“The overwhelming feeling was relief. Coming back from so far was a relief. It was the overwhelming emotion.” William Sichel in now into his 12 day of running at the 3100 mile race and he remembers the feelings very strongly of when he last ran this race in 2014.
It was an incredible achievement not just for a runner who was 60 years old at the time, but any runner. He was more than 70 miles off the pace and with miraculous determination snatched back enough laps each day to ultimately complete the distance in 50 days and 15 hours.
For the past few years as he has matured in age William has set his sites on accumulating as many records as he can. When asked how many he received from his efforts here in 2014 he says can’t remember the number, It was 200 and something he says. His reasons for focusing on gaining records he says in part are due to simply trying to motivate himself. “It gives me long term goals to aim for.”
William says he has no plans for retirement any time soon, though he jokes that he might not be doing the 3100 again any time soon. (laughs)
Besides the records, more importantly he says, “I have become who I am through running. Personality wise and everything really. I envisage running until I can’t.
William says that he has many people around the world who are being motivated and inspired by his running this years race. He hopes they will take up their own challenges while he runs in the 3100. “People are doing anything that challenges them.”
“I have always thought, and it applies to me and everyone. You can always do a bit more than you think you can. I have applied that throughout my running career. I believe that virtually every single person can do a bit more than they think they can. I think it is a useful thing to keep in mind.”
The board at the start of Day 12
Getting ready
Vajra working on Kob
The weather
Dipali’s race tips
Kaneenika arrives
Yolanda checks her phone
Vajra leaves
A little time left
Ushika arrives
Boys
Vasu
Girls
Start Day 12
Heavy thunder showers will come off and on throughout the day
Kobi did 71 miles yesterday
He now has 814 miles
Chris is helping him this morning
He leads Vasu by 14 miles
Flower
Vasu ran 67 miles
He starts the day with 800 miles
Alexei working on Vasu’s shoes
Flower
Smarana ran 60 miles
He has 701 miles
Telling a joke with Aharan
Flower
Surasa did 61 miles
Surasa has 688 miles
Flower
William did 64 miles
He now has 683 miles
With Alan
William accessorizing Williams sandwich
Flower
Yolanda did 63 miles
Bahula working on her feet
She has 665 miles
Miles of smiles
Flower
Sopan did 60 miles
He has 655 miles
Doing well
Green leaves
Ushika did 61 miles
He now has 654 miles
Patanga is helping
Conditions will be extreme off and on all day
Flower
Kaneenika did 50 miles
She now has 642 miles
Will be changing shoes
Martina helping
Flower
Ananda-Lahari did 54 miles
He now has 643 miles
A brief shoe issue
The dark wet morning
Flower
Harita is home from the Peace Run for a few weeks
Counting
Pushkar reads the Daily poem
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
Challenges awaken
The sleeping power
Within us.
Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 35, Agni Press, 2004
thank you for the consolation and inspiration.
Thanks for sharing William’s story — very inspiring, even for us non-athletes! “Every single person can all do a bit more than they think they can…”
I am wondering if you could do a “day in the life of Vajra” article one day? When I get out to the race course by 6:30 am, he has already spent several hours out there collecting bags (and bags!) of litter along the course and setting up. To me, a true —and silent!—hero of the SCMT. I’d love to hear more about him and his own history (I believe he was a relay team member of an multi-state run as early as 1976?) as well as what he is doing every day for the 3100.
Life lessons for us every day! This really saves the summer — thank you so much, Utpal