“It has been a very difficult voyage here.” Here on the 19th day of the race Kobi’s voyage, despite the some time choppy waters has taken him much further than he has ever run before. He starts day 19 with 1253 miles and for the record he is accumulating new Israeli distance standards all along the way.
“The race is very difficult because each day you are faced with a lot of unexpected accidents. You need to manage that and you need to run a certain quota. You can’t just go to sleep.”
“So for me there is some pressure because I need to work here. I have a lot of internal expectations for myself. I need to finish this race. I see myself as a person who represents his country. I can’t make mistakes and ruin my race. So I need to be very cautious.”
“There is no other race like this. I have done so many other multi day races. This is not the same. Each day stands on its own.”
Kobi realizes that he is well ahead of the necessary pace needed to complete the distance before the cut off. “I have a little nest egg of miles that I have worked very hard for.”
When asked whether he takes pleasure in setting new national records he replies, “this is not the point here.”
“The point is each day, for better or worse has its own life. The records don’t matter. More importantly if you have a good lap….that’s it. That’s amazing. If you have a bad lap….that stinks.”
Records are not in his mind. “Every day I go to sleep and I pray that I wake up and have a little less pain and a day with with more smiles.”
Kobi is also very grateful for his support crew which unfortunately can’t be with him all day. “When they are here it is a ray of light.”
“When the Israelis come to support me that is amazing. Some come who don’t even know me. They come and hug me and they say kind words. That is amazing.” Kobi confesses that as much as he loves having this kind of support it also takes time away from his work of running. “Each Israeli who comes here and gives me a hug and tells me they are concerned and want to help me that………I am lacking the words to describe my feeling.”
Kobi also said on another occasion, “I love to run. How amazing life is here every day.”
The board at the start of Day 19
All quiet
A surprise visit from Daulot and Stota
Vajra works on Kobi
Empty table
Yolanda has done her headstand
Vajra takes the trash to the dumpster. “Its the hardest part of my day.”
The temperatur
Surasa arrives
A little clock problem
Vasu arrives
Boys
Ananda-Lahari arrives
Yolanda chats with Kobi
Boys
Start Day 19
Warm and humid at the start
Vasu ran 68 miles
He now has 1270 miles and leads Kobi by 17
Flower
Kobi did 62 miles
He now has 1253 miles
A great athlete having a great performance
Wild flower
Smarana did 63 miles
Daulot running a lap
He now has 1117 miles
By mid morning he is not feeling well and takes a break from the course. We hope for the best.
Flower
Surasa did 60 miles
She now has 1094 miles
With Vishvarupani
Flower
Sopan did 60 miles
He has 1082 miles
Running very well
Flower
Ushika did 59 miles
He now has 1072 miles. In the background is Linden one of the caretakers for the school who was deeply respectful and apologetic to all the runners. He is well aware of just how much time and effort each runner is putting in on the course.
With helper Max
Flower
Ananda-Lahari had another big day of 75 miles
He now has 1067 miles
An amazing runner now here for his 14th straight year.
Flower
Yolanda had a good day with 59 miles
She now has 1080 miles
Getting some ice so cool her neck
Flower
Kaneenika had 53 miles
She now has 1050 miles
Bahula working on her feet
Helper Lotika
Encouragement team Kanala
Green leaves
William did 58 miles
He now has 1042 miles
Telling a joke
Alan says he is just a little ahead of his pace from 4 years ago
Flower
Swamiji
Green leaves
Sahishnu
Sunglasses
“O yes you may see this as just a tiny crumb, but I see a perfect breakfast.”
Daily Poem read by Punya
Click to Play:
The head caretaker from the school Bill personally sweeps the leaves up for the singers
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
Each human being
Has a smiling heart.
It must no more
Remain hidden.
Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 47, Agni Press, 2007
What a humble Soul! Kobi perfectly realized self-transcendence philosophy. Being at the Race for the first time he has changed so much from the start.
Thanks Utpal!
Thank you Utpal! And your daily commentaries are so lovely and perfect! And your new approach is a fresh petal on the beautiful flower of your race coverage! Everyone is amazing! Pain and smiles – two sides of the coin!
Great interview with Kobi. He is a nice mix of intensity and sweetness; strength and vulnerability. I pray he is able to reach his goal — but more importantly, as he says, to ‘have a good lap’ (again and again and again — approximately 3,000 more times!).
Thanks, Utpal. I am so grateful that you are reporting on these stories. They are too important to be treasured only by individuals’ memories.
May I add that Kobi’s words almost sound like a rap:
I Love To Run
The point is each day
For better or worse
Has its own life,
The records don’t matter.
More importantly-
If you have a good lap
That’s it.
That’s amazing.
If you have a bad lap
That stinks.
When the Israelis come
To support me
That is amazing,
Some come
Who don’t even know me.
Every day I go to sleep
And pray
That I wake up
And have a little less pain
And a day with more smiles.
I also hope for Smarana everything will be fine soon.
Utpal I really like the way you do a video summary at the end of each video on the concrete blocks of each day. And the aphorism written at the end of the video today was just perfect.