Last night Shamita finished up 2 weeks of running here with another good day. She completed 62 miles and has now done 867 miles.
This morning as we run together I joke and suggest that since she has run 1,000 miles before, this current distance is Old Hat for her. (an expression used to refer to something considered uninteresting, predictable, tritely familiar, or old-fashioned.)
“Wowwww, I wouldn’t say this.” (laughs)
“It is always, always challenging. You can never say I did this so I can do it easily again.” Then in a more serious note she added, “it is not our work. Every moment is because of God’s grace.”
“There are many things happening here. What I really enjoyed the most was the thunder storm ( 2 days ago). I was really laughing when the rain came down. All the raindrops knocking on your head.”
“People usually don’t like it. But I love it. I started jumping. All the water on the street makes you go through little lakes.” I mention that her mileage for the day was not effected by it, while many others did up to 5 miles less.
“It was not bad weather. We all need water by the way. Then when the sun came out there was a most beautiful rainbow.”
Shamita says that her last 1,000 mile race took place 20 years ago. “I took 15 days and 1 hour I think.”
“I try and do this race totally new. Not thinking about other races or anything else. Because when you do you also bring as well the not so nice stuff. I really wanted to start totally new.”
“But if something is really inspiring from the old days. I will take it from my memory, bring it forward and remember it, as good as I can.”
“What we try here is to focus on that which will give us constant joy, and aspiration. Staying in the heart. No matter what the experience you are having.”
“All the people are amazing. They take care of everything. Every single little wish, or every single problem. I had a problem 2 days ago with my joints. Really painful. One day I was running totally with pain.”
“Then Dipali and some others like Bahula came up with what to do. They know so many things. They are so experienced. They helped with all their wisdom. Next day I was much much better. This also touches your heart. To see what a nice family we are.”
“I have to say that the race is tough. It is really tough. Even Ashprihanal when he passed me a few days ago said, ‘this is a tough race, a tough race.’ And he is like the champion of champions.”
“Guru said of him that running long distances was as easy as drinking water.”
“It is ups and downs. If you have downs then even the ups are even more delightful.”
“Then all of a sudden you see Guru standing somewhere and you start to cry. You know Guru is here.”
The more I can stay
In my child-heart,
The faster and safer
Will be my real progress.
The board
The van arrives
Ashprihanal having a first hand look
Some quick delivery of water jugs
Surasa doing a little personal maintenance.
The boys
Baladev hydrating
Janos checking the daily lap sheet
Start Day 15
First steps
Vasu leading the way
Vasu once again got 71 miles yesterday
He was the first to pass the 1,000 mile mark. Doing so 22 hours better than his previous best. He has 1014 miles
On the service road
Atmavir did 69 miles
He has 985 miles
A closer look
Yuri did 66 miles. He has 968 miles
Yuri in camp
By the school
“A quiet Sunday morning breakfast beside the lake. This will be perfect as soon as the waiter brings me my coffee.”
A feathered friend
Ashprihanal did 65 miles
He has 938 miles
A delicate beauty
Surasa did 65 miles and has 908 miles
A little yellow
Kaneenika did 64 miles
She has 888 miles
Camp Kaneenika
Nearly done
Shamita did 62 miles and has 867 miles
Dohai giving a back rub before Shamita takes her first morning break
Rupantar puts up a picture of Sri Chinmoy passing a baton to Sudahota Carl Lewis. It was a one mile relay with each runner doing 100 meters. Probably in late 1989. Sudahota ran the last 100 meters
Rupantar remembers it well. It took place over in Flushing Meadow. He points to how happy Guru looks in this picture.
Stutisheel did 64 miles
He has 829 miles
Sopan did 45 miles and has 821 miles
On the service road
Baladev did 53 miles and has 802 miles
Camp Baladev
Ananda-Lahari did 45 miles
He has 794 miles
Volodymyr did 46 miles and has 737 miles
“The first time I came down was 10 years ago. I came for the finish of Abichal.” Andy Cable is a long time admirer of the 3100 mile race and a good friend of the Sri Chinmoy marathon team. He spent much of yesterday visiting, encouraging, and running laps himself around the course.
“This may be the 9th year out of 11.” When he came the first time Andy says he was not unfamiliar with the race. “I had seen a little about it online. I had met Abichal at a 24 hour race in Houston.”
When 2006 came along Andy saw that Abichal was about to finish under the cut off so decided to come down to Queens from his home in Connecticut to support him. “I did 110 laps with him on his last day.”
“It was very moving to see the end when he finished. They had some candles on the side and it was about 10:30 at night. Everyone came out of the woodwork to see a finisher. That was very inspiring.”
“It was the first time I had seen anything quite like that. It was quite a lot to take in. It probably took a few years to get what was going on here. Then again even now I am still not sure I get what is going on.”
“I keep coming back to get a little dose of the happiness that is here. By now half the runners know me.”
Click to Play:
Putrima reads the Daily Prayer
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
When I look at my mind,
I hear a painful cry.
When I touch my heart,
I hear a breathless sigh.
Such an inspiring interview with Shamita. Thank you very much. And oh I LOVED that photo with Sudhahota and the incredible look of joy on Sri Chinmoy’s face. Gratitude