“Yesterday I had a flickering battery which finally went dead.” I saw Smarana mid morning yesterday and he was not looking good. He decided that the best thing he could do under the circumstances was to simply go home and take a real break from the course. 5 hours off and he says, “it was nice actually.”
“I did it to get my body back into balance. It was very hot and humid the last few days. I just didn’t feel right. I didn’t want to take any chances.” Smarana describes a scenario of when not doing the right thing events can quickly escalate and your situation can spiral out of control. “It is better to take care of it in the first place. Become strong again and then go out again.”
Smarana describes that when he came back to the course he had a new perspective on all the other runners determination and drive. “Everyone has issues but it was still very inspiring.”
He says that because he was walking he could clearly see how the other runners use the force that he can see here and they, “Just go for it.”
“Everybody has their lows and their highs, but you also have to keep this tension to keep yourself going. It was very inspiring for me.”
“If you get too tense then you just break at some point. You have to have this push and be able to relax at the same time. You have to find a balance.”
Smarana says that though it is not unique to this race, but because of the race’s extreme length you can have a better perspective of it. “Since this race is so long. You have to keep it up for a long time. When you come out here in the morning you have 18 hours. You have to keep a tension not to let go.”
He feels that he personally takes this kind of motivation into his normal life even after the race. It makes him feel more dynamic and striving. Small problems are negligible then.”
The board at the start of Day 20. The magic number now stands at 1,132 miles for those on track to complete the race
The camp early
Light showers move in quickly but only briefly this morning
Paramartha setting up
Quiet
Generator problems again
Empty tables
Smarana arrives looking better
William waiting
Vajra working on Kobi
Kaneenika arrives
A kind word
Surasa arrives
The Enthusiasm Awakeners have sponsored today’s race in honor of William’s wife Elisabeth who passed a year ago today
Start of Day 20
Rain will come soon
Vasu did 66 miles
He now has 1337 miles
He is running well
Flower
Kobi ran 63 miles
He now has 1316. Which is more than 200 miles over the magic number
With his helper Cris
Flower
Smarana still managed 38 miles yesterday
He has 1155 miles
Performing a joke with Daulot
Green
Surasa did 56 miles
She now has 1151 miles
Doing well
Flower
Sopan did 62 miles
He now has 1145 miles
Over the magic number
Green leaves
Ushika did 60 miles
Having fun with Daulot
He has 1133 miles. One mile over the magic number
Working on shoes
With Max
Flower
Ananda-Lahari did 59 miles
He now has 1127 miles
Mario performing a little magic
Flower
Yolanda did 59 miles
She has 1119 miles. With Laila
Keeping the feet on the road
On day 20
Flower
William did 58 miles
Parvati discussing his wishes for the day
He has 1100 miles and needs to make up 32
Green leaves
Kodanda
Kaneenika did 49 miles
She has 1100 miles
Working on her feet
Amazing runner
Flower
Nirjharini and treats
Kamaneeya is here counting
“These are great seats I wonder why they all aren’t filled.”
A new visitor
Today there was a special offering on behalf of William’s late wife Elisabeth
Each runner could take a toy sheep or bunny
Kobi got a sheep
Stota’s birthday was celebrated
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
Do not think
That you cannot do it.
Just think that God
Is definitely going to do it
In you, for you.
A song of Sri Chinmoy’s goes:
“No pushing, no pulling. Only loving and self-giving.”
A great mantra for runners and helpers alike.
A goal –whether it is the one we expected or a different one– WILL be achieved.
Thanks Utpal!