April 23rd…. Enjoy All The Great Things

The 6 day race is less than an hour old.  I spend a few minutes running lightly with David Luljak who has not been to the race in 7 years and also with Wai Law who ran his first 6 day race here last year.

They are getting acquainted and of course realize that in the many miles ahead they will probably learn a lot about all the other competitors but perhaps even more about themselves.

I ask what kind of things they have discovered so far, and they both laugh and say that at one time they both lived in Long Island.

David tells me about one of his favorite poems written by Sri Chinmoy.  “He said to somebody during the 3100 mile race.  When this person was having a particularly bad time.”

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Perfect happiness
      Is
Enthusiasm minus expectation.

Sri Chinmoy, The God of the mind [songbook]

“I thought that was a good thing to keep in mind.  I love this race, and if I don’t expect too much than I won’t feel disappointed.  And hopefully enjoy all the great things I think about constantly whenever I run these races.”

The 10 day race of course goes on while the 6 day is about to start.  Richard Takata celebrates getting to 200 miles.

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Albena is doing her 2nd 6 day race.

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Sri Chinmoy at the start of the first 7 day race.  October 14th 1988

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Whenever we do small things
With great love,
God gives us the most
Powerful and blessingful Smile.

Continue reading “April 23rd…. Enjoy All The Great Things”

April 22nd… When I Share My Happiness

“You always hope for a little better than what you are doing.”  Sarah always has the bar set for herself very high, and for good reason.  She has won the 10 race here 3 times and is one of the best women’s multi day runner in the world.

“I wish I had put in a little more training.  But I have no complaints.”

At the end of 3 days Sarah has 213 miles, just 2 off the 215 completed by Manoshri.

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“You always come with a lot of enthusiasm but you tend to forget just how hard it is.  You definitely have these really tough moments.”

“I just love the friendship out on the course.  I think it is this shared experience.  I keep thinking that every year.  You could never do this on your own.  It is the fact that we are altogether doing it.”

“Every day I am setting a new target and every day I am failing.”  (laughs) “But what can you do.  That is when the surrender part comes in I guess.”

Richard rushes in to make his 3 day total 168

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When I share
My happiness,
I multiply it.

Continue reading “April 22nd… When I Share My Happiness”

April 21st….Everybody Smiling

“My plan was to achieve 192 miles, but I got a little carried away.”  Kobi is a just little modest about his achievement at the 10 day race as he describes his results after the first 48 hours of the race.

A few minutes earlier, just before noon he completed 200 miles.  He jokes that in the days ahead according to his plan he had no more round numbers to achieve.  Though the number 700 seems very tempting to those of us who have watched his strong performance the past 2 days.

https://vimeo.com/163760539

The above film also has an interview with Soren who completed 135 miles.  He has had some stomach issues but feels good today.

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“I am very surprised it has been very nice to meet this hospitality.  It is an extremely good race with all this support and everybody smiling,” said Soren.

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Ed is in 2nd place with 181 miles

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I smiled in my mind.
Everybody ridiculed me.

I smile in my heart.
Nobody ignores me.

I shall smile in my soul.
All will love me.

Continue reading “April 21st….Everybody Smiling”

April 20th….Everything Must Change

At 12 noon today  the first 24 hours was completed, and so Day 2 began.

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Yolanda is very happy with her 24 hour total

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Completing that first 24 hours is a big step for all the runners.

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Everything must change,
But it has to start
From deep within.

Continue reading “April 20th….Everything Must Change”

April 19th…..The Longest Journey

“One hour at a time, one day at a time, one lap at a time.  Enjoy the journey.  Find your highest capacity.  We hope to give as much as we can to help you get through this.”…..Part of pre race speech by Sahishnu.

https://vimeo.com/163476918

Each and every
Heart-dream of mine
Has the capacity
To take the highest flight
And the longest journey.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, Part 181, Agni Press, 1993

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Yolanda comes to the starting line

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Sahishnu introducing the runners

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Continue reading “April 19th…..The Longest Journey”

The Day Before….April 18th

“I have come every year since 2007, so this is my 10th year.”

Of all the runners attending the race Fred Davis 111 may be the one who has attended more of these events back to back than anyone else.

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He confesses that over the years he has never felt that he has performed as well as he is capable of doing.  His personal best over 10 days he set in 2010 when he did 505 miles.  Still at age 68 he is tirelessly enthusiastic.  Fred has completed 325 ultras over the past 34 years.

Fred says that the thing he likes most about the 6 and 10 day race here in Flushing Meadow is the contributions of all those who help and the other runners who like himself enjoy attending.

Sitting with Fred as we speak is a newcomer to the 10 day race Yolanda Holder.  She has previously completed 6 day races where her best performance has been 403 miles in the Across the Years race in Arizona.  She says that Fred has been very helpful.  “He has been telling me to take it easy.  Don’t go out too fast, because we have 4 extra days.”

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Fred who has come here from his home in Cleveland even picked Yolanda up at the airport.  “He is wonderful.  He is a blessing.”

Admitting to some pre race jitters she says her left foot has been bothering her but says that Fred tells her it is all in her head.  “I am very nervous because I haven’t gone past 6 days, 403 miles.  I don’t know what is going to happen.  Normally this is kind of normal for me.  I am kind of anxious.”

When asked what brought her here to the East coast from her home in Corona California.  “I like a challenge.  The race director invited me.  He has been following me in my 6 day race in Arizona.  He was amazed that I can power walk.”

Link to Yolanda’s website:

http://www.yolandaholder.com/#!about/c66t

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“This is challenging.  Even doing 6 days is challenging.  10 days…..we will see.”

As for a goal.  “I do see a number.  I want to break the American Women’s record which is 510.  So I definitely see 511.”  The previous mark was set in 1997 at the race here in Flushing Meadow.

Yolanda says that she has developed several plans in order to be able to do this.  “I have it on a little card because when you get tired sometimes you can’t add and you can’t think.  You can’t think properly when you are doing 6 day races.  So I wrote down every day what number I should be on.”

I tell her that Fred is the master of the pre race charts.  “I have one this year but it is a little different,” he says. “Before I used to break it down into 24 hours.  This time I have broken it down into 18 hours.  If I get behind I have 6 hours left.  My goal this year is to just stay out here.  But as you know sometimes I can disappear for a whole day.”

“This year I am not so much worried about mileage.  My goal is to be on my feet 18 hours a day.”

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Yolanda says, “he has a goal and I am going to keep on him.”

“If I am on my feet for 18 hours I can do at least 54 miles a day.  Right now my minimum goal is 540 miles.”

Click to Play:

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Continue reading “The Day Before….April 18th”

Set Up for the 6 & 10 Day Race…April 17th

Manoshri and her sister Gautami are back at the race for their 2nd year.  Helping them both this year just as she did last year is their Mom.

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For now it is mostly just the tents of the 10 day runners which are going up.

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Where the reason-cloud ends
My journey begins.
Where the doubt-poison ends
My goal begins.

The crew has been working for 4 days now setting up the village.

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Continue reading “Set Up for the 6 & 10 Day Race…April 17th”

12 Hour Walk 2016

A Photo taken at midnight on the 11th of April 1982. Sri Chinmoy along with a large group of his students participated in the 12 hour walking race on the Jamaica High School Track

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Photo by Shradha

In 1980 he participated in the 12 hour walk for the first time.  The date was April 20th. He completed 45 1/4 miles

Footage courtesy of Abakash:

God wants you to do Him a favour
Before He does you a favour.
He wants you to keep
Your heart-door open
For a few fleeting minutes,
And then, what He will do,
You know:
For hours and hours
He will walk on your life’s shore.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, Part 13, Agni Press, 1983

Early on the evening of April 12th the race is about to begin

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Pratyaya is the race director

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Sri Chinmoy walking around Jamaica High School in 2007

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The first lap

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Sri Chinmoy walking in 1980

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One person will run the marathon in two hours and another will have to exercise patience and run it in 10 or 12 hours. The race goes to the swiftest; that is one theory.

But in the inner world, the race goes to the one who has utmost patience. Because of our infinite patience, our hope of realising God will one day be manifested into reality.

— 27 October 1983

Footage Courtesy of Abakash:

In order to become an expert in any walk of life, we must needs work very hard. We also must know that no sincere effort will be in vain. Each and every sincere effort will be crowned with success, of course, at God’s own choice Hour.

Start of the North American Peace Run….2016

Sri Chinmoy once said of the Peace Run, “It is the beginning of something unprecedented and it is the beginning of something ever transcending.”

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The Peace Run is now in its 29th year, it was first inaugurated in New York in 1987.   Beginning on a day that looked and felt much like it did today.  Then on a cool bright April morning as an enthusiastic band of runners set off across America carrying a torch and attempting something new and unique..

Its’ goal being, only to inspire and include all those, young and old alike, who wanted more peace.  Not just in themselves but also in the world around them.

salil3-1200637Salil has been organizing the Peace Run for many years now.  At this mornings ceremony, he introduced a number of people who gave highlights of the Peace over the past 29 years.  Arpan read a quote from Sri Chinmoy that he said at that first ceremony.   The ceremony at time was  carried live on the Today show.

“Let us pray to God to grant us the capacity, out of his infinite bounty to sleeplessly serve the Peace aspiring world.”

“Let us pray to God to give us the most beautiful face of a oneness world family.”

“Let us pray to God to give us the most powerful heart of a Oneness World Home.”

“Let us pray to God to make us clearly see and soulfully feel that this world Peace Run is his own hearts inner choice and his own eye’s outer voice.”

Click to Play:

Highlights

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Today the run will only go about 15 miles. As far as the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

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But in just a few days the real journey out and across America and Canada begins. It will only arrive back in New York in August.

north_american_peace_run_2016_-_hr_-_square2 Continue reading “Start of the North American Peace Run….2016”

Peace Run Fishguard….March 16

The journey in Wales will become complete today.  Ireland now so close at hand patiently beckons.

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One last school, Goodwick community in Fishguard.

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A picture outside the school with Head Teacher Mr. J Jones

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Coming inside

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The story of the Peace Run explained to a new and eager audience

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It is short sweet and powerful

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It is something new but very familiar to all

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Light fills the room

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Soon it will be my turn

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It begins with me

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We can do it too.

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Mayor Councillor Richard Grosvenor

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It is not hard

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We all need peace

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We can learn so much from each other

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So simple, so easy, so important

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The light of the Peace Run has gone on now to another shore and another group of enthusiastic Peace Dreamers

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But tonight the light still burns fresh and promising in all the hearts of those who eagerly turn their gaze toward all the endless tomorrows with more hope.

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If you leave behind
Peace-fragrance on earth,
Rest assured the future world
Will be immensely benefited.