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photo by Arpan

As we see from this most luminous poem by Sri Chinmoy, every day has opportunities of various colors and degrees, like a rainbow. As expected, all of the runners have some bad days and some very good days. The days are so long for them that within each day there are many good and perhaps not so good moments. Even though the outer results may seem steady for some of the runners, the numbers that we see do not truly reflect all the challenges the runners have to endure to get to each daily goal.

Perhaps the best way to reach the daily goals is to run and walk as cheerfully as possible. Here are some of the comments that some of the runners gave as to what makes them happy and what bothers them, or what is the most difficult experience in this race and what are the nicest experiences.

Asprihanal says,”It changes. Sometimes ice cream makes you happy, some music sometimes ….You have good days bad days, just like you have good hours and bad hours….when you have a good day nothing bothers you and when you have a bad day everything bothers you.”
Continue reading “Rainbow-Opportunities”

photo by Arpan
After another moderate July weather day in New York, Grahak Cunningham and Petr Spacil both accumulated 70.24 miles to lead a pack of eight past the 60 mile barrier. Vladimir Balatskyy bolstered his fourth place standing with another 68+ mile day. Vladimir, Pranjal Milovnik, and Pushkar Mullauer all went past 2000 miles today as well.

photo by Arpan

The top three runners each ran over 70 miles today, with Grahak Cunningham edging Asprihanal Aalto by one lap (71.89 to 71.34). Mr. Aalto seems mostly recovered from his distress of last Sunday. Petr Spacil ran 70.24 miles – his third straight foray into 70+ territory and fourth in seven days. Four other lucky runners made it over 60 miles, with Vladimir Balatsky moving into fourth place with 68.05 miles. The temps were in the low 80ºs with bright sun and less humidity, but still no scorchers in the next 4 days or so.

photo by Arpan

I wish to follow up my last post called ‘Poetry In Motion’ with a poem I wrote in 2002, inspired by the 3100 mile race as I was helping the runners everyday. Sri Chinmoy seemed to like the poem as I read it out at a function on the occasion of my 50th birthday that year.

The next year, in 2003, Sri Chinmoy kindly told me that he felt I could actually run and finish the 3100 mile race. Finally overcoming fear and doubt about my own ability to do so, I trusted in his faith in me and finally ran and finished the 3100 mile race in 2004. It certainly was not easy achievement. The remarkable experience left me with a much deeper appreciation for the incredible nature of the race and of the runners’ efforts to complete it. My poem truly came to life for me as I completed the most difficult race one could ever attempt and at the same time having some incredibly meaningful spiritual moments as well.

This poem, although written before I even ran the race, intends to convey the sense of elevated and inspired Reality that pervades the race course, not only for the runners but for all that are present to help or just watch.The 3100 mile race is a world in itself, and it is a piece of this luminous and powerful world I wanted to express through this poem called:

‘Journey to the Unknown.’ Continue reading “Journey To The Unknown”

photo by Arpan
Grahak Cunningham tallied 71.89 miles and passed 2000 miles (28+17:31:38) to move much closer to the leader. Unfortunately, Asprihanal Aalto, cruising along after four weeks, suffered GI tract distress, weakness and fatigue and could only muster 14.81 miles. Meanwhile Petr Spacil reached 70 miles for the third time in a week, and Vladimir Balatsky tied Pushkar Mullauer for fifth place overall. Seven runners passed the 60 mile barrier under sunny, mild conditions.

photo by Jowan

After four weeks of running around the famous course, our intrepid runners are still holding up with verve and resolve. Petr Spacil took Day honors with a crisp 68.60 miles and eight reached 60 miles and beyond. Asprihanal Aalto still leads by nearly 108 miles and is averaging close to 73 miles per day.Rookie Vladimir Balatskyy ran 67.5 miles, his best day since Day 1!! Suprabha Beckjord passed the halfway point for the 13th consecutive year.

photo by Arpan

Poetry In Motion

Some people may not feel that running has anything to do with poetry or creativity in general. Yet Sri Chinmoy, who was an athlete of the highest order from his youth and throughout the rest of his life, also created a non-stop outpouring of creativity in the fields of visual arts, poetry, prose, plays and songs. The beauty and rhythm of many of these creations have inspired runners around the world to run, literally, around the world. For more exciting details about that kind of running you can go to the website for the World Harmony Run: http://www.worldharmonyrun.org/

For the 3100 mile runners, the poetry and rhythm are in their hearts and legs as they circle the half-mile loop daily for up to 18 hours. Sometimes they listen to music, stories or poetry on their portable Mp3 players. Other times they just create their own rhythms and poetry through their own motion and movement.

After all, the beauty and power of our own solar system comes from the circular motion of the planets around the mighty star we call the Sun. They are dedicated to the same orbit, endlessly and effortlessly, day and night with no vacation. I am sure we all have something quite profound to learn from this type of poetry in motion.

This kind of dedication is expressed simply yet powerfully in the above poem that Sri Chinmoy wrote for July 5, in 2006. He wrote a poem a day for the 3100 mile race that year. The next year he started composing songs daily for the runners and even personally performed live on various instruments on the race course. This consciousness and energy is still as powerful as ever even in Sri Chinmoy’s physical absence.

photo by Jowan

Asprihanal Aalto and Grahak Cunningham both ran 70.24 miles today to tie for Day honors. A total of six runners made it past 60 miles without much fanfare, but the strange, cooler July weather has definitely helped a runner’s chance to finish this year. Even road construction alongside the race course on the Grand Central Parkway service road did not interfere with matchless competitors.