Nirbhasa starts day 21 with 1300 well run miles and now a clear glimpse of the halfway point which is about 4 days away just now. Vasu, who is in first place has about a full day of running between them. Smarana in third is about a day behind. For Nirbhasa it is now most definitely about enjoying the experience as much as he can. Soon enough he will be making one last dash up 84 th ave and crossing the finish line.
“You know day 21 is the same as day 1. You just take each day as it comes and stay in the moment. You know of course if you do 1,000 miles or 1,300 miles it is really nice. It shows that you have made some progress. That somehow the goal is not such a far cry anymore.”
“But really it is not the accumulation of distance it is what you do inwardly here that counts. When you wake up every day that is what you try and work on.”
“I have been making the daily mileage requirement every day. That is quite nice. Obviously it seems my body is adjusted to the race this year. In a way that it wasn’t 2 years ago. So it is nice to not to have to think too much about that. Because if you just go a certain speed. Then not think too much about laps or miles. You are happy. You are on a certain speed. Then you can just keep going.”
“The beauty of being here is that it gives you a forum to really work on your inner life. With a dedication that it might not be possible to achieve in the outer world, unless your really really consciously set aside time.”
“I have been in 24 hour races where you can see people who do it by kind of pushing. You can do it by sticking on headphones and putting on loud music and willing your way to the finish, somehow gritting your way through the pain.”
“But definitely in races beyond a certain distance. You really need to go beyond the mind.”
“If you can just stay in your heart the miles just somehow accumulate. Some times I find myself here running going forward and it is just happening. You are going forward and the race somehow has its own momentum. You just have to stay in the moment and really appreciate the beauty of what it is.”
My heart runs
The world’s longest race,
And not my mind.
My Lord runs ahead of me;
My breath runs behind.
6 August 2005
New York
Sri Chinmoy, My Race-Prayers, part 2, Agni Press, 2006
The board after day 20
Clock
Alan
Joke
Yolanda enjoying what she sees
Niriha and Stota
Sergey arrives
Kaneenika and Harita
Andrey gets out of the back seat
Vasu drops off dirty laundry
Medur puts up webcam
Nirbhasa
Databir
Soon
Smarana arrives
Andre putting out shoes to dry
Smarana takes a seat
The boys
Last minute
Savita works on Harita’s shoulders
Last minute details
Start Day 21
Watching the runners off into the sun
Happiness
Vasu did 64 miles 117 laps
He now has 1354 miles
Race leader
Flower
Nirbhasa did 62 miles 113 laps
After he and Smarana told jokes
Reading the daily prayer
He has 1300 miles
Feet
A bit of green
Kaneenika did 64 miles 117 laps
She has 1262 miles
The sun
Running well
With Jumagul
Feet
Flower
Smarana had a good day with 64 miles 117 laps
He now has 1238 miles
Feet
Flower
Harita had 59 miles 108 laps
Her counter is all ears
She has 1200 miles
Sun
Harita taking a break
Tanya
Yolanda had 59 miles 109 laps
Incredibly popular in the morning she met Valerie and her husband Edy
Stretching
Late morning Jacquie from far Rockway came
She has 1199 miles
Flower
“Do not miss any laps”
Sergey had a better day with 55 miles 101 laps
Sun
He now has 1160 miles
Flower
Andrey had 56 miles 103 laps
He now has 1137 miles
Sun
Flower
Nidhruvi had 52 miles 95 laps
She now has 1081 miles
Sun
flower
Ananda-Lahari had 45 miles 83 laps
He now has 1030 miles
Old friend of the race Bobby in camp
Flower
A surprise inspection by and inspector with NYC running shoe department. Everyone passed
“I was so impressed with the runners that participate in this race. I decided that I had to see it with my own eyes.” Yesterday Joanna, showed up unexpectedly at the 3100 mile race.
“It is amazing what they are doing. For me, just doing a 24 hour race is very tough.” She has done 4 races with a personal best of 184km.
As we are talking she is giving most if her attention to 5 clipboards on a table in front of her. She has volunteered to count today.
Talking about what she is seeing here, “I think that your mind and your head is most important while you are running long distance. Probably everything is possible of you focus on it. I think it depends on your mind and your belief that you will be able to complete this run.”
“Of course you have to train and to have experience. But I think you mind can get you to the finish line.”
“It is my dream to come her in the future and take part in this race as a runner. I know that dreams come true. A good example is that I am here. That I came here to New York to see them. I wished that I would be here and now here I am. So dreams do come true. I also believe that some day in the future I will run here for 52 days.”
Click to Play:
Dipali reads the Daily Prayer
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners (Special Birthday surprise for Tanima)
Click to Play:
It is not where you go
Outwardly
But what you do
Inwardly
That helps you climb up
The inner ladder.
Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 93, Agni Press, 1984
We had a very inspiring live hookup with the race yesterday here at the Minsk joy-day in Belarus. The Russians talked with Andrey, Sergey and Vasu and they gave them tremendous joy. Thanks to Stutishel for making it happen.
Rupantar, cool t-shirt. Great pic with Databir!)))
Goooo runneeerrrsssss!!!