On August 4, 2008, a shortly after 5 pm, I crossed the finish line of the world’s longest and most difficult 3100-Mile Race in New York. That was my 5th finish and the new record for Ukraine and the post-soviet countries: 50 days 11 hours 19 minutes 46 seconds. Improved last year’s achievement by 62 minutes. On average, I ran 98.8 km a day. This Race became for me the best school of life, the school of everything. Outwardly, it may seem that these are sports competitions. But the essence and purpose of the run are hidden much deeper. The development of willpower and endurance, liberation from fuss and husks, calming and clarifying the mind, solving many problems that could not be solved for years and, finally, understanding and relying on the main thing in your life – all this is 3100 … When I have 7 laps to finish – I got the feeling that the Race had already ended for me: I had done everything. I’ve mastered all the experiences, passed all the lessons – everything. And with that feeling came great joy. I was no longer accelerating and in no hurry – I ran moderately and could not help but smile … I finished seventh – the second year in a row.
There were also difficult days: inflammation of the calf muscle, a heat of 37C, lack of strength due to the problem of splitting fats … But in general, I began to run more confidently, consistently and strongly. It seems that the last two races I just “warned up” :) I got the feeling of flying. And the shock for the body was almost completely gone – the first 37 days I generally felt like a “pickle”. So, everything is just a beginning!
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