At the 1952 Olympic games in Helsinki an English middle distance runner named Roger Rannister was disappointed at finishing 4th in his race the 1,500 meters. For him his time was a personal best and also a British record but his achievement came without a gold medal attached.
After that race he seriously considered retiring from sport altogether. It took him 2 months to finally make his decision. What he there and then decided was also the same serious goal as all the best middle distance runners in the world. He decided that he wanted to become the first man to run the mile in under 4 minutes.
At the time he was studying medicine and as was the custom of the time he had to try and find a balance between his studies and his training. His schedule was so rigorous however that in fact he only had time to train around 11 o’clock each night. 2 years later on May 6 1954 at the Iffley road track in Oxford England in front of 3,000 spectators and news reel cameras history was made when he ran 3:59:4.
“The earth seemed to move with me. I found a new source of power and beauty, a source I never knew existed.”
Click to play video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz3ZLpCmKCM
Pure sporting competition has a way of pulling and pushing us automatically to new and greater heights. Whenever most people see this picture of Bannister even if they don’t recognize him or his achievement that day it still carries profound inspirational value as a moment of perfect transcendence. Bannister of course would go onto other competitions but later in his life felt that his contributions to medicine were of much more importance to the world.
By now I have taken thousands of pictures of the 3100 mile race and none will have quite the thrill and power of this one of him setting his world record. Yet I suspect, despite the limitations of my skills as a photographer, the faces of those who run here can and do communicate much more than meets the eye. Something subtle which is immediately recognizable to those who understand and identify themselves with the inner runner in all of us.
World history of a different sort is being writ large and bright upon this little concrete rectangle in Queens every day. One that can inspire the mind and illumine the aspiring consciousness within the hearts of God Seekers everywhere.
When we run in the inner life, we have to feel that we are not only running against ignorance; we are also running with God.
In a 100-metre dash, if one runner is 70 metres ahead of another runner, then the one who is far behind will not have any inspiration to run.
But if the leading runner is only a few steps ahead, then the one who is behind feels determined to overtake him.
That is why, when God runs with us, He uses only a little of His infinite Capacity. Only then will human beings have the inspiration and aspiration to catch Him and run with Him. God stays only a few steps ahead of us so that He can be seen, felt and ultimately realised.
Sri Chinmoy, The Outer Running And The Inner Running, Agni Press, 1974.
On Tuesday morning because of parking restrictions the camp looks wide open.
There is inspiration everywhere you look
Rupantar calls everyone to the starting line
Start Day 17
Maybe it is the time of year or just that time in the race but a few runners have been affected by shin splints. A particularly bedeviling problem that quite often defies a simple treatment and makes running extremely painful and difficult. For the last 2 days it has cut into Pranjal’s miles but not his resolve or appreciation of simply doing the thing he loves best.
“I think it is already over because I can run again. I think is is inflamed muscle or this tissue around the muscle. It sometimes just happens. It is quite painful because you cannot lift your feet properly and you cannot move it because it is very painful. But I fixed it with the tape so that it is always…..my toes are not folding down. I think it helps.”
He had the same experience a few years ago. “This time it progressed slowly. It started 3 days ago. In the evening I started to feel it. But I just ran through it but in the morning I still felt it. But I continued. I was still running but in the afternoon I still felt it and it was just too much. So I started to walk. I think I did the right thing. It took me only one day to heal it.”
“Last time I was running for 3 days I think with it, and it took me 20 days to get rid of it.” That was 4 or 5 years ago he thinks.
I ask the obvious question, whether or not he got discouraged when it hurt so much to run. “It is part of the race. Pain is part of the race. You just have to accept it. It comes and goes…..there is always some pain. You can’t avoid it completely.”
Click to play interview
 |
 |
 |
 |
“Stutisheel asked me to help him a long time ago.” Satyagraha has found himself in a unique position to observe and be part of the race. He has the accepted the job as being a helper to a runner a job that ranks in difficulty as one of the most demanding and one of the most crucial for the runner’s comfort and success. “It was maybe 8 years ago.”
He describes how at the time he knew how significant the 3100 mile race was and how in fact Sri Chinmoy used to visit on a regular basis. He describes his lack of inspiration to come as being, ‘stupid.’ He is being overly harsh of himself at this time and his reasons for not coming. Being here is a very powerful experience and one that cannot be taken lightly. There are countless good reasons to come here and be part of it but there only needs to be one good reason not to and that is that it is simply not the right time inwardly.
“Since then I was thinking every year to come and help him. It is like he planted a seed and asked me to come and it was like growing and growing and growing. Then he called me this winter and said you know, I had a dream that you would help me in the race. I said I would come 100% for sure.”
At this moment Stutisheel comes running by and we both fall into place beside him. In the background are all the voices of the camp and dogs barking loudly in the distance. I ask Stutisheel about his dream. “To be precise it was not like a dream but a conscious decision. I just felt that it was time. I just felt that he would be appropriate, and he would be 100% good.” He describes how he simply wrote to Sattyagraha out of the blue. In less than 2 days he got his answer. “Then I was so much overjoyed, because Satyagraha replied that it was his own dream, but he was too modest to ask me. So they happily coincided.”
I wonder if his job is difficult being here for so many hours each day. “Some people might say yes but I would say no. Maybe I am just a different person because I just enjoy being active. Not just doing something but to do something really good, to help someone. To be in a group with excellent people.”
He also describes the importance of just being here. So many people come and offer encouragement and in their offering he feels the inspiration of being part of something really special. He ran and won the 2 mile race a few days earlier and I wonder whether or not he would like to run something a little longer than his previous longest distance, 100km and run this. “I dream about it. It didn’t come yet to be true. We will see.”
“You know when I am here I don’t feel any fear about doing it. I can feel what the runners are going through, because I am a runner also. I know it is tough. Maybe it is too brave what I am saying now or maybe it is too stupid. It is very challenging and extremely difficult. I will try and be smart and start with the 6 and 10 day race.”
The main quality he feels here is, “peace. I cannot explain. Yesterday when I helped Stutisheel and I was walking with him. This whole area was filled with people, packed. Everybody was screaming and playing but I felt so much peace. You can feel it…. you can kind of touch it. It is special. I cannot explain. It is an experience.” He feels that it is all grace.”
Click to play interview
Atmavir recites the Poem of the Day
 |
 |
 |
 Enthusiasm AwakenersClick to Play:parvati 2 |
When I run with God outwardly,
He gives me His blessingful Eyes.
When I run with God inwardly,
I give Him my awakened heart.
Sri Chinmoy, Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, Part 40, Agni Press, 1982.
1954: Bannister breaks four-minute mile
Roger Bannister, a 25-year-old British medical student, has become the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes.
—He had prepared for the race the previous week at Paddington Green in London in high winds.
The weather at Iffley Road was not ideal for record-breaking – a 15mph crosswind with gusts of up to 25mph meant that Bannister nearly called off the attempt.
Bannister has beaten his main rival to the record – Australian athlete John Landy.
Both had run quite close to the time but the magic number four had proved elusive until now.—
I feel also that the Presence of Peace is liquid like gel all the good energy is here – this interview with Satyagraha is amazing amazing. I think he is at the right place at the right moment with the help of the right Master….thank you