“Its never over until its over.” Nirbhasa has had on paper at leas a great race. As of this morning as he starts the day, in this his 3rd race, he is 9 miles ahead of his previous best. It is a razor thin margin when you are calculating through all the thousands of miles that he has run. Yet whatever his fate may be in the days ahead, when he goes home tonight the finish line will be less than 200 miles away.
The incredibly hot and humid weather has mostly passed, but its effects still linger in the faces and legs of those most devastated by it. Nirbhasa was given a blow that he has still not yet fully recovered from. “I am not entirely sure what happened.”
“During the really big heat wave about 10 days ago, I basically got heat exhaustion. Especially during hot days I haven’t yet fully recovered. It still flares up.”
“We had a period of sustained heat, the previous 3 days. I just have to be very careful, and somehow deal with it. It was my first time dealing with, particularly that level of heat. It was 100 degrees in the shade, and the real heat index was something like 105. 20/20 hindsight is always a great thing. You just deal with the situation you have, here and now.”
The qualities Nirbhasa feel that are most important to doing the race are patience and perseverance. “You have to sense that the race is your job. That while you are here, you are inspiring so many people. That you are doing something beneficial. You need a sense of dedication to that purpose.”
He says that when it comes to Joy, “you find moments throughout the day whenever you can.”
As for the finish line which is drawing so, so close. “Yes and no. If you start thinking too much about it you still have a job here to do. I still have a few days left to complete. You have to focus on the task at hand.”