As a little boy Ananda-Lahari says, “I always used to like to run and jump around.” He adds that the first time he heard about orienteering in school he wanted to do it. “I started orienteering when I was six years old. I can say that it was almost my religion.”
He says that for the many years he enjoyed and competing in orienteering he had no interest at all in running road races.”I thought it was just boring. You will hurt yourself when you run on the road.”
“Then when I was 19 I was getting more and more lazy. I had lost my inspiration for running. I was still playing sports but it was just a joke.”
Ananda-Lahari says that by the time he was in his early 20’s everything changed. “Somehow I enjoyed running again. But it was real suffering. It was so difficult for me to run.”
He started at this point to practice meditating while living in Slovakia. He then spent a year in Scotland in order to learn English. “I was so impressed. This was my first touch with long distance running.” It was while crewing for Tarit at the Westhighland way race that the magnitude and significance of distance running hit home.
He had to run the final 10 km with Tarit. “It was getting dark so the runner had to be accompanied. I had to run with him but I couldn’t keep up. He was so fast. I was amazed. WOW. What is going on here?”
The next day they hiked a bit and Annanda-Lahari was shocked that he was able to go back to work the next day. “You have just run this 100 km and you are going to work ! This was my first touch with ultra distance running.”
“This is the place where I want to be. To do the whole thing. I have never felt like quitting. There are moments when you are tired. You feel that you have had enough. But this is part of the game.
The Board on Day 18
Camp
Clock
Peterson
Rupantar
Andrea
Marina readying for Harita
Stutisheel
Rupantar
Andrea
Harita
Start Day 18
Andrea ran 74 miles the most he has run since day day 3
He now has 1195 miles
Doing very well
Flower
Vajra
Wei Ming did 64 miles
He now has 1091 miles
Sprinting
Very fast
Coffee
Flower
Sahishnu
Harita did 61 miles
She now has 1065 miles and leads Vasu by 27 miles
With Luntitha
Doing well
Flower
music
Vasu ran 65 miles
He now has 1038 miles
He is feeling much better
Flower
Sound check
Takasumi completed 1000 miles last night
He ran 60 miles
He now has 1017 miles
Doing well
Flower
Nina
Rupantar and Sahishnu
Stutisheel completed 1000 miles last night
Stutisheel ran 63 miles
He starts the day with 1016 miles
With Vladimir
Speaking to Grahak in Australia
Flower
Counting
Vajra
A world-competition-fighter.
I want to be
A self-transcendence-seeker.
I always watch these in the morning before work to give me inspiration and it never disappoints! Thank you so much!!
I’m wondering where the Enthusiasm singers are. I’m missing them:)
Yes, singers! More music! I also miss the jokers– or the jokes and tiny skits that we used to see regularly. Not everyone likes to perform, but it would be fun— even a 2-line good joke is always good for a smile.
To those spectators who want more humor and skits like other years … well,
“NOSTALGIA AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE.”
We are also missing Moe, Larry, and Aalto– The Three Stooges of Jamaica.