Day 26… This Very Moment ( July 11)

When Smarana went home last night he could rest easier than he had for some time.  Not only did he not just have a good day of 64 miles he also had pushed past the half way mark, a day and a half ahead of tonight’s deadline.  Being able to excel and succeed in this race was for 7 years straight an almost given.

Coming back from his long break 2 years ago things on the physical level at least did not go to plan.  Both in 2017 and in 2018 he was unable to make the distance and he had to gamely find joy in battling out for 52 days and yet was unable to cross the finish line.

This year the story appears to be something quite different. Smarana has re calibrated his attitude and perhaps as well his receptivity.  Incredibly strong outwardly to look at he now is showing an inner strength that is proving to be very successful.

I spoke with him as he was running with Todor.  I was curious just how much it helps to have a running companion.  “One plus one is more than two.”  He describes how each of their energies feeds off of each other.  “Every now and then you talk a little bit.  It is nice that somebody is there.  It feels like having an extra power bank.”

“I can draw a little bit from him and sometimes he can draw from me.  It is very nice.”

“This race has been quite different compared to all my other races.  I think I am getting there.  The first 7 races sometimes I pushed with brute force, and the last 2 races I tried to change my way of doing the race.  I tried to be more joyful, a little more surrendered.  To be in the flow and not have these mental goals.”

“I see in the end you get your miles, but with much less stress.  You can see the world around you better.  You don’t have to have this tunnel vision.  I want to have more faith that everything will just work out, and be fine.  It is a nice feeling.”

Smarana says that he had a series of not so great days which reminded him a similar experience he had last year when he felt himself tumbling down a metaphorical rabbit hole, which he could not escape from. “I really crashed.”

When he felt things were not working out as he hoped he says he simply started changing things.  “It helped.   This was very important for my confidence.  I am not going down this rabbit hole.  So it helps me to run with someone and stay in the flow.”

The Board at the Start of Day 26

Vajra cleaning up

Camp early

Clock

Ashprihanal

Making notes

Smarana’s bike

Smarana

Ushika and Ananda-Lahari

Harita

Nirbhasa gets help with his shoes

Ushika

Start Day 26

A beautiful morning but showers come late in the day

Ashprihanal has 1671 miles

He ran 69 miles yesterday

He leads Nirbhasa by 40 miles

Green

Sahishnu

Nirbhasa has 1631 miles

He ran 66 miles yesterday

With Yahva

He is doing very well

Flower

Sadanand and Salil

Vasu has 1577 miles

He ran 60 miles yesterday

With Nikolai

Doing well

Flower

Yahva

Smarana has 1565 miles

He ran 64 miles yesterday

Just 1535 more miles

Flower

Nirjharini

Ananda-Lahari has 1544 miles

He ran 64 miles yesterday

25 miles ahead of Harita

Making half way

54 miles ahead of the magic number

Flower

Harita has 1519 miles

She ran 62 miles yesterday

With Anita

She is 29 miles ahead of the magic number

Harita and Kaneenika

Flower

Todor has 1504 miles

He ran 63 miles yesterday

He is 14 miles ahead of the magic number

Todor made 1500 miles last night

Doing well

Flower

Nirjharini and Anita

Ushika has 1336 miles

He ran 54 miles yesterday his best since day 11

The long journey

Flower

Max

Waiting for his cue.

“I think living in clover works better as a metaphor.”

Poem of the Day held by Kaneenika

Enthusiasm Awakeners