Day 39
Galya’s birthday was real fun! It started with all the runners congratulating him, then the Enthusiasm Awakeners joined in. A little later Nandana brought a cake, and Alakananda put in her favorite unblowable candles. Then came the phones calls from Austria from his friends and emails from Ukraine and Russia. There was so much joy! The day was hot and sticky (36C) though. The birthday boy and others did the least miles…It’s day 39 after all, and exhaustion is all too present, especially in such heat when the body perseveres and struggles at a larger scale. At night, Asprihanal crossed the 2,600 mile mark and now he’s got only 500 miles to cover. It’s such a nuisance in comparison to what has already been accomplished.
Dharbasana was hoping so much to be able to run again, but as he said, “This race is the best school for giving up all expectations”. He still has hamstring problems. Purna Samarpan has done 2,000 miles for the first time in his life. He’s been having a difficult time here. “My body is falling apart”, he jokes.
Everybody appreciated the jokes that Grahak had sent to support the runners. I remember one: a blond bear has been trapped. He chew off his forelegs and a rear paw, but still remained in the trap.