In 2009, I competed in the Self-Transcendence 3100-Mile Race for the sixth time. And year after year, the race brings new surprises. Flying to the start, which was June 14, 2009, I really wanted to improve my result and run in 49+ days. But everything turned out much more interesting …
Despite the fact that on the first day I did an unprecedented 70 miles, from the second day my transition period began: first my knees, then the Achilles forced me to walk and slow down for 2 days of running. But soon I began to add more and more confidently and by the 25th day I had already reached the level of 64-65 miles per day.
Day 25, full moon. By the end of the day, according to tradition, I was “finished”. I was very lucky that Dr. Kaushal from Italy was on the track at this time. He determined by pulse that the full moon under extreme loads blocks my kidneys, and began to “repair” me. As it turned out later, it was quite effective. But there was something else he told me. Imagine a picture: I am lying on his table without strength, and he says to me: “In 11 days you will reach a new level of energy, which you have never been before. And what will happen next – only God knows”. And I believed him, because I implicitly felt that my maximum performance was ahead. This day X was supposed to be the 36th day of the race …
On day 36, I was running a little above average, but not amazingly fast. But from day 37, a new era began in my 3100 mile run: 68 miles, 69, 70 and even 71.89 miles – on the 42nd day of the run! At that day I was the first by day results – I had never run like that before! And it was natural, without over-stress. Kaushal then wrote to me already from home: “I wanted you to have good dynamic energy. But now you have crazy horsepower!”
I managed to maintain this pace until the end of the run – in the last full 10 days I ran 683 miles – 110 miles more than in the first 10 days. Wow! As a result, my dream of 49+ just vanished … and I finished in 48 days 12 hours 42 minutes 46 seconds. I could not even dream of that!
Here is a little statistics – an iceberg of what happened at 3100 in 2009:
First thousand miles – 16 days 12 hours
Second thousand miles – 15 days 13 hours
Third thousand miles – 14 days 15 hours
First ten days of running – 573 miles
Last full ten days – 683 miles
I improved my result by 47 hours.
Worn sneakers – 15 pairs
Weight loss – 7 kg (also a record :)
Massages per run – 1
I did 1-2 stretches per day for 5 minutes and the last 46 days the muscles recovered themselves.
And the most interesting thing is that the next day after the finish, we happily ran 2 miles along the track with Pranjal, who has already been running without a pass for more than 400 days (at least 2 miles). Feeling great after the run! The fullness of life is in motion!
Physical strength has only one source –
Spiritual strength.
~ Sri Chinmoy
Final results of the 3100-Mile Race in 2009
During 3100, almost every day, I did an online diary – I dictated my experiences on my mobile phone. My daughter took a lot of photos, often from the most unusual angles. This is how my blog evolved – first-hand experiences from a 3,100 mile racer. I invite you for inspiration!
www.3100.lebedev.org.ua
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