Todor’s Finish
6Aug
Day 52…To Achieve the Goal of Goals (August 6)
utpal | Category: 3100 Mile Race 2019 | 12 Comments
With 6 days left in the race Todor was in a place no runner wants to be in at the 3100. He was off the pace by 32 miles and the finish line and his dream were quickly slipping away.
I have talked to Sahishnu and in the past there are runners who have fallen back and managed to struggle miraculously to the finish line. But he says not so late and with not so many miles.
Pick a sport and picture the miraculous goal, stepping to the plate in the 9th inning with 2 outs, or whatever nearly impossible scenario and that is exactly what Todor pulled off here over the past few days.
“It is a pretty good morning. Day 52 and I am in the mood to finish.”
Todor suggests that the hole he had been in was created purely by outer circumstances. A combination of digestion problems and other things. “It caused me trouble and reduced my speed. That is why I said to myself that no way is this going to stop me. I just have to proceed.”
What has happened has happened but he says, “what is in front of me is still the goal. So I should proceed.”
He says his solution was to change his diet to simpler foods. “The helped me to recover and have more energy. If you have good legs and good mood but do not have energy then it is not possible. It is difficult to run.”
Gradually his condition improved and he started to run faster. “Today I feel good and I hope I will finish.”
“I have had tremendous support from my friends in Bulgaria, and even from many people that I don’t know, from all over the world.” He even heard from a school teacher in Japan who was teaching the fundamentals of not giving up by using Todor as an example.
“Very interesting and very touching and that support also helped with my recovery. Just to proceed and not give up.”
“When I finish I hope I will realize all that has happened.” He feels that he has gone through a whole spectrum of life experiences.
“Now I just want to go over to the corner and do 100 more laps and we will see what will happen tonight. Keep your fingers crossed.”
Harita’s Finish
Smarana finish
The beauty of navigation devices or applications is that they, by their very technical nature, can calculate with precision which is the best way to get you to where you want to go. They make choices sometimes you might not agree with at the time but ultimately later realize that they had grabbed some information from some other remote mysterious electronic source in order to calculate the best solution.
To my knowledge no one has ever gotten lost running the 3100 mile race but I suspect each and every soul who has stepped up to the starting line has longed to reach the finish line in the easiest fastest way possible. There are unfortunately never any shortcuts other than dialing up your persistence and dedication. Something that a smartphone can not help you with at all.
Ushika did something yesterday that probably most people didn’t notice. He ran 71 miles, the most mileage he is done since his very first day at the race which was now 50 days ago. Will it help him reach the finish line? Not at all. When midnight comes tomorrow night he will still be hundreds of miles short, but his inner motivations are not definable. For there is someplace he is going that is not on any map.
photo by Dipali
When I meet Ushika this morning he and his helper Max have just performed a short comedy skit for the Enthusiasm Awakeners. “It is a good start.”
When describing Max’s help, “he is not just good he is essential.”
Max describes his role here as being part of a beautiful event. He says he made progress on many fronts. “We did a lot of plays and a lot of jokes and it helped me in a lot of ways to improve.” Meaning being more comfortable at public speaking.
Ushika says there are too many adjectives to describe his experience here this year. “Surprise, miracle. In the end, you always run out of words. It is always difficult to describe.”
“At this stage of the race you go so far out of your mind, that it is difficult to think through answers. Life becomes very simple, especially the mind. It is not the usual way to function. But instead in a very cheerful and simple frame of mind.
Sahishnu’s final weekly wrap up
Poem of the Day
When
My heart cries,
God’s Heart-Door
Opens up immediately.
Sri Chinmoy
Aug. 4th, 2006
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Daring enthusiasm and abiding cheerfulness
Can accomplish everything on earth
Without fail.
Sri Chinmoy, Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 96, Agni Press, 1983
Ananda-Lahari finish
Vasu Interview
A short interview
There are more than a few of us, those who are fans of Harita that is, who spent some portion the past few days worrying about her. The symptoms she had were the kind of spooky variety where you usually gently suggest that they should just go home and take the day off and get well.
The Self-transcendence race is however not the kind of place that the runners who come here ever simply meekly follow the breadcrumbs back home. Harita is not that kind of runner or that kind of woman.
There is a resilient toughness built into her along with a keen intellect, and I guess you better at this point add a healthy dose of poise and patience. Harita’s dad Phillip who just came today said that even as a little girl she was advanced beyond her years. As of last night she prodded and pushed a queasy body to 59 miles and seems to have found herself back in that final charge to the finish line.
“You never really know probably until the last mile. I am feeling much better for sure. I am still on track to finish within the 52 days. Which is great so I feel very blessed. I am feeling a lot better.”
During the rough spell she says she wasn’t too worried. “One part of me was. A huge part of the experience of this race is to just keep going forward. When challenges arise you face them and try to figure them out. Do your best and have faith, that everything will work out.”
“I was a bit sick but it wasn’t different than other challenges at the race.”
“Every day is so big. I really want to absorb everything at the end of the race. Right now I am having the experience of today. I definitely have had a lot of hard times, challenging times, and really beautiful times as well.”
Harita says that she is not one who has high revelatory experiences. I just feel so grateful for the opportunity to be able to serve God in his own way and really be at the forefront of my own capacity.”
“I think so often in our lives, that we fashion ourselves to be well within our comfort zone. It is only when you challenge those comfort zones that you find real fulfillment, but some times you can trick yourself into what a real challenge is. This race is definitely a real challenge. It brings out a lot of things in me that are challenging but also so extremely rewarding.”
“Some of the nicest moments are running at night, when it is really peaceful, and dark and quiet. You feel like it is just you and your breath. The sky and stars. It is so unusual and yet so profoundly normal feeling at the same time.”
