Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race

43 день пробега. Сегодня парило-парило, в обед прошел дождик и погода стала прохладнее – для бега просто идеально. Все бежали замечательно, разве что Ананда-Лахари традиционно ходил, Атмавир был медленнее чем обычно, да и Ашприханал под самый вечер решил пройтись. Я сделал 60 миль и очень счастлив. Под самый вечер пробежал 2500. А у лидеров начинается пора финишей: Сарвагата закончит бег во вторник. И понеслась!

This race is full of surprises and unordinary events. After an atrociously hot day when all the runners were really cooked (Atmavir had a heat stroke), Rupantar took a decision to stop a race for one day. Nothing is going on on the course today except for heat and humidity, as it was yesterday. Everybody is enjoying a day-off before the final straight. Theoretically the race hasn’t stopped and today is day 42. Rupantar said that it would be prolonged by 2 days. It means that everybody will have to stop on day 54.

Day 41, 4.30pm It’s been a unique day. An hour ago, when the temperature was the highest, it was + 41C and 95% humidity. We’ve died and resurrected more than once today. The ones who are eager to get a new incarnation are very welcome to the 3,1000 mile race. I had run just 10 laps, when my legs got wobbly and refused to continue. At 5.40 am it was already +30C and hard to breathe because of humidity. So we knew that the day was going to be tough. Practically everybody is running slowly. Ananda-Lahari, Pradeep, Ashprihanal and myself are walking and only Surasa seem to be unaffected by weather. She has done more laps than Igor. She’s been running at her regular pace. A true iron maiden! Ashprihanal hasn’t recovered yet. He was sick at night. In the morning he didn’t run even a lap and was just walking. Ananda-Lahari and Pradeep just caught up with me and we sang a song about 3,100 mile runners by Sri Chinmoy. After singing I felt an inner smile and it felt much better. The heat also started to subside. Hopefully the evening will be more bearable. Tomorrow will be another day.

Day 40, 3:24pm The temperature is +34C and almost 100% humidity. The right conditions for self-transcendence. We had an unordinary event – a change of the race leader. Now it is Sarvagata who is leading the race. Yesterday Ashprihanal wasn’t feeling well, ran slowly, made long breaks. It turned out that he had dehydration and a heat stroke. He stayed on the course until 7.30pm, did 71 laps and then he was taken for an IV. As he was taken there in the evening, he came home at 2.30 am. Around 10 am Rupantar declared that Ashprihanal would have a day-off. He had 2800 then and very soon Sarvagata got 2800 miles too and ran further. Others are half-walking, half-running. In comparison with yesterday, I am doing fine. Yesterday I mostly walked, did only 42 miles and was very happy with the result. Kaushal said that energy losses were due to liver problems. We are working on it now. Today I am happy that, no matter how slowly, I have been still running in such hot and humid weather. The days ahead are going to be even hotter but I hope to hold up. For the first time today I put on a Solumbra sun-protection suit.

Day 39, 7:16 am. Yesterday Ashprihanal broke his previous record. For 24 days is a row he’s been running more than 70 miles a day. He got 77, 73, and 71, but it’s over 70. He is the only person in the world who can do that. Even Madhupran, the 3,100 mile world record holder, didn’t have such a consistency. Ashprihanal is running very well. Yesterday he crossed the 2700 mile mark and set a new personal record. If everything goes well, he’ll break MAdhupran’s best time, which has been a world record for quite a while. As for me, I am feeling tired (did only 54 miles yesterday). It’s hot and the forecast for the near future is +40C. Towards the end of the race the troubles come from the weather. It’s OK, we shall overcome! Everybody’s legs got thinner. I marvel at Sarvagata’s match-thin legs that do 70+miles a day. I remember that after my first 3,100 mile finish back in 2004, TV was making a program about me. In their understanding an ultrarunner is a man with iron muscles. They asked me to run and stretch for the camera. I disappointed them then. Now I’ve got a good working weight to do the job. Excess weight is gone. Purna-Samarpan quit the race on day 37 at 1984 miles.

Author Utpal 16 July It is a much different place when the Sun slips away. The heavy chore the runners bear, never an easy one, certainly never finds much additional lightness in their steps, with the inevitable arrival of the dark night. For some it offers a cool reprieve from the heat of day and an anonymity when the shadows draw so close you can almost disappear. Invisible, but not for long, at least until you hear of course the hopeful call of the counters, who always cry out, “I got you.” Read more