Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race

This morning Kaneenika got a sweet surprise.  While she was passing Parvati and the Enthusiasm Awakeners, Parvati stepped out to hand her a picture.  It was taken, at best guess 11 years ago, when Sri Chinmoy used to come to the race each morning and teach the girls a new song. In the photo Kaneenika is across the street watching, arms comfortably folded, and wearing a Sri Chinmoy Marathon team shirt.  Her days of watching of course are long over.  This is her 3rd summer here and as she starts the day here she is 310 miles away from doing something historic.  Setting a new world record for women at the Self Transcendence 3100 mile race. This morning as we are talking and the subject of this great ordeal nearly being over comes up.  She feels that, “There is a time to start and a time to finish.” “You have to do things a day at a time, actually even a lap at a time.  But there are things that are surprising me.  I have had experiences in the previous races when you feel like you can’t go on.  This is it.  How can I possibly make another step and then something happens and you are running again.” “It is definitely all about the miracles and grace out here.” Continue

Archived – click Post Title to view all. A conversation with Ananda-Lahari as he makes his way around the course is always for me a great wake up call.  A crystal clear reminder of how beautiful and simple life can be when you dedicate yourself, as he has done now for 13 years, to the 3100 mile race.  Doing some pretty basic math, that means by the time August rolls around he will have spent nearly 2 years of his life going around the loop.  Doing one of the simplest things a human body can do, move forward. It is a journey that he seems to never grow tired of, refrains from complaining audibly, though I am pretty sure his love of the course and the event is such that the grumbling words are not there any way.  He seems to have an almost complete absence of negativity of any kind.  He seems to be simply immune to such negative thoughts and feelings.  Thus they can find nothing to cling to, either in his mind or in his heart. I asked him this morning if some days are better than others.  “Yes, just like in life.  Some days are better and some are worse.”  I follow this up with what makes a bad day.  He ponders this for a moment.  “We have to go beyond.  Actually there are no bad days.  So I was wrong. (smiles) There is only a wrong attitude.” As for what makes a good day, “when I can cry sleeplessly for God.” He doesn’t know for sure…

Archived – click Post Title to view all. Nirbhasa starts day 21 with 1300 well run miles and now a clear glimpse of the halfway point which is about 4 days away just now.  Vasu, who is in first place has about a full day of running between them.  Smarana in third is about a day behind.  For Nirbhasa it is now most definitely about enjoying the experience as much as he can.  Soon enough he will be making one last dash up 84 th ave and crossing the finish line. “You know day 21 is the same as day 1.  You just take each day as it comes and stay in the moment.  You know of course if you do 1,000 miles or 1,300 miles it is really nice. It shows that you have made some progress.  That somehow the goal is not such a far cry anymore.” “But really it is not the accumulation of distance it is what you do inwardly here that counts.  When you wake up every day that is what you try and work on.” “I have been making the daily mileage requirement every day.  That is quite  nice.  Obviously it seems my body is adjusted to the race this year.  In a way that it wasn’t 2 years ago.  So it is nice to not to have to think too much about that.  Because if you just go a certain speed.  Then not think too much about laps or miles.  You are happy.  You are on a certain speed.  Then you can just keep…

Just last year Yuri was running the Self Transcendence 3100 mile race for his 4th straight year. In what was perhaps an unexpected turn of events, Yuri won the race in 46 days and 1 hour. In another unexpected turn of events he is once again back here at the race but this time as an early morning set up man. Before the sun peaks its light over the rim of Thomas Edison High school he is pulling chairs and gear out of the trailers and getting the camp ready for a long long day for the 10 runners entered in this years race. Continue reading

Archived – click Post Title to view all. Sometime late this morning Nidhruvi will be the 9th of the 10 runners to pass the 1,000 mile mark.  For most of us this would be an achievement of a lifetime but for Nidhruvi it is just one very early milestone on the way to achieving the ultimate goal of 3100 miles.  As it is still only day 19, and with 33 more potential days to recover missing miles ahead.  It is still way too early to say that the ultimate goal for her cannot be reached. Something much more interesting is happening for Nidhruvi here than can be observed on lap sheets and score boards.  She tells me that before she even came a Doctor in Austria did not have much hope that her knees would do her bidding.  He recommended that she wear heavy knee supports.  Ones that may have relieved stress but would have most certainly been uncomfortable and encumbered her running. As she talks about different maladies that have made her acquaintance over the past 19 days she is not gloomy whatsoever.  These crippling problems she has learned to somehow to not be a prisoner to them.  Recognize that yes, they are there, but then let go.  To remove the strangle hold of fear and doubt from the equation.  Let the Supreme do his job in and through her, and on her part be an instrument. I ask Nidhruvi if she is having problems today.  “No not really.  It is always up and down.  There are always some challenges…

Archived – click Post Title to view all. Late this morning Andrey Andreev will complete 1000 miles here at the Self Transcendence race.  It is an incredible achievement since prior to this moment the furthest he has ever run before is 627 miles.  The people in camp will bring out a box of small brass bells which will be rung vigorously.  There will be shouts of appreciation, photos will be taken, but Andrey cannot stop for long.  He still has a long long way left to go. All the runners are under the watch of a fearsome schedule, particularly those who have dropped below the rate they need to finish.  For them they have the arduous additional responsibility of gaining back miles in order to reach the goal.  Andrey started out needing to do 109 laps a day.  Now because of some low mileage days he needs 111 laps which he was able to do yesterday. When we speak this morning he tells me he feels amazing.  When we talked last he mentioned that he was working on staying happy more.  I asked how that was working out for him.  “Hmmmmm, maybe not completely.” “I am trying to be happy by sleeping more (jokes).  I am keeping my eye on my miles in order to beat the deadline.  This doesn’t allow me to be completely happy because so far I am a little behind the deadline.” “I like everything about the race.  I like the place itself.” “Although I don’t know exactly all the rules of the game, I still like to play…

Archived – click Post Title to view all. Yolanda is a perfect example of a person you need to spend more time with to understand them just a little better.  From a first impression you cannot help but be impressed with how much effort she puts into her race attire.   Now, in the 17th day of the race there have thus far been no repeats and when asked whether she has 52 outfits for each day of the race she is a little vague.  But I can gather from our talk that at least 30 days will likely pass and none will be repeated.   When you search even just a little beyond her outer appearance you cannot help but be impressed with her inner strength and beauty.  Here the inner person, is for me at least, much more appealing and interesting.  Beauty beyond all the well color coordinated outfits. Her intensity and steadfast dedication to this impossible event is spectacularly beautiful and inspiring. Not being anywhere near a trained psychologist I suspect that what Yolanda has in amazing quantities is simply grit. Which defined by Wikipedia says is, ‘ a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual’s passion for a particular long-term goal or end state, coupled with a powerful motivation to achieve their respective objective. “Day 17, 962 miles.”  Yolanda is keeping incredible focus, as really all the runners do, on her progress.  She has a cushion at this point but there is still a long way to go.  Late this afternoon she will make 1,000 miles and I ask her if she paid any…