“I know my body. Sometimes you have to surrender to Mother Nature and sometimes I am running well.”
For the last 2 days this 37 year old Czech runner has been running very well. Yesterday he ran 71 miles and at this moment in the morning there is nobody faster on the course. His pace is so smooth and flowing it would be nearly impossible to guess that he has been here doing this very same thing for the past 34 days. In the process also amassing 2187 miles.
https://vimeo.com/133859947
This is Atmavir’s 8th race and it seems that the lessons you learn running 3100 mile race never end. No matter how many miles you have run. No matter how many years you have dedicated yourself to its baffling wonders. How to cope with bad days and also how to cope with days when you switch to autopilot and let the mysterious inner force within carry you almost effortlessly along.
“Right now I am one lap faster than Ashprihanal. In the afternoon it could change. So I don’t mind. If I am running I enjoy it, and if I am not running, I try to be a happy walker. But I have to say that I am a really miserable walker. Only Stutisheel is slower than me.”
Atmavir’s first race here was in 2007 and he has many fond memories of Sri Chinmoy coming to the course to inspire all the runners. The other day he received a small prasad ginger bread that reminded him very much of something that Sri Chinmoy had given to him.
“He gave it to me from his hand. It was on the other side of the course. He opened up his hand and there was, in his hand this little ginger bread that he bought himself from the Greek Deli for us. I have really sweet stories of Guru. I can remember many little details.”
His family back home have been supportive as best they can. His Dad is a Doctor and has perhaps come to wonder,, as the years have passed, just why Atmavir keeps running the race. “My Dad said, you have done this race many times. Now you should give a chance to younger ones. Because it might effect your health in the future. I am really surrounded by people from the medical field. I realize in this case I cannot listen to them. I am really disobedient to my family. This is my spiritual family.”
“I always used to say that this was my second home. But over the years I have to change this opinion. This is my first home.”
Click to Play Interview:
Thundershowers are soon to appear but the early hours are pleasant.
Kaneenika before another long hard day.
Suprabha is visiting this weekend
She will start the race this morning.
Start Day 35
Ashprihanal is now 35 miles ahead of the record pace. He ran 75 miles yesterday.
He now has 2607 miles. Less than 500 more miles to go.
There may be more days like this.
But we all hope that happiness is always with him along the way.
Galya had 71 miles yesterday and now has 2453 miles.
A little brightness in a dark day.
Vasu also had 71 miles yesterday. He now has 2362 miles. He is 180 miles ahead of last year.
Never stopping.
A brief surprise.
Yuri had 68 miles yesterday and now has 2313 miles. He is 47 miles ahead of last year
No matter the conditions.
Never too small.
Surasa ran 63 miles yesterday. She has 2113 miles.
So Perfect
Kaneenika ran 61 miles yesterday.
Sometimes it is not so easy to smile.
But all passes so quickly.
It is worse than it looks. Nirbhasa took a tumble yesterday and bumped his head. He was almost immediately attended to by Mario who is a nurse and was a few feet away. He was evaluated and given a band aid and than he kept going.
He ran 60 miles yesterday and has 2038 miles.
The rain is not good news for runners feet.
Little things
Stutisheel had 66 miles yesterday and now has 2025 miles.
The rain came quickly.
Baladev had 44 miles yesterday.
He now has 1831 miles.
Some things look forward to the rain.
Ananda-lahari did 48 miles yesterday and has 1811 miles.
Soon all the shoes are put out to dry.
It is Nelson Mandela’s birthday and Parvati puts up an inspiring quote.
Vinaya plays a song.
Click to Play:
Kusumita is one of the regulars at the Saturday 2 mile race. She is also very disciplined about completing the entire distance, even though she has recently had to break into 2 portions. Done so that she won’t miss out on the meditation and prasad. “It is one of the important reasons I come to the race every Saturday.”
Recently she retired from teaching Religious Studies at St Francis college. I ask her how sports and religion can possibly be connected. “It is not difficult at all because religion is everything in life. Spirituality is a very important word and it is being used more and more, but it is a bit vague. Generally it refers to something inner and experiential. But religion is an entire system of philosophy, culture, institution, everything.”
“So religion in its totality is a world view. A way of looking at the world. It is also the way of life. So sport fits into the way of life.”
Kusumita says that her introduction to sports was difficult because for the early part of her life she defined herself as a book worm. “The girls school and women’s college that I went to in the 60’s, physical education for women was in the dark ages.”
“Once you establish it as a practice, than you realize how important it is. It is integral to Sri Chinmoy’s teachings, that physical fitness has to be integrally part of a spiritual path.”
“Now that I am 69 my running is extremely slow. So walking for me is very meditative.”
As for coming on other days. “I come every day. I believe it is something of the utmost significance for humanity’s progress. If people can run 3100 miles. If people can do that than we can do anything. We can have world peace. We can go to the post carbon economy. We can have universal human dignity. We can do all of that. It is self transcendence.”
“The other experience I have when I come here is the profound oneness of all the people who part of this event.”
Click to Play Interview:
Anastasia reads the Daily Prayer
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
If I could start my life
Once more,
I would take God’s Presence
In my heart
As my only Home.
Hi Utpal
thank you