Self-Transcendencer 3100 Mile Race Posts 2007

Due to server problems I had to stop using the blog and transfer posting to Multidayrunning.com.

That blog is now discontinued and all activity takes place at Multidays.com.

Whether or not I shall keep a blog during the 2007 3100 mile race will depend on how much training I get in between now and then. The more training - the less blogging.

For all news about the race visit:

Multidays.com and the race website, srichinmoyraces.org

Day 29

Srdjan hit 2000 today amid heat and a Handball Tournament. The playground also seemed extra busy.

I managed 93 laps today after a good couple of hours in the morning. However a problem with my back quickly deteriorated my performance which ground to a halt by 9 am. Trishul was on hand to massage the afflicted area and it did help for a little while before plunging me back into the abyss. However things were never really as bad as they seemed and I got to 50 miles and came home a little earlier than usual.

Day 28

Great day. 100 laps and still alive. The recovery is underway. Today will show how things have improved. The weather has been great although this morning seems a little humid already.

Reuters came yesterday to do a story. There has been more press and TV this time than ever before. Madhuprans performance so far is one of legend.

Day 27

Today I felt like some corner had been turned even though I only managed 83 laps. Yet those laps were finished in a much more positive and relaxed state.

Day 26

"Tonight half the cake has been eaten" said Rainhald, as I prepared for my final lap of the day. It seems to have come very quickly and tomorrow Madhupran will hit 2000 miles.

Today worst became normal as I struggled to hit 84 laps. The Chiropractor came today and had a look at the major issues but by mid-afternoon things ground to a depressingly painful halt. This is where the race really begins. Getting beyond this problem is now the meaning of my life.

The weather is cloudy and cooler which is a blessing and is supposed to remain for several days.

Day 25

My problem with my quad/ham issue continued slowing me even further to 80 laps. Rathin experienced a similar kind of mileage day.
The morning rain was torrential for a while and continued wet for several hours until the afternoon. The top runners continue to impress.

Day 24

One of the reasons for this blog is to enable me to remember what happened after the race is finished.
Today was not a good day. In fact I can regard this as the worst day in some respects so far. On the second lap of the day I felt something tighten very quickly in the upper quad region followed almost immediately by the hamstring tightening - that was it for the rest of the day and I only completed 83 laps.
I haven't stretched at all, so maybe that was part of the problem and also perhaps I was moving a little too fast, not in touch with my body. Whatever it was it turned into one of those "special"days.

Day 23

The day number gets confusing as sometimes I post in the morning and cant think without coffe in my blood.

So, another roaster, though it cooled off early tonight. Madhupran hit 75 miles for the day, 137 laps I think and Asprihanal was a little short.

Those people still trying for 51 days all maintained there levels today. Stutisheel had a poor day after a run of 114 laps. Suprabhs hit 96, Rathin continued his climb off the bottom of the pile to be replaced by Suprabha. I managed 108 laps.

Rainald counted the number of steps on the course and said it was about a 1000 per lap...

Day 21

I'm not sure what day it is anymore. I know it's Sunday. It was very hot today and humid - just like they predicted.
Madhupran ran 75 miles today and Asprihanal took the day's honours with 77. Phenomenal performances.
I hit 100 laps for the first time in a while.

Day Whatever

These last few days have been tougher and tougher and gets a 2 out of 10 only because somehow I made it to 96 laps. Today was a new emotional low and fortunately some people took pictures so there is evidence to support my position. I arrived just as the runners were starting so had no time to tape my arches but lost no time. However within a few laps it was clear that I was struggling and having to expend more energy just to hit 6LPH. My quads were complaining and when I pushed, shins began to grumble. By mid-morning my arches had gone again and I had to stop and tape both feet. Yesterdays taping had left me a blister or two to go with the daily crew that arrive. Although small-ish, I don't think I've ever had so many blisters.
The arch problems stem from the Asics, which is not good news. In fact it meant that today I used my last pair of new shoes - New Balance 856's - All donations of NB 857 4E gratefully accpted.

Apart from me Madhupran took the days honours for the first time in quite a few days. Asprihanal didnt quite have the power today.
Suprabha hit a 100 and Rathin made it all the way for 2 days in a row.


Helmut Schieke celebrates his 67thbirthday.

Day 20

Perfect running conditions helped everyone today except for a storm just before 9. Its getting hard to write at night at the moment and emotionally yesterday was not a good day. After seeming to work hard all day, the evening seemed to fal apart. The previous day had been very poor until 4:30 and then had a great turn to finish with 97 laps.

Madhupran seems to have foiund his game again.

Day 19

Reached 1000 miles today. Madhupran has continued his recovery with 131 laps.

Day 18

Day 18 began in a furious storm with high winds and rain lashing the camp and the runners and prevented runners from accumulating their usual mileages.
The winds died down by mid-morning and the temps and humidity began to rise again.

Madhupran is still recovering from his stomach problem and Asprihanal ran hard all day to take advantage. Martin struggled with an uncomfortable blister and Rainald and Rathin contiued to make good mileages as did Suprabha.

Madhupran's helper, Helmut Schieke was 67 today and there was an ice-cream cake to celebrate.

RTL, the German TV station came today, Ted Corbitt came out to the race the day before

Day 16

Madhupran hits 80+ miles and Asprihanal completes a week of 70+ miles. It's tremendously inspiring to be with these runners.

Day 15

Asprihanal moved into second place today with another awesome performance - 80 miles despite some heavy rain showers early in the day.

Day 14

Camp was abuzz tonight as Asprihanal took the days honours with 79 miles - 2 laps or so ahead of Madhupran and cutting the gap between him and Srdjan, still in second place and who topped out at 72 miles today, by some 6 miles.

The rain came again today. Fortunately the showers were relatively short-lived. The humidity was very high all day and the forecast is for more of this over the next 4-5 days.

I am still ahead of 2004's position - by 600 metres



Hans-Jurgen Schlotter

Day 13

Madhupran reached a 1000 miles tonight, about 10:30 ish. Srdjan escaped tonight on 903 and Asprihanal had another good day to maintain third spot.

After threatening for some time, the rain finally arrived about 11:30 tonight and I left in a thunderous downpour. The high humidity today no doubt affected some with Rathin continuing his recovery after his good day on Day 11. Tsvetan has a little Achilles problem, Rainalds knee is improving. Pranab and Martin are doing well and Smarana also had to take it a little easier today.

Day 12

Not so easr

Day 11

Kuranga withdraws from the race while Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk continues to pile up the miles with 781 after 10 days and a 478 6 day split. Srdjan Stojanovich lies second and Asprihanal Aalto is third.

The warm weather continues.

There seems to be a problem reaching the SriChinmoyRaces.org site.

The 10th Day

Several musicians come and play at various places and times around the course. Here we have Virendra playing drums and it immediately reminded me of a movie where this band was playing in such a rough dive that the stage was inside a cage.

Anyway, Premik came later with his Sax and played some entertaining songs.

The warm weather was here again today and somehow the day was particularly difficult and I finished grateful to have been able to cover 50 miles. Hans-Jurgen had a good day and seems to have recovered from his shin-splints.


Just before I left tonight I shot the scoreboard. Right-click for bigger image.

Day 9

Tonight I finished 100 laps with 5 miutes to spare. I have to thank Sundar and Dusan for dragging me out of the van with 8 laps and 75 minutes to go. I completely crashed out. Then, with 5 laps or so to go when I was shuffling around, 85% asleep, Smarana took me by the hand and encouraged me to go "A little faster" and I finally did it. Its great to reach goals, however humble.

Madhupran continues to impress with another great day - I didn't check the scoreboard so I don't know for sure who is where. It was a lot cooler today and escaped with a light shower in the evening.

Medur said he will put some photos up on the race site. As soon as I find a link I will post it.

Day 8

The temperatures rose higher today but fortunately the humidity is still fairly low. The 10 day says that there will be t-storms and rain for 9 out of the next 10 days so a change is due any moment.

Rainald and Stutisheel were slowed yesterday through injury and the course was busy with visitors yesterday, Sunday.

I am still ahead of previous races but getting the mileage up to 111 per day is very difficult.

Knees have been bothering me over the last few days interspersed with sore shins. Madhupran is still roaring away with the lead but no-one escapes "issues".

Day 5

Martin and Pranab are continuing their great start to the race, though others struggled a bit today. Hans Jurgen has shin splints and was also feeling the heat today which though a little warmer only had 28 % humidity this morning, according to Chanakhya. Asprihanal had a better day, Rathin and I hung in there for the bare minimum (BM).

Pradahan came today for a day or so and lots of other visitors came by.

My love affair with Fix You continues unabated

---

Miles: Today - 50

Miles:Total - 281

Problems: Knees,

Severity: 7

Temps: lo 80's, cool in the eve

Mood: Middling cheerful

Light in the Dark

Well, maybe it's not really that bad but could only manage 50 miles today. The morning was ok but in the early afternoon my knees gradually began to seize and by late afternoon I was getting concerned enough to consider a return to the matrix. Suprabha and Rathin lapped me depressingly often and continued to do so all evening. I had this problem last year as well as the same back issue. I don't remember how I fixed the knee thing, which could be a real help now. I took some Iron, Adrenal Support and a couple k of Vit C but they're still very stiff.

Chanakhya said that I was ahead of my mileage in previous races which is good.

---

Problems: Knees, blisters

Severity: 8, 2

Temps: moderate, cool in the eve

Mood: Thank God for the Matrix

Fix You

I dont know how I missed it but I've only just become aware of this song.
In a moment of desperation today I reached for my new MuVo and one of the first tracks that came on was Fix You. Its starts kind of slow, then there's a guitar bit, then there's this Moody Blue's-ish harmony section. I played it again. And again, over and over for about an hour. I took a break and came back out and continued to play it until a quarter to midnight. Now I've just found this on YouTube. I can' t put my finger on what it is but its about loss and separation and a bleeding heart. I'm a sucker for bleeding heart music. I call it Mourn.

Anyway today was another slide toward the bottom of the barrel. My back was killing me yesterday and today was a replay... until...












Anyway short term solutions sometimes help and I eventually made it to 100 laps. As did Rathin as it turned out and Suprabha scored 101 which is a good sign. Madhupran has established a lead over Kuranga. Hans Jurgen has shin splints but still managed a good day. Stutisheel finished strongly tonight.

What a difference a day makes

Multiday races are always full of surprises. Only Martin, Pranab and maybe Kuranga seem to have escaped unscathed by the end of Day 2 from the rigours of the race. Madhupran nevertheless blasted out over 75 miles to take the lead. Several of us today commented on the acclimatisation process. "Yes. It'll take us two weeks before we've really settled down". Of course.
Its amazing how all the little details get forgotten about and they return like long lost friends to accompany us again.

First Day

So thats it. Day 1 for me yielded 124 laps. Madhupran and Kauranga got off to a great start

Last day

Pictured are Chanakhya and Shishaldin, who both ran the 6 day race in April/May and came to checkout the course yesterday.
The weather is still cool which is good - weather.com gives a 10 day forecast predicting temps. in the mid 70's, although there will be some rain about.

Yesterday I bought a Creative MuVo and we will see how it holds up to the rigours of the race. I have been wanting to get an iriver but they're still a bit pricey.

I will be going in to the race with some new shoes. My basic stash is
Asics 2100, I have 6 pairs of those,
Asics Evolution
NB 856
NB857 2 pairs and
Brooks Addiction,
plus odds and ends lying around. The 2100's last about 3-4 days and hopefully the others a little longer. I will probably need 1 or 2 more pairs at the end of the race.

Run and Become in Victoria, London have been very supportive and generous and I am very grateful for all their kindness.

Cool June

There's been a lot of rain over the last week or so and its quite cool here at the moment which is great news as the start approaches. The intense heat and high humidity make not only the days uncomfortable but also the nights. I'm sure though it will warm up in July.

Rathin arrived yesterday, Madhupran comes today.

I saw Trishul a few days ago. He always has a positive outlook which is very helpful. This months UR magazine discusses the link between the mind and the body and drew out some interesting points. However they didn't dig to the roots of the runners faith. Faith is kind of a Christian word in my mind but beyond that, its structural importance in the psyche is very significant. Maybe they'll get to that another time.

2006 Self-Transcendence 3100

I had been planning to blog on the main blog but since people have been returning to this site I will keep this page going.

Just a week to go before the race begins. Already the runners are beginning to arrive - I spotted Ananda-Lahari last night.

There is a list of runners available on the 3100 site.

The weather is forecast to be fairly moderate for the next 10 days or so with temps in the mid 70's. Last years first three days were roasters. Threw us in at the deep end.

Face off: NB856 vs Asics 2100

I have been running in New Balance for years now with occasional head turns in moments of panic.
So my last long run was something of a surprise when I ran 10 miles last Sunday in the Asics to discover the personality of the shoe. Not only is it a smaller, lighter shoe but it is a faster shoe. It's design makes me want to run fast. The NB is a heavy shoe for the heavier runner and have lots of support in the places that a big, heavy runner moving slowly will need: Its a slow shoe. This is a real revelation. I am a little on the heavier side, last weigh was 180, but the usual reason I wear the 854/856's is because of the awesome comfort they provide especially during a race. They break in very quickly and the cushioning lasts. My only problem is the heel wear (see Sept. 16th) which means the shoes last no more than three days. Somehow I have to develop a new style that minimises this drag. It will save me hundreds of dollars.

The Other Blog

Most activity is happening on the Bravenet blog at the moment. Todays posting is a little look at the shoe problem I have had for the last 3 years. Part of the problem is the concrete and last year, after kindly waiting for us to finish the race, a substantial part of the course was replaced with fresh concrete which is very rough in places and extremely abrasive for running shoes. However we all survived to tell the tale and will be back next year to see how many more shoes we can go through in 64 days.

Checkout The Other Blog

The Medical Aspect

Pradhan (left) and Vajra

Pradhan Balter travels 1000 miles a week from Chicago to New York to help the 3100 runners. We asked for his thoughts about the race and they will be included in a small magazine we are putting together to commemorate this years event.

"The 3100 mile race is an absolutely phenomenal event and each of the runners who participate are doing something which is also phenomenal, inconceivable almost from a mental stand point. From a medical stand point it is interesting to watch and it’s also interesting to participate in. First of all from a deeply personal stand point by virtue of having the opportunity to treat each of the runners you really feel part of their experience and you feel glory in their success and it really is very joyful for me to see each of these runners finish and their accomplishment feeds me tremendously.
Secondly also from a physical stand point it’s interesting to see runners coming in with injuries which would stop them in a normal course of events, severe shin splints, blisters these are the kinds of things which if you are working that day you would call your boss and say I can’t come in today yet the runners persevere and run through these injuries and resolve them themselves and I have to use the term miraculously resolve them themselves. The physical surrenders to the determination of the runner and instead of imposing it’s will, it surrenders to the will of the runner who says “I know that you are injured but you have to heal yourself so that we can continue in this incredible task” and it does. It’s just amazing. I’m watching shin splints disappear in two three days or at worst two weeks and afterwards they are running and they are running really well. I see blisters disappear and infections come and go. You will see a runner come and have absolutely no life energy and the next day he is putting in more laps than everybody else."

Multiday hosting is a feat in itself Pt 2

This was the tenth year of the race on this site. The first race was the inaugural 2,700 and since then as the number of runners has increased so has the nature of the facilities provided also evolved. In this years race there were three vans that have been kitted out with a bed and lockers for daily gear storage carpeted of course. On the roof was a retractable awning that served as shelter from the sun and from the storm. These customisations were carried out by Bipin, pictured here. There are also two trailers attached to vans. One contains chairs, tools, cooler, ice and food storage and the other was the medical trailer where the foldable benches were stored. At midnight everything was broken down into smaller parts, stored in the vans and driven off for the night and brought back at 5:45 the next morning. Breakdown required 3-4 volounteers each night to ensure a quick getaway after the long shift.
4 Porto-sans had to be organised and taken care of and Bipin fitted a small sink to the end one and runners were able to keep hands clean. Very important.
Medical care was provided by a small but dedicated group of personnel. Pradhan, Vajra, Tejaswi, Mitch, Aklanta and a crew of ladies who took care of Suprabha everyday.
Then their was the website updates that Sahishnu took care of when he got home after the evening shift and the results that we recieved each morning of the previous days progress.
Permits from the Parks dept. and the necessary paperwork/permissions that can take Sandhani a lot of running around plus accomodation for the runners all summer. Then at the end of the race there's the design and production of the t-shirts, awards, certificates, photo albums.

This level of support has been a hallmark of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team races over the years and is unparalled.

Multiday hosting is a feat in itself

Counters came from Florida

One of the main reasons that there are so few multiday races is the amount of logistics involved. Hosting a multiday event requires a crew of people to take care of all the details necessary and there are a lot of man hours to cover especially in the 3100. Running time for this years race amounts to 1138 hours. For most of the race this required 2 counters at all times to record the runners laps. The counting day was split into three shifts.
Three Race Directors split the day into 3 shifts. There were four cooks preparing three meals a day. They also made soup and snacks between lunch and dinner and late evening snacks as well. Plus of course miscellaneous items that visitors brought and ice cream. The RD's made sure that the water table was always stocked with water in cups which had to be imported in large containers several times a day plus snacks like fresh fruit and cookies, chips etc.

To bel be continued.

Walking and Running

Aid station from behind the fence.
Some people do spend time walking but it is difficult to walk 50 miles everyday, which is why 50 miles used to be the daily minimum. If you look closely at what the runner has to do to complete his mileage a clearer picture can be seen. The day is 18 hours long so from that deduct all things that a person has to do to live on the track for 2 months.

Bathroom stops

Depending on the food there can be between 2-5 stops for the bowels plus from 5-10 urine stops.(1 min per hr)

Skin protection procedures.

This includes prevention and treatment of blisters and hotspots. Chafing prevention. Sun protection.(1 min per hr)

Changing

It is often necessary to change clothes or shoes. After the first day when the feet have increased by one or two sizes often the shoes have to be customised. Also the changing weather conditions often require appropriate protection.(1 min per hr)

Food and water

Intake of calories is on an enhanced level - 5-10k per day. Assessing whats available from the table and matching that with the bodies desires/needs,putting food into cups to eat whilst moving still takes time.(2 mins per hr)

Rest

Most runners take short breaks throughout the day from 10-30 minutes broken into varying sizes. This totals a minimum of 70 minutes a day of absolute basics.

Most runners have about 16 hours a day give or take a few minutes.

Every day is different but all of the above have to be factored in for the basic issues. Other things can and do develop; for example, injuries. The course of the 3100 is completely on concrete which is an extremely hard surface to spend one's day plus the concrete wears the shoes away very quickly which can also lead to stress injuries. Every runner has some physical issue over the duration of the race and shin splints is not uncommon plus a host of repetitive use problems that occasionally arise

So this requires about 3.1 miles an hour to cover 50 a day and 3.8 to cover the 61 to finish in 51 days. This is the basic without having to deal with any extra problems.

The Award Ceremony

The 2005 Self-Transcendence runners













With the race founder Sri Chinmoy













Srdjan Stojanonich receives the winners trophy

Sri Chinmoy gave a short talk to the runners and one of the things he mentioned was the importance of smiling. Recently Sri Chinmoy said that a smile meant new energy and new life and this could help the runners when they were feeling a little down.

Todays pictures courtesy of Adarini Inkei

The end plus one

Now that the race is over, the recovery begins, especially for Suprabha and as we work our way back up the list of finishers the runners are getting stronger and stronger. Srdjan finished almost 3 weeks ago now. Tonight there will be the official ceremony to present the awards.

Mitchell Proffman is a Chiropractor who donated his services to the race free and he wrote a short article about his experience that can be found on the Sri Chinmoy Races site.


Tsvetan beside a scoreboard that records a remarkable achievement. Think you could run 3100 miles? Less than 10 months before the next 3100 mile race starts.

Day 64

Suprabha completes the picture, gets her cake and she gets to eat it as she celebrates running 3100 miles for the 9th time.

Day 63

The penultimate day and the temperatures are getting even higher hitting 100 degrees at La Guardia.
Here Suprabha is being taken of by long time friend, Shadri.

Day 62

Suprabha and Chakori


The 2005 Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race will end when Suprabha crosses the finish line at approximately 10:30 on Sunday morning.

The temperature is said to feel like 97 degrees this afternoon and an hour ago I took this shot of Suprabha stuffing ice into her cap to keep her head cool as she continues her journey to her steadily approaching goal.

Able to relax for a few minutes I listened to the cicadas in the trees with their wave-like whirrings while the ground is littered with dry, brown leaves in what was the medical area, shaded now in the late afternoon sun. Suprabha, passes by with 76 miles to go, alone now in her seeking to reach her goal of a ninth consecutive finish out of nine editions of this race plus the original 2,700 giving 30,600 miles in total. This is a race that reaches beyond the minds ability to comprehend into the ever-presence of the heart which feeds the life-quest of the being. And all this on a concrete sidewalk a litle over half a mile long in the heart of Queens, New York.

Day 61

Sarah and Suprabha


Suprabha moves closer and closer to her finish in tough conditions. Todays high was 95. Tomorrow will be a little cooler but humidity is still on the high side - 50% now and 70% tonight and possibly 80% tomorrow.

This race has been different in many respects from the previous races that I have run. As well as there being a record number of finishers, the race founder Sri Chinmoy has made regular visits to the race to encourage the runners. This race is a spiritual exercise as well as a physical challenge and this brief excerpt from a talk on Self-Transcendence illustrates the point.

"There is a royal road that leads to self transcendence. That road is our surrender, our conscious, unconditional surrender to the Will of the Absolute Supreme."
Sri Chinmoy

Day 60

A very happy Martin Milovnik finished the 3100 mile and 5000 km distance tonight.This makes him the 12th finisher and during this race went beyond 870 miles for the first time. Martin had a great race and checkout his mileage chart on the Sri Chinmoy races site and you can see clearly how it went for him.

Some people manage to run the race and not get any injuries. That itself is a miracle. Plus all the male starters finished except for Kuranga who stopped after Day 3 - everyone else weathered the storms, inner and outer to make this the most successful edition in the race's 9 year history.

Our thoughts and attention turn at last to Suprabha who had accumulated 2944 miles when this shot was taken. She will finish on Sunday morning after a long race which began with her only having run once since last year due to a knee injury. Her strength, faith and determination make Suprabha indeed the 3100 Queen.

Day 59 - 5000 km's later

3100 miles and 5000 km completed this morning. My part in this play has ended and now I am a spectator encouraging the remaining runners to their goals. Later this afternoon Robert, pictured here this morning, will reach 3100.
The weather has changed over the last few days since the intense heat and humidity finally broke. There is a dryness around the course. Leaves are falling in the breezes from the Plane trees which are the most common trees around the course. The grass by the school has largely turned brown and the playing field in the photo is losing its greenness. It hasn't rained much recently - a blessing for the runners feet, though most blisters have healed up by now.

Day 58

So, many thanks to all the crew members especially to Chankhya who has devotedly and at his own cost, brought me a cup of coffee and a muffin every day for 2 months. Sri Chinmoy was present at the finish to my great fortune and I truly feel gratitude at being able to complete this race, his vision, for the second time.
Tomorrow I will finish the extra laps to reach 5000 km.

Day 57

Rathin makes it home.

Four of us left and I finish the day with 78 laps to complete to make it 3100.

Day 56

Trishul finished his 5000 km in the morning just before the 2 mile race. Rathin moved closer to the Golden Shore as the crowds subsided and the camp enters a peaceful stage. Saturdays are usually quiet in the neighborhood.

Day 55

Three finishers today. First up was Pranab who roared around the track for a few hours this morning shortly before Stutisheel crossed the line for the last time, this year. Late tonight, about 11 p.m. Trishul Cherns celebrated his third finish with Dart the dog and a few friends gathered to honour the great Canadian runner's tremendous achievement.
In the house today was Pradhan who came from Chicago to help us out in medical and got me going again.

Day 54

Big surprise today when Pranab caught up to Stutisheel. Hot day and 3 people scheduled to reach 3100 miles tomorrow. Bodies getting thin on the ground now that 5 have finished yet the energy was great today.

Managed 103 laps today in a brand new pair of Brookes Beast. The sole on the shoes is very durable on the rough concrete and last about a week. A little heavy but highly recommended for this kind of event.

Pranab getting serious

Day 53

Hi

Day 52

Bulgarian multiday running champion, 24 year old Tsvetan Tsekov, tonight became the youngest ever finisher of the 3100, taking the record off Rainhald who held the record for a mere 24 hours.

Day 51

Smarana crosses the line to complete his 4th 3100 mile race while first and second place finishers hold the tape. Fellow Austrian, Rainhald Pobitzer finished late in the evening on his debut at this distance. A tremendous performance from the word go. Well done guys.







First four runners home. Left to right are Smarana, Rainald, Srdjan and Asprihanal.

Day 50

Asprihanal Aalto finished this afternoon at 4:30.


The temperatures have cooled for the last few days and the runners can see the finish line from afar though some will be out there for some time to come.

Day 49

Server problems beyond my control have been preventing me from updating this journal but now it looks like those problems have been resolved.

Srdjan Stojanovich, 42, from Nish, Serbia-Montenegro wins the 2005 Self Transcendence 3100 mile race in 46 days+10:51:16.

Day 45

The Server is down unfortunately so this is a draft.

Hot day again but somehow we seem to be able to deal with it. Srdjan is closing in on the goal - as we all are - and will finish on Thursday. Asprihanal predicts he will finish late on Sunday night.

Day 42

Another good day for me. Finished with 104. Fingers crossed for tomorrow. Weather is good. Humidity is ok.

Using Brookes Beast shoes for the next few days.

Day 41

Martin Milovnik

Interesting day in many ways. Received a little package from friends in Cardiff - many thanks to Fran, Roger, Steph and the crew at Run and Become. Squeezed pasr Robert to move up a place in the leaderboard, saw Ultrarunning magazine and my first article in that august publication is an interview I did with Dipali and finally forced Trishul to take the Bronze as I win the day in the CG.

Day 40

Rainald Pobitzer

Another hot day ads the heatwave continues but today went over 2100 and now have some 990 miles left - a three figure number. The long countdown has begun. Srdjan will probably finish next Thursday and Asprihanal has some 9 days to go. The end is in sight at last.

Day 39

Robert is having a great first race despite his current injury.

Scraped into 92 laps again today. Tough day led to a massage from Vajra, treatment with Dr. Li and spiritual blessings from the race founder, Sri Chinmoy, who came by and practised playing his Blue Violin.
Humidity is down a little and plenty of blue sky. Srdjan has about a week or so to go. Suprabha reaches 2000 tomorrow.
Also have to thank Vijaya and Ahelee for their compassionate understanding.

Day 38

Tsvetan's post coffee smile

Hot hot hot!!! And humid. But no rain.
Today hit the 2000 mile point for the third time in my life. At the current rate I will need 59 days to finish 3100 miles.

Day 37

Asprihanal about to perform his Parrot impression

Hot and humid and something of a recovery day.
The race has stabilised into a holding pattern after 5 weeks and the days still seem to pass fairly quickly and we are begining to think of post race activities again.

Day 36

Stutisheel and his daughter Nastia

Very humid day today. Overcast almost the whole day and a T-storm that began at 7:30 a.m. and finished at 10: a.m.
Not wanting to run during the storm, I walked and by noon was under target. However the afternoon improved somehow and I hit 70 laps by 6:p.m. and finished the day with 104 laps which is just over 57 miles for the day.

Nick Palazzo came by in the evening having just returned from Vermont 100 mile race and said that Ritchie Innormorato will be holding his last race later in the year: a 100 miler run over the 3 days of a weekend in 3 parks in New York City.
Checkout the New York Ultra scene for more info

Day 35

Sri Chinmoy looks at the daily results with Ted Corbitt and Race Director Rupantar LaRusso

94 laps again today. We will see in the morning how everyone fared today. Suprabha looks like she will take 61-62 days to finish at her current pace and I should finish 2 days prior to that if I maintain my current pace. Trishul has worked out to the minute when he'll be done.

Weather was great today - mid 80's.

Chanakhya's blog

Day 33

Stutisheel hit the 2000 mile mark today and Srdjan has already dropped into the 3 digit zone: the long countdown has begun though it is still a long way off for us backpackers.

People have been bringing their violins out to the race to practice and to play for the runners which has been an elevating experience and no end of help.

Day 32

Darticus, Trishul and Karen

I didn't mention Dr.John Rousseau who kindly dropped by the race yesterday and gave me a Chiropractic treatment. Also, later in the afternoon Dr. Pradhan Balter arrived from Chicago for a few days and we are very grateful for his time and energy.
Tonight I finished 93 laps just before the end and I was very happy. I'll take what I can.

Today's weather was good.
Current shoes: Brookes Beast and NB 854 Activa

Day 32

Cool temps and T-storms and a particularly difficult morning finally amount to 92 laps. Srdjan hits 2100 and Asprihanal reaches 2000 miles.
Its getting harder to write...

Day 31

Chanakhya and myself.

Having a helper makes a big difference and I have been very fortunate in having Chanakhya to help in the evenings. Chanakhya has his own blog - the life of an Englishman in New York.

Today was a mix of stories.
Temps were cool after a warm start.

Day 30

This is how the start looks every other morning.

Today was fairly hot. Srdjan continues his tremendous progress with Asprihanal in second. Today I only managed 96 laps but thats ok. Went over 1600. Each day seems to be moving quickly now. Ted came out again this a.m.

Kamalakanta Nieves came and spoke to some of the people involved in the race and this can be heard on the Radio Sri Chinmoy site

Day 29

Suprabha Beckjord

Today was another improvement for me as I hit 100 laps again and also today there was the halfway point at 1550 miles.
Temps were great today but we are all watching to see what happens with Hurricane Dennis in the next few days.
A local resident who has been supporting us for years brought us corn on the cob today. "First pickings" said 92 year old George.

Day 28

Finally I figured out how to put pictures here. This is the Indian festival last Saturday that kept us entertained all day.
The weather was almost perfect today and we had a close shave with a T-storm and escaped with a light shower.
Yesterdays 80 laps improved to 92 today - still slow but re-inforcements have arrived from our Czech, Slovakian and British friends who are extremely generous. Many thanks.

Tim Kourounis dropped by today to say hello. Tim is one of the most dedicated ultrarunners I know. He travels all over the USA and abroad running ultras.

Day 27

Heavy rain for most of the day affected most of the runners if not all. However the clock never stops and the goal commands ever and anon. The days seem to be gathering speed and passing quickly.
Temperatures are very cool.

Day 26

Rathin, Martin and I all hit 1400 miles within 20 miutes of each other today. Remarkable feat. Weather was cool and overcast for most of the day and began raining on the last lap tonight, just before midnight. Three people have also gone over the mid-point of the race.
Ted Corbitt came by the race again today as did Dipali. Its nice to have visitors.

The forecast for tomorrow is heavy rain from a tropical storm...

Our hearts go out to the dead and injured in London.

Day 25 - Energy Management

Today was tough. Had no energy in my legs for most of the day and I was in the position of wonderingwhat to do about it. Should I wait for the energy to come back or am I just being lazy and should try and push through it? Ordinairily the rule is not to push as this can lead to a more challenging situation and just sit it out and hope that the energy returns sooner rather than later. However this takes a lot of patience and faith. I decided to wait and sure enough, at 10:00 tonight it came surging back in time for me to make it to 100 laps.
It made it a long day though and I was last to leave tonight and had my first minor hallucination of the race. I thought I saw Asprihanal in front of me and he turned to me speaking and just vanished into the air.

It was very humid all day today and we had rain on my last lap tonight. Asprihanal went over the halfway point today.

Day 24 - The Commonwealth Championships

We updated the table today. Trishul (Canada) leads with 58 points, Abichal(Wales) is second with 45 points and Rathin (Australia) has 44 points.
Asprihanal has an ankle problem that kept him to 109 laps tonight. Pranab has shin splints again and Martins shoe worries continue as he tries to find a store that has size 13 4e shoes. Only one little shower today.

Day 23

A very quiet day in the 'hood. Temps were moderate and most runners had good days in cheerful spirits. I managed 105 laps which is 57 miles. Asprihanal took the days honours I think. He was hammering around with Tsvetan in the latter part of the evening while Srdjan has a few blisters from yesterday.
Ted Corbitt came to the race today.

Day 22

Today the runners were entertained by several thousand Indians who gathered for a small festival in the baseball field we circle all day and everyday and most people seemed to run a little farther. The weather is still good. Srdjan is having an amazing race. He is moving so strongly.

Day 21 - Three Weeks Already

I began the day with a new pair of shoes after finishing the previous night in a very worn down pair which had made my legs ache considerably. New shoes are usually traumatic to the feet and legs - there is an adjustment period while muscles, tendons and ligaments re-align themselves to the new situation. This is why it's good to change shoes every few hours so that sore spots don't develop.
By 10 a.m. I was exhausted and ground to a halt and had to take a break, after which I thought my day had been wrecked as I still had a lot of discomfort. But as the morning wore on, I was able to keep some sort of pace. The day finished on an excellent note, not only did I hit 100 but am not too beat-up. It seemed impossible earlier on and now seems to be a minor miracle.

The weather is perfect.

Weight: 178 lbs

Day 20 - Almost 3 Weeks Already

Pranab and Martin are extremely grateful to their friends in Zlijn for responding so generously to their shoe plight. It is remarkable that a new pair of shoes can be worn out in just 3 days.

So today with lower temperatures the running was a little easier for most people especially for Rathin who had an excellent day and earned his 3 Commonwealth points and Srdjan is still powering away at the top of the board.

I would like to offer thanks to Dr. Pradan Balter who flew in from Chicago for a few days to straigthen us out. He left today and hopefully will be back in 10 days or so. I have also been wanting to offer my appreciation to the race staff who work tirelessly to keep us happy and moving.

Day 19 - 1000 and over the first hump

Robert Zucsin, Rathin Boulton, Martin Milovnik, me and Suprabha Beckjord all passed the 1000 mile mark today with only 75 metres separating Suprabha and I! Cooler temperatures but still with fairly high humidity - it didn't rain.

I ran 97 laps today to tie with Trishul for top points in the Commonwealth Championships. Rathin has been struggling for the last few days and today was one of those days that always occur when you think things can't get any worse... Nevertheless he is still in second place with Trishul crowing away at the top.Trishul has had blister problems that are slowly getting better.

Shoes are getting to be a problem as almost 40% of the course was replaced with fresh concrete last August/September and is a very rough surface to run on in parts. Martin said today that one pair of shoes only lasted 15 hours...

Day 18

This morning was ideal as I hit 40 laps at noon. At 43 I took a break which turned out to be more comprehensive than planned. Consequently I ran strongly after the break and took another break as the rain arrived and this turned out to be a half-hour break and I started running again but somehow my energy bubble burst and I began to struggle through the evening having to take more shorter breaks until finishing at 11:45 with 95 laps - a total I have reached three days in a row.

I have been thinking about mentioning the race crew for a day or so.

Day 17

Another tough day. This one seemed to attack my mind from early-on and the whole morning was a struggle and consequently the whole day which was saved by a great evening and again reached 95 laps. Very happy about that.
Smarana also ran well with Rainhald and in fact most people seemed to have an ok day. I think that Suprabha and Martin passed me so I am last again. And that's alright with me.

Day 16

Last night I couldn't finish the post as I was too tired but it was a good day as days go in terms of laps, as I reached 107, the highest daily total since Day 1. I was soaked all day as the intense heat and humidity tested the bodies reserves and it looks like I overdid it slightly. Its very difficult to tell how much is too much but after a great morning today things began to go downhill. All morning the humidity must have been close to 100% until finally, it threw it down. I developed a blister under my toes and then my energy and focus went and ended up with 95 for the day. The weather is said to remain like this for sometime.

Srdjan hit 1000 miles today.

Day 15

How and why things occur is not usually for us to know. Quite often we can explain an event... after it's happened. We apply theories based on our understanding of what's happening but few are true prophets. Maintaining a steady pace will eventually bring the miles - its pretty simple. What actually happens is a little different and quite often the steady pace is an elusive creature that can only be embraced for short periods and max potential is not realised. Trishul came back to the race this year having enjoyed a rest last summer and came prepared to do battle with various sponsorship deals and a hired helper as well as Kaarin, his wife and his dog, Dart. Blister-free socks, blister-free insoles, surgical customisation of shoes and 20 years of ultra and multiday experience help make Trishul an expert. However for the umpteenth time he developed a deep blister that slowed him up for three days. Today he came up with a new explanation and cure. It seems he was able to detect heat on his heel and applied strips of Aloe Vera to the affected area and cooled it down.

Day 14 Yesterday... Today

Didn't quite make today's goal - 100 laps. Got to 98 and will take that. Most people seemed to have a good day today despite the heat which was not as hot as expected.

Checking 2003 results and day 14 was one of the worst days of the race - 80 laps with only a 79 on day 30 to take the spot.

2003 - 733
2004 - 762
2005 - 750

Todays weight 182 lbs

Day 13

Today was a better day for some people and Srdjan is still working hard at his lead over Asprihanal who struggled with Tsvetan for much of the day, walking. They call walkers The Pedestrians and most people get to spend some time not running. Asprihanal made the minimum so he was happy with that. Suprabha is going from strength to strength as each day passes.

Shandhini is ordering shoes today as the rough surface starts to take its toll on the footware. Martin was saying tonight how a pair of shoes only lasts 3 days. Trishul was shocked at the effect the new concrete was having. He brought 17 pairs with him and will need more!!!

The weather is forecast to rise to the mid 90's for the weekend.

There's a new url for the 3100 site:

http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/3100/index_html

Day 12 - As It Is

Top of the list of runners is Srdjan looking very strong. He has settled into a pattern that is maintaining his lead. He is followed closely by Asprihanal who is having to work quite at the moment. He has opened up a gap on Smarana who has been suffering from shin splints for the last week or so yet has been putting in some solid performances as his recovery continues.
Rainhald is having a great race keeping close to 111 laps everyday. Stutisheel had a special day yesterday, Wednesday, and looked better today. Tsvetan is the quietest of the runners and trails Stutisheel closely and has a little breathing space over Trishul who has been suffering from killer blisters which can lead to other problems but today he had a better day.
Robert has also been doing well as was Pranab until he was hit by shin splints but is gamely trying to overcome the condition and today had his best day for some time. Rathin is leading the backpackers, Abichal, Suprabha and Martin who has had an injury to his foot slow him down but again this is making progress. Suprabha seems to be gaining strength and we wish her contiued success.

Day 5 - Changes

Yesterday I was too tired to post and then had technical difficulties this morning.
and quite a few visitors have been dropping, by which is nice.

Three days ago, I struggled to get to 80 laps for the day and today I was at that point at 8 pm. It is a constant source of amazement how the days can be so difficult and slow and then change without an obvious cause the next day.
Today Smarana and Martin have issues slowing their accumulation of miles. Both are experienced multiday runners yet these things still happen.

I ran very well this morning until 10 and then eased off for the rest of the day to monitor progress and to see how the knees would respond and everything seemed to hold up which I am very happy about.

The cooler weather is a tremendous help.

Day 4 - Guarantee

There are few guarantees in this sport. Toeing the starting line is to dance with the unknown. The intense heat of the last few days, having more impact because of the cool Winter/Springf, gave way today to cooler drier weather coming off the Ocean some 10 miles South of the course. Too late for Kuranga who departed yesterday and will be missed.
Last night I had to work very hard in the last few hours to get to 92 laps and my knees were sore this morning resulting in a very slow day with little to show for the days work. However Pradhan, the medical man had diagnosed constipation as a probable cause. That situation seemed to resolve itself at the end of the last lap of the day... so all was not lost.
The runners laps are counted and given as they pass the counter station and this is the most relvant information we deal with. Consequently we look at the scoreboard only occasionaly so I didnt get a look to see what's happening at the top of the board today. Assisstant Race Director Sahisnu is doing the Marathon Team website updates and a great job it is too. He doesnt finish until after 1 and is in work before 7am. It does look as though I've hit the bottom of the table at the moment as Suprabha overtook me today and that brings me back to the title of this post. I wont be last. Guaranteed.

Day 3 - Reaching The Goal

Another extremely hot day and fortunately at some point today it seemed as though the humidity backed off some what before returning this evening. Consequently I went into survival mode and crawled until 5 minutes to midnight. This was a seriously tough day and I had to settle for 50 miles which is still no joke, regardless of what I think about it - it's a long way. Kuranga was having some problems today and again, Pranab was first to leave after getting in his miles not sure how many but he is looking very strong.
Trishul, Rathin and myself are holding the 3100 Commonwealth Championships. Trishul did 101 laps today.
A lot of kids from Thomas Edison High are drawing to the end of their term. Some of them remember us from last year.

I'll weigh myself tommorrow to see if there's any good news.

Day 2 - Reality

Day 1 finished with a bit of a struggle but I was still optimistic this morning and started off at a good pace but only held it for a couple of hours before I began slowing and having to walk. One problem was my lack of sleep last night and my back was uncomfortable all day, plus the heat and humidity. Pranab seemed oblivious to the temperatures and ran in a good day and finished early. My total for the day was very disappointing but it was all I could do. So despite all my plans and hopes 50 miles is what I have to accept. I guess there's something to be said for training... I hope that this is just the acclimatisation period the first week is a time of adjustment.
So I now have 120 miles and still weigh 190 which is good, in some ways.
Stutisheel has his daughter,Anastasia, Nastea for short, as his helper and she is such a treasure. All day she selflessly served the runners with drinks as they came through and offered food. An Angel.

Day One

So at last the race is underway. The race began after a minute of silence with the race founder, Sri Chinmoy. Very humid conditions in the early morning and the day got hotter and hotter. Had a great morning, ok afternoonand a poor late afternoo/early evening nut as the night progressed I realised I could still set a PB for the first day which I did, 127 laps almost 70 miles and finished just before midnight. Almost everyone seemed to have a good day. We will see the results tommorrow. A bunch of guys dropped in to say hi today. Tim Korounis brought some South African gentlemen with him including Brian Collings who will shortly be running Western States. I didnt see who was leading tonight but Kurunga had a good day as did Pranab

Hours That Seem Like Minutes

It seems to be the case that whenever I step outside of the normal routine something appears to warp time. Either it speeds up and it seems almost impossible to get things done or time slows to a crawl and drags along interminably. The former seems to be the most frequent state I've been in recently. The poetry magazine got rolled over, the handbook didnt get a look in and the latest MR magazine did not roll off the printer, the websites didnt get moved onto Plone yet I still didnt have time to do all the training I wanted to and was totally busy all the time.
Efficiency.
Thats what it all boils down to and nowhere is it more practicable than the 3100 mile race. Certain things have to happen. They happen in a certain order and in a particular way and making the best use of time and resources requires a plan! Yes, a magic wand. The key is Energy Management and this will be a important issue over the next 2 months.
Trishul has hired a helper and also has a friend coming to help with Chiropractic adjustments or something like that. These two things alone will give him a lot of help and enable him to remain focused on his objectives for longer periods of time. It's not only physical but also psychological support that one gets from helpers that enables one to get more from a given situation, helps you think when your brain has switched off, reminds you of your goals when you're taking a longer break and just taking care of the basics is an enormous help.
However some people don't have these issues or at least appear as if they don't and are able to stay out on the track for long periods moving quickly - the elite runners - but behind this is a solid framework of doing what has to be done in the most efective way in the least amount of time.
There is no substitute for speed but persistent effort and maintaining standards will bring results. Pretty basic really. When you've got that down, that's when the hours seem like minutes.
I weighed in today, 190, and we will be keeping an eye on what happens there.

8 hours to go. I wish all the runners good luck and may we all realise this dream.

Another road less travelled

So, in addition to text I think I will be able to post a little mp3 file of life on the road. I don't know how interesting this will be but after a few days we will no doubt get around to Asprihanals famous joke collection...

The Daily Soundbite

Not quite the fabulous stream of consciousness ( Large video file: you need big pipes for this) that was captured by Lotus Films 2 years ago but 2 months from now, I'm sure it will prove to be useful...

MC Sahishnu 2003 style

You are ready, aren't you?

Last Days

Yesterday I ran my last long run, some 17 miles The temperature was relatively hot and humid and 30 degrees warmer than it had been last week. This sudden increase in temperature makes things a little more difficult for the body. All day I didn't drink enough. With five days left before the start my awareness of the body's condition is increasing and maintaining a higher fluid intake over the next few days will help the body adjust. During the race eating and drinking are functions that need balancing very carefully. The course is a loop of .5488 mile long so we are usually not more than 10 minutes from the aid station so the runners are in an ideal situation to regulate input. Getting that balance right is a little tricky and requires experimenting. Food will not digest properly if the stomach is continually diluted with water. The acid that helps break down food is a vital part of the digestive process. A little water often and then holding off before eating will help the body enormously. And again eating small amounts of food often will not overload the stomach. After a big meal the body wants to shut down for a while and digest. We don't really have that luxury.

I ran by the course tonight and it's all starting to come back - the vans, the tables, the chairs. the worn out shoes, the 6 a.m. start, the thunderstorms, the high humidity, the screaming kids in the playground, the interminable ice-cream van jingle. These last few days are really just that: by the time its all over, we will have been through an amazing amount of issues, problems challenges and found solutions, answers and gained an experience that we bring to a new perspective on our daily lives.

Love thy feet

It seems pretty obvious from the start that the feet are going to take a battering of serious proportions and most people can relate to the odd blister, but few people can imagine what 3100 miles in the rain and heat moving nearly 18 hours a day will do.
This is why training is so useful. Running every day and a longer run on weekends is going to get the feet used to moving for long periods. It will break in the shoes so you will know how comfortable they are or if they're not then you can fix the problem or find a pair of shoes that do work. It is definitely not a good idea to start a race with a make of shoe that you have not tested before. I train in New Balance 854's which are available in the UK but not in the US and I use a size US 12 4e/2e and in the races use a 13 4e. Anything smaller gives me problems and I have to cut the shoes. However because my feet are used to this shoe I am able to pull on a new pair at any time without having to break them in.
Blisters are the most common problem. A runner needs to find their own way of dealing with them as there are several opinions and methods.As soon as a blister comes into my awareness I stop and puncture it, clean it and change shoes or socks. Maintaining awareness of the condition of the body at all times is necessary, even down to the smallest of details. This isnt always easy and is why 'pushing' will deafen one to the body's condition. One can't afford to let a situation escalate out of control so I like to eradicate the source of the problem as soon as I begin to feel any heat or 'hotspots', as we call them, as this is the precursor to blistering. Changing shoes and socks will help immediately as will cooling the feet in ice or cold water or even just cleaning the feet will help. Any time spent on foot care is worth it. Prevention is better than cure. I have seen several people with blisters covering almost the entire sole of the foot - huge things 2'' or more in diameter and the runner unable to walk now risks infection. Multiday running takes the body to the edge of its capacity and its not an edge to go over.

Other common foot injuries are collapsed arches which can be supported with orthotics. However training will strengthen these muscles and running with orthotics is something a lot of people do these days. Again introducing orthotics during the race can cause other problems such as blistering...
The metatarsals also take a hammering as does the Achilles and injuries to these can stress other muscles in the chain. In a multiday race the weakest link becomes more than just a TV show.
Earlier in my multiday career I had severe pain in the soles of my feet. Each step was intense (and thats where I learned that technique of walking on rice paper without breaking it that was featured in a Kung Fu program in the 70's). The nerve endings became inflamed and for days I struggled before it finally eased off. And there's another topic - How pain mysteriously comes and magically goes.
So there's my tuppence worth on why its good to train regularly, regardless really, of the distance.

Preparations

There are many things that need to be done before the race starts and this last two weks will be filled with preparations to ensure that I have clear and direct access to my bed. My small room is normally filled with junk and all that has to go. Routine is important so I don't have to waste time when I get back each night and it usually takes the following form.

First thing is shower.
Second task is to lance the blisters.
Thirdly I soak my feet in Epsom salts whilst I eat and check my email...
Its important to eat as the metabolism is usually doubled after a few days and vast quantities of food are required to maintain energy output more than can comfortably eaten during the day. There's no time to sit and eat a meal. All eating is done whilst walking away from the camp in a 80 yard stretch unless there's ice cream of course. Everything stops for ice-cream.

Usually the last thing I do before closing my eyes is take homeopathic Arnica or Bioplasma and hopefully it is not yet 12:30 a.m.

Entrants for the 2005 3100 Mile race

1. Ashprihanal Aalto,34,Helsinki, Finland
2. Kuranga Peel,38, Neusiedl,Austria
3. Smarana Puntigam,34,Vienna,Austria
4. Suprabha Beckjord,49,Washington DC USA
5. Trishul Cherns,48,Middle Village,NY Canada
6. Oleg Lebedyev,35, Kiev, Ukraine
7. Rathin Boulton,32, Canberra,ACT, Australia
8. Abichal Watkins,44, Pontypool,Wales UK
9. Martin Milovnik,32,Bratislava,Slovakia
10 Tsvetan Tsekov,24,Sofia,Bulgaria
11 Srdjan Stojanovich,42,Nish,Serbia-Montenegro
12 Pranab Vladovic,29,Bratislava, Slovakia
13 Rainald Pobitzer,25,Innsbruck,Austria
14 Robert Zucsin,30,Kysak,Slovakia