape her feet 3 times a day. each time takes about 40 minutes to complete. “In the morning they come at 4:30, or even earlier to tape the feet, so that I am able to run.” She feels that doing a race such as this without the help of the taping would have been just impossible. By herself the job of taping is just not possible.
Much earlier she had said that the heat wasn’t really bothering her. Now however, “I have the feeling it is more difficult right now.” She feels that the monotonous repetition of hot and humid weather just begins to take its toll.
I ask her if she ever worries about what lies ahead. She replied, “to be sincere, sometimes.” She says that when problems come up than you can’t help but be concerned if there will be enough time to finish the journey. It is the last 2 weeks that inevitably bring added pressure but she seems to be focused now on simply keeping moving.
I ask how she will feel at the end, and she says, “Of course you are happy when it is over. I think 52 days is enough. I am thinking forward, and when I think 11 days it is not really frightening me. I think tomorrow it is a 10 day race. Then you have done it.”
“Try to do my best every day, but I have it in my mind to do 2700 now. So it is my goal now to do 2700. So I am trying to do the mileage so that I can do it.”
Over the other runners, “all of them are very very helpful. I can learn from them so much. They have so much experience.” No matter what the injury or the problem the veterans just know how to deal with it. They also have an attitude that these injuries and problems are simply experiences that can and must be dealt with.”
I ask her if she ever thinks she can motivate other older woman who might think that any running at all is too much. She says,”When they see that it is possible, that I am doing it, they get inspired. I think that many more can do, what I am doing. There are so many more good runners. I am not such a good runner. I am running slowly and steadily. There are many running much better than I.”
It is always nice to have phone calls from supporters and well wishers. Today a special call came through from someone who has to be considered extra special in the world of the 3100. Grahak called, who has run this race 3 times. Dharbhasana took the call and was glad to hear from him. Saturday being the 2 miler there is also lots of extra energy around at least in the morning.
Pranjal and Galya are now just 13 miles apart. With each having to do about 400 more miles.
Baladev is in the tough position of having almost 800 more miles to go.
“A mile for every year on earth.” There aren’t many people who enjoy aging but Arpan is one who every year seems some how to be able to both honor his birthday and defy aging, by running the same number of miles as his age. In this case he ran 58 miles here yesterday. “I figured I was going to need a lot of time so I came out around midnight. Just as they were leaving the camp.”
During the night, after completing 20 laps, he decided to take a short break in his car which ended up being more like 2 hours. Eventually he got going with an attitude of, just keep going. “Step by step, just like this race.” (He is the oldest man to run the 3100 in 2004 at age 52)
“It was really a lot of fun. Also the blessings of clouds on a long day of running are immeasurable. It has happened so many times. It was a perfect day.” His second marathon was faster than his first and the final 10km was faster still he said because of the excitement.
“You know it is always a challenge. People think I have been doing it so much it is easy, but it gets harder. It was an outer accomplishment, but I felt that it inspired a lot of people, and it gave me a spiritual focus. It renews my faith in my own running. Running is part of my spiritual life, and it always means a lot to me. It is like a renewal. This helps me to challenge myself. Renew my commitment to my spiritual life.”
Dream, dream
Sleeplessy dream!
Our Lord’s
Victory Supreme!
Song of the Day written by Sri Chinmoy
Performed by Enthusiasm Awakeners
His mind
Is the secret home of sound.
His heart
Is the sacred home of silence.
His soul
Is the blue-vast home of God.
His God
Is the home of universal Love.
Excerpt from The Wings Of Light, Part 8 by Sri Chinmoy