The Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 2005-06

Self-Transcendencer 3100 Mile Race Posts 2007

2007-01-31T23:40:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-10T04:53:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-09T04:58:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-07T23:31:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-06T23:55:00.000-05:00

"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

2006-07-06T04:53:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-04T23:46:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-03T00:04:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-01T23:21:00.000-05:00

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

2006-07-01T04:55:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-30T04:57:00.000-05:00

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

Day 18

2006-06-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-27T00:12:00.000-05:00

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

Day 15

2006-06-26T00:16:00.000-05:00

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

Day 14

2006-06-24T23:22:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-23T23:20:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-23T00:04:00.000-05:00

Not so easr

Day 11

2006-06-22T00:08:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-21T00:03:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-19T23:50:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-19T04:40:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-16T00:15:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-15T00:12:00.000-05:00

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

2006-06-13T23:45:00.000-05:00

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.