“It’s really nice weather so far.” Kaneenika is wearing a vest this morning. It was a cool clear night. Now there is a light breeze, the sky is bright, the air is clear it is an almost perfect day to be running for 18 hours around this sacred half mile block in Queens New York.
“We have had some rain and it has been mostly quite cool. Sometimes the weather affects me. If it is too hot and humid then definitively.” We all of course know that the scourge of oppressive summer heat will be coming soon enough.
This is Kaneenika’s 3rd year in a row of running here and I was curious how she makes up her mind about doing it. “Until I think, the beginning of February, I was almost 100 percent sure that I wasn’t going to do the race. Then, I don’t know what happened. It just happened that I got a really strong feeling that yes, I want to do the race.”
“I think it is my soul that compels me to do it. Otherwise I can’t explain it. Because I was really ready to skip this year. I was more than ready and willing not to do it.”
I suggest that when she was so successful being able to complete the distance last year that she had more confidence and knowledge of how to do the race this time. “That is why we are here. To make it always better. To go deeper. To handle situations better.”
When asked about the fact that there are 4 girls this year. “I think it is quite exciting. Even before the race when I knew there were going to be 4 girls. I was really looking forward to it. It is a big difference.”
“There are more opportunities to share and to inspire each other. I am sure there are moments when we pull each other, consciously or unconsciously. Maybe there will be times when I am tired and I see that other people are running, or doing there best then it definitely helps me. To pull myself together, and go forward again.”
“Of course there are things you can do to help your body. To heal and adapt to a situation. But then as well you need to work on you inner level. To overcome the situation. To become stronger and sometimes it is not that easy but there is always meditation and all the things that Sri Chinmoy has taught us over the years, to help in situations like this.”
When I ask her if she feels the guidance and presence of Sri Chinmoy, “O yes. Very strongly. Sometimes it just happens and then sometimes I have to remind myself. He is here and he is doing it. It is not me but it is him.”
If you are good,
Become better.
If you are better,
Become best.
Always go forward —
Never backward!
Dipali’s Race Tips
The Board at the start of day 11
The party is apparently over
Medur installing the webcam
Suhasini cleaning water bottles
Alan readying the food table
Kaneenika and Harita arrive
Smarana readying his shoes
Sergey and Andre arrive
Rupantar does his video
Nidhruvi arrives
Cool enough for jackets
Tying shoes
Nirbhasa arrives
Stutisheel updates the board
Samarpita is ready to count
Alan with some advice for Ananda-Lahari
Start Day 11
It is a gorgeous day
Flower
Vasu once again did the most miles with 67
He now has 683 miles.
He now has 683 miles
Pradeep sun gazing
Flower
Nirbhasa did 64 miles
Chatting with Swamiji. He now has 660 miles
Flower
Kaneenika did 63 miles
She now has 616 miles
Green
Smarana did 60 miles
He now has 615 miles
He is 1 mile behind Kaneenika
Flower
Harita had her 5th straight day of 60 miles (110 laps)
Getting help from Suhasini
She now has 606 miles
Happiness
Yolanda also did 60 miles (110 laps)
She did her own performance for the Enthusiasm Awakeners
She now has 597 miles and latter today will have walked further in competition than she has before
Flower
Sergey did 64 miles, his most mileage so far in the race
He now has 587 miles
Flower
Nidhruvi did 55 miles
Working of jokes to perform with Harita
Fixing her shoe
Getting help from Devarupi
Mario checking out her blisters
Nidhruvi now has 572 miles
Early morning
Andrey ran 60 miles
He now has 570 miles
A bit of green
Ananda-Lahari did 48 miles
Putting on his cream for his leg rash
Ananda-Lahari now has 531 miles
Flower
Nirjharini arrives with her crew and fresh supplies
Sahishnu breaking up the ice
“This may sound strange but right now I wish I had a jacket.”
Samarpita with the Daily Prayer
*Regret recording did not work*
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
I do not have any set goal; my goal is self-transcendence. I always try to transcend myself. I do not compete with the rest of the world. I compete only with myself and I try to become a better human being so that I can be of better service to mankind.
Sri Chinmoy, Lifting up the world with a oneness-heart, Agni Press, 1988
Utpal,
Thanks again for a thorough account with photos, almost feels we are ring side.
Ambarish
Toss a tiny pebble into a pond, and a small circle of ripples radiate out for a short distance.
Throw a large rock in there, and a bigger ring of waves travel out farther. The 3100 is like throwing the Himalayas into the earth’s consciousness-sea, sending a tsunami of life-transforming energy and inspiration to every corner of the planet!
Bravo to each and every hero-runner and soulful-server for manifesting this phenomenal creation of
Sri Chinmoy, the Master Visionary of limitless humanity!
Beautiful interview! Thank you, Utpal!