“I even had my jacket on this morning. I love it when I freeze in the New York summer.” The weather here at the race has always been the most unpredictable force that the runners have to find some way to manage. Days of heat and days of humidity and days of rain are the 3 foes of every summer time race here. You can’t beat them but somehow instead must resolve to work out a relationship of compromise and acceptance. Coax out of a hard day as many laps as you can and hope they add up to 109.
Today only 3 runners made it past 60. Unusual unless you consider the devastating affect the weather has had over the past several days. An inevitable price must be paid. So Ushika, who wore a coat this morning says, “definitely the outer circumstances have brought more joy to my running.”
“Each and every day is different. Each day has a new challenge and a new joy. There is always something new coming up. Meanwhile I am always looking forward to see what is coming up, even if it is a challenge.”
“You crack one issue and then the next one pops up. It is a nice game.”
“I just had an experience yesterday. Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined, that I would think at one point that this race is too short. But yesterday my mind was thinking that it is too short. I want more.”
Ushika says he doesn’t fully understand but the experience was clear. “I had a desire for more. To dive deeper into the matter. Dive deeper into the race. Dive deeper into myself. To discover more sooner. I got a taste for it and now I want more besides all the challenges.”
The Board at the start of Day 40
Camp early
Clocks
Ashprihanal
Aharan
Smarana
Rupantar’s daily report
Harita
Ushika
Ashprihanal and Smarana
Some clock woes
Harita
Start Day 40
A pleasant day
Ashprihanal has 2594 miles
He ran the most miles yesterday with 64
He has a lead of 84 miles
Indomitable
Flower
Nirbhasa has 2510 miles
He had a tough day of 42 miles
Will find the answers
Doing well
Flower
Cooks
Ananda-Lahari has 2457 miles
He did 55 miles
Shortest of possible breaks
24 miles ahead of Vasu
Flower
A birthday cake
Vasu has 2433 miles
He did 49 miles
Flower
picture perfect
Smarana has 2393 miles
He did 57 miles
Smarana makes 2400
He leads Harita by 25 miles
Doing very well
Flower
Renata
Harita has 22368 miles
She was one of the 3 to make 60 miles
Making 2400
Amazing
Flower
Nirjharini
Todor has 2324 miles the magic number
He ran 60 miles
Very good
Flower
Ushika has 2037 miles
He ran 46 miles
The long journey
Flower
Swamiji
Flower
Anita’s birthday
Poem of the Day held by Anita
My heart is desperate
For God’s Compassion.
I am desperate
For God’s instruction.
Sri Chinmoy
July 25th, 2006
Enthusiasm Awakeners
There is only one time
To be happy,
And that time
Is now!
Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 22, Agni Press, 2001
What a great interview with the noble Ushika! So many sides of these 8 diamonds we are getting to know over 40 days. Thank you, Utpal for these daily treasures.