The Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 6- and 10-Day Races are underway in Queens, NY; the current results are posted here. These are the 12th annual Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Races and the world’s longest certified race.
All philosophical musings about personal bravery, self transcendence and running aside, it’s a relief to still have someone else to point to when people tell me, “100 miles? That’s just crazy.”
My first week of training for 2009 went very well. Another change I’m trying out this year is, for the majority of my training runs, going for a specified time limit as opposed to a specified number of miles. This should be helpful in two ways: (1) it brings my running practice that much closer to my Zen practice, since my Zen meditation periods are also timed, and (2) it frees me from having to run specific routes. I won’t be counting mileage totals this year.
I found this especially liberating on Sunday, when, while running through my neighborhood blindly following my old 6-mile route, I suddenly realized I didn’t have to follow the route anymore – I only needed to run for an hour, wherever/however I decided to do it. I immediately cut a zig-zag course across that well-worn 6-mile path, re-discovered some streets I hadn’t ran down in ages, and even ducked onto the high school track for a few laps before deciding to run across a nearby park.
Saturday I ran up and down the gnarly old 9-mile out-and-back trail on Lake Grapevine’s North Shore – an up-and-down hardscrabble path crudely gouged through the woods on the rocky, brick-red shoreline. I didn’t run that trail at all last year, and didn’t realize how much I had missed it. It’s not the world’s prettiest stretch of trail but it has its own urban forest charm, accented by the constant rumble of jets landing at nearby DFW airport that on cloudy days can trick you into thinking they’re approaching thunderstorms.
I only meant to go two hours but, faced with several apparently new connecting trails and having to enter at an unfamiliar trail head before the park officially opened, soon found myself lost and running for nearly three hours before spotting my car again. But I was enjoying myself and really didn’t mind my directional cluelessness — it’s deeply embedded in the family genetics and I’m pretty used to it by now. (Maybe that’s why I prefer the 12 and 24 hour short loop race format — no way to get lost.)
But even more amazing, nearly three hours on trail for the first time since early February didn’t really seem to hurt that much. A good omen, or just a good day? I’m going with omen, despite the fact my Zen practice teaches me speculation about the future is pretty worthless. While I’m all for just living in the present moment, I still think I could use a good omen or two. Couldn’t you?
Mon 4/20: 40 minutes yoga, a.m.
Tues 4/21: Flagpole Hill, a.m. 4 x hills. 40 minutes yoga, p.m
Wed 4/22: UTD Campus, noon. 50 minutes
Thur 4/23: LHHS track, a.m. 20-minute tempo run, 40 minutes total. 40 minutes yoga, p.m.
Fri 4/24: Rest
Sat 4/25: Lake Grapevine North Shore trails, a.m. 2 hrs 45 minutes.
Sun 4/26: Neighborhood, a.m. 1 hour. 40 minutes yoga, p.m., followed by hot soak
